Core rules

d20 rolls

A d20 has twenty possible results, from 1 to 20. It is used to resolve attacks and many uncertain actions.

Ability scores and modifiers

Ability scores describe a character’s strengths. Most rolls add the ability modifier, rather than the score itself.

Proficiency

Proficiency adds your proficiency bonus to the relevant weapon attacks, skills, or saving throws.

Attack rolls

An attack roll decides whether an attack hits. The total must meet or exceed the target’s Armour Class.

Armour Class

A higher Armour Class makes attacks that use attack rolls less likely to hit you.

Hit chance

Hit chance is the probability that the selected attack will hit its target. It can change even when you use the same weapon.

Advantage and Disadvantage

With Advantage, roll two d20s and use the higher result. With Disadvantage, use the lower result.

A critical hit rolls the attack’s damage dice twice. Flat damage bonuses are not doubled.

1d8 means one eight-sided die. 2d6 means adding the results of two six-sided dice.

Damage types tell you which of the target’s resistances and vulnerabilities matter.

Hit points

Hit points show how much more damage a creature can withstand.

Healing restores lost hit points.

A turn is one creature’s opportunity to act. A round lets the creatures in combat take their turns.

Actions

An action is a resource used for attacks, spells, and other abilities. You normally have one per turn.

Bonus actions

A bonus action is a resource separate from your action.

Movement speed

Movement speed determines how far you can move on your turn.

Saving throws

A saving throw determines whether you resist or avoid a harmful effect, such as a spell or trap.

Downed and death saving throws

A Downed party member is not necessarily dead. Healing or Help can get them back up.

Initiative determines the order in which creatures act in combat.

Resting restores hit points and spent resources. Different resources require different rests.

Spell slots

Spell slots are resources spent to cast spells, separate from the action cost.

Cantrips

Cantrips are spells that do not spend ordinary spell slots.

Temporary hit points are a separate pool lost before ordinary hit points.

Reactions

A reaction is an action available when a particular trigger occurs, including on another creature’s turn.

Ability checks

Ability checks resolve attempts during conversation, exploration, and other activities.

Resistance, Vulnerability, and Immunity

Resistance halves damage of the relevant type, Vulnerability doubles it, and Immunity prevents that damage.

Expertise

Expertise doubles the proficiency bonus for the affected skill.

Spell save Difficulty Class

Spell save DC is the number an enemy must reach to resist your spell. A higher DC makes successful saves harder.

Leaving an enemy’s melee reach can provoke an Opportunity Attack.

Jump lets you cross gaps and obstacles or reach elevated ground.

Dash

Dash gives you additional movement for the current turn.

Disengage prevents your movement from provoking Opportunity Attacks.

Shove uses a bonus action to push a creature away.

Extra Attack lets you attack again after an eligible attack without spending another action.

Incapacitation describes the loss of the ability to act shared by several conditions.

Hiding depends on enemy sight lines and the lighting around you.

Darkvision helps a creature see in ordinary darkness.

Attacking from higher ground can improve your chance to hit; attacking from below can reduce it.

Difficult Terrain makes movement cost more.

Falling from a height can cause damage. This matters when jumping or shoving as well.

Different conditions need different remedies. Healing, Help, and restoration spells are not interchangeable.

Spell attacks and saving-throw spells

Some spells require the caster to hit; others require the target to resist.

Concentration

Concentration keeps certain spell effects active. One character can maintain only one Concentration effect at a time.

Upcasting

Some spells gain damage, additional targets, or other benefits when cast with a higher-level slot.

Ritual spells do not spend spell slots when cast outside combat and turn-based mode.

Knowing a spell and having it ready to cast are not always the same.

Warlock spell slots

Warlock spell slots return on a Short Rest, and their available slot level increases together.

A Finesse weapon can use the higher of Strength and Dexterity for its attack and damage modifiers.

Versatile weapons can be wielded with one hand or two.

Dual wielding uses a weapon in each hand. An ordinary off-hand attack costs a bonus action.

Weapons with the Thrown property can use their weapon damage when thrown.

You may be able to equip armour without proficiency, but doing so can hinder combat and spellcasting.

Magical Darkness can block sight and ranged attacks in ways ordinary darkness does not.

Surfaces and clouds remain in an area and can affect creatures moving through it.

Repeated effects may grow stronger, last longer, replace one another, or fail to combine.

Sneak Attack adds damage to qualifying Finesse or ranged weapon attacks.

Great Weapon Master can trade accuracy for damage on qualifying attacks.

Sharpshooter removes the low-ground penalty for ranged weapon attacks and offers an accuracy-for-damage toggle.

Frenzy enables additional bonus-action attacks, but some choices carry a cost.

In some contests, one side uses a fixed score instead of rolling a die.

The number on a die and the final total after bonuses are different.

Flat damage reduction subtracts a specified amount when its conditions apply.

Scroll and equipment spells can use a different spellcasting ability from your normal class spells.

Making an attack, landing a hit, and dealing damage are different triggers.

Reapplying a condition may extend it, replace its duration, or leave the existing condition unchanged.

Lowering the required die result increases the set of rolls that can produce a critical hit.

Honour Mode changes some interactions between extra actions and Extra Attack.

Honour Mode restricts some interactions where added damage triggers further damage bonuses again.