Welcome to Dungeons & Dragons ........ 2 Combat ....................................................... 9 Casting Time........................................

23
What's in This Set ................................... 2 The Order of Combat ........................... 9 Range ..................................................... 23
Getting Started ......................................... 2 Movement & Position......................... 11 Components ......................................... 24
Rhythm of Play ......................................... 2 Actions in Combat............................... 12 Duration ................................................ 2 4
Game Dice ................................................. 3 Making an Attack................................ 13 Areas o f Effect ..................................... 25
Terms to Remember................................ 3 Cover ...................................................... 14 Targets ................................................... 26
Chapter 1: Playing the Game ................. 4 Ranged Attacks ................................... 14 Saving Throws .................................... 26
Six Abilities ............................................... 4 Melee Attacks....................................... 14 Attack Rolls .......................................... 26
The d20 Roll.............................................. 4 Damage & Healing ............................. 15 Combining Spells .................................. 26
Proficiencies.............................................. 5 Mounted Combat................................. 17 Spell Descriptions ................................. 26
Advantage & Disadvantage.................... 5 Underwater Combat........................... 17 Appendix: Conditions ............. Back cover
Ability Checks ........................................... 5 Resting ..................................................... 17
Skills ........................................................ 6 Chapter 2: Equipment ............................ 18 CREDITS
Working Together ................................. 7 Coins ......................................................... 18 Lead Designer: Jeremy Crawford
Saving Throws ......................................... 7 Buying & Selling .................................... 18 Art Director: Kate Irwin
Social Interaction .................................... 7 Equipment Proficiencies ...................... 18
Cover Illustrator: Ilse Gort
Alignment .................................................. 7 Armor ........................................................ 19
Interior lllustrators: Olivier Bernard, Linda
The Environment......................................... 8 Weapons................................................... 19
Lithen, Alex Stone, Richard Whitters,
Travel ....................................................... 8 Weapon Properties ............................. 19 Shawn Wood
Falling ...................................................... 8 Improvised Weapons ......................... 21 Graphic Designer: Bob Jordan
Vision ....................................................... 8 Adventuring Gear .................................. 21
Proofreaders: Judy Bauer, Makenzie De
Hiding ...................................................... 8 Chapter 3: Spells . . .
.... .. ........... .................. 22
Armas, Christopher Perkins, James Wyatt
Interacting with Objects ...................... 9 Gaining Spells ........................................ 22
Product Manager: Natalie Egan
Finding Hidden Things ....................... 9 Casting a Spell........................................ 22 Producer: Rob Hawkey
Suffocating ............................................. 9 Spell Level ............................................ 22
School of Magic ................................... 23 Based on the Player's Handbook® (2014)
TM & ©2022 Wizards.
WELCOME TO DUNGEONS & DRAGONS
DRIVEN BY IMAGINATION, DUNGEONS & DRAGONS BEING T H E DM
is a cooperative game in which the characters you
Instead of choosing a character, one participant
roleplay embark on adventures together in fantasy
takes on the role of the DM, the game's lead story­
worlds filled with monsters and magic. This set
teller and referee. The DM runs the adventure for
gives you and up to five of your friends everything
the characters, who navigate its hazards and decide
you need-besides your imagination and a pencil­
which paths to explore. The DM describes the loca­
to journey in one of those worlds.
tions and creatures that the adventurers face, and
the players decide what they want their characters
WHA T' S I N TH I S SET to do. Then the DM, using imagination and the
This set includes the following components: game's rules, determines the results of the adven­
Rulebook. This rulebook contains all the rules you turers' actions and narrates what they experience.
need to start playing D&D. Because the DM can improvise to react to anything
Adventure Booklet. The other booklet in this set the players attempt, D&D is infinitely flexible.
contains an adventure for you to play. Only the If you decide to be the DM, make sure to famil­
person who's going to run the adventure should iarize yourself with this rulebook, and read the ad­
read that booklet. venture booklet. You'll then be ready to gather your
Character Sheets. Five different characters-a friends together to play.
cleric, a fighter, a paladin, a rogue, and a wizard­
are provided for up to five players to choose from. RHYTHM OF P LAY
The characters that your group choose will go on Once the DM is ready to run the adventure and the
the adventure in the adventure booklet. players have chosen their characters, the group
Dice. All the dice you need to play are included. gathers for a session of play. In a typical D&D ses­
sion, play unfolds in encounters-similar to how a
GETTING STAR TED movie comprises scenes-and in each encounter,
I f this i s your first time playing D&D, start b y read­ there are chances for the DM to describe creatures
ing the rest of this introduction and chapter 1. They and places and for characters to make choices.
tell you the most important rules for play. V isit Here's an example of the start of an encounter:
dnd.wizards.com/starter for additional guidance.
The next step is to decide who is Dungeon Master (OM): A c r u m b l i n g castle sta n d s
going to run the adventure-that among the trees, the r u i n s of seven towers j utti ng
person is called the Dungeon Mas­
u p from it l ike broken teeth . A n a rchway l ittered with
ter or DM-and who's going to play
rusted m etal gapes open at the top of a s hort fl ight of
the adventurers.
steps. just i nside that openi ng, you spot two skeletal
BEING A PLAYER guards with glowing red eyes.
Each player chooses a character, an adventurer who Phillip (playing Nica, the cleric): Let's send the
teams up with the other players' adventurers. This rogue up a h ead to look in and see if there are m o re
set comes with several characters to choose from, than two guards.
each one printed on their own sheet. Take a look at Amy (playing Diana, the rogue): OK, I ' l l s neak u p
each of the sheets, and choose the character who
u nt i l I can peer i n through t h e entran ce.
looks the most fun to play. Whichever characters
you and the other players choose, the characters OM: All right, let's see how sneaky you are. Make a
are assumed to be allies as they face the dangers Dexterity check.
of D&D together. The DM presents exciting chal­ Amy: Usi n g my Stealth p roficiency, right?
lenges, new friends, and handsome rewards to your OM: You bet.
characters. The DM is not your foe but does present Amy (rolling a d20): D i a n a's p retty s neaky­
dangers that provide opportunities for your adven­
that's a 17.
turers to shine and then thrive.
OM: There's no sign the skel etal guard s s pot you,
The adventure in this set works best for four or
five characters, so if you have fewer than four play­ and you d on't notice any others.
ers, we recommend some of you play more than one
character.

WELCOME TO DUNGEONS & DRAGONS

 GAM E D IC E
The game uses dice with different numbers of sides.
In these rules, the different dice are referred to by
the letter d followed by the number of sides: d4, d6,
d8, dlO (with 0 standing for 10), dl2, and d20. For
instance, a d6 is a six-sided die.
When you need to roll dice, the rules tell you how
many dice to roll of a certain type, as well as what
modifiers ( positive or negative) to add. For example,
"3d8 + 5" means you roll an eight-sided die three
times, add the rolls together, and add 5 to the total.
Percentile dice, or dlOO, work differently. You
generate a number between 1 and 100 by rolling a
ten-sided die twice. The first roll gives the tens digit,
and the second roll gives the ones digit. For exam­
ple, if you roll a 7 and a 1, the number rolled is 7 1,
In that example, three main steps are present, and and if you roll a 0 and a 5, the number rolled is 5.
those steps occur in every D&D encounter, whether Two Os represent 100.
it's a peaceful encounter or a fight:
T ERM S TO R EM EMB ER
1: The DM describes the environment. The DM
tells the players where their adventurers are and adventure. An adventure is a series of encou nters that h e l p
what's around them, presenting the basic scope t e l l a story and p resent the players' characters w i t h i m ­
of options (how many doors lead out of a room, portant choices.
what's on a table, who's in the tavern, and so on). character sheet. A character sheet i s a piece of paper o r dig­
2: The players decide what their characters do. ital record that bears a character's game statistics.
A character's sheet contains various things that creature. Any living being in the game, incl u d i n g a p l ayer's
the character can do. When deciding what your character, i s a creature. Each creature belongs to a type:
character does, you may choose something on Aberration , Beast, Celestial, Construct, Dragon, Elemen·
the sheet, or you may make something up. What­ tal, Fey, Fiend, Giant, H u manoid, Monstrosity, Ooze,
ever you decide, describe the intended action to
Plant, or Undead. Some rules in the game affect creatures
the DM and the other players. Sometimes all the
of certain types in d i fferent ways. For exa m p l e, the text of
characters do the same thing, and other times,
the cure wounds spell s pecifies that the spell doesn't work
different adventurers do different things; one
adventurer might search a treasure chest while o n a creature that has the Undead type.
a second examines a symbol engraved on a wall, dungeon. A d u ngeon i s any indoor adventure location,
for example. Outside combat, the characters don't whethe r underground, i n a castle, o r in a city.
need to take turns, but the DM listens to every encounter. An encou nter is a scene in an adventure, i ncor­
player and decides how to resolve those actions. porating a fantasy location and often friends or foes.
In combat, everyone takes turns in order, as ex­ m onster. A creature control led by the D M is a m o nster, even
plained in the "Combat" section (page 9). Ei- if the creature is benevolent. A monster with a personal
ther way, the DM tells you what happens next. name is someti mes cal led a n N PC (non p l ayer character),
3: The DM narrates the results of the action.
especially if it isn't com bative.
Sometimes, resolving a task is easy. If an adven­
object. A n object is a n o n l iving, d istin ct thing. Com posite
turer wants to walk across a room and open a
things, l ike b u i l d i ngs, com prise more than one object.
door, the DM might just say that the door opens
player character. A p l ayer cha racter-"character" for
and describe what lies beyond. But the door
might be locked, the floor might hide a deadly short-is a n adventurer contro l led by a player.
trap, or some other circumstance might make it stat block. A stat b lock contains the game statistics of a
challenging for an adventurer to complete a task. monster. It's effectively the monster's character s heet.
In those cases, the DM checks to see if there are
relevant rules-on a character sheet, in this rule­ WHAT'S NEXT?
book, or in the adventure-and then decides what If you'd l ike to delve deeper i nto D&D, check out the
happ ens, often relying on the roll of a die to deter­ fifth edition Player's Handbook, Monster Manual, and
mine the results of an action. Describing the re­ Dungeon Master's Guide. These advanced rulebooks
introduce you to the vast m u ltiverse of D&D and i nvite
sults often leads to another decision point, which
you to create characters and worlds wit h i n it.
brings the flow of the game right back to step 1.

WE LCOME TO DUNGEONS & DRAGONS

 CHAPTER 1

PLAYING THE GAME

Turs CHAPTER PRESENTS THE MAIN RULES OF PLAY. ABI LITY S C O R ES A N D MOD I F I E R S
Many of the rules refer to six abilities (described be­ Score Modifier Score Modifier
low) possessed by every character and monster. You
-5 16-17 +3
use these abilities in many different situations, in­
2-3 -4 18-19 +4
cluding combat, social interaction, and exploration­
the rules for which are presented in this chapter. 4 -5 -3 20-21 +5
6 -7 -2 22-23 +6
Six AB I LITI E S 8 -9 -1 24 -25 +7
Six abilities briefly describe a creature's physical 10-11 +O 26 -27 +8
and mental characteristics. These abilities appear 12-13 +l 28 -29 +9
on an adventurer's character sheet and in a mon­ 14 -15 +2 30 +10
ster's stat block:
Strength, measuring physical power TH E D20 R O LL
Dexterity, measuring agility, reflexes, and balance
When the outcome of an action is uncertain, the
Constitution, measuring endurance
game relies on a d20 roll to determine success or
Intelligence, measuring reasoning and memory
failure. Ability checks, saving throws, and attack
Wisdom, measuring perceptiveness and intuition
rolls are the three main kinds of d20 rolls, and
Charisma, measuring force of personality
whenever you make one, the roll is associated with
Each ability has a score, ranging from 3 tCi 18 for one of the six abilities. The roll follows these steps:
most adventurers. The highest a character's score
1: Roll a d20, and add the relevant ability modifier.
can reach is 20. Monsters can have scores as low as
The rest of this rulebook specifies which ability
1 or as high as 30.
modifier to use for different types of d20 rolls.
An ability score's most important function is pro­
2: Add your proficiency bonus if relevant. Each
viding an ability modifier-a positive or negative
character has a proficiency bonus, a number you
number added to ability checks, saving throws, and
add when making a d20 roll that uses something
attack rolls, as explained in the rest of this chapter.
in which your character has proficiency. See the
The Ability Scores and Modifiers table shows the
"Proficiencies" section for more information.
modifier that each score provides.

C H A PTER 1 I PLAY ING TH E GAME

3: Apply circumstantial bonuses and penalties. A
class feature, a spell, or another rule might give a
A DVAN TA GE & D ISA DVAN TA GE
bonus or a penalty to the roll. Also, the roll might Sometimes a rule, such as a class feature or a
have advantage or disadvantage, explained in the spell, says you have advantage or disadvantage on
"Advantage & Disadvantage" section. an ability check, a saving throw, or an attack roll.
4: Compare the total to a target number. If the When that happens, roll the d20 twice when you
total of the d20 roll and its modifiers equals or ex­ make the roll. Use the higher of the two rolls if you
ceeds the target number, the ability check, attack have advantage, and use the lower roll if you have
roll, or saving throw is a success. Otherwise, it's disadvantage.
a failure. The DM determines target numbers and For example, if you have disadvantage and roll a
tells players whether their rolls are successful. 17 and a 5, you use the 5. If you instead have advan­
The target number for an ability check or a saving tage and roll those numbers, you use the 17.
throw is called a Difficulty Class ( DC). The most
THEY D ON'T STACK
common DCs for ability checks are in the Typical
Difficulty Classes table. The target number for an If multiple situations affect a roll and each one
attack roll is called Armor Class (AC), which ap­ grants advantage or imposes disadvantage on it, you
pears on a character sheet or in a stat block. don't roll the d20 more than one additional time. If
two favorable situations grant advantage, for exam­
TY P I CAL DI FFIC U LTY ( L A S SES \ ple, you still roll only one additional time.
Task Difficulty DC Task Difficulty DC If circumstances cause a roll to have both advan­
tage and disadvantage, you are considered to have
Very easy 5 H a rd 20
neither of them, and you roll the d20 once. This is
Easy 10 Very h ard 25
true even if multiple circumstances impose disad­
M ed i u m 15 N early i m possi b l e 30 vantage and only one grants advantage or vice versa.
In such a situation, you have neither advantage nor
PR OFIC I EN C IE S disadvantage.
A character sheet notes the things that the character I NTERACTI O N S WITH R E ROLLS
is especially good at, which are known as the char­
acter's proficiencies. Here are the main proficien­ When you have advantage or disadvantage and
cies, along with page references to their rules: something in the game, such as the halfling's Lucky
trait, lets you reroll or replace the d20, you can
Ski l l s (page 6) Eq u i p ment (page 18) reroll or replace only one of the rolls. You choose
Savi ng Throws ( page 7) which one. For example, if a halfling has advantage
or disadvantage on an ability check and rolls a 1
USI NG YOUR PROFICI E N CY B O N U S and a 13, the halfling could use the Lucky trait to
Whenever you make a n ability check, a saving reroll the 1.
throw, or an attack roll that uses one of your char­
acter's proficiencies, you add the character's profi­ AB I LITY CH E CK S
ciency bonus to the roll. The bonus appears on your An ability check tests a character's or monster's
character sheet, and this rulebook and the character innate talent and training in an effort to overcome a
sheet tell you when the bonus applies. challenge. The DM calls for an ability check when a
A monster's proficiency bonus is already incorpo­ character or monster attempts an action (other than
rated in the relevant numbers in the creature's stat an attack) that has a chance of failure. When the out­
block, so the DM doesn't need to add it. come is uncertain, the dice determine the results.
THE B O N U S D OE S N'T STAC K MAKI NG AN ABI LITY C H E C K
Your proficiency bonus can't be added to a die roll Here are the steps for making an ability check:
or other number more than once. For example, if
two rules tell you to add your proficiency bonus to a 1: Determine the ability to use. For every ability
Wisdom saving throw, you nevertheless add it only check, the DM decides which of the six abilities is
once to the save. relevant to the task at hand. This rulebook or the
Occasionally, a proficiency bonus might be multi­ adventure booklet often tells the DM what kind of
plied or divided (round down) before being added. check a character can make and what happens if
For example, the rogue's Expertise feature doubles the check succeeds or fails. Since characters of­
the proficiency bonus for certain ability checks. ten try unpredictable things, the adventure book­
Whenever used, the bonus can be multiplied only let also provides advice to help the DM decide
once, divided only once, and added only once. what kind of ability check to use in a situation.
2: Choose a skill that applies, if any. Each ability, For example, a Dexterity check might reflect a
except Constitution, has skills associated with character's attempt to pull off an acrobatic stunt,
it, and the rules or the DM determines which of to palm an object, or to stay hidden. Each of these
those skills is relevant to a check. See the "Skills" aspects of Dexterity has an associated skill: Acro­
section below for more information. batics, Sleight of Hand, and Stealth, respectively. So
3: Set the Difficulty Class. Each ability check re­ a character who has proficiency in the Stealth skill
quires a DC, representing the difficulty of the is particularly good at Dexterity checks related to
task. The more difficult a task, the higher its DC. sneaking and hiding.
This rulebook, the adventure booklet, and the
character sheets provide guidance on what the How TO U S E SKILL P ROFICIENCIES
DC should be for certain checks. Sometimes, the DM might ask for an ability check
4: Roll the d20. Then add the relevant ability mod­ using a specific skill-for example, "Make a Wisdom
ifier, and if the check uses one of the character's ( Insight) check." At other times, a player might ask
skill proficiencies, add the character's proficiency the DM if proficiency in a particular skill applies to a
bonus too. As with other d20 rolls, apply any check. In either case, proficiency in a skill means an
bonuses and penalties, and compare the total to individual can add their proficiency bonus to ability
the DC. If the total equals or exceeds the DC, the checks that involve that skill. Without proficiency in
ability check is a success. Otherwise, it's a failure, the skill, the individual still makes the ability check
which means the character or monster makes no but without adding their proficiency bonus.
progress toward the objective or makes progress For example, if a character attempts to climb up
combined with a setback determined by the DM. a dangerous cliff, the Dungeon Master might ask
for a Strength (Athletics) check. If the character
S KI L L S is proficient in Athletics, the character's profi­
ciency bonus is added to the Strength check. If the
Each of the six abilities covers a range of capabili­
character lacks that proficiency, they just make a
ties, including skills that a character or a monster
Strength check.
can be proficient in. A skill represents a specific
aspect of an ability score, and an individual's profi­ SKILL LIST
ciency in a skill demonstrates a focus on that aspect. The skills related to each ability score are shown
The character sheets indicate each character's skill on the Skills table (no skills are related to Constitu­
proficiencies, and a monster's skill proficiencies ap­ tion). That table also notes example uses for each
pear in the monster's stat block. skill proficiency.

SKILLS
Ability Skill Example Uses
Strength Ath l etics J u m p farther than normal, stay afloat i n rough water, or break someth i ng.
Dexterity Acrobatics Stay on you r feet in a tricky situation, or perform an acrobatic stunt.
Sleight of Hand Pick someone's pocket, conceal a handheld object, or perform legerdemain.
Stealth Escape notice by moving silently and hiding b e h i nd t h i n gs.
I ntel l i gence Arcana Reca l l lore about spells, magic items, and the p l a nes of existence.
H istory Recal l lore about h i storical events, people, nations, and cultures.
I nvestigation Find obscure i nformation i n books, or ded uce cl ues about how something works.
N at u re Recal l lore about terra i n , p l ants, animals, and weather.
Religion Reca l l lore about god s , rel igious ritu als, and holy symbols.
Wisdom Animal H a n d l i n g Intuit a n a n i m al's i ntentions, calm an a n i mal, or tra i n an a n i m a l .
Insight Discern a person's mood and i ntentions.
Medicine Diagnose an i l l ness, or determine what kil led the recently slain.
Perception Usi n g a com b i nation of senses, notice someth i n g that's easy to m i ss.
S u rvival Follow tracks, forage, fi nd you r way i n the wilderness, or avoid natural hazards.
Charisma Deception Tel l a convincing lie, or wear a disguise convi ncingly.
I nti midation Awe or th reaten someone i nto doi n g what you want.
Performance Perform m u sic, dance, acti ng, or storytel l i n g.
Persuasion Honestly and graciously convince someone of somet h i n g.

C H A PTER 1 I P LAYING T H E GAME

WORKING TOGETH ER ALIGNMENT
Sometimes two o r more characters team up to Characters and many monsters have an a l i gn ment,
attempt a task. The character who's leading the which broad ly describes their m o ra l and ethi ca l atti­
effort-or the one with the highest ability modifier­ tudes. Alignment i s a com b i nation of two factors: one
identifies moral ity (good, evi l , o r neutral), and the
can make an ability check with advantage, reflecting
other descri bes attitudes toward society and o rder
the help provided by the other characters. In com­
(lawfu l , chaotic, o r neutra l ) . Thus, nine d isti n ct a l i gn­
bat, this requires the Help action (page 12). ments define the possible combinations.
A character can provide help only if the task is one Creatu res that lack the capacity for rational thought
they could attempt alone. For example, the rules don't have alignments-they a re unaligned. Such crea­
might require proficiency with thieves' tools to pick tures are i ncapable of m aki n g moral o r ethical choices
a specific locj{., so a character who lacks that profi­ and act accordi n g to their n atu res.
These s u mm aries of the n i n e align ments describe
ciency couldn't help another character in that task.
the typical behavior of a creature with that alignment;
Moreover, a character can help only when two or i ndividuals vary from that behavior:
more individuals working together would actually .
Lawful good (LG) creatu res can be cou nted on to do
be productive. Some tasks, such as threading a nee­
the right t h i ng as expected by society.
dle, are no easier with help.
Neutral good ( N G ) folk do the best they can to help
others accord i n g to their need s.
SAV IN G THR OW S Chaotic good (CG) creatures act as their con science
A saving throw-also called a save-represents an d i rects, with l ittle regard for what others expect.
attempt to resist certain threats, such as a spell or a Lawful neutral (LN) i nd ivid uals act in accord ance with
trap. A rule or the DM lets ·you know when it's time law, trad ition, or personal codes.
Neutral (N) is the al ign ment of those who steer clear of
to make a save for a creature, following these steps:
moral q uestions, d o i n g what seems best at the ti me.
1: Determine the ability to use. The rules or the Chaotic neutral (CN) creatures follow their whi ms,
DM determines which of the six abilities to use hold i n g their personal freedom a bove all el se.
for the save. For example, the DM might say, Lawful evil (LE) creatu res take what they want, with i n
"Make a Dexterity saving throw to dodge the fire!" t h e l i m its o f a code o f tradition, loyalty, or order.
2: Set the Difficulty Class. The DC for a saving Neutral evil ( N E) is the align ment of those who do
whatever they can get away with, without q u a l m s.
throw is determined by the effect that causes it.
Chaotic evil (CE) creatures act with a rbitrary violence,
For example, the DC for a saving throw allowed
spu rred by their greed, hatred, or blood l u st.
by a spell is determined by the caster's spellcast­
ing ability modifier and proficiency bonus, as ex­
In general terms, an NPC's attitude toward you is
plained in chapter 3.
3: Roll the d20. Then add the appropriate ability
described as friendly, indifferent, or hostile. Friendly
NPCs are predisposed to help you, and hostile ones
modifier. For example, you use your Dexterity
modifier for a Dexterity saving throw. If the crea­ are inclined to get in your way. It's easier to get what
ture has the relevant saving throw proficiency you want from a friendly NPC.
Social interactions have two primary aspects:
(noted on the character sheet or stat block), also
add the creature's proficiency bonus. As with roleplaying and ability checks.
other d20 rolls, apply any other bonuses and pen­ ROLEP LAYI NG
alties, and compare the total to the DC. If the total
equals or exceeds the DC, the save is a success. Roleplaying is, literally, the act of playing out a role.
Otherwise, it's a failure. The result of a successful In this case, it's you as a player determining how
or failed saving throw is detailed in the descrip­ your character thinks, acts, and talks. Roleplaying is
tion of the effect that forced the save. part of every aspect of the game, and it comes to the
fore during social interactions. Your character's per­
sonality influences how interactions resolve.
S O C IA L IN TER A C TION
The DM uses your character's actions and atti­
During their adventures, the player's characters tudes to determine how an NPC reacts. A cowardly
meet people from many different walks of life and bandit might buckle under threats of imprisonment.
face monsters that are more keen to talk than fight. A stubborn merchant refuses to let anyone badger
In those situations, it's time for social interaction.
her. A vain dragon laps up flattery.
Interaction takes on many forms. You might
When interacting with an NPC, pay close atten­
need to convince an unscrupulous thief to confess
tion to the DM's portrayal of the NPC's personality.
to some wrongdoing, or you might try to flatter a
You might be able to determine an NPC's goals and
dragon so that it will spare your life. The DM as­
then play on them to influence the NPC's attitude.
sumes the roles· of any NPCs who are participating.

C H A PTER 1 I P LAYING THE GAME

 If you offer NPCs something they want or play on VISION
their sympathies, fears, or goals, you can use words
Some of the tasks of adventuring-noticing danger,
to form friendships, ward off violence, or learn a key
finding hidden objects, hitting an enemy in combat,
piece of information. On the other hand, if you insult
and targeting a spell, to name just a few-rely on a
a proud warrior or speak ill of a noble's allies, your
creature's ability to see. Darkness and other effects
efforts to convince or deceive will likely fall short.
that obscure vision can prove a hindrance, as ex­
ABI LITY C H EC K S plained below.

In addition to roleplaying, ability checks can b e key OB SCURE D A REA S

in determining the outcome of a social interaction. An area might be lightly or heavily obscured. In a
Your roleplaying efforts can alter an NPC's atti­ lightly obscured area, such as dim light, patchy fog,
tude, but there might still be an element of chance or moderate foliage, creatures have disadvantage on
in the situation. For example, your DM can call for Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight.
a Charisma check at any point during an interaction A heavily obscured area-such as darkness,
if they want the dice to play a role in determining an opaque fog, or dense foliage-blocks vision within
NPC's reactions. Other checks might be appropriate it. A creature effectively suffers the blinded condi­
in certain situations, at your DM's discretion. tion (explained in the appen�when trying to see
Pay attention to your skill proficiencies when something in that area.
thinking of how you want to interact with an NPC,
and stack the deck in your favor by using an ap­ LIGH T
proach that relies on your skills. For example, if the The presence or absence of light in an environment
group needs to trick a guard into letting them into creates three categories of illumination:
a castle, the rogue who is proficient in Deception is Bright light lets most creatures see normally. Even
the best bet to lead the discussion. gloomy days provide bright light, as do torches,
lanterns, fires, and other sources of illumination
TH E EN V IR ONM EN T within a specific radius.
Adventuring involves delving into places that are Dim light, also called shadows, creates a lightly
dangerous and full of mysteries. The rules in this obscured area. An area of dim light is usually a
section cover some of the ways adventurers interact boundary between a source of bright light, such as
with the environment in such places. a torch, and surrounding darkness. The soft light
of twilight and dawn also counts as dim light. A
TRAV E L full moon might bathe the land in dim light.
During a n ad:venture, the characters might travel Darkness creates a heavily obscured area. Charac­
long distances, on trips that could take hours or ters face darkness outdoors at night (even most
days. The DM can summarize this travel without moonlit nights), within the confines of an unlit
calculating exact distances or travel times. dungeon, or in an area of magical darkness.
If you need to know how fast people can move
when every second matters, use the "Movement &
HI DI NG
Position" rules ( page 1 1). Adventurers and monsters often hide, whether to
spy on one another or to set an ambush. The DM-Ue­
FALLI NG cides when circumstances are appropriate for hid­
A creature that falls takes ld6 bludgeoning dam­ ing. When you try to hide, make a Dexterity (Stealth)
age at the end of the fall for every 10 feet it fell, to a check. Until you are discovered or stop hiding, that
maximum of 20d6 (see page 15 for the rules on check's total becomes the DC for the Wisdom (Per­
taking damage). ception) check of any creature that searches the
When the creature lands, it suffers the prone con­ area; it finds you only if the check succeeds.
dition (explained in the appendix), unless it avoids
WHE N CA N I H I DE?
taking any damage from the fall.
A creature that falls into water or another liquid You can try to hide if no one can see you. You can't
hide from a creature that can see you clearly, and
can use its.reaction (see "Reactions" on page 10) to
you give away your position if you make noise, such
make a DC 15 Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Ac­
robatics) check to hit the surface head or feet first. as shouting a warning or making an attack.
On a successful check, any damage resulting from An invisible creature can't be seen, so it can
the fall is halved. always try to hide. Signs of its passage might be
noticed, however, and it still has to stay quiet. For
more information, see the invisible condition in
the appendix.

C H A PTER 1 I PLAYING THE GAME

PA SSI VE PE RCE PTION In most cases, you need to describe where you
When you hide, there's a chance someone will no­ are searching. For example, a key is hidden beneath
tice you even if they aren't searching. To determine clothes in the top drawer of a bureau. If you tell the
whether such a creature notices you, the DM com­ DM that you pace around the room, looking at the
pares your Dexterity (Stealth) check with that crea­ walls and furniture for clues, you have no chance
ture's passive Wisdom (Perception) score, which of finding the key, regardless of your Wisdom (Per­
equals 10 + the creature's Wisdom modifier, as well ception) check result. You would have to specify that
as any other bonuses or penalties. If the creature you were searching the bureau to have any chance
has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) che.cks, add of success.
5. For disadvantage on such checks, subtract 5.
For example, if a 1st-level character (with a profi­ SUFF O C ATING
ciency bonus of +2) has a Wisdom score of 15 (a +2 A creature can hold its breath for a number of min­
modifier) and proficiency in Perception, the charac­ utes equal to 1 + its Constitution modifier (minimum
ter has a passive Wisdom (Perception) of 14. of 30 seconds). When a creature runs out of breath
or is choking, it can survive for a number of rounds
I NTERACTI NG WIT H O BJ E C T S equal to its Constitution modifier (minimum of 1
A character's interaction with objects in a n environ­ round). At the start of its next turn, it drops to 0 hit
ment is simple to resolve in the game. The player points and is dying, and it can't regain hit points or
tells the DM that their character is doing something, be stabilized until it can breathe again (see page
such as moving a lever, and the DM describes what, 15 for the rules on taking damage).
if anything, happens.
C OMBA T
FINDING.HI DDEN THI NGS
Adventurers encounter many dangerous monsters
When your character searches for a hidden object, and nefarious villains. In those moments, combat
such as a secret door or a trap, the DM typically often breaks out.
asks you to make a Wisdom (Perception) check. If
you succeed, you find hidden details or other infor­ TH E O RDER OF C O MBAT
mation and clues that you might otherwise overlook. A typical combat encounter is a clash between two
sides, a flurry of weapon swings, feints, parries,
footwork, and spellcasting. The game organizes
combat into a cycle of rounds and turns. A round
represents about 6 seconds in the game world.
During a round, each participant in a battle takes a
turn. The order of turns is determined at the begin­
ning of combat, when everyone rolls initiative. Once
everyone has taken a turn, the fight continues to the
next round if neither side is defeated.

C O MBAT STE P BY STE P

1: Determine surprise. The DM determines
whether anyone involved in the combat encounter
is surprised.
2: Establish positions. The DM decides where all
the characters and monsters are located. Given
the adventurers' marching order or their stated
positions in the room or other location, the DM
figures out where the adversaries are-how far
away and in what direction.
3: Roll initiative. Everyone involved in the combat
encounter rolls initiative, determining the order
of combatants' turns.
4: Take turns. Each participant in the battle takes a
turn in initiative order.
5: Begin the next round. When everyone involved
in the combat has had a turn, the round ends. Re­
peat step 4 and 5 until the fighting stops.

C H A PTER 1 \ P LAYING T H E GAME