Introduction

How to Play

Game Dice

The game uses polyhedral dice with different numbers of sides. You can find dice like these in game stores and in many bookstores.

In these rules, the different dice are referred to by the letter d followed by the number of sides: d4, d6, d8, d1O, d12 and d20. For instance, a d6 is a six-sided die (the typical cube that many games use).

Percentile dice, or d100, work a little differently. You generate a number between 1 and 100 by rolling two different ten-sided dice numbered from O to 9. One die (designated before you roll) gives the tens digit and the other gives the ones digit. For example, if you roll a 7 and a 1, the number rolled is 71. Two Os represent 100. Some ten-sided dice are numbered in tens (00, 10, 20 and so on), making it easier to distinguish the tens digit from the ones digit. In this case, a roll of 70 and 1 is 71 and 00 and 0 is 100.

When you need to roll dice, the rules tell you how many dice to roll of a certain type, as well as what modifiers to add. For example, "3d8+5" means that you roll three eight-sided dice, add them together and add 5 to the total.

The same d notation appears in the expressions "1d2", "1d3" and "1d5". To simulate the roll of 1d2, roll a d4 and divide the number rolled by 2 (round up). To simulate the roll of 1d3, roll a d6 and divide the number rolled by 2 (round up). To simulate the roll of 1d5, roll a d10 and divide the number rolled by 2 (round up).

The D20

Does an adventurer's sword swing connect with a vampire or is it too fast and dodges the strike? Will the ogre believe an outrageous bluff? Can a character swim across a raging river? Can a character avoid the main blast of a fireball, or do they take full damage from the blaze? In cases where the outcome of an action is uncertain, the game relies on rolls of a 20-sided die, a d20, to determine success or failure.

Every character and monster in the game has capabilities defined by six ability scores. The abilities are Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Intelligence, Wisdom and Charisma. For most characters, these typically range from 3 to 18. (Monsters might have scores as low as 1 or as high as 30.) These ability scores and the ability modifiers that are derived from them are the basis for almost every d20 roll that a player makes on a character's or monster's behalf.

Ability checks and attack rolls are the two main kinds of d20 rolls, forming the core of the rules of the game. Both follow these simple steps.

1. Roll the die and add a modifier. Roll a d20 and add the relevant modifier. This is typically the modifier derived from one of the six ability scores and it sometimes includes a proficiency bonus to reflect a character's particular skill. (See chapter 1 for details on each ability and how to determine an ability's modifier.)

2. Apply circumstantial bonuses and penalties. A class feature, a spell, a particular circumstance, or some other effect might give a bonus or penalty to the check.

3. Compare the total to a target number. If the total equals or exceeds the target number, the ability check, or attack roll is a success. Otherwise, it's a failure. The GM is usually the one who determines target numbers and tells players whether their ability checks and attack rolls succeed or fail.

The target number for an ability check is called a Difficulty Class (DC). The target number for an attack roll is called a Defence (Def).

This simple rule governs the resolution of most tasks in play. Chapter 7 provides more detailed rules for using the d20 in the game.

Advantage and Disadvantage

Sometimes, an ability check or attack roll is modified by special situations called advantage and disadvantage. Advantage reflects the positive circumstances surrounding a d20 roll, while disadvantage reflects the opposite. When you have either advantage or disadvantage, you roll an additional d20 when you make the roll. If you have advantage, use the highest of the rolls and, if you have disadvantage, use the lower roll. For example, if you have disadvantage and roll a 17 and a 5, you use the 5. If you instead have advantage and roll those numbers, you use the 17.

More detailed rules for advantage and disadvantage are presented in chapter 7.

Specific Beats General

This game has rules that govern how the game plays. Nevertheless, many species traits, class features, spells, magical items, monster abilities and other game elements break the general rules in some way, creating an exception to how the rest of the game works. Remember this: if a specific rule contradicts a general rule, the specific rule wins.

Round Down

Generally, whenever you divide a number in the game, round down if you end up with a fraction, even if the fraction is one-half or greater.

Adventures

The game consists of a group of characters embarking on an adventure that the Game Master presents to them. Each character brings particular capabilities to the adventure in the form of ability scores and skills, class features, species traits, equipment and magical items. Every character is different, with various strengths and weaknesses, so the best party of characters is one in which the characters complement each other and cover the weaknesses of their companions. The characters must cooperate to successfully complete the adventure.

The adventure is the heart of the game, a story with a beginning, a middle and an end. An adventure features a fantastic setting, whether it's an underground dungeon, a crumbling castle, a stretch of wilderness, or a bustling city. It features a rich cast of characters: the adventurers created and played by the other player sat the table, as well as non-player characters (NPCs). Those characters might be patrons, allies, enemies, hirelings, or just background extras in an adventure. Often, one of the NPCs is a villain whose agenda drives much of an adventure's action.

Over the course of their adventures, the characters are confronted by a variety of creatures, objects and situations that they must deal with in some way. Sometimes the characters and other creatures do their best to kill or capture each other in combat. At other times, the adventurers talk to another creature (or even a magical object) with a goal in mind. Often, the characters spend time trying to solve a puzzle, bypass an obstacle, find something hidden, or unravel the current situation. Meanwhile, the characters explore the world, making decisions about which way to travel and what they'll try to do next.

Adventures vary in length and complexity. A short adventure might present only a few challenges and it might take no more than a single game session to complete. A long adventure can involve hundreds of combats, interactions and other challenges, taking dozens of sessions to play through, stretching over weeks or months of real time. Usually, the end of an adventure is marked by the characters heading back to civilisation to rest and enjoy the spoils of their labours.

However, that's not the end of the story. You can think of an adventure as a single episode of a TV series, made up of multiple exciting scenes. A campaign is the whole series. A string of adventures joined together, with a consistent group of characters following the narrative from start to finish.