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

[Horwath]

I would disagree with this. In 3.5E with no bounded accuracy someone could start out good at a skill and by 10th level they sucked at it ..... what happpened 3 weeks ago I could bluff everyone and my Disguises were the cat's meow. Now I am fooling no one [because I put no points in Disguise and Bluff and my 20 Charisma can't carry me].

I actually like 3.5e/PF1 system better for skills.
I get the 5E simplicity and I like that, but 3.5E was superior system.

and you still fooled the low level mob in the same way as before, maybe even better if you bumped up charisma, just the more "insightful" opponents would require more practice to fool them.

 

[Gradine]

I actually like 3.5e/PF1 system better for skills.
I get the 5E simplicity and I like that, but 3.5E was superior system.

and you still fooled the low level mob in the same way as before, maybe even better if you bumped up charisma, just the more "insightful" opponents would require more practice to fool them.

View attachment 420194

Edit: For those hoping for context, he is referring to the moral of the story "The Boy Who Cried Wolf"

 

[ECMO3]

I actually like 3.5e/PF1 system better for skills.
I get the 5E simplicity and I like that, but 3.5E was superior system.

and you still fooled the low level mob in the same way as before, maybe even better if you bumped up charisma, just the more "insightful" opponents would require more practice to fool them.

See I don't agree. I hate the 3.5 system.

 

[TheSword]

Thanks folks so much for engaging with the topic. So a quick and dirty summary of the data shared. With this huge sample of 16.

I've assigned each skill a number between 1 and 18 depending on each poster's ranking. Apologies to the two posters that only ranked some of the skills. I've removed them from the data.

Perception and Investigation are clearly the high point - with Perception clearly ahead. Mainly due to DM inconsistency with investigation checks being folded into Perception.

Of the Influence skills Persuasion was solidly ahead with most posters placing it in the top 6. Deception was also a solid choice. Intimidation the least so, with some players putting it mid table and the others placing it very low.

The knowledge skills have fared quite badly, ranking from mid table to low. Arcana best placed in 8th place. Followed by Nature, History and Religion.

Athletics as described as a super stat ranging mid table but with some players placing it high. Acrobatics on the other hand was ranked opposite with some ranking it mid and some ranking it very low.

Medicine and Performance were ranked consistently the worst. Which is interesting as these could both be considered to vocational skills. It feels like other vocational skills are considered tool proficiencies - stone-working, alchemy etc. I wonder if Medicine and Performance couldn't have been considered like this instead.

 

[Weiley31]

I would say perception is most important, but i couldn't find it on the list???

you may need a reroll

I'm gonna need one of you to roll me an Insight Check and another a Persuasion check.

 

[TorgoTheWhite]

It depends if everyone in your party is into playing their specific role. I've played plenty of fighters that brazenly light their torch and let other people try to gather the info... perception meant very little to those.

I've done very well with athletics and stealth

 

[FrogReaver]

Thanks folks so much for engaging with the topic. So a quick and dirty summary of the data shared. With this huge sample of 16.

I've assigned each skill a number between 1 and 18 depending on each poster's ranking. Apologies to the two posters that only ranked some of the skills. I've removed them from the data.

Perception and Investigation are clearly the high point - with Perception clearly ahead. Mainly due to DM inconsistency with investigation checks being folded into Perception.

Of the Influence skills Persuasion was solidly ahead with most posters placing it in the top 6. Deception was also a solid choice. Intimidation the least so, with some players putting it mid table and the others placing it very low.

The knowledge skills have fared quite badly, ranking from mid table to low. Arcana best placed in 8th place. Followed by Nature, History and Religion.

Athletics as described as a super stat ranging mid table but with some players placing it high. Acrobatics on the other hand was ranked opposite with some ranking it mid and some ranking it very low.

Medicine and Performance were ranked consistently the worst. Which is interesting as these could both be considered to vocational skills. It feels like other vocational skills are considered tool proficiencies - stone-working, alchemy etc. I wonder if Medicine and Performance couldn't have been considered like this instead.




View attachment 420518

One small note, i broke mine into categories but didn't fully rank them within each category. Shouldn't have much if any impact but just wanted it noted. To be even more accurate you could take the median skill rank of each of my categories and apply it to all skills for that category. Again, likely not needed as a changing each result by 2-3 points one way or another doesn't appear that it'd really change anything.

 

[TheSword]

One small note, i broke mine into categories but didn't fully rank them within each category. Shouldn't have much if any impact but just wanted it noted. To be even more accurate you could take the median skill rank of each of my categories and apply it to all skills for that category. Again, likely not needed as a changing each result by 2-3 points one way or another doesn't appear that it'd really change anything.

You’re right I don’t think it would change. I put them in the order folks listed them. If nothing else it was the order you thought of them.

 

[ECMO3]

It depends if everyone in your party is into playing their specific role. I've played plenty of fighters that brazenly light their torch and let other people try to gather the info... perception meant very little to those.

I've done very well with athletics and stealth

In one of my groups there is a player who regularly plays a Barbarian or Tough guy fighter and he always dumps Charisma and has no Charisma skills, yet he always wants to be the guy talking in every social encounter.

DM: "Ok roll Persuasion to see if you can convince the townsfolk the suspect is innocent and not to burn her"
PC: "I rolled a 10 minus 1 for my Charisma so that is a 9"
Meanwhile my Rouge is sitting there with a +11 and Reliable talent and banging her head on her hand.

It can be rather frustrating.

 

[sevenbastard]

In one of my groups there is a player who regularly plays a Barbarian or Tough guy fighter and he always dumps Charisma and has no Charisma skills, yet he always wants to be the guy talking in every social encounter.

DM: "Ok roll Persuasion to see if you can convince the townsfolk the suspect is innocent and not to burn her"
PC: "I rolled a 10 minus 1 for my Charisma so that is a 9"
Meanwhile my Rouge is sitting there with a +11 and Reliable talent and banging her head on her hand.

It can be rather frustrating.

I cant count the times in real life i've had to step in for one of my meathead friends and reexplain what they were saying. So this feels on point.