D&D 5E Skill Ranking

[Clint_L]

I picked Animal Handling, because it's got a narrow scope and, in practice, if it is needed there's usually one party member like a druid or ranger who can get there through magic or class skills. But it's so seldom needed.

History, because it's typically just used in one pillar, and it's seldom vital - if it's a key plot point, the DM won't just rely on a successful skill check for players to get the information; there'll be alternate avenues. So it's mostly a flavour skill.

Religion: see history, only more so. I think both of these should be combined with Arcana into one skill called "lore."

Medicine: as others have pointed out, there's nothing it can do that low level magic can't do better. Gains a few points for being a good option for a few, very specific character builds.

Athletics versus Acrobatics: we use them fairly interchangeably, though in our games acrobatics checks come up way more often. For example, climbing a wall: is that more strength or dexterity? In reality, you kind of need both, but more the latter. I used to work at a climbing gym, and big buff guys are terrible at climbing.

 

[Minigiant]

Surprised Animal Handling has such a large portion of the votes at this point. I mean, sure, it’s only useful when interacting with animals, but it’s also functionally all Charisma-based skills combined in that specific context. So, narrow application, but pretty useful within its niche. I certainly wouldn’t call it worse than Performance, which has fewer votes at the moment.

Which is funny.

Because Animal Handling trumps and copies Deception, Intimidation, & Persuasion when dealing with animals.
and Performance trumps and copies Deception, Intimidation, & Persuasion when doing a performance.

I mean if you make a clown character, you can sub Performance for 3 skills.
Honk Honk!
throws a bucket of glitter menacingly

 

[Kobold Stew]

My picks were as follows:

Performance - It’s useless in two of three pillars, and while it has some function in the social pillar, it’s far less directly useful for getting NPCs to do what you want them to than the other Charisma skills. Most of the time, it just ends up being “roll to see how much you impressed an audience” skill, which tend to be pretty low-stakes rolls

Agreed. Also, it doesn't play well with instrument proficiencies. (Is a singer really rolling lower than a violinist because they don't have an associated tool?) Again, for me bad design = bad skill.

Low stakes just makes it worse.

Medicine - No real use other than stabilizing dying characters, which is done more reliably and more effectively by any source of healing. Might also sometimes be used to gather forensic clues in a murder mystery type scenario, but those uses are often brushed over, given that failure on them can cause the players to get stuck. Not pure flavor like Performance, but extremely limited usefulness.

Agreed.

Acrobatics - Almost everything you want to use Acrobatics for is actually a function of Athletics. As-written, Acrobatics is really only used for maintaining balance, which… I mean, how often does that even come up? Not much in my experience. Beats out the previous two because at least you can use it to escape grapples and restraints if you have low Strength/Athletics.

This would have been my next choice. People want it to do what Athletics does, but allowing you to roll Dexterity. And so in play (in my experience) people are offered the chance to roll Dex/Acrobatics or Str/Athletics.

In my mind, Athletics is the skill everyone should need for most day-to-day adventuring.

 

[Shiroiken]

I couldn't pick a fourth. I got the big three, because Animal Handling and Performance are too niche, and Medicine is largely unnecessary due to Healer's Kit. I forgot that in 2014 you only use Thieves Tools for traps, rather than Sleight of Hand, or I'd have added it as my fourth.

 

[Jahydin]

I chose Animal Handling, Medicine, and Investigation because those were the three I buffed in my home games.

Animal Handling - Taking this got you a free, loyal, non-magical pet!

Medicine - Includes use of poisons. Also, I was pretty generous what it could be used for when it came to evaluating/treating injuries.

Investigation - Split Perception's duties in two deeding on if awareness of surrounding was used (Perception) or detective like intellect, like finding the lever to a secret door (Investigation).

 

[DEFCON 1]

Performance - We already have musical instrument proficiencies plus the results of a performance check basically to do what Persuasion does, so there's no point in the skill.

Medicine - No purpose to the skill that isn't already covered by healer's kits and healing magic.

Acrobatics - The only reason this exists is because the game's baseline rules establish a set ability score to each skill, so with Athletics being strictly a STR-based skill, they needed to include a DEX-based one... despite there being so many fewer set uses for it.

Animal Handling - Like Acrobatics... this skill only exists because the actual skill that should be used-- Nature-- is only attributed to Intelligence. So Animal Handling is basically the Wisdom version of the skill.

Honorable mention would be Investigation, except that I have always deliberately expanded its use by reducing what Perception goes towards. I have always done it that Perception is only for finding living creatures that are trying to hide... whereas Investigation was to find all inanimate objects that were being hidden-- secret doors, traps and the like.

All in all... I have always used the variant rule that can attribute each skill to any ability score depending on context... which means my skill lists have pretty much removed the four skills listed above since their actions can be covered by other skill/ability score combos. In fact, at my tables I'd also throw in the removal of Sleight of Hand, as I make them all just be Dexterity (Deception) checks.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

A couple of months ago my players missed out on a significant clue because no one was any good at animal handling, or had the ability to speak with animals, or any similar abilities.

There was a troop of monkeys (macaques) who would have given the party an item if the party had made any kind of good impression. They failed.

 

[Maxperson]

I picked performance and animal handling, the two least used skills in the game in my experience. I also picked perception and athletics, because I can't stand not being able to have a PC who has great vision and poor hearing, or is good at climbing and running, but bad at swimming.

 

[Tonguez]

Acrobatics - its Dex+Athletics and just makes it an issue trying to determine which skill to apply to a task

Perception - too much of an uber power, so lets keep Passive Perception and use Investigate when ever your actively looking for something

Medicine - should be better and allow full first aid, unfortunately Cure spells and Potions take up that role and make Medicine the stabilize roll. I think Cure Spells should require a Medicine check to stop the bloodloss

Nature should be Int+Survival, Intimidation and Deception should be part of Persuasion
There needs to be a proper Craft/Profession Skill too


I too am kinda suprised that Animal Handling is so high, DnD needs better Mount and Pet rules and more scenarios involving mundane beasts

 

[abirdcall]

I think I'm going to pair some skills. If you get one you get the other. This is a better solution I feel than removing the skills and confusing people.

Animal Handling and Survival.
Athletics and Acrobatics.
Medicine and Nature.
Performance: Any character feature that implies proficiency grants it. Eg. Bards get it automatically, those with musician and inspiring leader feats as well.

I'm not sure about History. I think I'm going to reevaluate its place. I may have judged it too harshly.

Sleight of Hand was fixed in 2024 when it became the pick lock/disarm trap skill.