Secret Lesson 86

Rules Glossary A–C

The Spell Compendium is now complete.

From this lesson onward, we move into one of the most important sections of the SRD 5.2.1:

THE RULES GLOSSARY

The glossary is not merely a dictionary.

It defines the precise mechanical meaning of terms that appear throughout:

COMBAT

SPELLCASTING

CLASSES

FEATS

EQUIPMENT

MAGIC ITEMS

MONSTERS

and:

GAME MASTER RULES

A familiar English word can have a very specific meaning once it becomes a game term.

For example:

CHARMED

doesn't automatically mean:

“THE CREATURE OBEYS EVERYTHING YOU SAY”

And:

BLOODIED

doesn't itself impose a penalty.

It simply describes a specific Hit Point state.

Learning the glossary therefore means learning how to:

READ THE RULES PRECISELY

This lesson covers every glossary entry from:

A

through:

C

as presented in the SRD 5.2.1.

PART ONE — HOW THE RULES GLOSSARY WORKS

Before the alphabetical definitions begin, the SRD establishes several glossary conventions.

TAGS IN BRACKETS

Some glossary terms contain a category tag.

For example:

ATTACK [ACTION]

or:

BLINDED [CONDITION]

The SRD uses several families of rules:

ACTION

AREA OF EFFECT

ATTITUDE

CONDITION

HAZARD

The tag tells you:

WHAT KIND OF RULE YOU ARE READING

“YOU”

When the rules say:

YOU

they mean the:

CREATURE OR OBJECT TO WHICH THE RULE CURRENTLY APPLIES

It doesn't always mean:

THE HUMAN PLAYER READING THE BOOK

For example, if a monster has a condition whose text says “you,” that “you” refers to:

THE MONSTER

“SEE ALSO”

Some glossary entries point toward related rules.

Those cross-references matter because one rule often depends upon:

ANOTHER DEFINED TERM

CURRENT RULES TERMINOLOGY

The glossary contains:

CURRENT SRD 5.2.1 RULE TERMS

It isn't intended as a catalogue of terminology from older versions of fifth edition.

That is another reason not to silently import an older definition when the current glossary gives:

A DIFFERENT ONE

COMMON ABBREVIATIONS

The glossary also establishes abbreviations used throughout the SRD.

Abbreviation Meaning
AC Armor Class
C Concentration
Cha. Charisma
Con. Constitution
CP Copper Piece(s)
CR Challenge Rating
DC Difficulty Class
Dex. Dexterity
EP Electrum Piece(s)
GM Game Master
GP Gold Piece(s)
HP Hit Point(s)
Int. Intelligence
M Material component
NPC Nonplayer character
PB Proficiency Bonus
PP Platinum Piece(s)
R Ritual
S Somatic component
SP Silver Piece(s)
Str. Strength
V Verbal component
Wis. Wisdom
XP Experience Point(s)

The glossary also uses abbreviations for:

ALIGNMENTS

such as:

  • LG — Lawful Good

  • CE — Chaotic Evil

  • N — Neutral

 

PART TWO — COMPLETE A–C GLOSSARY INDEX

A

  1. Ability Check

  2. Ability Score and Modifier

  3. Action

  4. Advantage

  5. Adventure

  6. Alignment

  7. Ally

  8. Area of Effect

  9. Armor Class

  10. Armor Training

  11. Attack [Action]

  12. Attack Roll

  13. Attitude

  14. Attunement

B

  1. Blinded [Condition]

  2. Blindsight

  3. Bloodied

  4. Bonus Action

  5. Breaking Objects

  6. Bright Light

  7. Burning [Hazard]

  8. Burrow Speed

C

  1. Campaign

  2. Cantrip

  3. Carrying Capacity

  4. Challenge Rating

  5. Character Sheet

  6. Charmed [Condition]

  7. Climbing

  8. Climb Speed

  9. Concentration

  10. Condition

  11. Cone [Area of Effect]

  12. Cover

  13. Crawling

  14. Creature

  15. Creature Type

  16. Critical Hit

  17. Cube [Area of Effect]

  18. Curses

  19. Cylinder [Area of Effect]

PART THREE — ABILITY CHECK

An:

ABILITY CHECK

is a type of:

D20 TEST

used when a creature employs one of the six Abilities—or a Skill associated with an Ability—to:

OVERCOME A CHALLENGE

 

Examples we've already encountered include:

STRENGTH (ATHLETICS)

for physical exertion,

DEXTERITY (STEALTH)

for moving quietly,

or:

WISDOM (PERCEPTION)

for noticing something.

THE CORE STRUCTURE

Normally:

d20

relevant Ability modifier

Proficiency Bonus if relevant

other applicable modifiers

Then compare the total to:

A DIFFICULTY CLASS — DC

EXAMPLE

A character tries to climb a difficult surface.

Strength modifier:

+3

Athletics proficiency:

+2 PB

Roll:

11

Total:

11 + 3 + 2 =

16

If the DC is:

15

the check:

SUCCEEDS

IMPORTANT

An Ability Check is not:

A SAVING THROW

and isn't:

AN ATTACK ROLL

All three are D20 Tests, but they remain:

DIFFERENT TYPES OF D20 TEST

PART FOUR — ABILITY SCORE AND MODIFIER

Every creature has six Ability Scores:

STRENGTH

DEXTERITY

CONSTITUTION

INTELLIGENCE

WISDOM

CHARISMA

Each score has a corresponding:

ABILITY MODIFIER

You add that modifier whenever the rules tell you to make a D20 Test using that Ability or otherwise tell you to use the modifier.

EXAMPLES

Strength 16:

+3

Dexterity 14:

+2

Constitution 12:

+1

Intelligence 10:

+0

Wisdom 8:

−1

Charisma 18:

+4

The Ability Score and the Ability modifier are:

NOT THE SAME NUMBER

PART FIVE — ACTION

On your turn, you can normally take:

ONE ACTION

You choose either one of the standard actions or a special action provided by one of your features.

The glossary identifies these standard actions:

ATTACK

DASH

DISENGAGE

DODGE

HELP

HIDE

INFLUENCE

MAGIC

READY

SEARCH

STUDY

UTILIZE

Each receives its own precise glossary definition.

Some have already been taught.

Others will appear again as we progress through the glossary alphabetically.

IMPORTANT

Having:

ONE ACTION

doesn't mean every possible activity costs an Action.

You may also have:

  • movement

  • perhaps a Bonus Action if a rule grants one

  • perhaps a Reaction when its trigger occurs

  • certain free interactions or no-action features

Always ask:

WHAT DOES THIS PARTICULAR RULE REQUIRE?

PART SIX — ADVANTAGE

If you have:

ADVANTAGE

on a D20 Test:

ROLL TWO D20s

and use:

THE HIGHER RESULT

 

EXAMPLE

Roll:

7

and:

16

With Advantage:

USE 16

Then apply the relevant modifiers.

ADVANTAGE DOESN'T STACK

If three different effects all give Advantage:

YOU STILL ROLL ONLY TWO D20s

ADVANTAGE + DISADVANTAGE

If the same roll has both:

THEY CANCEL

The roll has:

NEITHER

This remains true even if several effects grant one side and only one grants the other.

PART SEVEN — ADVENTURE

An:

ADVENTURE

is a:

SERIES OF ENCOUNTERS

A story emerges through playing those encounters.

This is a useful structural term.

A single fight isn't necessarily:

AN ENTIRE ADVENTURE

An adventure can contain:

  • social encounters

  • exploration

  • hazards

  • combat

  • discoveries

  • decisions

  • consequences

The formal glossary definition is simple:

ENCOUNTERS → ADVENTURE

PART EIGHT — ALIGNMENT

Alignment broadly describes a creature's:

ETHICAL ATTITUDES

and:

IDEALS

It combines two broad dimensions.

MORALITY

GOOD

EVIL

or:

NEUTRAL

ATTITUDE TOWARD ORDER

LAWFUL

CHAOTIC

or:

NEUTRAL

Combining them produces:

NINE POSSIBLE ALIGNMENTS

Examples include:

LAWFUL GOOD

CHAOTIC NEUTRAL

NEUTRAL EVIL

IMPORTANT

Alignment:

BROADLY DESCRIBES

ethical attitudes and ideals.

It isn't presented here as a rule saying:

“A CREATURE OF THIS ALIGNMENT MUST ALWAYS DO X”

It is a broad characterization.

PART NINE — ALLY

A creature counts as:

YOUR ALLY

if it is:

  • a member of your adventuring party

  • your friend

  • on your side in combat

  • or otherwise designated by the rules or GM as your ally

 

WHY THIS MATTERS

Many features say something like:

“YOU OR AN ALLY”

or:

“AN ALLY WITHIN 10 FEET”

The term:

ALLY

is therefore a real rules category.

It isn't limited only to:

OTHER PLAYER CHARACTERS

A creature the GM or another rule establishes as being on your side can also qualify.

PART TEN — AREA OF EFFECT

Many spells and other features affect:

AN AREA

rather than one individual target.

The SRD identifies six typical shapes:

CONE

CUBE

CYLINDER

EMANATION

LINE

SPHERE

 

POINT OF ORIGIN

Every Area of Effect has a:

POINT OF ORIGIN

This is the location from which the effect's energy originates.

Each shape has its own rules for:

WHERE THAT POINT IS

TOTAL COVER CAN BLOCK PART OF AN AREA

Imagine a magical explosion.

For a location to be inside the Area of Effect, a straight line must be able to extend from the point of origin to that location without every possible such line being blocked by:

TOTAL COVER

If all such lines are blocked:

THAT LOCATION ISN'T INCLUDED

EXAMPLE

A Fire effect bursts in a room.

One creature is standing in the open.

Another is completely behind:

A SOLID WALL

If the wall provides Total Cover and blocks the relevant lines from the origin:

THE HIDDEN LOCATION CAN BE EXCLUDED FROM THE AREA

UNSEEN ORIGIN BEHIND AN OBSTRUCTION

If the creator tries to place an Area of Effect's point of origin at an unseen location behind an obstruction:

THE POINT OF ORIGIN APPEARS ON THE NEAR SIDE OF THE OBSTRUCTION

This is particularly important for spells.

You don't normally place an unseen origin point:

THROUGH A SOLID WALL

simply because the spell's numerical range reaches that far.

PART ELEVEN — ARMOR CLASS

ARMOR CLASS — AC

is the target number for:

AN ATTACK ROLL

It represents how difficult a target is to hit.

BASE AC

The basic calculation is:

10 + DEXTERITY MODIFIER

Example:

Dexterity modifier:

+2

Base AC:

10 + 2 =

12

ALTERNATIVE BASE AC

Some armor, class features, spells, or other rules give another way to calculate:

BASE AC

If several rules give different base calculations:

CHOOSE ONE

You don't combine multiple base formulas.

EXAMPLE

Suppose one rule says:

AC = 13 + DEXTERITY MODIFIER

and another says:

AC = 10 + DEXTERITY + ANOTHER MODIFIER

Those are:

TWO ALTERNATIVE BASE CALCULATIONS

not formulas to add together.

PART TWELVE — ARMOR TRAINING

Armor Training allows you to use a category of armor without specific penalties.

If you wear:

LIGHT ARMOR

MEDIUM ARMOR

or:

HEAVY ARMOR

without the appropriate training:

DISADVANTAGE ON ANY D20 TEST INVOLVING STRENGTH OR DEXTERITY

and:

YOU CAN'T CAST SPELLS

SHIELDS

A Shield works differently.

If you use a Shield without Shield training:

YOU DON'T GAIN ITS AC BONUS

IMPORTANT DISTINCTION

Untrained armor:

CREATES D20 TEST PENALTIES AND PREVENTS SPELLCASTING

Untrained Shield:

DOESN'T GIVE ITS AC BONUS

Follow the exact rule for the equipment being used.

PART THIRTEEN — ATTACK [ACTION]

Taking the:

ATTACK ACTION

lets you make:

ONE ATTACK ROLL

with:

A WEAPON

or:

AN UNARMED STRIKE

unless another rule—such as Extra Attack—gives you more.

EQUIPPING AND UNEQUIPPING WEAPONS

When you make an attack as part of the Attack action, you may:

EQUIP

or:

UNEQUIP

one weapon.

This happens either:

BEFORE

or:

AFTER

that attack.

EQUIPPING INCLUDES

DRAWING FROM A SHEATH

or:

PICKING UP THE WEAPON

UNEQUIPPING INCLUDES

SHEATHING

STOWING

or:

DROPPING

the weapon.

YOU DON'T HAVE TO ATTACK WITH THE WEAPON YOU JUST EQUIPPED

If you equip a weapon before an attack:

THE RULE DOESN'T REQUIRE THAT ATTACK TO USE IT

MOVING BETWEEN ATTACKS

If something such as Extra Attack gives you multiple attacks as part of the Attack action:

YOU CAN MOVE BETWEEN THEM

EXAMPLE

Speed:

30 FEET

A Fighter can attack one enemy.

Move:

15 FEET

Attack another enemy.

Move:

15 FEET

The Attack action doesn't force all of its attacks to happen from:

THE SAME SPACE

PART FOURTEEN — ATTACK ROLL

An:

ATTACK ROLL

is a D20 Test representing an attack with:

A WEAPON

AN UNARMED STRIKE

or:

A SPELL

 

Normally:

d20 + relevant modifier + Proficiency Bonus if applicable

is compared against:

TARGET'S AC

Equal or higher:

HIT

Lower:

MISS

IMPORTANT

Not every damaging effect is:

AN ATTACK

If a spell tells the target to make a Saving Throw rather than telling you to make an Attack Roll:

IT ISN'T AN ATTACK ROLL

unless another rule specifically says otherwise.

PART FIFTEEN — ATTITUDE

A monster can begin with one of three attitudes toward a player character:

FRIENDLY

HOSTILE

INDIFFERENT

 

Those three terms have their own glossary definitions later.

For now, remember:

ATTITUDE IS A SOCIAL RULE CATEGORY

It helps determine how a creature initially regards a character.

PART SIXTEEN — ATTUNEMENT

Some magic items require:

ATTUNEMENT

before a creature can access their magical properties.

The glossary gives the core limit:

MAXIMUM THREE ATTUNED MAGIC ITEMS AT ONCE

 

We studied the detailed Attunement procedure in the Equipment portion of the course.

For glossary purposes, remember:

ATTUNEMENT = MAGICAL BOND WITH CERTAIN MAGIC ITEMS

and:

THREE-ITEM MAXIMUM

unless a specific rule says otherwise.

PART SEVENTEEN — BLINDED [CONDITION]

A creature with:

BLINDED

experiences two core effects.

CAN'T SEE

You:

CAN'T SEE

and automatically fail:

ANY ABILITY CHECK THAT REQUIRES SIGHT

ATTACKS ARE AFFECTED

Attack rolls:

AGAINST YOU HAVE ADVANTAGE

Your own attack rolls:

HAVE DISADVANTAGE

IMPORTANT

Blinded doesn't say:

“YOU AUTOMATICALLY MISS EVERY ATTACK”

You can still make an attack.

But:

YOUR ATTACK ROLL HAS DISADVANTAGE

unless another rule changes the situation.

EXAMPLE

A Blinded Fighter attacks.

Roll:

TWO D20s

Use:

LOWER RESULT

because of Disadvantage.

PART EIGHTEEN — BLINDSIGHT

Blindsight allows a creature to see within its specified range:

WITHOUT RELYING ON PHYSICAL SIGHT

 

Within that range, it can see anything that isn't behind:

TOTAL COVER

even if the creature has:

BLINDED

or is in:

DARKNESS

It can also see something with:

INVISIBLE

inside that Blindsight range.

EXAMPLE

A monster has:

BLINDSIGHT 30 FEET

An Invisible Rogue stands:

20 FEET AWAY

with no Total Cover between them.

The monster's Blindsight can:

SEE THE ROGUE

TOTAL COVER STILL MATTERS

The Rogue instead moves behind:

A SOLID WALL

The wall provides Total Cover.

Blindsight does not say:

“SEE THROUGH WALLS”

PART NINETEEN — BLOODIED

A creature is:

BLOODIED

while it has:

HALF ITS HIT POINTS OR FEWER REMAINING

 

EXAMPLE

Maximum HP:

60

Bloodied threshold:

30 HP

At:

31 HP

not Bloodied.

At:

30 HP

Bloodied.

At:

1 HP

still Bloodied.

IMPORTANT

The Bloodied glossary entry itself doesn't say that being Bloodied causes:

DISADVANTAGE

REDUCED SPEED

LOWER AC

or any other automatic penalty.

It is:

A STATUS DESCRIPTOR

Other rules may care whether something is Bloodied.

PART TWENTY — BONUS ACTION

A:

BONUS ACTION

is a special action that can occur on the same turn as your normal Action.

But you don't automatically possess a generic menu of Bonus Actions.

You can take one only when:

A RULE EXPLICITLY GIVES YOU A BONUS ACTION TO TAKE

MAXIMUM

You can't take more than:

ONE BONUS ACTION PER TURN

EXAMPLE

A spell says:

CASTING TIME: BONUS ACTION

That provides something you may do with the Bonus Action available on that turn.

After casting it:

YOUR BONUS ACTION HAS BEEN USED

COMMON MISUNDERSTANDING

You don't normally get to convert your unused Action into:

A SECOND BONUS ACTION

The glossary limit remains:

NO MORE THAN ONE BONUS ACTION ON A TURN

PART TWENTY-ONE — BREAKING OBJECTS

Objects can be damaged by:

ATTACKS

and by:

SOME SPELLS

 

An exceedingly fragile nonmagical object might simply be broken automatically with:

ATTACK

or:

UTILIZE

if the GM determines that is appropriate.

More resilient objects can use:

AC

and:

HIT POINTS

OBJECT ARMOR CLASS

The SRD suggests the following ACs.

Material AC
Cloth, paper, rope 11
Crystal, glass, ice 13
Wood 15
Stone 17
Iron, steel 19
Mithral 21
Adamantine 23

These are suggested AC values based on:

MATERIAL

OBJECT HIT POINTS

Size Fragile Resilient
Tiny 2 (1d4) 5 (2d4)
Small 3 (1d6) 10 (3d6)
Medium 4 (1d8) 18 (4d8)
Large 5 (1d10) 27 (5d10)

At:

0 HP

the object is:

DESTROYED

HUGE AND GARGANTUAN OBJECTS

For a massive object:

DIVIDE IT INTO LARGE OR SMALLER SECTIONS

Track the HP of those sections separately.

The GM decides whether destroying a particular section causes:

A LARGER COLLAPSE

DAMAGE TYPES AND OBJECTS

Objects have Immunity to:

POISON

and:

PSYCHIC

damage.

The GM may decide certain damage types are:

MORE EFFECTIVE

or:

LESS EFFECTIVE

against a particular object.

Example given conceptually by the SRD:

BLUDGEONING

is useful for smashing some objects, whereas the effectiveness of a damage type depends on:

WHAT THE OBJECT IS MADE OF

OBJECTS HAVE NO ABILITY SCORES BY DEFAULT

Unless a rule gives them Ability Scores:

THEY HAVE NONE

Therefore they:

CAN'T MAKE ABILITY CHECKS

and:

FAIL ALL SAVING THROWS

DAMAGE THRESHOLDS

Very large objects can also have:

DAMAGE THRESHOLD

That specific rule begins with D and will be covered in:

LESSON 87

PART TWENTY-TWO — BRIGHT LIGHT

BRIGHT LIGHT

is:

NORMAL ILLUMINATION

 

This simple definition interacts with the broader rules for:

VISION

DARKNESS

DIM LIGHT

and:

OBSCUREMENT

which we studied earlier and will encounter again later in the glossary.

PART TWENTY-THREE — BURNING [HAZARD]

A burning creature or object takes:

1D4 FIRE DAMAGE

at:

THE START OF EACH OF ITS TURNS

 

EXTINGUISHING YOURSELF

As an:

ACTION

you can extinguish fire on yourself by:

  1. giving yourself the Prone condition,

  2. rolling on the ground.

OTHER WAYS FIRE ENDS

The fire also goes out if it is:

DOUSED

SUBMERGED

or:

SUFFOCATED

EXAMPLE

A warrior is Burning.

Start of turn:

1D4 FIRE DAMAGE

They decide survival is more important than attacking.

Action:

DROP PRONE AND ROLL

Fire:

EXTINGUISHED

PART TWENTY-FOUR — BURROW SPEED

A creature with a:

BURROW SPEED

can use that speed to move through:

SAND

EARTH

MUD

or:

ICE

 

SOLID ROCK

A Burrow Speed does not automatically allow movement through:

SOLID ROCK

A creature needs:

A SPECIFIC TRAIT

allowing it to do so.

IMPORTANT

Don't turn:

“BURROW SPEED 30 FEET”

into:

“MOVE THROUGH ABSOLUTELY ANY SOLID MATERIAL”

The rule gives specific normal materials and a specific limitation.

PART TWENTY-FIVE — CAMPAIGN

A:

CAMPAIGN

is:

A SERIES OF ADVENTURES

 

So the structural hierarchy is:

ENCOUNTERS

form:

ADVENTURES

which can form:

A CAMPAIGN

PART TWENTY-SIX — CANTRIP

A:

CANTRIP

is:

A LEVEL 0 SPELL

and is cast:

WITHOUT A SPELL SLOT

 

IMPORTANT

A cantrip still has all its other normal spell characteristics.

It might still have:

  • Casting Time

  • Range

  • Components

  • targets

  • Attack Rolls

  • Saving Throws

  • Concentration

The defining glossary features are:

LEVEL 0

and:

NO SPELL SLOT

PART TWENTY-SEVEN — CARRYING CAPACITY

Your:

SIZE

and:

STRENGTH SCORE

determine how much weight you can carry and move.

CARRYING CAPACITY TABLE

Creature Size Carry Drag / Lift / Push
Tiny Strength × 7.5 lb. Strength × 15 lb.
Small / Medium Strength × 15 lb. Strength × 30 lb.
Large Strength × 30 lb. Strength × 60 lb.
Huge Strength × 60 lb. Strength × 120 lb.
Gargantuan Strength × 120 lb. Strength × 240 lb.

EXAMPLE — MEDIUM CHARACTER

Strength:

16

Carry:

16 × 15 =

240 POUNDS

Drag / Lift / Push maximum:

16 × 30 =

480 POUNDS

MOVING MORE THAN YOU CAN CARRY

If you drag, lift, or push weight exceeding your normal:

CARRY CAPACITY

your Speed can be no more than:

5 FEET

EXAMPLE

The same Strength 16 character tries to drag:

400 POUNDS

400 is below the maximum drag amount of:

480

but greater than the normal carry capacity of:

240

Therefore while doing so:

SPEED CAN BE NO MORE THAN 5 FEET

SIZE MATTERS ENORMOUSLY

A Large creature with Strength 16 can carry:

16 × 30 =

480 POUNDS

and drag/lift/push:

16 × 60 =

960 POUNDS

The same Strength score produces different capacity because:

CREATURE SIZE MATTERS

PART TWENTY-EIGHT — CHALLENGE RATING

CHALLENGE RATING — CR

summarizes the threat a monster poses to:

A GROUP OF FOUR PLAYER CHARACTERS

 

BASIC COMPARISON

If the monster's CR is:

HIGHER THAN THE CHARACTERS' LEVEL

it is likely to be:

DANGEROUS

If the CR is:

LOWER

it is likely to pose:

LESS THREAT

BUT CR ISN'T THE WHOLE STORY

The SRD explicitly warns that factors such as:

CIRCUMSTANCES

and:

NUMBER OF PLAYER CHARACTERS

can significantly change actual danger.

So:

CR IS A SUMMARY TOOL

not a guarantee of the battle's outcome.

The detailed encounter-building guidance appears later in:

GAMEPLAY TOOLBOX

PART TWENTY-NINE — CHARACTER SHEET

A:

CHARACTER SHEET

is a paper or digital record used to track:

YOUR CHARACTER'S INFORMATION

 

This can include the elements we've built throughout the course, such as:

  • Ability Scores

  • class

  • level

  • Hit Points

  • AC

  • equipment

  • proficiencies

  • features

  • spells

  • resources

The glossary definition itself is deliberately broad:

IT IS THE RECORD OF YOUR CHARACTER

PART THIRTY — CHARMED [CONDITION]

A creature with:

CHARMED

suffers two core effects.

CAN'T HARM THE CHARMER

You can't:

ATTACK THE CHARMER

or target the charmer with:

DAMAGING ABILITIES

or:

DAMAGING MAGICAL EFFECTS

SOCIAL ADVANTAGE

The charmer has:

ADVANTAGE

on any Ability Check made to:

INTERACT WITH YOU SOCIALLY

WHAT CHARMED DOES NOT SAY

The condition itself does not say:

YOU OBEY EVERY ORDER

YOU BECOME THE CHARMER'S SLAVE

YOU AUTOMATICALLY ATTACK YOUR FRIENDS

YOU REVEAL EVERY SECRET

A particular spell or feature might add additional effects.

But those additional effects come from:

THAT SPECIFIC RULE

not from the Charmed condition itself.

EXAMPLE

A creature is Charmed by you.

It can't attack:

YOU

But can it attack:

YOUR ALLY?

The Charmed condition by itself does not forbid that.

A spell producing the condition might contain further restrictions, so:

READ THE SPELL TOO

PART THIRTY-ONE — CLIMBING

Without a special Climb Speed, climbing costs:

1 EXTRA FOOT OF MOVEMENT PER FOOT MOVED

 

So:

1 FOOT OF CLIMBING = 2 FEET OF MOVEMENT

DIFFICULT TERRAIN

While climbing in Difficult Terrain, each foot costs:

2 EXTRA FEET

Therefore:

1 FOOT MOVED = 3 FEET OF MOVEMENT

EXAMPLE

You have:

30 FEET OF MOVEMENT

Normal vertical climb:

30 ÷ 2 =

15 FEET OF CLIMBING

If that climb is also Difficult Terrain:

30 ÷ 3 =

10 FEET OF CLIMBING

OPTIONAL CHECK

At the GM's option, a climb that involves:

A SLIPPERY SURFACE

or:

FEW HANDHOLDS

might require:

DC 15 STRENGTH (ATHLETICS)

IMPORTANT

Not every ordinary climb automatically requires:

AN ATHLETICS CHECK

The extra movement is the general rule.

The DC 15 check is something the GM may require for:

SPECIFICALLY DIFFICULT CLIMBS

PART THIRTY-TWO — CLIMB SPEED

A:

CLIMB SPEED

can replace your normal Speed while traversing:

A VERTICAL SURFACE

and lets you ignore the extra movement cost normally associated with climbing.

EXAMPLE

Normal Speed:

30 FEET

Climb Speed:

30 FEET

You climb a normal wall.

Instead of spending:

2 FEET PER 1 FOOT

you can use the:

CLIMB SPEED

and travel up to its available distance normally.

CLIMB SPEED DOES NOT MEAN

“IGNORE EVERY POSSIBLE CLIMBING HAZARD”

The Climb Speed removes:

THE NORMAL EXTRA MOVEMENT COST

Other rules or environmental effects can still apply when appropriate.

PART THIRTY-THREE — CONCENTRATION

Concentration is one of the most important game mechanics in the entire glossary.

Certain spells and effects require:

CONCENTRATION

to remain active.

Lose Concentration:

THE EFFECT ENDS

 

MAXIMUM DURATION

The effect tells you its maximum Concentration duration.

Examples:

UP TO 1 MINUTE

UP TO 10 MINUTES

UP TO 1 HOUR

or another duration.

You can voluntarily end your Concentration:

AT ANY TIME

requiring:

NO ACTION

THREE CORE WAYS CONCENTRATION BREAKS

1 — START ANOTHER CONCENTRATION EFFECT

You lose Concentration:

THE MOMENT YOU START CASTING ANOTHER SPELL THAT REQUIRES CONCENTRATION

or activate another effect that requires Concentration.

EXAMPLE

You are concentrating on:

FLY

You begin casting:

HASTE

Haste also requires Concentration.

Your Fly Concentration ends:

WHEN YOU START CASTING HASTE

You can't maintain both.

2 — TAKE DAMAGE

Every time you take damage, make:

CONSTITUTION SAVING THROW

to maintain Concentration.

DC:

10

or:

HALF THE DAMAGE TAKEN, ROUNDED DOWN

whichever is:

HIGHER

Maximum:

DC 30

EXAMPLE 1

Damage:

8

Half:

4

Compare:

4 vs 10.

DC:

10

EXAMPLE 2

Damage:

30

Half:

15

DC:

15

EXAMPLE 3

Damage:

81

Half, rounded down:

40

But Concentration DC has a maximum of:

30

Therefore:

DC 30

3 — INCAPACITATED OR DEAD

Concentration ends if you:

HAVE INCAPACITATED

or:

DIE

No Concentration saving throw is needed in those cases.

It simply:

ENDS

IMPORTANT — EACH DAMAGE EVENT

The rule triggers:

IF YOU TAKE DAMAGE

If separate effects damage you separately, each can create its own requirement to maintain Concentration.

Don't simply total unrelated damage instances together unless the rules treat them as one damage event.

PART THIRTY-FOUR — CONDITION

A:

CONDITION

is a temporary game state.

The definition of each condition explains:

HOW IT AFFECTS ITS RECIPIENT

and other rules explain:

HOW IT ENDS

 

CONDITIONS IN SRD 5.2.1

The glossary defines:

BLINDED

CHARMED

DEAFENED

EXHAUSTION

FRIGHTENED

GRAPPLED

INCAPACITATED

INVISIBLE

PARALYZED

PETRIFIED

POISONED

PRONE

RESTRAINED

STUNNED

UNCONSCIOUS

CONDITIONS DON'T NORMALLY STACK WITH THEMSELVES

A recipient either:

HAS THE CONDITION

or:

DOESN'T HAVE IT

Example:

Two effects both give you:

BLINDED

You aren't:

“DOUBLE BLINDED”

THE EXCEPTION

EXHAUSTION

is explicitly an exception to the normal no-stacking rule.

Its mechanics will be covered in:

LESSON 87

PART THIRTY-FIVE — CONE [AREA OF EFFECT]

A:

CONE

extends in straight lines from its:

POINT OF ORIGIN

in a direction chosen by its creator.

WIDTH

At any point along the Cone:

WIDTH = DISTANCE FROM THE POINT OF ORIGIN

EXAMPLE

At:

5 FEET

from the origin:

5 FEET WIDE

At:

10 FEET

from the origin:

10 FEET WIDE

At:

15 FEET

from the origin:

15 FEET WIDE

MAXIMUM LENGTH

The spell or effect creating the Cone tells you:

HOW LONG IT IS

DOES THE ORIGIN COUNT?

Normally:

NO

But the creator may decide:

TO INCLUDE IT

EXAMPLE

A:

15-FOOT CONE

originates from your position.

The Cone expands outward.

You can choose whether its actual:

POINT OF ORIGIN

is included.

PART THIRTY-SIX — COVER

Cover protects a target behind an obstruction.

The SRD defines:

THREE DEGREES

 

HALF COVER

Bonus:

+2 AC

and:

+2 DEXTERITY SAVING THROWS

THREE-QUARTERS COVER

Bonus:

+5 AC

and:

+5 DEXTERITY SAVING THROWS

TOTAL COVER

A target behind Total Cover:

CAN'T BE TARGETED DIRECTLY

SUMMARY TABLE

Cover AC Dexterity Saves Direct Targeting
Half +2 +2 Yes
Three-Quarters +5 +5 Yes
Total — — No

MULTIPLE SOURCES OF COVER

If several obstacles give different degrees of Cover:

USE ONLY THE MOST PROTECTIVE DEGREE

You don't add:

HALF COVER + HALF COVER

to make:

+4 AC

AREA-OF-EFFECT INTERACTION

Remember the earlier Area of Effect rule:

TOTAL COVER CAN BLOCK AN AREA FROM REACHING A LOCATION

So Total Cover is important both for:

DIRECT TARGETING

and:

AREA GEOMETRY

depending on the effect involved.

PART THIRTY-SEVEN — CRAWLING

While crawling:

EACH FOOT COSTS 1 EXTRA FOOT OF MOVEMENT

 

Therefore:

1 FOOT CRAWLED = 2 FEET OF MOVEMENT

DIFFICULT TERRAIN

If crawling through Difficult Terrain:

EACH FOOT COSTS 2 EXTRA FEET

Therefore:

1 FOOT = 3 FEET OF MOVEMENT

EXAMPLE

Movement available:

30 FEET

Normal crawl:

15 FEET

Crawl in Difficult Terrain:

10 FEET

Notice that this is mechanically parallel to the glossary's:

CLIMBING

movement cost.

PART THIRTY-EIGHT — CREATURE

The glossary's definition is deliberately simple:

ANY BEING IN THE GAME IS A CREATURE

including:

A PLAYER CHARACTER

 

WHY THIS WORD MATTERS

When a spell says:

“TARGET ONE CREATURE”

that is a rules category.

It is different from:

OBJECT

Likewise, a feature saying:

“AN ALLY”

or:

“A HUMANOID”

is narrowing the broader category of:

CREATURE

PART THIRTY-NINE — CREATURE TYPE

Every creature has a rules tag identifying its:

CREATURE TYPE

 

The SRD 5.2.1 creature types are:

ABERRATION

BEAST

CELESTIAL

CONSTRUCT

DRAGON

ELEMENTAL

FEY

FIEND

GIANT

HUMANOID

MONSTROSITY

OOZE

PLANT

UNDEAD

MOST PLAYER CHARACTERS

Most player characters are:

HUMANOIDS

CREATURE TYPES DON'T AUTOMATICALLY HAVE UNIVERSAL RULES

This is extremely important.

The glossary explicitly notes that the types themselves:

DON'T HAVE RULES OF THEIR OWN

Instead, other rules refer to them.

EXAMPLE

A spell may say:

“TARGET ONE HUMANOID”

Then a Dragon is invalid because:

DRAGON ≠ HUMANOID

Another spell might affect:

ANY CREATURE

and therefore have a much broader eligible target set.

DO NOT INFER EXTRA TRAITS FROM TYPE ALONE

A creature being:

UNDEAD

doesn't mean you should invent a list of universal Undead properties.

Use:

ITS STAT BLOCK

and any rule that explicitly references:

UNDEAD

PART FORTY — CRITICAL HIT

If the d20 of an Attack Roll is a:

NATURAL 20

you score:

A CRITICAL HIT

 

AUTOMATIC HIT

The attack hits regardless of:

MODIFIERS

or:

TARGET AC

EXTRA DAMAGE DICE

For the attack's damage:

ROLL ALL OF THE ATTACK'S DAMAGE DICE TWICE

Add those dice together.

Then add:

RELEVANT MODIFIERS

BASIC EXAMPLE

Normal weapon damage:

1D8 + 4

Critical Hit:

2D8 + 4

The modifier isn't doubled merely because:

THE DAMAGE DICE ARE DOUBLED

ANOTHER EXAMPLE

Suppose an attack includes:

2D6

of damage dice before modifiers.

Critical Hit:

4D6

before adding the relevant modifiers.

NATURAL 20 MATTERS

A total of 20 created by:

D20 15 +5 MODIFIER

is not a Critical Hit.

The rule requires:

20 ON THE D20 ITSELF

PART FORTY-ONE — CUBE [AREA OF EFFECT]

A Cube extends in straight lines from a:

POINT OF ORIGIN

located anywhere on:

ONE FACE OF THE CUBE

 

SIZE

The spell or effect tells you:

THE LENGTH OF EACH SIDE

Example:

15-FOOT CUBE

means:

15 feet long
15 feet wide
15 feet high.

POINT OF ORIGIN

The creator chooses the point somewhere on:

ONE FACE

IS THE ORIGIN INCLUDED?

Normally:

NO

unless:

THE CREATOR DECIDES TO INCLUDE IT

CONE VS CUBE

Cone

Origin lies at the tip and expands outward.

Cube

Origin is positioned somewhere:

ON ONE FACE

This distinction matters when placing Areas of Effect precisely on a battle map.

PART FORTY-TWO — CURSES

Some game effects can:

CURSE

a creature or object.

The particular effect causing the curse determines:

WHAT THAT CURSE DOES

 

ENDING CURSES

The glossary points to:

REMOVE CURSE

GREATER RESTORATION

and:

OTHER MAGIC THAT EXPLICITLY ENDS CURSES

SPECIFIC RULES STILL MATTER

A curse may have its own specific rules.

For example, as we learned with cursed magic items:

REMOVING A CURSE'S EFFECT ON A CREATURE

doesn't necessarily mean:

THE ITEM ITSELF CEASES TO BE CURSED

Always follow the specific curse or magic-item description.

PART FORTY-THREE — CYLINDER [AREA OF EFFECT]

A Cylinder has its point of origin at:

THE CENTER OF ITS CIRCULAR TOP

or:

THE CENTER OF ITS CIRCULAR BOTTOM

 

The effect tells you:

BASE RADIUS

and:

HEIGHT

EXAMPLE

A spell creates:

10-FOOT-RADIUS

40-FOOT-HIGH CYLINDER

That means:

  • circular base radius = 10 feet

  • total height = 40 feet

THE POINT OF ORIGIN IS INCLUDED

Unlike Cone and Cube:

CYLINDER ORIGIN IS INCLUDED

This is an explicit distinction.

AREA-OF-EFFECT ORIGIN COMPARISON

Shape Where Is Origin? Included by Default?
Cone Tip No
Cube Anywhere on one face No
Cylinder Center of top or bottom circle Yes

Emanation, Line, and Sphere are alphabetically later and will receive their formal glossary treatment in the next lessons.

PART FORTY-FOUR — THE MOST IMPORTANT A–C INTERACTIONS

Several of these definitions become much more useful when combined.

ATTACK ROLL + ARMOR CLASS

An Attack Roll tries to equal or exceed:

AC

Natural 20:

CRITICAL HIT

and automatically hits.

BLINDED + ATTACK ROLL

Blinded attacker:

DISADVANTAGE

Attacks against Blinded creature:

ADVANTAGE

BLINDSIGHT + BLINDED

A creature can have:

BLINDED

but still use:

BLINDSIGHT

within its specified range because Blindsight explicitly doesn't rely on physical sight.

Specific rule:

OVERRIDES THE NORMAL LIMITATION

TOTAL COVER + AREA OF EFFECT

Total Cover can prevent a location from being included in an Area of Effect when it blocks all relevant straight lines from:

THE POINT OF ORIGIN

CHARMED + SPECIFIC SPELL

Charmed gives:

  • protection from harming the charmer

  • social Advantage to the charmer

A spell might then add:

MORE EFFECTS

The additional rules belong to:

THE SPELL

not the base condition.

CLIMBING + CLIMB SPEED

Normal climbing:

EXTRA MOVEMENT COST

Climb Speed:

IGNORES THAT NORMAL EXTRA COST

CONCENTRATION + INCAPACITATED

Incapacitated doesn't merely make the Concentration save harder.

It causes Concentration to:

END

CREATURE + CREATURE TYPE

“Creature” is broad.

“Humanoid,” “Dragon,” “Undead,” and the other types are:

SUBCATEGORIES USED BY OTHER RULES

PART FORTY-FIVE — A PRACTICAL COMBAT EXAMPLE

A Wizard and Fighter face an Invisible monster in a ruined fortress.

The Fighter has:

AC 18

The monster has:

BLINDSIGHT 30 FEET

The Wizard is concentrating on:

A SPELL

STEP 1 — THE FIGHTER USES COVER

The Fighter moves behind a waist-high stone barrier.

The GM determines it provides:

HALF COVER

Fighter AC becomes:

18 + 2 =

20

And the Fighter also gains:

+2 TO DEXTERITY SAVES

from that Cover.

STEP 2 — THE MONSTER ATTACKS

Monster Attack Roll:

d20 = 19

Attack modifier:

+7

Total:

26

26 ≥ 20.

HIT

STEP 3 — THE WIZARD IS HIT

Wizard takes:

22 DAMAGE

and is concentrating.

Half damage:

22 ÷ 2 =

11

Compare:

10

vs:

11

Concentration save DC:

11

Wizard rolls Constitution save.

STEP 4 — THE INVISIBLE CREATURE

Suppose another effect makes the monster Invisible.

Can it hide automatically from something with sufficient Blindsight?

NO

Within Blindsight range, the sense can see:

INVISIBLE

provided the target isn't behind:

TOTAL COVER

STEP 5 — CRITICAL HIT

The Fighter attacks.

Natural d20:

20

The attack:

AUTOMATICALLY HITS

Normal damage:

1D8 + 4

Critical:

2D8 + 4

PART FORTY-SIX — COMMON BEGINNER MISTAKES

MISTAKE 1 — THINKING EVERY D20 ROLL IS AN ABILITY CHECK

There are three D20 Tests:

ABILITY CHECK

SAVING THROW

ATTACK ROLL

MISTAKE 2 — CONFUSING ABILITY SCORE WITH ABILITY MODIFIER

Strength 18 doesn't mean:

+18

Its modifier is:

+4

MISTAKE 3 — THINKING YOU CAN TAKE TWO NORMAL ACTIONS

General rule:

ONE ACTION ON YOUR TURN

unless something explicitly gives another.

MISTAKE 4 — STACKING ADVANTAGE

Three sources of Advantage still mean:

TWO D20s

not four.

MISTAKE 5 — THINKING A CAMPAIGN AND AN ADVENTURE ARE THE SAME TERM

Glossary structure:

ENCOUNTERS → ADVENTURE → CAMPAIGN

MISTAKE 6 — TREATING ALIGNMENT AS FORCED BEHAVIOR

It broadly describes:

ETHICAL ATTITUDES AND IDEALS

MISTAKE 7 — THINKING ONLY PLAYER CHARACTERS CAN BE ALLIES

The rules or GM can designate another creature as:

YOUR ALLY

MISTAKE 8 — IGNORING TOTAL COVER IN AN AREA OF EFFECT

Total Cover can exclude locations when it blocks all relevant straight lines from:

THE ORIGIN

MISTAKE 9 — ADDING TWO BASE AC FORMULAS TOGETHER

Choose:

ONE BASE CALCULATION

MISTAKE 10 — CASTING SPELLS IN ARMOR YOU AREN'T TRAINED TO USE

Untrained Light, Medium, or Heavy armor:

PREVENTS SPELLCASTING

MISTAKE 11 — GAINING THE SHIELD AC BONUS WITHOUT SHIELD TRAINING

You don't.

MISTAKE 12 — THINKING ATTACK ACTION MEANS ONLY WEAPON ATTACKS

It permits a weapon attack or:

UNARMED STRIKE

MISTAKE 13 — THINKING YOU CAN'T MOVE BETWEEN EXTRA ATTACKS

You can.

MISTAKE 14 — CONFUSING ATTACK ROLL WITH DAMAGE ROLL

First you determine:

WHETHER THE ATTACK HITS

Then, if appropriate:

ROLL DAMAGE

MISTAKE 15 — THINKING ATTUNEMENT HAS NO LIMIT

General maximum:

THREE MAGIC ITEMS

MISTAKE 16 — THINKING BLINDED MEANS AUTOMATIC ATTACK FAILURE

Your attacks have:

DISADVANTAGE

They aren't automatically misses.

MISTAKE 17 — THINKING BLINDSIGHT SEES THROUGH WALLS

Total Cover still blocks it.

MISTAKE 18 — GIVING BLOODIED AN AUTOMATIC PENALTY

Bloodied itself only means:

HALF HP OR FEWER

MISTAKE 19 — ASSUMING EVERY CHARACTER ALWAYS HAS SOMETHING THEY CAN DO AS A BONUS ACTION

You have a Bonus Action to take only when:

A RULE PROVIDES ONE

MISTAKE 20 — TAKING TWO BONUS ACTIONS

Maximum:

ONE PER TURN

MISTAKE 21 — GIVING EVERY OBJECT AC 10

Objects use rules and suggested values based on:

MATERIAL

MISTAKE 22 — MAKING OBJECTS ROLL POISON SAVES

Objects have:

NO ABILITY SCORES BY DEFAULT

and:

FAIL ALL SAVES

They also have Immunity to:

POISON AND PSYCHIC DAMAGE

MISTAKE 23 — FORGETTING BURNING DAMAGE OCCURS AT START OF TURN

1D4 FIRE

at:

START OF EACH TURN

MISTAKE 24 — EXTINGUISHING YOURSELF FOR FREE

The rolling method requires:

AN ACTION

and gives you:

PRONE

MISTAKE 25 — BURROWING THROUGH SOLID ROCK AUTOMATICALLY

Burrow Speed doesn't allow it unless:

A TRAIT SAYS SO

MISTAKE 26 — SPENDING A SPELL SLOT ON A CANTRIP

Cantrips:

DON'T USE SPELL SLOTS

MISTAKE 27 — IGNORING SIZE WHEN CALCULATING CARRYING CAPACITY

Both:

SIZE

and:

STRENGTH

matter.

MISTAKE 28 — DRAGGING ABOVE NORMAL CARRY CAPACITY AT FULL SPEED

Speed can be no more than:

5 FEET

MISTAKE 29 — TREATING CR AS A GUARANTEE

CR summarizes threat.

Actual difficulty depends on:

PARTY SIZE

CIRCUMSTANCES

and other factors.

MISTAKE 30 — THINKING CHARMED MEANS TOTAL MIND CONTROL

It doesn't.

The base condition has:

TWO SPECIFIC EFFECTS

MISTAKE 31 — THINKING THE CHARMER CAN'T BE REFUSED

The Charmed condition only gives the charmer:

ADVANTAGE ON SOCIAL ABILITY CHECKS

It doesn't guarantee success.

MISTAKE 32 — REQUIRING AN ATHLETICS CHECK FOR EVERY CLIMB

A check for slippery surfaces or few handholds is:

AT THE GM'S OPTION

MISTAKE 33 — CALCULATING DIFFICULT-TERRAIN CLIMBING AS 4 FEET PER FOOT

The glossary says:

2 EXTRA FEET

So each foot costs:

3 FEET TOTAL

MISTAKE 34 — PAYING THE NORMAL EXTRA CLIMB COST WHILE USING A CLIMB SPEED

A Climb Speed avoids:

THAT NORMAL EXTRA COST

MISTAKE 35 — CONCENTRATING ON TWO EFFECTS

Starting another Concentration effect:

ENDS THE FIRST

MISTAKE 36 — ALWAYS USING DC 10 FOR CONCENTRATION

DC is:

10 OR HALF DAMAGE

whichever is higher.

MISTAKE 37 — MAKING A DC 50 CONCENTRATION SAVE AFTER 100 DAMAGE

Maximum Concentration DC:

30

MISTAKE 38 — KEEPING CONCENTRATION WHILE INCAPACITATED

It:

ENDS

MISTAKE 39 — STACKING BLINDED WITH BLINDED

A condition normally:

DOESN'T STACK WITH ITSELF

MISTAKE 40 — FORGETTING EXHAUSTION IS THE EXCEPTION

Exhaustion:

CAN ACCUMULATE

according to its own rules.

MISTAKE 41 — MAKING A CONE EQUALLY WIDE EVERYWHERE

Its width increases with:

DISTANCE FROM THE ORIGIN

MISTAKE 42 — AUTOMATICALLY INCLUDING THE CONE'S ORIGIN

The creator decides whether to include it.

MISTAKE 43 — STACKING HALF COVER AND THREE-QUARTERS COVER

Use:

ONLY THE MOST PROTECTIVE

MISTAKE 44 — THINKING HALF COVER HELPS EVERY SAVING THROW

It gives:

+2 TO DEXTERITY SAVES

not every save.

MISTAKE 45 — THINKING TOTAL COVER IS JUST +10 AC

It isn't.

Total Cover means the target:

CAN'T BE TARGETED DIRECTLY

MISTAKE 46 — CRAWLING 30 FEET WITH 30 FEET OF MOVEMENT

Normal crawling costs double.

You can normally crawl:

15 FEET

with 30 feet of movement.

MISTAKE 47 — THINKING EVERY CREATURE IS A HUMANOID

Humanoid is just:

ONE OF FOURTEEN CREATURE TYPES

MISTAKE 48 — INVENTING UNIVERSAL RULES FOR A CREATURE TYPE

Creature types don't inherently have extra rules merely from the type label.

MISTAKE 49 — GETTING A CRITICAL HIT WITH A MODIFIED TOTAL OF 20

Critical Hit requires:

NATURAL 20 ON THE D20

MISTAKE 50 — DOUBLING THE DAMAGE MODIFIER ON A CRITICAL HIT

The rule doubles:

THE ATTACK'S DAMAGE DICE

then adds:

RELEVANT MODIFIERS

MISTAKE 51 — PUTTING A CUBE'S ORIGIN IN ITS CENTER

The Cube's origin is:

SOMEWHERE ON ONE OF ITS FACES

MISTAKE 52 — THINKING EVERY CURSE WORKS THE SAME WAY

The effect that creates the curse defines:

WHAT THE CURSE DOES

MISTAKE 53 — EXCLUDING THE CYLINDER'S ORIGIN

Cylinder origin:

IS INCLUDED

QUICK RECAP

A

Ability Check

A:

D20 TEST

used to overcome a challenge.

Ability Score and Modifier

Six Abilities, each with its own:

MODIFIER

Action

Normally:

ONE PER TURN

Advantage

TWO D20s → USE HIGHER

Adventure

SERIES OF ENCOUNTERS

Alignment

Broad ethical attitudes and ideals.

Ally

Creature on your side or otherwise designated as your ally.

Area of Effect

Effect covering an area from a:

POINT OF ORIGIN

Armor Class

Target number for:

ATTACK ROLLS

Armor Training

Avoids the penalties of using armor without training.

Attack

Action used to make a weapon attack or:

UNARMED STRIKE

Attack Roll

A type of:

D20 TEST

Attitude

FRIENDLY / HOSTILE / INDIFFERENT

Attunement

Magical bond with certain items; normal maximum:

THREE

B

Blinded

Can't see; fail sight checks; your attacks Disadvantage; attacks against you Advantage.

Blindsight

Perceive within a range without normal physical sight.

Bloodied

HALF HP OR FEWER

Bonus Action

Special action granted by a rule; maximum:

ONE PER TURN

Breaking Objects

Objects can have:

AC + HP + DAMAGE RULES

Bright Light

NORMAL ILLUMINATION

Burning

1D4 FIRE AT START OF EACH TURN

Burrow Speed

Movement through specified materials such as:

EARTH, SAND, MUD, ICE

C

Campaign

SERIES OF ADVENTURES

Cantrip

LEVEL 0 SPELL, NO SPELL SLOT

Carrying Capacity

Determined by:

SIZE + STRENGTH

Challenge Rating

Summary of monster threat.

Character Sheet

Record of character information.

Charmed

Can't harm charmer; charmer has social-check Advantage.

Climbing

Normally:

1 EXTRA FOOT PER FOOT

Climb Speed

Removes that normal extra climbing cost when used.

Concentration

One effect at a time; damage, Incapacitated, death, or another Concentration effect can end it.

Condition

Temporary game state with defined effects.

Cone

Expanding Area of Effect.

Cover

Half:

+2 AC / DEX SAVES

Three-Quarters:

+5

Total:

NO DIRECT TARGETING

Crawling

Normally costs:

1 EXTRA FOOT PER FOOT

Creature

Any being in the game.

Creature Type

One of:

FOURTEEN RULES TAGS

Critical Hit

NATURAL 20 ATTACK ROLL

Roll attack damage dice twice.

Cube

Area of Effect originating from:

ONE FACE

Curses

Specific magical burdens defined by their source.

Cylinder

Origin at center of top or bottom:

ORIGIN INCLUDED

PRIME HERO CHALLENGE

A Medium adventurer has:

Strength:

18

Dexterity:

14

Current HP:

38

Maximum HP:

76

They are concentrating on a spell.

They have:

AC 17

and are standing behind:

HALF COVER

Resolve the following.

CHALLENGE 1 — BLOODIED

Maximum HP:

76

Half:

38

Current:

38

Are they Bloodied?

YES

Bloodied means:

HALF HP OR FEWER

CHALLENGE 2 — COVER

Normal AC:

17

Half Cover:

+2

Effective AC against relevant attacks:

19

Dexterity saving throws also receive:

+2

CHALLENGE 3 — CARRYING CAPACITY

Medium creature.

Strength:

18

Carry:

18 × 15 =

270 POUNDS

Drag/Lift/Push:

18 × 30 =

540 POUNDS

CHALLENGE 4 — HEAVY DRAGGING

They drag:

400 POUNDS

This is:

  • below 540 maximum

  • above 270 normal carry capacity

Therefore Speed can be no more than:

5 FEET

while doing so.

CHALLENGE 5 — CONCENTRATION

They take:

36 DAMAGE

Half:

18

Compare:

10 vs 18.

Concentration DC:

18 CONSTITUTION SAVE

CHALLENGE 6 — MASSIVE DAMAGE

They instead take:

100 DAMAGE

Half:

50

Would the Concentration DC be 50?

NO

Maximum:

DC 30

CHALLENGE 7 — CRITICAL HIT

The adventurer makes an attack.

d20:

NATURAL 20

Normal damage:

1D10 + 4

Critical damage:

2D10 + 4

CHALLENGE 8 — BLINDED

The adventurer becomes Blinded.

Can they still attack?

YES

But the attack has:

DISADVANTAGE

Attack rolls against them have:

ADVANTAGE

CHALLENGE 9 — CHARMED

The adventurer is Charmed by a vampire.

Can they attack:

THE VAMPIRE?

NO

Does the Charmed condition by itself force them to attack:

THEIR OWN ALLIES?

NO

CHALLENGE 10 — CLIMBING

Movement:

30 FEET

Normal climbing.

Maximum vertical distance:

30 ÷ 2 =

15 FEET

If the surface is Difficult Terrain:

30 ÷ 3 =

10 FEET

CHALLENGE 11 — CYLINDER

A spell creates a:

20-FOOT-RADIUS, 40-FOOT-HIGH CYLINDER

Is its point of origin included?

YES

CHALLENGE 12 — CUBE

Another spell creates:

A 15-FOOT CUBE

Is its point of origin automatically included?

NO

The creator:

DECIDES WHETHER TO INCLUDE IT

LESSON 86 — KEY TAKEAWAYS

The Rules Glossary begins by establishing something fundamental:

WORDS HAVE PRECISE GAME MEANINGS

A player who understands those meanings can resolve many situations without memorizing every spell, class feature, or monster ability individually.

The most important A–C rules to remember are:

AN ABILITY CHECK IS ONE TYPE OF D20 TEST

YOU NORMALLY HAVE ONE ACTION ON YOUR TURN

ADVANTAGE MEANS TWO D20s, USE THE HIGHER

MULTIPLE ADVANTAGES DON'T STACK

AREA-OF-EFFECT GEOMETRY DEPENDS ON ITS POINT OF ORIGIN

TOTAL COVER CAN BLOCK DIRECT TARGETING AND PARTS OF AREAS

ONLY ONE BASE AC CALCULATION CAN APPLY

UNTRAINED ARMOR CAN PREVENT SPELLCASTING

THE ATTACK ACTION CAN INCLUDE WEAPON EQUIPPING OR UNEQUIPPING

BLINDED DOES NOT AUTOMATICALLY MAKE ATTACKS MISS

BLINDSIGHT CAN FUNCTION DESPITE BLINDED OR DARKNESS

BLOODIED MEANS HALF HP OR FEWER

A BONUS ACTION EXISTS ONLY WHEN A RULE PROVIDES ONE

OBJECTS HAVE THEIR OWN AC, HP, AND DAMAGE RULES

BURNING DEALS 1D4 FIRE AT THE START OF EACH TURN

BURROW SPEED DOES NOT AUTOMATICALLY PENETRATE SOLID ROCK

CARRYING CAPACITY DEPENDS ON BOTH SIZE AND STRENGTH

CHARMED IS NOT AUTOMATIC MIND CONTROL

CLIMBING AND CRAWLING NORMALLY COST EXTRA MOVEMENT

A CLIMB SPEED REMOVES THE NORMAL EXTRA CLIMBING COST

CONCENTRATION ENDS WHEN YOU START ANOTHER CONCENTRATION EFFECT

CONCENTRATION SAVES USE DC 10 OR HALF DAMAGE, MAXIMUM DC 30

INCAPACITATED OR DEAD ENDS CONCENTRATION

CONDITIONS NORMALLY DON'T STACK WITH THEMSELVES

CREATURE TYPES DON'T HAVE UNIVERSAL RULES OF THEIR OWN

A NATURAL 20 ATTACK ROLL IS A CRITICAL HIT

CRITICAL HITS DOUBLE THE ATTACK'S DAMAGE DICE, NOT ITS MODIFIERS

and:

CONE, CUBE, AND CYLINDER EACH USE DIFFERENT POINT-OF-ORIGIN RULES

These definitions will repeatedly return throughout the rest of the course.

NEXT LESSON

LESSON 87 — RULES GLOSSARY D–H

The next alphabetical block moves into a huge group of fundamental rules beginning with:

D

through:

H

including concepts such as:

D20 TEST

DAMAGE

DAMAGE THRESHOLD

DARKNESS

DARKVISION

DASH

DEAFENED

DEATH

DIFFICULT TERRAIN

DISADVANTAGE

DISENGAGE

DODGE

EXHAUSTION

FALLING

FLY SPEED

FLYING

FRIENDLY

FRIGHTENED

GRAPPLED

HAZARDS

HELP

HIDE

HIT DICE

HIT POINTS

HOSTILE

and every other SRD 5.2.1 glossary definition from:

D THROUGH H

SRD 5.2.1 ATTRIBUTION

This work includes material from the System Reference Document 5.2.1 (“SRD 5.2.1”) by Wizards of the Coast LLC, available at https://www.dndbeyond.com/srd. The SRD 5.2.1 is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, available at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode.