Tool Proficiencies | 5e Dungeons and Dragons | Web DM
Tool Proficiencies | 5e Dungeons and Dragons | Web DM
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Tool proficiencies! How the heck do you use em as a player? What do they mean – what’s the difference between perform and use musical instrument proficiency?! Today, we’re opening this kit up, explaining how to use tool proficiencies as a player and how to apply them as a DM too.
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My character has a set of smithing tools and I’ll be making use of them due to 2 circumstances that befell the group:
1. Our metallic equipment disintegrated because of a corrosion/rust spell
2. A dwarf got us banned from the nearby "surplus shop"
After he (the dwarf) makes the forge and (if needed) smelter, I can get to work
Hopefully one day I can be a rogue who not only picks locks but makes locks.
That way while escaping I can lock doors behind me or lock people’s houses or lock people into things. Or sell my locks. Locks.
The (insert color)-screen background is so weird. I’m so glad I’m not stoned or tripping while watching this. I’d totally be freaking out.
Pruitt, we’re going to have words if you keep dissing on Maynard the way you do :b.
I think the rule is actually that if you have both an applicable tool proficiency and skill you roll with advantage.
The ranger in my party loves to identify potions with their proficiency in herbalism kit and alchemical tools before the wizard can get to them. Ticks the wizard off every time lol
Nice DEATH SAVES shirt. Thing is don’t buy their junk, quality isn’t very good. I also got an order of $100 never delivered and joe manganiello’s company just said "sorry" and basically to go f myself. They didn’t even try to help. Save yourself the hassle
Been watching for at least a couple of years, and this is the first incorrect statement I’ve noticed – so wicked applause before my small clarification!
‘Round about 5 minutes, you ask about whether one can pick a lock with a Dex check, rather than thieves’ tools, and state that the answer is "maybe."
Bear in mind: skills and tool proficiencies are, in themselves, ability checks. People who have played White Wolf games might think of them like a "specialty" in that attribute check. This is why they’re expressed as Intelligence (History) or Strength (Athletics). According to the rules: Dexterity (Thieves’ Tools) is the same thing. One certainly COULD use a Dex check to pick a lock; however, the trained "thief" will be able to add their proficiency bonus (or even double their proficiency, for those who have Expertise). This makes the tool-using thief far more likely to pull it off than, say, the dextrous acrobat bard.
In active play (and outside the specific rules), there’s also the consideration of whether a roll is even possible without the appropriate tools. This is where it gets murky. Magic notwithstanding, one can’t forge a sword without blacksmith tools. Could one straighten a bent horseshoe? Maybe with a couple of rocks to hammer it on and a Strength check… Could one pick a lock without thieves’ tools? Maybe with some hairpins and luck. In either case, I (at my table) would allow the roll – probably at higher DC, and certainly at disadvantage.
I’m also a fan of the "additional benefit" mentioned in Xanathar’s guide. If a character attempts to pick a lock, having proficiency in both Sleight of Hand and Thieves’ Tools, and they have not specifically looked for traps before doing so, I may hand them an Investigation check anyway, or give them something like: "You feel the lock begin to turn – and then meet with a slight resistance. Others might not have detected it, but your well-trained fingers note that there might be more than simple tumblers to this mechanism." As Xanathar’s states, this "pseudo-Expertise" goes a long way to make players interested in both tool AND skill proficiency.
Anywho, just a small observation on my part, with my two coppers’ worth added in. Thanks for the great content, guys! Keep it coming!
Artificers would get advantage on everything.
I think this simple solution works rather well: Make two rolls. Roll once using a related skill, for example a dex check for an attempt at picking a lock. Grant a +1 bonus or -1 penalty for every 2 above or below 10 on the roll. Now make the tool roll and add the bonus or penalty. This is basically a way to say the player is either working in a positive or detrimental environment.
The way that I’ve seen tools run and its really intresting if you have the tool such as thieves tools to pick a lock you roll with advantage. if there is a complex lock and you don’t have thieve’s tool you roll with disavantage but with the thieve’s tools you roll normally.
crafting/repairing certain gear is a way that tools are used
Land, sea, and air vehicles are considered as tools for some reason.
Can’t tool and skill proficiency just stack? It be like having expertise
People with no charisma can draw great pieces of art but also people who can’t run can also make great pieces of art. I’d say art can be either dex or cha.
Lol Pruitt and Jim managed to stumble into the plot twist of an episode for Case Closed with that food poisoning bit.
So ya, to stress: a dm who is open to this. I had one who was not and consistently frustrated me as I tried to be that alchemist guy.
I just made an Artificer Battlesmith with 1 level in Forge Cleric, with the Skilled Feat. And they have SOOO MANY TOOL PROFICIENCIES, and Expertise in ALL of those.
I don’t even play D & D and I have watched about 30 of these videos lol. Is it possible to find a good group online and is the virtual experience any good? Can you guys cover this please ??
Looking back on this one, you can justify asking for a Charisma tool check for anything involved in marketing, selling, or publicly displaying the products and wares produced by that tool kit.
"This is my work. It’s much better than what you’d get from that asshole Dave down the road."
Great shout-out to Willow. Great movie, and I agree, great chase scene!
"Ask him to stop the wagon." 🙂
These are all great ideas. However, they require active planning among the gm and the pcs before the campaign, which tells the players what will be happening in the campaign beforehand.
And who has multiple tool proficiencies? The few who do: Who has their choice of multiple options for any tool? Usually you can select among a few. Which leads to entire builds being around a tool gimmick that’ll rarely, if ever, come up.
Currently playing a School of Swords/artisan/bard with chef feat. It’s tons of fun playing around specific spells that a chef would use such as prestidigitation and heat metal
I always thought of tools as being something that made a particular kind of activity possible. Clearly, the rules for tool proficiencies, and how they interact with skills and skill proficiencies were not well thought out or tested.
Also, yay Willow! And 13th Warrior!
I’ve kind of thought about using slight of hand with medicine at it relates to improvised surgeries to avoid cutting or damaging something that you don’t want to. Just as fine motor skills can be useful in medicine.
Then again, dexterity medicine checks can be done.
I rock either herbalism or cooks utensils proficiency for out of combat healing and role plays on almost all my characters. Aside from the professional goal, they almost always have a personal goal too, to try and master their craft.
Like can I make a replica of a hero’s feast without magic? We shall search for the right ingredients!
nice video but please clear your throat
If someone has cooking tools, and uses a cast iron pan, does it still only deal one damage as an improvised weapon?
Teaching! Charisma is used with tools when teaching.
I’m new to 5e, so still trying to absorb tool proficiency mechanics. Listening to you, they sound very much like an evolution of the old Profession and Craft skills from 3.x and PF. It’s a generalized bag of knowledge and skills that give you situational advantages, but no clearly defined and bounded actions.
The cut in thing is creepy.
As much as I miss the in-person chemistry, you guys have by far the best use of editing to make your videos look as normal as possible. Well done, take an inspiration dice.
For me I had the tools provide little bonuses like using cooks utensils can let you make special meals that grant temporary HP or for musicians instruments to create little performance that grants Bard like inspiration onto them or whatever type of song/event they preform. So an example for rolling is 1-4 is poor quality or -2, 5-9 is lesser quality or -1, 10-14 is common or 0, 15-19 is higher or +1, 20-24 is greater or +2 and 25-30 is masterful or +3 to the benefits the crafted item provides
I hate that y’all have to use a green screen, but I have to say that the sound quality and volume for the both of you is superb! STUPENDOUS! No sarcasm, just airing out the old words.
Dwarf Rogal with a Mason’s tool: I am fortifying this position.
It seems like your kits get the most use when you role play. Never let go of your lute and you’ll make use of it all the time. Just make the skill part of who you are.
My monk very regularly uses his art supplies prof to make "art interpretation" check when looking at intricate artistic murials with historical significance statues that disguise secret door mechanisms…that sort of thing.
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These new green scenes are terrible. Very distracting.
3:15 I’d say that if you have two relevant profficiencies you’d have advantage.
Why aren’t all tool skill checks rolled with INT?
That might actually make int worth something outside wizardry,
Still need mending as an Artificer as 1, quick-fix in the field when you can’t stop to pull out your tools, and 2, cos it’s basically cure wounds for my homunculus servant which is a facsimile of my deceased daughter and my Artificer doesn’t handle well when she get hurt…….
Could you make a carpenter silent while he took out the nails on a house?
I’m a 10th level artificer who the dm just gave all purpose tools. This gives me many ideas
Absolutely loved this video… now that d&d has become trendy, or cool etc I find it really hard to watch the same carbon copy mat mercer replica hyper confident person pushing 5E stuff out. You can really tell that you guys are just gamers wanting to talk about the game without trying to be cool etc.
I just got the idea that you could incorporate your proficiency mod twice. You have the roll, your Ability Score, the Skill Proficiency modifier and the Tool Proficiency modifier.
My bard uses calligraphy and persuasion to gain advantage writing compelling letters and performance with mandolin to gain advantage when performing at the local tavern.
As a carpenter, a prybar (small flat bar with a bend – max 1 pound]) is a must have for a thieve tool.
Theft tools are a int roll in my games.
Thank you so much. I had no idea Xanathar’s had so much about Tool Proficiencies! I was just asking our new GM about it today and his only answer was whatever it said in "the book" x.x
I think Charisma needs to be viewed a bit more broadly here. A painter shouldn’t have to be Bob Ross to be charismatic. The stat needs to not be hamstrung like that. Charisma, and in effect Bards as they use this stat the most, need to be viewed as expressive. Because charismatic can be someone who expresses themselves through their painting. Or maybe they express themselves through intimidation.
But to say you can’t use Charisma with certain tools that are intricately tied to Charisma is just asking for trouble from a player looking forward to that.
You all should look at Pathfinder 2nd Edition! 😀 You guys do a lot of 5e, but there are other, just as cool systems out there. 🙂