Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition ability score
Wisdom (WIS)
Wisdom (WIS) is an ability score in Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition: Awareness, intuition, and insight, powering Perception, three casting classes, and the most common mental save.
Last reviewed
Key facts
- Abbreviation
- WIS
- Derived Stats
- Cleric/Druid/Ranger spellcasting, WIS saves, Perception, Insight, Medicine, Survival, Animal Handling
Overview
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
Modifier: floor((score minus 10) divided by 2). For Clerics, Druids, and Rangers it sets the spell save DC (8 plus proficiency bonus plus the modifier) and the spell attack bonus. Saving Throws: Charm, fear, and possession effects, which are among the most punishing in the game because they take your turn away. Clerics, Druids, Paladins, and Warlocks are proficient in the SRD class list. Skills: Animal Handling, Insight, Medicine, Perception, and Survival. Derived: Passive Perception (10 plus the modifier, plus proficiency, plus 5 with advantage), Cleric, Druid, and Ranger spellcasting, and prepared spell counts for Clerics and Druids.
Tips and playstyle
Best for: Clerics, Druids, and Rangers as their casting ability, and Monks, who need it for their ki save DC and unarmored defense. Character concepts: Village healer, beast tamer, wilderness guide, temple oracle, interrogator who reads faces better than documents. Synergies: Perception proficiency plus a high Wisdom means the party stops being ambushed. Constitution pairs with it for Clerics and Druids holding concentration spells. Even a 12 on a non-Wisdom character pays for itself on the saves that would otherwise turn you against your own party.
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.