Hello! My group and I wanted to sneak around but my character has disadvantage on stealth checks because of heavy armor. I wanted to cast Enhance Ability to give myself Cat's Grace, so that the advantage and disadvantage would cancel out and I could make a regular stealth roll. However, the DM told me that ability checks and skill checks are different, and that the spell would only give me advantage if I was told to "roll for dexterity", not "roll for stealth". I've always played as if ability checks and skill checks are the same and thought that the spell would work for any skill checks that require dexterity. What's the correct interpretation of the spell's description here?
Hello! My group and I wanted to sneak around but my character has disadvantage on stealth checks because of heavy armor. I wanted to cast Enhance Ability to give myself Cat's Grace, so that the advantage and disadvantage would cancel out and I could make a regular stealth roll. However, the DM told me that ability checks and skill checks are different, and that the spell would only give me advantage if I was told to "roll for dexterity", not "roll for stealth". I've always played as if ability checks and skill checks are the same and thought that the spell would work for any skill checks that require dexterity. What's the correct interpretation of the spell's description here?
Neither of you is technically correct, but your assumption of the end result in this specific case is correct.
Ability checks & skill checks are different things... to the extent that skill checks are ability checks, for which you may also include your proficiency bonus (if proficient in the skill) and other miscellaneous modifiers.
A Stealth check is a Dexterity ability check, for which you may also include your proficiency bonus (if you are proficient in the skill) and other modifiers. Enhance Ability provides advantage to Dexterity ability checks, and you have disadvantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks from your armor. They do, in fact, cancel each other out.
You don't know what fear is until you've witnessed a drunk bird divebombing you while carrying a screaming Kobold throwing fire anywhere and everywhere.
Hello! My group and I wanted to sneak around but my character has disadvantage on stealth checks because of heavy armor. I wanted to cast Enhance Ability to give myself Cat's Grace, so that the advantage and disadvantage would cancel out and I could make a regular stealth roll. However, the DM told me that ability checks and skill checks are different, and that the spell would only give me advantage if I was told to "roll for dexterity", not "roll for stealth". I've always played as if ability checks and skill checks are the same and thought that the spell would work for any skill checks that require dexterity. What's the correct interpretation of the spell's description here?
Neither of you is technically correct, but your assumption of the end result in this specific case is correct.
Ability checks & skill checks are different things... to the extent that skill checks are ability checks, for which you may also include your proficiency bonus (if proficient in the skill) and other miscellaneous modifiers.
A Stealth check is a Dexterity ability check, for which you may also include your proficiency bonus (if you are proficient in the skill) and other modifiers. Enhance Ability provides advantage to Dexterity ability checks, and you have disadvantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks from your armor. They do, in fact, cancel each other out.
Hello! My group and I wanted to sneak around but my character has disadvantage on stealth checks because of heavy armor. I wanted to cast Enhance Ability to give myself Cat's Grace, so that the advantage and disadvantage would cancel out and I could make a regular stealth roll. However, the DM told me that ability checks and skill checks are different, and that the spell would only give me advantage if I was told to "roll for dexterity", not "roll for stealth". I've always played as if ability checks and skill checks are the same and thought that the spell would work for any skill checks that require dexterity. What's the correct interpretation of the spell's description here?
What you're referring to as a "skill check" is just a subcategory of ability check. In Chapter 7 of the PHB under Skills, you'll see the following: "So a character who has proficiency in the Stealth skill is particularly good at Dexterity checks related to sneaking and hiding." This clearly shows that what most of us have shorthanded to "Stealth" check is simply a Dexterity check where someone proficient in Stealth can add their proficiency bonus. It's also worth noting that when it comes to Dexterity, Initiative rolls are also Dex checks, so Cat's Grace would apply to them as well.
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Hello! My group and I wanted to sneak around but my character has disadvantage on stealth checks because of heavy armor. I wanted to cast Enhance Ability to give myself Cat's Grace, so that the advantage and disadvantage would cancel out and I could make a regular stealth roll. However, the DM told me that ability checks and skill checks are different, and that the spell would only give me advantage if I was told to "roll for dexterity", not "roll for stealth". I've always played as if ability checks and skill checks are the same and thought that the spell would work for any skill checks that require dexterity. What's the correct interpretation of the spell's description here?
Neither of you is technically correct, but your assumption of the end result in this specific case is correct.
Ability checks & skill checks are different things... to the extent that skill checks are ability checks, for which you may also include your proficiency bonus (if proficient in the skill) and other miscellaneous modifiers.
A Stealth check is a Dexterity ability check, for which you may also include your proficiency bonus (if you are proficient in the skill) and other modifiers. Enhance Ability provides advantage to Dexterity ability checks, and you have disadvantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks from your armor. They do, in fact, cancel each other out.
[edit] Here's another thread you might find useful.
You don't know what fear is until you've witnessed a drunk bird divebombing you while carrying a screaming Kobold throwing fire anywhere and everywhere.
Oh, that makes a lot of sense, thanks for clearing it up!
What you're referring to as a "skill check" is just a subcategory of ability check. In Chapter 7 of the PHB under Skills, you'll see the following: "So a character who has proficiency in the Stealth skill is particularly good at Dexterity checks related to sneaking and hiding." This clearly shows that what most of us have shorthanded to "Stealth" check is simply a Dexterity check where someone proficient in Stealth can add their proficiency bonus. It's also worth noting that when it comes to Dexterity, Initiative rolls are also Dex checks, so Cat's Grace would apply to them as well.