System	
  Reference	
   Document	
  5.1 	
   81	
  
creature,	
  it	
  usually	
  sees	
  you.	
  However,	
  under	
  cert ain	
  
circumstances,	
  the	
   GM	
  might	
  allow	
  you	
  to	
  stay	
  hidden	
  as	
  you	
  
approach	
  a	
  creature	
  that	
  is	
  distracted,	
  allowing	
  you	
  to	
  gain	
  
advantage	
  on	
  an	
  attack	
  roll	
  before	
  you	
  are	
  seen. 	
  
Passive	
  Perception. When	
  you	
  hide,	
  there’s	
  a	
  chance	
  
someone	
  will	
  notice	
  you	
  even	
   if	
  they	
  aren’t	
  searching.	
  To	
  
determine	
  whether	
  such	
  a	
  creature	
  notices	
  you,	
  the	
   GM	
  
compares	
  your	
  Dexterity	
  (Stealth)	
  check	
  with	
  that	
  creature’s	
  
passive	
  Wisdom	
  (Perception)	
  score,	
  which	
  equals	
  10	
  +	
  the	
  
creature’s	
  Wisdom	
  modifier,	
  as	
  well	
  as	
  any	
  other	
  bonuses	
  or	
  
penalties.	
  If	
  the	
  creature	
  has	
  advantage,	
  add	
  5.	
  For	
  
disadvantage,	
  subtract	
  5.	
  For	
  example,	
  if	
  a	
  1st -­‐level	
  character	
  
(with	
  a	
  proficiency	
  bonus	
  of	
  +2)	
  has	
  a	
  Wisdom	
  of	
  15	
  (a	
  +2	
  
modifier)	
  and	
  proficiency	
  in	
  Perception,	
  he	
  or	
  she	
  has	
  a	
  
passive	
  Wisdom	
  (Per ception)	
  of	
  14.	
  
What	
  Can	
  You	
  See? 	
  One	
  of	
  the	
  main	
  factors	
  in	
  
determining	
  whether	
  you	
  can	
  find	
  a	
  hidden	
  creature	
  or	
  
object	
  is	
  how	
  well	
  you	
  can	
  see	
  in	
  an	
  area,	
  which	
  might	
  be	
  
lightly or heavily obscured,	
  as	
  explained	
  in	
  "The	
  
Environment.”	
  
Constitution 
Constitution	
  measures	
  health,	
  stamina,	
  and	
  vital	
  
force.	
  
Constitution Checks 
Constitution	
  checks	
  are	
  uncommon,	
  and	
  no	
  skills	
  
apply	
  to	
  Constitution	
  checks,	
  because	
  the	
  endurance	
  
this	
  ability	
  represents	
  is	
  largely	
  passive	
  rather	
  than	
  
involving	
  a	
  specific	
  effort	
  o n	
  the	
  part	
  of	
  a	
  character	
  
or	
  monster.	
  A	
  Constitution	
  check	
  can	
  model	
  your	
  
attempt	
  to	
  push	
  beyond	
  normal	
  limits,	
  however. 	
  
	
   The	
  GM	
  might	
  call	
  for	
  a	
  Constitution	
  check	
  when	
  
you	
  try	
  to	
  accomplish	
  tasks	
  like	
  the	
  following: 	
  
• Hold	
  your	
  breath
• March	
  or	
  labor	
  for	
  ho urs	
  without	
  rest
• Go	
  without	
  sleep
• Survive	
  without	
  food	
  or	
  water
• Quaff	
  an	
  entire	
  stein	
  of	
  ale	
  in	
  one	
  go
Hit Points 
Your	
  Constitution	
  modifier	
  contributes	
  to	
  your	
  hit	
  
points.	
  Typically,	
  you	
  add	
  your	
  Constitution	
  modifier	
  
to	
  each	
  Hit	
  Die	
  you	
  roll	
  for	
  your	
  hit 	
  points.	
  
	
   If	
  your	
  Constitution	
  modifier	
  changes,	
  your	
  hit	
  
point	
  maximum	
  changes	
  as	
  well,	
  as	
  though	
  you	
  had	
  
the	
  new	
  modifier	
  from	
  1st	
  level.	
  For	
  example,	
  if	
  you	
  
raise	
  your	
  Constitution	
  score	
  when	
  you	
  reach	
  4th	
  
level	
  and	
  your	
  Constitution	
  modifier	
  increases	
   from	
  
+1	
  to	
  +2,	
  you	
  adjust	
  your	
  hit	
  point	
  maximum	
  as
though	
  the	
  modifier	
  had	
  always	
  been	
  +2.	
  So	
  you	
  add
3	
  hit	
  points	
  for	
  your	
  first	
  three	
  levels,	
  and	
  then	
  roll
your	
  hit	
  points	
  for	
  4th	
  level	
  using	
  your	
  new	
  modifier.	
  
Or	
  if	
  you’re	
  7th	
  level	
  and	
  some	
  effect	
  low ers	
  your	
  
Constitution	
  score	
  so	
  as	
  to	
  reduce	
  your	
  Constitution	
  
modifier	
  by	
  1,	
  your	
  hit	
  point	
  maximum	
  is	
  reduced	
  by	
  
7.	
  
Intelligence 
Intelligence	
  measures	
  mental	
  acuity,	
  accuracy	
  of	
  
recall,	
  and	
  the	
  ability	
  to	
  reason. 	
  
Intelligence Checks 
An	
  Intelligence	
  check	
   comes	
  into	
  play	
  when	
  you	
  
need	
  to	
  draw	
  on	
  logic,	
  education,	
  memory,	
  or	
  
deductive	
  reasoning.	
  The	
  Arcana,	
  History,	
  
Investigation,	
  Nature,	
  and	
  Religion	
  skills	
  reflect	
  
aptitude	
  in	
  certain	
  kinds	
  of	
  Intelligence	
  checks. 	
  
	
   Arcana.	
  Your	
  Intelligence	
  (Arcana)	
  check	
  
measures	
  your	
  ability	
  to	
  recall	
  lore	
  about	
  spells,	
  
magic	
  items,	
  eldritch	
  symbols,	
  magical	
  traditions,	
  
the	
  planes	
  of	
  existence,	
  and	
  the	
  inhabitants	
  of	
  those	
  
planes.	
  
	
   History.	
  Your	
  Intelligence	
  (History)	
  check	
  
measures	
  your	
  ability	
  to	
  recall	
  lore	
  about	
  histor ical	
  
events,	
  legendary	
  people,	
  ancient	
  kingdoms,	
  past	
  
disputes,	
  recent	
  wars,	
  and	
  lost	
  civilizations. 	
  
	
   Investigation.	
   When	
  you	
  look	
  around	
  for	
  clues	
  
and	
  make	
  deductions	
  based	
  on	
  those	
  clues,	
  you	
  
make	
  an	
  Intelligence	
  (Investigation)	
  check.	
  You	
  
might	
  deduce	
  t he	
  location	
  of	
  a	
  hidden	
  object,	
  discern	
  
from	
  the	
  appearance	
  of	
  a	
  wound	
  what	
  kind	
  of	
  
weapon	
  dealt	
  it,	
  or	
  determine	
  the	
  weakest	
  point	
  in	
  a	
  
tunnel	
  that	
  could	
  cause	
  it	
  to	
  collapse.	
  Poring	
  through	
  
ancient	
  scrolls	
  in	
  search	
  of	
  a	
  hidden	
  fragment	
  of	
  
knowledge	
  migh t	
  also	
  call	
  for	
  an	
  Intelligence	
  
(Investigation)	
  check. 	
  
	
   Nature.	
  Your	
  Intelligence	
  (Nature)	
  check	
  
measures	
  your	
  ability	
  to	
  recall	
  lore	
  about	
  terrain,	
  
plants	
  and	
  animals,	
  the	
  weather,	
  and	
  natural	
  cycles. 	
  
	
   Religion.	
  Your	
  Intelligence	
  (Religion)	
  check	
  
measures	
  your	
  ability	
  to	
  recall	
  lore	
  about	
  deities,	
  
rites	
  and	
  prayers,	
  religious	
  hierarchies,	
   holy	
  symbols,	
  
and	
  the	
  practices	
   of	
  secret	
  cults.	
  
	
   Other	
  Intelligence	
  Checks.	
   The	
  GM	
  might	
  call	
  for	
  
an	
  Intelligence	
  check	
  when	
  you	
  try	
  to	
  accomplish	
  
tasks	
  like	
  the	
  followi ng:	
  
• Communicate	
  with	
  a	
  creature	
  without	
  using	
  words
• Estimate	
  the	
  value	
  of	
  a	
  precious	
  item
• Pull	
  together	
  a	
  disguise	
  to	
  pass	
  as	
  a	
  city	
  guard
• Forge	
  a	
  document
• Recall	
  lore	
  about	
  a	
  craft	
  or	
  trade
• Win	
  a	
  game	
  of	
  skill