Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 rmercer Mar 16, 2015 8:51:10	Hi All, First off, just wanted to say hey.  "HEY". Second off, I need some help.   I'm an old school player that wanted to get back into the game and I haven't played since 2ed.  Which i loved by the way.   So my question is, how exactly do skills work? Am I correct in understanding that everyone has every skill?  That's hurting my brain.  How does it work in gameplay?  Everyone has a chance at picking a lock but only players with a proficiency in stealth get the proficiency bonus?  Do they get the ability modifier bonus if they don't have proficiency?  How do advantage/disadvantage figure into this?   Is this all up to the DM?   See why my brain is hurting? Anyways, thanks for reading. R
#2 Tempest_Stormwind Mar 16, 2015 9:01:34	Anyone can attempt any skill, but certain options require proficiency. One such option is picking locks, which requires proficiency in Thieves Tools (not stealth). Tools work like skills, but with any ability score and only if using the tool (I.e. proficiency in mason's tools allows your bonus on Intelligence (Mason's Tools) checks to craft an elaborate mechanical door or on Dexterity (Mason's Tools) checks to add fine detailing to a sculpture, but not on Wisdom (Perception) checks to locate a hidden stone door (since that doesn't use your tools). As for your other questions, yes, you always get your ability mod (if it helps, you're not making skill checks, you're making ability checks. Just like a 2e ability check, with a different mechanism for nonweapon proficiencies), and advantage/disadvantage covers all the situational modifiers that reflect circumstance (in older editions, you'd be adding or subtracting 2 in these cases). Advantage or disadvantage that isn't described in the rules (I.e. rock gnomes have advantage on Intelligence (History) checks relating to magic or mechanical items) is done on the spot by the DM (I.e. a human in an engineering library might make a similar intelligence (history) check with advantage; the gnome just doesn't need the library).
#3 rmercer Mar 16, 2015 9:43:15	Ah ok, thank you so much for clearing that up.  So the only other question related to this is that if you don't have proficiency in a weapon you can't use it?  Similar to tools? R
#4 mellored Mar 16, 2015 9:44:40	rmercer wrote:
#5 rmercer Mar 16, 2015 9:49:44	mellored wrote: