Dungeons and Dragons. It's really quite simple, even a toddler could understand it:
In 5th Edition (and 2024), there are six main stats that can be assigned to a player character, or PC. There is Dexterity or DEX, but also Strength or STR, Constitution or CON, Intelligence or INT, Charisma or CHA, and Widsom or WIS. A Dexterity (DEX) check has certain modifiers based on your character's stat points, which are pre-determined by either a roll of a 20-sided dice for each statistic, or by a point-buy system. DEX deals with the player character's physical aptitude and maneuverability, rather than STR, which deals with raw power or athleticism. If players opt to use the point buy system, each additional point added per stat has an associated point cost. The player is given a total of 15 points with which to buy additional points in the chosen statistic. For every point of DEX that a character has, they're given a certain number they can add to any ability roll. Acrobatics as a skill is a combination of both the character's proficiency bonus, a set number (known as a modifier) which increases as the character earns levels, and their current DEX bonus, (another modifier) number that comes from how many points they have in the Dexterity stat. At a baseline of 10 DEX, there is no modifier added to the dexterity roll. For every 2 points added to the DEX stat, however, the DEX bonus increases by 1. So, as an example, if a player has chosen to add additional points of DEX, to get their DEX to, say, 12 for example, then they would add a +1 bonus on top of their current proficiency bonus, which is a signifier that the character is more skilled in DEX than in other sets of skills.
The only difference is whether or not you get specific bonuses. Raw strength or dex won’t get a bonus in athletics or acrobatics, but those things are based on strength and dexterity respectively
You add your modifier for the relevant ability (dexterity) and, if you are proficient in the relevant skill (acrobatics), you also add your proficiency bonus
Top tip to all DMs, you can ask for checks with different stats!
If a Barbarian has low Charisma but high Strength, ask for an Intimidation roll using strength! It allows far more players to get involved in fun RP instead of just leaving all the talking to the one character with high Charisma.
53
u/Radigan0 1d ago
An acrobatics check is a dexterity check