So you made a sacrifice to the demon lords of D&D and your crazy new character is so cool. You got this and you got that and woot woot. Bet you have some tools your new boo is super dope with, right? How do you use them? Seriously? How do all of you use those cartographer’s tools? It tells you here, yeah. You have to scroll down to the tool you are looking for also. You can look in the book starting on page 78
****… that’s a lot of looking shit up. Why can’t this be on my character sheet? Why can’t this be a click away? I’m trying to pick this lock or map this hex RIGHT NOW!
BAM! That’s how you do it yo. You have to add custom skills to your character sheet and I’m going to show you how. We’ll stick with screenshots of Lena since I can show you how to add expertise in tools too. (#roguesareOP).
In the example above, I’ve added a custom skill for each of the abilities that apply to a tool. Both tools apply to three abilities, this is not standard. Tools can apply to any number of abilities. Navigator’s Tools are pretty much just Wisdom(Survival) checks.
We’re gonna click on the SKILLS button (circled in purple above). This is going to bring up All Skills in the sidebar. Down at the bottom is Custom Skills. Click on Custom Skills to open that section and click on + Add Custom Skill (circled in purple below). It’ll create a new Custom Skill. Click on that Custom Skill to change the sidebar to it.
Here’s where the fun begins. Click Edit and you can now set up this new skill. At this point, you need to find the tool you’re wanting to add in that link above. Open it in another tab or window because you’ll be going back and forth. Here’s what Lena is working with first from here:
Below is how I set up Lena’s first Forgery Kit skill. I set the Stat to DEX, Proficiency Level to Proficient, and the Name to Forgery Kit. I then copied the text from Xanthar’s that applied. For Dexterity checks I copied the Components, Other Tools, and Quick Fake as well as the Activity DC table. I put all this in the Description box. Click on Edit again and there you go.
Repeat this for the other abilities that apply. For Forgery Kit we can make Intelligence(Arcana), Intelligence(History), and Intelligence(Investigation) as well as Charisma(Deception) checks with our proficient knowledge of forging things. For Lena I made two more custom skills for Forgery Kit and put all the Intelligence stuff in one and Charisma stuff in the other.
Here’s another example. This time I’m setting up Lena’s expertise in Thieves’ Tools for Intelligence(History) and Intelligence(Investigation) checks to look for traps. I set Stat to INT, Proficiency Level to Expertise and add the appropriate text from Xanthar’s to tell me what these Intelligence checks are for
These are only two examples of custom skills. Lena has three different checks for each of her two tools. You can do this for Vehicles too. Blue has Vehicles(Water) checks for Dexterity, Intelligence(Arcana or Investigation), and Wisdom(Perception). Hope this helps.
Its editing the character sheet outside of the givens from purchased background, feats, classes, and races. While its probably not what most people think of as homebrew but most things like this end up in the homebrew section because its additional editing. Should that be the case? I don't know, all that matters is that it should be where people who need it can find it or be easily directed to it.
Its editing the character sheet outside of the givens from purchased background, feats, classes, and races. While its probably not what most people think of as homebrew but most things like this end up in the homebrew section because its additional editing. Should that be the case? I don't know, all that matters is that it should be where people who need it can find it or be easily directed to it.
I never read the homebrew forums, but seeing this post here would help me use this useful feature of the character sheet.
No, this isn’t homebrew. This is basic Character Sheet editing. And it’s a trick I use all the time. In fact, I include way more information than that in mine. Like this:
No, this isn’t homebrew. This is basic Character Sheet editing. And it’s a trick I use all the time. In fact, I include way more information than that in mine. Like this:
No, this isn’t homebrew. This is basic Character Sheet editing. And it’s a trick I use all the time. In fact, I include way more information than that in mine. Like this:
Take a look at Alchemists’ Supplies and Herbalism Kit specifically.
Wouldn't the Arcana and Investigation checks for your Herbalism Kit on that link be Intelligence, not Wisdom?
Nature would also use Int, but both Medicine and Survival use Wis. And those Skills already use the correct Abilities if you look at them directly.
But you don’t actually make any Arcana or Investigation checks to use the Tools. Not to mention, Tool proficiencies can use any appropriate Ability score. Sometimes it would be more appropriate to use Int, sometimes Wis, or sometimes even Dex (or potentially one of the others).
When you use an Herbalism Kit, you don’t actually roll Arcana or Investigation, you roll an Ability check using the Tool Proficiency, not any Skill. Those skills can just help you use your Tool Proficiency more effectively if you are also proficient with them. Conversely, if you are proficient with both the Skill and the relevant Tool, the Tool proficiency can grant Advantage to the Skill check. But the skill is rolled separately, not from the Tool.
Tool Proficiencies
Tool proficiencies are a useful way to highlight a character’s background and talents. At the game table, though, the use of tools sometimes overlaps with the use of skills, and it can be unclear how to use them together in certain situations. This section offers various ways that tools can be used in the game.
Tools and Skills Together
Tools have more specific applications than skills. The History skill applies to any event in the past. A tool such as a forgery kit is used to make fake objects and little else. Thus, why would a character who has the opportunity to acquire one or the other want to gain a tool proficiency instead of proficiency in a skill?
To make tool proficiencies more attractive choices for the characters, you can use the methods outlined below.
Advantage. If the use of a tool and the use of a skill both apply to a check, and a character is proficient with the tool and the skill, consider allowing the character to make the check with advantage. This simple benefit can go a long way toward encouraging players to pick up tool proficiencies. In the tool descriptions that follow, this benefit is often expressed as additional insight (or something similar), which translates into an increased chance that the check will be a success.
Added Benefit. In addition, consider giving characters who have both a relevant skill and a relevant tool proficiency an added benefit on a successful check. This benefit might be in the form of more detailed information or could simulate the effect of a different sort of successful check. For example, a character proficient with mason’s tools makes a successful Wisdom (Perception) check to find a secret door in a stone wall. Not only does the character notice the door’s presence, but you decide that the tool proficiency entitles the character to an automatic success on an Intelligence (Investigation) check to determine how to open the door.
Nature would also use Int, but both Medicine and Survival use Wis. And those Skills already use the correct Abilities if you look at them directly.
But you don’t actually make any Arcana or Investigation checks to use the Tools. Not to mention, Tool proficiencies can use any appropriate Ability score. Sometimes it would be more appropriate to use Int, sometimes Wis, or sometimes even Dex (or potentially one of the others).
When you use an Herbalism Kit, you don’t actually roll Arcana or Investigation, you roll an Ability check using the Tool Proficiency, not any Skill. Those skills can just help you use your Tool Proficiency more effectively if you are also proficient with them. Conversely, if you are proficient with both the Skill and the relevant Tool, the Tool proficiency can grant Advantage to the Skill check. But the skill is rolled separately, not from the Tool.
True, that's why I made multiple entries for each tool depending on ability. Arcana or Investigation or Nature or whatever is a good direction for which ability to use. I found having an entry for each that apply, like Dexterity(Tool), Intelligence(Tool), Wisdom(Tool), or Charisma(Tool) works best for me.
You can simply switch which Ability score you want it to use before you roll on the sheet. If I tell a player to use Int, they switch the Herbalism Kit from using Wis to Int. Easy peasy lemon squeezey. That PC I linked has 6 tool proficiencies. To do it that way I would need to have 36 lines of nothing but tool proficiencies at the bottom of that PC’s skills section! Eff that noise. I have better things to do with my life, players can just switch ability scores for the tool when necessary. I just leave it set on the one I feel is most appropriate for the majority of tasks. For the Herbalism Kit, considering its relation to Medicine and Survival, I went Wis.
This is great and would work well for my players. My question is, once I create on of these custom Skills/Toolkits on one character sheet is there a way for me to copy/paste it to anotehr that has the same thing? I'd rather not have to create these from scratch multiple times.
No, this isn’t homebrew. This is basic Character Sheet editing. And it’s a trick I use all the time. In fact, I include way more information than that in mine. Like this:
Take a look at Alchemists’ Supplies and Herbalism Kit specifically.
I know I shouldn't have been surprised, given how much time you spend on homebrew, but just wow... that's a crazy amount of customization, on almost every aspect of everything.
Can you add a section to the Homebrewer's How-To FAQ about adding icons? Just let me know how many times it takes to count as "Frequent", and I'll spam your Inbox until I get there.
No, this isn’t homebrew. This is basic Character Sheet editing. And it’s a trick I use all the time. In fact, I include way more information than that in mine. Like this:
Take a look at Alchemists’ Supplies and Herbalism Kit specifically.
I know I shouldn't have been surprised, given how much time you spend on homebrew, but just wow... that's a crazy amount of customization, on almost every aspect of everything.
Can you add a section to the Homebrewer's How-To FAQ about adding icons? Just let me know how many times it takes to count as "Frequent", and I'll spam your Inbox until I get there.
Lol. As Cyb3rM1nd stated, those are just emojis. I do them from my phone. (I do everything on DDB from my phone, even managing that FAQ. I even created the screenshots and videos from my iPhone11.)
This is great and would work well for my players. My question is, once I create on of these custom Skills/Toolkits on one character sheet is there a way for me to copy/paste it to anotehr that has the same thing? I'd rather not have to create these from scratch multiple times.
-TomM
I'd like to know this, also, since I need to add a special skill for every character in my campaign and many of the NPCs. I'm guessing, based on how old the original question is, without an answer, that this is not possible.
So you made a sacrifice to the demon lords of D&D and your crazy new character is so cool. You got this and you got that and woot woot. Bet you have some tools your new boo is super dope with, right? How do you use them? Seriously? How do all of you use those cartographer’s tools? It tells you here, yeah. You have to scroll down to the tool you are looking for also. You can look in the book starting on page 78
****… that’s a lot of looking shit up. Why can’t this be on my character sheet? Why can’t this be a click away? I’m trying to pick this lock or map this hex RIGHT NOW!
BAM! That’s how you do it yo. You have to add custom skills to your character sheet and I’m going to show you how. We’ll stick with screenshots of Lena since I can show you how to add expertise in tools too. (#roguesareOP).
In the example above, I’ve added a custom skill for each of the abilities that apply to a tool. Both tools apply to three abilities, this is not standard. Tools can apply to any number of abilities. Navigator’s Tools are pretty much just Wisdom(Survival) checks.
We’re gonna click on the SKILLS button (circled in purple above). This is going to bring up All Skills in the sidebar. Down at the bottom is Custom Skills. Click on Custom Skills to open that section and click on + Add Custom Skill (circled in purple below). It’ll create a new Custom Skill. Click on that Custom Skill to change the sidebar to it.
Here’s where the fun begins. Click Edit and you can now set up this new skill. At this point, you need to find the tool you’re wanting to add in that link above. Open it in another tab or window because you’ll be going back and forth. Here’s what Lena is working with first from here:
Below is how I set up Lena’s first Forgery Kit skill. I set the Stat to DEX, Proficiency Level to Proficient, and the Name to Forgery Kit. I then copied the text from Xanthar’s that applied. For Dexterity checks I copied the Components, Other Tools, and Quick Fake as well as the Activity DC table. I put all this in the Description box. Click on Edit again and there you go.
Repeat this for the other abilities that apply. For Forgery Kit we can make Intelligence(Arcana), Intelligence(History), and Intelligence(Investigation) as well as Charisma(Deception) checks with our proficient knowledge of forging things. For Lena I made two more custom skills for Forgery Kit and put all the Intelligence stuff in one and Charisma stuff in the other.
Here’s another example. This time I’m setting up Lena’s expertise in Thieves’ Tools for Intelligence(History) and Intelligence(Investigation) checks to look for traps. I set Stat to INT, Proficiency Level to Expertise and add the appropriate text from Xanthar’s to tell me what these Intelligence checks are for
These are only two examples of custom skills. Lena has three different checks for each of her two tools. You can do this for Vehicles too. Blue has Vehicles(Water) checks for Dexterity, Intelligence(Arcana or Investigation), and Wisdom(Perception). Hope this helps.
How to: Replace DEX in your AC | Jump & Suffocation stats | Build a (Spell & class effect buff system | Wild Shape effect system) | Tool Proficiencies as Custom Skills | Spells at higher levels explained | Superior Fighting/Martial Adept Fix | Snippet Codes Explored - Subclasses | Snippet Math Theory | Homebrew Weapons Explained
Check out my: FEATS | MAGIC ITEMS | MONSTERS | SUBCLASSES Artificer Specialist: Weaveblade
Dndbeyond images not loading A PERMANENT WORKAROUND!!! (thank you Jay_Lane)
Very well done, but should probably be moved to the Homebrew section of the forums.
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"Play the game however you want to play the game. After all, your fun doesn't threaten my fun."
Is it homebrew though? It's not homebrew game rules and it's not anything that can be done using the homebrew system.
How to: Replace DEX in your AC | Jump & Suffocation stats | Build a (Spell & class effect buff system | Wild Shape effect system) | Tool Proficiencies as Custom Skills | Spells at higher levels explained | Superior Fighting/Martial Adept Fix | Snippet Codes Explored - Subclasses | Snippet Math Theory | Homebrew Weapons Explained
Check out my: FEATS | MAGIC ITEMS | MONSTERS | SUBCLASSES Artificer Specialist: Weaveblade
Dndbeyond images not loading A PERMANENT WORKAROUND!!! (thank you Jay_Lane)
Its editing the character sheet outside of the givens from purchased background, feats, classes, and races. While its probably not what most people think of as homebrew but most things like this end up in the homebrew section because its additional editing. Should that be the case? I don't know, all that matters is that it should be where people who need it can find it or be easily directed to it.
Buyers Guide for D&D Beyond - Hardcover Books, D&D Beyond and You - How/What is Toggled Content?
Everything you need to know about Homebrew - Homebrew FAQ - Digital Book on D&D Beyond Vs Physical Books
Can't find the content you are supposed to have access to? Read this FAQ.
"Play the game however you want to play the game. After all, your fun doesn't threaten my fun."
I never read the homebrew forums, but seeing this post here would help me use this useful feature of the character sheet.
No, this isn’t homebrew. This is basic Character Sheet editing. And it’s a trick I use all the time. In fact, I include way more information than that in mine. Like this:
https://ddb.ac/characters/25101833/7e9vsf
Take a look at Alchemists’ Supplies and Herbalism Kit specifically.
DDB Buyers' Guide
Hardcovers, DDB & You
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Epic Boons on DDB
Wouldn't the Arcana and Investigation checks for your Herbalism Kit on that link be Intelligence, not Wisdom?
How to: Replace DEX in your AC | Jump & Suffocation stats | Build a (Spell & class effect buff system | Wild Shape effect system) | Tool Proficiencies as Custom Skills | Spells at higher levels explained | Superior Fighting/Martial Adept Fix | Snippet Codes Explored - Subclasses | Snippet Math Theory | Homebrew Weapons Explained
Check out my: FEATS | MAGIC ITEMS | MONSTERS | SUBCLASSES Artificer Specialist: Weaveblade
Dndbeyond images not loading A PERMANENT WORKAROUND!!! (thank you Jay_Lane)
Nature would also use Int, but both Medicine and Survival use Wis. And those Skills already use the correct Abilities if you look at them directly.
But you don’t actually make any Arcana or Investigation checks to use the Tools. Not to mention, Tool proficiencies can use any appropriate Ability score. Sometimes it would be more appropriate to use Int, sometimes Wis, or sometimes even Dex (or potentially one of the others).
When you use an Herbalism Kit, you don’t actually roll Arcana or Investigation, you roll an Ability check using the Tool Proficiency, not any Skill. Those skills can just help you use your Tool Proficiency more effectively if you are also proficient with them. Conversely, if you are proficient with both the Skill and the relevant Tool, the Tool proficiency can grant Advantage to the Skill check. But the skill is rolled separately, not from the Tool.
DDB Buyers' Guide
Hardcovers, DDB & You
Content Troubleshooting
Epic Boons on DDB
True, that's why I made multiple entries for each tool depending on ability. Arcana or Investigation or Nature or whatever is a good direction for which ability to use. I found having an entry for each that apply, like Dexterity(Tool), Intelligence(Tool), Wisdom(Tool), or Charisma(Tool) works best for me.
How to: Replace DEX in your AC | Jump & Suffocation stats | Build a (Spell & class effect buff system | Wild Shape effect system) | Tool Proficiencies as Custom Skills | Spells at higher levels explained | Superior Fighting/Martial Adept Fix | Snippet Codes Explored - Subclasses | Snippet Math Theory | Homebrew Weapons Explained
Check out my: FEATS | MAGIC ITEMS | MONSTERS | SUBCLASSES Artificer Specialist: Weaveblade
Dndbeyond images not loading A PERMANENT WORKAROUND!!! (thank you Jay_Lane)
You can simply switch which Ability score you want it to use before you roll on the sheet. If I tell a player to use Int, they switch the Herbalism Kit from using Wis to Int. Easy peasy lemon squeezey. That PC I linked has 6 tool proficiencies. To do it that way I would need to have 36 lines of nothing but tool proficiencies at the bottom of that PC’s skills section! Eff that noise. I have better things to do with my life, players can just switch ability scores for the tool when necessary. I just leave it set on the one I feel is most appropriate for the majority of tasks. For the Herbalism Kit, considering its relation to Medicine and Survival, I went Wis.
DDB Buyers' Guide
Hardcovers, DDB & You
Content Troubleshooting
Epic Boons on DDB
Now that makes total sense and I see why you did it that way
How to: Replace DEX in your AC | Jump & Suffocation stats | Build a (Spell & class effect buff system | Wild Shape effect system) | Tool Proficiencies as Custom Skills | Spells at higher levels explained | Superior Fighting/Martial Adept Fix | Snippet Codes Explored - Subclasses | Snippet Math Theory | Homebrew Weapons Explained
Check out my: FEATS | MAGIC ITEMS | MONSTERS | SUBCLASSES Artificer Specialist: Weaveblade
Dndbeyond images not loading A PERMANENT WORKAROUND!!! (thank you Jay_Lane)
This is great and would work well for my players. My question is, once I create on of these custom Skills/Toolkits on one character sheet is there a way for me to copy/paste it to anotehr that has the same thing? I'd rather not have to create these from scratch multiple times.
-TomM
I know I shouldn't have been surprised, given how much time you spend on homebrew, but just wow... that's a crazy amount of customization, on almost every aspect of everything.
Can you add a section to the Homebrewer's How-To FAQ about adding icons? Just let me know how many times it takes to count as "Frequent", and I'll spam your Inbox until I get there.
If you're on PC hold the Windows key then press either . or ;
They're emojis. You can put them in most places that accept text.
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Need help with Homebrew? Check out this FAQ/Guide thread by IamSposta
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Can a homebrew bonus from a custom subclass affect these custom skills?
Not directly, no.
DDB Buyers' Guide
Hardcovers, DDB & You
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Epic Boons on DDB
Lol. As Cyb3rM1nd stated, those are just emojis. I do them from my phone. (I do everything on DDB from my phone, even managing that FAQ. I even created the screenshots and videos from my iPhone11.)
DDB Buyers' Guide
Hardcovers, DDB & You
Content Troubleshooting
Epic Boons on DDB
I'd like to know this, also, since I need to add a special skill for every character in my campaign and many of the NPCs. I'm guessing, based on how old the original question is, without an answer, that this is not possible.
You'd need to recreate the custom skill on each character sheet.
My Homebrew: Races | Subclasses | Backgrounds | Spells | Magic Items | Feats
Need help with Homebrew? Check out this FAQ/Guide thread by IamSposta
See My Youtube Videos for Tips & Tricks using D&D Beyond