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# Skill Focuses

##### Table Of Contents

**Table of Contents...............................................................1**

**Overview.............................................................................2**

- Acrobatics Skill Focuses......................................................3 - Animal Handling Skill Focuses..........................................3 - Arcana Skill Focuses............................................................4 - Athletics Skill Focuses.........................................................4 - Deception Skill Focuses......................................................4 - History Skill Focuses...........................................................5 - Insight Skill Focuses............................................................5 - Initimidation Skill Focuses..................................................5 - Investigation Skill Focuses.................................................5 - Medicine Skill Focuses........................................................6 - Nature Skill Focuses............................................................6 - Perception Skill Focuses.....................................................6 - Performance Skill Focuses.................................................6 - Persuasion Skill Focuses ...................................................7 - Religion Skill Focuses .........................................................7 - Sleight of Hand Skill Focuses............................................7 - Stealth Skill Focuses............................................... ............7 - Survival Skill Focuses..........................................................7

**Artisan's Tools and Vehicle Skill Focuses**.........................8

**Languages, Reading and Writing**.........................................8

##### Copyright DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, D&D, Wizards of the Coast, Forgotten Realms, Ravenloft, Eberron, the dragon ampersand, Ravnica and all other Wizards of the Coast product names, and their respective logos are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast in the USA and other countries. This work contains material that is copyright Wizards of the Coast and/or other authors. Such material is used with permission under the Community Content Agreement for Dungeon Masters Guild. All other original material in this work is copyright 2024 by A.H. Wilton and published under the Community Content Agreement for Dungeon Masters Guild

Credits: This content has been created, compiled, edited, and elaborated upon with creative license, and updated for fifth edition DUNGEONS & DRAGONS. This sourcebook was edited and designed by the author, using The Homebrewery - homebrewery.naturalcrit.com -, and Simple Microsoft Word Template by Laura Hirsbrunner.

### Using This Book The Skill Focuses presented in this book are a tool to provide greater depth, variety, and customization in character creation for fifth edition D&D. With this expansion, players can choose from more than 64 specialized skills to further define their characters. These rules borrow in part from the non-weapon proficiencies of earlier editions, but they have been made fully compatible with fifth edition rules and are easy to implement without applying cumbersome new mechanics. Generally speaking, a skill focus will provide characters with advantage to their skill checks in very specific circumstances and may provide other benefits and/or uses as described. Importantly, Skill Focuses are tied to a character's Intelligence score. This creates a broader incentive for PCs, especially those not playing wizards, to give this ability more consideration during character creation. These Skill Focuses appear in the DMsguild title *City of Coin, A Guide to Adventure in Athkatla* but have now been updated and published separately.

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\page # Skill Focuses When creating a character, you are allowed to choose a certain number of general skills in which to be proficient. These are the general skills of **Acrobatics, Animal Handling, Arcana, Athletics, Deception, History, Insight, Intimidation, Investigation, Medicine, Nature, Perception, Performance, Persuasion, Religion, Sleight of Hand, Stealth**, and **Survival. ** New specific skill focuses have been introduced to provide greater depth, variety, and customization for fifth edition D&D characters. Now characters may choose to specialize in specific skills within the general skills they are proficient in. Skill focuses represent specialized areas of active learning and practice at which a character chooses to excel. Below are the new specific skill focuses as they relate to the general skills.

The number of skill focuses a character may choose is dependent on their Intelligence ability score, as detailed in the table below. Each skill focus costs one focus point. Characters with an Intelligence 7 or less may not choose any skill focuses. Chosen skill focuses must be within a general skill in which the character is proficient. ##### Focus Points | Intelligence | Points |:----:|:-------------| | 0-7| 0 | | 8-9| 1| |10-11 | 2 | |12-13| 3 | | 14-15 | 4 | |16-17 | 5 | | 18-19 |6 | |20 | 7 | > At the DM's discretion a character may choose a single skill focus outside of the general skills in which they are proficient at the cost of two skill focuses. For example, a character with an Intelligence of 11 gets 2 skill focuses. They may not be proficient in Acrobatics yet wish to choose the skill focus of tightrope walking. They may do so at the expense of having a second skill focus. That character would gain advantage on Acrobatic checks involving tightrope walking, but since they are not proficient in Acrobatics, they would not add their proficiency bonus. Generally speaking, a skill focus will provide characters with advantage to their skill checks in very specific circumstances, and perhaps providing other benefits and/or uses as described below. In most cases, the DC remains at the DM's discretion, as does the determination if a skill focus applies to a particular skill check.

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\page #### Horse Riding Characters with this skill focus are adept at riding a mount. They may choose a type of mount other than horse (such as an elephant or camel) if it fits the setting or character's background. Characters make checks at advantage to control their mount in dangerous circumstances, stay mounted, or to perform mounted tricks and maneuvers. ### Arcana Skill Focuses #### Omen Reading Characters who take this skill focus must specify a type of omen reading that they employ, whether it be astrology, palm reading, tarot cards, reading tea leaves, crystal ball gazing, vision quests, etc. Characters who practice omen reading can, on a successful check at advantage against a DC determined by the DM make an accurate, though vague, prediction about near-future events, no more than once per week. It is up to the DM to determine how much information to share with the omen reader, but it should be about events that are likely to pass, and only in terms that are cryptic or vague. #### Monstrous Lore Characters with this skill are versed in the lore of monsters, unnatural creatures, and the other planes of existence. Characters must choose a type of creature: aberration, celestial, construct, dragon, elemental, fey, fiend, humanoids, giants, monstrosities, oozes, or undead. A character with this skill focus has advantage on checks to recall important information about beings of the chosen type, including their resistance to certain weapons or vulnerabilities to different attacks.

#### Spellcraft Characters with this skill focus are versed in the nature and uses of magic. They gain advantage on checks to identify spells by their effects or by the verbal, somatic, or material components used in casting, as described in *Xanathar's Guide to Everything*. If the spell is cast as a class spell and the character with this skill focus is a member of that class, then the DC is 8 + the spell's level. Also, they have advantage on checks to recall the lore of magical items. They can identify *common* and *uncommon* magical items without the aid of the identify spell. ### Athletics Skill Focuses #### Climbing A character proficient in climbing is adept at scaling walls, ropes, trees etc. They gain advantage on Athletics checks involving climbing. #### Jumping Characters with the jumping skill focus gain advantage on checks for jumping, whether it is a check to clear low obstacles during a long jump or to jump farther or higher than you normally could as determined by your Strength score. #### Lifting/Pushing/Pulling A character with this skill focus gains advantage to any Athletics check where they are using brute force to interact with their environment, which could include moving heavy objects, or breaking/bending objects with their bare hands. #### Running A character proficient in running has trained in the form and techniques of sprinting and long-distance running. They gain advantage on Athletics checks that involve running. Additionally, they may add their proficiency bonus to Constitution checks when engaged in chases (as described in the *Dungeon Masters' Guide*.) #### Swimming Characters with this focus are proficient swimmers. They gain advantage on Athletics and Constitution checks involving swimming. #### Throwing Taking this skill focus means characters can add their proficiency bonus to any attack roll using an improvised thrown weapon e.g. a rock or stone. As well, the normal range of thrown weapons is doubled for characters with this focus. ### Deception Skill Focuses #### Disguise This skill focus allows characters to attempt to craft disguises to hide their identity or pass themselves off as someone else. It grants advantage when using a Disguise Kit. Disguising oneself as a particular person is possible but can be very difficult. #### Fast-Talk This skill involves overwhelming a subject with so much talk and information that it puts them off-guard and makes them second guess their convictions. It is useful for creating distractions, cons, scams, and haggling. Characters who employ this focus in the right situations gain advantage on their Deception checks. #### Voice Mimicry This is the ability to change one's voice to sound like another's. Characters with this skill focus are adept at imitating different accents and can attempt to mimic the voice of a specific person. Characters can also attempt convincing animal sounds or calls. They gain advantage on all checks of this kind.

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\page ### History Skill Focuses #### Ancient History Characters with this skill are versed in legends and myths of the ancient past with a focus on a particular race, whether it be human, elven, dwarven, or another race as allowed by the DM. On a successful check at advantage they can recall information about events and names that are more than 100 years old. #### Local History & Politics A character with this skill must specify a region for which they are familiar with. A successful check made at advantage will allow them to recall information about events, conflicts, names, families and factions, heraldry, laws and political structure of that region. ### Insight Skill Focuses #### Lip Reading This skill allows for a character, on a successful check at advantage, to read the lips of someone they can see but can't hear. The character must be able to speak the language if they are to understand what is being said. #### Psychology This skill focus allows a character to guess at a creature's motivations, their unspoken desires, fears, and drives, and as such, helps the character determine how best to influence them. If they succeed on a check to gain insight into the creature's psychology (no advantage granted) then they may gain advantage on a subsequent Deception, Persuasion, or Intimidation check, at the DM's discretion. ### Intimidation Skills #### Furious Aspect This skill focus relies on displays of rage, fury, and not-so-subtle threats of violence. The character gains advantage on their Intimidation check at the DM's discretion. This strategy does not work in all situations; the DM may rule that the check does not have advantage if the target is two sizes larger than the character, for example. #### Sinister Aspect This skill focus relies on subtlety, menace, condescension, mysterious and veiled threats to intimidate others. The character gains advantage on their Intimidation check at the DM's discretion. This type of intimidation works well in some situations but not in others. It is likely to fail on people or creatures of low intelligence who may not understand subtlety. #### Weapon Display This skill relies on flourishing a weapon, whether it is swinging a sword with flair and finesse, or flipping a dagger menacingly in one hand, in order to intimidate a creature by demonstrating one's martial prowess. This focus grants advantage on Intimidation checks at the DM's discretion. In combat, if a character spends their Action to perform a weapon display, they make an Intimidation check at advantage, and if successful, gain advantage on their next attack against the intimidated target. ### Investigation Skill Focuses #### Appraising Characters with this skill focus make Investigation checks at advantage when trying to determine the value of an objects. On a successful check they know the general value of a given object, or are able to quickly identify the most valuable things within a group of objects. #### Cryptography Characters with this skill focus are adept at deciphering coded messages, solving riddles, and puzzles. Puzzles are a common yet fun feature of many adventures. Generally, they should be roleplayed rather than relying on skill checks. However, the DM can ask for an Intelligence (Investigation) check, which if successful, allows the character to be given clues or hints to solving the puzzle. Characters with the cryptography skill focus have advantage on such checks. #### Information Gathering This skill allows players to gather information quickly from many sources, without having to roleplay every encounter. A successful check at advantage means that a character, after a few hours of snooping, questioning, and eavesdropping, becomes acquainted with the rumors and news pertaining to a particular subject that circulate within a town or city's populace. Advantage is also given to checks to research or glean information from books. #### Tracking This is a specific type of investigation which involves seeking out the clues of a creature's movements. Characters gain advantage to Investigation checks to examine tracks. Success means they can not only track the subject they are following, but they can also deduce from the tracks certain information about the quarry – the number of creatures, their size, what events likely took place, if they are injured or encumbered etc.

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\page ### Medicine Skill Focuses #### Field Medicine This skill allows characters to care for injuries on the battlefield. They make a Wisdom (Medicine) check at advantage when stabilizing a fallen comrade. Also, they can tend to wounds during a short rest for up to six others. Those who are tended to by a character with this focus may reroll 1's on any Hit Dice spent to regain Hit Points. #### Healing & Herbalism This skill is focused on long term care of sick or injured people. A character with this skill focus gains advantage on checks made with a Herbalism Kit as described in the PHB. They also gain advantage on checks to identify diseases and possible remedies. As well, they may tend to one injured subject during a long rest. After the long rest, that subject can remove either two levels of exhaustion or regain an extra Hit Dice. #### Toxicology This skill grants Advantage in the use of the Poisoner's Kit when attempting to craft or identify poisons and antitoxins. ### Nature Skill Focuses #### Animal Lore A character with this skill is versed in the behavior and ecology of animals. They gain advantage on Nature checks related to creatures of the Beast type. #### Direction Sense/Navigation Characters with this skill can draw accurate mental maps and do not easily get lost. They can make a check at advantage to determine which way is north, or to recall the route they have travelled and find their way back. They may use this skill in lieu of Survival for checks made to avoid becoming lost. Also, they are familiar with the constellations and the movements of celestial bodies, and gain advantage with the use of Navigator's tools. #### Geology A character with this skill focus has knowledge of rocks, minerals, and soil, the way the earth around them has been shaped and formed, and the flow of lakes and rivers. They gain advantage on Nature checks to identify rocks and minerals, determine the healthiness of soil, find weak points in natural stone structures, locate natural springs, and so on. #### Plant Lore A character with this skill can identify plants and fungi, knowing their uses and dangers, and how to cultivate them. They can identify medicinal, edible, poisonous, and narcotic plants. They gain advantage on Nature checks related to plants, including creatures of the Plant type. #### Weather Sense Characters with weather sense are attuned to natural cycles and phenomena. They gain advantage on Nature checks related to weather. On a successful check they may accurately predict weather patterns and sailing conditions for the next 12 hours or more general long-term patterns.

### Perception Skills #### Battle Sense A character with battle sense becomes more aware in dangerous, high stakes situations. Any time a Perception check is called for during combat, or in otherwise high stress situations, characters with this focus gain advantage to their checks. #### Pattern Identification A character with this skill can easily identify patterns and symmetry or, conversely, deviations and asymmetries. They could, for example, identify that a tapping noise is in fact a secret code or more easily spot an uneven pattern in brickwork where a secret door has been placed. They have advantage on Perception checks of this nature. #### Perfect Pitch A character with this skill has an ear for music and can reproduce short melodies they have heard even just once. They are better able to decipher auditory clues and have advantage on Perception checks to identify sounds and their sources. #### Refined Taste A character with this skill has a finely tuned sense of taste and smell. They can detect and identify even subtle flavors and aromas and gain advantage on Perception checks of this nature. ### Performance Skills The Performance skill focuses of **Acting, Dance, Music (specify instrument), Poetry, Storytelling** are not given different descriptions as they are fairly self-explanatory and all provide the same benefit. These focuses simply represent different performative modes. Characters gain advantage on checks to delight, entertain, or hold the attention of audiences, and affect them on an emotional level, when using their chosen mode of Performance.

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\page Success on a Performance check may allow characters to make subsequent Persuasion checks with advantage, at the DM's discretion. Characters who take the music skill must specify an instrument of their choice. They may choose singing, or even whistling if they so choose, but every different instrument represents a different skill focus.

### Persuasion Skills #### Etiquette/Diplomacy A character with this skill focus understands the nuances of high society. It grants a character advantage on Persuasion checks when dealing with aristocracy, nobility, or politicians, judges, magistrates etc. #### Logic Characters with this skill focus are trained in philosophy and logic and can make compelling intellectual arguments. They gain advantage on Persuasion checks against creatures with an Intelligence of 10 or higher, though it remains at the DM's discretion to decide if the subject is amenable to hearing reason. #### Oratory This skill focus allows characters to make stirring speeches to rouse and influence groups of people and grants them advantage on checks of this nature. ### Religion A character must choose a particular divine domain for a Religion skill focus. Divine domains are described in the cleric class entries. A character with this skill focus gains advantage on Religion checks to recall information pertaining to the gods and mythology, sacred texts, religious symbols and iconography, rituals, creeds, prophesies, heresies, worship, and history of religious institutions related to that particular domain. Additionally, they gain advantage on saving throws against spells cast by divine casters of that domain. ### Sleight of Hand Skills #### Disarm Traps This skill focus grants advantage to checks to disarm mechanical traps and devices, using either thieves' tools or tinker's tools. #### Forgery This skill focus grants a character advantage when using a forger's tool kit as described in the PHB. #### Legerdemain This skill is used to entertain or trick others using misdirection and sleight of hand. A character gains advantage on Sleight of Hand checks to perform a trick with an object in their hands, usually causing the object to "disappear." They also gain advantage on checks to cheat in games of chance using cards or dice. #### Pickpocketing A character with this skill gains advantage to Sleight of Hand checks for attempting to surreptitiously lift small objects from another person's pocket, pouch, or bag. Conversely, it can be used to plant objects. #### Rope Use A character with this skill is adept at tying (or untying) different kinds of knots. They gain advantage on Sleight of Hand checks to make secure knots, bind enemies, and also on checks to break free from being tied up. Characters with Rope Use are proficient with the use of a lasso and can attempt to rope another person, creature or object. ### Stealth Skills #### Blending Characters with this skill focus are able to hide in plain sight if they are in a crowd by easily blending in with others. They gain advantage on Stealth checks to hide in a crowd of other humanoids. What constitutes a crowd should be an area where at least eight humanoids occupy at least half the space. Therefore, eight medium creatures in a 20 foot by 20 foot room would be the minimum to be considered a crowd. #### Escape The escape skill focus allows a character to hide their tracks and to throw off pursuers. They gain advantage on Stealth checks made to escape a chase (as described in the DMG). Also, they roll Stealth at advantage to set the DC for those attempting to track them. #### Trailing This skill focus is the art of following someone without being noticed. Characters gain advantage on Stealth checks to follow quarry and keep them in their line of sight while remaining unnoticed by them. ### Survival Skills #### Foraging On a successful check, characters can locate edible plants, fruits, roots, fungi, insects, eggs, saps and honey, to provide sustenance in a wilderness setting.

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\page It also allows characters to locate sources of fresh water. They gain advantage on foraging checks. #### Hunting/Fishing This focus enables characters to stalk and bring down game, or catch fish, in order to provide sustenance in the wilderness. Two successful checks are required, one to locate the animal, another to bring them down (or reel them in). Both checks are granted advantage. A typical hunt will take 1d4 hours, but could be longer at the DM's discretion. The DC depends on the environment and relative abundance of game. The hunting skill focus can be used in lieu of the tracking skill focus when in a wilderness setting.

#### Set Snares This skill focus allows a character to set snares and traps to capture small animals for sustenance and for the harvesting of pelts. A character makes a Survival check at advantage which becomes the DC to detect the trap. In 1d4 days, it will catch a tiny or small Beast whose Passive Perception does not beat the DC. This skill can also be used to set traps for other creatures of tiny to medium size. It takes up to one hour to set such a trap and no advantage is granted on this check to set the DC. If a creature's Passive Perception does not beat the DC, they are allowed a Dexterity saving throw against the same DC to avoid being caught. If they are caught they are *restrained* and allowed appropriate Strength or Dexterity checks against the same DC to escape each round. Such traps do not do damage. #### Shelter & Fire-building A character with this skill focus is proficient at providing the securest and most comfortable camping spots possible in a wilderness survival situation. They can assemble shelters out of natural materials to avoid exposure to harsh elements. They can start fires without a tinderbox in 2d20 minutes depending on conditions. In the best of conditions, the fires they build are efficient, warm and give off very little smoke – that is unless, of course, they wish to create smoke, then they are very adept at that as well. They can translate their fire-building skills to any attempts to improvise makeshift torches or set fire to buildings or structures. They gain advantage on all Survival checks of this kind.

### Artisan's Tools and Vehicle Focuses Characters may also opt to spend skill focus points on their proficiency in artisan's tools or vehicles. When they do so they may specify one particular type of work or craft in which they are experts. The following are but a few possibilities: - A character proficient with Cook's tools may have a particular dish that is their specialty. - A character proficient in Water Vehicles may be especially good at canoeing. - A character proficient in Painter's tools might be particularly good at portraiture. - A character proficient in Smith's tools may be an expert swordsmith. Work with your DM to come up with an appropriate specialty for your character. Characters gain advantage to any skill checks that involve crafting, examining, recalling lore etc. directly related to their specific focus. ### Optional Skill Focus Rule: Languages, Reading & Writing If you wish to make your campaign world even more complex, interesting, and nuanced, you may wish to implement the following rules regarding languages, and the skills of reading and writing. With these rules, Common is not the human language. Humans have their own native tongues and dialects. Common is a basic, pidgin language, the trade language shared by many creatures throughout the world. It is not a particularly expressive language and there are very few, if any, books, songs, or poems written in Common. In the *Forgotten Realms* setting, Chondathan is the language of the Sword Coast, Amn, Tethyr, and Waterdeep. Illuskan is the language of the North, Luskan, Mintarn, the Moonshaes, and Uthgardt tribes. Other human languages include Chessentan, Chultan, Turmic, and Damaran. For other regions, consult with your DM. When created, human characters should know their native tongue in addition to Common and one other language of their choice. As there are no official rules regarding reading and writing, it is assumed that characters have basic literacy skills in any language that they speak. Conversely, the DM and players may wish to have a campaign that offers more complexity and realism, where universal literacy does not exist, and therefore not all characters neccesarily know how to read and write. During creation, characters may substitute a language, as granted to them by their race or background, to instead learn reading/writing in a language of their choice. It is possible, though not common, to read and write in a language you do not speak. Skill focus points can be used to learn additional spoken languages, or reading/writing in other languages. However, when a skill focus point is spent to learn a spoken language or reading/writing, it cannot be swapped out for other skill focuses when the character advances in level. Magical writings in spellbooks and scrolls use ancient arcane or divine languages. Characters can always read magical writings associated with their class, even if they cannot otherwise read.

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