D&D 5E Raw ability checks - proficiency or not?

[Jer]

Bender from Futurama is skilled in bending and gets to use his proficiency bonus.

As a bending unit, I'm pretty sure that's a racial feature.

 

[GX.Sigma]

If you have proficiency in something, you get to add your proficiency bonus to it.

If you don't, you don't.

 

[Pseudopsyche]

Skills (and tools) are the mechanism by which players can add their proficiency bonus to an ability check. Most raw ability checks are raw precisely because they require raw ability, not training. So in general, I don't think you add the proficiency bonus to any ability checks not tied to a skill or tool.

That said, I like the idea of granting the proficiency bonus for ability checks that fit a character's background, even if it somehow does not fit any skills or tools.

 

[Plaguescarred]

Unless noted otherwise, an ability check should not add your proficiency bonus unless a skill or tool let you do so.

The most common ability check that won't add your proficiency bonus will be Constitution check IMO, having no skill or tools specifically for it i can think of.

 

[Dausuul]

Having trouble understanding one rule - if someone is called upon to make a simple ability check, do they add proficiency to this or not? I understand skill checks and saving throws (which ones have proficiency and which don't), but if someone needs a raw strength check to bend an iron bar, for example - do you add proficiency? It seems as if you should ("old age and treachery will defeat youth and inexperience", etc etc) but my read of the PH so far implies "no".

Thanks in advance!

Nope. Proficiency applies only to things you are specifically proficient in.