D&D 5E Beguiling Influence mod: advantage instead of proficiency?

[Saeviomagy]

I think it should probably give expertise if the character has the skills from another source.

Personally I don't think there are enough sources of expertise, which puts bards, rogues and clerics of knowledge in a weird position where they're more skilled than anyone else can possibly get.

 

[AtomicPope]

I once played in a (3e) campaign where the DM was willing to let important social interactions go on the roll of a dice, and it was ridiculous.

"I get 53. I convince the King to give us his army."

We called that 3e build the Diplomancer. That's one school of magic that didn't make it into later editions.

 

[Dausuul]

I like the idea of granting proficiency if you don't have it and expertise if you do. As it stands, I can't see myself ever taking Beguiling Influence--warlocks get so few invocation slots, I wouldn't waste one on skills that I could (and would) get proficiency with normally.

The "proficiency or expertise" approach is a nice way to broaden the appeal without undercutting the folks who currently use it for proficiency.

 

[Tanaka Chris]

Actually, I use it a different way... in the PHB on Backgrounds it reads

Proficiencies
Each background gives a character proficiency in two skills. Skills are described in chapter 7. In addition, most backgrounds give a character proficiency with one or more tools. Tools and tool proficiencies are detailed in chapter 5.

If a character would gain the same proficiency from two different sources, he or she can choose a different proficiency o f the same kind (skill or tool) instead.

Based off that last line, it would net me an additional 2 Skill proficiencies if I already had them. Not too shabby.