Dungeons & Dragons Fifth Edition has been the current edition of the classic tabletop RPG for most of the last decade. Fifth Edition brought many changes to the tried and tested Dungeons & Dragons formula, including simplified Saving Throws, optional Feats, and the Advantage/Disadvantage system. One of the most structural changes however was the adoption of a single Proficiency modifier that increases steadily as a character levels up.
All of the classes in Dungeons & Dragons Fifth Edition have a Proficiency Bonus, and they all increase at the same rate. Starting characters begin with a +2, which then increases by 1 every 4 level-ups. The Proficiency Bonus caps out at +6 when a character reaches level 17. Although it helps to streamline gameplay, it's easy for new players to misunderstand how to apply the Proficiency Bonus, and when to increase it.
What is Proficiency in Dungeons & Dragons 5E
The Proficiency Bonus represents the general increase in competency that a character gains with experience. As such, it's applied to all the different aspects of the character that take skill but aren't tied to a specific class in Dungeons and Dragons 5E:
- Weapon Attack Rolls - The bonus applies to all attacks with weapons that the character is Proficient in, but not to Damage Rolls.
- Spell Attack Rolls - The bonus also boosts Spell Attack rolls for casters.
- Spell Save DC - For spells that require the target to roll a Saving Throw, the Proficiency Bonus is added to the DC that the target must reach.
- Saving Throws - The bonus is added to all Saving Throws in which the character has Proficiency.
- Skill Checks - The bonus is added to all Skill Checks in which the character has Proficiency.
- Tool Checks - The bonus is added to all Tool Checks in which the character has Proficiency.
In addition, there are many class features in Dungeons & Dragons Fifth Edition that benefit from the Proficiency Bonus. These include the DC for the Battle Master Fighter's Maneuvers, and the bonus to Skills from the Bard's Jack of All Trades feature.
Proficiency Special Rules in Dungeons & Dragons 5E
Unlike most of the features in Dungeons & Dragons Fifth Edition, the Proficiency Bonus isn't tied to Class Level, but to Character Level. This means that Proficiency increases at the same rate even when a D&D 5E character is multiclassed. For example, a character with Fighter 4/Wizard 3 will have the same Proficiency Bonus as a pure Level 7 Fighter.
It's this system that allows multiclassing in Dungeons & Dragons 5E to not hinder a character by weakening them in comparison to single-class characters. The Proficiency Bonus also gives an incentive for players to pick up additional Skills and Weapon Proficiencies as they level up. The larger the Bonus gets, the bigger the gap between those who are Proficient and those who aren't.