D&D 5E Ability check & Proficiency skills

[Amatiel]

Recently a Gelatinous cube and some ettercaps engaged my PCs.. The cube has "engulf" and the ettercaps have "webbing" ... Both require a PC to maky a Strength Ability check DC to break free. Is this different from grapple/Athletics checks where you can make a number of attempts equal to your number of attacks, or just a 'raw' Strength check as an action once per round ... Tad confused on this issue.. ?

 

[iserith]

Per the Basic Rules, it takes an action to escape a grapple. You cannot replace an attack with an attempt to escape a grapple.

Engulf and Web do not use the grapple rules, but it still takes an action to try to get free of either effect.

 

[spectacle]

Per the Basic Rules, it takes an action to escape a grapple. You cannot replace an attack with an attempt to escape a grapple.

You can however replace an attack with an attempt to shove the grappler. If you shove them out of reach, you automatically break the grapple. It's often a better way to get out of grapples than taking the action. I don't think shoving will work against being engulfed or webbed though.

 

[Amatiel]

Engulf: An engulfed creature can try to escape by taking an action to make a DC # Strength check. On a success, the creature escapes.

My query was does the victim just made a d20 + ability modifier roll as his action, OR is he allowed to use Athletics as his ability check like escaping a grapple ?

 

[spectacle]

Engulf: An engulfed creature can try to escape by taking an action to make a DC # Strength check. On a success, the creature escapes.

My query was does the victim just made a d20 + ability modifier roll as his action, OR is he allowed to use Athletics as his ability check like escaping a grapple ?

If you're allowed to use atlethics or another skill it will always say so, so in this case it is pure strenght only.

 

[iserith]

Engulf: An engulfed creature can try to escape by taking an action to make a DC # Strength check. On a success, the creature escapes.

My query was does the victim just made a d20 + ability modifier roll as his action, OR is he allowed to use Athletics as his ability check like escaping a grapple ?

DM's call. If you think skill in Athletics applies to how the character is trying to escape the gelatinous cube, then ask the player to apply the proficiency bonus.

 

[BoldItalic]

If the character has tools proficiency in something useful for escaping from the inside of a gelatinous cube, that would be another reason to allow his proficiency bonus to apply to the attempt.

My PC is now thinking of carrying a very large spoon at all times, and looking for downtime training in Large Spoons ...

 

[Jester David]

This is why I hate the Athletics skill and would have preferred separate Climb, Jump, and Swim skills. Anything that uses Strength could qualify as an "Athletics" check. It's too broad and is thus useless.

By the rules, Athletics only applies to climbing, jumping, and swimming. Anything else is just Strength.

 

[iserith]

This is why I hate the Athletics skill and would have preferred separate Climb, Jump, and Swim skills. Anything that uses Strength could qualify as an "Athletics" check. It's too broad and is thus useless.

By the rules, Athletics only applies to climbing, jumping, and swimming. Anything else is just Strength.

Ask the player what sort of athletic experience and training the character had in the past that applies to the unfolding situation e.g. wrestling was a pastime at camp while soldiering or escaping from nets was something slave masters trained gladiators to do in Urik. Then just agree with any reasonable fiction offered. The player gets to apply the bonus and the DM gets the player to establish something new about the character and setting. Win-win.

 

[bedir than]

This is why I hate the Athletics skill and would have preferred separate Climb, Jump, and Swim skills. Anything that uses Strength could qualify as an "Athletics" check. It's too broad and is thus useless.

By the rules, Athletics only applies to climbing, jumping, and swimming. Anything else is just Strength.

And Grappling...