where do you find thieves tools on the character sheet in dnd beyond? Why is it not listed under skills with all the checks and what ability is it based on dex or wisdom?
It is not any ability. It is a tool, and so shows up under proficiencies. Usually DMs will call for dex, but can call for any score with thieves tools.
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'The Cleverness of mushrooms always surprises me!' - Ivern Bramblefoot.
I just manually enter it to the skills and attach the attribute to which ever one has a +0 bonus. That way it will list +2/+4 depending on proficiency or expertise and just remember to ask the GM which attribute to use. My GM tends to bounce between DEX or INT depending on the kind of lock. Key locks or things that need manual dexterity for DEX, puzzle locks and arcane locks would require INT to crack.
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IMHO, Earthdawn is still the best fantasy realm, Shadowrun is the best Sci-Fi realm, and Dark Sun is the best D&D realm.
Also, remember you do not need the Tool skill to pick locks. Any character with the thieves' tools can attempt to pick locks, they just lack the additional proficiency bonus to the roll.
"Proficiency with a tool allows you to add your Proficiency Bonus to any ability check you make using that tool."
Depending on the circumstance, a GM could rule that you can use a certain set of tools to help with a skill check. This allows you to add your proficiency bonus to a skill you are not proficient with if you can convince your GM your tool set is relevant. For instance, using the herbalist kit to aid medicine, nature checks, survival for finding the safe herbs and berries, Animal handling for cat nip, etc.
Just seems dumb to me that such an important tool/skill is left so vague and has no place on the character sheet
The bonus when rolling a tool check isn't as set in stone, since it's up to the DM to decide which ability modifier to use. Yes, theoretically a skill check could use a "non-standard" ability, but those are quite rare. Now that we have Digital Dice on the character sheet, maybe someone should suggest adding an option to roll a tool check that asks which ability score to use with the roll.
There is one problem with adding Thieves Pick and Tools to the list of skills. If you do add it to the base sheet, then every player thinks they have the chance to use them and I think only thieves are supposed to have access to this proficiency.
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Cum catapultae proscriptae erunt tum soli proscript catapultas habebunt
There is one problem with adding Thieves Pick and Tools to the list of skills. If you do add it to the base sheet, then every player thinks they have the chance to use them and I think only thieves are supposed to have access to this proficiency.
Pretty sure there's at least one background that gives you proficiency with thieves' tools. And everyone CAN use them, you don't have to be proficient with a tool to try and do stuff with them, you just won't have as high a bonus to your roll.
There is definitely some confusion on what the rules are for picking a lock. It all depends on whether or not you have a set of Thieves Tools and if you are Proficient with them. There are six different possibilities. (This is how we do it at my table)
1. You have Thieves Tools and are Proficient with them. You can attempt to pick the lock and get to add your Proficiency Bonus to the Dexterity check.
2. You have Thieves Tools and have Expertise with Thieves Tools. You can attempt to pick the lock and get to add twice your Proficiency bonus to the Dexterity check.
3. You have Thieves Tools but you are not Proficient with them. You can still attempt to pick the lock but you do NOT get to add your Proficiency bonus to the Dexterity check. (since it's a bonus you only get when you are Proficient with Thieves Tools)
4. You do NOT have Thieves Tools so you try to improvise some (with your DM's approval) but you are also NOT Proficient with Thieves Tools. You can still attempt to pick the lock, but with Disadvantage.
5. You have Improvised Thieves Tools but you have Proficiency with Thieves Tools. You will have disadvantage picking the lock, but you do get to add your Proficiency bonus to the Dexterity check.
6. No Thieves Tools and no Improvised tools? Make a Strength Check to break down the door or try to crowbar the lock. Just look for another way to get past it because you are not going to be able to pick it.
I have thieves pick and tools and I am a bard at level 3, so I have Jack of all Trades. Do I get half my proficiency bonus when attempting to use the Thieves Pick and Tools?
What if I use my action to Help the Rogue pick the lock?
I have thieves pick and tools and I am a bard at level 3, so I have Jack of all Trades. Do I get half my proficiency bonus when attempting to use the Thieves Pick and Tools?
What if I use my action to Help the Rogue pick the lock?
At level 3, your bonus for any tool or skill check you don't have proficiency in would be 1 + the ability modifier for the check. For Thieves' Tools that's usually Dexterity. As for Helping, the Help action provides Advantage on the roll to the person performing the check. Though as a DM, I would probably ask you to explain just HOW you're helping the Rogue pick the lock before allowing it. I think the Help action is way too easily abused and prefer to see some level of in-game justification.
Where does it say thrives tool use dexterity and not intelligence or some other skill? I think if it could be set to dex it would be listed in skills and clear up some of the confussion
It is not tied to DEX, just usually assumed to be tied to manual dexterity. You could add the tool proficiency to an arcana check that you are not proficient with to figure out how to get through a lock which uses runes, or use INT to open a puzzle box (Hellraiser), etc.
Proficiency with a tool allows you to add your Proficiency Bonus to any ability check you make using that tool. Tool use is not tied to a single ability, since proficiency with a tool represents broader knowledge of its use.
where do you find thieves tools on the character sheet in dnd beyond? Why is it not listed under skills with all the checks and what ability is it based on dex or wisdom?
It is not any ability. It is a tool, and so shows up under proficiencies. Usually DMs will call for dex, but can call for any score with thieves tools.
'The Cleverness of mushrooms always surprises me!' - Ivern Bramblefoot.
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You can make a custom skill named "Thieves' Tools" Dex+Proficiency (Expertise if chosen).
I just manually enter it to the skills and attach the attribute to which ever one has a +0 bonus. That way it will list +2/+4 depending on proficiency or expertise and just remember to ask the GM which attribute to use. My GM tends to bounce between DEX or INT depending on the kind of lock. Key locks or things that need manual dexterity for DEX, puzzle locks and arcane locks would require INT to crack.
IMHO, Earthdawn is still the best fantasy realm, Shadowrun is the best Sci-Fi realm, and Dark Sun is the best D&D realm.
Just seems dumb to me that such an important tool/skill is left so vague and has no place on the character sheet
Also, remember you do not need the Tool skill to pick locks. Any character with the thieves' tools can attempt to pick locks, they just lack the additional proficiency bonus to the roll.
"Proficiency with a tool allows you to add your Proficiency Bonus to any ability check you make using that tool."
Depending on the circumstance, a GM could rule that you can use a certain set of tools to help with a skill check. This allows you to add your proficiency bonus to a skill you are not proficient with if you can convince your GM your tool set is relevant. For instance, using the herbalist kit to aid medicine, nature checks, survival for finding the safe herbs and berries, Animal handling for cat nip, etc.
IMHO, Earthdawn is still the best fantasy realm, Shadowrun is the best Sci-Fi realm, and Dark Sun is the best D&D realm.
The bonus when rolling a tool check isn't as set in stone, since it's up to the DM to decide which ability modifier to use. Yes, theoretically a skill check could use a "non-standard" ability, but those are quite rare. Now that we have Digital Dice on the character sheet, maybe someone should suggest adding an option to roll a tool check that asks which ability score to use with the roll.
There is one problem with adding Thieves Pick and Tools to the list of skills. If you do add it to the base sheet, then every player thinks they have the chance to use them and I think only thieves are supposed to have access to this proficiency.
Cum catapultae proscriptae erunt tum soli proscript catapultas habebunt
Pretty sure there's at least one background that gives you proficiency with thieves' tools. And everyone CAN use them, you don't have to be proficient with a tool to try and do stuff with them, you just won't have as high a bonus to your roll.
There is definitely some confusion on what the rules are for picking a lock. It all depends on whether or not you have a set of Thieves Tools and if you are Proficient with them. There are six different possibilities. (This is how we do it at my table)
1. You have Thieves Tools and are Proficient with them. You can attempt to pick the lock and get to add your Proficiency Bonus to the Dexterity check.
2. You have Thieves Tools and have Expertise with Thieves Tools. You can attempt to pick the lock and get to add twice your Proficiency bonus to the Dexterity check.
3. You have Thieves Tools but you are not Proficient with them. You can still attempt to pick the lock but you do NOT get to add your Proficiency bonus to the Dexterity check. (since it's a bonus you only get when you are Proficient with Thieves Tools)
4. You do NOT have Thieves Tools so you try to improvise some (with your DM's approval) but you are also NOT Proficient with Thieves Tools. You can still attempt to pick the lock, but with Disadvantage.
5. You have Improvised Thieves Tools but you have Proficiency with Thieves Tools. You will have disadvantage picking the lock, but you do get to add your Proficiency bonus to the Dexterity check.
6. No Thieves Tools and no Improvised tools? Make a Strength Check to break down the door or try to crowbar the lock. Just look for another way to get past it because you are not going to be able to pick it.
I doubt it, but I'm going to give it a shot.
I have thieves pick and tools and I am a bard at level 3, so I have Jack of all Trades. Do I get half my proficiency bonus when attempting to use the Thieves Pick and Tools?
What if I use my action to Help the Rogue pick the lock?
Cum catapultae proscriptae erunt tum soli proscript catapultas habebunt
At level 3, your bonus for any tool or skill check you don't have proficiency in would be 1 + the ability modifier for the check. For Thieves' Tools that's usually Dexterity. As for Helping, the Help action provides Advantage on the roll to the person performing the check. Though as a DM, I would probably ask you to explain just HOW you're helping the Rogue pick the lock before allowing it. I think the Help action is way too easily abused and prefer to see some level of in-game justification.
Where does it say thrives tool use dexterity and not intelligence or some other skill? I think if it could be set to dex it would be listed in skills and clear up some of the confussion
It is not tied to DEX, just usually assumed to be tied to manual dexterity. You could add the tool proficiency to an arcana check that you are not proficient with to figure out how to get through a lock which uses runes, or use INT to open a puzzle box (Hellraiser), etc.
Proficiency with a tool allows you to add your Proficiency Bonus to any ability check you make using that tool. Tool use is not tied to a single ability, since proficiency with a tool represents broader knowledge of its use.
EDIT for grammatical clarity
IMHO, Earthdawn is still the best fantasy realm, Shadowrun is the best Sci-Fi realm, and Dark Sun is the best D&D realm.