What is Expertise 5e (DnD Guide)

Every action your character performs in D&D can have a positive or negative outcome and this outcome is also influenced by how proficient your character is in that particular skill or tool.

The more your character is proficient, the more chance you have to successfully complete the action you’re trying to do.
If your character is a Rogue and you want to sneak into a fortress unnoticed, you better be proficient in the Stealth skill!

When you want your character to master a certain skill, this is where Expertise comes into play.

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What is Expertise 5e?

In Dungeons and Dragons 5th edition, Expertise is a class feature or a feat that allows a character to become exceptionally good at a particular skill.

When a character gains Expertise in a skill, their proficiency bonus is doubled for any ability check that uses that skill.

This means that characters with expertise have a much higher chance of succeeding on checks related to that proficiency.
Expertise is especially useful for characters who rely heavily on a particular skill or tool proficiency, such as rogues who use their Stealth skill to sneak around or Rangers who use their Survival skill to wander the wilderness.

For reference, you can check in the table below how the proficiency bonus changes between basic Proficiency and Expertise:

How can you get Expertise 5e?

In D&D 5th edition, there are several ways to achieve Expertise; it can be gained as a class feature, subclass feature, racial ability or using feats.

Class feature

• Rogue: Expertise
• Bard: Expertise
• Artificer: Tool Expertise
• Ranger: Natural Explorer (favoured terrain) or Deft Explorer

Subclass feature

• Cleric (Knowledge Domain)
• Fighter (Rune Knight)
• Fighter (Purple Dragon Knight)
• Rogue (Scout)
• Sorcerer (Draconic Bloodline)

Races Abilities

• Dwarves (Stonecunning)

Feats

• Skill Expert feat
• Prodigy feat

Class feature Expertise 5e

The easiest way to be an “expert” in certain skills is by choosing a class that allows it.

There are currently 4 classes you can choose from that automatically have Expertise in some skills: Rogue, Bard, Ranger and Artificer.
The Expertise feature allows you to double your proficiency bonus on two skills of your choice for which you are already proficient.

Rogue

Rogue can get the Expertise feature at level 1 and level 6 (Rogue level-up guide).

Bard

Bard can get the Expertise feature at level 3 and level 10 (Bard level-up guide).

Ranger and Artificer, unlike the 2 classes mentioned above, don’t have the Expertise feature in the Player’s Handbook, therefore we have to explore other manuals.

Ranger

In the Player’s Handbook, you can get the Natural Explorer feature that makes you choose one type of terrain that grants you a doubled proficiency bonus every time you make an Intelligence or Wisdom check related to that terrain if you use a skill you’re proficient in. Very situational, but it can be useful.

In Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything manual, we can find some Optional Class Features that introduce new features for the Ranger.

You can choose the Deft Explorer feature (that replaces the standard Natural Explorer feature), which allows you to gain the Canny benefit.
This benefit lets you gain Expertise in one skill you are already proficient in.

Artificer

You can get the Tool Expertise feature at level 6 (Artificer level-up guide) which doubles your proficiency bonus for any ability check that uses your proficiency with a tool.

Subclass feature Expertise 5e

Another way to gain Expertise is by choosing certain subclasses.

Cleric (Knowledge Domain)

If you choose the Knowledge Domain as your Cleric subclass, you have access to the Blessing of Knowledge feature that makes your character proficient in two skills of your choice among Arcana, History, Nature and Religion, and doubles your proficiency bonus for any ability check that uses either of those two chosen skills.

Fighter (Rune Knight)

The Rune Knight subclass appears in Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything manual and thanks to this new archetype, you have access to the Rune Carver feature at level 3.

This feature allows your character to carve runes into weapons, armour and objects, and they provide passive and active abilities depending on which rune you choose.

By selecting the Fire Rune, you get Expertise in every tool in which you’re proficient, for example, Smith’s or Thieves’ Tools.

Fighter (Purple Dragon Knight)

The Purple Dragon Knight subclass appears in Sword Coast Adventurer’s Guide manual and with the Royal Envoy feature obtained at level 7 you’ll get Expertise in any Persuasion check.

Rogue (Scout)

The Scout subclass can be found in Xanathar’s Guide to Everything manual and with the Survivalist feature at level 3 you gain proficiency in Nature and Survival skills, doubling your proficiency bonus to any ability checks that use any of those skills.

Sorcerer (Draconic Bloodline)

At level 1 you choose one type of dragon as your ancestor thanks to the Dragon Ancestor feature.

This grants you Expertise on any Charisma check you make when interacting with dragons.

Races Abilities

Dwarves

Thanks to the Stonecunning ability, Dwarves have Expertise in any Intelligence check related to the History skill.

Feats

Skill Expert

Introduced in Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything manual, this feat is extremely strong as it gives you 3 amazing bonuses:

• Increase one ability score of your choice by 1, to a maximum of 20.
• You gain proficiency in one skill of your choice.
• Choose one skill in which you have proficiency. You gain Expertise with that skill.
  The skill you choose must be one that isn’t already benefiting from a feature, such as Expertise, that doubles your proficiency bonus.

Prodigy

Introduced in Xanathar’s Guide to Everything manual, this feat gives you 2 bonuses, but it’s limited to half-elves, half-orcs and humans.

• You gain one skill proficiency of your choice, one tool proficiency of your choice, and fluency in one language of your choice.
• Choose one skill in which you have proficiency. You gain Expertise with that skill.
  The skill you choose must be one that isn’t already benefiting from a feature, such as Expertise, that doubles your proficiency bonus.