Proficiency
Entities—characters (PC and NPC) and monsters—are good at various things. Some are skilled with many weapons, while others can use only a few. Some are better at understanding people's motives, and others are better at unlocking the secrets of the multiverse. All entities have a Proficiency Bonus, which reflects the impact that training has on the entity's capabilities. A character's Proficiency Bonus increases as the character gains levels (described in Character Creation). Other entities' Proficiency Bonus is based on their Challenge Rating. The Proficiency Bonus table shows how the bonus is determined.
This bonus is applied to a D20 Tests when the entity has proficiency in a skill, in a saving throw, or with an item that the entity uses to make the D20 Test. The bonus is also used for spell attacks and for calculating the DC of saving throws for spells.
Proficiency Bonus
| Level or CR | Bonus |
|---|---|
| Up to 4 | +2 |
| 5-8 | +3 |
| 9-12 | +4 |
| 13-16 | +5 |
| 17-20 | +6 |
| 21-24 | +7 |
| 25-28 | +8 |
| 29-30 | +9 |
The Bonus Doesn't Stack
Your Proficiency Bonus can't be added to a die roll or another number more than once. For example, if a rule allows you to make a Charisma (Deception or Persuasion) check, you add your Proficiency Bonus if you're proficient in either skill, but you don't add it twice if you're proficient in both skills.
Occasionally, a Proficiency Bonus might be multiplied or divided (doubled or halved, for example) before being added.
Skill Proficiencies Δ
Most ability checks involve using a skill, which represents a category of things entities try to do with an ability check. The descriptions of the actions you take (see Actions) specify which skill applies if you make an ability check for that action, and many other rules note when a skill is relevant. The GM has the ultimate say on whether a skill is relevant in a situation.
If an entity is proficient in a skill, the entity applies its Proficiency Bonus to ability checks involving that skill. Without proficiency in a skill, a entity can still make ability checks involving that skill but doesn't add its Proficiency Bonus. For example, if a character tries to climb a cliff, the GM might ask for an Athletics (STR) check. If the character has Athletics proficiency, the character adds their Proficiency Bonus to the Strength check. If the character lacks that proficiency, they make the check without adding their Proficiency Bonus.
Some skills may be associated with more than one ability (for example, Intimidation can use either Strength or Charisma). In such cases, the GM determines what is the most relevant—in terms of narrative and intentions—ability modifier that the entity should use for the check.
Note: Echoes for 5E prefers writing skill checks in the form Skill (Ability) instead of Ability (Skill). This helps clarifying those cases when the ability modifier is different from the default one.
Skill List Δ
| Skill | Ability | Example Uses |
|---|---|---|
| Acrobatics | DEX | Stay on your feet in a tricky situation, or perform an acrobatic stunt. |
| Animal Handling Δ | CHA | Calm or train an animal, or get an animal to behave in a certain way. |
| Arcana | INT | Recall lore about spells, magic items, and the planes of existence. |
| Athletics | STR | Jump farther than normal, stay afloat in rough water, or break something. |
| Deception | CHA | Tell a convincing lie, or wear a disguise convincingly. |
| History | INT | Recall lore about historical events, people, nations, and cultures. |
| Insight Δ | INT or CHA | Understand an entity's mood or disposition (CHA) or discern their intentions (INT). |
| Intimidation Δ | STR or CHA | Awe or threaten someone by means (CHA) or actions (STR) into doing what you want. |
| Investigation | INT | Find obscure information in books, or deduce how something works. |
| Medicine Δ | DEX or INT | Stabilize an entity (DEX), diagnose illness, or determine cause of death (INT). |
| Nature | INT | Recall lore about terrain, plants, animals, and weather. |
| Perception Δ | DEX | Tune your awareness to notice something that's easy to miss. |
| Performance Δ | DEX or CHA | Act, tell a story (CHA), perform music, or dance (DEX). |
| Persuasion | CHA | Honestly and graciously convince someone of something. |
| Religion | INT | Recall lore about gods, religious rituals, and holy symbols. |
| Sleight of Hand | DEX | Pick a pocket, conceal a handheld object, or perform legerdemain. |
| Stealth | DEX | Escape notice by moving quietly and hiding behind things. |
| Survival Δ | DEX | Follow tracks, forage, find a trail, or avoid natural hazards. |
Determining Skills
A character's starting skill proficiencies are determined at character creation, and a monster's skill proficiencies appear in its stat block.
Expertise Σ
If an entity is expert in a skill, the entity applies twice the Proficiency Bonus to ability checks involving that skill. Additionally, when a character rolls a 1 on an ability check involving a skill they are expert in, they can spend 1 Empowering Point to reroll that die, and must use the new roll.
Saving Throw Proficiencies Δ
Proficiency in a saving throw lets a character add their Proficiency Bonus to saves that use a Passive ability. For example, proficiency in Wisdom saves lets you add your Proficiency Bonus to your Wisdom saves. Some monsters also have saving throw proficiencies, as noted in their stat blocks.
Players can take the Resilience background trait to gain proficiency in one or both abilities.
Equipment Proficiencies
A character gains proficiency with various weapons and tools from their class and background. There are two categories of equipment proficiency:
Weapons. Anyone can wield a weapon, but proficiency makes you better at wielding it. If you have proficiency with a weapon, you add your Proficiency Bonus to attack rolls you make with it.
Tools Θ. If you have proficiency with a tool, you can add your Proficiency Bonus to any ability check you make that uses the tool. If you have proficiency in the skill that's also used with that check, you have Advantage on the check too. This means you can benefit from both skill proficiency and tool proficiency on the same ability check.