Skills
Most ability checks involve using a skill, which represents a category of things creatures try to do with an ability check. The descriptions of the actions you take (see "Actions" later in "Playing the Game") specify which skill applies if you make an ability check for that action, and many other rules note when a skill is relevant. The GM has the ultimate say on whether a skill is relevant in a situation.
If a creature is proficient in a skill, the creature applies its Proficiency Bonus to ability checks involving that skill. Without proficiency in a skill, a creature can still make ability checks involving that skill but doesn't add its Proficiency Bonus. For example, if a character tries to climb a cliff, the GM might ask for a Strength (Athletics) check. If the character has Athletics proficiency, the character adds their Proficiency Bonus to the Strength check. If the character lacks that proficiency, they make the check without adding their Proficiency Bonus.
Skill List
The skills are shown on the Skills table, which notes example uses for each skill proficiency as well as the ability check the skill most often applies to.
| Skill | Ability | Example Uses |
|---|---|---|
| Acrobatics | Dexterity | Stay on your feet in a tricky situation, or perform an acrobatic stunt. |
| Animal Handling | Wisdom | Calm or train an animal, or get an animal to behave in a certain way. |
| Arcana | Intelligence | Recall lore about spells, magic items, and the planes of existence. |
| Athletics | Strength | Jump farther than normal, stay afloat in rough water, or break something. |
| Deception | Charisma | Tell a convincing lie, or wear a disguise convincingly. |
| History | Intelligence | Recall lore about historical events, people, nations, and cultures. |
| Insight | Wisdom | Discern a person's mood and intentions. |
| Intimidation | Charisma | Awe or threaten someone into doing what you want. |
| Investigation | Intelligence | Find obscure information in books, or deduce how something works. |
| Medicine | Wisdom | Diagnose an illness, or determine what killed the recently slain. |
| Nature | Intelligence | Recall lore about terrain, plants, animals, and weather. Also used to identify Fae magic. |
| Perception | Wisdom | Using a combination of senses, notice something that's easy to miss. |
| Performance | Charisma | Act, tell a story, perform music, or dance. |
| Persuasion | Charisma | Honestly and graciously convince someone of something. |
| Religion | Intelligence | Recall lore about gods, religious rituals, and holy symbols. Also used to identify Divine magic. |
| Sleight of Hand | Dexterity | Pick a pocket, conceal a handheld object, or perform legerdemain. |
| Spellcraft | Intelligence | Improvise magical effects when you don't have a spell that will do so. Create custom effects, modify spells, or replicate spell effects. |
| Stealth | Dexterity | Escape notice by moving quietly and hiding behind things. |
| Survival | Wisdom | Follow tracks, forage, find a trail, or avoid natural hazards. |
Magic Knowledge Skills
In addition to the standard skills, The Gods Are Bastards setting includes specialized knowledge skills for identifying and understanding different magic systems:
- Intelligence (Arcana): Identify and analyze Arcane magic
- Intelligence (Divine) or Intelligence (Religion): Identify and analyze Divine magic
- Intelligence (Nature): Identify and analyze Fae magic
- Intelligence (Infernallia): Identify and analyze Infernal magic (specialized skill for Warlocks and those who study infernal magic)
For complete details on these skills and their use with Detect Magic, see Magic Skills.
Spellcraft
Spellcraft is an Intelligence-based skill used to improvise magical effects when a caster (or anyone with a mana pool) wants to produce a magical effect but does not have a spell that will do so. Full caster classes (Mages, Clerics, Warlocks, Druids, Bards) automatically gain proficiency in Spellcraft.
For complete details on Spellcraft, including DC guidelines, resource costs, and examples, see Magic Skills#Spellcraft.
Determining Skills
A character's starting skill proficiencies are determined at character creation, and a monster's skill proficiencies appear in its stat block.
Concentration
Concentration is not a skill, but rather a Constitution saving throw used to maintain spells with a duration of "Concentration." When you take damage while concentrating on a spell, you must make a Constitution saving throw to maintain concentration.
Concentration Check DC: 10 or half the damage taken, whichever is higher.
Success: You maintain concentration on the spell.
Failure: The spell ends immediately.
Concentration can be affected by magic system interactions, environmental hazards, and other factors. For complete details on Concentration mechanics, including how different magic systems interact with concentration, see Magic Skills#Concentration.
Equipment Proficiencies
A character gains proficiency with various weapons and tools from their class and background. There are two categories of equipment proficiency:
Weapons
Anyone can wield a weapon, but proficiency makes you better at wielding it. If you have proficiency with a weapon, you add your Proficiency Bonus to attack rolls you make with it.
Tools
If you have proficiency with a tool, you can add your Proficiency Bonus to any ability check you make that uses the tool. If you have proficiency in the skill that's also used with that check, you have Advantage on the check too. This means you can benefit from both skill proficiency and tool proficiency on the same ability check.
Related: Ability Scores | Proficiency Bonus | Character Advancement