The Study Action from the 2024 Player’s Handbook
Published on November 6, 2024
What is the Study action and how can your character use it to sleuth out stealthy stalkers? Read on to find out!
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Table of Contents
How to Use the Study Action
This new action, introduced in the 2024 Player’s Handbook, allows your character to gather more information about a particular subject using an Intelligence check. Using the Study action, a character could examine surrounding terrain, learn about nearby creatures/magical artifacts, recall facts about ancient civilizations, solve riddles, or decipher religious symbols.
The ability modifier and proficiency bonus added to this Intelligence check will depend on the type of knowledge your character is hoping to learn. See the breakdown below for which skills are associated with each type of knowledge source:
| Skill | Knowledge Source |
| Arcana | Magic items, spells, eldritch symbols, different planes, certain creatures (Fey, Aberrations, Constructs, Elementals, Monstrosities) |
| History | Ancient civilizations, past wars, certain creatures (Giants, Humanoids) |
| Investigation | Riddles, ciphers, traps |
| Nature | Terrain, natural hazards, weather, flora, certain creatures (Beasts, Dragons, Oozes, Plants) |
| Religion | Holy symbols, cults, deities, religious rituals and rites, certain creatures (Celestials, Fiends, Undead) |
The related Difficulty Class (DC) set by your DM will depend on the complexity of the information being sought. The more obscure or deeply hidden the knowledge is, the harder it will be for your character to uncover (the higher the DC will be).
The result of your Intelligence check roll, plus applicable modifiers and proficiencies, will be compared to the DC to determine how much information will be uncovered about your subject.
The Study Action and Magic
The introduction of this new rule in the 2024 Player’s Handbook isn’t just about giving player’s the ability to make their own checks on Intelligence-related subjects (rather than the DM calling for a check to be made). It’s also been introduced to solve a couple issues from the magic system, namely identifying spells and seeing through illusions.
Identifying Spells
In the 2024 Player’s Handbook, you can try to identify a non-instantaneous spell by its observable effects if its duration is ongoing. To do this, you can take the Study action and you’ll need to succeed on a DC 15 Intelligence (Arcana) check.
Seeing Through Illusions
Another change in the 2024 Player’s Handbook is that the Study action can be used to see through illusions. Spells like Hallucinatory Terrain, Disguise Self, Silent Image, Minor Illusion, and Seeming now all have caveats that they can be negated by a Study action against your spell save DC.
Studying Alot? Pick Up the Keen Mind Feat
The Keen Mind feat has been revised in the 2024 Player’s Handbook. Now, you can gain proficiency (or Expertise if you already have proficiency) in an one of the following Intelligence-based skills: Arcana, History, Investigation, Nature, or Religion. You can also take the Study action as a Bonus Action. You still get the +1 boost to Intelligence when you take this feat.
This can be helpful if you’re going up against a lot of illusion-wielding enemies, like Fey, or if you just want to play a know-it-all Wizard.
Learn Something New Everyday
Knowledge is power, so next time your character could benefit from gaining a deeper understanding of the complex world around them, use the Study action!
Whether brushing up on the historical significance of past elven wars, or taking time to decipher a dark eldritch symbol, there are endless ways that you can use the Study action during your next adventure to uncover crucial information.
Who says ignorance is bliss when the alternative could lead to unlocking the ancient secrets of the universe?
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