General Rules & Gameplay Guide

[For use with the 5th Edition of the d20 System]

Golden Rules
1. Everything in & about this game is subject to the Dungeon Master’s (DM for short) whimsey.
2. Everything presented in Official & Unofficial materials are merely guidelines & examples of how this
game works.
3. The only limits to this game are your Imagination & the DM’s discretion.
4. If nothing says you can’t do it & it makes sense, assume that you can do it.

[Anything highlighted in green are my own additions, subtractions & twists to the standard Rules.]

Character Creation & Advancement

1. Select a Base Species & a possible Subspecies (Monsters seldom have Subspecies options).

2. Select a Background (BG for short), Personality Traits & other Personal Details (see P.121 of the
Player’s Hand Book, P.145 of the Sword Coast Adventurer’s Guide & P.61 of Xanathar’s Guide to
Everything for examples).

[the limits shown are only the bare minimum a character should have. Feel free to go nuts & hash
his/hers/it’s past & present out!]

3. Select a Base Class & a possible Subclass (varies by Class Level).

[Proficiencies, Wealth, Starting Gear, Class Features & Subclasses are obtained based on the character’s
specific Class & Level.]

4. Determine your Base Ability Scores: Strength (Str for short), the sum of a creature’s raw physical
might. Commonly linked to Athletics, Carrying Capacity, Melee combat & Throwing.

Dexterity (Dex for short), the sum of a creature’s physical reflexes & agility. Commonly linked to
Acrobatics, Stealth, Thievery, Ranged combat, Finesse Weapons & Martial Arts.

Constitution (Con for short), the sum of a creature’s innate resilience & endurance. Commonly linked to
Max HP, Spending HD, Concentration & resisting the effects of Poisons.

Intelligence (Int for short), the sum of a creature’s mental capacity & collective knowledge. Commonly
linked to Memory & Knowledge Recall, Perception, Healing & Spellcasting (see Arcane Trickster,
Artificer, Eldritch Knight, Mystic & Wizard).

Wisdom (Wis for short), the sum of a creature’s willpower, instincts & creativity. Commonly linked to
Animal Handling, Investigation, Insight, Survival, Class Abilities & Spellcasting (see Blood Hunter, Cleric,
Druid & Ranger).
Charisma (Cha for short), the sum of a creature’s social qualities. Commonly linked to Persuasion,
Intimidation, Performance & Spellcasting (see Bard, Paladin, Sorcerer & Warlock).

[Scores may be determined in a number of ways. The most common way is to roll 4d6, remove the
lowest rolled value (or any value, if all are the same)& add the remaining 3 values together.]
[every Ability Score value has a Derived Modifier (Mod for short), which are applied to various Dice
Rolls (also known as Checks & Saves. Most of which require 1d20).]
[most Humanoid Creatures’ Ability Scores naturally cap out at 20 & most Monsters’ (all non-Humanoid
Creatures) Ability Scores naturally cap out at 30. However, magic & godly might can overcome these
limitations.]
[Mods with positive values are called Bonuses & Mods with negative values are called Penalties. All
Mods are added & subtracted from all applicable rolls & stats, unless specifically stated otherwise.]

Ability Score Ability Modifier

1 -5
2-3 -4
4-5 -3
6-7 -2
8-9 -1
10-11 0
12-13 +1
14-15 +2
16-17 +3
18-19 +4
20-21 +5
22-23 +6
24-25 +7
26-27 +8
28-29 +9
30-31 +10
32-33 +11
34-35 +12
36-37 +13
38-39 +14
40-41 +15

5. Determine your Starting CL. CL is the overall culmination of both Species & Class Levels (it also
determines any Level Dependent Bonuses a character may have (like Proficiency Bonus/Dice
improvements & various Class Features).

[Character Levels advance after reaching certain Experience Point (XP for short) thresholds.]
[There is no limit to a creature’s CL, however, almost every Class has a Level Cap of 20. Once reached,
characters cannot Advance till they take on a new Class.]
[XP are most commonly gained through defeating enemies in Combat & clearing certain quest
Objectives.]
[A creature’s Proficiency Bonus (Prof for short) can be determined by either rolling a dice or taking ½
the dice’s value & applying it to all applicable rolls (the latter is the most common way).]

XP Threshold Character Proficiency Bonus Advancement Bonuses

Level
0 1 +2 or 1d4
300 2
900 3
2,700 4 Ability Improvement or Feat
6,500 5 +3 or 1d6
14,000 6
23,000 7
34,000 8 Ability Improvement or Feat
48,000 9 +4 or 1d8
64,000 10
85,000 11
100,000 12 Ability Improvement or Feat
120,000 13 +5 or 1d10
140,000 14
165,000 15
195,000 16 Ability Improvement or Feat
225,000 17 +6 or 1d12
265,000 18
305,000 19 Ability Improvement or Feat
355,000 20 Epic Boon
405,000 21 +7 or 1d10 & 1d4
460,000 22
525,000 23 Ability Improvement, Feat or Epic Boon
595,000 24
665,000 25 +8 or 1d10 & 1d6
745,000 26
825,000 27 Ability Improvement, Feat or Epic Boon
915,000 28
1,005,000 29 +9 or 1d10 & 1d8
1,105,000 30
1,205,000 31 Ability Improvement, Feat or Epic Boon
1,315,000 32
1,425,000 33 +10 or 2d10
1,545,000 34
1,665,000 35 Ability Improvement, Feat or Epic Boon
1,795,000 36
1,925,000 37 +11 or 1d10 & 1d12
2,065,000 38 Ability Improvement, Feat or Epic Boon
2,205,000 39
2,355,000 40
2,505,000 41 +12 or 2d12
 2,665,000 42 Ability Improvement, Feat or Epic Boon

[Ability Improvements grant your choice of either: +2 to 1 Ability Score or +1 to 2 Ability Scores.]
[Feats are auxiliary Features that typically grant bonuses & abilities not generally provided by most
Races, BGs, Classes or Spells.]
[Epic Boons are similar to Feats, but more powerful, singular in effect & only defined by the DM.]
[Generally, Multi-Classing characters gain Advancement Bonuses based on their individual Class Levels,
rather than their CL.]

6. Calculate Maximum Hit Points (MHP for short).

[There are a # of ways to do this. The most common ways are to either: A. roll the creature’s Hit Dice
(HD for short), which vary by Class & Species)& add it’s Con Mod. Or B. take ½ the HD & add it’s Con
Mod (either way, this is done at every Level Up).]

7. Determine Wealth (aka. Starting Gold), Lifestyle (generally for larger & more detailed homebrew
campaigns)& select any additional Gear & Equipment your character would likely have on him or her
(example Magic Items can be found in the Dungeon Master’s Guide, Xanathar’s Guide to Everything &
Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything).

8. Calculate Armor Class (AC for short). Typically, it’s 10 or a creature’s Armor Bonus + its’ Dex Mod +
any other Mods (Class & Racial Features (like Unarmored AC), Magical effects (like Mage Armor)&
situational Bonuses (like Cover or Obscurment) can augment this stat &or change how you calculate it).

[Shields count as Cover (Small = ¼, Medium = ½, Large = ¾ & Tower = Total) if you lack Prof with them
(meaning that certain Abilities & Spells can completely bypass them).]
[You do not gain your Dex Mod to AC (if any)& your Speeds are reduced by -5ft per Category (-5ft Light,
-10ft Medium & -15ft Heavy) of the Armor you’re wearing, if you’re not Proficient with it.]
[Casters have Disadvantage on all Spell Attacks & their targets have Advantage on all Saves vs. their
Spells if they’re wearing Armor that they’re not Proficient with.]
[If you do not meet or exceed a suit of Armor’s Minimum Strength Requirement, you have
Disadvantage on all Str & Dex rolls & Saves while wearing it.]
[A creature can have multiple AC sources but, can only use 1 at a time. However, there’s nothing saying
that 1 cannot actively swap it’s active AC source (generally worn Armor has priority, then Mage Armor,
then Unarmored AC. It also makes more sense to use the highest AC source).]

Skills, Saves & their Uses

1. Each Ability is tied to 1 or more Skills & a Save.

Ability/Save Linked Skills

Strength Athletics
Acrobatics
Dexterity Stealth
Thievery
Academics
 Arcana
Intelligence Medicine
Nature
Perception
Religion
Wisdom Investigation
Survival
Animal Handling
Charisma Intimidation
Performance
Persuasion

[Most Races & all Backgrounds & Classes grant a # of such Proficiencies (Profs for short).]
[Each Skill & Save can be calculated or outright converted into a Score, rather than a roll Mod. These
Scores are called Passive Skills & Saves. Calculating each Passive Skill & Save is as easy as adding all
applicable Mods to 10. Typically, only Investigation & Perception are used in this way.]
[Animal Handling is now linked to Cha.]
[History is now incorporated into Academics.]
[Investigation & Perception’s Linked Abilities are now swapped.]
[Medicine is now Linked to Int.]
[Insight is now incorporated into Wis Saves.]
[Deception is now incorporated into Persuasion.]
[Sleight of Hand is now incorporated into Thievery.]
[Academics & Thievery are new Skills.]
[In general, Common Knowledge is a given (a higher Int Mod will get you more & a lower will get you
less). Species, Background, Class & Proficiencies are all good guides to discerning what might be
considered Common Knowledge for a creature/character.]

2. each Skill can be used to make a number of checks. Below are some of the most common examples...

Athletics: to Climb, Grapple/maintain grip on an Object or Creature.

to Jump great Heights &or Distances.
to Swim through rough/running waters or thick liquids.
to pry something open or keep something from moving.
to lift, carry, pull or push something large &or heavy.
to break an another’s hold on you, an ally or object.

Acrobatics: to Move through Difficult Terrain at full Speed.

to maintain Balance on Narrow &or Unstable Platforms.
to Catch objects that you’re ready to receive or intercept.
to manipulate rope, string, wires & similar objects.
to perform various Stunts (like Tumbling after Falling or Escaping from Bindings or Grappling).

Stealth: to avoid Detection by Hiding or Blending with the environment.

to Conceal an Object, “Portal” or Tracks.
to reduce 1’s own Body Language &or Audio Signature.
Thievery: to perform Hand Tricks & Optical Illusions.
to Lockpick & Set, Sabotage or Disable Non-Magical Traps.
to Pickpocket or Plant objects without detection.
to Replicate Signatures, Writings & works of Art (such as Money & priceless Artifacts).

Academics: to read & write.

to solve mathematical, grammatical & sociopolitical problems.
to recall Lore related to people (including yourself), places & things (including their history, legends,
myths & theories).

Arcana: to identify a Spell, Ritual or the Properties of Magic Items.

to recall Lore relating to Magical Traditions, Schools, Creatures, Artifacts, Devices, Runes & Locations
(such as the various Planes of Existence).
to Set, Sabotage or Disable Magical Traps & Tinker with Magical Devices.
to discern whether or not a creature or object is: Magical &or being affected by Magic.

Medicine: to recall Lore related to Potions, Poisons & Healing Items.

to determine the effects of Potions & Poisons.
to diagnose the physical condition of other creatures (healthy, ill, dying, dead or even undead).
to make standard Healing rolls (in most cases this is to Stabilize a Dying creature or spending your Hit
Dice on a wounded creature (the latter can only be done during a Short Rest).

Nature: to recall lore related to non-magical creatures, plants, substances, geology, weather, natural
cycles (these may vary based on a creature’s Native Plane).
to determine if a creature is Living, Dead or Undead.

Perception: to See, Hear, Feel, Smell or Taste something.

to Search for or Spot something that’s Obscured, Hidden, Small &or Subtle enough to easily miss at a
glance.

Religion: to recall Lore related to various Faiths, Pantheons, Deities, Rites, Practices, Prayers, Tenants,
Hierarchs & Holy Symbols of various Religions.
to determine if a creature, object or area is: of Holy or Unholy nature &or under the effects of Curses or
Blessings.

Animal Handling: to identify, communicate with, control or alter the mental/emotional state of Beasts.

Investigation: to Search for buried truths.

to make deductions based on what you know (such as learning from Body Language, Habits, Patterns &
Mannerisms of others, figuring out the Likely Location of a person, place or thing or the cause of a
Wound or Condition).
to Discern weaknesses & flaws.
to Solve puzzles & riddles.
to Appraise the approximate value of items & materials.

Survival: to Track & Navigate.

to Recall the Lay of the Land.
to Identify imprints & finger prints.
to Forage & Predict the weather & time.
to Spot & Identify hazards.

Intimidation: to Threaten, Interrogate or simply instill Fear into others.

Performance: to Entertain, Annoy & Distract others by Singing, Dancing, Acting, Joke Slinging, Painting,
Crafting, Playing Instruments, Storytelling & Imitations.

Persuasion: to Influence others through Force of Personality, Charm & Social Presence (ultimately
Convincing others to act the way you want (for good or ill).

[In general, a creature can only Move at ½ Speed while attempting to be Stealthy, Alert or when
Tracking. Moving Full Speed imposes Disadvantage & Dashing denies those abilities to a creature.]

3. To make a Check or Save, a character need only meet any conditions required to perform it (if any),
spend a Standard Action (unless prompted to make a Reaction by the GM), roll 1d20 & add the Linked
Ability Mod, the Proficiency Bonus/Dice (if applicable)& any other applicable Mods).

[1 does not generally need Prof with a Save, Skill or Tool to make Checks with them, they simply don’t
gain the Bonus.]
[Rolling a 1 on the d20 of a Check or Save is an automatic Failure (also known as a Critical Failure (Crit
Fail for short). Crit Failures always result in Murphy’s’ Law kicking in, usually in 1 of the worst ways
possible. Also, Crit Failing vs. Non-Attacks (AoE Spells, Traps, Falling, etc) incurs Critical Damage (see
Combat).]
[Rolling a 20 on the d20 of a Check or Save is an automatic Success (also known as Succeeding with Style
or Natural 20 (Nat 20 for short). Nat 20s always results in some kind of beneficial effect occurring, along-
side looking as flawless & badass as possible.]
[Having Prof with the right Tools or Vehicles may still allow you to make the desired Skill Check (see Skill
Synergy below).]
[There are also instances where 2 different Skills can be used to perform the same action (like: Athletics
& Animal Handling to steer a Wagon that’s being pulled by 2 horses, or Nature & Medicine to determine
which herbs can be used to make a medical salve or antitoxin, or Thievery & Performance to create a
distraction). This is known as Skill Synergy & requires a bit more creative & logical thinking. The general
rule of thumb is, if it makes sense, it can happen or at least be attempted.]
[Instead of rolling for a Check, 1 can choose to Take 10. Doing so requires 2x the time normally required
to perform the task & Prof in the required Skill or Tools. This is generally done when 1 is sure that it’s
Mods are big enough to succeed.]
[Similarly, 1 can Take 20. Doing so instead requires 10x the time normally required to perform the task.
This is generally done when 1 wishes to Succeed with Style without rolling for it & has the time to burn.]
[Taking 10 & 20 both require 1 to not have Disadvantage & must maintain Concentration for the
duration of the task (& like with Spells, if Concentration is broken, the attempt automatically & entirely
fails).]
[Advantage & Disadvantage cause a creature to roll 1 additional d20 & take either the highest
(Advantage) or lowest (Disadvantage) rolled value & apply all other Modifiers from there. However, if
applied to a Passive Skill &or Save, they instead grant either +5 (Advantage) or -5 (Disadvantage) to the
Score.]
[Advantage & Disadvantage cancel each other out.]
[Creatures can have multiple stacks of Advantage or Disadvantage applied to a Check or Save. While this
doesn’t add any additional Dice to the roll, it does make it harder to overcome]

4. In certain circumstances Group Checks can be made (all group members may make the same Check &
if at least ½ of the group succeeds, then the whole group succeeds)(Nat 20s & Crit Fails count as 2
successes & failures, respectively).

5. Characters can also use the Aid Another Action to enhance the outcome of another creature’s Check
or Save, as either a Standard Action or Reaction, by granting Advantage on the roll. However, doing so
requires that you be within 30ft, can see the target, your ally must be able to see &or hear you, you
must have Prof with a Skill or Tool that can be used to complete the task (this can be done before or
after the roll, but before a result is declared by the DM).

6. characters may also use Inspiration (if they have it) to grant themselves Advantage on all the rolls
they make for the Round.

[Inspiration is awarded by gift or vote of the Players &or the GM for good Roleplaying &or doing
something particularly Clever, Cool, Amusing &or Helpful to the progression of the game.]

Traveling & Resting

1. while Traveling on foot, a group tends to move at a Normal or Slowed Pace & usually as fast as the
slowest member. But sometimes time is of the essence, haste must be made & groups move at a Fast
Pace. To calculate a group’s Travel Pace, take the character with the lowest Walking Speed & multiply it
by 10x to determine how many Feet (ft for short) the group moves in 1 Minute (min for short). For
greater leaps in time, multiply the slowest character’s Walking Speed by 100x for Miles (mi for short)
traveled in 1 Hour (hr for short), or multiply the number of Miles travelled by 8x for Miles traveled in 1
Day.

A Slowed Pace is generally 150ft per Minute, 1.5mi per Hour & 12mi per Day.

A Normal Pace is generally 300ft per Minute, 3mi per Hour & 24mi per Day.

A Fast Pace is generally 450ft per Minute, 4.5mi per Hour & 36mi per Day.

[This is assuming that the whole group is Walking & that the slowest member of the group has a
Walking Speed of 30ft.]
[Traveling at a Normal Pace grants no bonuses but, does not hinder the group either.]
[Traveling at a Slowed Pace grants Advantage to Investigation & Perception & allows for Stealth Checks
& Hide Actions to be made.]
[Traveling at a Fast Pace imposes Disadvantage to Investigation & Perception.]
[In general, Difficult Terrain requires creatures to move at a Slowed Pace (50% of their Speed. This can
be overcome with an Acrobatics Check for moving at a Normal or Fast Pace (you suffer Disadvantage if
you’re trying to Dash or Move at a Fast Pace.)(like always, a Failed Check usually results in things not
going the way a character wants & on occasion, something really bad happens). Likewise, Climbing,
Swimming & Crawling also reduces the group’s Travel Pace by 50% (unless the group members all have
1 or more of those as Natural or Magical Movement Speeds). Should both factors be in play, the group
will be forced to travel at a Cautious Pace (75ft per Minute, 750ft per Hour & 6mi per Day). Traveling at
a Cautious Pace grants 2 stacks of Advantage to Passive Investigation & Perception Checks, allow for
Stealth Checks & Hide Actions to be made & Initiative rolls also have Advantage.]
[Sometimes Swimming requires a character to hold its’ breath. (a creature can hold its’ breath for a # of
Minutes = to its’ Con Mod +1 (with a minimum of 30 Seconds (sec for short).]
[A creature that has run out of air can survive for a # of Rounds = to its’ Con Mod +1 (with a minimum of
1 Round), after which they attain the Unconscious & Dying Conditions (see P.290 of the Player’s Hand
Book).]
[at most, a group usually only travels for about 8hrs a Day, however a group can push beyond this limit.
Doing so requires a Con Save every Hour beyond 8 (DC = 10 +1 per additional Hour traveled (a failed
Save results in the group suffering 1 level of Fatigue).]

2. Mounts & Vehicles are often used to enhance travel time & distance by moving at an Accelerated
Pace (which = the Mounts’ Land Speed x20 (per Minute) or x100 (per Hour). However, Mounts can only
travel at an Accelerated Pace for 1Hr per “its’” Con Mod (with a minimum of 1Hr). After which, said
Mounts must Rest for at least 1Hr per Hour traveled at an Accelerated Pace. Traveling at an Accelerated
Pace grants 2 stacks of Disadvantage to Passive Investigation & Perception Checks to the Mount &
Rider.

[Mounts cannot normally travel at an Accelerated Pace through Difficult Terrain.]

[unlike Mounts, most Vehicles can keep moving at an Accelerated Pace indefinitely, however usually an
active minimum Crew is required to operate, maintain & keep them on course & many also have limited
Fuel reserves.]

3. Jumps are sometimes a common & cool way to clear obstacles & move around. There are 2 types of
jumps a character can perform, a Running Jump & a Standing Jump. Jumps are typically done during a
Movement Action but, can be done as a Standard or possibly even as a Bonus Action.

A Running Jump requires you to move at least 10ft before making the Jump. Doing so allows a character
to move a # of Feet horizontally up to its’ Str Score & vertically up to its’ Str Mod +3 & either distance
value of choice gains a +1 bonus per space moved prior to the jump.

[Characters can extend their Jumping Height or Distance by succeeding on an Athletics Check. Doing so
grants a # of Feet = to it’s Prof.]
[Characters can also make a Dash Action to further enhance the potential of a Running Jump. However
it requires you to move at least 20ft.]
[Dashing doubles all of the character’s Speeds for the Turn & typically can only be done as a Standard
Action.]

A Standing Jump allows a character to move a # of Feet horizontally up to ½ its’ Str Score & vertically up
to its’ Str Mod +3/ 2 (rounded down).

[a character can extend its’ arms (or whatever appendages it may have to Reach & Grapple with) to
reach out to try & grab something. Doing so adds 50% of the characters’ Height to either their horizontal
or vertical jumping distance.]
[depending on any complications with &or within the area that might interfere with the characters’
movement mid jump &or his or her landing, 1 or more Acrobatics Checks may be required.]
4. Falling is a common hazard that usually results from failed Dex Saves, Jump & being Shoved. Those
who fall are generally subjected to 1d6 Bludgeoning Damage per 10ft fallen, with a maximum potential
of 20d6 & they usually land Prone.

5. Hiding is another option some creatures take to reduce the odds of being detected & even to set up
for ambushes. To use the Hide Action, 1 must be Obscured or have Cover. Then you may make a Stealth
Check. The result of the Stealth Check is then compared to all other aware creatures’ Passive Perception
Scores that are passing by.

[If a creature’s Passive Perception is higher than a creature or object’s Stealth, it then can make a
Perception Check to notice it.]

6. Resting is essential to most creatures & is necessary for recharging Hit Dice, Spell Slots, Power Point
Pools & some Abilities. There are 2 Resting periods that creatures can take that have any noticeable
effect, Short & Long Rests.

A Short Rest requires at least 1hr (MAX: 3)& allows for creatures to recover HP by expending Hit Dice
(each creature typically only has a # of HD = to their CL). Doing so is as simple as rolling for MHP during a
Level Up & removes 1 level of Exhaustion (unless otherwise stated).

A Long Rest requires at least 8hrs (MAX: 12)& fully restores a creature’s HP, any expended Hit Dice, Spell
Slots, Power Points, Abilities & ends Exhaustion (unless otherwise stated).

[characters cannot benefit from a Rest if they engage in Strenuous Activity for more than 1/8th the Rest
time (typically 1hr for Long & 7.5min for Short).]
[characters cannot benefit from a Long Rest if they engage in Light Activity for more than 1/4th the Rest
time (typically 2hrs).]
[characters can freely engage in Light Activity & benefit from Short Rests.]
[Creatures cannot benefit from more than 4 Short Rests & 1 Long Rest in a 24hr period.]
[If a creature’s wearing Armor & attempting to Rest, it must make a Con Save (Con Mod denied without
Armor Prof. Disadvantage if Min Str is not met) or suffer reduced Restoration (Light DC: 10, Medium DC:
15, Heavy DC: 20. DCs are reduced by -1 per level of Exhaustion (MAX: -5)& each additional Hour spent
Resting (MAX: -2 for Short & -4 for Long). Failure on a Short Rest only allows you to spend up to ½ your
HD & you only get your Con Mod once & you do not remove any Exhaustion. Failure on a Long Rest
restores only ½ the norm (Spell Slot restoration is as per Arcane Restoration, but cannot restore beyond
the higher of 6th Level or your highest Slot Level. Any excess Levels are lost)& only removes 1 level of
Exhaustion. Crit Failure results in a Failed Rest attempt.]

Turn Flow & Combat

1. Determine Party Awareness. Are all creatures aware of each other? Does 1 or more creatures have
The Drop on any of the others? Are any creatures Hidden? If yes to the latter 2, then you have a
Surprise Round!

[In the event of a Surprise Round, which is a Bonus Round that takes place before Initiative is
determined, those who choose to act have Advantage on all Attack & Stealth Checks.]
[Those that are Surprised lose their Dex Mods to AC, have Disadvantage on Dex Saves & can’t use
Reactions during this Round. This is also known as being Flat-Footed.]

2. After the Surprise Round (if any), it’s time to determine Initiative.

[There are multiple was of doing so. The most common way is to make it a Non-Prof Dex Check (1d20 +
Dex Mod + any applicable Mods).]
[For arguably faster & more tactical combat, each faction makes a Group Initiative Roll, the fastest
creature determines which faction goes 1st & then each creature takes their Turn in whichever order
they agree on.]
[For more chaotic & arguably more realistic combat, each creature rolls Initiative, each result is added to
a track & Turns are conducted in order from highest to lowest results.]
[Initiative can be static & rolled once per Encounter or chaotic & rolled every Round.]

3. every Round takes place over roughly 6sec in-game & consists of multiple creature’s Turns (therefore,
every 10 Rounds of combat = 1min). Every creature’s Turn grants them the opportunity to make 1
Standard & Bonus Action (formerly Swift & Minor Actions)(each creature can also make 1 Reaction per
Round). Though taking any Action at all is up to the creatures & there is no order in which most Actions
must be made (Movement Actions can be split up between multiple Actions in a Turn).

[Most Bonus Actions can only take place after you make a certain Action on your Turn (Chained Actions
1 might call them).]
[All Reactions can only be performed on other creature’s Turns, after they make a certain Action
(Triggered Actions 1 might call them).]
[Depending on the effort required, a creature can briefly Communicate with other creatures (no more
than a standard sentence)&or Interact with Objects during any Actions it or other creatures make (aka.
Sub Actions or formerly, Free Actions).]

4. Movement Actions have only 1 limit… a creature’s Speed(s). Creatures can have & utilize multiple
Movement Speed types in a Turn. The standard Speed types are Walking, Crawling, Climbing,
Burrowing, Swimming & Flying.

[Leaving or passing through a Threatened Area (aka. Hostile creature’s Reach) provokes an Attack of
Opportunity (an Attack that’s made as a Reaction) if the hostile creature’s aware of you.]
[Moving safely through Difficult Terrain is the same as Crawling, Climbing or moving Stealthily (creatures
also count as Difficult Terrain).]
[Getting up from being Prone & Dismounting each cost 5ft of Movement. Mounting costs ½ a creature’s
Movement.]
[Creatures in non-magical flight will Fall if it’s knocked Prone, its’ Flight Speed is reduced to 0 (unless it
can Hover) or is otherwise rendered unable to Move.]
[Wearing a suit Armor & not meeting it’s Min Str Requirement, reduces your Speeds by ½.]

5. Making an Attack is the most common Action made in combat.

[There are a # of ways to Attack & an even larger # of means with which to Attack.]
[The most common way of attacking is with a Melee Weapon. To do so, 1 must roll 1d20, add their
Proficiency Bonus (if any), Linked Ability Mod (usually Str, but sometimes Dex)& any other Modifiers.]
[The next most common way of Attacking is with Unarmed Strikes or Natural Weapons. Unlike with
Melee Weapons, these Attacks almost always use the creature’s Str Mod & in rare instances, Dex Mod.
Also all creatures are innately Proficient with such “Weapons” (note: they are not actually Weapons).]
[Another very common way to Attack is with Ranged Weapons. To do so, one’s target must be within
Range. There are 2 Range increments to take note of, Close & Long (Attacks at Close Range confer no
Bonuses, but no Penalties either. Attacks at Long Range have Disadvantage). Unlike with most Melee
Weapons, most Ranged Attacks & Damage rolls use the creature’s Dex Mod.]
[Touch Attacks ignore Non-Magical Armor & Shield bonuses to AC.]
[In general, Single, Pump, Bolt & Lever Action Firearms only allow the wielder to make 1 Ranged Attack
per Turn, regardless of how many Attacks it can make.]
[Double Action & Semi-Auto Firearms allow the wielder to make as many Ranged Attacks as they can
make per Turn.]
[Firearms with the Auto-Fire quality allow the wielder to make multiple Ranged Attacks (called Bursts)
per Attack it can make per Turn (ex: a creature wielding a Low Caliber MP & the Extra Attack feature
can make up to 6 Bursts in a Turn or 9 Bursts with 2-Weapon Fighting).]
[Attacking with Auto-Fire Weapons does come with a # of prices. 1: each Burst expends a # of rounds =
to the Weapon’s Max Burst Count (the Maximum # of Bursts an Auto-Fire Weapon can make per Attack)
(ex: a Low Caliber MP uses up 3 Rounds per Burst). 2: each subsequent Burst in an Attack imposes 1
stack of Disadvantage (ex: a Rogue Makes an Attack with a Low Caliber MP under ideal conditions. It’s 1 st
Burst suffers no penalties. It’s 2nd Burst has Disadvantage. It’s 3rd Burst has Disadvantage -2).]
[To determine whether an Attack was successful or not, 1 must compare it’s Attack roll to the target’s
AC. If the Attack Bonus meets or beats the target’s AC, the Attack is successful.]
[Nat 20s result in what is known as a Critical Hit. Similarly, Nat 1s are known as Critical Misses.]
[In general, the offenders in all Contests must meet or beat their target’s defenses to win & defenders
mut beat the opposition to win.]
[Situational conditions, like Cover, Obscurment & Lighting can all affect Attack rolls.]
[Unarmed Strikes & Natural Weapons don’t count as Weapons or Weapon Attacks, so many Features do
not work with these Attack methods. However, due to their innate nature, all creatures have Prof with
them.]
[There are only 4 Weapon Categories: Simple Melee, Martial Melee, Simple Ranged & Martial Ranged.]
[Siege Weapons & Artillery are Martial Weapons.]
[Ranged Weapon Attacks in Melee (aka. within Reach of hostile creatures) have Disadvantage.]
[Some Melee Weapons have a Range quality. This does not make them Ranged Weapons.]
[Oversized Weapons count as 1 category heavier. Heavy Weapons cannot get heavier (similarly Light
Weapons cannot get lighter).]
[creatures without a Swimming Speed have Disadvantage on Melee Weapon Attacks when made under
water, except with Daggers, Javelins, Short Swords, Spears & Tridents.]
[Close Ranged Weapon Attacks have Disadvantage when made in water, except X-Bows & Thrown
Weapons.]
[Long Ranged Weapon Attacks always miss when made in water.]

6. If the Attack is successful, then Damage is usually rolled.

[There are multiple types of Damage: Bludgeoning, Slashing, Piercing, Force, Fire, Cold, Lightning,
Thunder, Acid, Poison, Psychic, Radiant & Necrotic.]
[Certain Features & Enchantments provide Damage Resistance or Immunity.]
[Also there are rare cases where creatures may have Damage Weakness, Absorption, Conversion or
Vulnerability.]
[Resistance reduces all Damage of its’ type by 50%.]
[Immunity negates all Damage of its’ type.]
[Weakness multiples all Damage of its’ type by 2x.]
[Vulnerability multiplies all Damage of its’ type by 3x.]
[Absorption reduces all Damage of its’ type by 50% & then converts the other 50% into HP restoration.]
[Conversion completely converts all Damage of its’ type into HP restoration.]
[When rolling damage on a Critical Hit, you normally roll twice as many Damage Dice. However, the 2nd
set of Dice are Maximized & added to the standard Damage roll.]
[Critical Misses typically result in Damaging the Attacker or 1 of it’s allies (aka. Friendly Fire)(such
Damage is rolled normally).]
[Any time you’d roll Damage Dice, you may instead choose to deal 50% or opt to deal Minimum
Damage. This must be declared before Damage is done & cannot be done on a Crit Hit.]
[Most DMs tend to rule that most NPCs die when reduced to 0 HP, however characters can decide to
make Knockout Blows. Doing so renders the target Unconscious. Only Bludgeoning, Force & Psychic
Damage can do this.]
[When wielding a weapon in an off-hand, most creatures typically do not gain their Ability Mod to
Damage with it, unless it’s a Penalty.]
[Creatures have Resistance or Immunity to Fire Damage while underwater (varies by strength of the fire
& coldness of the water).]

7. Calculate Damage & determine if the target’s HP is above 0. If not, the creature acquires the Prone &
Dying Conditions (aka. Bleeding Out). PCs & tougher NPCs can make a Con Save to maintain
Consciousness (if successful, they are Stunned for the rest of the Round. From there on, they are Slowed
& can only make 1 Action per Round till Stabilized).

[Creatures that suffer Massive Damage (only affects creatures with 10+ HD that lose more than ½ their
MHP in 1 instance) suffer similar Conditions on a Failure. However, they only last for 1 Round each.]

8. determine if the target’s been afflicted with 1 or more of the following status Conditions:

Blinded creatures automatically fail any Sight reliant rolls they make & have Disadvantage on all Attack
rolls. Attacks vs. a Blinded creature have Advantage.

Charmed creatures cannot harm the charmer in any way. The charmer also has Advantage on all social
related Skill Checks vs. the Charmed creature.

Deafened creatures automatically fail any hearing reliant rolls they make. Attacks vs. an unaware
Deafened creature have Advantage.

Dying creatures (typically those at 0 HP) must make Death Saves at the beginning of each of their Turns.
To make a Death Save 1 must roll 1d20 with no Ability Modifiers or Prof Bonus (DC: 10). Each success
&or failure adds 1 to their respective tracks. 3 successes results in the ending of this Condition (also
known as Stabilizing. This can also be achieved if a creature uses a Healer’s Kit (Medicine Check with a
DC: 10 +1 per failure & level of Exhaustion the creature has suffered. The roll has Disadvantage without
the Healer’s Kit & cannot be made without Proficiency in Medicine), however the Unconscious Condition
(if attained) does not end. A Nat 20 results in the creature instantly Stabilizing, regaining consciousness
(if previously Unconscious)& standing up with 1 HP. 3 failures results in Death. A Crit Failure results in
the creature suffering 2 failures. Any instances where a Dying creature would take any Damage, they
instead suffer 1 failure per source. Anytime a Dying creature’s HP is restored, it Stabilizes & wakes up.
Any time this Condition ends, the success & failure tracks get reset to 0.

Exhausted creatures suffer a # of effects based on their Exhaustion Level:

Lv.1: the creature suffers Disadvantage on all Checks & Passives.

Lv.2: the creature also has it’s Speeds reduced by ½ & it cannot Dash.
Lv.3: the creature also suffers Disadvantage on all Saves (including Death Saves)& is denied it’s Ability
Mods to Jumping, Attacks & Damage.
Lv.4: the creature also has it’s MHP & MHD are reduced by ½ & it cannot benefit from THP.
Lv.5: the creature also has it’s Speeds reduced to 0, it’s denied it’s Ability Mods to everything but MHP,
it can only make 1 Sub Action per Action, 1 Attack per Turn & can’t Dodge, make Bonus Actions or
Reactions.
Lv.6: the creature Dies & cannot be revived except my Magic.

[Multiple effects that impose Exhaustion onto a creature stack. This Condition ends when it’s level is
reduced to 0 or the Exhausted creature finishes a Long Rest. A Short Rest reduces the creature’s
Exhaustion level by 1.]

Frightened creatures have Disadvantage on all Skill Checks & Attack rolls while the source of Fear is in
sight &or are pursuing the Frightened creature & cannot Move closer to the source of Fear.

Grappled creatures suffer the effects of being Restrained (with the exception that the grappler can
choose to end the Condition at any time).

Incapacitated creatures can’t make Actions, Reactions or keep Concentration.

Invisible creatures cannot be seen without the aid of certain magical effects or special senses. However,
their location can be determined by any sounds or tracks they make or anything they drop. They are also
considered Heavily Obscured. Their Attacks have Advantage & Attacks vs. them have Disadvantage & can
Miss outright.

Paralyzed creatures suffer the effects of being Incapacitated & Unconscious (with the exceptions of
being able to see, being aware, dropping whatever they’re carrying & falling Prone).

Petrified creatures suffer the effects of being Incapacitated & Unconscious (with the exception of falling
Prone). They & any non-organic/magic items on them are transformed into a hard, rocklike substance
that weighs 10x, stops it’s aging, has Resistance to all types of Damage & Immunity to Poison, Illness &
Disease (any currently incurred Poisons, Illnesses &or Diseases effects are suspended till this Condition
ends).

Poisoned creatures suffer Disadvantage on Attack rolls, Skill checks & Passive Skills.

Prone creatures can only Crawl, Burrow or stand up (costs ½ Walking Speed). They also have
Disadvantage on Attack rolls & Attack rolls vs. them have Advantage if they’re within 10ft or are Ranged
Attacks from a higher elevation & are within Close Range (otherwise they’re at Disadvantage).
Restrained creatures have their Speeds reduced to 0 & cannot benefit for effects that enhance their
Speeds. Attacks vs. them have Advantage & their Attacks, Str & Dex Saves have Disadvantage.

Slowed creatures Speeds are reduced by ½ (rounded down to the nearest multiple of 5), cannot Dash,
have Disadvantage on Dex Saves & Attacks vs. them have Advantage.

Stunned creatures suffer the effects of being Paralyzed (with the exceptions of being able to speak
(though stutteringly)& all successful Attacks vs. them Auto-Crit).

Unconscious creatures suffer the effects of being Incapacitated. They also cannot Move, Speak, See &
are unaware of their surroundings. They drop whatever they’re carrying & fall Prone. They automatically
fail their Str & Dex Saves. Successful Attacks vs. them automatically Crit if they’re either within 10ft or
they make Ranged Attacks at a higher elevation & are within Close Range.

8. Other Actions that can be taken in Combat are the:

Cast a Spell (which allows a creature to either Cast a Known Cantrip or expend a Spell Slot to cast a
Known or Prepared Spell).

[Certain Spells require a Spell Attack roll & like with Weapons, there are Melee & Ranged Spells.
However, unlike with Weapons, Spell Attacks use the Caster’s Spellcasting Ability Mod (instead of their
Str or Dex Mod).]
[Unarmed Strikes may be used to deliver Touch Spells, but doing so uses the appropriate Attack Mod
(instead of the Casting Ability).]
[When casting an Attack Spell that has Somatic Components & you are wearing Armor that you don’t
have Prof with, your Attack roll has Disadvantage.]
[Regardless of requiring an Attack roll or not, if you cast a Spell that has Somatic Components & you are
wearing Armor that you don’t have Prof with, all creatures affected by them have Advantage on their
Spell Saves.]
[Some Spells require the caster to maintain Concentration. Creatures can only Concentrate on 1 Spell at
a time.]
[Taking Damage or being distracted while maintaining Concentration causes you to make a Con Save
(DC: 10, 15, opposed Check or 50% of the Damage you suffered, whichever’s higher) or the Spell’s effect
immediately ends.]

Dodge (which imposes Disadvantage on all Attacks vs. you for the Round & grants you Advantage on Dex
Saves for the Round, provided you are aware of the source. You lose these benefits if you become
Incapacitated or your Speeds are reduced to 0).

Disengage (which makes it so your Movement does not provoke Attacks of Opportunity for the Turn).

Ready an Action (which allows you to prepare an Action & declare a Triggering Condition. When the
Triggering Event occurs, you may make the Readied Action as your Reaction (you can prepare any sort of
Action, including a Spell).

[Holding a Spell requires Concentration to be maintained (losing Concentration causes the Spell to go off
(possibly hitting a random creature or object) or just fizzle out if it’s a Touch Spell).

Dash (which doubles all your Speeds for the Turn).

Aim (you enter a special stance which reduces your Movement to 0 & grants your Attacks Advantage,
but maintaining focus on 1 target or small area leaves your guard down, granting all others Advantage
on Attacks vs. you till the stance is ended).

9. there are a # of Special Attacks that can also be made in place of any Attack a creature can make.

Reckless Attack (a wild Attack that grants your Attack roll Advantage, but also leaves your guard open,
granting all others Advantage on Attacks vs. you for the Round).

Grappling (a Special Unarmed Strike that results in the physical Restraining another creature that’s no
more than 1 Size larger than you. If successful on the Attack, a Contest of your Athletics or Acrobatics vs.
the target’s choice of Athletics or Acrobatics must be made & if victorious, you impose either the
Grappled Condition on the target).

[The grappler may Attack & make other Actions.]

[The grappler may release the target at any time as a Free Action.]
[The grappler may carry or drag the target, but it moves at ½ it’s Speeds, unless the target is of a smaller
Size than you.]
[The target can spend its Standard Actions to reattempt the same Contest to break & end the Grappled
Condition. If it succeeds, it does not provoke Attacks of Opportunity from the grappler.]

Shoving (a Special Unarmed Strike or Shield Attack that results in the forced Movement of another
creature that’s no more than 1 Size larger than you. If successful on the Attack roll, a Contest of your
Athletics vs. the target’s choice of Athletics or Acrobatics must be made & if victorious, the target is then
pushed 5ft + a # of feet = to your Str Mod (min: 0) in a direction of choice.)

Tripping (a Special Unarmed Strike or Weapon Attack that results in another creature that’s no more
than 1 Size larger than you being knocked Prone. If successful on the Attack roll, a Contest of your
Athletics vs. the target’s choice of Athletics or Acrobatics must be made & if victorious, the target then
gets knocked Prone.)

Disarming (a Special Unarmed Strike or Weapon Attack that results in the removal of another creature’s
equipment. Target 1 piece of equipment on another creature that you can see & if successful on the
Attack roll, a Contest of your Athletics (Melee) or Acrobatics (Ranged) vs. the target’s choice of Athletics
(Held) or Acrobatics (not Held) must be made (if the creature is more than 1 Size larger than you, it has
Advantage on Athletics & you have Disadvantage vs. it’s Athletics)& if victorious, the target is then
dropped in an adjacent space.