D&D 5E Could we do with one more skill?

[delericho]

I think in a 'typical' campaign this wouldn't come up very much and an Int check is fine, but if sciency stuff is important in your world, a skill for it would probably make sense.

This, exactly.

 

[EzekielRaiden]

I sometimes find myself looking for a skill to represent mundane, scientific knowledge. Something akin to the architecture and engineering skill. What would that fall under right now? The rock gnome stats sort of imply it would be History, but that feels super weird. I'm half-tempted to just replace Investigation with Engineering, since I can never seem to keep straight how "noticing" is different from "finding" anyway
I mean, searching for signs of structural instability is something Investigation is used for, and I could totally see that being part of this skill.

This was a common request back in 4e as well. The usual candidate, if one wished to keep the 4e-default list, was Dungeoneering, though its flaw was being Wis-based rather than Int-based. Adding an "Engineering/Tinkering/Mechanics/Trapsmithing" skill is probably the most-commonly-considered area.

Personally, I think it's good that Investigation exists; as it is, Intelligence is a pretty weak stat outside of skills (and the rare, but potentially dangerous, Int save), so having something that can encroach on the awe-inspiring power of Wisdom+Perception is, IMO, all to the good.

It would be trivial to just add "Engineering" as a skill proficiency, and let any player with a reason for it replace one of their Background skills with it. My Bard, for instance, is an Academy Graduate (custom background), so it would make perfect sense for him to have Engineering instead of Insight, if we were running a more "technical" campaign.

 

[Li Shenron]

I sometimes find myself looking for a skill to represent mundane, scientific knowledge. Something akin to the architecture and engineering skill. What would that fall under right now? The rock gnome stats sort of imply it would be History, but that feels super weird. I'm half-tempted to just replace Investigation with Engineering, since I can never seem to keep straight how "noticing" is different from "finding" anyway
I mean, searching for signs of structural instability is something Investigation is used for, and I could totally see that being part of this skill.

Well there's nothing in the rules that says you are not allowed to add more skills to the game!

Anyway, without a specific skill, you're probably going to allow a generic Int check anyway, so adding a skill doesn't take away anything from the PCs, it just gives then another option on where to be able to put that proficiency bonus.

I would use neither History nor Investigation in this case. It's not about noticing vs finding, it's about being a completely different kind of knowledge.

 

[Uchawi]

History is not way out there when considering engineering, because science is all about what is written down in books, so the next person learning it can build off what was discovered in the past. You see something similar with dwarfs with stonework. And then you can use investigation to supplement it, if they want to get more details on whatever they are looking at currently.

You could also add engineering as a background, feat, or as part of a class or racial ability. Then you can let the party discover specific tools to supplement any history or investigation checks that occurs.

 

[PnPgamer]

I can never seem to keep straight how "noticing" is different from "finding" anyway

There is a very big difference being noticed by senpai, and being found by senpai.

 

[Kalshane]

I tend to use Investigation as the generic "figuring things out" skill and History as the generic "what you remember" skill.

I do think the game could use a specific Engineering/Science skill and a Culture skill (History works for the latter, but it still seems odd to respond to "What do I know about Lord Fancypants?" with "roll a History check" when the man in question is standing right in front of the PC.)

 

[Fralex]

I tend to use Investigation as the generic "figuring things out" skill and History as the generic "what you remember" skill.

I do think the game could use a specific Engineering/Science skill and a Culture skill (History works for the latter, but it still seems odd to respond to "What do I know about Lord Fancypants?" with "roll a History check" when the man in question is standing right in front of the PC.)

See, that's why I'm so tempted to replace Investigation. A generic "figure something out" skill doesn't sound like a skill at all; that's just a regular Intelligence check to me.

 

[Cap'n Kobold]

For science type knowledge, I usually kludge it in with Arcana, since that is also about esoteric facts about how the (magical) world works.
For actually making something, that is the relevant tool proficiency.

 

[discosoc]

5th kinda does science as tools.

Alchemist's Supplies
Poisoner's Kit
Tinker's Tools
Navigator's tools

So Architecture would be Architect's Tools or Engineer's Supplies. Scales, rules, pens, paper. A specialized forgery kit.

This is how I see it as well.

 

[Jester David]

There's room for a few more skills, like Engineering, Warfare, Psychic Phenomena (Occultism), and others depending on your campaign. Monster Lore might be good in Ravenloft, and in a wilderness game like Dark Sun you can imagine Survival being broken into 2 or 3 skills.