So, we are having a debate about the spell Enhance Ability. When we use Enhance Ability in game, it goes for any check involving that ability. If someone is attacking and they are a Strength based fighter then they have got Advantage on their attack rolls. (Same thing with Dexterity based fighters.) Now, reading the rules it seems a little muddled. Now, some of us in our gaming group are under the impression that with 5e attacks are tied into abilities. While others (Uncle Paul) say that it's only for abilities, not attacks. Can anyone help give some more clarification on this. I would like the way we are using the spell to stay the way we have been using it, but we also want to make sure we are using these spells correctly. It has been nice using Enhance ability on our fighter and rogue whilst attacking enemies...lol Okay thanks, y'all! I know you won't let me down.
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"...Debts must always be paid, sometimes in more than blood and gold. But this is Ordo Ursa," Ren places his hand on Erakas's chest, right where the Dragonborn's heart is. "Right here. And it always has been and always will be. Don't ever forget that. Because I won't."
Serandis Mendaen (Aereni Elven Rogue/maybe one day Wizard)- Project Point Playtest
To expand on the answer Matthias has given, which is the correct answer, there are three main types of d20 rolls in the D&D 5th edition game; Attack Rolls, Ability Checks, and Saving Throws.
While all three of those categories are indeed based upon the character's ability scores, there is zero overlap between the three categories - a roll can only be one of the categories.
And that is why enhance ability affects only ability checks, because it doesn't call out an effect upon attack rolls or saving throws, and those types of rolls are separate categories, not sub-categories of ability checks.
Checks and only checks. Not attack rolls or saving throws.
Thank you... :)
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"...Debts must always be paid, sometimes in more than blood and gold. But this is Ordo Ursa," Ren places his hand on Erakas's chest, right where the Dragonborn's heart is. "Right here. And it always has been and always will be. Don't ever forget that. Because I won't."
Serandis Mendaen (Aereni Elven Rogue/maybe one day Wizard)- Project Point Playtest
To expand on the answer Matthias has given, which is the correct answer, there are three main types of d20 rolls in the D&D 5th edition game; Attack Rolls, Ability Checks, and Saving Throws.
While all three of those categories are indeed based upon the character's ability scores, there is zero overlap between the three categories - a roll can only be one of the categories.
And that is why enhance ability affects only ability checks, because it doesn't call out an effect upon attack rolls or saving throws, and those types of rolls are separate categories, not sub-categories of ability checks.
Thank you so much! You really broke it down for me and this is a really helpful answer! This makes a lot of sense and was easy for me to understand. It sucks because it's been really helpful in keeping us alive in our encounters in Strahd...but rules are rules. I know y'all wouldn't let us down :)Thanks Aaron!!!
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"...Debts must always be paid, sometimes in more than blood and gold. But this is Ordo Ursa," Ren places his hand on Erakas's chest, right where the Dragonborn's heart is. "Right here. And it always has been and always will be. Don't ever forget that. Because I won't."
Serandis Mendaen (Aereni Elven Rogue/maybe one day Wizard)- Project Point Playtest
One point has not been mention directly in the previous comments. The enhancement to Dexterity applies to initiative rolls which is not an attack or a saving throw. So that is one way to gain advantage on initiative.
Awesome, thank you Chicken Champ. Not a bad combo if you know you are facing an archmage or serious-azz spell slinger.
only problem: wizards cannot cast enchance abillity, but clerics, sorcerers and bards can (unless you are using the class variants unearthed arcana article), luckily many other classes have access to counter spell
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i am soup, with too many ideas (all of them very spicy) who has made sufficient homebrew material and character to last an thousand human lifetimes
I think the other most common combat actions that require a skill check rather than an attack roll or saving throw are grapple attempts and shoving. Bull's Strength gives advantage, not just to making these attempts yourself, but also to resist attempts by enemies to grapple or shove.
So does enhance ability only work with the stat checks as a free roll or all derivatives like athletics for bull's strength
if an skill check relies on the given ability score, yes, so if you happen to be making a strength (athletics) check you would have advantage, but if you are making a constitution (athletics) check you would not gain advantage, see the chapter on abillity checks in the player's handbook or the basic rules on situations where you might use another abillity score for a skill than the one you would typically use.
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i am soup, with too many ideas (all of them very spicy) who has made sufficient homebrew material and character to last an thousand human lifetimes
Awesome, thank you Chicken Champ. Not a bad combo if you know you are facing an archmage or serious-azz spell slinger.
only problem: wizards cannot cast enchance abillity, but clerics, sorcerers and bards can (unless you are using the class variants unearthed arcana article), luckily many other classes have access to counter spell
While I am aware that this was posted pre-Tasha, wizards now get an expanded spell list that includes enhance ability if your DM allows it.
I must explain that a CHECK is a roll that involves a stat, for exemple a damage roll is not a check BUT an attack roll IS a check, there are commonly three diferent check with three diferent names, attack rolls, saving throws and ability rolls (also known as ability checks) all three of them are Checks if they add the modifier of a stat, so yes Enhance ability is indeed a "you roll with adventatge in any roll regarding that stat"
There are two references to attacks as checks in the DM Guidelines document. I can't quote them here at the moment, but I can give approximate locations:
Page 1, second column, in the Checks section. This reference states that an attack is a specialized form of a check.
Page 2, first column, in the Attacks section. This reference states that an attack is a check, where the DC is the AC.
I must explain that a CHECK is a roll that involves a stat, for exemple a damage roll is not a check BUT an attack roll IS a check, there are commonly three diferent check with three diferent names, attack rolls, saving throws and ability rolls (also known as ability checks) all three of them are Checks if they add the modifier of a stat, so yes Enhance ability is indeed a "you roll with adventatge in any roll regarding that stat"
There are two references to attacks as checks in the DM Guidelines document. I can't quote them here at the moment, but I can give approximate locations:
Page 1, second column, in the Checks section. This reference states that an attack is a specialized form of a check.
Page 2, first column, in the Attacks section. This reference states that an attack is a check, where the DC is the AC.
Attack rolls and saving throws are not ability checks, as detailed in the sage advice compendium:
Are attack rolls and saving throws basically specialized ability checks?
They aren’t. It’s easy to mistake the three rolls as three faces of the same thing, because they each involve rolling a d20, adding any modifiers, and comparing the total to a Difficulty Class, and they’re all subject to advantage and disadvantage. In short, they share the same procedure for determining success or failure.
Despite this common procedure, the three rolls are separate from each other. If something in the game, like the guidance spell, affects one of them, the other two aren’t affected unless the rules specifically say so. The next few questions touch on this point again.
It needs some radical modifications to identify the three types of roll: attack rolls, saving throws, and ability checks.
attack rolls, saving throws, and ability checks are all three checks but it's not the same a check that an ability check, for exemple Initiative, is a Dexterity check , so no, it does not need any modification you misunderstood that all three of them are checks only cause the name in one says check and the other two no, BUT it's said ability check cause is a check with a singular ability instead a check with an stat that does not involve a particular ability like attack rolls checks or saving throw checks that why spells like Hex says ability checks meanwhile other spells and class features gives features to only checks in general, what means it involves ANY check regarding that stat, like this spell, if you want something more specific about this spell, look this part...
Bear's Endurance. The target has advantage on Constitution checks. It also gains 2d6 temporary hit points, which are lost when the spell ends.
There are ZERO ability checks that use Constitution, so why they bother to imply something that is not going to be used NEVER? cause there are checks that use Constitution as stat but it's not an ability, like saving throws checks, to mantain concentration checks and death saving throws checks.
That's why this is one of the best rated buff spells and why it uses concentration, cause it's powerful.
A constitution check is still an ability check, the ability being constitution. The same goes for a strength check, dexterity check, wisdom check, intelligence check or charisma check.
Additionally, attack rolls and saving throws aren't checks, hence not being referred to as such.
From the basic rules, under Ability Checks
The DM calls for an ability check when a character or monster attempts an action (other than an attack) that has a chance of failure. When the outcome is uncertain, the dice determine the results
So, we are having a debate about the spell Enhance Ability. When we use Enhance Ability in game, it goes for any check involving that ability. If someone is attacking and they are a Strength based fighter then they have got Advantage on their attack rolls. (Same thing with Dexterity based fighters.) Now, reading the rules it seems a little muddled. Now, some of us in our gaming group are under the impression that with 5e attacks are tied into abilities. While others (Uncle Paul) say that it's only for abilities, not attacks. Can anyone help give some more clarification on this. I would like the way we are using the spell to stay the way we have been using it, but we also want to make sure we are using these spells correctly. It has been nice using Enhance ability on our fighter and rogue whilst attacking enemies...lol Okay thanks, y'all! I know you won't let me down.
"...Debts must always be paid, sometimes in more than blood and gold. But this is Ordo Ursa," Ren places his hand on Erakas's chest, right where the Dragonborn's heart is. "Right here. And it always has been and always will be. Don't ever forget that. Because I won't."
Serandis Mendaen (Aereni Elven Rogue/maybe one day Wizard)- Project Point Playtest
Enhance ability.
Checks and only checks. Not attack rolls or saving throws.
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To expand on the answer Matthias has given, which is the correct answer, there are three main types of d20 rolls in the D&D 5th edition game; Attack Rolls, Ability Checks, and Saving Throws.
While all three of those categories are indeed based upon the character's ability scores, there is zero overlap between the three categories - a roll can only be one of the categories.
And that is why enhance ability affects only ability checks, because it doesn't call out an effect upon attack rolls or saving throws, and those types of rolls are separate categories, not sub-categories of ability checks.
"...Debts must always be paid, sometimes in more than blood and gold. But this is Ordo Ursa," Ren places his hand on Erakas's chest, right where the Dragonborn's heart is. "Right here. And it always has been and always will be. Don't ever forget that. Because I won't."
Serandis Mendaen (Aereni Elven Rogue/maybe one day Wizard)- Project Point Playtest
"...Debts must always be paid, sometimes in more than blood and gold. But this is Ordo Ursa," Ren places his hand on Erakas's chest, right where the Dragonborn's heart is. "Right here. And it always has been and always will be. Don't ever forget that. Because I won't."
Serandis Mendaen (Aereni Elven Rogue/maybe one day Wizard)- Project Point Playtest
One point has not been mention directly in the previous comments. The enhancement to Dexterity applies to initiative rolls which is not an attack or a saving throw. So that is one way to gain advantage on initiative.
Would enhance ability improve Counterspell for a Wizard with Fox Cunning (INT)?
Yes.
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Awesome, thank you Chicken Champ. Not a bad combo if you know you are facing an archmage or serious-azz spell slinger.
only problem: wizards cannot cast enchance abillity, but clerics, sorcerers and bards can (unless you are using the class variants unearthed arcana article), luckily many other classes have access to counter spell
i am soup, with too many ideas (all of them very spicy) who has made sufficient homebrew material and character to last an thousand human lifetimes
I think the other most common combat actions that require a skill check rather than an attack roll or saving throw are grapple attempts and shoving. Bull's Strength gives advantage, not just to making these attempts yourself, but also to resist attempts by enemies to grapple or shove.
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So does enhance ability only work with the stat checks as a free roll or all derivatives like athletics for bull's strength
if an skill check relies on the given ability score, yes, so if you happen to be making a strength (athletics) check you would have advantage, but if you are making a constitution (athletics) check you would not gain advantage, see the chapter on abillity checks in the player's handbook or the basic rules on situations where you might use another abillity score for a skill than the one you would typically use.
i am soup, with too many ideas (all of them very spicy) who has made sufficient homebrew material and character to last an thousand human lifetimes
While I am aware that this was posted pre-Tasha, wizards now get an expanded spell list that includes enhance ability if your DM allows it.
I must explain that a CHECK is a roll that involves a stat, for exemple a damage roll is not a check BUT an attack roll IS a check, there are commonly three diferent check with three diferent names, attack rolls, saving throws and ability rolls (also known as ability checks) all three of them are Checks if they add the modifier of a stat, so yes Enhance ability is indeed a "you roll with adventatge in any roll regarding that stat"
There are two references to attacks as checks in the DM Guidelines document. I can't quote them here at the moment, but I can give approximate locations:
Page 1, second column, in the Checks section. This reference states that an attack is a specialized form of a check.
Page 2, first column, in the Attacks section. This reference states that an attack is a check, where the DC is the AC.
Attack rolls and saving throws are not ability checks, as detailed in the sage advice compendium:
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What is the "DM Guidelines" document to which you are referring?
It needs some radical modifications to identify the three types of roll: attack rolls, saving throws, and ability checks.
attack rolls, saving throws, and ability checks are all three checks but it's not the same a check that an ability check, for exemple Initiative, is a Dexterity check , so no, it does not need any modification you misunderstood that all three of them are checks only cause the name in one says check and the other two no, BUT it's said ability check cause is a check with a singular ability instead a check with an stat that does not involve a particular ability like attack rolls checks or saving throw checks that why spells like Hex says ability checks meanwhile other spells and class features gives features to only checks in general, what means it involves ANY check regarding that stat, like this spell, if you want something more specific about this spell, look this part...
Bear's Endurance. The target has advantage on Constitution checks. It also gains 2d6 temporary hit points, which are lost when the spell ends.
There are ZERO ability checks that use Constitution, so why they bother to imply something that is not going to be used NEVER? cause there are checks that use Constitution as stat but it's not an ability, like saving throws checks, to mantain concentration checks and death saving throws checks.
That's why this is one of the best rated buff spells and why it uses concentration, cause it's powerful.
A constitution check is still an ability check, the ability being constitution. The same goes for a strength check, dexterity check, wisdom check, intelligence check or charisma check.
Additionally, attack rolls and saving throws aren't checks, hence not being referred to as such.
From the basic rules, under Ability Checks
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