Cheat sheet

Quick rules

What gets asked at the table, kept short. If your game master says otherwise, the game master wins.

Conditions

Conditions change what a creature can do. They last until something removes them or the effect that caused them ends. Getting the same one twice still counts as once.

Blinded

You can’t see a thing.

You automatically fail any check that needs sight.
Attacks against you have advantage.
Your attacks have disadvantage.

Charmed

Someone has won you over and you can’t turn against them.

You can’t attack whoever charmed you or target them with harmful abilities or magic.
Whoever charmed you has advantage on checks to deal with you socially.

Deafened

You can’t hear a thing.

You automatically fail any check that needs hearing.

Exhaustion

It comes in levels, 1 to 6, and stacks: at each level you suffer its effect and every effect before it.

When something exhausts you, you go up one level (or as many as it says).
Finishing a long rest takes you down one level, if you’ve had food and drink.
See the table of levels below.

Frightened

Something scares you and you won’t go near it.

Disadvantage on ability checks and attack rolls while you can see what scares you.
You can’t willingly move closer to it.

Grappled

Someone is holding you and you’re stuck there.

Your speed is 0 and nothing can raise it.
It ends if whoever holds you is incapacitated.
It ends if something moves you out of their reach (a magical shove, say).
To break free, use your action: Athletics or Acrobatics against their Athletics.

Incapacitated

You can’t take actions or reactions.

You can still move, unless another condition stops you.

Invisible

Nobody can see you without magic or a special sense.

For hiding, you count as being in a heavily obscured area.
You can still be found by the noise you make or the tracks you leave.
Attacks against you have disadvantage.
Your attacks have advantage.

Paralyzed

You can’t move or speak.

You are incapacitated.
You automatically fail Strength and Dexterity saving throws.
Attacks against you have advantage.
Any hit from within 5 feet is a critical hit.

Petrified

You’ve turned to stone (or another solid substance), along with what you’re wearing.

You weigh ten times as much and stop ageing.
You are incapacitated, can’t move or speak, and aren’t aware of anything.
You automatically fail Strength and Dexterity saving throws.
Attacks against you have advantage.
You have resistance to all damage.
You are immune to poison and disease; any you already had is put on hold.

Poisoned

You feel awful.

Disadvantage on attack rolls and ability checks.

Prone

You’re on the ground.

You can only crawl, unless you stand up.
Standing up costs half your speed.
Your attacks have disadvantage.
Attackers within 5 feet have advantage; from farther away, disadvantage.

Restrained

You’re tied up, tangled or trapped.

Your speed is 0 and nothing can raise it.
Attacks against you have advantage.
Your attacks have disadvantage.
Disadvantage on Dexterity saving throws.

Stunned

You’re dazed: you can’t move and can barely speak.

You are incapacitated.
You automatically fail Strength and Dexterity saving throws.
Attacks against you have advantage.

Unconscious

You’re out cold and unaware of anything.

You are incapacitated and can’t move or speak.
You drop whatever you’re holding and fall prone.
You automatically fail Strength and Dexterity saving throws.
Attacks against you have advantage.
Any hit from within 5 feet is a critical hit.

Exhaustion levels
Level	Effect
1	Disadvantage on ability checks
2	Speed halved
3	Disadvantage on attack rolls and saving throws
4	Hit point maximum halved
5	Speed 0
6	Death

Your turn

Combat runs in rounds of about 6 seconds. Each round, everyone gets a turn. On yours you can move and take one action, in whatever order you like.

Initiative

Sets the order of turns. It’s rolled when combat starts and stays the same every round.

Everyone makes a Dexterity check (d20 + Dexterity modifier).
Highest goes first.
The DM usually rolls once for each group of identical monsters.
On a tie, the DM decides (or you roll again).

Surprise

If someone doesn’t see the fight coming, they lose their first turn.

The DM decides who is surprised, usually by comparing one side’s Stealth with the other side’s passive Perception.
A surprised creature can’t move or act on its first turn.
It also can’t take reactions until that turn ends.

Movement

You can move up to your speed (usually 30 feet, 6 squares of 5 feet).

You can split it up: walk a bit, attack, then keep walking.
You can pass through an ally’s space, but not stop there.
You can pass through an enemy’s space only if it’s at least two sizes bigger or smaller than you.
Dropping prone costs no movement; standing up costs half.

Action

The main thing you do on your turn: attack, cast a spell, dash, hide… You get one per turn.

The usual options are under “Combat actions”.

Bonus action

A quick extra action, but only if a feature, spell or item gives you one. One per turn at most.

If nothing you have uses one, you don’t have a bonus action.
You choose when to take it during your turn.

Reaction

Something you do instantly when something happens, even on someone else’s turn. You get one per round.

The classic example is the opportunity attack.
You get it back at the start of your turn.

Interacting with an object

One simple thing for free on your turn, while you move or act: draw a sword, open a door, pick something up.

A second thing like that needs your action.
Talking a little (a shout, a sentence) is free too.

Combat actions

What you can do with your action on your turn, plus a few rules that come up in almost every fight. If you think of something else, ask the DM: it doesn’t have to be on the list.

Attack

One melee or ranged attack.

Some features (like Extra Attack) let you attack more than once with this action.
Grappling and shoving replace one of those attacks.

Cast a spell

You cast a spell with a casting time of one action.

Spells that take a bonus action or a reaction use those instead.

Dash

You gain extra movement equal to your speed this turn.

With a 30-foot speed, you can cover 60 feet.

Disengage

Your movement doesn’t provoke opportunity attacks for the rest of the turn.

Dodge

You focus on not getting hit. It lasts until the start of your next turn.

Attacks against you have disadvantage if you can see the attacker.
Advantage on Dexterity saving throws.
You lose it if you’re incapacitated or your speed drops to 0.

Help

You lend an ally a hand.

They get advantage on their next check for a task you’re helping with.
Or you distract an enemy within 5 feet: your ally’s next attack against it has advantage (before your next turn).

Hide

Roll Dexterity (Stealth) so they lose sight of you.

You can’t hide from someone who can see you clearly.
If you’re hidden and attack, you have advantage, but then they know where you are.

Ready

You wait for something specific to happen before you act.

Say what you’re waiting for and what you’ll do: “if the door opens, I shoot”.
When it happens, you do it with your reaction (or let it go).
You can ready a move instead of an action.
If you ready a spell, you spend the slot now and need concentration until you release it.

Search

You put your attention into finding something.

The DM will ask for Wisdom (Perception) or Intelligence (Investigation).

Use an object

For objects that need an action, like drinking a potion, or for a second object interaction on the same turn.

Grapple

You grab a creature so it can’t move. It counts as one of your attacks.

You need a free hand and the target within your reach.
It can be at most one size larger than you.
Your Strength (Athletics) against its Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Acrobatics), its choice.
If you win, it’s grappled.
You can drag it, but your speed is halved (unless it’s two or more sizes smaller).
You can let go whenever you like.

Shove

You knock someone down or push them away. It counts as one of your attacks.

At most one size larger than you, and within your reach.
Your Strength (Athletics) against its Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Acrobatics).
If you win, choose: it falls prone or you push it 5 feet away.

Opportunity attack

When an enemy you can see leaves your reach, you can use your reaction to make one melee attack against it.

The attack lands just before it leaves.
It doesn’t happen if it disengages, teleports or is moved by something else (a shove, a spell).

Two-weapon fighting

When you attack with a light melee weapon in one hand, you can attack with another light melee weapon in the other hand as a bonus action.

Don’t add your ability modifier to the second attack’s damage (unless it’s negative).
If either has the thrown property, you can throw it instead.

Cover

Walls, trees, furniture or creatures can shield you and make you harder to hit.

If there are several, only the best one counts.
See the cover table below.

Cover
Cover	What it blocks	Effect
Half	At least half your body	+2 to AC and Dexterity saving throws
Three-quarters	Almost all of you	+5 to AC and Dexterity saving throws
Total	All of you	You can’t be targeted directly

Checks and rolls

Nearly everything works the same way: roll a d20, add modifiers and compare with a target number. Meet it or beat it and you succeed.

Ability check

When you try something with an uncertain outcome, the DM asks for a check: d20 + ability modifier, against a DC.

If the check uses a skill you’re proficient in, add your proficiency bonus too.
The modifier is (score − 10) ÷ 2, rounded down.
With no hurry and no risk, the DM can just say you manage it.

Attack roll

d20 + modifier + proficiency bonus (if you’re proficient with the weapon), against the target’s Armor Class (AC).

Melee uses Strength; ranged uses Dexterity.
Finesse weapons let you pick Strength or Dexterity.
Making a ranged attack with an enemy within 5 feet gives you disadvantage.

Saving throw

To resist something happening to you (a poison, a fireball): d20 + the modifier of the ability asked for, against a DC.

If your class gives you proficiency in that save, add your proficiency bonus.

Advantage and disadvantage

With advantage, roll two d20s and keep the higher. With disadvantage, keep the lower.

They don’t stack: two sources of advantage are still just one.
If you have both, they cancel out and you roll a single die.

Natural 20 and natural 1

This only applies to attack rolls, and to the number on the die before adding anything.

A natural 20 always hits and is a critical hit.
A natural 1 always misses.
On checks and saves, by the rules, a 20 or a 1 is nothing special (though plenty of tables celebrate it anyway).

Contests

When two creatures compete for something (arm wrestling, grabbing a rope), both roll and the higher result wins.

On a tie, things stay as they were.

Group checks

When the whole party does the same thing (sneaking across a swamp), everyone rolls and, if at least half succeed, the group succeeds.

Passive checks

For things you do without trying, like noticing something odd. No roll: it’s 10 + all your modifiers.

With advantage, add 5. With disadvantage, subtract 5.
The one used most is passive Perception.

Proficiency bonus

You add it to what you’re good at: your weapons, skills, saving throws and spells. It goes up with level.

It’s never added more than once to the same roll.

Difficulty Class (DC)

The number you need to meet or beat. The DM sets it by how hard the task is.

Skills

Each skill goes with an ability. If you’re proficient in it, add your proficiency bonus.

The DM can swap the ability when it makes sense: Athletics with Constitution for a long swim, for example.

Modifier by score
Score	Modifier
1	−5
2–3	−4
4–5	−3
6–7	−2
8–9	−1
10–11	+0
12–13	+1
14–15	+2
16–17	+3
18–19	+4
20–21	+5
22–23	+6
24–25	+7
26–27	+8
28–29	+9
30	+10

Proficiency bonus by level
Level	Bonus
1–4	+2
5–8	+3
9–12	+4
13–16	+5
17–20	+6

Typical DCs
Difficulty	DC
Very easy	5
Easy	10
Medium	15
Hard	20
Very hard	25
Nearly impossible	30

Skills and their ability
Skill	Ability
Acrobatics	Dexterity
Animal Handling	Wisdom
Arcana	Intelligence
Athletics	Strength
Deception	Charisma
History	Intelligence
Insight	Wisdom
Intimidation	Charisma
Investigation	Intelligence
Medicine	Wisdom
Nature	Intelligence
Perception	Wisdom
Performance	Charisma
Persuasion	Charisma
Religion	Intelligence
Sleight of Hand	Dexterity
Stealth	Dexterity
Survival	Wisdom

Damage and healing

Hit points (HP) measure how much you can take. Damage brings them down and healing brings them back up, never above your maximum.

Damage rolls

When you hit, roll the weapon’s or spell’s damage dice and add the same modifier you used to attack.

If one effect damages several creatures at once, roll once for all of them.
A negative modifier can’t take damage below 0.

Critical hit

Roll twice as many damage dice. Modifiers are added only once.

A longsword (1d8 + 3) deals 2d8 + 3 on a critical hit.

Damage types

All damage has a type. It matters because some creatures resist it or take extra from it.

Acid, bludgeoning, cold, fire, force, lightning, necrotic, piercing, poison, psychic, radiant, slashing and thunder.

Resistance, vulnerability and immunity

With resistance you take half the damage of that type; with vulnerability, double; with immunity, none.

Apply other modifiers first, then resistance, then vulnerability.
They don’t stack: two resistances to fire are still half.

Healing

You get HP back from spells, potions or resting. Never above your maximum.

If you’re at 0 HP, any healing brings you back to consciousness.
The dead can’t be healed: it takes magic that brings them back to life.

Temporary hit points

A cushion of HP that gets used up before your real ones.

They aren’t healing and don’t add to your HP or your maximum.
They don’t stack: if you get more, choose to keep the new ones or the ones you had.
They don’t wake you up if you’re at 0 HP.
They go away when you finish a long rest, unless they say otherwise.

Dropping to 0 HP

You fall unconscious and start making death saving throws.

Leftover damage is lost: you’re at 0, not below.
Many monsters just die at 0, if the DM wants.

Death saving throws

At the start of each turn at 0 HP, roll a d20 with nothing added. 10 or higher is a success; lower is a failure.

Three successes and you’re stable. Three failures and you die. They don’t need to be in a row.
A natural 1 counts as two failures.
A natural 20: you regain 1 HP and come to.
Taking damage at 0 HP adds a failure (two on a critical hit).
If you’re healed or stabilised, the count resets.

Stabilizing

Someone can use their action to give you first aid with a DC 10 Wisdom (Medicine) check.

Stable means you stay unconscious at 0 HP but stop making death saves.
If nobody heals you, you regain 1 HP after 1d4 hours.
If you take damage again, you’re no longer stable.

Instant death

If a hit drops you to 0 HP and the damage left over is equal to or more than your HP maximum, you die on the spot.

Example: 12 HP maximum, you have 6 left and take 18. You drop to 0 with 12 left over: you die.

Resting

Between fights you need to recover. There are two kinds of rest.

Short rest

At least one quiet hour: eating, drinking, tending wounds, reading.

You can spend Hit Dice: roll each one, add your Constitution modifier and regain that many HP.
You can spend them one at a time and decide after each roll.
Some class features recharge on a short rest.

Long rest

About 8 hours: at least 6 asleep and the rest on light activity, like keeping watch.

You regain all your HP.
You regain spent Hit Dice up to half your total (at least 1).
You regain your spell slots.
An hour or more of fighting, walking or casting spells means starting over.
Only one every 24 hours, and you need at least 1 HP to start.

Casting spells

The basics for using magic without getting lost: what a spell costs, how long it takes and what it needs.

Spell slots

Spells of level 1 to 9 use up a slot of their level or higher. Your class tells you how many you have.

Cast with a higher slot, many spells do more (more damage, more targets).
You get them back when you finish a long rest.

Cantrips

Level 0 spells. They don’t use slots: cast them as often as you like.

Damaging cantrips get stronger on their own as your character levels up.

Casting time

Most take one action. Some take a bonus action, a reaction or several minutes.

If you cast a spell with your bonus action, the only other spell you can cast that turn is a one-action cantrip.

Concentration

Some spells last as long as you keep concentrating. You can only concentrate on one at a time.

It breaks if you cast another concentration spell, are incapacitated or die.
When you take damage, make a Constitution save: DC 10 or half the damage, whichever is higher.
One save for each hit you take.
You can drop it whenever you like, at no cost.

Components

What you need to cast the spell. Each spell says which ones.

V (verbal): you must be able to speak aloud.
S (somatic): you need a free hand to gesture.
M (material): a specific object. A spellcasting focus or a component pouch can stand in for it.
If the material has a cost or is used up, you need the real thing.

Rituals

Spells with the ritual tag can be cast without a slot if you take 10 minutes longer.

You need a feature that lets you cast rituals.

Spell save DC and spell attack

Your spellcasting ability depends on your class: Intelligence (wizard), Wisdom (cleric, druid, ranger) or Charisma (bard, paladin, sorcerer, warlock).

Spell save DC = 8 + proficiency bonus + your spellcasting ability modifier.
Spell attack = proficiency bonus + your spellcasting ability modifier.

Travel and surroundings

Getting around the world: how fast you go, the terrain, the light and what can happen on the way.

Travel pace

The party picks fast, normal or slow. Going fast dulls your senses; going slow lets you move stealthily.

A travel day counts as about 8 hours.
Forced march: for each extra hour, a Constitution save at DC 10 + 1 per extra hour. Fail and you gain a level of exhaustion.
See the pace table below.

Difficult terrain

Undergrowth, mud, rubble, stairs, snow… Every square costs double: 5 feet of it uses 10 feet of movement.

When travelling, you cover half the distance.

Climbing, swimming and crawling

Every foot costs double, unless you have a speed for it (a climbing or swimming speed).

On difficult terrain as well, every foot costs triple.
The DM may ask for Strength (Athletics) on a smooth wall or in rough water.

Jumping

How far you jump depends on your Strength. With a 10-foot run-up you jump your full distance; from standing, half.

Long jump: as many feet as your Strength score (15 feet with Strength 15).
High jump: 3 feet + your Strength modifier in feet.
Every foot you jump uses a foot of movement.

Falling

A fall deals 1d6 bludgeoning damage for every 10 feet, up to 20d6.

You land prone, unless you avoid the damage.

Light

There are three levels of light, and each changes what you can see.

Bright light: you see normally.
Dim light (shadows, a full moon, the edge of torchlight): lightly obscured. Disadvantage on Perception checks that use sight.
Darkness: heavily obscured. For practical purposes you are blinded.

Darkvision

Within its range (usually 60 feet), you see dim light as if it were bright and darkness as if it were dim.

In darkness you can’t tell colours apart, only shades of grey.

Suffocating

You can hold your breath for 1 minute + 1 per point of your Constitution modifier (at least 30 seconds).

When you run out of air, you last as many rounds as your Constitution modifier (at least 1).
At the start of your next turn you drop to 0 HP and are dying.

Travel pace
Pace	Per minute	Per hour	Per day	Effect
Fast	400 feet	4 miles	30 miles	−5 to passive Perception
Normal	300 feet	3 miles	24 miles	—
Slow	200 feet	2 miles	18 miles	Can use Stealth