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Who doesn’t love a bonus, especially one that grows as your character levels?
What Is A Proficiency Bonus?
A proficiency bonus isa bonus you get to a roll.
Candlekeep Mysteries by Clint Cearley
It also applies tospell save DCs!
You donotadd your proficiency bonus to damage rolls.
How Does Proficiency Work?
The Deck of Many Things by Craig J Spearing
You’ll likely take proficiency inPersuasion or Deception, making the bonus you had to the roll larger.
This tends to make your characterspecialized towards certain skill checks in a party.
Some characters maymulticlass, making proficiency seem more convoluted.
The Deck of Many Things by Craig J Spearing
Instead,your combined level(level 13)would help calculate your proficiency bonus.
Calculating Proficiency
Here’s where the math gets a bit tricky.
Luckily, you have a chart that tracks your proficiency based on your character’s level.
Concept Art from Keys From the Golden Vault via Wizards of the Coast
Just what your character is proficient in!
Tocalculate this on your own, take your total character level and divide it by four.
Round up, and add one.Virtual Table Topscan often do this for you,such as D&DBeyond.
Tavern Bard by Rob Rey
Using Proficiency For Passives
Passive abilities areabilities that don’t require rolls to use.
When the bartender asks how the party is doing, the paladin takes note that he seems especially nervous.
This is an example of a character’s passives at work.
Anything further than an initial tick that something is wrong may require a roll, though!
Think of a passive as a tip-off!
You have three passives: Perception, Insight, and Investigation.Perception and Insight use theWisdommodifier, while Investigation usesIntelligence.