D&D 5E As DM do you ever take away or remove skill proficiencies?

[ECMO3]

This came up because a player got the Beguiling Influence Invocation, then traded that away the next level for a different invocation.

His argument is he should keep proficiency in deception and persuasion. He gained them and now has them just like if he had used down time and training to acquire them.

I don't think the rules actually address this.

 

[pointofyou]

I do not normally take such things away from PCs but in this case I think I'd make an exception. It seems reasonable to rule that if the warlock PC trades out the invocation they lose access to its benefits.

 

[Smackpixi]

This came up because a player got the Beguiling Influence Invocation, then traded that away the next level for a different invocation.

His argument is he should keep proficiency in deception and persuasion. He gained them and now has them just like if he had used down time and training to acquire them.

I don't think the rules actually address this.

Uh, no. You don’t retain the benefits of an invocation if you no longer have it. To be fair to the player, this one is phrased differently, “you gain” rather than say “can“ or “have”. But that’s player trading on semantics, it‘s not a unique invocation who‘s benefits you retain after you give it up.

 

[iserith]

Nice try, player, but nope!

 

[DeviousQuail]

No way. Do they think they keep the benefits from Devil's Sight, Gifts of the Deep, Agonizing Blast, etc. if they don't keep the Invocation? If they want those skills permanently they can actually use down time or take a feat to snag them.

 

[TheDelphian]

The gained them magically not with downtime.

They lose them magically the same way.

And it is not just like downtime or training, you can lose what you gain just look at my bank acount I gain money then it goes away.

 

[EzekielRaiden]

When I read the title, I was confused and expected some rather anti-player proposals.

Instead, what you have said here is 100% reasonable and I completely agree. The invocation granted those proficiencies magically. If you lose the invocation, you lose the proficiencies.

This is even more cut and dried than if it were retraining a feat like Skilled or Weapon Master, and I think it's quite obvious that if you lose a feat you lose access to the benefits that feat provided.

 

[Snarf Zagyg]

The definition of chutzpah is the person who kills both their parents and then demands leniency from the court because they are an orphan.

If a player tried to ruleslawyer that to me, this would be my reaction-

 

[Vaalingrade]

This isn't taking away anything. They traded it out for another thing.

 

[Oofta]

I allow people to rebuild their PC now and then (I do ask that they keep thematically close) but they have to still follow the rules of the game. I wouldn't allow ths any more than I'd allow someone to retain sneak attack if they rebuilt their PC from a rogue to fighter.