Variant: Consolidated Proficiencies

With this variant rule, the amount of skills is reduced from 18 to 11. Each new skill is meant to represent a wide concept. Athletics, for example, is meant to be used with everything that would require physical exercise, and Nature with everything related to the natural world, so each skill covers a broad range of capabilities tied under its theme.

Proficiencies Included by Skill

Skill	Proficiencies Included
Arcana	Arcana
Athletics	Acrobatics, Athletics
Crafting	—
History	History
Influence	Deception, Intimidation, Persuasion
Nature	Animal Handling, Medicine, Nature, Survival
Perception	Investigation, Insight, Perception
Performance	Performance
Religion	Religion
Stealth	Stealth
Thievery	Sleight of Hand

Using Different Abilities

Each skill is commonly related to an ability score as shown below, although your proficiency in a skill doesn’t apply only to a specific kind of ability check.

Strength Wisdom

Athletics Nature

Dexterity Perception

Stealth Religion

Thievery Charisma

Intelligence Influence

Arcana Performance

Crafting

History

Proficiency in Athletics, for example, usually applies to Strength checks, but in some situations, your proficiency might reasonably apply to a different kind of check. In such cases, the GM might ask for a check using an unusual combination of ability and skill, or you might ask your GM if you can apply a proficiency to a different check. For example, if you have to swim from an offshore island to the mainland, your GM might call for a Constitution (Athletics) check to see if you have the stamina to make it that far. Similarly, when making a display of raw strength to intimidate an enemy, your GM might ask for a Strength (Influence) check, even though Influence is normally associated with Charisma.

Perception

As an adventurer you have trained your senses to be aware of your surroundings, so you always gain proficiency in the Perception skill if you don’t already have it. If you are already proficient with Perception, you instead become proficient in a skill of your choice.

When combat starts, every participant makes a Wisdom (Perception) check to determine their place in the initiative order—the more aware you are of your surroundings, the more quickly you can respond. Sometimes, though, the GM might call to make another type of check. For instance, if you were attempting to sneak up on someone withoout being seen, the GM might call for a Dexterity (Stealth) check, while a social encounter could call for a Charisma (Influence) check.

Tools

Each tool is commonly associated with a skill as shown on the Associated Tools by Skill table, so when the GM asks you to make a check that would include a particular tool you would normally have to make a check with that skill. For example, you need a poisoner’s kit to create poisons or a thieves’ tools to disarm traps or open locks, but it would normally require a Wisdom (Survival) or a Dexterity (Thievery) check respectively. Much like skills, tools don’t apply only to a specific kind of ability check, so in some situations the GM might ask or you might ask your GM to make a different kind of check with a particular tool.

Associated Tools by Skill

Skill	Associated Tools
Arcana	—
Athletics	—
Crafting	Artisan’s tools, Forgery kit
History	—
Influence	Disguise kit
Nature	Navigator’s tools, Poisoner’s kit, Herbalism kit
Perception	Gaming sets
Performance	Musical instruments
Religion	—
Stealth	—
Thievery	Thieves’ tools

If you have proficiency with a tool, you can add your proficiency bonus to any check you make that uses that tool. If you have proficiency in the skill that’s also used with that check, you have advantage on the check. For example, if you are proficient with the lute but not with Performance, you would add your proficiency bonus to Performance checks made to play the lute, but if you were proficient with both the lute and Performance, you would add your proficiency bonus and gain advantage on Performance checks to play the lute.

 

 

Class Proficiencies

You aren’t restricted to select from a group of skills listed under your starting class’ proficiencies. The Skill Proficiencies by Class table suggests a couple of skill proficiencies for each class, as well as the amount of skill proficiencies that each class gets, and you can choose which two skills are tied to a given background.