Study: match a question to a knowledge skill
Study uses an Intelligence check to retrieve or interpret important information from memory, a clue, a book or another source. State the question and the source of knowledge before selecting the skill.
Use it at the table
- Identify the clue, source or remembered subject being studied.
- Choose the relevant Intelligence skill with the GM: Arcana, History, Investigation, Nature or Religion.
- Explain what information a success supplies, and distinguish learning a fact from detecting a concealed object with Search.
Make the call
A character has already found a coded note and now tries to work out its cipher. Which skill does the Study table suggest?
The ruling
Investigation, because the task is interpreting a cipher.
Ciphers are listed under Investigation in the Study knowledge table. Finding the hidden note could have been a separate Search task, but deciphering the note asks for understanding information already available. The same object can support different tasks without making those tasks interchangeable.
Watch for this mistake
Do not use creature type as the only reason for a roll when the question is about something else. The table gives areas of knowledge, including creature categories, but the actual question and accessible source still determine what the character is trying to learn.
Ask the table
What fact are you trying to recover or infer, and which source could contain it?
The source rule
SRD 5.2.1, page 189. Read the official PDF.
When you take the Study action, you make an Intelligence check to study your memory, a book, a clue, or another source of knowledge and call to mind an important piece of information about it. The Areas of Knowledge table suggests which skills are applicable to various areas of knowledge.
| Skill | Areas |
|---|---|
| Arcana | Spells, magic items, eldritch symbols, magical traditions, planes of existence, and certain creatures (Aberrations, Constructs, Elementals, Fey, and Monstrosities) |
| History | Historic events and people, ancient civilizations, wars, and certain creatures (Giants and Humanoids) |
| Investigation | Traps, ciphers, riddles, and gadgetry |
| Nature | Terrain, flora, weather, and certain creatures (Beasts, Dragons, Oozes, and Plants) |
| Religion | Deities, religious hierarchies and rites, holy symbols, cults, and certain creatures (Celestials, Fiends, and Undead) |
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.