DnD Skills List

How to use the D&D Skills List

1. Enter your six ability scores in the Strength to Charisma fields. They start at the standard array: 15, 14, 13, 12, 10 and 8.
2. Set the Character level from 1 to 20. The Proficiency Bonus line updates for that level.
3. Open the Class menu and pick a class. The result line then says something like “Rogue picks 4 skills from:” and those rows are highlighted in the table.
4. Open the Background menu and pick Acolyte, Criminal, Sage or Soldier. Its two skills are marked as proficient.
5. In the Training column, set each skill to Not trained, Half (Jack of All Trades), Proficient or Expertise.
6. Read the result line, which shows “ proficient, with Expertise”, along with the best skill and its modifier.
7. Switch the Order control between Group by ability and Alphabetical.

The table is not limited to one class: change the Class or Background menu at any time and the highlighted rows and proficiency marks follow. Choosing Half (Jack of All Trades) adds half the Proficiency Bonus, rounded down, to a skill you are not trained in, and Expertise doubles the bonus. Use Print skills to print the table. Copy link copies a link to your current setup, because settings are kept in the page address. Reset clears your settings.

Which ability does each skill use?

Each of the 18 skills uses exactly one ability score, which is why the list is grouped by ability. Five of the six abilities have skills attached to them. Constitution has none, so no skill uses it. Intelligence and Wisdom each cover five skills, the most of any ability.

Each row in the tool’s table also includes example uses from the SRD 5.2.1. For instance, Athletics covers jumping farther than normal, staying afloat in rough water, or breaking something.

Which skills can each class choose?

At level 1 every class picks a set number of skills from its own list: Rogue picks 4, Bard and Ranger pick 3, and the other nine classes pick 2. A Bard can take any skill, and a Rogue has the longest fixed list with 11. Pick a class in the tool and its choices are highlighted in the table.

A background adds two more proficiencies on top of these, which you can see by choosing one in the Background menu.

How do I work out my skill modifier?

Start with the ability modifier for the skill’s ability: subtract 10 from the score, divide by 2, and round down. Then add the Proficiency Bonus if you are proficient in the skill. Expertise doubles the Proficiency Bonus for that skill. The tool does this for all 18 rows at once.

The Proficiency Bonus depends on your level:

Three worked examples the tool calculates:

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between proficiency and Expertise?

Proficiency adds your Proficiency Bonus once to a skill’s modifier. Expertise adds it twice. At level 5, a proficient skill gets +3 on top of the ability modifier, and an Expertise skill gets +6. Set this per skill in the Training column.

How is a passive score calculated?

A passive score is 10 plus all the modifiers that normally apply to the check. The tool shows 10 plus the skill modifier for every skill. A level 1 character with Wisdom 12 and Perception proficiency has a Passive Perception of 13.

How many skills does each class get?

At level 1, Rogue picks 4 skills, Bard and Ranger pick 3, and the other nine classes pick 2 each (SRD 5.2.1). The class table above lists the choices for every class, and choosing a class in the tool highlights them.

What is Jack of All Trades?

Jack of All Trades is a Bard feature from level 2. It adds half the Proficiency Bonus, rounded down, to checks that do not already use the bonus. In the tool, pick Half (Jack of All Trades) in the Training column. A level 5 Bard with Dexterity 14 and no Stealth training has +2, which becomes +3 with Jack of All Trades.

How does a background give skills?

Each background gives two skill proficiencies. Acolyte gives Insight and Religion, Criminal gives Sleight of Hand and Stealth, Sage gives Arcana and History, and Soldier gives Athletics and Intimidation. Choosing one in the Background menu marks those two skills as proficient.

Related tools

• Character sheet: use this when you want to keep a character’s stats and skills together in one place.
• Character creator: use this when you are building a character from the start and want to make choices step by step.
• Class quiz: use this when you are not sure which class suits the character you have in mind.
• Point buy calculator: use this to decide your six ability scores before you enter them here.
• Dice roller: use this when you need to roll a d20 for a skill check.
• HP calculator: use it to work out your hit points at each level.
• XP chart: see how much XP you need to reach the next level and a higher Proficiency Bonus.