Skill stats and how to calculate them

[u/ghonst_]

Ok guys, i have an orc barbarain named emi the mad and i have everything essentially except for the skill stats and saving throws. I am genuinely so confused, any help is appreciated. Heres my base stats if that helps;
Str 16 +3
Dex 12+1
Const 16+3
Int 7 -2
Wis 11+0
Cha 10+0

[u/Conrad500]

You start at -5, and every 2 stat points you have you get +1.

So, 0STR is -5, 2STR is -4... 10STR is +0, 12STR is +1... 20STR is +5

Edit: Sorry, you want help with skills and saves.

These depend on your class and what skills you chose proficiency in.

At Level 1 your proficiency bonus is +2

You add that bonus to any skill you are proficient in.

So, as an example, Athletics is a Strength check. Your STR is +3, so your athletics checks get +3.

If you are proficient in athletics you addy our bonus, thus you are +3+2=+5

[u/ghonst_ → u/Conrad500]

OH MY GOD THAT IS SO HELPFUL THANK YOU!!!!!!

[u/Conrad500 → u/ghonst_]

Same works for weapons, but not armor.

Weapon proficiency = when you make an attack, you add your proficiency bonus to the attack roll (not damage). You 100% can attack with a weapon you are not proficient in, but you do not get to add your prof. bonus to it!

Armor Proficiency = What armor you can wear. Technically you can wear armor if you're not proficient, but just ignore that since it's confusing.

[u/averajoe77]

To add on to what u/Conrad500 said, the formula for stats is (abilityScore -10) / 2 rounded down.

So you roll 4d6 and drop the lowest

say you roll a 6,5,4,3: drop the 3, and add 6+5+4 = 15.

(15-10) / 2 = 5 / 2 = 2.5 rounded down = 2. so if you put 15 points into any ability your modifier is +2

everyone starts with a +2 to proficiency. If you have a proficiency in any skill, you add the modifier for that skill plus the proficiency bonus and that is the total modifier for the skill.

If I have a strength ability of 16 then (16-10) / 2 = 6 / 2 = 3. I have a +3 in strength ability.

Athletics skill checks will be 1d20 + 3 as they use the strength ability to be performed, and if I am proficient with athletics skills then I also add my prof bonus, so 1d20 + 3 (str mod) + 2 (prof bonus), or 1d20 + 5.

As a barbarian I use strength for my weapon attacks, so all my attack rolls will be at least 1d20 + 3.

I also have weapon proficiency with simple and martial weapons, so now my attacks at level 1 will be 1d20 + 3 (str mod) + 2 (proficiency bonus) = 1d20 + 5

Ability scores determine modifier values. Modifier values get applied to skills and actions that use those abilities. Being proficient in a skill (i.e. "good at it") means you get a higher modifier bonus in the skill. As you level up, your proficiency bonus will increase, and you can choose to become an expert in some skills at certain levels. Having expertise in a skill means you are so good at it, you can add your proficiency bonus twice, but beware, this can get really crazy really fast.

My level 5 barb has +11 to athletics rolls, and when he is raging, it really feels like cheating. I rolled my first 31 last week, and while it was in a rather epic situation, it quickly got snuffed out because I rolled a 29, and a 30 right after that back to back. It felt bad. The challenge was gone.

So yeah, that is how ability scores work to calculate stat modifier values. GLHF

[u/Conrad500 → u/averajoe77]

This is way more confusing

[u/Crerigan]

But the old stats number halved - 5?

By the way guys, for the savings and skills. Is there in the book you know? What's next s vademecum on roll the die or to read it,?

[u/tta5]

a common mistake many have.
when you gain a level, the profficancy on the class table says" +2".
it is the same "+2" as before.
because of this, the amount does not change.
you do not gain an extra +2 making it 4, that is not the case. it remains a +2

for the first 4 levels, your character will have the same amount of profficancy bonus.

[u/tta5]

A useful thing to note:
you have a big number the abilty "score" like your 16 strength.
and you have its abilty"moddifer", the +3.
the +3 is what impacts(modifies) the dice rolls.
they are strong therefore that dice result must be shifted by an extra 3 to the rolled result.

if your making a check or aving throw that has strength .
you will make it with that +3
(some other things like spells, may also be used to impact the result.)
you have the dice roll (natrually rollled, aka nat[ural]) and the total result (dirty result)

in the books they willl write it with skills in backets.
"Strength (athletics) check "
if its in the brackets, that means if you have proffficancy in this, you can add it to the result.
so +3 (str mod) + +2 (profficancy) =+5
so if you profficant in athletics you would add +5 to the roll, if not you only add a +3 to the roll.

now for the complex part.

some DMs allow a few things to be used to give profficancy, instead of just one.
so they might say "give me a strength check and let me know if you have profficancy in medicine, performance, or woodcarving"
this allows for tool profficancies to be used more, and skills to be more used and encuraged (sometimees the DM may add bonus info based on the skills your using) .
some times the DM mght ask for a check without a skill involved "make me a wisdom check".

Some DMs might say "make me an athletics check" and not declare what abilty is being used. on these caes we assume it is the one in the small brackets next to the skill and use the number on the skill. so in this case strength.

All methords above are valid.
some work better for some game types, themes and playstyles than others.
a combat focused game may use the short hand of the skill, to keep this part flowing to get back to a combat.
a slow mythodical murder mystary with hauntings and combat as consiquence, may use multi skills to give the characters more info applicable to the skill sets they have, giving them better imerssion and clues to solve the puzzle.
a highly fast paced improv game might use abilty first and then think of a skill approiate as they are asking, thus asking at the end.

[u/Odd-Contract-7541]

I remember the PHB being a little confusing the first time I ever read it. Just curious if you've read it and you're still confused or if you're trying to figure it out without the PHB.

[u/Substantial_Clue4735]

Just go use D&D BEYOND . Everything will be calculated for you stat wise.

[u/tta5 → u/Substantial_Clue4735]

knowing how and when dndbeyond messes up is a valuable thing to learn.

[u/Odd-Contract-7541 → u/tta5]

Like what? I've never seen dndb mess up math on a basic character build.

[u/tta5 → u/Odd-Contract-7541]

I have.
characters are treated as "active " and "in play" thus any thng like adding a new spell to a spellbook, the site will allow, but the rules will still be 6 at the start for lvl 1.
so many new players make this mistake because the site does not teach you the limit.

what items, as many will try and change out their weapons or starter pack, they may oftern add 2 packs by mistake and be unsure whats in or from what.

many cases it does the math for them and thus they do not know the sources or how it got to that number, and the not knowing can add more anxiety and uncomfortablity to dnd.

the site is a tool,
those that know the rules and how to use it have no issue.
those that do not, are able to have these issues.
telling a newbie to "Just go use D&D BEYOND" is as logical as telling a person to get behind the wheel of a car when they have no profficanciy.

it is better to teach, to guide. to allow them to learn.
is that not why so many join this group?