Skill Breakdown for 5th Edition D&D

Dexterity, Constitution, Intelligence, Wisdom, Charisma, Skill DCs

Strength
Lifting, pushing, pulling, breaking, forcing, brute force
Athletics	Dangerous situations when climbing, jumping, or swimming. Avoid hazards while climbing Climb a sheer or slippery cliff Jump extra far or do a tricky stunt while jumping Climbing while something is trying to knock you off Swimming or keeping your head above water in strong currents, storms, or thick weeds Keeping your head above water while something else tries to pull you under or otherwise interfere
Strength Check	STR affects your carrying (STR mod x 15), pushing, dragging, or lifting max weight (2x carry), and your max jump height/distance Break out of bonds (ropes, manacles) Force open a door (stuck, locked, etc) Squeeze through a small space Push over something heavy Hang on while being dragged along Stop something heavy like a boulder or cart

Dexterity
Move gracefully, quickly, quietly, or keep from falling on difficult footing
Acrobatics	Stay on your feet in a dangerous situation Balance on tightrope Run on ice Perform stunts, dives, rolls, flips, and somersaults Keep balance on a stormy ship's deck
Sleight of Hand	Skillful hand use and manual trickery Pick someone elses pocket (coins, object, etc) Conceal an object on yourself Plant an object on someone
Stealth	Remain out of sight Slip away in a busy crowd Hide from enemies in shadows and behind objects Slip past some guards unnoticed Sneak up behind someone without being seen or heard
Dexterity Check	Pick a lock Disable a trap Tie someone up Control a runaway cart Steer a vehicle around a tight turn Wriggle out of rope bonds Play a stringed instrument Craft a small or detailed object

Constitution
Push yourself beyond your normal limits
Constitution Check	Hold your breath Travel or work for over 8 hours without rest Go without sleep Survive without food or water Chug an ale in one shot

Intelligence
Logic, education, memory, deductive reasoning
Arcana	Recall knowledge about spells, magic items, symbols, magic traditions, the planes of existence, and the creatures on the planes.
History	Recall knowledge about events, famous people, kingdoms, wars, and lost civilizations.
Investigation	Look for clues and make deductions. Deduce the location of a hidden object Determine the cause of a wound Find the weak point in a tunnel to collapse it Search through a scroll for hidden knowledge
Nature	Recall knowledge about terrain, plants, animals, the weather, and natural cycles.
Religion	Recall knowledge about deities, rites, prayers, religious hierarchies, holy symbols, and secret cults.
Intelligence Check	Communicate without spoken words Estimate the value of something Make a disguise Forge a document Recall knowledge about a craft or trade Win at trivia

Wisdom
Read body language, empathy, notice things around you, care for someone injured
Animal Handling	Control or influence an animal Calm a domesticated animal Control a mount when spooked or during risky maneuver Understand an animal's intent
Insight	Determine a creature's true intent Tell if someone is lying Predict someone's next move Detect a change in movements, speech habits, and mannerisms
Medicine	Stabilize a dying creature or diagnose an illness
Perception	Spot, hear, or otherwise detect something Hear a conversation through a closed door Eavesdrop under a window Hear a creature moving stealthily Spot something obscured or easily missed
Survival	Do something difficult in nature Follow tracks Hunt wild game Guide a group through rough terrain Identify signs of an animal nearby Predict the weather Avoid quicksand or other hazards Build a campfire in the rain
Wisdom Check	Get a gut feeling about a situation Determine if a creature is undead

Charisma
Make friends and influence people
Deception	Convincingly hide the truth Fast-talk a suspicious guard Con a merchant Trick the dealer when gambling Pass yourself off in a disguise Maintain a straight face and body language when telling a blatant lie
Intimidation	Influence through threats, hostile actions, and physical violence Pry information from a prisoner Convince thugs to back down from a mugging Use an improvised weapon to get someone to reconsider their choice
Performance	Delight an audience with music, dancing, acting, storytelling, or other entertainment. Sing a song well Dance on the table as a distraction Entertain bandits
Persuasion	Influence others with your social graces Act in good faith Foster friendships Make a civil request Exercise proper etiquette Convince a chamberlain to grant audience with the king Negotiating peace between warring tribes Inspire a crowd
Charisma Check	Find a good source of news, rumors, or gossip Blend into a crowd and get a sense of key topics in conversations

Difficulty Class
Task Difficulty	DC
Trivial	5
Easy	10
Moderate	15
Hard	20
Very Hard	25
Nearly Impossible	30

DC By Level

For a character to have a 50% chance of succeeding at a skill, you add 10 + their modifier. A typical modifier by level can be found in the table below, where "Proficiency" is their proficiency bonus, "Bonus" is the likely bonus of their highest attribute, and "Both" is the likely modifier for their best skill. Thus for a typical level 9 Wizard, they would have a 50% chance to succeed at a DC 19 Arcana check.

Bonus By Level
Level	Proficient	Bonus	Both
1	+2	+3	+5
4	+2	+4	+6
5	+3	+4	+7
8	+3	+5	+8
9	+4	+5	+9
13	+5	+5	+10
17	+6	+5	+11

Social Checks

Attitudes are based on the NPC's ideals, bonds, and flaws and disposition can typically be shifted by appealing to (up) or coming into conflict (down) with them, but never more than 1 shift in an encounter. Successful insight checks can give hints or insights into an NPC's ideals, bonds, and flaws (and not as a catch-all lie detector). Use RP to determine disposition, and other PCs assisting can offer advantage or disadvantage on the roll based on if they're helpful or unfavorable. More details here.

Friendly Disposition
0-9	Helpful but won't take risks
10-19	Take minor risks to help
20+	Accept significant risk or sacrifice to do as asked

Indifferent Disposition
0-9	Won't help, but won't harm
10-19	Helpful but won't take risks
20+	Take minor risks to help

Hostile Disposition
0-9	Will actively try to hinder the PCs and will accept minor risks to do so
10-19	Won't help, but won't harm
20+	Helpful but won't take risks or make any sacrifices

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Skill Breakdown for 5th Edition D&D

DC By Level

Social Checks

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