How to Use All 18 Skills
There are 18 skills in Dungeons & Dragons and it can be hard to remember all of them (especially since I needed to look at a character sheet and count them all up so that I could remember how many there were). When you’re running an adventure, how cognizant are you that you are using each of those skills?
When players are picking their skills, they don’t want to pick skills that aren’t ever going to be used. I’ve heard plenty of players say they don’t want to take Animal Handling since it never comes up or that Investigation is useless cause they can just use Perception instead.
Well, I won’t stand for it. We have 18 skills, and we’re going to use all 18 skills. Not only does this give players who chose the more obscure skills a chance to shine, but it also ensures that you aren’t letting a single skill or ability become the only skill worth getting (and thus, everyone at the table picking the same thing). If you think this is pointless, the creators of Fallout: New Vegas had ‘karma police’ that ensured that all the skills they had in the game would show up enough to warrant including them in the game and ensuring that no choice was a waste.
Ensuring that all skills are highlighted throughout an adventure or campaign is important, as you don’t want players to gravitate to the same build over and over. Variety is the spice of life, and I’m going to go over every skill and talk about what and how you might call for checks using that skill.
How to Use All 18 Skills
There might be some confusion as to when you would use an Ability Check vs Saving Throw, but the main decider is if the character is reacting to something or acting at something. If a character is having to maintain balance due to a sudden earthquake, that is a Saving Throw (reacting). If a character is maintaining balance because they wanted to navigate a narrow ledge, that would be an Ability Check (acting).
Acrobatics
This skill is about maintaining your balance, utilizing coordination and manual dexterity, and flexibility. Most adventurers will use this type of skill when quickly moving across precarious ledges, maintaining their balance while standing up on fast-moving wagons, or attempting to escape tight knots and tricky situations.
DC 5 Run quickly over uneven cobblestones after a thief.
DC 10 Navigate across wet rocks to cross a fast-moving river.
DC 13 Slip your hands out of a series of tight knots imprisoning you.
DC 15 Cross a tightrope from one side of a canyon to another.
DC 20 Perform a complex acrobatic stunt to avoid tripwires designed to trigger a deadly trap.
Animal Handling
With this skill, you can work with animals and get them to understand your commands. Most adventurers will use this type of skill to guide their horses and pack animals, deescalate a rampaging dire moose, or convince a feral tiger to attack your enemies.
DC 5 Convince a street cat to let you pet them.
DC 10 Command a trained horse to charge into an obviously dangerous area.
DC 13 Persuade a wild, low-level beast that you are friendly.
DC 15 Convince an angry beast to let you play with their young.
DC 20 Convince a feral, unfriendly beast to join you in fighting another creature.
Arcana
This skill is used to recall knowledge about arcane lore, how magic functions, and knowledge of magical beasts. Most adventurers will use this type of skill to recall information about a spell being cast, recall and perform a magical ritual, or identify a magic item.
DC 5 Sense the magical energies coming out of an item you are holding.
DC 10 Identify a Cantrip being cast or a Common magic item.
DC 13 Recall basic information about the planes of existence and how you could travel to them.
DC 15 Recall knowledge about an uncommon magical beast, such as a dragon or construct.
DC 20 Identify a 9th-level spell being cast or a Legendary magic item.
Athletics
This skill is about performing deeds of physical prowess. Most adventurers will use this skill to jump further, climb structures and obstacles, and swim in rough water.
DC 5 Tread calm water for several minutes.
DC 10 Force open water-soaked doors.
DC 13 Jump a foot or two further than you normally can.
DC 15 Climb up a slippery stone wall.
DC 20 Bend open the iron bars of a cell.
Deception
This skill is for lying and deceiving others, either through words or with a clever disguise. Most adventurers will use this skill to lie to their enemies, put on a disguise to sneak into a restricted area, or impersonate someone they aren’t.
DC 5 Lie to a street urchin about a candy reward.
DC 10 Convince a bandit they are a powerful hero.
DC 13 Sneak into a ball wearing a noble’s outfit disguise.
DC 15 Swear that they actually killed a monster to the townsfolk.
DC 20 Convince a noble that they are long-lost cousins.
History
This skill is for recalling information about past events, notable people, and important locations. Most adventurers will use this skill when investigating ancient ruins, recalling facts about a noble’s family, or appraising ancient relics.
DC 5 Identify the sigil of an important kingdom.
DC 10 Recall the general events that happened a few hundred years ago.
DC 13 Appraise an uncommon relic of its full value for selling.
DC 15 Recall secrets of a nation or its rulers.
DC 20 Know almost all facets of an ancient civilization and its language.
Insight
This skill is for judging a person’s intentions and emotions, as well as catching liars. Most adventurers will use this skill when negotiating with a rival, when asking questions, and when judging how best to approach a conversation.
DC 5 Tell that the blushing maiden is embarrassed.
DC 10 Discern that a lone traveler is lying about who they are.
DC 13 Judge that the noble took offense to a comment they made.
DC 15 Know when a skilled conman is tricking them.
DC 20 Know without a doubt that they are being led into a trap by a master of deception.
Intimidation
This skill is for coercing others through promises or displays of force. Most adventurers will use this skill when scaring their opponents into surrendering, when trying to glean information, or forcing someone to pay more for their services.
DC 5 Scare a bothersome child away.
DC 10 Convince the townsfolk to pay you more to slay a beast.
DC 13 Coerce kobolds into surrendering after you killed one in a single hit.
DC 15 Threaten a merchant to pay double for your services.
DC 20 Scare a king into giving you a magic item as a reward.
Investigation
This skill is for using logic and reasoning to find obscure information or glean how something functions. Most adventurers will use this skill when determining how a trap functions, to find information hidden in a tome, or to see through an illusion.
DC 5 Determine how a simple lock functions.
DC 10 Find needed information in a book quickly.
DC 13 Determine how a simple trap functions and how you might disable it.
DC 15 See through an illusion conjured by a well-trained mage.
DC 20 Determine how a complicated trap functions, its important components, and how to bypass or disable it.
Medicine
This skill is for diagnosing injuries and diseases, as well as helping those injured recover faster. Most adventurers will use this skill when determining how someone was killed, detecting a poison, or helping someone recover from a magical disease.
DC 5 Recognize that someone is sick from a common cold.
DC 10 Determine how someone was killed within the past 24 hours with noticeable wounds.
DC 13 Treat a patient with a disease.
DC 15 Determine how someone was killed within the past month with multiple conflicting wounds.
DC 20 Recall an ancient disease that wiped out a nation, and how to inoculate those currently living against the affliction.
Nature
This skill is for recalling information about the natural world, including plants, animals, and the terrain. Most adventurers will use this skill to navigate the Wilds, recall information about a ferocious beast, or to identify nature magic.
DC 5 Recall information about a common plant or animal.
DC 10 Ascertain the weather for the next day or two.
DC 13 Determine how to navigate twisting terrain and maintain travel pace.
DC 15 Recall information about a rare animal or plant.
DC 20 Commune with nature to glean information about the surrounding lands, animals, and people.
Perception
This skill is for detecting information using your senses. Most adventurers will use this skill to spot hidden enemies and traps, locate concealed information, or notice unusual situations.
DC 5 Spot that a simple pattern is not repeated correctly.
DC 10 Notice a fallen tree is conveniently crossing the path and may have been arranged purposefully for an ambush.
DC 13 Hear voices through a thin wooden door.
DC 15 Spot a tripwire or a pressure plate disguised in the floor.
DC 20 Read hidden words on a book several feet away and upside down.
Performance
This skill is for putting on a performance, either acting, dancing, singing, or some other entertainment. Most adventurers will use this skill to entertain others for coin, impress a noble with a dance, or play their musical instrument.
DC 5 Play a simple tune with an instrument you are proficient with.
DC 10 Impress townsfolk with a story you share over drinks.
DC 13 Court a noble at the spring ball.
DC 15 Weave such a compelling story that you convince a quest giver to pay you extra for the trouble you went through on a quest.
DC 20 Perform a new song you created for the king.
Persuasion
This skill is for convincing others to provide aid to you or to agree with you. Most adventurers will use this skill to earn higher rewards for quests, convince their enemies to switch sides, or gain information about people or locations.
DC 5 Convince a helpful NPC to provide easily accessible information.
DC 10 Make friends with a helpful NPC.
DC 13 Convince the village elder to provide upfront payment for a quest.
DC 15 Convince a noble that your plan will work.
DC 20 Talk a hostile NPC out of attacking you, and instead switch sides and join you.
Religion
This skill is used to recall knowledge about religious orders, deities and demons, as well as occult rituals and esoteric secrets. Most adventurers will use this type of skill to recall information about deities and their domains, identifying undead and fiends, or identifying divine magic and rituals.
DC 5 Identify a major deity and their holy symbol.
DC 10 Recall the common rituals and dogma of a pantheon or deity.
DC 13 Recall knowledge about common fiends and undead, such as zombies or imps.
DC 15 Perform a ritual to sanctify a temple and imbue it with the power of the divine.
DC 20 Recall knowledge about legendary fiends and undead, such as Demogorgon or Orcus, along with information on defeating them.
Sleight of Hand
This skill is used for manual dexterity involving stealing carried objects, picking locks, or manipulating tiny objects. Most adventurers will use this type of skill to pick the locks on a treasure chest, disable the mechanisms to trigger a trap, or steal a coin purse on a noble.
DC 5 Flip a coin along your knuckles to impress a child.
DC 10 Pick a simple lock or disable a simple trap.
DC 13 Cheat at a game of dice while the other participants are distracted.
DC 15 Steal a coin purse from a noble talking to you.
DC 20 Disable the arcane runes protecting a powerful magic item.
Stealth
This skill is used for hiding from enemies, secreting an object, or moving without being detected. Most adventurers will use this type of skill to sneak past guards on patrol, hide an object on their person, or launch an ambush against a monster.
DC 5 Hide a small object in a full backpack.
DC 10 Move stealthily through a crowd as you avoid a distracted target.
DC 13 Arrange your allies into ambush positions.
DC 15 Disappear behind cover, such as a crate, a column, or thick underbrush.
DC 20 Move stealthily down a corridor being patrolled with very little cover.
Survival
This skill is used for tracking, foraging, and surviving in the Wilds. Most adventurers will use this type of skill to find food to supplement their rations, track down a monster terrorizing a nearby town, or navigate through twisting terrain.
DC 5 Determine that fresh tracks are leading in a specific direction, but you may not know who or what left the tracks.
DC 10 Find enough food for yourself in hospitable terrain.
DC 13 Navigate safely through thorny or poisonous terrain.
DC 15 Hide and obscure your tracks from others trying to follow you.
DC 20 Track a secretive monster through dense underbrush and several days after they passed through it.
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