Skills

Strength
Strength measures bodily power, athletic training, and the extent to which you can
exert raw physical force.

Strength Checks
A Strength check can model any attempt to lift, push, pull, or break something, to force
your body through a space, or to otherwise apply brute force to a situation. The
Athletics skill reflects aptitude in certain kinds of Strength checks.

Athletics.Your Strength (Athletics) check covers difficult situations you encounter

while climbing, jumping, or swimming. Examples include the following activities:
•You attempt to climb a sheer or slippery cliff, avoid hazards while scaling a wall, or cling
to a surface while something is trying to knock you off.
•You try to jump an unusually long distance or pull off a stunt midjump.
•You struggle to swim or stay afloat in treacherous currents, storm-tossed waves, or
areas of thick seaweed. Or another creature tries to push or pull you underwater or
otherwise interfere with your swimming.

Other Strength Checks. The GM might also call for a Strength check when you try
to accomplish tasks like the following:
•Force open a stuck, locked, or barred door
•Break free of bonds
•Push through a tunnel that is too small
•Hang on to a wagon while being dragged behind it
•Tip over a statue
•Keep a boulder from rolling
Dexterity
Dexterity measures agility, reflexes, and balance.

Dexterity Checks
A Dexterity check can model any attempt to move nimbly, quickly, or quietly, or to keep
from falling on tricky footing. The Acrobatics, Sleight of Hand, and Stealth skills reflect
aptitude in certain kinds of Dexterity checks.

Acrobatics. Your Dexterity (Acrobatics) check covers your attempt to stay on your
feet in a tricky situation, such as when you're trying to run across a sheet of ice, balance
on a tightrope, or stay upright on a rocking ship's deck. The GM might also call for a
Dexterity (Acrobatics) check to see if you can perform acrobatic stunts, including dives,
rolls, somersaults, and flips.

Sleight of Hand. Whenever you attempt an act of legerdemain or manual trickery,

such as planting something on someone else or concealing an object on your person,
make a Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) check. The GM might also call for a Dexterity
(Sleight of Hand) check to determine whether you can lift a coin purse off another
person or slip something out of another person's pocket.

Stealth. Make a Dexterity (Stealth) check when you attempt to conceal yourself from
enemies, slink past guards, slip away without being noticed, or sneak up on someone
without being seen or heard.

Other Dexterity Checks. The GM might call for a Dexterity check when you try to
accomplish tasks like the following:
•Control a heavily laden cart on a steep descent
•Steer a chariot around a tight turn
•Pick a lock
•Disable a trap
•Securely tie up a prisoner
•Wriggle free of bonds
•Play a stringed instrument
•Craft a small or detailed object
Intelligence
Intelligence measures mental acuity, accuracy of recall, and the ability to reason.

Intelligence Checks
An Intelligence check comes into play when you need to draw on logic, education,
memory, or deductive reasoning. The Arcana, History, Investigation, Nature, and
Religion skills reflect aptitude in certain kinds of Intelligence checks.

Arcana.Your Intelligence (Arcana) check measures your ability to recall lore about
spells, magic items, eldritch symbols, magical traditions, the planes of existence, and
the inhabitants of those planes.

History. Your Intelligence (History) check measures your ability to recall lore about
historical events, legendary people, ancient kingdoms, past disputes, recent wars, and
lost civilizations.

Investigation. When you look around for clues and make deductions based on those
clues, you make an Intelligence (Investigation) check. You might deduce the location of
a hidden object, discern from the appearance of a wound what kind of weapon dealt it,
or determine the weakest point in a tunnel that could cause it to collapse. Poring
through ancient scrolls in search of a hidden fragment of knowledge might also call for
an Intelligence (Investigation) check.

Nature. Your Intelligence (Nature) check measures your ability to recall lore about
terrain, plants and animals, the weather, and natural cycles.

Religion. Your Intelligence (Religion) check measures your ability to recall lore about
deities, rites and prayers, religious hierarchies, holy symbols, and the practices of secret
cults.
Other Intelligence Checks. The GM might call for an Intelligence check when you
try to accomplish tasks like the following:
•Communicate with a creature without using words
•Estimate the value of a precious item
•Pull together a disguise to pass as a city guard
•Forge a document
•Recall lore about a craft or trade
•Win a game of skill
Wisdom
Wisdom reflects how attuned you are to the world around you and represents
perceptiveness and intuition.

Wisdom Checks
A Wisdom check might reflect an effort to read body language, understand someone's
feelings, notice things about the environment, or care for an injured person. The Animal
Handling, Insight, Medicine, Perception, and Survival skills reflect aptitude in certain
kinds of Wisdom checks.
Animal Handling. When there is any question whether you can calm down a
domesticated animal, keep a mount from getting spooked, or intuit an animal's
intentions, the GM might call for a Wisdom (Animal Handling) check. You also make a
Wisdom (Animal Handling) check to control your mount when you attempt a risky
maneuver.
Insight. Your Wisdom (Insight) check decides whether you can determine the true
intentions of a creature, such as when searching out a lie or predicting someone's next
move. Doing so involves gleaning clues from body language, speech habits, and
changes in mannerisms.
Medicine. A Wisdom (Medicine) check lets you try to stabilize a dying companion or
diagnose an illness.
Perception. Your Wisdom (Perception) check lets you spot, hear, or otherwise detect
the presence of something. It measures your general awareness of your surroundings
and the keenness of your senses. For example, you might try to hear a conversation
through a closed door, eavesdrop under an open window, or hear monsters moving
stealthily in the forest. Or you might try to spot things that are obscured or easy to miss,
whether they are orcs lying in ambush on a road, thugs hiding in the shadows of an
alley, or candlelight under a closed secret door.
Survival. The GM might ask you to make a Wisdom (Survival) check to follow tracks,
hunt wild game, guide your group through frozen wastelands, identify signs that
owlbears live nearby, predict the weather, or avoid quicksand and other natural
hazards.
Other Wisdom Checks. The GM might call for a Wisdom check when you try to
accomplish tasks like the following:
•Get a gut feeling about what course of action to follow
•Discern whether a seemingly dead or living creature is undead
Charisma
Charisma measures your ability to interact effectively with others. It includes such
factors as confidence and eloquence, and it can represent a charming or commanding
personality.

Charisma Checks
A Charisma check might arise when you try to influence or entertain others, when you
try to make an impression or tell a convincing lie, or when you are navigating a tricky
social situation. The Deception, Intimidation, Performance, and Persuasion skills reflect
aptitude in certain kinds of Charisma checks.

Deception. Your Charisma (Deception) check determines whether you can

convincingly hide the truth, either verbally or through your actions. This deception can
encompass everything from misleading others through ambiguity to telling outright
lies. Typical situations include trying to fast-talk a guard, con a merchant, earn money
through gambling, pass yourself off in a disguise, dull someone's suspicions with false
assurances, or maintain a straight face while telling a blatant lie.

Intimidation. When you attempt to influence someone through overt threats, hostile
actions, and physical violence, the GM might ask you to make a Charisma (Intimidation)
check. Examples include trying to pry information out of a prisoner, convincing street
thugs to back down from a confrontation, or using the edge of a broken bottle to
convince a sneering vizier to reconsider a decision.

Performance. Your Charisma (Performance) check determines how well you can
delight an audience with music, dance, acting, storytelling, or some other form of
entertainment.

Persuasion. When you attempt to influence someone or a group of people with tact,
social graces, or good nature, the GM might ask you to make a Charisma (Persuasion)
check. Typically, you use persuasion when acting in good faith, to foster friendships,
make cordial requests, or exhibit proper etiquette. Examples of persuading others
include convincing a chamberlain to let your party see the king, negotiating peace
between warring tribes, or inspiring a crowd of townsfolk.

Other Charisma Checks. The GM might call for a Charisma check when you try to
accomplish tasks like the following:
•Find the best person to talk to for news, rumors, and gossip
•Blend into a crowd to get the sense of key topics of conversation