D&D 5E (2024) Rank 5e skills from most useful (1) to least useful (18)


log in or register to remove this ad

I mean, under ideal circumstances, the rankings would be:

1: Perception
2-Tie: Everything else

Perception is too baked in as the superior skill in the system to unthrone, but everything else is extremely DM/campaign-dependent, and again, ideally that involves working into the game opportunities for every skill to its moment to shine.

Now, some are much easier to do that with than others, but to me that is a far more interesting and important thing to discuss than framing skills as a matter of player system knowledge or character optimization.
 

1. Perception
2. Stealth
3. Insight
4. Investigation
5. Acrobatics
6. Athletics
7. Deception
8. Sleight of Hand
9. Persuasion
10. Arcana
11. History
12. Religion
13. Survival
14. Nature
15. Performance
16. Intimidation
17. Medicine
18. Animal Handling
 

Used all the time:
1. Perception
2. Investigation
3. Stealth
4. Insight

Used Frequently:
5. Persuasion
6. Arcana
7. History
8. Deception
9. Intimidation

Used Intermittently:
10. Athletics
11. Survival
12. Religion
13. Acrobatics
14. Sleight of Hand

Used Rarely:
15. Medicine
16. Nature

Almost Never:
17. Animal Handling
18. Performance
 

I'm not sure exactly where I'd place the skills, but ones I'd rate near the top based on games I've played are athletics, arcana, perception, persuasion. I've often wanted to add medicine or animal handling to a character but they'll often end up being cut if I have other skills I feel take priority.
 




That's interesting about rope and manacles in 5e24. Yes, it appears to be more difficult to manacle someone than to tie them up.

1760341394270.png

1760341449616.png

1760341744687.png

I also note that now 5e24 specifies that it's a strength-athletics check to burst bonds, not just a strength check. I was always sort of confused whether you use a flat ability score check for bend bars/lift gates/kick door, or if you called for strength-athletics (thus making it a lot easier due to proficiency), when something would just call for a "strength check."



Side note, has being grappled/restrained affected somatic and/or components at all in 5e24?
 
Last edited:


Remove ads

Top