Search: choose the right Wisdom skill
Search is about discerning something that is not obvious. Name the information being detected before picking the skill, so a hidden object, a mental state and tracks do not all default to the same roll.
Use it at the table
- Describe what is concealed or uncertain and how the character is examining it.
- Use a Wisdom check; the source table suggests Insight, Medicine, Perception or Survival according to the information sought.
- Apply the resulting observation to the scene. Interpreting a cipher or recalling lore may instead call for Study.
Make the call
A character examines an old trail to detect tracks and find where it continues. Which skill does the Search table suggest?
The ruling
Survival, because the character is detecting tracks.
The Search table pairs tracks or food with Survival. The fact that the trail is old does not automatically turn detection into recalling historical knowledge. If the character later asks which ancient army used the route, that is a different informational task and can call for a different check. Frame the question before choosing its mechanics.
Watch for this mistake
Do not make all investigative activity Perception, or all investigation an Intelligence check. Search uses Wisdom to discern; Study uses Intelligence to recover or interpret knowledge. The specific task matters more than the broad word “investigate.”
Ask the table
What exactly would a successful observation reveal that is not obvious now?
The source rule
SRD 5.2.1, page 187. Read the official PDF.
When you take the Search action, you make a Wisdom check to discern something that isn’t obvious. The Search table suggests which skills are applicable when you take this action, depending on what you’re trying to detect.
| Skill | Thing to detect |
|---|---|
| Insight | Creature’s state of mind |
| Medicine | Creature’s ailment or cause of death |
| Perception | Concealed creature or object |
| Survival | Tracks or food |
Source and reuse
This work includes material from the System Reference Document 5.2.1 (“SRD 5.2.1”) by Wizards of the Coast LLC, available at dndbeyond.com/srd. The SRD 5.2.1 is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, available at creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode.
The explanation, example and table prompt are Table Ready adaptations; source text has been reflowed and tables reformatted. This guide and its printable card are available under the same CC BY 4.0 license. Independent reference; no official affiliation. These rules are optional for our system-neutral adventures.