Disclaimer: The rules discussed here are not a substitution for the “Player’s Handbook.” However, they will help you confidently take your first steps in D&D!

1.1 Basic Terminology:

How to Read Rolls:

• When you roll a die, you often add or subtract your modifier to/from the roll. Modifiers are positive (+) and negative (-) values. The final result is the outcome of the roll.

Advantage/Disadvantage:

• You roll a d20 twice (instead of once) to determine if you hit. Depending on whether it is a disadvantage or advantage, you take the lower or higher value, respectively.

Ability Check :

• Roll a d20 and add or subtract your modifier.

Saving Throw :

• Roll your ability score with its modifier.

Skill Check :

•  Roll for your skill.

Exhaustion : 

There are 6 levels of exhaustion. Each long rest reduces your exhaustion level by 1, with effects including:

1. Disadvantage on ability checks.
2.  Halved speed.
3. Disadvantage on attack rolls and saving throws.
4. Maximum hit points halved.
5.  Zero speed.
6.  Death.

Resting :

• Long Rest :

     8 hours, including 6 hours of sleep and 2 hours of light activity. You recover all spent resources
     (including HP) (max 1x per 24 hours).

• Short Rest :

    1 hour of sitting, lying down, eating, drinking, or tending to wounds. You may use your available hit
    dice (+con modifier) to heal.  

1.2 Conditions

– Blinded:

• Automatically fail any check that requires sight.
• Attacks against you have advantage.
• Your attacks have disadvantage.

–  Charmed :

• A charmed creature cannot harm the charmer.
• The charmer has advantage on social checks against the charmed.

– Deafened :

• Automatically fail all ability checks that require hearing.

– Dying (not officially described):

• Occurs when you fall to 0 HP.
• You become “Unconscious” (See further in the list).
• From this point, you must roll a death save (1d20, 10 or higher is a success) each turn.
• Roll death saves until you either fail three times (1-9) or succeed three times (10-20). Rolls do not need to be consecutive! A critical failure counts as two failures. A critical success means you stabilize and wake up with 1hp.
• After three successes, you are no longer dying. Roll a 1d4 to determine how many hours until you awaken.
• If you fail three times, you die.
• Stabilization is possible through a medicine check of 10 or more OR using a medicine kit, so no more death saves are needed. The “Unconscious + Prone” conditions last for 1D4 hours.

– Frightened :

• Disadvantage on ability checks and attacks while the source of fear is in line of sight.
• Cannot willingly move closer to the source of fear.

–  Grappled :

• Movement is 0. Voluntary movement is not possible.

–  Incapacitated :

• Cannot take actions or reactions.

– Invisible :

• Invisible to the naked eye but still audible and tangible.
• Attacks directly against an invisible being have disadvantage.
• Attacks from invisibility have advantage but end the invisibility.

–  Paralyzed :

• Cannot take actions or reactions.
• 0 movement.
• Cannot speak.
• Automatically fails Strength and Dexterity checks.
• All incoming attacks have advantage.
• Every hit within melee range is a critical hit.

– Petrified :

• Entirely turned to stone, with everything (except magical items) becoming solid matter.
• Cannot take actions or reactions.
• Cannot speak, see, or feel.
• All incoming attacks have advantage.
• Resistance (50%) against all damage.
• Immune (100%) to poison and disease. Existing poison/disease remains dormant.
• Weighs 10 times as much.

– Poisoned :

• Disadvantage on attack rolls and ability checks.

–  Prone :

• 50% movement speed.
• Disadvantage on attack rolls.
• Incoming melee attacks have advantage.
• Incoming ranged attacks have disadvantage.

–  Restrained :

• Movement is 0.
• Incoming attacks have advantage.
• Outgoing attacks have disadvantage.
•  Disadvantage on Dexterity saves.

–  Stunned :

• Cannot take actions or reactions.
• Movement is 0.
• Automatically fails Strength and Dexterity checks.
• Incoming attacks have advantage.
• Cannot speak coherently.

– Unconscious :

• Cannot take actions or reactions.
• Movement is 0.
• Cannot speak, hear, or see.
• Drops everything.
• Incoming attacks have advantage.
• Successful incoming melee attacks are automatically critical hits.  

The 3 Modes of D&D

2.1 Downtime / Social

Downtime refers to what characters do when they’re not actively questing.

•  Shopping : Try to have an idea of what you want beforehand. Don’t ask the shopkeeper for a list of everything they have; ask for what you need! Or where you might find it if not in stock. This makes the session run smoother.
• Talking with NPCs**: Interacting with NPCs can reveal valuable information, quests, or opportunities.
• There are many other downtime activities you can do, usually during a campaign. Ask your DM for suggestions.

2.2 Travel

The world in D&D is vast, and outside of cities, it’s not always safe. 
Adventurers often have to cover great distances.
A standard journey lasts 8 hours (a day). For each additional hour you wish to travel, roll for potential exhaustion levels.

Pace Impacts :

  –  Fast :

• Minute : 400 ft
• Hour : 4 miles
• Day : 30 miles
• Effect : -5 on passive perception.

  –  Normal :

• Minute : 300ft
• Hour : 3 miles
• Day : 24 miles
• Effect : No specified penalty; considered the standard travel measure.

  –  Slow :

• Minute : 200ft
• Hour : 2 miles
• Day : 18 miles
• Effect : Can use stealth.

– Note that travel times and distances can vary depending on environmental variables, which your dungeon master will inform you about.
– The use of transportation means also has an effect, again depending on the type of vehicle and environmental variables.  

2.3 Combat

• Combat is initiated by a hostile action, such as one party attacking another.
• When attackers attempt a stealthy approach through an ambush, they must roll a stealth check that equals or exceeds the passive perception of the victims.
• Victims who are surprised are unable to act during the first round of combat.
• Combat then proceeds with the rolling of “initiative”:
• This roll determines the order of actors within the round.
• A round lasts “6 seconds” within the game, meaning a spell that remains active for one minute is active for 10 rounds.  

2.3.1 During Your Turn, You Can:

• Move (use your speed): You can divide your movement before and after your (bonus) action. Moving through occupied spaces costs double movement, and an enemy occupying the space must be at least two sizes larger. Beware of opportunity attacks! (See 2.3.2)
• Take 1 Free Action :

            – Briefly communicate by shouting or gesturing. Do not misuse this to provide a tactical rundown.

• Interact with an Object during your action/move: For example, opening a door or drawing your weapon. Doing this a second time in the same turn requires your action.
• Take 1 Action from the following list :

         – Attack with conventional weapons once.
         – Cast a Spell with a casting time of “1 action”. You can cast only one spell per turn, regardless of it
           being an action or a bonus action. Note: Cantrips are not considered spells in this context.
         – Dash : Spend your action to double your movement.
         – Disengage : Use your action to move without provoking opportunity attacks.
         – Dodge : For the rest of the round, attacks against you have disadvantage, and you have advantage
           on Dexterity saving throws against attacks you can see, as long as you’re not incapacitated or have
           0 speed.

• Help : Aid someone giving them advantage on the next ability check or give a friend advantage on an attack roll against an enemy within 5 feet, when the attack is rolled before the start of your next turn.
• Hide : Roll a Stealth check against the passive perception of all enemies with line of sight while you attempt to hide. This roll remains as the basis against which enemies can roll a Perception check if they actively search for you. Your first attack roll has advantage but ends your hidden status.
• Ready : Declare what action you will take upon which trigger being met. You are focused on this, consuming any required spell slot. This lasts until the start of your next turn, at which point you lose this prepared action.
• Search : Actively look for something (Perception/Investigation).
• Use an Object : Use an object that requires 1 action to use OR if it is the second object you want to use after your free action.
• Grapple : Attempt to grapple an enemy within 5ft who is no more than 1 size larger, rendering them “grappled” (see 1.2). Your Athletics vs. the target’s Athletics or Acrobatics (target’s choice).

 The target can use its action to attempt to escape by making the opposing check.

      – You can drag or carry the grappled target at half speed, unless it’s two or more sizes smaller. Moving
a grappled creature involuntarily doesn’t provoke an attack of opportunity.

• Shove : Attempt to shove an enemy within 5ft and no more than 1 size larger, either knocking them prone (see 1.2) or pushing them 5ft away. Your Athletics vs. the target’s Athletics or Acrobatics (target’s choice). If the target is already incapacitated, the shove automatically succeeds.
• Use a Class Feature that requires an action.
• Perform 1 Bonus Action.  

 2.3.2 Outside Your Turn!

• Reaction : 

* Each actor has one reaction per round, which always follows a trigger.

• Attack of Opportunity:

          * When you voluntarily leave an enemy’s melee range, they can use their reaction (once per turn) to attack you in melee. Conversely, you can use your reaction to attack fleeing monsters in melee.

• Cover :

      – You can use objects in the environment for cover (Note: this is not hiding).
            – Half Cover : +2 to AC & Dexterity saving throws.
            – Three-Quarters Cover : +5 to AC & Dexterity saving throws.
            – Full Cover : Cannot be directly targeted, though area of effect (AoE) can still hit.

• When You Reach 0HP :
• If damage from a single attack drops you to 0 HP and the remaining uncounted damage exceeds your max HP, you die instantly.

                – You are considered dying (see 1.2).

2.3.3 Extra Tips:

• Critical Hit (Natural 1 / 20) :
• The minimum and maximum roll (1 or 20) often results in a worse or better outcome than average; a 1 always misses, while a 20 is always a hit.
• Skill checks do not crit! (For damage, it’s double the dice + modifier, or ask your DM!)

• Ranged Attacks have disadvantage in melee and against prone creatures.
• Melee Attacks  have advantage against prone creatures.
• Improvised Weapons , or improper use of weapons, results in 1d4 damage.