Rules Glossary

An ability check is a D20 Test that represents using one of the six abilities—or a specific skill associated with an ability—to overcome a challenge. See also “...

A creature has six ability scores—Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma—each of which has a corresponding modifier. Add the modi...

A Dexterity skill used for staying on your feet in tricky situations, such as balancing on a tightrope, performing acrobatic stunts, or landing safely from a fall.

On your turn, you can take one action. Choose which action to take from those below or from the special actions provided by your features. See also “Playing the...

If you have Advantage on a D20 Test, roll two d20s, and use the higher roll. A roll can’t be affected by more than one Advantage, and Advantage and Disadvantage...

An adventure is a series of encounters. A story emerges through playing them. See also “Encounter.”

A creature’s alignment broadly describes its ethical attitudes and ideals. Alignment is a combination of two factors: one identifies morality (good, evil, or ne...

A creature is your ally if it is a member of your adventuring party, your friend, on your side in combat, or a creature that the rules or the GM designates as y...

A Wisdom skill used to calm down a domesticated animal, keep a mount from getting spooked, or intuit an animal's intentions.

An Intelligence skill measuring your ability to recall lore about spells, magic items, eldritch symbols, magical traditions, the planes of existence, and the inhabitants of those planes.

The descriptions of many spells and other features specify that they have an area of effect, which typically has one of six shapes. These shapes are defined els...

An Armor Class (AC) is the target number for an attack roll. AC represents how difficult it is to hit a target. Your base AC calculation is 10 plus your Dexteri...

Armor training allows you to use armor of a certain category without the following drawbacks. If you wear Light, Medium, or Heavy armor and lack training with i...

A Strength skill covering difficult situations you encounter while climbing, jumping, or swimming.

An attack roll is a D20 Test that represents making an attack with a weapon, an Unarmed Strike, or a spell. See also “Playing the Game” (“D20 Tests”).

A monster has a starting attitude toward a player character: Friendly, Hostile, or Indifferent. See also “Friendly,” “Hostile,” “Indifferent,” and “Influence.”

Some magic items require a creature to form a bond—called Attunement—with them before the creature can use an item’s magical properties. A creature can have Att...

While you have the Blinded condition, you experience the following effects. Can’t See. You can’t see and automatically fail any ability check that requires sigh...

If you have Blindsight, you can see within a specific range without relying on physical sight. Within that range, you can see anything that isn’t behind Total C...

A creature is Bloodied while it has half its Hit Points or fewer remaining.

A Bonus Action is a special action that you can take on the same turn that you take an action. You can’t take more than one Bonus Action on a turn, and you have...

Objects can be harmed by attacks and by some spells, using the rules below. If an object is exceedingly fragile, the GM may allow a creature to break it automat...

Bright Light is normal illumination. See also “Playing the Game” (“Exploration”).

A burning creature or object takes 1d4 Fire damage at the start of each of its turns. As an action, you can extinguish fire on yourself by giving yourself the P...

A creature that has a Burrow Speed can use that speed to move through sand, earth, mud, or ice. The creature can’t burrow through solid rock unless the creature...

A campaign is a series of adventures. See also “Adventure.”

A cantrip is a level 0 spell, which is cast without a spell slot. See also “Spells.”

Your size and Strength score determine the maximum weight in pounds that you can carry, as shown in the Carrying Capacity table. The table also shows the maximu...

Challenge Rating (CR) summarizes the threat a monster poses to a group of four player characters. Compare a monster’s CR to the characters’ level. If the CR is ...

A character sheet is a paper or digital record that you use to track your character’s information. See also “Character Creation.”

While you have the Charmed condition, you experience the following effects. Can’t Harm the Charmer. You can’t attack the charmer or target the charmer with dama...

A Climb Speed can be used in place of Speed to traverse a vertical surface without expending the extra movement normally associated with climbing. See also “Cli...

While you’re climbing, each foot of movement costs 1 extra foot (2 extra feet in Difficult Terrain). You ignore this extra cost if you have a Climb Speed and us...

Some spells and other effects require Concentration to remain active, as specified in their descriptions. If the effect’s creator loses Concentration, the effec...

A condition is a temporary game state. The definition of a condition says how it affects its recipient, and various rules define how to end a condition. This gl...

Cover provides a degree of protection to a target behind it. There are three degrees of cover, each of which provides a different benefit to a target: Half Cove...

While you’re crawling, each foot of movement costs 1 extra foot (2 extra feet in Difficult Terrain). See also “Speed.”

Any being in the game, including a player’s character, is a creature. See also “Creature Type.”

Every creature, including every player character, has a tag in the rules that identifies the type of creature it is. Most player characters are of the Humanoid ...

If you roll a 20 on the d20 for an attack roll, you score a Critical Hit, and the attack hits regardless of any modifiers or the target’s AC. A Critical Hit let...

Some game effects curse a creature or an object. The effect that confers a curse defines what the curse does. Curses can be removed by the Remove Curse and Grea...

D20 Tests encompass the three main d20 rolls of the game: ability checks, attack rolls, and saving throws. If something in the game affects D20 Tests, it affect...

Damage represents harm that causes a creature or an object to lose Hit Points.

A damage roll is a die roll, adjusted by any applicable modifiers, that deals damage to a target. See also “Playing the Game” (“Damage and Healing”).

A creature or an object that has a damage threshold has Immunity to all damage unless it takes an amount of damage from a single attack or effect equal to or gr...

Attacks and other harmful effects deal different types of damage. Damage types have no rules of their own, but other rules, such as Resistance, rely on the type...

An area of Darkness is Heavily Obscured. See also “Heavily Obscured” and “Playing the Game” (“Exploration”).

If you have Darkvision, you can see in Dim Light within a specified range as if it were Bright Light and in Darkness within that range as if it were Dim Light. ...

A dead creature has no Hit Points and can’t regain them unless it is first revived by magic such as the Raise Dead or Revivify spell. When such a spell is cast,...

A player character must make a Death Saving Throw (also called a Death Save) if they start their turn with 0 Hit Points. See also “Playing the Game” (“Damage an...

A Charisma skill used to convincingly hide the truth, whether through verbal fast-talking, disguising your true intentions, or misleading others.

A creature requires an amount of water per day based on its size, as shown in the Water Needs per Day table. A creature that drinks less than half the required ...

If a space is Difficult Terrain, every foot of movement in that space costs 1 extra foot. For example, moving 5 feet through Difficult Terrain costs 10 feet of ...

A Difficulty Class (DC) is the target number for an ability check or a saving throw. See also “Playing the Game” (“D20 Tests”).

An area with Dim Light is Lightly Obscured. See also “Lightly Obscured” and “Playing the Game” (“Exploration”).

If you have Disadvantage on a D20 Test, roll two d20s and use the lower roll. A roll can’t be affected by more than one Disadvantage, and Advantage and Disadvan...

An encounter is a scene in an adventure that is part of at least one of the game’s three pillars: social interaction, exploration, or combat. See also “Playing ...

A creature is your enemy if it fights against you in combat, actively works to harm you, or is designated as your enemy by the rules or GM.

As they overcome challenges and complete adventures, characters earn Experience Points (XP), which are awarded by the Game Master. When a character’s XP total c...

Expertise is a feature that enhances your use of a skill proficiency. When you make an ability check with a skill proficiency in which you have Expertise, your ...

A creature that falls takes 1d6 Bludgeoning damage at the end of the fall for every 10 feet it fell, to a maximum of 20d6. When the creature lands, it has the P...

A Fly Speed can be used to travel through the air. While you have a Fly Speed, you can stay aloft until you land, fall, or die. See also “Flying” and “Speed.”

A variety of effects allow a creature to fly. While flying, you fall if you have the Incapacitated or Prone condition or your Fly Speed is reduced to 0. You can...

A Friendly creature views you favorably. You have Advantage on an ability check to influence a Friendly creature. See also “Influence.”

A creature can grapple another creature. Characters typically grapple by using an Unarmed Strike. Many monsters have special attacks that allow them to quickly ...

A hazard is an environmental danger. See also “Burning,” “Dehydration,” “Falling,” “Malnutrition,” and “Suffocation.”

Healing is how you regain Hit Points. See also “Playing the Game” (“Damage and Healing”).

You have the Blinded condition while trying to see something in a Heavily Obscured space. See also “Blinded,” “Darkness,” and “Playing the Game” (“Exploration”)...

If you (a player character) have Heroic Inspiration, you can expend it to reroll any die immediately after rolling it, and you must use the new roll. If you gai...

Influence

When you make a High Jump, you leap into the air a number of feet equal to 3 plus your Strength modifier (minimum of 0 feet) if you move at least 10 feet on foo...

An Intelligence skill measuring your ability to recall lore about historical events, legendary people, ancient kingdoms, past disputes, recent wars, and lost civilizations.

Hit Point Dice, or Hit Dice for short, help determine a player character’s Hit Point maximum, as explained in “Character Creation.” Most monsters also have Hit ...

Hit Points (HP) are a measure of how difficult it is to kill or destroy a creature or an object. Damage reduces Hit Points, and healing restores them. You can’t...

A Hostile creature views you unfavorably. You have Disadvantage on an ability check to influence a Hostile creature. See also “Influence.”

Some creatures can hover, as noted in their stat blocks, and some spells and other effects grant the ability to hover. Hovering while flying prevents you from f...

If you have Immunity to a damage type or a condition, it doesn’t affect you in any way.

An improvised weapon is an object wielded as a makeshift weapon, such as broken glass, a table leg, or a frying pan. A Simple or Martial weapon also counts as a...

An Indifferent creature has no desire to help or hinder you. Indifferent is the default attitude of a monster. See also “Influence.”

With the Influence action, you urge a monster to do something. Describe or roleplay how you’re communicating with the monster. Are you trying to deceive, intimi...

Initiative determines the order of turns during combat. The combat rules in “Playing the Game” explain how to roll Initiative. Sometimes a GM might have combata...

A Wisdom skill used to determine the true intentions of a creature, such as searching out a lie or predicting someone's next move.

A Charisma skill used to influence someone through overt threats, hostile actions, and physical violence.

An Intelligence skill used when you look around for clues and make deductions based on those clues.

When you jump, you make either a Long Jump (horizontal) or a High Jump (vertical). See also “Long Jump” and “High Jump.”

When you would reduce a creature to 0 Hit Points with a melee attack, you can instead reduce the creature to 1 Hit Point. The creature then has the Unconscious ...

You have Disadvantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks to see something in a Lightly Obscured space. See also “Dim Light” and “Playing the Game” (“Exploration”).

When you make a Long Jump, you leap horizontally a number of feet up to your Strength score if you move at least 10 feet immediately before the jump. When you m...

A Long Rest is a period of extended downtime—at least 8 hours—available to any creature. During a Long Rest, you sleep for at least 6 hours and perform no more ...

An effect is magical if it is created by a spell, a magic item, or a phenomenon that a rule labels as magical.

A creature needs an amount of food per day based on its size, as shown in the Food Needs per Day table. A creature that eats but consumes less than half the req...

A Wisdom skill used to stabilize a dying companion or diagnose an illness.

A monster is a creature controlled by the GM, even if the creature is benevolent. See also “Creature” and “NPC.”

An Intelligence skill measuring your ability to recall lore about terrain, plants and animals, the weather, and natural cycles.

A nonplayer character (NPC) is a monster that has a personal name and a distinct personality. See also “Monster.”

An object is a nonliving, distinct thing. Composite things, like buildings, comprise more than one object. See also “Breaking Objects.”

A space is occupied if a creature is in it or if it is completely filled by objects.

You can make an Opportunity Attack when a creature that you can see leaves your reach using its action, its Bonus Action, its Reaction, or one of its speeds. To...

Petrified

Passive Perception is a score that reflects a creature’s general awareness of its surroundings. The GM uses this score when determining whether a creature notic...

If a rule says you can use something a certain number of times per day, that means you must finish a Long Rest to use it again after you run out of uses.

A Wisdom skill that lets you spot, hear, or otherwise detect the presence of something. It measures your general awareness of your surroundings and the keenness of your senses.

A Charisma skill that determines how well you can delight an audience with music, dance, acting, storytelling, or some other form of entertainment.

A Charisma skill used when you attempt to influence someone or a group of people with tact, social graces, or good nature.

While you have the Petrified condition, you experience the following effects. Turned to Inanimate Substance. You are transformed, along with any nonmagical obje...

A player character is a character controlled by a player. See also “Character Creation.”

Some effects cause a creature to be possessed by another creature or entity. A possessing effect defines how the possession operates. Possession can be prevente...

If you have proficiency with something, you can add your Proficiency Bonus to any D20 Test you make using that thing. A creature might have proficiency in a ski...

A creature has a reach of 5 feet unless a rule says otherwise.

A Reaction is a special action taken in response to a trigger defined in the Reaction’s description. You can take a Reaction on another creature’s turn, and if ...

An Intelligence skill measuring your ability to recall lore about deities, rites and prayers, religious hierarchies, holy symbols, and the practices of secret cults.

If you have Resistance to a damage type, damage of that type is halved against you (round down). Resistance is applied only once to an instance of damage. See a...

If you have a spell prepared that has the Ritual tag, you can cast that spell as a Ritual. The Ritual version of a spell takes 10 minutes longer to cast than no...

A saving throw—also called a save—represents an attempt to avoid or resist a threat. You normally make a saving throw only when a rule requires you to do so, bu...

If an effect, such as Wild Shape or the Polymorph spell, lets you shape-shift, its description specifies what happens to you. Unless that description says other...

A Short Rest is a 1-hour period of downtime, during which a creature does nothing more strenuous than reading, talking, eating, or standing watch. To start a Sh...

If two or more things happen at the same time on a turn, the person at the game table—player or GM— whose turn it is decides the order in which those things hap...

A creature or an object belongs to a size category: Tiny, Small, Medium, Large, Huge, or Gargantuan. A creature’s size determines how much space the creature oc...

A skill is an area of specialization associated with an ability check. If you have proficiency in a skill, you can add your Proficiency Bonus when you make an a...

A Dexterity skill used whenever you attempt an act of legerdemain or manual trickery, such as planting something on someone or concealing an object on your person.

A creature has a Speed, which is the distance in feet the creature can cover when it moves on its turn. See also “Climbing,” “Crawling,” “Flying,” “Jumping,” “S...

A spell is a magical effect that has the characteristics described in “Spells.”

A spell attack is an attack roll made as part of a spell or another magical effect. See also “Spells” (“Casting Spells”).

A Spellcasting Focus is an object that certain creatures can use in place of a spell’s Material components if those materials aren’t consumed by the spell and d...

An area of effect has a point of origin, a location from which the effect’s energy erupts. The rules for each shape specify how to position its point of origin....

A creature is Stable if it has 0 Hit Points but isn’t required to make Death Saving Throws. See also “Playing the Game” (“Damage and Healing”).

A stat block contains the game statistics of a monster. Each stat block includes the following information presented after the monster’s name. Size. A monster i...

A Dexterity skill used when you attempt to conceal yourself from enemies, slink past guards, slip away without being noticed, or sneak up on someone without being seen or heard.

A creature can hold its breath for a number of minutes equal to 1 plus its Constitution modifier (minimum of 30 seconds) before suffocation begins. When a creat...

If a creature is caught unawares by the start of combat, that creature is surprised, which causes it to have Disadvantage on its Initiative roll. See also “Play...

A Wisdom skill used to follow tracks, hunt wild game, guide your group through frozen wastelands, identify signs of nearby creatures, predict the weather, or avoid quicksand and other natural hazards.

A Swim Speed can be used to swim without expending the extra movement normally associated with swimming. See also “Swimming” and “Speed.”

While you’re swimming, each foot of movement costs 1 extra foot (2 extra feet in Difficult Terrain). You ignore this extra cost if you have a Swim Speed and use...

A target is the creature or object targeted by an attack roll, forced to make a saving throw by an effect, or selected to receive the effects of a spell or anot...

Telepathy is a magical ability that allows a creature to communicate mentally with another creature within a specified range. Unless a rule states otherwise, th...

Teleportation is a special kind of magical transportation. If you teleport, you disappear and reappear elsewhere instantly, without moving through the interveni...

Temporary Hit Points are granted by certain effects and act as a buffer against losing real Hit Points. See also “Playing the Game” (“Damage and Healing”).

A creature with Tremorsense can pinpoint the location of creatures and moving objects within a specific range, provided that the creature with Tremorsense and a...

If you have Truesight, your vision is enhanced within a specified range. Within that range, your vision pierces through the following: Darkness. You can see in ...

Instead of using a weapon to make a melee attack, you can use a punch, kick, headbutt, or similar forceful blow. In game terms, this is an Unarmed Strike—a mele...

A condition doesn’t stack with itself; a recipient either has a condition or doesn’t. The Exhaustion condition is an exception to that rule.

The types don’t have rules themselves, but some rules in the game affect creatures of certain types in different ways.

A space is unoccupied if no creatures are in it and it isn’t completely filled by objects.

If you have Vulnerability to a damage type, damage of that type is doubled against you. Vulnerability is applied only once to an instance of damage. See also “P...

A weapon is an object that is in the Simple or Martial weapon category. See also “Equipment” (“Weapons”).

A weapon attack is an attack roll made with a weapon. See also “Weapon.”