CHAPTER 1: How TO PLAY .............................................

2 CHAPTER 3: ADVENTURING········································ 14
Getting Started ....................................................................... 3 Travel....................................................................................... 15
S ix Abilities .............................................................................. 4 Resting .................................................................................... 15
CHAPTER 2: COMBAT ........................................................ 8 Rewards ................................................................: ................. 15
T he Order of Combat ............................................................. 9 Equipment .............................................................................. 16
Movement and Position ....................................................... 10 CHAPTER 4: SPELLCASTING......................................... 20
Actions in Combat ................................................................ 10 What Is a Spell? .................................................................... 21
Ma king an Attack ................................................................. 11 Casting a Spell ...................................................................... 21
Cover ....................................................................................... 12 S pell Lists ............................................................................... 23
Damage and Heali ng ........................................................... 12 Spells ....................................................................................... 24
APPENDIX: CONDITIONS ....................... ........................ 32

I
CHAPTER 1: How TO PLAY
HE DUNGEONS & DRAGONS ROLEPLAYING GAME I S ABOUT
storytelling in worlds of swords and sorcery. Like games
of make-believe, D&D is driven by imagination. It's about
picturing a crumbling castle in a darkening forest and
imagining how a fantasy adventurer might react to the
challenges that scene presents. In this fantasy world, the
possibilities are limitless.
 character. The group might fail to complete an adventure
Dungeon Master (DM): The castle stands among the trees,
s uccessfully, but if the players had a good time and created
the c rumbling ruins of seven round towers jutting up from it a memorable story, they all win.
like broken teeth. An archway littered with twisted shards of
rusted metal gapes open at the top of a s hort flight of steps. GETTING STARTED
Two of the towers, speckled with dark arrow slits, loom beside If this is your first time playing DUNGEONS & DRAGONS,
the entryway, and a dark hall yawns beyond. start by reading the rest of this chapter. It tells you the
Phillip (cleric): Let's send the rogue up ahead to look in and most important rules you need to play the game.
make sure it's safe. Someone needs to be the Dungeon Master for your first
play experience. Since you're reading this, you're a good
Amy (rogue): OK, I'll move to the side and sneak along the
candidate to be the DM. (If one of your friends knows how
wall of the tower until I can peer in through the entrance.
to play D&D already, you might want to ask that person
to be the OM and help you learn the game.) Once you've
Unlike a game of make-believe, D&D gives structure read this chapter, take a look at the first few pages of the
to the stories- a way of determining the consequences of adventu re book. That will help you understand the role of
the adventurers' actions. P layers roll dice to determine the DM and the basics of a D&D adventure.
whether their attacks hit or miss and whether their From there, look over the rest of this book. You don't
characters can scale a cliff, roll away from the strike of a need to memorize everything before your first game, but
magical lightning bolt, or pull off some other dangerous it helps if you know where to find the rules while you play.
task. Anything is possible, but the dice make some things Then get familiar with the adventure, a nd you'll be ready
more probable than others. to gather your frie nds together to play.
Each player chooses one cha racter from the five options
included. It's up to the players to turn these bare-bones
DM: All right, Amy, let's see how sneaky you are. Make a
characters into people by giving them names, describing
Dexterity check. their appearance, a nd bringing them to life while playing
Amy: With my Stealth skill , right? through the adventure. If you have more than five players,
DM: You bet. it's OK for two players to use the same character, as long
Amy (rolling a d20): I'm pretty sneaky-that's a 17. as they make the details of the character distinct; one
cleric might be a jolly woman named Sefris, while the
DM: OK, there's no sign that anyone notices you. And you're
other is a severe man named Albric.
looking inside?
GAME DICE
When you play D&D, you take on the role of an The game uses the polyhedral dice that come with this
adventurer: a s killed fighter, a devout cleric, a deadly set. In these rules, the differe nt dice are r eferred to by
rogue, or a spellcasting wizard. (The character sheets the letter d fo llowed by the number of sides: d4, d6, d8,
included in this set describe five heroes to ge t yQu started.) dlO (the 0 on the die represents a 10), dl2, and d20. For
With some friends and a little imagination, you strike out instance, a d6 is a six-sided die.
on grand quests a nd dari ng adve ntures, testing yourself Percentile dice, or dlO0, work a little differently. You
against an array of challenges and bloodthirsty monsters. generate a number between 1 and 100 by rolling the ten-
One player takes on the role of the Dungeon Master, the sided die twice. The first roll gives the tens digit, and the
game's lead storyteller and referee. The DM is in charge second gives the ones digit. If you roll a 7 and a 1, for
of the adventure, which appears in the adventure book, example, the number rolled is 71. Two Os represent 100.
while the characters navigate the adventure's hazards When you need to roll dice, the rules tell you how many
and decide where to explore. The DM might describe the dice to roll of a certain type, as well as what modifiers to
entrance to Cragmaw Castle, and the players decide what apply. For example, "3d8 + 5" means you roll three eight-
they want their adventurers to do. Will they boldly stride sided dice, add them together, a nd add 5 to the total.
up to the fallen gate, or try to sneak up in case anyone's
watching through those a rrow slits? Circle a round the
castle looking for another entrance? Or cast a s pell to
cloak themselves in invisibility?
The DM determines the results of the adventurers'
actions and narrates what the characte rs experience.
Because the DM can improvise to react to anything
the players attempt, D&D is infin itely flexible, and each
adventure can be exciting and unexpected.
There's no winning and losing in D&D- at least not the
way those terms are usua lly unde rstood. Togethe r, the
DM and the playe rs create a story of bold adventurers who
confront deadly perils. Sometimes an adventurer might
come to a gris ly end, torn apart by ferocious monsters
or done in by a nefarious villain. Even so, the other
adventurers can search for powerful magic to revive their
fallen comrade, or the player might choose to play a new

3
CHAPTER I: HOW TO PLAY
 THE STRUCTURE OF PLAY W HAT'S N EXT?
The D&D game consists of a group of cha racte rs This set is a complete DUNGEONS & DRAGONS experience,
(controlled by the players) e mbarking on an adventure enough to provide hours of play. You can even play through the
that the DM presents. The adve nture is the heart of the adventure book multiple times. You might be surprised at how
game. An adventure unfolds as a s tory that the DM and differently things can turn out! But one of the most rewarding
the othe r players tell together us ing the ma te ria l in the things about D&D is that it provides the opportunity to create
characters, and even worlds, of your own.
adventure book, in anothe r published adventure, o r in a
For tools and other products to help you make your own
setting of the DM's creation. The DM sets the scene at the
characters, visit DungeonsandDragons.com. There you will
start, giving the adventurers a reason to get involved. They find the basic rules of the game for free. Those rules tell you
are the protagonists of the story. The players control what how to create your own character to supplement or replace the
they do, a nd the DM controls the monsters a nd people the characters in this set , as well as how to advance a character
adventurers meet. T he DM a lso decides how the world beyond 5th level.
changes as a res ult of the adventurers' actions. If you want to create a greater variety of characters or
P lay of an adventure unfolds according to this populate your adventures with other m onsters, check out the
basic pattern: fifth edition Player's Handbook, Monster Manual, and Dungeon
1. The DM describes the environment. The DM tells Master's Guide. These advanced rulebooks introduce you to
the vast multiverse of D&D and invite you to create unique
the players where the ir adventurers are and what's a round
characters and worlds within it.
them, presenting the basic scope of options available: how
many doors lead out of a room, what's on a table, who's ...
in the tavern, a nd so on. The players can ask questions to
ma ke s ure they understand what their cha racters perceive. SIX ABILITIES
2. The players describe what they want to do. Six abilities provide a quick game description of
Sometimes one player speaks for the whole group, every character's and monster's physical a nd
saying, "We'll take the east door," for example. Othe r mental cha racteristics:
times, different adventurers do different things. One
Strength, meas uring physical power
adventurer mig ht s earch a treasure chest while a second
Dexterity, measuring agility
one examines an esoteric symbol e ng raved on a wall and
Constitution, measuring endurance
a third one keeps watch for monsters. The players don't
Intelligence, measuring reasoning a nd memory
need to take turns, but the DM liste ns to every player a nd
Wisdom, meas uring perception a nd ins ight
decides how to resolve those actions.
, Charisma, measuring force of personality
Sometimes, resolving a task is easy. If a n adventu rer
wants to walk across a room a nd ope n a door, the DM Is a cha racter muscle-bound and ins ightful? Brilliant a nd
might jus t say that the door opens and describe what lies charming? Nimble and ha rdy? For each of the six abilities,
beyond. But the door mig ht be locked, the floor might hide a character o r mons ter has a n ability score to measure it,
a deadly trap, or some othe r circumstance might make it typically ranging from 3 to 18. An adventure r can have a
cha llenging for an adventurer to complete a tas k. In those score as high as 20. A mo nster can have one as high as 30.
cases, the DM decides what happens, often relying on the The most important function of an ability score is
roll of a die to determ"ine the results of an action. providing a n ability modifier that us ua lly ranges fro m - 1
3. The DM narrates the results of the adventurers' (for a score of 8 o r 9) to +4 (for a score of 18). This modifier
actions. Describing the results often le ads to another applies to ability checks, saving throws, a nd attack rolls,
decision point, which brings the flow of the game right as expla ined in the next few sections.
back to step 1.
T his pattern holds whe ther the adventurers are A BI LI TY SCORE S AND MOD I FI ER S
cautiously explo ring a n ancient ruin, talking to a devious Score Modifier Score Modifier
prince, or locked in mortal combat against a dragon. -5 16- 17 +3
In cer tain situations, particularly combat, the action is 2-3 -4 18- 19 +4
more structured and the players (and DM) do take turns
4- 5 -3 20-21 +5
choosing a nd resolving actions. But most of the time, play
6-7 -2 22- 23 +6
is fluid, adapting to the circumstances of the adventure.
Ofte n the action of an adventure ta kes place wholly in 8-9 -l 24-25 +7
the imagination of the players a nd DM, relying o n the 10-ll +0 26- 27 +8
DM's verbal descriptions to set the scene. Some DMs 12- 13 +1 28-29 +9
like to use music, art, o r recorded sound e ffec ts to help 14- 15 +2 30 +10
set the mood, a nd many players and DMs alike adopt
different voices for the various adventurers, monsters, a nd THE CORE RULE
other cha racters they play in the game. Sometimes, a DM Does an adventurer's sword swing hurt a d ragon or
might lay out a map and use tokens or miniature figures bounce off its iron-hard scales? Does the ogre believe a n
to represent each creature involved in a scene to help the outrageous bluff? Can a cha racter swim across a raging
players keep track of where everyone is. rive r? Does a character avoid the main blast of a fireball or
ta ke full damage from the blaze? When the o utcome of a n
HALVING actio n is uncer tain, the game relies on the roll of a d20 to
Round down whe never the game requires you to halve a determine success or failure. Ability checks, attack rolls,
number. For example, if you ha lve 15, you get 7. and saving throws are the three main kinds of d20 rolls.

4
CHAPTER I: HOW TO PLAY
 For each one, you roll a d20, add any bonuses or penalties, the characte r or mo nster makes no progress toward the
and compare the total to a target number. If the total objective or makes progress combined with a setback
equals or exceeds it, you s ucceed . Here a re those s teps in determined by the DM. .
more detail: Often, the adventure book tells the DM w hat kind of
1. Roll the die. Roll a d20, then add the modifie r of the check a cha racter can make, the DC of the check, and
ability score used for the roll. A Dexterity saving throw, for what happens if the character succeeds or fa ils. S ince
instance, uses your Dexterity modifie r. characters often try unpredictable things, tho ugh, the
2. Apply circumstantial bonuses and penalties. A adventure book also provides advice to help the DM
s pell, a particular circumstance, or some other effect decide what kind of ability ~heck and DC to use in a
might give a bonus o r penalty to the roll. particular situation.
3. Compare the total to a target number. If the total
equals or exceeds the target numbe r, the roll is a s uccess. PROFICIENCY BONUS
Otherwise, it's a failure. The target number for a n ability You might be particularly skilled at a certa in kind of task
check or saving throw is called a Difficulty Class (DC). related to an ability check. The character sheets list each
For an a ttack roll, it's the Armor Class (AC) of the target cha racter's proficiencies with skills a nd specia l tools,
being attacked. The DM is us ually the o ne who determines a nd the monster statistics in the adventure book show
target numbers a nd tells players whether their ability monsters' proficiencies. If you have proficiency in a skill,
checks, attack rolls , and saving throws s ucceed or fail. such as Acrobatics or Deception (explained below), you
Ability checks and saving throws a re discussed in more add your proficiency bonus to ability checks you ma ke
detail below. Attack rolls are describe d in chapter 2. that use that skill. If you have proficiency with a certain
tool, s uch as thieves' tools or mason's tools, you add your
ADVANTAGE AND DISADVANTAGE proficiency bonus to a bility checks you ma ke using those
tools . You neve r add your proficiency bonus more than
Sometimes a s pe cial abil ity or s pell tells you that you
once to the same d20 roll.
have advantage or disadvantage on a d20 roll. When that
happens, you roll a second d20 when you make the roll. CONTESTS
Use the higher of the two rolls if you have adva ntage, a nd Sometimes one character's or monster's efforts are
use the lower roll if you have disadvantage. For example, if directly opposed to a nother's. This can occur when both
you have disadvantage a nd roll a 17 and a 5, you use the 5. of the m are trying to do the same thing a nd only one can
If you instead have advantage a nd roll those numbers, you s ucceed, s uch as attempting to s natch up a magic ring
use the 17. that has fallen on the floor. This situation a lso applies
If multiple situations affect a roll a nd each one grants when one of them is trying to preve nt the other o ne from
advantage or imposes disadvantage on it, you don't roll accomplishing a goal- for example, whe n a monster tries
more than one additional d20. If two favorable situations to force open a door that a n adventure r is holding closed.
grant advantage, for example, you s till roll o nly o ne In situations like these, the outcome is determined by a
additiona l d20. s pecial form of ability check, called a contest.
If circumstances cause a roll to have both advantage Both pa rticipants in a contest ma ke ability checks
a nd disadva ntage, you a re conside red to have neither of appropriate to the ir e ffo rts. They apply a ll appropriate
them, and you roll one d20. This is true even if multiple bonuses and penalties, but ins tead of comparing the tota l
circumstances impose disadvantage and only one grants to a DC, they compare the totals of thei r two checks.
a dvantage or vice versa. In s uch a s ituation, you have The participant with the h igher check total wins the
neither advantage nor disadvantage. contest. T hat character or monster either s ucceeds at the
When you have advantage or disadva ntage and action or prevents the other one from succeeding.
something in the game, s uch as the halfling's Lucky trait, If the contest res ults in a tie, the situation remains the
lets you reroll the d20, you can reroll only one of the dice. same as it was before the contest. Thus, one contestant
You choose which one. For example, if a ha lfling has might win the contest by default. If two characters tie in
advantage o n an ability check and foils a 1 a nd a 13, the a contest to s natch a ring off the floor, neither character
halfling could use the Lucky trait to reroll the 1. grabs it. In a contest between a monster trying to open a
door and a n adventurer trying to keep the door closed, a
ABILITY CHECKS tie means that the door remains shut.
An ability check tests a character's or monster's in nate
talent and training in an effort to overcome a cha llenge. SKILLS
The DM calls for a n ability check when a character or Each abi lity covers a broad range of capabilities,
monster attempts an actio n (other than an attack) tha t has including skills that a cha racter can be proficient in. A
a chance of failure. A character might make a Strength s kill represents a s pecific aspect of an ability score, and a
check to force o pen a door, a n Intelligence check to make character's proficiency in a skill demonstrates a focus on
sense of clues, o r a Wisdom check to notice goblins lying tha t as pect.
in ambush along the roa d. Whe n the outcome is uncerta in, A Dexterity check might, for example, re flect a
the dice determine the results . cha racter's attempt to pull off an acrobatic stunt, to palm
To make a n ability check, roll a d20 and add the an object, or to stay hidden. Each of these aspects of
appropriate ability modifie r. You use your Strength Dexterity has a n associated skill: Acrobatics, S leight of
modifier for a Strength check, for example. Hand, and S tealth, respectively. So a character who has
If the tota l equals or exceeds the DC, the ability check is proficiency in the S tealth skill is particularly good at
a s uccess. Otherwise, the check is a failure, which means Dexterity checks related to sneaking a nd hiding.

I CHAPTER I: HOW TO PLAY

5

I
 Sometimes, the DM might ask for an abi lity check
us ing a s pecific skill- for example, "Ma ke a Wisdom HIDING AND VISION
(Perception) check." At other times, a player might ask the When you try to hide, make a Dexterity (Stealth) check. Until
DM if proficiency in a pa rticula r skill applies to a check . you are discovered or you stop hiding, that check's total is
In eithe r case, proficie ncy in a skill means a character can contested by the Wisdom (Perception) check of any creature
add his o r her proficiency bonus to a bili ty checks that use that actively searches for signs of your presence.
You can't hide from a creature that can see you, and if you
that skill. Without proficie ncy in the s kill, the cha racter
make noise (such as shouting a warning or knocking over a
ma kes a no rma l ability check.
vase), you give away your position. An invisible creature can't
For example, if a cha racter attempts to climb up a be seen, so it can always try to hide. Signs of its passage might
dangero us cliff, the Dungeon Maste r mig ht ask for a still be noticed, however, and it still has to stay quiet.
S treng th (Athletics) check. If the character is proficient in Passive Perception. When you hide, there's a chance someone
Athletics, the cha racter's proficiency bo nus is added to the will notice you even if they aren't searching. To determine
S treng th check. If the cha racte r lacks that proficiency, he whether such a creature notices you, the OM compares your
or s he just ma kes a Strength check. Dexterity (Stealth) check with that creature's passive Wisdom
(Perception) score, which equals 10 + the creature's Wisdom
STRENGTH CHECKS modifier, as well as any other bonuses or penalties. If the
creature has advantage, add 5. For disadvantage, subtract 5.
Stre ng th measures bodily powe r, athletic tra ining, and For example, if a 1st-level character (with a proficiency bonus
the exte nt to which you can exert raw physical force. A of +2) has a Wisdom of 15 (a + 2 modifier) and proficiency in
S tre ng th check can model a ny a ttempt to lift, pus h, pull, Perception, he or she has a passive Wisdom (Perception) of 14.
or break something, to force your body throug h a space, o r What Can You See? One of the main factors in determining
to other wise apply brute force to a s ituation. The Athletics whether you can find a hidden creature or object is how well you
skill reflects aptitude in cer tain kinds of S trength checks. can see in an area, which might be lightly or heavily obscured.
In a lightly obscured area-such as dim light, patchy fog, or
Athletics. Yo ur S tre ngth (Ath le tics) check covers
moderate foliage-creatures have disadvantage on Wisdom
difficult situations you encounter while climbing, jumping,
(Perception) checks that rely on sight. In a heavily obscured
or swimming. Examples include the following activities: area- such as darkness, opaque fog, or dense foliage-vision
• You atte mpt to climb a sheer or slippery cliff, avoid is blocked, effectively imposing the blinded condition, as
hazards while scaling a wa ll, o r cling to a s urface while
something is trying to knock you off.
• You try to jump a n unus ually lo ng dis ta nce o r pull off a
explained in the appendix.

"'II ,.
s tunt m idjump. CONSTITUTION CHECKS
You struggle to swim or stay afloat in treacherous cur-
rents , storm-tossed waves, or a reas of thick seaweed. Or Constitution measu res health, stamina, a nd vital force.
a nother creature tries to push or pull you unde rwate r or Constitutio n checks a re uncommo n, and no skills apply
other w ise interfere with your swimmi ng. to Constitution checks, because the endura nce this
a bility re presents is la rgely passive rathe r tha n involving
DEXTERITY CHECKS a specific e ffort on the part of a cha racter or mo nster. A
Constitution check ca n model your attempt to push beyond
Dexterity measures physical agility, reflexes, a nd bala nce. no rma l lim its, however.
A Dexterity check can model a ny attempt to move nimbly,
quickly, or quietly, o r to keep from falling on tricky footing. INTELLIGENCE CHECKS
The Ac robatics, S le ight of Ha nd, a nd S tealth s kills reflect
aptitude in certa in kinds of Dexterity checks. Inte lligence measures mental acuity, strength of recall,
Acrobatics. Your Dexterity (Acrobatics) check covers a nd the ability to reason. An Intelligence check comes
your attempt to stay on your feet in a tricky situation, s uch into play w he n you need to draw on logic, education,
as when you're trying to run across a s heet of ice, balance memory, or deductive reasoning. T he Arcana, History,
on a tightrope, or s tay upright on a rocking ship's deck . Investigatio n, Nature, a nd Re ligion s kills re flect aptitude
The DM might a lso call for a Dexterity (Acrobatics) check in certa in kinds of Intelligence checks.
to see if you can perform acrobatic stunts, including dives, Arcana. Your Intelligence (Arcana) check measures your
rolls, somersaults, a nd flips. ability to recall lo re about spells, magic items, e ldritch
Sleight ofHand. Whe never you atte mpt an act of symbols , magical traditio ns, the pla nes of existence, a nd
legerdema in or ma nual trickery, such as pla nting the inhabitants of those pla nes.
something on someone else or concealing a n object on History. Your Intelligence (History) check measures
your person, make a Dexterity (Sle ight of Ha nd) check. you r ability to recall lore about his torical events, legendary
The DM might also call for a Dexterity (Sleig ht of Ha nd) people, a ncient kingdo ms, past dis putes, recent wars, and
check to determine whethe r you can lift a coin pu rse off lost civilizatio ns.
a nother person o r s lip something out of another Investigation. W he n you look around for clues a nd
person's pocket. ma ke deductions based on those clues, you make an
Stealth. Make a Dexterity (Stealth) check when you Intelligence (Investigation) check. Yo u m ight deduce the
attempt to conceal yourself fro m ene m ies, slink past location of a hidden object, discern from the appearance
gua rds, slip away witho ut be ing noticed , or sneak up on of a wound what kind of weapon dealt it, or dete rmine the
someone w ithout being seen or heard. weakest point in a tunnel that could cause it to collapse.
Poring through ancient scrolls in search of a hidden
fragment of knowledge might a lso call for a n Intelligence
(Investigation) check.

6
CHAPTER 1: HOW TO PLAY
 Nature. Your Intelligence (Nature) check measures your Intimidation. When you attempt to influe nce someone
ability to recall lore about terrain, pla nts a nd animals, the throug h overt threats, hostile actions, a nd physical
weathe r, and natura l cycles. violence, the DM mig ht ask you to ma ke a Charisma
Religion. Your Intelligence (Re ligion) check mea s ures (Intimidatio n) check. Examples include trying to pry
your ability to recall lo re about de ities, rites a nd praye rs , information out of a prisoner, convincing street thugs
religious hie ra rchies, holy symbols, and the practices to back dow n from a confrontation, or us ing the edge of
of secret cults . a broken bottle to convince a s neering vizier to reconsider
a decision.
WISDOM CHECKS P erformance. Your Charisma (Performa nce) check
Wisdom reflects how attuned you are to the world a round determines how well you can delight a n audience with
you, representing perceptiveness a nd intuition. A W isdom music, da nce, acting, storytelling, or some othe r form of
check mig ht reflect an e ffort to read body la nguage, entertainment.
understand someone's feelings, notice things about the Persuasion. Whe n you attempt to influence someone or
environment, or care for an injured person. The Animal a group of people with tact, social graces, or good nature,
Handling, Insight, Medicine, Perception, and S urvival the DM might ask you to ma ke a Cha risma (Persuasion)
skills reflect a ptitude in certa in kinds of Wisdom checks . check. Typica lly, you use pe rs uasion when acting in good
Animal Handling. When the re is a ny question whe ther faith, to foster friendships, ma ke cordia l requests, or
you can calm down a domesticated a nima l, keep a mount exhibit proper etiquette. Examples of pers uading others
from getting s pooke d, or intuit a n animal's intentions, the include convincing a cha mberla in to let your pa rty see
DM might call for a Wisdom (Anima l Ha ndling) check. Yo u the king, negotiating peace between warring tribes, or
also ma ke a Wis dom (Anima l Ha ndling) check to control ins piring a crowd of townsfolk.
your mount whe n you attempt a risky ma ne uver.
Insight. Your Wis dom (Ins ight) check decides whether SAVING THROWS
you can dete rmine the true inte ntions of a creature, s uch A saving throw, or save, re presents a n attempt to resist
as when sea rching out a lie or predicting someone's or avoid a s pell, a trap, a poison, a disea se, or a s imilar
next move. Doing so involves gleaning clues from body threat. You don't norma lly decide to make a saving throw;
la nguage, s peech habits, a nd cha nges in manne ris ms . you a re forced to do so because your cha racter or monster
Medicine. A Wis dom (Medicine) check lets you try to is at risk of ha rm.
stabilize a dying companion or diagnose an illness. To ma ke a saving throw, roll a d20 a nd add the
Perception. Your Wisdom (Perception) check le ts you appropriate ability modifier. For example, yo u use your
spot, hear, or othe rwise detect the presence of something. Dexte rity modifie r for a Dexte rity saving throw.
It meas ures your general awa reness of your s urroundings A saving throw can be modified by a situatio na l
a nd the keenness of your senses. For exa mple , you might bonus or pena lty and can be a ffected by advanta ge and
try to hear a conversation through a closed door, eavesdrop dis advantage, as determined by the DM.
under an open window, or hea r monsters moving stealthily A character s heet indicates a characte r's s aving throw
in the forest. Or you might try to s pot things that are proficiencies. As w ith skill proficiencies, proficie ncy in a
obscured or easy to m iss, whether they are ores lying in saving throw lets a character add his or her proficiency bonus
ambush on a road, thugs h iding in the shadows of an a lley, to saving throws made using a pa rticular ability score.
or candlelight under a closed se cret doo r. Some monsters have saving throw proficiencies as well.
Survival. The DM might ask you to ma ke a Wisdom The Diffic ulty Class for a saving throw is determined
(Survival) check to follow tracks, hunt wild game, g uide by the e ffect that causes it. When a s pell allows a s aving
your group through frozen wastelands, identify signs throw, for ins tance, the DC for that save is dete rmined by
that owlbears live nearby, predict the we athe r, o r avoid the caster's s pellcasting ability a nd proficiency bonus .
quicksand and other na tura l ha za rds. The result of a s uccessfu l or failed saving throw is
a lso deta iled in the effect that forces the save. Us ua lly, a
CHARISMA CHECKS s uccessful save means that a cha racter or mons te r s uffers
Charisma meas ures your ability to inte ract effectively no ha rm, or reduced harm, from a n effect.
with others. It includes s uch facto rs as confidence a nd
eloquence. A Charisma check mig ht a rise when you try FINDINCi A HIDDEN OBJECT
to influence or e nterta in others, whe n you try to ma ke When your character searches for a hidden object such as
an impression or tell a convincing lie , or when you a re a secret door or a trap, the OM typically asks you to make a
navigating a tricky socia l situation. The Deception, Wisdom (Perception) check. Such a check can be used to find
Intimidation, Pe rforma nce, a nd P ers uasion skills reflect hidden details or other information and clues that you might
aptitude in certain kinds of Cha risma checks . otherwise overlook.
Deception. Your Charisma (Deception) check In most cases, you need to describe where you are looking
determines whether you can convincingly hide the truth, in order for the OM to determine your chance of success. For
example, a key is hidden beneath a set of folded clothes in the
either verbally or through your actions. T his deception can
top drawer of a bureau. If you tell the OM that you pace around
encompass everything from misleading others through
the room, looki ng at the walls and furniture for clues, you
ambiguity to telling o utright lies. Typical s ituations include have no chance of finding the key, regardless of your Wisdom
trying to fast-talk a gua rd, con a mercha nt, earn money (Perception) check result. You would have to specify that you
through ga mbling, pass yourself off in a disguise, dull were opening the drawers or searching the bureau in order to
someone's s us picions with false assurances, or maintain a have any chance of success.
stra ight face while telling a blata nt lie. ~ ~

7
CHAPTER l: HOW TO PLAY

I
CHAPTER 2: COMBAT
ATTLE OFTEN ERUPTS W HE N ADVENTURERS FACE THEIR FOES,
whethe r the e nemies a re savage monsters or cunning
villains. This chapte r provides the ru les you need for s uch
combat. The rules address you, the player or Dungeon
Master. The Dungeon Master controls a ll the monsters
and no nplayer characte rs involved in combat, a nd each
other player controls a n adve nturer. "You" can also mean
the cha racter o r monste r that you control.
 THE ORDER OF COMBAT YOUR TUR N
A typical combat encounte r is a clash between two sides, On yo ur turn, you ca n move a dista nce up to your s peed
a flurry of weapo n swings, feints, pa rries, footwo rk, and and take one action. You decide whether to move first or
s pellcasting. The game organizes the chaos of comba t ta ke your action firs t. Your s peed- sometimes called your
into a cycle of rounds and turns . A round re presents wa lking s peed- is noted on your cha racter s heet.
about 6 seconds in the game world. During a round, each The mos t common actions you can take are described
pa rticipant in a battle ta kes a turn. in the "Actions in Combat" section later in this chapter.
The order of turns is de te rmined at the beginning of a Ma ny class features and o the r abilities provide additio nal
combat encounter, whe n eve ryone rolls initiative. Once options fo r your action.
everyone has take n a turn, the fight continues to the next The "Movement a nd P osition" section late r in this
round if neither s ide has defeated the other. chapter gives the rules for your move.
You can forgo moving, taking a n action, or doing
anything at all on your turn. If you can't decide what to do
COMBAT STEP BY STEP
on your turn, cons ider taking the Dodge or Ready action,
1. Determine surprise. The DM determines whether anyone as described in "Actions in Combat."
involved in the combat encounter is surprised.
2.Establish positions. The DM decides where all the characters BONUS ACTIONS
and monsters are located. Given the adventurers' marching Various class features, spells, a nd othe r abilities let you
order or their stated positions in the room or other location,
take an additiona l action on your turn ca lle d a bonus
the DM figures out where the adversaries are-how far away
action. T he Cunning Action feature, for example, a llows a
and in what direction.
rogue to ta ke a bonus a ction. You can take a bonus action
3. Roll initiative. Everyone involved rolls initiative, determining
only whe n a s pecial ability, spell, o r other feature of the
the order of combatants' turns.
4. Take turns. Each participant in the battle takes a turn in
game a llows you to do something as a bonus action. You
initiative order.
othe rwise don't have one to ta ke.
5. Begin the next round. When everyone involved in the combat You can ta ke only one bonus action on your turn, so you
has had a turn, the round ends. Repeat step 4 until the must choose which bonus ac tion to use whe n you have
fighting stops. more tha n one available.
... ,. You choose whe n to take the bonus actio n during the
turn, unless the bonus action's timing is s pecified.
SURPRISE
OTHER A CT IV IT Y O N Y O U R TuRN
The OM determines who might be s urprised. If neither Your turn can include a varie ty of flourishes that require
side tries to be s tealthy, they automatically no tice each neithe r your actio n nor your move.
othe r. Otherwise, the OM compare s the Dexterity (Stealth) You can communicate however you a re able, through
checks of a nyone hiding with the passive Wis dom brief utterances a nd gestures, as you ta ke your turn.
(Pe rception) score of each creature o n the opposing s ide. You can a ls o interact with one object or feature of the
Any characte r or mo nste r that doesn't notice a threat is environme nt for free, during eithe r your move o r your
s urprised a t the s tart of the encounter. action. For exa mple, you could open a door during your
If you're surprised, you can't move or take a n action on move as you stride toward a foe, or you could d raw your
your fi rs t turn of the combat, a nd you can't take a reactio n weapon as part of the same action you use to attack.
until that turn ends . A membe r of a group can be s urprised If you want to interact with a second object, you need
even if the othe r me mbers aren't. to use your actio n. Some magic items a nd other s pecia l
objects a lways require a n action to use, as stated
INITIATIVE in their descriptions.
Initiative de termines the order of turns during combat. The OM might require you to use a n ac tion for a ny of
When comba t s tarts, eve ry participa nt make s a Dexterity these activities whe n it needs s pecial care or when it
check to determine their place in the initiative order. The presents an unus ua l obstacle. For insta nce, the OM
OM makes one roll for a n entire group of identical creatures, could reasonably expect you to use a n action to open a
so each member of the g roup acts at the same time. s tuck door or turn a cra nk to lower a drawbridge.
The OM ra nks the combatants in orde r from the one
with the highest Dexte rity check total to the one with REACT I ONS
the lowest. This is the order (calle d the initiative order) Certa in specia l abilities, spells, a nd situations a llow you
in which they act during each round. T he initiative order to take a s pecia l action called a reaction. A reaction is
remains the same from round to round. a n insta nt response to a trigger of some kind, which can
If a tie occurs, the OM decides the order amo ng tied occur on your turn or o n some one e lse's. The opportunity
OM-controlled creatures, a nd the players decide the orde r a ttack, described later in this chapter, is the most common
among the ir tied cha racters. The OM can decide the order type of reaction.
if the tie is be tween a monster a nd a player cha racter. You can take only one reactio n per round. When you
Optio na lly, the OM can have the tied charac ters and take a reaction, you can't take a nothe r one until the
mo nste rs each roll a d20 to de te rmine the order, hig hest s ta r t of your next turn. If the reaction interrupts another
roll going fi rst. creature's turn , that creature ca n continue its turn right
a fter the reaction.

9
C HAPTER 2: COMBAT

I
 MOVEMENT AND POSITION ACTIONS IN COMBAT
In combat, characte rs a nd mo ns te rs a re in cons ta nt Whe n you ta ke your action o n your turn, you can take
motion, often us ing moveme nt and position to gain the one of the actions presented here, an action you gained
upper ha nd. On your turn, you can move a distance up to from your class or a special feature, or a n action that
your s peed . You can use as much or as little of your s peed you improvise. W hen you describe an action not detailed
as you like on your turn, following the r ules he re. Your elsew here in the rules, the OM tells you whether that
move can include jumping, climbing, and swim ming, as action is possible a nd what kind of roll you need to ma ke,
described in chapter 3. if a ny, to determine s uccess or failure.

BREAKING UP YOUR MOVE ATTACK

You can break up your movement on your turn , using T he most common action to take in combat is the Attack
s ome of your s peed both before a nd a fte r your actio n. For action, w hethe r you a re swinging a sword, firing a n a rrow
example, if you have a speed of 30 feet, you can move 10 from a bow, or brawling with your fists.
feet, search for a trap door, a nd the n move 20 feet. With this action, you make o ne me lee or ra nged a ttack.
S imilarly, if you ta ke a n action that includes more tha n See the "Making an Attack" sectio n for the rules that
o ne weapo n attack, you can break up your moveme nt even govern attacks.
further by moving between those attacks. Certain features, s uch as the Extra Attack feature that
If you have mo re tha n one s peed, s uch as your walking the fighte r gets a t 5th level, a llow you to make more than
s peed and a Hying s peed, you can sw itch back a nd forth o ne attack w ith this action.
between your s peeds d uring your move. Whenever you
switch, s ubtract the dista nce you've a lready moved fro m (ASTINC A SPELL
the new s peed. The resu lt determ ines how much fa r the r
Spellcasters such as wizards and clerics, as well as many
you can move. For example, if you have a s peed of 30 a nd
monsters, have access to spells and can use them to great
a flyi ng s peed of 60 because a wizard cast the fly s pell on effect in combat. Each spell has a casting time, which s pecifies
you, you could fly 20 feet, the n walk 10 feet, and then leap whether the caster must use an action, a reaction, minutes, or
into the a ir to fly 30 feet mo re. even hours to cast the spell. Most spells have a casting time of
1 action, so a spellcaster often uses his or her action in combat
DIFFICULT TERRAIN to cast s uch a spe ll. See chapter 4 for the rules on spellcasting.
Combatants a re often s lowe d down by difficult terrain.
Low furniture, rubble, undergrowth, steep s ta irs, s now,
a nd shallow bogs a re examples of difficult terra in. The DASH
s pace of a nother creature, whethe r hostile or no t, a lso Whe n you take the Dash actio n, you ga in extra movement
counts as di fficult ter rain. for the current turn. The increase equals your speed,
Every foot of moveme nt in di fficult terrain foot costs after applyi ng a ny modifiers. With a speed of 30 feet, for
1 extra foot. This rule is true even if multiple things in a example, you can move up to 60 feet o n your turn if you dash.
space count as difficu lt te rra in. Any increase or decrease to your speed cha nges this
additio na l moveme nt by the same a mount. If your s peed of
BEING PRONE 30 feet is reduced to 15 feet, for instance, you can move up
Combata nts often find them selves lying o n the ground, to 30 feet this turn if you dash.
either because they are knocked down or because they
throw themselves down. In the game, they a re pro ne, a
DISEN GAGE
condition described in the a ppe ndix. If you ta ke the Disengage action, your move ment doesn't
You can drop prone without using a ny of your speed. provoke opportunity attacks for the rest of the turn.
Standing up takes more effo r t; doing so costs an a mo unt
of moveme nt equa l to ha lf your speed. For example, if DODGE
your s peed is 30 feet, you must spend 15 feet of movement Whe n you take the Dodge action, you focus entirely on
to sta nd up. You can't s ta nd up if you don't have enough avoiding attacks. Until the sta rt of your next turn, a ny
moveme nt left o r if your s peed is 0 . attack roll ma de against you has disadvantage if you
To move while prone, you must crawl or use magic s uch can see the attacker, a nd you make Dexterity saving
as telepor tation. Every foot of movement while crawling throws w ith ad vantage. You lose th is benefit if you are
costs 1 extra foot. Crawling 1 foot in difficu lt te r rai n, incapacitated (as explained in the appe ndix) or if your
therefore, costs 3 feet of movement. speed drops to 0.
MOVING AROUND OTHER CREATURES HELP
You can move th rough a nonhostile creature's s pace. You can lend your a id to another creature in the
In contrast, you can move through a hostile creature's completion of a task. When you take the Help action,
space only if it is at least two sizes la rger or s ma lle r tha n the c reatu re you aid gains adva ntage on the next ability
you (creature s izes a re deta iled in the adventure book). check it makes to perform the task you a re helping with,
Whe ther a creature is a friend o r a n e nemy, you can't provided that it ma kes the check before the s ta rt of your
w illingly e nd your move in its space. next turn.
If you move out of a n ene my's reach, you provoke a n
o ppor tunity attack, as e xpla ined later in the chapter.
10
CHAPTER '2: COMBAT
 Alternatively, you can a id a friendly c reature in attacking s pecia l abilities, and othe r effects can apply pena lties,
a creature within 5 feet of you. You fe int, dis tract the bonuses, advantage, or disadva ntage to your a ttack roll.
target, or in some other way team up to ma ke your a lly's 3. Resolve the attack. You ma ke the attack roll. On
attack more e ffective. If your ally attacks the ta rget before a hit, you roll da mage, unless the particula r attack
your next turn, the first attack roll is m ade with advantage. s pecifies othe rwise.

HIDE ATTACK ROLLS

When you take the Hide action, yo u make a Dexterity Whe n you ma ke a n attack, your attack roll determines
(Stealth) check in an attempt to hide, following the rules whethe r the attack hits or misses. To make a n attack roll,
in chapte r 1 for hiding. If you s ucceed, you gain certain roll a d20 a nd add the appropriate modifie rs . If the total
bene fits, as described in the "Unseen Attackers and of the roll plus modifiers equa ls or exceeds the target's
Ta rgets" section later in this chapter. Armor Class (AC), the attack hits. Eac h cha racter's AC is
shown on the character sheet, a nd each monster's AC is in
READY the monste r's stat block.
Sometimes you wa nt to get the jump on a foe o r wait for a
M O DIFIERS TO T H E R OLL
particular circumsta nce before you act. To do so, you can
When a cha racter makes a n attack roll, the two most
ta ke the Ready action on your turn so that you can act late r
common modifie rs to the roll a re a n ability modifier
in the round us ing your reactio n.
a nd the character's proficiency bonus . A monster uses
First, you decide what pe rceivable circ umsta nce will
whatever modifier is provided in its stat block.
trigger your reaction. Then, you choose the action you will
Ability Modifier. The ability modifier used for a melee
ta ke in respons e to that trigger, or you choose to move up
weapon attack is S trength, a nd the ability modifie r used
to your speed in response to it. Exa mples include "If the
for a ra nged weapon attack is Dexte rity. Weapons that
cultist s teps on the trapdoor, I'll pull the lever that opens
have the finesse or thrown property break this rule.
it," and "If the goblin steps next to me, I move away."
Some s pells also require a n attack roll. The cleric uses
Whe n the trigger occurs, you can eithe r take your
Wisdom when making a melee or ranged s pe ll attack, a nd
reaction right after the trigger finis hes or ignore the trigger.
the wizard uses Inte lligence.
Remembe r that you can ta ke only one reaction per round.
Proficiency Bonus. If you a re proficient with the
A s pell mus t have a casting time of 1 actio n to be
weapon you a re attacking w ith, you can add your
readied, and holding onto the s pe ll's magic until you
proficiency bo nus to the attack roll.
release it with your re action requires concentration
When you ma ke a s pell attack, you add your proficiency
(explained in chapter 4). For exa mple, if you a re
bonus to the a ttack roll.
concentrating on the web s pell and ready m agic missile,
your web s pell e nds, and if you take da mage before R O L LING 1 O R 20
you release magic missile with your reactio n, your S ome times fate blesses or curses a combata nt, causing
concentration might be broken. the novice to hit o r the vetera n to miss.
If the d20 roll for an attack is a 20, the attack hits
SEARCH regardless of any modifiers o r the target's AC. In addition,
When you ta ke the Search action, you devote yo ur the attack is a critical hit, as expla ined later in the chapter.
a ttention to fi nding something. De pending o n the nature If the d20 roll for an attack is a 1, the attack misses
of your search, the DM might have you make a Wisdom regardless of a ny modifiers o r the ta rget's AC.
(Perception) check or a n Inte lligence (Investigation) check.
UNSEE N ATTACKERS AND TARGETS
USE AN OBJECT Combata nts often try to escape their foes' notice by hiding,
Yo u norma lly interact with a n object while doing casting the invisibility s pell, or lurking in darkness.
something else , s uch as when you draw a swo rd as pa rt When you a ttack a ta rget that you can't see, you have
of a n attack. Whe n an o bject requires your action for its disadvantage on the attack roll. This is true whether you're
use, you ta ke the Use a n Object action. This action is guessing the target's location or you're ta rgeting a creature
also useful when you want to interact with more than o ne you can hear but not see. If the target isn't in the location
object on your turn. you targeted, you automatically miss, but the DM typically
just says that the attack missed , not whether yo u guessed
MAKING AN ATTACK the ta rget's locatio n correctly.
When a cre ature can't see you, you have advantage on
Wheneve r yo u ma ke a n attack roll, you're making a n
attack rolls against it.
attack. Whe ther you're striking with a me lee weapon,
If you a re hidde n- both unseen a nd unheard- when
firing a weapon at ra nge, o r making a n attack roll as part
you ma ke a n attack, you give away your location whe n the
of a spell, a n attack has the following structure:
attack hits or misses.
1. Choose a target. Pick a ta rget w ithin your attack's
range: a creature, a n o bject, or a location. R A NGED ATTACKS
2. Determine modifiers. The DM de termines whether When you make a ranged attack, you fire a bow or a
the ta rget has cover and whether you have advantage
crossbow, hurl a ha ndaxe, or other wise send projectiles to
or disadvanta ge against the target. In addition , s pells, strike a foe at a distance. A monster might shoot s pines from
its tail. Ma ny s pells also involve ma king a ranged attack.

11
C HAPTER 2: COMBAT

I
 RANGE ha rm. A target can benefit from cover only when a n attack
You can make ranged attacks only against targets with in a or other effect originates on the o pposite side of the cover.
s pecified ra nge. There a re three degrees of cover. If a target is be hind
If a ranged a ttack, such as one made with a s pell, has a multiple sources of cover, only the mos t protective degree
single range, you can't attack a target beyond this ra nge. of cover applies; the degrees aren't added together.
Some ranged attacks, such as those made w ith a A targe t with half cover has a +2 bonus to AC and
longbow o r a shortbow, have two ra nges. The s maller Dexterity saving throws . A target has half cover if an
number is the normal range, a nd the larger number is obstacle blocks at least ha lf of its body. The obstacle might
the long range. Your attack roll has disadva ntage when be a low wall, a large piece of furniture, a narrow tree
your targe t is beyond norma l range, a nd you ca n't attack a trunk, or a creatu re, whethe r that creature is an enemy
ta rget beyond the lo ng range. or a friend.
A target with three-quarters cover has a +5 bonus
RANGED ATTACKS IN CLOSE COMBAT to AC and Dexterity saving throws. A target has three-
Aiming a ranged attack is more difficult when a foe is next quarters cover if about three-quarters of it is covered by an
to you. Whe n you make a ranged attack with a weapon, a obstacle. The obstacle might be a portcullis, a n arrow slit,
spell, or some other means, you have disadvantage on the or a thick tree trunk.
attack roll if you a re within 5 feet of a hostile creature who A target with total cover can't be targe ted directly by a n
can see you and who isn't incapacitated. attack o r a s pe ll, a lthough some s pells can reach s uch a
target by including it in an area of e ffect. A target has tota l
MELEE ATTACKS cover if it is completely concealed by an obstacle.
Used in ha nd-to-hand combat, a melee attack allows you
to attack a foe within your reach. Most creatures have D AMAGE AND H EALING
a 5-foot reach and can thus a ttack targets within 5 feet Injury and the ris k of death are cons tant companions of
of the m. Certain c reatures (typically those la rger tha n a those who explore the worlds of D&D.
human) have greater reach, as noted in their descriptions.
When you a re una rmed, you can fight in melee by HIT POI NTS
making a n unarmed strike, as shown in the weapon table
Hit points represent a combination of physical a nd mental
in chapte r 3.
durability, the will to live, and luck. Creatures with more
hit points are more difficult to kill. Those with fewe r hit
OPPORTUNITY ATTACKS
points are more fragile.
In a fight, everyone is constantly watching for enemies to A creature's current hit points (us ually just called hit
drop the ir guard. You can rare ly move heedlessly past your points), can be a ny numbe r from the c reature's hit point
foes without putting you rself in danger; doing so provokes maximum down to 0. This number changes frequently as a
a n opportunity attack. c reature takes damage or receives healing.
You can make an o pportunity attack when a hostile Whe never a creature takes da mage, that damage is
creature that you can see moves out of you r reach. To s ubtracted from its hit points. The loss of hit points has no
make the opportunity attack, you use your reaction to e ffect on a creature's capabilities until the creature drops
make one melee attack against the provoking creature. to O hit points.
The attack interrupts the provoking creature's move ment,
occurring right before it leaves your reach. DAMAGE ROLLS
You can avoid provoking an opportunity attack by
Each weapon a nd s pell notes the da mage it deals on a
taking the Disengage action. You also don't provo ke an
s uccessful attack. You roll the damage die or dice, add
opportunity attack whe n you teleport or when someone
a ny modifie rs, and apply the damage to your target. Magic
or something moves you without using your moveme nt,
weapons, s pecial abilities, a nd other factors can grant a
action, or reaction. For example, you do n't provoke an
bonus to damage. In addition, certain s pe cial abilities give
opportunity attack if an explosion hurls you out of a foe's
extra damage represented by bonus dice .
reach or if g ravity causes you to fa ll past an ene my.
When attacking w ith a weapon, you add your ability
modifier- the same modifier used for the attack roll- to
Two-WEAPON FIGHTING
the damage. A spell tells you wh ich dice to roll for da mage
When you take the Attack action and attack with a light a nd whether to add any modifie rs. If a s pell or other effect
melee weapon that you're holding in one hand, you gain deals damage to more than one target at the same time,
a bonus action you can use to attack w ith a differe nt light roll the damage once for a ll of them.
melee weapon that you're holding in the other hand. You
don't add your ability modifier to the damage of the bonus C RITICAL HITS
attack, unless that modifier is negative. When you score a critical hit, you get to roll extra dice
If eithe r weapon has the thrown property, you can throw for the attack's da mage aga inst the target. Roll a ll of the
the weapon, ins tead of making a melee attack with it. a ttack's da mage dice twice a nd add them togethe r. Then
add a ny relevant modifiers as norma l. To speed up play,
COVER you can roll a ll the damage dice at o nce.
For example, if you score a·critical hit with a dagge r,
Wa lls, trees, creatures, and other obstacles can provide
roll 2d4 for the da mage, rather than ld4, a nd the n add
cover during combat, making a target more difficult to
your relevant ability modifie r. If the attack involves other

12
CHAPTER 2: COMBAT
 damage dice, such as from the rogue's Sneak Attack but 12 damage remains. Because the remaining damage
feature, you roll those dice twice as well. equals her hit point maximum, the cleric dies.

DAMAGE TYPES FALLING UNCONSCIOUS

Different attacks a nd damaging spells deal different types If damage reduces you to O hit points and fails to kill
of damage. Damage types have no rules of their own, but you, you fall unconscious (see the appendix). This
other rules, such as damage resistance, rely on the types. unconsciousness ends if you regain a ny hit points.
The types a re acid, bludgeoning, cold, fire, force,
lightning, necrotic, piercing, poison, psychic, radiant, DEATH SAVING THROWS
s lashing, and thunder. Whenever you start your turn with O hit points, you must
make a special saving throw, called a death saving throw,
DAMAGE RESISTANCE AND to determine whether you creep closer to death or hang ·
onto life. Unlike other saving throws, this o ne isn't tied to
VULNERABILITY
any ability score. You a re in the hands of fate now, aided
Some creatures a nd objects are exceedingly diffic ult or only by spells a nd features that improve your chances of
unusually easy to hurt with certain types of damage. succeeding on a saving throw.
If a creature or an object has resistance to a damage Roll a d20. If the roll is 10 or highe r, you succeed.
type, damage of that type is ha lved against it. If a creature Otherwise, you fail. A s uccess or failure has no effect by
or a n object has vulnerability to a damage type, damage itself. On your third success, you become stable (see below).
of that type is doubled against it. On your third fa ilure, you die. The successes and failures
Resistance a nd then vulnerability are applied after all don't need to be consecutive; keep track of both until you
other modifiers to damage. For example, a creature has collect three of a kind. The number of both is reset to zero
resistance to bludgeoning da mage a nd is hit by a n attack when you regain a ny hit points or become stable.
that deals 25 bludgeoning damage. The creature is a lso Rolling 1 or 20. When you make a death saving throw
within a magical aura that reduces a ll damage by 5. The and roll a 1 on the d20, it counts as two failures. If you roll
25 damage is first reduced by 5 and then halved, so the a 20 on the d20, you regain 1 hit point.
creature takes 10 damage. Damage at OHit Points. If you take any damage while
Multiple instances of resistance o r vulnerability that you have O hit points, you s uffer a death saving throw
affect the same damage type count as only one instance. failure. If the damage is from a critical hit, you s uffer two
For example, if a creature has resistance to fire damage failures instead. If the damage equa ls or exceeds your hit
as well as resistance to a ll nonmagical damage, the point maximum, you suffer instant death.
damage of a nonmagical fire is reduced by ha lf against the
creature, not reduced by three-quarters. STABILIZING A CREATURE
The best way to save a creature with O hit points is to heal
HEALING it. If healing is unavailable, the creature can at least be
Unless it results in death, damage isn't permanent, and stabilized so that it isn't killed by a failed death saving throw.
even death is reversible through powerful magic. Rest can You can use your action to adm inister first a id to an
restore a creature's hit points (as explained in chapter 3), unconscious creature and attempt to stabilize it, which
and magical methods such as a cure wounds spell or a requires a s uccessful DC 10 Wisdom (Medicine) check.
potion of healing can remove damage in a n instant. A stable creature doesn't make death saving throws,
When a creature receives healing of any kind, hit points even though it has O hit points, but it does remain
regained are added to its current hit points. A creature's unconscious. The creature stops being stable, a nd must
hit points can't exceed its hit point maximum, so a ny start making death saving throws again, if it takes any
hit points regained in excess of this number a re lost. A damage. A stable creature that isn't healed regains 1 hit
creature that has died can't regain hit points until magic, point after ld4 hours.
such as a revivify spell, has restored it to life.
KNOCKING A CREATURE OUT
DROPPING TO O HIT POINTS Sometimes an attacker wants to incapacitate a foe, rather
When you drop to O hit points, you eithe r die outright or than deal a killing blow. When a n attacker reduces a
fall unconscious, as explained in the following sections. creature to O hit points with a melee attack, the attacker
Most DMs have a monster die the instant it drops to 0 can knock the creature out. The attacker can make this
hit points, rather than having it fall unconscious a nd make choice the instant the damage is dealt. The creature falls
death savi ng throws. unconscious a nd is stable.
Mighty villains a nd specia l nonplayer characters
are common exceptions; the OM might have them fall
unconscious a nd follow the same rules as player cha racters.

INSTANT DEATH
Massive damage can kill you instantly. When damage
reduces you to Ohit points and there is damage remaining,
you die if the remaining damage equals or exceeds your
hit point maximum. For example , a cleric w ith a maximum
of 12 hit points currently has 6 hit points. If she takes 18
damage from an attack, she is reduced to O hit points,
13
CHAPTER 2: COMBAT

r
CHAPTER 3: ADVENTURING
HETH ER DELVI NG I NTO A DUNGEON , TREKKING THROUGH
wi lde rness, or navigating a teeming city, adventurers need
rest, a nd they seek advancement a nd gear. This chapter
gives rules for travel and resting, describes rewa rds, a nd
details equipment that might help the characters survive.
 interaction, and combat. They need rest- time to sleep and
TRAVEL eat, tend their wounds, refresh their minds and s pirits for
Over the course of a n adventure, the characters might s pellcasting, a nd brace the mselves for further adventure.
travel across wide areas, on trips that could ta ke days. The Adventurers can take short rests in the midst of a n
DM can us ually summarize this travel without calculating adventuring day and a long rest to e nd the day.
exact distances or trave l times: "You travel through the
forest and find the old ruin late in the evening of the third SHORT REST
day." Characters can walk about 24 miles in a day.
A short rest is a period of downtime, at least 1 hour long,
MARCHING ORDER during which a character does nothing more strenuous
than eating, drinking, reading, and tending to wounds.
The adventurers should establish a marching order. A A character can s pend one or more Hit Dice during a
character might occupy the front rank, a middle rank, or short rest, up to the character's maximum number of Hit
the back rank. The characters in the front and back rank Dice, which is equal to the character's level (the character
are keeping watch for danger, while those in the middle sheets show each adventure r's Hit Dice). For each Hit
might be making a map, navigating, or gathering food for Die spent in this way, the player rolls the die and adds
the characters to eat when they make camp. If the group the character's Constitution modifier to it. The character
encounters monsters or other threats, it's important for regains hit points equal to the total. The player can decide
the DM to know where each character is located. to s pend an additional Hit Die after each roll. A character
regains some spent Hit Dice upon finishing a long rest, as
SPECIAL FORMS OF MOVEMENT explained below.
A journey ove rland or through a dungeon often requires an
adventurer to jump, climb, or swim. LONG REST
A long rest is a period of extended downtime, at least 8
L O N G jUMPS
hours long, during which a character sleeps or performs
When you make a long jump, you cover a number of feet light activity: reading, talking, eating, or standing watch
up to your Strength score if you move at least 10 feet
for no more than 2 hours. If the rest is interrupted by a
on foot immediately before the jump. When you ma ke a
period of stre nuous activity- at least 1 hour of walking,
standing long jump, you can leap only half that distance.
fighting, casting spells, or similar adventuring activity-
Either way, each foot you clear on the jump costs a foot of the character must begin the rest again to benefit from it.
movement. In some circumstances, your DM might allow
At the end of a long rest, a character regains all lost
you to make a Strength (Athletics) check to jump farther hit points. The cha racter a lso regains spe nt Hit Dice, up
than you normally can.
to a number of dice equal to half of the character's total
This rule assumes that the height of your jump doesn't
number of them. For example, if a character has eight
matter, s uch as a jump across a s tream or chasm. At your
Hit Dice, he or s he can regain four s pent Hit Dice upon
DM's option, you must s ucceed on a DC 10 Strength
finis hing a long rest.
(Ath letics) check to clear a low obstacle (no taller than a
A characte r can't benefit from more than one long rest in
quarter of the jump's distance). Otherwise, you hit it.
a 24-hour period, and a character must have at least 1 hit
When you land in difficult terrain, you must s ucceed on point at the start of the rest to gain its benefits.
a DC 10 Dexterity (Acrobatics) check to land on your feet.
Otherwise, you land prone.
REWARDS
HIGHjUMPS As characters adventure and overcome challe nges, they're
When you make a high jump, you leap into the air a rewarded for their efforts by the treasure they find and the
number of feet equal to 3 + your Strength modifier if you experience they earn.
move at leas t 10 feet on foot immediately before the jump. A monster's lair might contain a chest of coins, and a
When you make a s tanding high jump, you can jump only goblin raider might carry some of its ill-gotten gains. As
half that distance. Either way, each foot you clear on the c haracters acquire treasure, they can divide it as they see
jump costs a foot of movement. In some circumstances, fit (dividing it equally among all the characters in the party
your DM might a llow you to make a Strength (Athletics) is standard practice), a nd they can spend it on improved
check to jump higher than you norma lly can. e quipment or other supplies.
Experience points (XP) are an abstract meas urement
CLIMBING AND S W IMMING of a character's learning and growth in the game. As
While climbing or swimming, each foot of movement characters progress through an adventure, they receive
costs 1 extra foot (2 extra feet in difficult te rrain), unless XP when they defeat monsters, complete milestones, a nd
a creature has a climbing or swimming s peed. At the overcome other challenges. An XP award for the party is
DM's option, climbing a s lippery surface or one with few divided equally among the characters.
handholds requires a successful Strength (Athletics)
check. Similarly, ga ining any distance in rough water Experience Points Level Proficiency Bonus
might require a s uccessful Strength (Ath letics) check. 0 +2
300 2 +2
RESTING 900 3 +2
Heroic as they might be, adventurers can't spend 2,700 4 +2
every hour of the day in the thick of exploration, social 6,500 s +3

15
CHAPTER 3: ADVENTURI NG
 Once a c ha racter reaches a specified experience point lack proficiency w ith, you have disadvantage on any ability
total, he o r she advances in capability. This advancement check, saving throw, or attack roll that involves Strength
is called gaining a level; a cha racte r goes from 1st level to or Dexterity, a nd you can't cast s pells.
2nd level, and so on up to 20 th level (th is set goes to 5th
level). Upo n gaining a level, a cha racter gains additiona l ARMOR
hit points and class features, as shown on the character Armor
Armor Cost Class (AC) Weight
sheets included in th is set.
Light Armor
Leat her 10 gp 11* 10 lb.
COINAGE
Studded leather 45 gp 12'' 13 l b.
• Common coins come in several different denominations based
on the relative worth of the metal from which they are made. Medium Armor
The three most common coins are the gold piece (gp), the H ide 10 gp 12>h~ 12 lb.
silver piece (sp) , and the copper piece (cp) . Chain shi rt so gp 13** 20 lb.
One gold piece is worth ten silver pieces, the most prevalent Sca le m ail so gp 14*1' 45 lb.
coin among commoners. One silver piece is worth ten copper
Breastplate 400 gp 14** 20 lb.
pieces, which are common among laborers and beggars.
Unusual coins made of other precious metals sometimes H eavy Armor
appear in treasure hoards. The elect rum piece (ep) and the Ring m ail 30 gp 14 40 lb.
platinum piece (pp) originate from fallen empires and lost Chain mail 75 gp 16 55 lb.
kingdoms. An electrum piece is worth five silver pieces, and a Splint 200 gp 17 60 lb.
platinum piece is worth ten gold pieces.
Shield
A standard coin weighs about a third of an ounce, so fifty
Shield 10 gp +2 6 lb.
coins weigh a pound .
... ,. * You add you r Dexterity modifier to your Armor Class when you
wear t his armor.
EQUIPMENT *'' You add your Dexterity modifier, to a maxim um of +2, to your
Proper equipment can mean the diffe rence between life Armor Class when you wear this armor.
and death in a da ngerous environment s uch as a n a ncient
L IGH T A RMOR
dungeon or unta med w ilderness. Armor and weapons
are essentia l in combat, a nd a variety of other tools a nd Light a rmor is favored by rogues because it lets them
s upplies a re usefu l for explo ring d ungeons, ruins, a nd ma ke the best use of their Dexterity and doesn't interfere
the w ilds. This section describes the equipment that w ith stealthy movement. When you wear light a rmor, you
the characters have when they star t the adventure a nd add your Dexterity modifier to the number shown o n the
additional items they can buy w ith the treasure they table to determine your Armor Class.
acquire a long the way. Leather armor cons ists of chest and sho ulder protectors
made of stiffened leather, w ith lighter a nd more flexible
CARRYING CAPACITY protectio n for the rest of the body. Studded leather is
re inforced w ith close-set rivets or s pikes.
A cha racter's S trength score dete rmines the maximum
weight the cha racter can car ry a nd s ti ll move, provided MEDIUM A RMOR
that the weight is distributed across the body. Multiply Med ium armor offers more protection tha n light a rmor,
a character's Strength by 15 to determine the weight (in but it a lso impairs movement more. When you wear
pounds) that the cha racte r can carry. A cha racter carrying medium a r mor, you add your Dexterity modifier, to a
more tha n this we ight has a s peed of 0. maximum of +2, to the number s hown on the table to
deter mine your Armor Class. If your Dexterity is 16 or
ARMOR AND SHIELDS higher, you still add only 2.
Adventurers have access to a w ide ra nge of a rmor types. Hide is a crude a rmor made from thick furs and pelts.
Armo r falls into three categories in the game: light A chain shirt is made fro m interlocking meta l rings and
a rmor, medium a rmor, and heavy a r mor. Ma ny war rio rs commonly worn under clothing. Scale mail consists of a
s upplement the ir a rmor w ith a shield. leathe r coat a nd leggings covered with overlapping scales
The adventurers presented on the characte r s heets are of metal. You have disadvantage on Dexterity (Stealth)
already equipped w ith armor, a nd each cha racter's Ar mor checks w hile wearing scale ma il. A breastplate is a fi tted
Class is calculated us ing the information in this chapter. metal chest piece worn w ith s upple leather.
You can use this informatio n to upgrade your character's
H EAVY ARMO R
armor as you acquire treasure.
Heavy a rmor offers the best protection, a nd it re quires
A RMOR PROF I CIENCY extensive training to master. T he figh te r and the cleric a re
Anyone can put o n a s uit of armor or strap a shield to a n proficient with it. When you wear heavy a r mor, you don't
a r m. Only those proficient with the a rmor know how to apply your Dexterity modifier to your Armor Class. You
wear it effectively, however. Your class deter mines what a lso have disadvantage on Dexte rity (Stealth) checks.
types of a rmor you have proficiency with : the fighter a nd Ring mail is leather w ith heavy rings sewn into it. Chain
cleric can wear a ny armor a nd use s hields, the rogue is mail is made of interlocking metal rings worn over a layer
limited to light a rmor, a nd the wizard isn't proficient with of qui lted fabric. If your S trength is lower tha n 13, your
any a rmor or shields a t all. If you wear a rmor that you s peed is reduced by 10 feet while you wear cha in mail.

16
C HAPTER 3: ADVENTURING
 Splint armor is made of narrow vertical strips of metal W EA P ON PROPERTI ES
riveted to a backing of leather that is worn ove r cloth Many weapons have special properties related to their use,
padding. If your Strength is lower than 15, your speed is as s hown in the Weapons table.
reduced by 10 feet while you wear splint armor. Ammunition. You can use a weapon that has the
ammunition property to make a ranged attack only if
SHIELDS
you have ammunition to fire from the weapon. Each time
A s hield, made from wood or metal, is carried in o ne hand. you attack with the weapon, you expend one piece of
Wielding a shie ld increases your Armor Class by 2. You ammunition. At the end of the battle , you can recover ha lf
can benefit from only one shield at a time. your expended ammunition by taking a minute to search
the battle field.
WEAPONS If you employ s uch a weapon to make a melee attack,
The Weapons table shows the most common weapons you use the weapon as an improvised weapon (see
used in the worlds of D&D, their price and weight, "Improvised Weapons" later in the chapter).
t the damage they deal when they hit, and any special Finesse. When making an attack with a finesse weapon,
properties they possess. Every weapon is classified as you use your choice of your S trength or Dexterity modifier
J either melee or ranged. A melee weapon is used to attack for the attack and damage rolls. You must use the same
a target within 5 feet of you, whereas a ranged weapon is modifier for both.
used to attack a target at a distance.. Heavy. Small creatures, s uch as ha lflings, have
disadvantage on attack rolls with heavy weapons.
W EAPON PROFICIEN CY Light. A lig ht weapon is small and easy to handle,
Your class grants you proficiency with cer tain weapons making it ideal for use when fighting with two weapons.
or categories of weapons. The two ma in categories are See the rules for two-weapon fighting in chapter 2 .
simple and martia l. Certain races, such as the dwarf Loading. Because of the time required to load this
race, also grant weapon proficie ncies. Proficiency with a weapon, you can fire only one piece of a mmunition from it
weapon a llows you to add your proficiency bonus to the when you use your actio n or reaction to fire it, regardless
attack roll for any attack you make with that weapon. of the number of attacks you can normally make.
Range. A weapon that can be used to make a ranged
a ttack has a range shown in parentheses after the
ammunition or thrown property. The ra nge lists two
WE A PO NS
Name Cost Damage Weight Properties
Simple Melee Weapons
Club l sp ld4 bludgeoning 2 lb. Light
Dagger 2 gp ld4 piercing l lb. Finesse, light, thrown (range 20/60)
Greatclub 2 sp ld8 bludgeoning 10 lb. Two-handed
Handaxe 5 gp ld6 slashing 2 lb. Light, thrown (range 20/60)
Javelin 5 sp ld6 piercing 2 lb. Thrown (range 30/120)
Light hammer 2gp ld4 bludgeoning 2 lb. Light, thrown (range 20/60)
Mace 5 gp ld6 bludgeoning 4 lb.
Quarterstaff 2 sp ld6 bludgeoning 4 lb. Versatile (ld8)
Spear l gp ld6 piercing 3 lb. Thrown (range 20/60), versatile (1d8)
Unarmed strike l bludgeoning
Simple Ranged Weapons
Crossbow, light 25 gp l d8 piercing 5 lb. Ammunition (range 80/320), loading, two-handed
Shortbow 25 gp l d6 piercing 2 lb. Ammunition (range 80/320), two-handed
Martial Melee Weapons

l Battleaxe
Greataxe
10 gp
30 gp
ld8 slashing
ldl2 slashing
4 lb.
7 lb.
Versatile (ldl0)
Heavy, two-handed
Greatsword so gp 2d6 slashing 6 lb. Heavy, two-handed
J Longsword 15 gp ld8 slashing 3 lb. Versatile (ldl0)
Maul 10 gp 2d6 bludgeoning 10 lb. Heavy, two-handed
Morningstar 15 gp ld8 piercing 4 lb.
Rapier 25 gp ld8 piercing 2 lb. Finesse
Scimitar 25 gp ld6 slashing 3 lb. Finesse, light
Shortsword 10 gp 1d6 piercing 2 lb. Finesse, light
Trident 5 gp 1d6 piercing 4 lb. Thrown (range 20/60), versatile (ld8)
Warhammer 15 gp ld8 bludgeoning 2 lb. Versatile (ldl0)
Martial Ranged Weapons
Crossbow, hand 75 gp ld6 piercing 3 lb. Ammunition (range 30/120), light, loading
Crossbow, heavy so gp ldl0 piercing 18 lb. Ammunition (range 100/400), heavy, loading, two-handed
Longbow so gp ld8 piercing 2 lb. Ammunition (range 150/600), heavy, two-handed
17
C HAPTER 3: ADVENTURING

I
 numbers . The firs t is the weapon's normal range in An object that bears no resembla nce to a weapon deals
fee t, and the second is the weapon's long ra nge. When ld4 damage (the DM assigns a da mage type appropriate
attacking a target beyond normal range, you have to the object). This is also the amount of damage dealt by
disadvantage on the attack roll. You can't attack a target a ranged weapon used as a melee weapon and by a melee
beyond the weapon's long range. weapon that lacks a range but is thrown. An improvised
Thr own. If a weapon has the thrown property, you can thrown weapon has a normal range of 20 feet and a long
throw the weapon to make a ranged attack. If the weapon range of 60 feet.
is a melee weapon, you use the same ability modifier for
that attack roll a nd damage roll that you would use for a MISCELLANEOUS GEAR AND SERVICES
melee attack with the weapon. For example, if you throw a This section describes items that have s pecial rules.
handaxe, you use your Strength, but if you throw a dagger, Candle. For 1 ho ur, a candle s heds bright light in a
you can use e ither your Strength or your Dexterity, s ince 5-foot radius a nd dim light for an additional 5 feet.
the dagger has the finesse property. Component Pouch. A component pouch is a sma ll,
Two-Handed. This weapon requires two hands to use. watertight leathe r belt pouch that holds all the mate rial
Versatile. This weapon ca n be use d with one o r two compo nents and othe r s pecial items you need to cast your
hands. A da mage va lue in pare nt heses appears w ith the s pells, except for those components that have a specific
property- the damage when the weapon is used with cost. See chapter 4 for more about s pellcasting.
two hands to make a melee attack. Crowbar. Using a crowbar grants adva ntage to Strength
IMPROVISED WEAPON S
checks where the crowbar's leverage can be applied.
Healer's Kit. This kit is a leather pouch containing
Sometimes characters don't have their weapons a nd have
ba ndages, salves, and splints. The kit has ten uses. As
to attack with whatever is close at ha nd: a broken bottle, a
an action, you can expend one use of the kit to s tabilize a
table leg, a frying pan, or a wagon wheel. Mos t combatants
creature that has 0 hit points, without needing to make a
are not proficient with s uch objects as weapons. In many
Wisdom (Medicine) check.
cases, a n improvised weapon is s imilar to an actua l
Holy Symbol. A holy symbol is a representation of a god
weapon a nd can be treated as s uch. For example, a table
or pa ntheon. It might be a silver amu let depicting a symbol
leg is akin to a club. At the DM's option, a character
commonly used to represent a deity, the same symbol
proficient with a weapon can use a s imilar object as if it
carefully engraved or inlaid as a n emble m on a shield, or
were that weapon and use his or her proficiency bonus.
a tiny box holding a fragment of a sacred relic. The cleric
ADVENTURING GEAR
Item Cost Weight Item Cost Weight
Ammunition Mess kit 2 Sp 1 lb.
Arrows (20) l gp l lb. Mirror, steel 5 gp 1/2 lb.
Crossbow bolts (20) l gp l½ lb. Oil (flask) 1 Sp 1 lb.
Backpack 2 gp 5 lb. Paper (one sheet) 2 sp
Bedroll 1 gp 7 lb. Parchment (one sheet) 1 sp
Bell l gp Perfume (vial) 5 gp
Blanket 5 sp 3 lb. Pick, miner's 2 gp 10 lb.
Book 25 gp 5 lb. Piton 5 cp 1/4 lb.
Candle l cp Pot, iron 2 gp 10 lb.
Carpenter's tools 8 gp 6 lb. Potion of hea ling 50 gp 1/2 lb.
Case (for map or scroll) 1 gp 1 lb. Playing cards 5 sp
Chalk (1 piece) l cp Pouch 5 sp 1 lb.
Chest 5 gp 25 lb. Rations (1 day) 5 sp 2 lb.
Clo thes, common 5 sp 3 lb. Robes 1 gp 4 lb.
Clothes, fine 15 gp 6 lb. Rope, hempen (SO feet) 1 gp 10 lb.
Component pouch 25 gp 2 lb. Rope, s il k (SO feet) 10 g p 5 lb.
Crowbar 2 gp 5 lb. Sack 1 cp 1/2 lb.
Grappling hook 2gp 4 lb. Sealing wax 5 Sp
Hammer 1 gp 3 lb. Shovel 2 gp 5 lb.
Hammer, sled ge 2 gp 10 lb. S ig na l whistle 5 cp
Healer's kit 5 gp 3 lb. Signet ring 5 gp
Holy symbol 5 gp 1 lb. Spellbook so gp 3 lb.
Hourglass 25 gp 1 lb. Spike, iron (10) 1 gp 5 lb.
Ink (1 o unce bottle) 10 gp Tent, two-person 2 gp 20 lb.
Ink pen 2 cp Thieves' tools 25 gp l lb.
Lantern, bullseye 10 gp 2 lb. Tinderbox 5 sp 1 lb.
Lantern, hooded 5 gp 2 lb. Torch 1 cp 1 lb.
Lock 10 gp 1 lb. Waterskin 2 sp 5 lb. (full)
Mason's tools 10 gp 8 lb. Whetstone 1 cp 1 lb.

18
CHAPTER 3: ADVENTURING

I
 can use a holy symbol to replace the materia l components MOUNTS AND OTHER AN I MALS
of spells, except for those components that have a specific
Item Cost Speed Carrying Capacity
cost. To use the symbol in this way, the caster must hold it
Donkey o r mule 8 gp 40 ft. 420 lb.
in ha nd, wear it visibly, or bear it emblazoned on a shield.
See chapte r 4 for more a bout s pellcasting. Horse, draft 50 gp 40 ft. 540 lb.
Lantern, Bullseye. A bullseye lantern casts bright light Horse, riding 75 gp 60 ft. 480 lb.
in a 60-foot cone a nd dim light for a n add itio na l 60 feet.
Once lit, it burns for 6 hours on a flas k (1 pint) of oil. TAC K AND HARNESS
Lantern, Hood ed. A hooded lantern casts bright light Ite m Cost Weight
in a 30-foot radius a nd dim light for an additional 30 feet. Bit and bridle 2 gp l lb.
Once lit, it burns for 6 hours o n a flas k (1 pint) of oil. As an Feed (per day) 5 cp 10 lb.
action, you can lower the hood, reducing the light to dim Saddle
light in a 5-foot radius. Pack 5 gp 15 lb.
Lock. A creature proficient with thieves' tools can pick
Riding 10 gp 25 lb.
this lock with a s uccessful DC 15 Dexterity check. Better
Saddlebags 4 gp 8 lb.
locks a re available for higher prices.
Stabling (per day) 5 sp
Oil. As an action, you can s plash the oil in this flask onto
a creature within 5 feet of you or throw it up to 20 feet,
FOOD, DR I N K, AND LODGING
shattering it on impact. Make a ranged attack against a
target creature or object. On a hit, the target is covered Item Cost
in oil. If the target takes a ny fire da mage before the oil Ale
dries (after 1 m inute), the target takes an additional 5 fire Gallon 2 sp
damage from the burning oil. You can a lso pour a flask of Mug 4 cp
oil on the ground to cover a 5-foot-square area, provided Inn stay (per day)
tha t the surface is level. If lit, the oil burns for 2 rounds Squalid 7 cp
a nd deals 5 fire da mage to a ny creature that enters the Poo r l sp
a rea or ends its turn in the area. A creature can take this
Modest 5 sp
damage only once per turn.
Comfortable 8 sp
Playing Cards . If you are proficient with playing cards,
you can add your proficie ncy bonus to ability checks you Wealthy 2 gp
make to play a game with them. Aristocratic 4 gp
P otion ofHealing. A character who drinks the magic, Meals (per day)
red fluid in this vial regains 2d4 + 2 hit points. Drinking or Squalid 3 cp
administering a potion ta kes an action. Poor 6cp
Rations. Compact, dry foods s uitable for extended Modest 3 sp
travel, rations include jerky, dried fruit, hardtack, and nuts. Comfortable 5 sp
Rop e. Rope, whether made of hemp or silk, has 2 hit Wealthy 8 sp
points a nd can be burst with a DC 17 Stre ngth check. Aristocratic 2 gp
Sp ellbook. Essential for wizards, a spellbook is a
Wine
leather-bound tome w ith 100 blank vellum pages suitable
Common (pitc her) 2 sp
for recording s pells .
Fine (bottle) 10 gp
Thieves' Tools . This set of tools includes a s ma ll file,
a set of lock picks, a sma ll mirror mounted on a metal
ha ndle, a set of narrow-bladed scissors, and a pair of
pliers. Proficiency with these tools lets you add your
proficiency bonus to any ability checks you make to disarm
traps or open locks.
Tinderbox. This small conta iner holds flint, fire steel,
and tinder (us ua lly dry cloth soaked in light oil) used to
kindle a fire. Using it to light a torch- or anything else
with abundant, exposed fuel- ta kes an action.
Lighting any other fire takes 1 minute.
Torch. A torch burns for 1
hour, providing bright light in
a 20-foot radius a nd dim
light for an additional
20 feet. If you ma ke a
melee attack with a
burning torch a nd
hit, it deals 1 fire
damage.
CHAPTER 4: SPELLCASTING
AGIC PERMEATES THE WORLDS OF D&D AND MOST OFTEN
appears in the form of a spell. This chapter provides
the rules for casting spells. Clerics and w izards have
distinctive ways of learni ng and prepar ing their spells,
and monster s use spells in unique ways. Rega r dless of its
sour ce, a spell follows the rules here.
WHAT Is A SPELL? CASTI NG A S PELL AT A HIGH E R L EVE L
When a s pellcaster casts a s pell using a s lot that is a
A s pell is a discrete magical effect, a s ingle s haping of highe r level tha n the spell, the s pell assumes the higher
the magical ene rgies that s uffuse the multiverse into a level for that casting. For instance, if a wizard casts m agic
s pecific, limited expression. In casting a s pell, a cha racter missile using a 2nd-level s lot, tha t m agic missile is 2nd
carefully plucks at the invis ible stra nds of raw magic
level. The s pell effectively expands to fill the slot.
s uffusing the world, pins them in place in a pa r ticula r S ome s pells, s uch as magic missile a nd cure wounds,
patte rn, sets the m vibrating in a s pecific way, a nd then have more powerful effects w hen cast at a higher level, as
releases them to unleash the desire d effect- in most cases,
deta iled in the s pell's description.
a ll in the s pa n of seconds .
S pells can be versatile tools, weapo ns, or protective CANTRIPS
wards. They can deal da mage or undo it, impose or
remove conditio ns (see the appendix), drain life e nergy A cantrip is a s pell that can be cast at will, without using
away, a nd restore life to the dead. a s pell slot a nd without be ing prepared in adva nce.
Re peated practice has fi xed the spell in the caster's mind
SPELL LEVEL a nd infused the caster with the magic needed to produce
the effect over a nd over. A cantrip's spell level is 0.
Every s pell in this set has a level from 0 to 3. Aspe ll's
level is a gene ra l indicator of how powerful it is, with the RITUALS
lowly (but s till impressive) magic missile at 1st level a nd
the devasta ting fireball at 3rd. (Spells of higher levels, up Certa in s pe lls have a special tag: ritual. S uch a s pell can
to 9th, exist in the world but aren't included in this set.) be cast following the norma l rules for s pellcasting, or the
Cantrips- s imple but powerful s pells that cha racte rs can s pell can be cast as a ritua l. The ritua l version of a spell
cast a lmost by rote- a re level 0. The higher a s pell's level, ta kes 10 minutes longer to cast tha n no rmal, a nd it doesn't
the higher level a s pellcaster mus t be to use that s pell. expend a s pell slot.
S pell level and characte r leve l don't correspo nd directly. A cle ric o r a wizard can cast a spell as a ritua l if the
Typically, a cha racter has to be at least 5 th level, not 3rd s pell has the ritua l tag. T he cle ric must also have the s pell
level, to cast a 3rd-level s pell. prepared, w hile the w izard need o nly have the s pell in his
or her spellbook.
KNOWN AND PREPARED SPELLS
Before a s pellcaster can use a s pe ll, he or she must have CASTING IN ARMOR
the sp ell firmly fixed in mind. Clerics and wizards undergo Because of the mental focus and precise gestures required for
a process of prepa ring s pells . The number of spells a spellcasting, you must be proficient with the armor you are
caster can have fixe d in mind at a ny given time is shown wearing to cast a spell. You are otherwise too distracted and
on the cha racte r sheets. physically hampered by your armor for spellcasting.
A cha racter can change this list of prepa red s pells upon
finishing a long rest (see chapter 3). Prepa ring a new lis t of
spells requires time s pent in medita tio n or study: at least 1 CASTING A SPELL
minute per s pell level for each s pell on the lis t. Whe n a cha racter casts a ny s pell, the rules he re apply,
rega rdless of the cha racter's class or the spell's e ffects.
SPELL SLOTS Each s pell description in this chapter begins w ith a block
Regardless of how ma ny s pe lls a caster knows or of information, including the s pell's na me, level, school of
prepares, he or s he can cas t only a limited numbe r of magic, casting time, range, components , a nd duration. The
spells before resting. Ma nipulating the fabric of magic and rest of a s pell entry describes the spell's effect.
cha nneling its e ne rgy into even a simple s pell is physically
and mentally taxing, and higher-level s pells are even mo re CASTING TIME
so. Thus, the cha racter sheet for a s pellcaster includes Most spells require a s ingle action to cast, but some spells
how ma ny spell s lots of each level the character can use at require a bonus action, a reaction , or much more time.
each character level. For example, at 3rd level, the w izard
has four 1s t-level slots a nd two 2nd-level s lots . B ONUS A CTION
When a character casts a spell, he or s he expends a A s pell cast with a bonus action is especially swift. You
s lot of that s pe ll's level or hig he r, effectively "filling" a slot mus t use a bonus action on your turn to cast the s pell,
with the s pell. You can think of a s pe ll slot as a groove of a provide d that you haven't a lready ta ken a bonus action this
certa in size- sma ll for a 1s t-level slot, larger for a s pell of turn. You can't ca st a nother spell during the same turn,
higher level. A 1st-level s pell fits into a s lot of a ny s ize, but except for a cantrip w ith a casting time of 1 action.
a 3 rd-level spell fits only in a s lot that is at least 3rd level.
S o when the wizard casts m agic missile, a 1st-level s pell, REACTIONS
he or she spends a 1st-level slot a nd has three rema ining. Some spells can be cast as reactions. T hese s pells take
Finishing a long rest resto res a ny expended s pell s lots. a fraction of a second to bring about a nd a re cast in
S ome monsters have s pecial a bilities that let them cast respo nse to some event. If a spell can be cast as a reaction,
s pells w ithout using s pell s lots. the s pell description tells you exactly when you can do so.

C HAPTER 4: SPELLCASTING
 LONGER CASTING 'DMES DURATION
Certain spells (including spells cast as rituals) require
more time to cast: minutes or even hours. When you cast A spell's duration is the length of time the spell persists. A
a spell with a casting time longer than a single action or duration can be expressed in rounds, minutes, hours, or
reaction, you must spend your action each turn casting the even years. A spell might s pecify that its e ffects last until
spell, and you must maintain your concentration while you the spell is dispelled or the effects are destroyed.
do so (see "Concentration" below). If your concentration is INSTANTANEOUS
broken, the spell fails, but you don't expend a spell slot. If
Many spells are instantaneous. The spell harms, heals,
you want to try casting the spell again, you must start over.
creates, or alters a creature or an object in a way that can't
be dispelled, because its magic exists only for an instant.
RANGE
The target of a spell must be within the spell's range. For a CONCENTRATION
spell like magic missile, the target is a creature. For a spell Some spells require you to maintain concentration in
like fireball, the target is the point in space where the ball order to keep their magic active. If you lose concentration,
of fi re erupts. such a spell ends.
Most spells have ranges expressed in feet. Some spells If a spell must be maintained with concentration,
can target only a creature (including you) that you touch. that fact appears in its Duration entry, and the spell
Other spells, such as the shield spell, affect only you. specifies how long you can concentrate on it. You can end
These spells have a range of self. concentration at any time (no action required).
Spells that create cones or lines of effect that originate Normal activity, such as moving and attacking, doesn't
from you a lso have a range of self, indicating that the interfere with concentration. The following factors can
origin point of the spell's effect must be you (see "Areas of break concentration:
Effect" later in the this chapter). Casting another spell that requires concentration.
Once a spell is cast, its effects aren't limited by its range, You lose concentration on a spell if you cast another
unless the spell's description says otherwise. spell that requires concentration. You can't concentrate
on two spells at once.
COMPONENTS
Taking damage. W henever you take damage while
Aspell's components are the physical requirements you you are concentrating on a spell, you must make a
must meet in order to cast it. Each spell's description Constitution saving throw to maintain your concentra-
indicates whether it requires verbal (V), somatic (S), or tion. The DC equals 10 or half the damage you take,
material (M) components. If you can't provide one or more whichever number is higher. If you take damage from
of a spell's components, you are unable to cast the spell. multiple sources, s uch as an arrow and a dragon's
breath, you make a separate saving throw for each
VERBAL (V) source of damage.
Most spells require the chanting of mystic words. The Being incapacitated or killed. You lose concentration
words themselves aren't the source of the spell's power; on a spell if you a re incapacitated (as explained in the
rather, the particular combination of sounds, with specific appendix) or if you die.
pitch and resonance, sets the threads of magic in motion.
Thus, a character who is gagged or in an area of silence,
TARGETS
such as .o ne created by the silence spell, can't cast a spell
with a verbal component. A typical spell requires you to pick one or more targets to be
affected by the spell's magic. Aspell's description tells you
SOMATIC (S) whether the spell targets creatures, objects, or a point of
Spellcasting gestures might include a forceful gesticulation origin for a n area of effect (described below).
or an intricate set of gestures. If a spell requires a somatic
component, the caster must have free use of at least one A CLEAR PATH TO THE TARGET
hand to perform these gestures. To target something, you must have a clear path to it, so it
can't be behind total cover.
MATERIAL (M) If you place an area of effect at a point that you can't see
Casting some spells requires particular objects, specified and an obstruction, such as a wall, is between you and that
in parentheses in the component entry. A component point, the point of origin comes into being on the near side
pouch includes a ll the needed material components to of that obstruction.
cast spells, except those that have a gold piece cost shown
in the spell. A cleric's holy symbol replaces material TARGETING YOURSELF
components, again excepting those with a gold piece If a spell targets a creature of your choice, you can choose
cost. If a cost is indicated, a character must purchase that yourself, unless the creature must be hostile or specifically
specific component before casting the spell in question. a creature other than you. If you are in the area of effect of
If a spell s pecifies that the material component is a spell you cast, you can target yourself.
consumed by the spell, the caster must provide this
component for each casting of the spell. AREAS OF EFFECT
A spellcaster must have a hand free to access these Spells s uch as burning hands and fireball cover an area,
components, but it can be the same hand that he or she a llowing them to affect multiple creatures at once.
uses to perform somatic components.

22
CHAPTER 4: SPELLCASTING
 Aspell's description specifies its a rea of effect, which For example, if two clerics cast bless on the same ta rget,
typically has one of four differe nt shapes: cone, cube, that character gains the s pell's benefit only once; he or she
line, or s phere. Every a rea of e ffect has a point of origin, doesn't get to roll two bonus dice.
a location from which the spell's energy erupts . The rules
fo r each shape s pecify how you position its point of origin. SPELL LISTS
Typically, a point of origin is a point in s pace, but some
spells have an area whose o rigin is a creature or an object.
Aspell's effect expa nds in straight lines from the point
CLERIC SPELLS WIZARD SPELLS
of origin. If no unblocked s traight line extends from the CANTRIPS (0 LEVEL} (ANTRIPS (o LEVEL}
point of origin to a location within the a rea of effect, that
Guidance Dancing Lights
location is n't included in the spell's area. To block one of
Light Light
these imagi na ry li nes, a n obstruction mus t provide total
Resistance Mage Hand
cover, as explained in cha pter 2.
The point of origin of an area of effect is n't included in Sacred Flame Prestidigitation
the a rea, unless the area is a sphere. Thaumaturgy Ray of Frost
Shocking Grasp
CONE 1ST LEVEL
A cone extends in a direction you choose from its point of Bless 1ST L EVEL
o rigin. A cone's w idth at a given point along its length is Command Burning Hands
equal to that point's distance from the point of origin. A Cu re Wounds Charm Person
cone's.area of effect s pecifies its maximum length. Detect Magic Com prehend Languages
Guiding Bolt Detect Magic
CUBE
Healing Word Identify
You select a cube's point of origin, which lies anywhere o n
Inflict Wounds M age Armor
a face of the cubic effect. T he cube's s ize is expressed as
the length of each side. Sanctuary Magic Missile
Shield of Faith Shield
LINE Sleep
A line extends from its point of origin in a straight path up 2 ND LEVEL
Thunderwave
to its length and covers a n a rea define d by its width. Aid
Augury 2 ND L EVEL
SPHERE Hold Person Blur
You select a sphere's point of origin, a nd the sphere Lesser Restoration Darkness
extends o utwa rd from that point. The sphere's size is Prayer of Healing Flaming Sphere
expressed as a radius in feet that extends from the point.
Silence Hold Person
Spiritual Weapon Invisibility
SAVING THROWS
Warding Bond Misty Step
Many spells specify that a target can make a saving throw
Spider Climb
to avoid some or all of a spell's effects . The spell s pecifies 3 RD LEVEL
Suggestion
the ability that the target uses for the save and wha t Beacon of Hope
Web
happens on a s uccess or fa ilure. Dispel Magic
The DC to resist o ne of your s pells equa ls 8 + your Mass Healing Word 3R D L EVEL
s pellcasting ability modifier+ your proficiency bonus. This
Protectio n from Energy Dispel Magic
number is on the character sheets for the cleric and the
Revivify Fireball
wizard, and in the statistics for a monster that casts spells.
Spirit Guardians Fly
ATTACK ROLLS Lightning Bolt
Protection from Energy
Some spells require the caster to make an attack roll
to determine whether the spell effect hits the intended
target. Your attack bonus with a spell attack equa ls your SCHOOLS O F MAG I C
s pellcasting ability modifier + your proficie ncy bonus. Scholars who study the workings of magic group spells into
Most s pells that require attack rolls involve ranged eight categories called schools of magic. The schools help
attacks. Remember that you have disadvantage on a ra nged describe spells; the schools have no game rules of their own.
attack roll if you are within 5 feet of a hostile creature that Abjurat ion spells are protective, often creating barriers or
warding off trespassers. Conjuration spells transport objects
can see you a nd that isn't incapacitated (see chapter 2).
or creatures from one location to another. Divination spells
reveal glimpses of t he future, the locations of hidden things, or
COMBINING MAGICAL EFFECTS visions of distant people or places. Enchant ment spells affect
The effects of different spe lls add together while the the minds of others, influencing or controlling their behavior.
durations of those s pells overlap. The e ffects of the same Evocation spells tap mystical sources of energy to create a
spell cast multiple times don't combine, however. Instead, variety of effects, including blasts of fire and channeling posit ive
the most potent effect- s uch as the hig hest bonus- from energy to heal wounds. Illusion spells deceive the senses or
minds of others. Necromancy spells manipulate the energies of
those castings applies while their durations overlap.
life and death. Transmutation spells change the properties or
physical form of a creature or object.
"'Ii ,.
2
CHAPTER 4: SPELLCASTING
 SPELLS BLESS
l st-le vel enchantment
Presented in a lphabetical order, these s pells a re used by
characte rs and mons ters in this set. Casting Time: 1 action
Some of the s pells cause conditions, including Range: 30 feet
charmed, deafened, frightened, invis ible, para lyzed, prone, Components: V, S, M (a s prinkling of holy water)
restrained, a nd unconscious. Cons ult the appe ndix to Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute
learn a condition's effects in the game. You bless up to three creatures of your choice within
ra nge. Whenever a target makes a n attack roll or a saving
A rn
throw before the s pell ends, the target can roll a d4 a nd
2nd-level abjuration
add the number rolled to the attack roll or saving throw.
Casting Time: 1 action At Higher Levels. When you cast this s pell using a s pell
Range: 30 feet slot of 2nd level or higher, you can target one additio na l
Components: V, S, M (a tiny strip of white cloth) creature for each slot level above 1st.
Duration: 8 hours
BLUR
Your s pe ll bols ters your a llies with toughness a nd resolve.
2nd-level illusion
Choose up to three creatures within range. Each ta rget's
hit point maximum and current hit points increase by 5 for Casting Time: 1 action
the duration. Range: Self
At Higher Levels. When you cast this s pe ll us ing a s pell Components: V
slo t of 3rd level o r highe r, a ta rget's hit points incre ase by Duration: Concentration , up to 1 minute
an additio na l 5 for each slot level a bove 2nd. Your body becomes blurred, shifting and wavering to
a ll who can see you. For the duratio n, a ny creature has
AUGURY
disadvantage on attack rolls against you. An attacke r is
2nd-le vel divination (ritual)
immune to this effect if it doesn't rely on sight, as with
Casting Time: 1 minute blindsight, or can see through illusions, as with truesight.
Range: Self
Components: V, S , M (s pecially marked sticks, bo nes, or B URNI NG HAN D S
s imila r to kens wor th at leas t 25 gp) l s t-leve/ evocation
Duration: Instanta neous Casting Time: 1 action
By casting gem-inla id sticks , rolling dragon bones, laying Range: Self (15-foot cone)
out ornate cards, or e mploying some othe r divining tool, Components: V, S
you receive an omen from an othe rwo rldly e ntity a bo ut the Duration: Instanta neous
results of a s pecific course of action tha t yo u plan to ta ke As you hold your hands with thumbs touching a nd fingers
within the next 30 minutes. The OM chooses fro m the s pread, a thin sheet of fla mes shoots forth from your
following possible ome ns : outstretched fingertips . Each creature in a 15-foot cone
Weal, for good results mus t make a Dexte rity saving throw. A creature takes 3d6
Woe, for bad results fire da mage on a failed s ave, or ha lf as much da mage on a
Weal and woe, for both good and bad results s uccessful one.
Nothing, for results tha t are not especia lly good or bad The fire ignites a ny fla mmable objects in the a rea that
are not being worn or carried .
The s pe ll doesn't ta ke into account any possible
At Higher Levels. When you cast this s pell us ing a s pell
circums ta nces that mig ht cha nge the outcome, s uch as
slot of 2nd level or higher, the damage increases by 1d6 for
the casting of additional s pells or the loss o r gain of a
each slot level above 1st.
compa nion.
If you cast the s pell two or more times before completing C H A RM P ERSON
your next long rest, the re is a cumulative 25 percent l s t-le vel enchantment
cha nce for each casting after the first that yo u get a false
Casting Time: 1 action
reading. The OM ma kes this roll in secret.
Range: 30 feet
B EACON OF HOPE Components: V, S
3rd-level abjuration Duration: 1 hour
Casting Time: 1 action You a ttempt to cha rm a huma noid you choose within
Range: 30 feet range. It must ma ke a Wisdom s aving throw, and does so
Components: V, S w ith adva ntage if you or you r companions a re fighting it. If
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute it fails the saving throw, it is cha rmed by you until the spell
ends or until you or your compa nions do a nything ha rmful
This spell bestows hope a nd vita lity. Choose a ny number
to it. The cha rmed creature regards you as a friendly
of creatures within ra nge. For the duration , each ta rget a cqua inta nce.
has advantage on Wisdom saving throws a nd de ath saving
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a s pell
throws, a nd regains the maximum number of hit points
slot of 2nd level or higher, you can ta rget one additiona l
possible from a ny healing.
creature for each s lot level above 1st. The c reatures must
be w ithin 30 feet of each other w hen you target them.

24
C HAPTER 4: SPELLCASTING
 COMMAND Range: 120 feet
1st-level enchantment Components: V, S, M (a bit of phosphorus or wychwood,
Casting Time: 1 action or a glowworm)
Range: 60 feet Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute
Components: V You create up to four torch-sized lights w ithin range,
Duration: 1 round making them appear as torches, la nterns, or glowing orbs
You speak a one-word command to a creature you can that hover in the a ir for the duration. You can a lso combine
see within ra nge. The target must s ucceed on a Wisdom the four lights into one glowing vaguely humanoid form
saving throw or follow the command on its next turn. of Medium size. Whichever form you choose, each light
The s pell has no e ffect if the target is undead, if it doesn't sheds dim light in a 10-foot radius.
understand your language, or if your command is directly As a bonus action on your turn, you can move the lights
harmful to it. up to 60 feet to a new spot within range. A light must be
Some typical commands a nd their effects follow. You within 20 feet of another light created by this spell, a nd a
might issue a command other than one described here. If light w inks o ut if it exceeds the spell's range.
you do so, the DM determines how the target behaves. If
DARKNESS
the target is prevented from following your command, the
2nd-level evocation
spell ends.
Approach. The target moves toward you by the sho rtest Casting Time: 1 action
a nd most direct route, e nding its turn if it moves within 5 Range: 60 feet
feet of you. Components: V, M (bat fur and a drop of pitch or piece of
Drop. The target drops whatever it is holding and then coal)
ends its turn. Duration: Concentration, up to 10 minutes
Flee. The target spends its turn moving away from you Magical darkness spreads from a point you choose within
by the fastest available means. range to fill a 15-foot-radius sphe re for the duration.
Grovel. The target falls prone a nd then ends its turn. The darkness s preads around corners. A creature with
Halt. The target stays where it is and takes no actions. darkvision can't see through this darkness, a nd no
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell nonmagical light can illuminate it.
s lot of 2nd level or hig her, you can affect one additional If the point you choose is on a n object you are holding
creature for each slot level above 1st. The creatures must or one that is not being worn or carried, the darkness
be within 30 feet of each other w hen you target them. emanates from the object a nd moves with it. Covering the
source of the darkness with an opaque object, such as a
COMPREHEND LANGUAGES
bowl or a helm, blocks the darkness.
1st-level divination (ritual) If any of this spell's area overlaps with an area of light
Casting Time: 1 action created by a spell of 2nd level or lower, the entire area of
Range: Self light is dispelled.
Components: V, S, M (a pinch of soot and salt)
Duration: 1 hour
For the duration, you understand the literal meaning
of spoken la nguage that you hear. You a lso understand
written la nguage that you see, but you must be touching
the s urface on which the words are written. It takes about
1 minute to read one page of text.
This spell does not decode secret messages in a text
or any glyph, such as a n arcane s igil, that isn't part of a
written language.

CURE WOUNDS
1st-level evocation
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Touch
Components: V, S
Duration: Instantaneous
A creature you touch regains a number of hit points equal
to ld8 + your spellcasting ability modifier. This spell has
no effect on undead or constructs.
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell
s lot of 2nd level or higher, the healing inc reases by ld8 for
each s lot level above 1st.

DANCING LIGHTS
Evocation cantrip
Casting Time: 1 action

CHAPTER 4: SPELLCASTING
 D ETECT M A GIC creature ta kes 2d6 fire da mage on a failed save, or half as
1st-level divination (ritual) much damage on a s uccessful one.
As a bonus action, you can move the s phere up to 30
Casting Time: 1 ac tion
feet. If you ram the s phere into a creature, that creature
Range: S elf
must make the savin g throw against the s phere's da mage,
Components: V, S
a nd the s phe re stops moving this turn.
Duration: Concentration, up to 10 minutes
Whe n you move the s phere, you can direct it over
For the duration, you sense the presence of ma gic within barrie rs up to 5 feet ta ll and jump it across pits up to 10
30 feet of you. If you sense magic in this way, you can use feet wide. The s phe re ignites flammable objects not being
your action to see a faint aura around a ny vis ible creature worn or carried, a nd it sheds bright light in a 20-foot
or object in the area that bea rs magic, a nd you learn its radius a nd dim light for an additional 20 feet.
school of magic, if any. At Higher Levels. When you ca st this s pell using a s pell
The s pell can pe netrate mos t ba rriers, but it is blocked slot of 3rd level or hi ghe r, the da mage increases by ld6 for
by 1 foot of stone, 1 inch of common metal, a thin s heet of each s lo t level above 2nd.
lead, or 3 feet of wood or dir t.
FLY
DI SPE L M AGI C 3rd-level transmutation
3rd-level abjuration
Casting Time: 1 action
Casting Time: 1 action Range: Touch
Range: 120 feet Components: V, S, M (a wing feather from a ny bird)
Components: V, S Duration: Concentration, up to 10 minutes
Duration: Ins ta ntaneous
You touch a w illing c reature. The target gains a flying
Choose one creature, object, or magical e ffect within s peed of 60 feet for the duration. When the s pell ends, the
range. Any s pell of 2nd level or lower on the target ends . target falls if it is still aloft, unless it can stop the fall.
For each s pell of 3rd level or highe r on the ta rget, ma ke At Higher Levels. When yo u cast this s pe ll using a s pell
an ability check us ing your s pellcasting ability. The DC slo t of 4th leve l or higher, you can ta rget one additional
equa ls 10 + the s pell's level. On a s uccessful check, the creature for each slot level above 3 rd.
spell ends .
At Higher Levels. When you cast this s pell using a s pell GUIDAN CE
slot of 4th level o r higher, you automatically end the effects Divination cantrip
of a s pell on the target if the s pell's level is less than the Casting Time: 1 action
level of the s pell s lot you used. Range: Touch
Components: V, S
FIREBALL
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute
3rd-level evocation
You touch one w illing creature. Once before the s pell ends,
Casting Time: 1 action
the ta rget can roll a d4 and add the number rolled to one
Range: 150 feet
ability check of its choice. It ca n roll the die before or after
Components: V, S , M (a tiny ba ll of bat guano a nd s ulfur)
ma king the ability check. The s pell the n ends.
Duration: Ins ta nta neous
A bright streak flashes from your pointing finger to a GUIDING BOLT
point you choose within range and the n blossoms with 1st-level evocation
a low roar into an explosion of fla me. Each creature in a Casting Time: 1 action
20 -foot-radius s phere centered on tha t point must ma ke a Range: 120 feet
Dexterity saving throw. A ta rget ta kes 8d6 fire damage on Components: V, S
a failed save, or ha lf as much da mage on a s uccessful one. Duration: 1 round
The fire spreads a round corners . It ignites fla mmable
objects in the area tha t a re not being worn o r carried. A flash of light streaks toward a creature of your choice
At Higher Levels. When you cast this s pell us ing a s pe ll within ra nge. Ma ke a ranged s pell attack against the
s lot of 4th level o r highe r, the da mage increases by ld6 for ta rget. On a hit, the ta rget takes 4d6 radia nt da mage, a nd
each slot level above 3rd. the next attack roll made agains t this ta rget before the e nd
of your next turn has advantage, thanks to the mystical
FLAMING SPHERE dim light glittering on the ta rget until then.
2nd-level conjuration At Higher Levels. When you cast this s pell using a s pell
s lot of 2nd level or higher, the damage increases by l d6 for
Casting Time: 1 ac tion
each slot level a bove 1st.
Range: 60 feet
Components: V, S , M (a bit of ta llow, a pinch of brims tone, HEALING WORD
a nd a dusting of powdered iron) 1st-level evocation
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute
Casting Time: 1 bonus action
A 5-foot-diameter s phere of fire appears in a n unoccupied Range: 60 fee t
space of your choice within ra nge a nd lasts for the Components: V
duration. Any creature that ends its turn w ithin 5 feet Duration: Instanta neous
of the s phere mus t make a Dexte rity s aving throw. The

26
CHAPTER 4: SPELLCASTING
A creature of your choice within ra nge regains hit points invisible as long as it is on the target's person. The spell
equa l to 1d4 + your s pellcasting ability modifie r. This s pell ends early for a target that attacks or casts a spell.
has no effect on undead or cons tructs . At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell
At Higher Levels. When you cas t this spell using a spell slot of 3rd level or higher, you can ta rget one additiona l
s lot of 2nd level or higher, the he aling increases by 1d4 for creature for each s lot level above 2nd.
each slot level above 1st.
LESSER RESTORATION
HOLD PERSON 2nd-level abjuration
2nd-level enchantment Casting Time: 1 action
Casting Time: 1 action Range: Touch
Range: 60 feet Components: V, S
Components: V, S , M (a sma ll, stra ight piece of iron) Duration: Instanta neous
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute
You touch a creature a nd can end either one disease or
Choose a huma noid within range tha t you can see. The one condition afflicting it. The condition can be blinded,
target must s ucceed on a Wisdom saving throw or be deafened, para lyzed, or poisoned.
paralyzed for the du ration. At the e nd of each of its turns,
the target can make another Wisdom saving th row. On a LIGHT
success, the spell ends on the target. Evocation cantrip
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell us ing a s pell Casting Time: 1 action
slot of 3rd level or higher, you can ta rget one additiona l Range: Touch
huma noid for each slot level above 2nd. The huma noids Components: V, M (a firefly or phosphorescent moss)
must be within 30 feet of each other whe n you ta rget them . Duration: 1 hour
IDENTIFY You touch one object that is no la rger tha n 10 feet in a ny
1st-level divination (ritual) dimension. Until the spell e nds, the object sheds bright
light in a 20-foot radius a nd dim light for a n additiona l 20
Casting Time: 1 minute
feet. The light can be colored as you like, and covering the
Range: Touch
object with some thing opaque blocks the light. The spell
Components: V, S, M (a pearl worth a t least 100 gp a nd a n
ends early if you cast it again or dismiss it as a n action.
owl feather)
If you ta rget a n object he ld or worn by a hostile creature,
Duration: Ins ta nta neous
that creature must succeed on a Dexte rity saving throw to
You choose one object that you mus t touch throughout avoid the s pell.
the casting of the spell. If it is a magic ite m or some other
magic-imbue d object, you learn its properties a nd how to LIGHTNING BOLT
use them, whether it requires attune ment to use, and how 3rd-level evocation
many cha rges it has, if any. You learn whether a ny spells Casting Time: 1 action
are affecting the item and what they a re. If the item was Range: S elf (100-foot line)
created by a spell, you learn which spell created it. Components: V, S, M (a bit of fur a nd a rod of a mber,
If you instead touch a creature throughout the casting, crystal, or glass)
you learn what spells, if a ny, are c urrently a ffecting it. Duration: Insta nta neous
INFLICT WOUNDS A stroke of lightning forming a line 100 feet long and 5
1s t-level necrom ancy feet wide blasts out from you in a direction you choose.
Each creature in the line mus t ma ke a Dexterity saving
Casting Time: 1 action
throw. A crea ture takes 8d6 lightning damage on a failed
Range: Touch
save, or ha lf as much da mage on a s uccessful one.
Components: V, S
The lightning ignites fla mmable objects in the area that
Duration: Ins ta nta neous
are not being worn or carried.
Ma ke a melee spell attack agains t a creature you can At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell
reach. On a hit, the ta rget ta kes 3d10 necrotic da mage. s lot of 4th level or highe r, the da mage increases by 1d6 for
At Higher Levels. When you cast this s pell us ing a spell each slot level above 3rd.
slot of 2nd level or highe r, the damage increases by 1d10
for each slot level above 1s t. MAGE ARMOR
1st-level abjuration
INVISIBILITY
Casting Time: 1 action
2nd-level illusion Range: Touch
Casting Time: 1 action Components: V, S, M (a piece of cured leather)
Range: Touch Duration: 8 hours
Components: V, S , M (an eyelash encased in gum a rabic)
You touch a willing creature who isn't wearing a rmor, a nd
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 hour
a protective magical force surrounds it until the spell ends.
A creature you touch becomes invisible until the spell The ta rget's base AC becomes 13 + its Dexterity modifier.
e nds. Anything the target is wearing or ca rrying is The spell ends early if the target dons a rmor or if you
dismiss the spell as a n action.

2
CHAPTER 4: SPELLCASTING
 M AGE H AND Components: V
Conjuration cantrip Duration: Insta nta ne ous
Casting Time: 1 action Up to six creatures of your choice within range each
Range: 30 fe et regain hit points equal to 2d8 + your s pellcasting ability
Components: V, S modifier. This s pell has no effect on undead or constructs.
Duration: 1 minute At Higher Levels. When you cas t this spell using a s pell
slot of 3rd level or higher, the he aling incre ases by ld8 for
A s pectral, floating hand appears at a point yo u choose
each s lot level above 2nd.
within range. The hand las ts for the duratio n or until you
dismiss it as a n action. The ha nd va nishes if it is ever more PR ESTIDI GI TATI ON
than 30 feet away from you or if you cas t this s pell aga in. Transmutation cantrip
You can use your action to co ntrol the hand. Yo u can
use the hand to manipulate a n object, ope n an unlocked Casting Time: 1 action
door or conta ine r, s tow or retrieve a n item from an open Range: 10 feet
container, or pour the contents out of a vial. You can move Components: V, S
the hand up to 30 feet e ach time you use it. Duration: Up to 1 hour
The ha nd can't attack, activate magic ite ms, or carry This s pell is a mino r magical trick that novice s pellcasters
more than 10 pounds . use for practice. You create one of the follow ing magica l
effects within ra nge:
M AGIC MISS I LE
1st-level evocation Create a n insta nta neous, ha rmless sensory effect, s uch
as a showe r of s parks, a puff of w ind, faint musical
Casting Time: 1 action no tes, or an odd odo r.
Range: 120 feet • Insta ntaneous ly light o r snuff out a candle, a torch, or a
Components: V, S sma ll campfire.
Duration: Instanta neo us Insta ntaneously cle an o r s oil a n object no la rger tha n 1
You create three glowing darts of magical force. Each dart cubic foot.
hits a creature of your choice within range that you can Chill, warm, or flavor up to 1 cubic foot of nonliving
see. A dart deals ld4 + 1 force damage to its target. The ma terial for 1 hour.
darts all strike simultaneously, a nd you can direct them to Make a colo r, a small ma rk, or a symbol appear on an
hit one creature or seve ra l. object or a s urface for 1 hour.
At Higher Levels. When you cast this s pell us ing a s pell Create a nonmagical trinket o r a n illusory image that
slot of 2nd level o r highe r, the s pell creates one more dart can fit in your ha nd a nd that lasts until the end of your
for each slot level above 1st. next tu r n.
If you cast this s pell multiple times, you can have up to
M ASS HEALING WORD three of its non-instanta neous effects active at a time, and
3rd-level evocation you can dismiss s uch a n effect as a n action.
Casting Time: 1 bonus action
Range: 60 feet PROT E CTION F ROM ENE RGY
Components: V 3rd-level abjuration
Duration: Instanta neous Casting Time: 1 actio n
As you call out wo rds of restoration, up to s ix creatures Range: Touch
you choose within range regain hit points equa l to ld4 Components: V, S
+ your s pellcasting ability modifier. The targets must be Duration: Concentration, up to 1 hour
within 30 feet of each other. This s pell has no effect on For the duration, the willing creature you touch has
undead or constructs . resistance to one da mage type of your choice: acid, cold,
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a s pell fire, lightning, or thunder.
slot of 4th level o r highe r, the healing increases by ld4 for
each slot level above 3rd. R AY OF FROST
E vocation cantrip
MISTY S TEP
Casting Time: 1 action
2nd-level conjuration
Range: 60 feet
Casting Time: 1 bonus action Components: V, S
Range: Self Duration: Insta ntaneous
Components: V
A frigid beam of blue-white light streaks toward a creature
Duration: Instanta neous
within range. Ma ke a ra nged s pell attack aga ins t the
Briefly s urrounded by s ilvery mist, yo u te leport up to 30 target. On a hit, it ta kes l d8 cold da mage, and its s peed is
feet to an unoccupied s pace that you can see. reduced by 10 feet until the start of your next turn.
The s pell's da mage increases by ld8 whe n yo u rea ch 5th
PRAYER O F HEALING
level (2d8), 11th level (3d8), and 17th level (4d8).
2nd-level evocation
Casting Time: 10 minutes
Range: 30 feet

28
CHAPTER 4: SPELLCASTING
RESISTANCE to AC, including against the triggering attack, and you take
Abjuration cantrip no damage from magic missile.
Casting Time: 1 action SHIELD OF FAITH
Range: Touch
1st-level abjuration
Components: V, S, M (a miniature cloak)
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute Casting Time: 1 bonus action
Range: 60 feet
You touch one willing creature. Once before the spell ends, Components: V, S, M (a s mall parchment with a bit of holy
the target can roll a d4 and add the number rolled to one text written on it)
saving throw of its choice. It can roll the die before or afte r Duration: Concentration, up to 10 minutes
making the saving throw. The spell then ends.
A shimmering field appears and su rrounds a creature of
REVIVIFY your choice within range, granting it a +2 bonus to AC for
3rd-level conjuration the duration.
Casting Time: 1 action SHOCKING GRA SP
Range: Touch
Evocation cantrip
Components: V, S, M (diamonds worth 300 gp, which are
consumed when the s pell is cast) Casting Time: 1 action
Duration: Instantaneous Range: Touch
Components: V, S
You touch a creature that has died within the last minute. Duration: Instantaneous
That creature returns to life with 1 hit point. This spell
cannot return to life a creature that has died of old age, Lightning springs from your hand to deliver a shock to
nor can it restore any missing body parts. a creature you try to touch. Make a melee spell attack
against the target. You have advantage on the attack roll
SACRED FLAME if the target is wearing armor made of metal. On a hit,
Evocation cantrip the target takes 1d8 lightning damage, a nd it can't take
Casting Time: 1 action reactions until the start of its next turn.
Range: 60 feet The spell's damage inc reases by 1d8 when you reach 5th
Components: V, S level (2d8), 11th level (3d8), and 17th level (4d8).
Duration: Instantaneous SILENCE
Flame-like radiance descends on a creature within range 2nd-level i/Jusion (ritual)
that you can see. The target must s ucceed on a Dexterity Casting Time: 1 action
saving throw or take 1d8 radiant damage. The target gains Range: 120 feet
no benefit from cover for this saving throw. Components: V, S
The spell's damage increases by ld8 when you reach 5th Duration: Concentration, up to 10 minutes
level (2d8), 11th level (3d8), and 17th level (4d8).
For the duration, no sound can be created w ithin or pass
SANCTUARY through a 20-foot-radius sphere centered on a point you
1st-level abjuration choose within range. Any creature or object entirely inside
Casting Time: 1 bonus action the sphere is immune to thunder damage, and creatures
are de afened while entirely inside it. Casting a spell that
Range: 30 feet
includes a verbal component is impossible there.
Components: V, S, M (a s mall s ilver mirror)
Duration: 1 minute SLEEP
You ward a creature within range against attack. Until the 1st-level enchantment
spell ends, any creature who ta rgets the warded creature Casting Time: 1 action
with an attack o r a harmful spell must first make a Range: 90 feet
Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, the creature must Components: V, S, M (a pinch of fine sand, rose petals, or
choose a new target or lose the attack or spell. Th is s pell a cricket)
doesn't protect the warded creature from area effects, Duration: l minute
such as the explosion of a fireball.
If the warded creatu re makes an attack or casts a s pell This s pell sends creatures into a magical slumber. Roll
that affects a n enemy creature, this spell ends early. 5d8; the total is how many hit points of creatures this s pell
can affect. Creatures within 20 feet of a point you choose
SHIELD within range a re affected in increasing order of their
1st-level abjuration curre nt hit points (ignoring unconscious creatures).
Casting Time: 1 reactio n, which you take whe n you are hit Starting w ith the creature that has the lowest current hit
by an attack or targeted by the magic missile s pell points, each creature affected by this s pell falls unconscious
Range:Self until the spell ends, the sleeper takes damage, or someone
Components: V, S uses an action to shake or slap the sleeper awake. Subtract
Duration: 1 round each creature's hit points from the total before moving on to
the c reature with the next lowest hit points. A creature's hit
An invisible barrier of magical force appears and protects
you. Until the start of your next turn, you have a +5 bonus
29
C HAPTER 4-: SPELLCASTING
 points must be equa l to or less than the remaining total for At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell
that creature to be affected. slot of 3rd level or higher, the damage increases by ld8 for
Undead a nd creatures immune to being charmed aren't every two s lot levels above the 2nd.
affected by this spell.
At Higher Levels. Whe n you cast this s pell us ing a spell SUGGESTION
slot of 2nd level or higher, roll an additional 2d8 for each 2nd-level enchantment
slot level above 1st. Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 30 feet
SPIDER CLIMB Components: V, M (a s nake's tongue a nd either a bit of
2nd-level transmutation honeycomb or a drop of sweet oil)
Casting Time: 1 action Duration: Concentratio n, up to 8 hours
Range: Touch You s uggest a course of activity (limited to a sentence
Components: V, S, M (a drop of bitume n a nd a s pider) or two) a nd magically influence a creature you choose
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 hour within range that can hear a nd understand you. Creatures
Until the s pell ends, one w illing creature you touch gains that can't be charmed a re immune to this effect. The
the ability to move up, down, a nd across vertical surfaces s uggestion must be worded in s uch a manner as to
a nd upside down along ceilings, while leaving its hands make the course of action sound reasonable. Asking
free. The target a lso gains a climbing speed equal to its the creature to stab itself, throw itself onto a s pear,
walking s peed. immolate itself, o r do some other obviously harm ful act
automatica lly negates the effect of the spell.
SPIRIT GUARDIANS The target must ma ke a Wisdom savi ng throw. On a
3rd-level conjuration fa iled save, it purs ues the course of action you described
Casting Time: 1 actio n to the best of its ability. The s uggested course of action can
Range: Self (15-foot radius) continue for the e ntire duration. If the s uggested activity
Components: V, S, M (a holy symbol) can be completed in a shorter time, the s pell ends whe n
Duration: Concentration, up to 10 minutes the s ubject fin ishes what it was asked to do.
You can also specify conditions that will trigger a special
You call for th s pirits to protect you. They flit around you activity during the duration. For example, you might
to a distance of 15 feet for the duration. If you a re good or s uggest that a knight give her warhorse to the first beggar
neutral, their s pectral form appears angelic or fey (your she meets. If the condition is not met before the spell
choice). If you a re evil, they appear fiendis h. expires, the activity is not performed.
When you cast th is s pe ll, you can designate any number If you or a ny of your companions da mage the ta rget, the
of creatures you can see to be unaffected by it. An affected spell ends early.
c reature's speed is ha lved in the a rea, a nd whe n the
creature enters the area or sta rts its turn there, it must ThAUMATURGY
make a Wisdom saving throw (no more than o nce per Transmutation cantrip
turn). On a failed save, the creature takes 3d8 radia nt
Casting Time: 1 actio n
damage (if you are good or neutral) o r 3d8 necrotic
Range: 30 feet
damage (if you a re evil). On a s uccessful save, the creature
Components: V
takes ha lf as much da mage.
Duration: Up to 1 minute
At Higher Levels. Whe n you cast this spell using a spell
s lot of 4th level or highe r, the damage increases by ld8 for You manifest a minor wonder, a sign of s upernatural
each slot level above 3rd. power, w ithin range. You create one of the following
magical effects within range:
SPIRITUAL WEAPON
Your voice booms up to three times as loud as norma l
2nd-level evocation
for 1 minute.
Casting Time: 1 bonus action You cause flames to flicker, brighten, dim, or change
Range: 60 feet color for 1 minute.
Components: V, S You cause ha rmless tremors in the ground for 1 minute.
Duration: 1 minute You create an instanta neous sound that originates from
You create a floating, s pectra l weapon within ra nge that a poi nt of your choice within range, s uch as a rumble of
lasts for the duration or until you cast this s pe ll again. thunder, the cry of a raven, or ominous whispers.
When you cast the spell, you can ma ke a me lee spell , You instantaneously cause a n unlocked door or window
attack against a creature w ithin 5 feet of the weapon. On to fly open or slam shut.
a hit, the target takes force damage equal to ld8 + your You a lter the appea rance of your eyes for 1 minute.
s pellcasting ability modifie r. If you cast this spell multiple times, you can have up to
As a bonus action on your turn, you can move the three of its 1-minute effects active at a time, a nd you can
weapon up to 20 feet a nd repeat the attack against a dismiss s uch a n effect as a n action.
creature w ithin 5 feet of it.
The weapon can take whatever form you choose. Clerics TuUNDERWAVE
of deities w ho are associated with a pa rticular weapon 1st-level evocation
(as St. Cuthbert is known for his mace and Thor for his Casting Time: 1 action
hammer) make this s pell's effect resemble that weapon. Range: Self (15-foot cube)
30
CHAPTER 4: SPELLCASTING
 Components : V, S CREDITS
Duration : Insta ntaneous Lead Designers: Mike Mearl s, Jeremy Crawford
Design Team: Christopher Perkins, Jam es Wyatt, Rodney .
A wave of thunderous force sweeps o ut from you. Each
Thom pson, Robert J. Schwalb, Peter Lee, Steve Townshend,
creature in a 15-foot cube o riginating fro m you mus t ma ke Bruce R. Cordell
a Constitution saving throw. On a fa iled save, a creature Editing Team: Chris Sims, Michele Carter, Scott Fitzgerald Gray
takes 2d8 thunder damage a nd is pus hed 10 feet away Producer: Greg Bilsland
from you. On a s uccessful save, the creature takes ha lf as
much damage a nd is not pushed. Adventure Designers: Richard Baker, Christopher Perkins
In addition , unsecured objects that a re completely
within the a rea of effect a re automatically pushed 10 feet Art Directors: Kate Irwin, Dan Gelon, Jon Schindehette, Mari
away from you by the s pell's effect, a nd the s pell em its a Kolkowsky, Melissa Rapier, Shauna Narciso
Graphic Designers: Bree H eiss, Emi Tanji
thunderous boom audible out to 300 feet.
Box Cover Illustrator: Jaime Jones
At Higher Levels. Whe n you cast this s pell us ing a spell
Rulebook Illustrators: Eric Belisle, Wayne England, Randy
s lo t of 2nd level or highe r, the da mage increases by ld8 for Gallegos, Matt Stawicki, Kieran Vanner
each s lot level above 1s t. Adventure Illustrators: Daren Bader, Mark Behm, Conceptopolis,
Wayne England, Tomas Giorello, Ralph Horsley, Aaron J. Riley,
W ARDING BON D Tyler Jacobson, Vance Kovacs, Daniel Landerman, Raphael
2nd-level abjuration Lubke, Bryn n Metheney, Steve Prescott, Ned Rogers, Carmen
Casting Tim e: 1 actio n Si nek, l lya Shkipin, David Vargo, Kieran Vanner
Cartographer: M ike Schley
Range: Touch
Compone nts : V, S , M (a pair of platinum rings wor th at
Additional Contributors: Kim Mohan, Matt Sernett , Chris Dupuis,
least 50 gp each , which you a nd the ta rget must wear for Tom LaPi lle, Richard Baker, M iranda Horner, Jennifer Clarke
the duration) Wilkes, Steve Winter, Nina Hess
Duration: 1 hou r
T his spell wards a w illi ng creature you touch a nd creates Project Management: Neil Shinkle, Kim Graham, John H ay
Production Services: Cynda Callaway, Brian Du mas, Jefferson
a mystic connection between you a nd the s ubject until
Dunlap, Anita Williams
the spell e nds. While the target is w ithin 60 feet of you,
it gains a +l bo nus to AC a nd saving throws, a nd it has Brand and Marketing: Nathan Stew art, Liz Schuh, Chris Lindsay,
resis ta nce to a ll damage. Also, each time it ta kes da mage, Shelly Mazzanoble, H ilary Ross , Laura Tommervik, Kim
you ta ke the same amount of dama ge. Lundstrom
The spell ends early if you drop to O hit points or if you
a nd the s ubject become separated by more tha n 60 feet. Based on the original DUNGEONS & DRAGONS game created by
You can a lso dis miss the s pell as an actio n. E. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson,
w ith Brian Blume, Rob Kuntz, James Ward, and Don Kaye
W EB Drawing from further development by
2nd-le vel conjuration Tom M old vay, Frank Mentzer, Aaron Allston , Harold Johnson,
David " Zeb" Cook, Jonat han Tweet, Monte Cook, Ski p William s,
Casting Time: 1 action Peter Adkison, Bill Slavicsek, Andy Collins, and Rob Heinsoo
Range: 60 feet Forgotten Realms created by
Components: V, S, M (a bit of s piderweb) Ed Greenwood, t he Sage of Shadowdale
Duration: Concentration , up to 1 ho ur
Playtesting provided by
You conjure a m as s of thick, sticky webbing at a point of over 175,000 fans of D&D. Thank you!
your choice within range. The webs fill a 20-foot cube from Additional consultation provided by
that point for the duration. The webs are d ifficult te rrain Jeff Grubb, John "RPG Pundit" Tarnowski, Ken neth H ite, Kevin
and lightly obscure their a rea. Kulp, Robin Laws, S. John Ross, Vincent Venturella, and Zak S.
If the webs are not a ncho red between two solid masses
(such as walls or trees) o r layered across a floor, wa ll, or Disclaimer: Wizards ofthe Coast is not responsible for the consequences ofany foiled saving
throws, including but not limited to petrification, poison, death magic, dragon breath, spells, or
ceiling, the conjured web colla pses on itself, a nd the s pell vorpal sword-related decapitations.
ends at the s ta rt of your next turn. Webs layered over a flat
surface have a depth of 5 feet.
Each creature that sta rts its turn in the webs o r tha t
enters them during its turn must ma ke a De xterity saving
throw. On a failed save, the creature is restrained as lo ng
320A9216000002 EN
First Printing: July 2014

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CE
as it rema ins in the webs or until it breaks free. DU NGEONS & DRAGONS, o&o, Wizards of the Coast, Forgotten Realms, the dragon
A creature restrained by the webs can use its action to ampersand, Player's Handbook, Monster Manual, Dungeon Master's Guide, all other
make a S trength check against your s pell save DC. If it Wiza rds of the Coast product names, and their respect ive logos are t rademarks of Wizards
of the Coa st in the USA and other count ries. All characters and t heir distinctive likenesses
s ucceeds , it is no longer restrained. are property of Wizards of the Coast. This material is protected under the copyright laws
The webs a re fla mmable. Any 5-foot cube of webs of the United States of America. Any repro d uction or unauthorized use of the material or
artwork contained herein is prohibited without the express written permission of Wizards
exposed to fire burns away in 1 round , dealing 2d4 fire of the Coast. IOIA921602
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31
CHAPTER 4 : SPELLCASTING

I
 PARALYZE D
APPENDIX : CONDITIONS • A paralyzed creature is incapacitated (see the condition)
Conditions a lter a creature's capabilities in a variety of a nd can't move or s peak.
ways a nd can arise as a result of a s pell, a class featu re, a The c reature automatically fai ls Strength a nd Dexterity
mons ter's attack, or other e ffect. Most conditions, s uch as saving throws.
blinded, a re impairments , but a few, s uch as invisible, can Attack rolls against the creature have advantage.
be advantageous. Any attack that hits the creature is a critical hit if the
A condition lasts e ithe r until it is countered (the prone attacke r is within 5 feet of the creature.
condition is countered by stand ing up, for example) or for a
PETRIFIED
duration specified by the e ffect that imposed the condition.
If multiple effects impose the same condition o n a • A petrified creature is transforme d, a long w ith a ny
creatu re, each instance of the condition has its own nonmagica l object it is wearing or carrying, into a solid
duratio n, but the condition's e ffects don't get worse. A ina nimate s ubstance (us ua lly s tone). Its weight increases
creature eithe r has a condition o r doesn't. by a factor of ten , and it ceases aging.
• The creature is incapacitated (see the condition), can't
The following definitions specify what happe ns to a
creature wh ile it is s ubjected to a condition. move or speak, and is unaware of its s urro undings.
Attack rolls against the creature have a dvantage.
BLINDED The creature automatically fails Stre ngth and Dexterity
A blinded creature can't see and a utomatically fails any saving throws.
ability check that requires sight. The creature has resistance to all damage.
• Attack rolls against the creature have advantage, a nd the • The creature is immune to poison and disease, a lthough
creature's attack rolls have disadvantage. a poison or disease a lready in its system is s us pe nde d,
not ne utra lized.
CHARMED
A charmed creature can't attack the charmer or ta rget POISON ED
the charmer w ith harmful a bilities or m agical effects. • A poisoned creature has disadvantage on a ttack rolls
• T he cha rme r has advantage o n a ny ability check to inte r- a nd ability checks.
act socially with the creature.
PRONE
DEAFENED A prone creature's only movement option is to crawl,
• A deafened creature can't hear a nd automatically fails unless it stands up and thereby ends the condition.
any ability check that requ ires hearing. The creature has disadvantage on attack rolls.
An attack roll a gains t the creatu re has advantage if the
FRIGHTENED attacker is within 5 feet of the creatu re. Otherwise, the
• A frighte ned creature has disadva ntage on ability checks a ttack roll has disadvantage.
a nd attack rolls while the source of its fear is w ithin line
of sig ht. RE STRAINED
• The creature can't willingly move closer to the source of • A restrained creature's speed becomes 0, a nd it can't
its fea r. benefit from a ny bonus to its speed.
Attack rolls against the creature have advantage, and the
GRAPPLED c reature's attack rolls have disadvantage.
• A grappled creature's s peed becomes 0, and it can't be n- The creature has disadvantage o n Dexte rity saving
efit from any bonus to its s peed. throws.
The conditio n e nds if the grappler is incapacitated (see
the condition). STUNN ED
• The condition a lso ends if a n effect re moves the grap- • A s tunned creature is incapacita ted (see the condition),
pled creature fro m the reach of the grappler or grappling can't move, a nd can s peak only falteringly.
effect, such as when a creature is hurled away by the The c reature automatically fails S trength a nd Dexte rity
thunderwave spell. saving throws.
Attack rolls against the creature have advantage.
INCAPACITATED
• An incapacitated creature can't ta ke actions or reactio ns. UNCONSC IOUS
An unconscious creature is incapacitated (see the
INVISIBLE condition), can't move or s peak, and is unaware of its
An invisible creature is impossible to see without the s urroundings
a id of magic o r a s pecial sense. For the purpose of The creature drops whateve r it's holding and falls prone.
hiding, the c reature is heavily obscured. The creature's The creature automatically fails Strength a nd Dexterity
location can be de tected by any noise it makes or a ny saving throws.
tracks it leaves. Attack rolls against the creature have advantage.
• Attack rolls agai nst the creature have disadva ntage, a nd • Any attack that hits the creature is a critical hit if the
the creature's attack rolls have adva ntage. attacker is w ithin 5 feet of the creature.