Tool Skills/Proficiencies
First off, Xananthar's rules about what's in a tool kit and how tool knowledge can help other skills and die rolls applies. You need to remind me you have the tool skill and, if needed, the kit.
Tool proficiencies are still proficiencies, they just aren't tied to a specific Attribute.
Anyone can try them, assuming they have the tools, but without training you're at whatever Attribute is appropriate, in my opinion. That can vary widely, of course, by application as well as by tool.
Also, a Tool proficiency CAN be used without a tool set in some cases, and, in some cases, it simply can't. Without the tool set there will usually be a penalty, based on situation:
Some examples:
Cooking: Without a tool set, an Int roll will allow remembering recipes and determining what spices are best to use, etc. at full value.
Thieve's tools: You MIGHT be able to fake it with a bit of wire or flat piece of metal, at a penalty.
Chess: You can play without a board, but, unless you have some sort of memory ability, it will be at a penalty as you try and keep track of where the pieces are.
Cards: No deck, no game and no way to fake it. You need a deck of cards.
This message was last edited by the GM at 02:44, Sun 05 Dec 2021.