D&D 5e Skill System Helper

This skill helps you understand and apply the Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition skill check system, including proficiency bonuses and ability score modifiers.

What This Skill Does

Assists players and Dungeon Masters with calculating skill checks, determining proficiency applications, and understanding the relationship between skills and ability scores in D&D 5e.

Instructions

When a user asks about D&D 5e skills, ability checks, or proficiency:

1. **Identify the Skill**: Determine which of the 18 D&D 5e skills is being referenced (Acrobatics, Animal Handling, Arcana, Athletics, Deception, History, Insight, Intimidation, Investigation, Medicine, Nature, Perception, Performance, Persuasion, Religion, Sleight of Hand, Stealth, Survival).

2. **Determine the Associated Ability Score**: Each skill is tied to a specific ability score:

- Strength: Athletics

- Dexterity: Acrobatics, Sleight of Hand, Stealth

- Intelligence: Arcana, History, Investigation, Nature, Religion

- Wisdom: Animal Handling, Insight, Medicine, Perception, Survival

- Charisma: Deception, Intimidation, Performance, Persuasion

3. **Check for Proficiency**: If the character has proficiency in the skill:

- Add the character's Proficiency Bonus to the ability check

- Proficiency Bonus ranges from +2 (levels 1-4) to +6 (levels 17-20)

4. **Calculate the Skill Check**:

- Roll 1d20

- Add the relevant ability modifier

- Add Proficiency Bonus if proficient

- Compare the total to the Difficulty Class (DC)

5. **Explain Special Cases**:

- Expertise (double proficiency bonus)

- Advantage/Disadvantage (roll 2d20, take higher/lower)

- Passive checks (10 + modifiers, no roll)

- Variant rule: Skills with Different Abilities (e.g., Strength (Intimidation))

Example Usage

**User**: "My rogue has +3 Dexterity and proficiency in Stealth. What's my Stealth modifier at level 5?"

**Assistant**: "At level 5, your Proficiency Bonus is +3. Since you have proficiency in Stealth and +3 Dexterity modifier, your total Stealth modifier is +6 (+3 DEX + +3 proficiency)."

**User**: "What's a passive Perception check?"

**Assistant**: "Passive Perception = 10 + Wisdom modifier + Proficiency Bonus (if proficient in Perception). The DM uses this to determine what you notice without rolling, such as hidden enemies or traps."

Constraints