Skills

Skills are specific areas of expertise, each associated with an ability. When a creature is proficient in a specific skill, they may add their proficiency bonus to any ability checks made using that skill, in addition that skill's associated ability score modifier.

In addition to being proficient in a skill, a creature can also have expertise in a skill. This is available through various feats and class features.

Strength Athletics

Dexterity Acrobatics Sleight of Hand Stealth

Intelligence Arcana History Investigation Nature Religion

Wisdom Animal Handling Insight Medicine Perception Survival

Charisma Deception Intimidation Performance Persuasion

List of skills, sorted by ability

Ability Score	Skills
Strength	Athletics
Dexterity	Acrobatics Sleight of Hand Stealth
Intelligence	Arcana History Investigation Nature Religion
Wisdom	Animal Handling Insight Medicine Perception Survival
Charisma	Deception Intimidation Performance Persuasion

Proficiency

Characters receive multiple proficiencies at Level 1.

• Two to four skill proficiency, depending on the chosen class.
• Backgrounds grant proficiency in two skills.
• Some races have proficiency or expertise in specific skills.

Other ways to become proficient in a skill include:

• Various class fearures.
• Some feats grant additonal skill proficiencies.
• Multiclassing into a bard, ranger or rogue allows the choice of one proficiency from that class's level one skill list.

Background Skill Proficiencies

Skill proficiencies granted by each background

Background	Skills
Acolyte	Insight	Religion
Charlatan	Deception	Sleight of Hand
Criminal	Deception	Stealth
Entertainer	Acrobatics	Performance
Folk Hero	Animal Handling	Survival
Guild Artisan	Insight	Persuasion
Noble	History	Persuasion
Outlander	Athletics	Survival
Sage	Arcana	History
Soldier	Athletics	Intimidation
Urchin	Sleight of Hand	Stealth

Expertise

Expertise is a deeper form of Skill Proficiency, allowing a creature to add double its proficiency bonus to corresponding ability checks:

• Rogues gain expertise in two skills they are proficient in at both level 1 and level 6.
• Bards gain expertise in two skills they are proficient in at both level 3 and level 10.
• Knowledge Domain clerics gain expertise and proficiency in two skills, from a choice of Arcana, History, Nature and Religion, at level 1.
• The Actor feat gives both expertise and proficiency in Deception and Performance.
• Rock Gnomes have both expertise and proficiency in History.

Jack of All Trades

A class feature granted to Bards at level 2, this provides "half proficiency" in some skills. The character adds half their proficiency bonus (rounded down) to any ability check involving a skill they do not already have proficiency or expertise in.