WIS (Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition)
Definition
Wisdom is perception and judgment. It carries five skills, Animal Handling, Insight, Medicine, Perception, and Survival, and one of them, Perception, is called for more often than any other skill in the game. Passive Perception, which is 10 plus your modifier plus proficiency if you have it, is the number a GM checks silently whenever something is hiding. It is the spellcasting ability for Clerics, Druids, and Rangers, and it is the save that charms, frights, and most mind control effects target. That combination makes Wisdom unusual: it is both a primary ability for three classes and the single most important defensive score for every character who is not one of them.
How it works
Tips
Frequently asked questions
Wisdom or Intelligence: which is the smart stat?
Intelligence is what you have learned and can reason out; Wisdom is what you notice and how well you read a situation. A character can be a brilliant scholar with 8 Wisdom who never sees the ambush coming.
How does passive Perception work?
It is 10 plus your Wisdom modifier plus your proficiency bonus if proficient, with expertise doubling the proficiency and advantage adding 5. The GM compares hidden things to it without you rolling, so it works while you are busy.
Why do people say Wisdom saves matter most?
Because the effects that target Wisdom take your turn away: charm, fear, and domination. Failing a Dexterity save costs hit points, while failing a Wisdom save can cost the party the fight.