Page 263 - Dungeon Master's Guide

CHAPTER 9: DuNGEON MASTER's WoRKSHOP

S THE D UNGEON M ASTER, YOU AREN'T LIMITED PROFICIENCY DIE
by the rules in the Player's Handbook, the
Level Proficiency Bonus Proficiency Die
guidelines in this book, or the selection of
1st-4th +2 1d4
monsters in the Monster Manual. You can
5th-8th +3 1d6
let your imagination run wild. This chapter
contains optional rules that you can use to 9th-12th +4 1d8
customize your campaign, as well as guidelines on 13th- 16th +5 1d10
creating your own material, such as monsters and 17th-20th +6 1d12
magic items.
The options in this chapter relate to many different SKILL VARIANTS
parts of the game. Some of them are variants of
A skill dictates the circumstances under which a
rules, and others are entirely new rules. Each option
character can add his or her proficiency bonus to an
represents a different genre, style of play, or both.
ability check. Skills define those circumstances by
Consider trying no more than one or two of the options
referring to different aspects of the six ability scores.
at a time so that you can clearly assess their effects on
For example, Acrobatics and Stealth are two different
your campaign before adding other options.
aspects of Dexterity, and a character can specialize in
Before you add a new rule to your campaign, ask
either or both.
yourself two questions:
You can dispense with skills and use one of the
• Will the rule improve the game? following variants. Choose whichever one best suits
• Will my players like it? your campaign.
If you're confident that the answer to both questions is
ABILITY CHECK PROFICIENCY
yes, then you have nothing to lose by giving it a try. Urge With this variant rule, characters don't have skill
your players to provide feedback. If the rule or game
proficiencies. Instead, each character has proficiency
element isn't functioning as intended or isn't adding
in two abilities: one tied to the character's class and
much to your game, you can refine it or ditch it. No one tied to the character's background. The Ability
matter what a rule's source, a rule serves you, not the
Proficiencies by Class table suggests a proficiency for
other way around.
each class, and you choose which ability is tied to a
Beware of adding anything to your game that allows
given background. Starting at 1st level, a character adds
a character to concentrate on more than one effect at his or her proficiency bonus to any ability check tied to
a time, use more than one reaction or bonus action
one or the other of these two abilities.
per round, or attune to more than three magic items
at a time. Rules and game elements that override the
ABILITY CHECK PROFICIENCIES BY CLASS
rules for concentration, reactions, bonus actions, and
magic item attunement can seriously unbalance or Class Ability Check
overcomplicate your game. Barbarian Strength, Dexterity, or Wisdom
Bard Any one
ABILITY OPTIONS Cleric Intelligence, Wisdom , or Charisma
Druid Intelligence or Wisdom
The optional rules in this section pertain to using
ability scores. Fighter Strength, Dexterity, or Wisdom
Monk Strength, Dexterity, or Intelligence
PROFICIENCY DICE Paladin Strength, Wisdom, or Charisma
------------------
This optional rule replaces a character's proficiency Ranger Strength, Dexterity, or Wisdom
bonus with a proficiency die, adding more randomness Rogue Dexterity, Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma
to the game and making proficiency a less reliable Sorcerer Intelligence or Charisma
indicator of mastery. Instead of adding a proficiency Warlock Intelligence or Charisma
bonus to an ability check, an attack roll, or saving throw, Wizard Intelligence or Wisdom
the character's player rolls a die. The Proficiency Die
table shows which die or dice to roll, as determined by The Expertise feature works differently than normal
the character's level. under this rule. At 1st level, instead of choosing two
Whenever a feature, such as the rogue's Expertise, skill proficiencies, a character with the Expertise class
lets a character double his or her proficiency bonus, feature chooses one of the abilities in which he or she
the player rolls the character's proficiency die twice has proficiency. Selecting an ability counts as two
instead of once. of the character's Expertise choices. If the character
This option is intended for player characters and would gain an additional skill proficiency, that character
non player characters who have levels, as opposed to instead selects another ability check in which to gain
monsters who don't. proficiency.

H PTER 9 I DUNGEON MASTER'S WORKSHOP