Rules reference
Skills in Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition
Skills overview and how checks typically work. Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition is the world's most popular tabletop roleplaying game, where players create heroic adventurers and explore fantastical worlds filled with magic, monsters, and mystery. Using a d20-based system, players roll a twenty-sided die plus modifiers to determine the outcome of attacks, skill checks, and saving throws.
Key points
Skills describe trained competence. Use this page to quickly understand what the skill list covers and how to pick priorities.
- 12 classes: Barbarian, Bard, Cleric, Druid, Fighter, Monk, Paladin, Ranger, Rogue, Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard
- 9 races (SRD): Human, Elf, Dwarf, Halfling, Dragonborn, Gnome, Half-Elf, Half-Orc, Tiefling
- 6 ability scores: Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Intelligence, Wisdom, Charisma
- d20 system: Roll d20 + modifier vs. Difficulty Class (DC) or Armor Class (AC)
- Proficiency bonus: Scales from +2 to +6 across levels 1-20
- Advantage/disadvantage: Roll 2d20 and take higher or lower instead of flat modifiers
| Skill | Linked attribute | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Acrobatics | DEX | Balance, tumbling, and aerial maneuvers |
| Animal Handling | WIS | Calming, controlling, or reading animals |
| Arcana | INT | Knowledge of spells, magic items, and planes |
| Athletics | STR | Climbing, jumping, swimming, feats of strength |
| Deception | CHA | Lying, misleading, and disguising the truth |
| History | INT | Knowledge of historical events and civilizations |
| Insight | WIS | Reading body language and detecting lies |
| Intimidation | CHA | Influencing others through threats |
| Investigation | INT | Searching for clues and deducing information |
| Medicine | WIS | Stabilizing the dying, diagnosing illness |
| Nature | INT | Knowledge of terrain, plants, and animals |
| Perception | WIS | Noticing things through senses |
| Performance | CHA | Entertaining through music, dance, or acting |
| Persuasion | CHA | Influencing through diplomacy and social grace |
| Religion | INT | Knowledge of deities, rites, and holy symbols |
| Sleight of Hand | DEX | Pickpocketing, concealing objects, trickery |
| Stealth | DEX | Hiding, moving silently, avoiding detection |
| Survival | WIS | Tracking, foraging, navigating the wilderness |
Roll when the outcome is uncertain and matters. If it’s routine and no one at the table cares about failure, just succeed and move on.
Before rolling, say what success gives you and what failure costs (time, exposure, resources, harm).
- Mistake: Rolling without stakes. Fix: Say what success changes and what failure costs before rolling.
- Mistake: Treating failure as ‘nothing happens’. Fix: Fail forward: you still learn something, but pay a cost (time, exposure, resources, harm).