HEROES OF THE FALLEN LANDS" CREAT E AN D PLA Y CLERICS , FIGHTERS , ROGUES , AN D WIZARDS ! Mike Mearls • Bill Slavicsek • Rodney Thompson-
ROLEPLAYIN G GAM E COR E RULE S Mike Mearls • Bill Slavicsek • Rodney Thompson HEROES OF THE FALLEN LANDS" CREAT E AN D PLA Y CLERICS , FIGHTERS , ROGUES , AN D WIZARDS ! ESSENTIALS "
CREDITS Design Mike Mearls, Bill Slavicsek, Rodney Thompson Additional Design Jeremy Crawford, James Wyatt Development Andy Collins, Jeremy Crawford, Stephen Schubert Editing Michele Carter, Greg Bilsland, Jennifer Clarke Wilkes, Scott Fitzgerald Gray Managing Editing Kim Mohan D&D R&D/Book Publishing Director Bill Slavicsek D&D Creative Manager Christopher Perkins D&D Senior Creative Art Director Jon Schindehette D&D Brand Team Liz Schuh, Kierin Chase, Laura Tommervik, Shelly Mazzanoble, Chris Lindsay, Hilary Ross Special Thanks Bill Rose Art Director Kate Irwin Graphic Designers Leon Cortez, Yasuyo Dunnett, Keven Smith Cover Illustration Ralph Horsley Interior Illustrations Eric Belisle, Eric Deschamps, Emrah Elmasli, Wayne England, Carl Frank, David Griffith, Brian Hagan, Ralph Horsley, Tyler Jacobson, Kekai Kotaki, Howard Lyon, Lee Moyer, Jim Nelson, William O'Connor, Eric Polak, Chris Seaman, John Stanko, Anne Stokes, Francis Tsai, Eva Widermann, Ben Wootten Cartographer Jason A. Engle Publishing Production Specialist Angelika Lokotz Prepress Manager Jefferson Dunlap Imaging Technician Carmen Cheung Production Manager Cynda Callaway D&D 4th Edition Design Rob Heinsoo, Andy Collins, James Wyatt Building on the design of previous editions by E. Gary Gygax, Dave Arneson, David "Zeb" Cook, Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams, Richard Baker, Peter Adkison U.S.. CANADA. ASIA. PACIFIC. & LATIN AMERICA Wizards of the Coast LLC P.O. Box 707 Ronton WA 98057 0707 +1 800-324 6496 EUROPEAN HEADQUARTERS Hasbro UK Ltd Caswell Way Newport. Gwent NP9 0YH GREAT BRITAIN Please keep this address for your records WIZARDS OF THE COAST. BELGIUM Industrialaari 1 1702 Groot Bijgaarden Belgium +32.070.233.277 98765432 1 First Printing: September 2010 620-24752000 001 EN ISBN: 978 0-7869-5620-3 DUNGCON S & DRAGONS . D&D. WIZARD S OF THE COAST , Dungeons & Dragons Encounters. Dungeons & Dragons Essentials. Dungeon Master's Kit. Heroes nf the Fallen Lands, Heroes of the Forgotten Kingdoms. Monster Vault. Rules Compendium, all other Wizards of the Coast product names, and their respective logos are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast LLC in the U.S.A. and other countries. All Wizards characters and the distinctive likenesses thereof are property of Wizards of the Coast LLC. This material is protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America. Any reproduction or unauthorized use of the material or artwork contained herein is prohibited without the express written permission of Wizards of the Coast LLC. Any similarity to actual people, organizations, places, or events included herein is purely coincidental. Printed in the U.S.A. ©2010 Wizards of the Coast LLC. VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT WWW.DUNGEONSANDDRAC.ONS.CO M
CONTENTS INTRODUCTION 5 A Roleplaylng Came 5 The Most Important Rule 7 Two Basic Rules 7 CHAPTER 1 GAME OVERVIEW 9 A Fantastic World 9 Players 10 The Dungeon Master 11 The Adventure 11 Tiers of Play 12 The Heroic Tier 12 The Paragon Tier 13 The Epic Tier 13 The Essentials Products 13 How to Play 15 Encounters 15 Exploration 15 Taking Your Turn 16 Example of Play 17 Playing the Came 19 Checks 19 The Structure of a Turn 21 Triggered Actions 22 Action Points 23 Movement 23 Attacks 23 Attack Results 24 Damage Rolls 25 Durations 25 Saving Throws 25 Default Attack Powers 26 Hit Points and Healing 27 Dying and Death 28 Rest and Recovery 29 Short Rest 29 Extended Rest 29 CHAPTER 2 MAKING CHARACTERS 31 Character Creation Steps 32 Class 33 Role 34 Race 35 Ability Scores 36 The Abilities 36 Determine Ability Scores 38 Selecting Equipment 39 Filling in the Numbers 39 Other Character Details 43 Alignment 44 Personality 46 Appearance 47 Background 47 Languages 48 The Gods 48 Gaining Levels 55 Step-by Step Advancement 55 Retraining 56 CHAPTER 3 UNDERSTANDING POWERS 59 Power Types 59 Usage Types 59 Power Formats 61 Attack and Utility Types 65 Areas of Effect 66 Choosing Targets 6 7 Range and Areas of Effect 68 Line of Effect 68 Line of Sight 68 Keywords 6 9 Power Sources 6 9 Schools of Magic 7 0 Accessories 7 0 Damage Types 71 Effect Types 72 CHAPTER 4 CHARACTER CLASSES....77 The Classes 7 7 Cleric 7 8 Fighter 7 8 Rogue 7 8 Wi/ard 7 8 Paragon Path 7 9 Epic Destiny 7 9 Cleric 80 Warpriest 80 Creating a Warpriest 81 Heroic Warpriest 86 Paragon Warpriest 9 8 Paragon Path: Devout Warpriest. .9 8 Epic Warpriest 104 Storm Domain 10 9 Sun Domain 115 Fighter 122 Knight 123 Creating a Knight 12 3 Heroic Knight 12 8 Paragon Knight 13 9 Paragon Path: Stalwart Knight ..13 9 Epic Knight 14 3 Slayer 146 Creating a Slayer 146 Heroic Slayer 15 ? Paragon Slayer 161 Paragon Path: Mythic Slayer 161 Epic Slayer 16 5 Rogue 168 Thief 169 Creating a Thief 16 9 Heroic Thief 17 4 Paragon Thief 18 6 Paragon Path: Master Thief 18 6 Epic Thief 18 9 Wizard 192 Mage 192 Creating a Mage 19 3 Heroic Mage 19 9 Paragon Mage 21 9 Paragon Path: Enigmatic Mage ..21 9 Epic Mage 22 9 Enchantment School 23 8 Evocation School 24 0 Illusion School 24 2 Indomitable Champion ..245 CHAPTER 5 CHARACTER RACES 247 The Races. 24 7 Racial Benefits 24 7 Dwarf 24 8 Eladrin 25 4 Elf 260 Halfling 266 Human 272 CHAPTER 6 SKILLS 279 Skill Training 279 Key Ability 279 Using Skills 280 Difficulty Class 280 Opposed Checks 282 Checks without Rolls 282 Aid Another 282 Group Checks 283 Skill Challenges 283 Knowledge Skills 284 Knowledge Checks 284 Monster Knowledge Checks 285 Skill Descriptions 285 CHAPTER 7 FEATS 305 Choosing Feats 305 Prerequisites 305 Feat Categories 306 Adventurer Feats 309 CHAPTER 8 GEAR AND WEAPONS. .321 Gear at 1 st Level 321 Armor and Shields 323 Armor Types 323 Reading the Armor and Shields Table 326 Weapons 326 Weapon Groups 327 Reading the Weapon Tables 329 Weapon Properties 329 Weapons and Size 333 Silvered Weapons 333 Selling Equipment 333 Implements 333 Proficiency 333 Using an Implement 334 Adventuring Gear 334 Food. Drink, and Lodging 336 Mounts and Transport 336 Carrying. Lifting, and Dragging.. 336 Magic Items 337 Magic Item Level and Rarity 337 Identifying Magic Items 338 Magic Item Values 338 Magic Item Categories 339 Reading a Magic Item 340 Magic Item Categories 343 Weapons 345 Implements 347 Arms Slot Items 349 Feet Slot Items 349 Hands Slot Items 350 Head Slot Items 350 Neck Slot Items 351 Waist Slot Items 351 Potions 352 GLOSSARY 353 INDEX 364
INTRODUCTION Imagin e a world of bold warriors, mighty wizards, an d terrible monsters. Imagin e a world of ancient ruins, vast caverns, an d great wild wastes wher e only the bravest heroe s dar e to tread. Imagine a world of swords an d magic, a world of elves and goblins, a world of giants and dragons. This is the world of the DUNGEONS & DRAGONS® Fantasy Roleplaying Game . You take on the role of a legendary hero—a powerful fighter, a courageous cleric, a deadly rogue, or a spell-hurling wizard. Wit h some willing friends an d a little imagination, you strike out on darin g missions and epic quests, testing yourself against an array of dauntin g challenge s and bloodthirsty monsters. Get ready—this essential produc t contains everything you need to create a heroic characte r of your own! START HERE If you haven't picked it up yet, the DUNGEON S & DRAGON S Fantasy Roleplaying Came Starter Set is a great place to start your experience. It contains the basic rules of the game, dice, and starting adventures to kick off a campaign. Heroes of the Fallen Lands™ and its companion, Heroes of the Forgotten Kingdoms™ provide more options, including more levels of play, more classes, and more races for you to choose from. A ROLEPLAYING GAME T h e DUNGEONS & DRAGON S game is a roleplaying game . In fact, this game invented roleplaying game s and started an industry. A roleplaying game is a storytelling game that ha s elements of the game s of make-believe that man y of us played as children. However, a roleplaying game provides form an d structure , with robust gameplay and endless possibilities. In th e DUNGEONS & DRAGON S game , you creat e a hero (also called a character or an adventurer), team up wit h othe r adventurers (your f riends), explore a world, an d battle monsters. Whil e the DUNGEONS & DRAGONS game uses dice a n d miniature s or othe r tokens, th e action take s place in your imagination. There , you have the freedom to creat e anythin g you ca n imagine , with a n unlimited special effects budge t and th e technology to mak e anythin g happen . Wha t make s th e DUNGEON S & DRAGON S game uniqu e is th e Dungeo n Master. Th e DM is a person wh o take s on the role of lead storyteller and game referee. Th e DM run s adventure s for the characters an d narrate s th e action for the players. Th e DM make s the DUNGEONS & DRAGON S game infinitely flexible - he or she can react to any situation, any twist suggested by the players, to mak e each adventur e vibrant, exciting, and unexpected .
T h e adventur e is the heart of th e DUNGEONS & DRAGON S game . It's like a fantasy movie or novel, except the characters that you an d your friends creat e ar e the stars of th e story. Th e D M sets th e scene, but no one knows what's going to happen until the characters d o something—and then anythin g can happen ! You might explore a dark dungeon , a ruine d city, a lost templ e dee p in a jungle, or a lava-filled cavern beneat h a mysterious mountain . You solve puzzles, talk with othe r characters, battle all kind s of fantastic monsters, an d discover fabulous magic items and treasure . The DUNGEONS & DRAGON S game is a cooperative game in which you an d your friends work together to complet e each adventur e and have fun . It's a storytelling game wher e the only limit is your imagination. It's a fantasy-adventure game , building on the traditions of the greatest fantasy stories of all time. Durin g an adventure , you can attempt anythin g you ca n think of. Wan t to talk to the dragon instead of fighting it? Wan t to disguise yourself as an ore and sneak into the foul lair? Go ahea d and give it a try. Your actions might work or they might fail spectacularly, but either way you've contributed to the unfolding story and had fu n along the way. You "win" the DUNGEON S & DRAGON S game by participating in an exciting story of bold adventurers confronting deadly perils. Th e game has no real end; whe n you finish one story or quest, you can start anothe r one. iVlany people wh o play the game keep their game s going for month s or years, meeting with their friends every week to pick u p the story wher e they left off. Your characte r grows as the game continues. Each monste r defeated, each adventur e completed, an d each treasur e recovered not only adds to your continuing story, but also earn s your characte r new abilities. This increas e in powe r is reflected by your character's level; as you continue to play, your characte r gains mor e experience , rising in level an d masterin g new an d mor e powerful abilities. Sometime s your characte r might come to a grisly end, torn apart by ferocious monsters or don e in by a nefarious villain. But even whe n your characte r is defeated, you don't "lose." Your companion s ca n employ powerful magic to revive your character, or you might choos e to creat e a new characte r to carry on. You might fail to complet e the adventure , but ifyo u had a good time and you created a story that everyone remembers for a long time , the whole grou p wins. ABOUT THIS BOOK Heroes of the Fallen Lands is a DUNGEON S & DRAGON S Essentials™ book expressly designed for players. It presents the rules you need to make a character, as well as certain other aspects of the game rules in an abbreviated fashion. The Rules Compendium™ contains the complete rules. You'll need to refer to that book for all the details on how the game works.
THE MOST IMPORTANT RULE I low d o you know if you r sword-swing hurts the dragon, or just bounce s off its iron-hard scales? I low do you know if th e ogre believes your outrageous bluff, or ifyou ca n swim the raging river and reach the othe r side? All these actions depen d on one simple rule: Decide what you want your character to do an d tell the Dungeo n Master. Th e DM tells you to mak e a check and determine s your chanc e of success by picking a target numbe r for the check. You roll a twenty-sided die (d20), add some numbers, an d try to hit the target numbe r determine d by the DM. Thats it! THE MOST IMPORTANT RULE 1. Roll a d20. You want to roll high! 2. Add all relevant modifiers. 3. Compare the total to a target number. If your result equals or exceeds the target number, the check is a success. Otherwise, it's a failure. [fyou r check succeeds, you determin e the outcome . If your chec k was a n attack. you roll damage . If it wa s a check to see ifyo u manage d to jum p across a pit, your check result determine s whethe r or not you mad e it. I ( you succeed on a check when you're trying to hide, the monsters don't see you. There's a little mor e to it tha n that, but this rule governs all game play. All the rest of the rules ar e extensions an d refinements of this simpl e game rule. Two Basic Rules In addition to the most importan t rule, two othe r principles form the core of th e DUNGEONS & DRAGON S game . Many othe r rules ar e based on these assumptions. L Specific Beats General If a specific rul e contradicts a general rule, the specific rule wins. For instance, a creatur e can't normall y ente r an enemy's space durin g combat, but the creatur e might gain a powe r that lets it enter several enemies' spaces in the same turn . 2. Always Round Down Th e game does requir e calculations now an d then, which sometime s end up in a fraction. Unless instructed otherwise, always roun d down even if th e fraction is 1/2 or larger. For instance, this rule come s into play whe n calculating one-half a character's level for makin g a check. Ifth e level is an odd number, always round down to the next lower whole number.
GAME OVERVIEW This chapte r provides an overview of th e DUNGEONS & DRAGON S game . Th e game's complete rules can be found in the Rules Compendium. Use this chapte r to become familia r with the core concepts of the game and to review game elements. A FANTASTIC WORLD T h e world of the DUNGEON S & DRAGON S game is a place of magic an d monsters, of brave warriors and spectacula r adventures. It begins with a basis of medieval fantasy an d then adds the creatures, places, an d powers that mak e the DUNGEONS & DRAGON S world unique . T h e world of the DUNGEONS & DRAGON S game is ancient, built upon and beneath the ruins of past empires, leaving the landscape dotted with places of adventur e and mystery. Legends an d artifacts of past empire s still survive-a s do terrible menaces. T h e current age has no all-encompassing empire . Th e world is shrouded in a dar k age, caught between the collapse of the last great empir e an d the rise of the next, which might be centurie s away. Mino r kingdoms prosper, to be sure: baronies, holdings, city-states. But each settlement appears as a point of light in the widespread darkness, an island of civilization in the wilderness tha t covers the world. Adventurers can rest in settlements between adventures, but no settle merit is entirely safe. Adventure s break out withi n (and under) such places as often as not. Durin g your adventures, you will visit fantastic locations: wid e caverns cut by rivers of lava; towers held aloft in the sky by ancient magic—any thing you can imagine, your characte r might experienc e as the game unfolds. Monsters an d supernatura l creature s ar e a part of this world. They prowl the dark places between the points of light. Some ar e threats, others ar e willing to aid you, and man y fall into both camp s and might react differently dependin g o how you approach them. Magic is everywhere . People believe in an d accept the powe r that magic provides. However, tru e masters of magi c ar e rare. Many people have access to a little magic, but those wh o have the powe r to shape magic the way a blacksmith shape s metal ar e as rar e as adventurers an d appea r as friends or foes to you and your companions. At some point, all adventurers rely on magic. Wizard s and warlocks draw magic from the fabric of the universe. Clerics and paladins call down the wrath ...a place of magic and monsters, of brave warriors and spectacular adventures.
of their gods to sea r their foes with divine radiance , or they invoke their gods' mercy to heal their allies' wounds. Fighters an d rogues don't use magical powers, but their expertis e with magi c weapon s make s them masters of the battlefield. At the highest levels of play, even nonmagica l adventurers perform deed s no morta l could dream of doing without magic. DUNGEONS & DRAGONS INSIDER Think the game ends with the words on these pages? Think again! Check out www.DungeonsandDragons.com for all kinds of information, game tools, and community participation in your favorite game. For a nominal fee, DUNGEONS & DRAGONS Insider™ unlocks the ongoing content of Dragon® magazine and DungeonK magazine online, with issue updates happening multiple times each week. DUNGEONS & DRAGONS Insider is constantly updated with new material, new stories, and new features dedicated to the phenomeno n that is the DUNGEONS & DRAGONS roleplaying game experience. WHAT'S IN A GAME All DUNGEON S & DRAGON S game s have several basic components: at least one player (five players works best), a Dungeo n Master, a n adventure , an d game books and accessories, including dice. Players DUNGEONS & DRAGON S players fill two distinct roles in the game : controlling th e players' characters-als o called adventurers—and acting as the Dungeo n Master. T hese roles aren't mutually exclusive, an d a player ca n roleplay an adventure r today and ru n an adventur e for th e othe r players tomorrow. Although everyone who plays the game is technically a player, this book usually refers to players as those who ru n the adventurers. Each player creates an adventurer, part of a team that delves into dungeons, battles monsters, and explores the world's dark wilderness. Like the protagonists of a novel, a movie, or a video game , adventurers stand at the center of the game's action. Whe n you play your character, you put yourself into your character's boots and mak e decisions as if you wer e that character. You decide whic h door your characte r opens next. You decide whethe r to attack a monster, to negotiate with a villain, or to attempt a dangerou s quest. You can mak e these decisions based on your character's personality, motivations, an d goals, an d you ca n even speak or act in characte r if you like. You have almost limitless control over wha t your characte r can do an d say in the game .
The Dungeon Master T h e Dungeo n Master controls th e pac e of the story an d referees the action along the way, presenting the adventur e an d the challenge s for the player characters to overcome. Every DUNGEON S & DRAGON S game need s a DM. Th e DM ha s several parts to play in the game . • Adventure Builder: The DM creates adventures, or selects published ones, for you an d the othe r players to experience . • Narrator: Th e DM sets the pace of th e story and presents the various challenges and encounters that the players must overcome. • Monster Controller: Th e DM controls th e monsters that the adventurers confront, choosing the monsters' actions an d rolling dice for them. • Referee: The DM decides how to apply the game rule s and guides the story. T h e Dungeo n Master controls the monsters and villains in the adventure , but the DM isn't your adversary. Th e DM s job is to provide a framework for the whole group to enjoy an exciting adventure . Tha t mean s challenging the player characters with interesting encounters an d tests, keeping the game moving, and applying the rules of the game fairly. Man y players find tha t being the Dungeo n Master is the best part of the game . Taking on the Dungeo n Master role isn't necessarily a permanen t post—you and your friends ca n take turn s being the DM from adventur e to adventure . If you thin k you'd like to be th e Dungeo n Master in your group, you can find all the tools to help you in the Dungeon Masters Kit™ (a DUNGEONS & DRAGONS Essentials product). The Adventure Adventurers need adventures. A DUNGEON S & DRAGON S adventur e consists of a series of linked events. As the players decide which way to go next an d how their characters mee t the resulting encounters an d challenges, they tur n th e adventur e into an exciting story about their characters. All DUNGEON S & DRAGON S adventure s featur e action, combat, mystery, magic, challenges, an d lots of monsters. Adventure s come in thre e forms: • Ready-to-Play: Th e DM can buy or obtain professionally written, ready-toplay adventure s from a numbe r of sources, including your local game store a n d www.DungeonsandDragons.com. • Adventure Hooks and Components: Most DUNGEON S & DRAGON S products offer pieces of adventures-stor y ideas, maps, interesting villains or monsters—that the DM can assembl e into an adventure . DUNGEON S & DRAGON S Insider (www.DungconsandDragons.com) is also a rich source of adventur e material.
• Homemade: Man y DMs choos e to creat e their own adventures, building challenging encounters an d stocking them with monsters from the Monster Vault and treasur e from the Dungeon Masters Kit. An adventur e ca n be a simple "dungeon crawl"—a series of rooms filled with monsters an d traps, with little story to explain why the adventurers need to explore them—or as complex as a murde r mystery or a tale of political intrigue. An adventur e ca n last for a single game session or stretch out over man y sessions of play. For example , exploring a haunted castle might take hall a dozen game sessions over the course of a couple of month s of real time. Whe n the same group of adventurers plays with the same Dungeo n Master through multiple adventures, you've got a campaign . Th e story of the heroes doesn't end with a single adventure , but continue s on for as long as you like - just like your favorite movi e or television series, or your favorite comi c book or novel series. TIERS OF PLAY Heroe s in the DUNGEONS & DRAGON S game an d most of the threats that they face have levels, whic h reflect their relative power. Levels ar e grouped into thre e tiers: the heroic tier (levels 1-10), the paragon tier (levels 11-20), an d the epic tier (levels 21-30). Whe n adventurers leave one tier and cross the threshold into a new one, they experienc e a major increas e in power. At the same time , the threats that they face become mor e lethal. As a campaig n progresses through the thre e tiers, its story and the style of its encounters also typically evolve. The Heroic Tier Even l st-level characters ar e heroes, set apart from commo n folk by exceptional aptitudes, learned skills, an d the hint of a grea t destiny. At the start of their careers, adventurers rely on their own abilities an d powers, and they quickly acquir e magic items. The fate of a village might han g on the success or failure of heroic tier adventurers. I leroes in this tier navigate dangerou s terrain an d explore haunte d crypts, wher e they ca n expect to fight sneak y goblins, savage ores, ferocious wolves, giant spiders, evil cultists, an d bloodthirsty ghouls. If th e heroe s face a dragon, it is a young one that might still be searchin g for a lair and has not yet found its place in the world. One , in othe r words, tha t is muc h like themselves.
The Paragon Tier By 11th level, heroes ar e shinin g example s of courage and determination, set well apart from the masses. Paragon tier adventurers ar e mor e versatile tha n they wer e at lower levels, an d they ca n find the right tool for any challenge. T h e fate of a nation or even the world might depen d on momentou s quests that heroe s in this tier undertake . Such heroe s explore uncharte d regions and delve into long-forgotten dungeons, and they confront monsters such as savage giants, cruel beholders, bloodthirsty vampires, an d devious min d flayers. They might face a powerful adult dragon tha t has established a lair an d a role in the world. The Epic Tier By 21st level, characters have truly superheroi c capabilities, an d ordinar y people can hardly dream of such power. Th e heroes' deed s become the stuff of legend. Epic adventure s have far-reaching consequences, possibly determinin g the fate of the natura l world an d even plane s beyond. Epic characters navigate otherworldly realms an d explore never-before-seen caverns of wonder. They fight demo n lords, min d flayer masterminds, terrible archdevils, lich archmages, and even the gods themselves. Th e dragons they encounte r ar c ancient wyrms of earthshakin g power, whos e sleep troubles kingdoms an d whos e waking threatens the world. THE ESSENTIALS PRODUCTS T h e action of th e game take s place mostly in your imagination, but you need a few things to play the DUNGEON S & DRAGON S game . Th e following DUNGEONS & DRAGON S Essentials products provide a great place to start. Essentials Products for Players and DMs • Dungeons & Dragons Fantasy Roleplaying Game Starter Set. This boxed set contains everything a grou p of players needs to start playing the DUNGEON S & DRAGON S game . It contains rules, dice, maps, tokens, and an adventur e that take s characters from 1st to 2n d level. • Dungeons & Dragons Rules Compendium. This comprehensive book contains the essential rules of the game collected in on e place, taking a campaig n from 1st to 30t h level. • Dungeons & Dragons Roleplaying Game Dice: Th e DUNGEON S & DRAGON S game an d othe r game s using the D&I ) Gam e System requir e a special set of dice (see th e sidebar). Pick u p extra sets of dice so that every player ha s a set.
Essentials Products for Players The two player books featur e the essential elements of the game from a player's point of view. • Heroes of the Fallen Lands. This volume contains rules for several classes: cleric (warpriest), fighter (knight an d slayer), rogue (thief), an d wizar d (mage). It also describe s several races: dwarf, eladrin, elf, halfling, an d human . • Heroes of the Forgotten Kingdoms. This volume contains rules for several classes: drui d (sentinel), paladin (cavalier), range r (hunte r an d scout), an d warlock (hexblade). It also describe s several races: dragonborn, drow, halfelf, half-ore, human , an d tiefling. Essentials Products for Dungeon Masters The DM-focused books featur e the essential elements of the game from a Dungeon Master's point of view. • Dungeon Master's Kit. This boxed set features game rules, advice, adventures, maps, tokens, and a D M screen to help elevate the level of your ongoing campaign . • Monster Vault™. This boxed set features a collection of monsters for use in any DUNGEONS & DRAGON S game , from 1st level to 30t h level, an d includes monste r tokens and an adventure . • Dungeon Tiles Master Sets. Thre e boxed sets of Dungeo n Tiles (The Dungeon, The City, and The Wilderness) let you creat e encounte r area s for any adventure , using DUNGEON S & DRAGON S tokens an d miniatures. Th e tiles let you easily create a battle grid for a comba t encounter. 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 Md" followed by the numbe r of sides: d4, d6, d8, d10, d l 2, and d20. For example, a d6 is a sixsided die (the typical cube that many game s use). Whe n you need to roll dice, the rules tell you how many dice to roll, wha t size they are, and wha t modifiers to add. For example, "3d8 + 5" means you roll three eight-sided dice and add 5 to the total.
H o w TO PLAY Your "piece" in the DUNGEON S & DRAGON S game is your character. H e or she is your representative in the game world. Through your character, you can interact with the game world in any way you want. Th e only limit is your imagination— and, sometimes, how high you roll on the dice. Basically, the DUNGEONS & DRAGON S game consists of a group of heroes taking on an adventur e presented by the Dungeo n Master. Each adventur e is mad e up of encounters—various challenge s that your characters face. Encounters Encounters ar e the action scenes in a n adventure , various kinds of challenges that the adventurers must face an d overcome. Encounters come in two types. • Combat encounters ar e battles against nefarious foes. In a comba t encounter, adventurers and monsters take turn s attacking until one side or the othe r is defeated. • Noncombat encounters include deadly traps, difficult puzzles, and other obstacles to overcome. Sometime s you overcome noncomba t encounters by using your characters skills, sometime s you can defeat them with clever use of magic, and sometime s you have to puzzl e the m out with nothin g but your wits. Noncomba t encounters also include social interactions, such as attempts to persuade , bargain with, or obtain information from a characte r played by the DM. Adventurers have an array of tools at their disposal to help them overcome the challenges in encounters, including attack powers-lik e a wizard sfireball or a fighters power strike-that deal damag e an d othe r effects to enemie s in combat. Characters also have utility powers, skills, an d othe r features that can be useful in both comba t and noncomba t encounters. Exploration Between encounters, your characters explore the world. You mak e decisions about which way to travel and wha t your characte r tries to do next. Exploration is the give-and-take of you telling the DM wha t you wan t your characte r to do, and the DM telling you what happen s whe n your characte r does it. For example , let s say the heroe s have just climbed down into a dark chasm. T h e DM tells you that your characters see thre e tunnels leading from the chasm floor into the gloom. You and the othe r players decide which tunne l your characters ventur e into first, and you tell the DM which way your characters ar e heading. That's exploration. You might try almost anythin g else: finding a place to hide an d set an ambus h in case monsters come by, shouting "Hello, any monsters here?" as loud as you can, checkin g each tunne l entranc e
for signs of passage or for traps, or searching the chasm floor carefully in case there's anythin g interesting lying ami d th e boulders and moss. Thats all exploration, too. Decisions you mak e as you explore eventually lead to encounters. For example, one tunne l might lead into a cave full of goblins. Ifyo u decide to go that way, your characters ar e headin g into a comba t encounter. Anothe r tunne l might lead to a door sealed by a magic lock tha t you have to break through—a noncombat encounter. Th e third tunne l might lead to a chambe r tha t contains both a trap and some monsters, resulting in a mixed encounte r that includes elements of both comba t an d noncomba t situations. Whil e exploring a dungeo n or othe r adventur e location, you might try to do any of the following actions: • Move down a hallway, follow a passage, cross a room • Have conversations with DM-controlled characters • Listen by a door to try to hea r anythin g on the othe r side • Try a door to see if its locked • Break down a locked door • Search a room for treasur e • Pull levers or push statues or furnishings aroun d • Pick the lock of a treasur e chest • Jury-rig a trap The Dungeo n Master decides whethe r somethin g you try actually works. Some actions automatically succeed (you ca n usually move aroun d without trouble). Some requir e one or mor e die rolls, called checks (breaking down a locked door, for example). And some actions simply can't succeed. Your characte r ca n perform any deed s a strong, smart, agile, and well-armed huma n action hero can pull off—and sometime s even mor e tha n that! Taking Your Turn In exploration, you don't usually need to take turns. Th e DM prompts you by asking "Wha t do you do?" You answer, an d the n the DM tells you wha t happens. You can break in with questions, offer suggestions to othe r players, or tell the DM a new action any time you like. But you should try to be considerate of the othe r players—they want their characters to take actions, too. In a comba t encounter, it works differently: Th e player characters an d the monsters all take turn s in a fixed rotation, called the initiative order.
Example of Play Here's a n exampl e scene in a typical game session. Th e adventurers ar e exploring the ruin s of an old dwarve n stronghold infested by monsters. Ther e ar e four players in this session: • Chris, the Dungeo n Maste r • Justin, playing the huma n fighter Shar a • Mike, playing th e halfling rogue Uldan e • Jennifer, playing the eladrin wizard Albano n Chris (DM): Old stone steps climb about 3 0 feet or so into th e mountain , alongside a cold stream that splashes through the cave. Th e steps end at a landing in front of a big stone door carved with the image of a bearde d dwarf face. T h e door stands open about a foot or so. There's a bronz e gong hanging from a bracket in the wall nearby. Wha t do you do? Mike (Uldane): I'll cree p up an d peek through the opening. Jennifer (Albanon): I want to take a closer look at the gong. Justin (Shara): I'm going to han g back an d keep watch, in case Uldane gets into trouble. Mike (Uldane): Not a chance , I'm a professional. Chris (DM): OK, first Albanon: It's a battered old bronz e gong. There's a small hamme r hangin g beside it. Justin (Shara): Don't touch it! Jennifer (Albanon): 1 wasn't going to! It looks like the doorbell to me . No sense telling the monsters we're here. Chris (DM): Now for Uldane . Since you're trying to be sneaky, Mike, mak e a Stealth check. Mike (rolls a Stealth check for Uldane): I got a 22. Chris (DM): Uldan e is pretty stealthy. Chris compares Uldane s Stealth check result to the Perception check result of the monsters he knows are in the next room. Mikes roll beats the Perception check, so the monsters don't know the halfling is there. Jennifer (Albanon): So what's in there ?
Chris (DM): You're by the gong, remember ? Uldane , you peek through the door's opening, and you see a large stone hall with several thick pillars. There's a large fire pit in the cente r of th e room filled with dimmin g embers. You see four beastlike humanoid s with hyena faces crouchin g aroun d the fire pit, and a big animal-lik e a hyena, but muc h bigger-dozin g on th e door nearby. Th e hyena-men ar e arme d with spears an d axes. Justin (Shara): Gnolls! I hate those guys. Jennifer (Albanon): Looks like we'll have to fight ou r way in. Ca n we take them? Mike (Uldane): No problem—we've got the dro p on 'em. Chris (DM): So ar e you going through the door? The players all agree that they are. Show me wher e your characters ar e standin g right befor e you go in. The players arrange their characters' tokens on the Dungeon Tiles that Chris has prepared for the encounter. They're now on the landing just outside the room with the gnolls. Justin (Shara): All right, on the count of thre e .. . Mike (Uldane): Is that on thre e or right afte r three ? Jennifer (Albanon): Uldane ! Mike (Uldane): What ? I'm just asking for clarification! Justin (Shara): On e .. . two .. . three ! Chris (DM): You have surprised the gnolls! Everybody roll initiative, an d we'll see if you can take these monsters down or not. Wha t happens next? Can Shara, Uldane, and Albanon defeat the gnolls? That depends on how the players play their characters, and how lucky they are with their dice!
PLAYING THE GAME Let's take a momen t to ru n through the basic rules of th e game . Every characte r has powers, skills, and special features tied to one of six abilit y scores. The abilities ar e Strength, Constitution, Dexterity, Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma . Each creatur e also has hit points, which ar e reduced whe n the creatur e takes damage . You do things in the game by performing actions. Actions ar e resolved by makin g different kinds of checks. You mak e a check by rolling a twenty-sided die (a d20), adding modifiers based on the type of action, and announcin g your result. For example , you might mak e a mele e basic attack, using your character's Strength modifie r an d a modifie r based on the weapo n used to mak e the attack (totaling 5). You roll a d2 0 an d add 5. If you roll a 12 on the die, you announc e a result of 17 (12 + 5 = 17). T h e Dungeo n Master compare s your check result against a target number, the Difficult y Class (DC) of the task you're attemptin g to pull off or the defens e against which a n attack is being made . Most target numbers ar c set for the DM, such as a monster's defens e numbers or the DC for climbing a dungeo n wall. Othe r times, the D M estimate s the difficulty of a task tha t isn't specifically covered by the rules. To d o this, the DM make s use of advice an d tables provided in adventures, in the Dungeon Masters Kit, or th e Iiules Compendium. Checks T h e thre e basic checks that you'll use all the time ar e attac k rolls, skill checks, and abilit y checks. You usually mak e checks against a target number, but sometime s your check is compare d to anothe r characte r s check. This is an oppose d check . A modifie r is any numbe r that adds to or subtracts from a die roll. Your ability scores, for example , provide modifiers that you apply to man y applications in the game . A bonu s is a positive modifie r (such as a +2 bonus). A penalt y is a negative modifie r (for example , a -1 penalty). In any task, your modifiers represent your training, competence , an d natural talent. Th e d2() roll, on the othe r hand , reflects luck an d th e unpredictabl e natur e of action and adventure . Attack Rolls An attack roll is a kind of check that occurs in every battle, wher e the target numbe r for th e check is th e defens e (AC, Fortitude, Keflex, or Will) of a target. Attacks come in a variety of forms, dependin g on a character's class. Fighters, for example , use weapon s to mak e attacks. Wizards, on the othe r hand , cast spells. Attack rolls ar e often described using a shorthan d notation: [Ability name ) vs. [Defense )
T h e ability and the defens e involved ar e specified in the attack used. If th e result of the attack roll is equa l to or highe r tha n your target's defense, your attack hits. For example, an attack powe r might include th e following attack roll notation: "Strength vs. Fortitude." You mak e a check (roll a d2 0 and add all modifiers; see page 41 for how to calculate attack rolls) an d compar e the result to th e target's Fortitude. Th e powe r specifies wha t happen s if the powe r hits and might even specify something that happen s on a miss. Skill Checks An adventure r begins play with training in a handfu l of skills, the numbe r of which is determine d by the adventurers class. Training in a skill gives a creatur e a bonus to checks involving that skill. Skill checks occur both in comba t an d outside it. Such checks test a creature's skill in a particula r field. Skill checks use the following notation: [DC] [Skill name] check T h e target numbe r for a skill check-calle d its Difficulty Class or DC—is determine d by the DM. Whe n you use a skill to solve a task, you wan t to get a result that's equa l to or highe r tha n th e DC. For example, a published adventur e might include the following skill check notation: "Make a DC 2 0 Acrobatics check." You mak e a check (roll a d2 0 an d add all modifiers; see page 4 3 for how to calculate skill checks) and compar e the result to the target DC of 20. Ability Checks Whe n you try to accomplish a task that isn't an attack or a skill check, you mak e an ability check. Ability checks give the DM a metho d for adjudicating othe r actions in the game , including wheneve r your characte r tries to do something out of the ordinary. Ability checks sometime s use the following notation: [DC] [Ability name] check Ability checks follow the rules for skill checks, with a DC set by the DM. For instance, your characte r might try to hold a door closed against an ore. Th e DM decides that's a test of raw strength an d asks for a Strength check. You mak e a check (roll a d2 0 and add all modifiers; see page 4 2 for how to calculate ability checks) and compar e th e result to the target DC. RULES OF THE GAME This section presents the basics of running combat for the DUNGEONS & DRAGONS roleplaying game. For the complete rules of the game, as well as in-depth commentary on the rules, check out the Rules Compendium.
RUNNING COMBAT T h e DUNGEON S & DRAGON S game organizes the chaos of combat into an orderly cycle of round s and turns. This section is intended as a very brief overview: see the Rules Compendium for complet e rules, and the glossary at the end of this book for terms an d definitions. A comba t encounte r follows these steps. 1. Determin e surprise . Th e DM determine s whethe r anyone involved in the comba t encounte r is surprised. If any creature s notice enemie s without being noticed in return , the awar e creature s gain a surpris e round . 2. Establis h positions. Th e DM decide s wher e the creature s ar e positioned on the battle grid. 3. Roll initiative . Everyone involved in a comba t encounte r rolls initiative, determinin g the orde r of combatants' turns. 4 . Tak e surpris e roun d actions. If any creature s gained a surpris e round, they act in initiative order, each taking a single action. (Surprised creature s take no actions durin g the surpris e round.) Th e surpris e roun d then ends, and the first regula r round of comba t begins. 5. Tak e turns. In initiative order, every combatan t take s a turn , which includes various actions. (Creature s ca n also take certain actions on one another's turns.) 6. Begi n th e nex t round . Whe n everyone involved in the comba t has had a turn , th e round ends. Begin th e next round with whoeve r ha s the highest initiative. 7. En d th e encounter . Repeat steps 5 an d 6 until one side stops fighting—for example , all the monsters ar e captured, fleeing, unconscious, or dead. The Structure of a Turn Creature s take their turn s in initiative order. Certai n things occur at the start a n d the end of each turn , but those things ar e bookend s to the actions on a turn. The Start of a Turn Th e start of a tur n always takes place, even if the creatur e is unconscious. This phas e take s no time in th e game world. An adventure r or monste r can't take any actions durin g this phas e of its turn . Certai n effects ar e tracked durin g this phase, including ongoing damage , regeneration, and some othe r effects. Thes e effects take place in whatever orde r the player prefers. Some effects end automatically at the start of a turn .
Actions during a Turn An adventure r or monste r can take several actions on its turn: • one standar d action , which is usually some kind of attack • one mov e action , which involves moving • one mino r action , which is somethin g simpl e and quick such as drawin g a weapon or openin g a door • any numbe r of fre e actions, whic h include speaking a few sentence s or dropping an item A player can take thes e actions in any order, an d can skip any of them. The End of a Turn A tur n end s whe n the adventure r or monste r finishes taking actions durin g its turn . Th e end of a tur n always take s place, even if the adventure r or monste r is unconscious. This phas e takes no time in the game world. An adventure r or monste r can't take any actions durin g this phas e of its turn . An adventure r or monste r make s saving throws (page 25) at the end of its tur n to try to end any effects on it that a save ca n end . If a creatur e has used a power that it can sustain for multiple turns, check at the end of its tur n to see whethe r it spent th e action required to sustain th e power. If th e creatur e didn't, th e powers effect ends. Some othe r effects end automatically at the end of a turn . J Triggered Actions iMost of a creature s actions take place amon g the regular actions on its turn . But anyone ca n take free actions on anyone else's turn , and an event or anothe r creature's action might be the trigger that lets a adventure r or monste r use a triggered action. Ther e ar e two kinds of triggered actions: opportunit y action s and immediat e actions. Some free actions also have triggers. An adventure r or monste r can take a triggered action only if its specific trigger occurs. Opportunity Actions A creatur e ca n take no mor e tha n one opportunit y actio n on each tur n an d can't take an opportunity action on its own turn . An opportunity action interrupts the action tha t triggered it. Th e most commo n opportunity action is an opportunit y attac k (page 27). Immediate Actions A creatur e can take no mor e tha n one immediat e actio n per round an d can never take an immediat e action on its own turn . Ther e ar e two kinds of immediat e actions: immediate interrupts an d immediate reactions. Immediat e Interrupt : An immediat e interrupt lets a creatur e act befor e the action's trigger finishes. For example , an immediat e interrupt that is triggered by an enemy hit might give a creatur e a bonu s to defenses, which might tur n t h e hit into a miss.
Immediate Reaction: An immediat e reaction lets a creatur e act in respons e to a trigger, right afte r the trigger finishes. For example , if a powe r lets a creatur e move as an immediat e reaction afte r being hit by a n attack, the creatur e still take s the hit but move s befor e the attacke r ca n take any furthe r actions. Action Points Action points allow characters and some monsters to take mor e actions tha n normal. A characte r can spend an action point on his or her tur n as a free action. Whe n th e characte r does so, he or she gains an extra action to use durin g that turn . Th e action ca n be a standar d action, a move action, or a mino r action. An adventure r can spen d a n action point only once pe r encounter, an d never durin g a surpris e round . An action point is gone whe n spent. Adventurers start their careers with 1 action point each. They ear n action points as they complet e mor e an d mor e encounters. Each adventure r gains 1 action point whe n he or she reaches a milestone (after completing two encounters). A character's action point total reverts to its starting value of 1 wheneve r he or she completes an extended rest. MOVEMENT Durin g an encounter, adventurers an d monsters use move actions to position themselves, an d they sometime s move othe r creature s forcibly. Some creature s have movemen t powers tha t let them teleport, moving instantly from one location to another. See the following terms in the Rules Compendium or the glossary of this book: speed, walk, shift, run, crawl, stand up, diagonal movement, double move, occupied squares, difficult terrain, blocking terrain, hinderin g terrain, falling, flanking, forced movemen t (push, pull, an d slide), and teleportation. ATTACKS On a typical turn , an adventure r uses his or he r standar d action to mak e a n attack using an attack power. Th e player make s an attack roll to determin e whethe r the attack hits its target. To mak e a n attack roll, you roll a d20 , add whateve r modifiers apply (see page 24), and compar e the result to one of th e target's four defenses: Armor Class, Fortitude. Reflex, or Will. Whateve r characte r you're playing, attacks follow the same basic process. 1. Choos e the attack the characte r will use. Each attack has an attack type: melee, ranged, close, or area. See Chapte r 3 for discussion of these attack types.
2. Choos e targets for the attack. See Chapte r 3 for discussion of choosing targets. 3. Make an attac k roll, rolling a d2() and addin g the appropriat e bonuse s an d penalties. Compar e the roll to the target s defens e to determin e whethe r the attack hits or misses. If th e result equals or exceeds the specified defens e of the target (AC, Fortitude, Reflex, or Will), the attack hits. Otherwise , it misses. See page 41 for how to calculat e your characters attack rolls. If th e d2 0 roll come s u p 2 0 or 1, special rules apply (see the glossary entrie s for automati c hit and automati c miss). 4. Deal damag e and apply any othe r effects. Attack Roll Modifiers Temporar y advantage s and disadvantage s in combat ar e reflected in a set of commo n attack modifiers. An attack modifie r is a bonus or a penalty that applies to an attack roll. Add the appropriat e modifie r whe n makin g attack rolls. ATTACK ROLL MODIFIERS See the glossary for definition of these terms: comba t advantage, cover, and concealment. Attack Results Powers specify what happen s whe n their attacks hit or miss. Th e most commo n result of an attack that hits is damage . Attacks also subject targets to conditions, forced movement, and unusua l effects described in certain powers. Damage The damag e dealt by an attack is specified in the attack's power. Damag e often ha s a type, such as fire or lightning, an d it is either instantaneou s or ongoing. Whateve r its type or duration, damag e against a target reduce s that target's hit points (see "Hit Points an d Healing, " page 27). See the glossary for conditions, forced movement, damag e types, resistance, vulnerability, critical hit, and ongoing damage . Circumstance Modifier Combat advantage against target +2 Attacker is prone -2 Attacker is restrained -2 Target has partial cover -2 Target has superior cover - 5 Target has partial concealment (melee and ranged only) -2 Target has total concealment (melee and ranged only) Long range (weapon attacks only) -2
Damage Rolls Whe n most attacks deal damage , they do so through a damag e roll: a roll of dice to determin e damage . Wheneve r a powe r or othe r effect require s a damag e roll, it specifies which dice to roll and how man y of them. For example, an attack might indicate that it deals 2d 8 + 4 damag e on a hit. Whe n a creatur e hits with that attack, roll 2 eight-sided dice an d add 4 to determin e how muc h damag e it deals. See page 41 for how to calculate your characters damag e rolls. Weapo n Damag e Dice : A [W| in a damag e roll expression is a variable that stands for th e damag e dice of the weapon used to deal the damage . The numbe r before the | W) indicates the numbe r of times to roll the weapon dice. For example, if a power deals 2| W | + Strength modifier damag e and the attacker uses a dagger (ld 4 damage), roll 2 four-sided dice (2d4), then add the attacker's Strength modifier. Durations Man y powers ar e instantaneous and produc e no lasting effects. However, some powers have effects that last for a roun d or more . Th e durations of those effects ar e specified in powers an d ar e either conditional or sustained. Conditiona l durations last until a specific event occurs, such as th e start or end of a creature's next turn , the end of the encounter, or whe n the target make s a successful saving throw. A sustained duration lasts as long as the effects creator sustains it. See "Sustain," page 64 . Saving Throws Some persistent effects last until a creatur e make s a successful saving throw against them, an d some instantaneou s effects, such as falling down a pit, can be avoided by makin g a successful saving throw, or save . A persistent effect tha t a save ca n end includes one of the following notations: 4 save ends," "save ends both," or "save end s all." For example , "The target is dazed (save ends)" mean s the target is daze d until it saves against tha t condition. T h e rules tell you whe n an instantaneou s effect ca n be avoided with a save. At the end of each of your character's turns, you mak e a saving throw against each effect on the characte r that a save can end . Wheneve r you mak e saving throws against multiple effects that a save can end, you choose the orde r of the saving throws. To mak e a saving throw, roll a d2 0 without addin g any modifiers, unless the characte r has bonuse s or penalties that specifically apply to saving throws. If you roll lower tha n 10, the characte r fails th e saving throw, and the effect continues. If you roll 10 or higher, the characte r saves, an d the effect ends. If a characte r is subjected to identical effects tha t a save can end, ignore all but one of those effects. For example , if you ar e dazed (save ends) and then ar e attacked and again dazed (save ends), ignore the second effect, since it is identical to the effect you ar e already suffering.
Default Attack Powers Characters most often use their class powers to mak e attacks. 1 Iere ar e funda - menta l powers that everyone can use, regardless of class. See Chapte r 3 for how to read a powe r description. Basic Attack Sometime s a creatur e just wants to hit something. Th e following two basic attack powers-on e mele e an d one ranged-offe r that simple option. Some classes provide alternatives to thes e default powers. You resort to the simple attack you learned when you first picked up a melee weapon. At-Will • Weapon Standard Action Melee weapon Target: One creature Attack: Strength vs. AC Hit: 1 [W] + Strength modifier damage. Level 21: 2[W] + Strength modifier damage. A creatur e uses a mele e basic attack to mak e an opportunit y attack or to mak e a charge attack. Von resort to the simple attack you learned when you first picked up a ranged weapon. At-Will • Weapon Standard Action Ranged weapon Target: One creature Attack: Dexterity vs. AC Hit: 1 [W] + Dexterity modifier damage. Level 21: 2[W] + Dexterity modifier damage. A creatur e can mak e a ranged basic attack as long as it ha s somethin g to throw or shoot. Bull Rush Whe n a creatur e wants to push anothe r creatur e away, the bull rush power is a good option. You hurl yourself at your foe and push it back. At-Will Standard Action Melee 1 Target: One creature Attack: Strength vs. Fortitude Hit: You can push the target 1 square and then shift 1 square into the space it left.
Grab By using the grab power, any creatur e can try to seize a target bodily a n d keep it from moving. You reach out ami grasp your foe, preventing it from moving. At-Will Standard Action Melee touch Requirement: You must have a hand free. Target: One creature that is no more than one size category larger than you Attack: Strength vs. Reflex Hit: You grab the target until the end of your next turn. You can end the grab as a free action. Sustain Minor: The grab persists until the end of your next turn. See the glossary for what happen s whe n a creatur e is grabbed. Opportunity Attack In a fight, everyone is watching for enemie s to dro p their guard . A creatur e can rarely move heedlessly past its foes or use a ranged powe r or a n are a powe r without putting itself in danger: Such actions trigger the opportunity attack power. Triggering this powe r is usually referred to as provoking a n opportunity attack, and using it is usually referred to as makin g an opportunity attack. Your foe drops its guard for a moment, and you exploit the opportunity. At-Will Opportunity Action Melee 1 Trigger: An enemy that you can see either leaves a square adjacent to you or uses a ranged or an area power while adjacent to you. Target: The triggering enemy Effect: You make a melee basic attack against the target. HIT POINTS AND HEALING Over the cours e of a battle, creature s take damag e from attacks. I lit points (hp) measur e a creature s ability to stand u p to punishment, tur n deadly strikes into glancing blows, an d stay on its feet throughout a battle. I lit points represent physical endurance , skill, luck, and resolve. Adventurers have a numbe r of hit points determine d by their class and Constitution. Whe n your adventure r take s damage , subtract that numbe r from his or her curren t hit points. As long as his or her curren t hit point total is higher tha n 0, the characte r ca n keep fighting. Whe n an adventure r drop s to 0 hit points or fewer, he or she is dying or might be dead.
Powers, abilities, and actions that restore hit points ar e known as healing. Whe n a crcatur c regains hit points, add them to its curren t hit points. A creatur e can heal u p to its maximu m hit point total, not beyond. Bloodie d Value : The bloodied value of a typical creatur e equals one-half its maximu m hit points. A creatur e is bloodied whe n its curren t hit points dro p to its bloodied value or lower. Healin g Surges: Most healing require s a creatur e to spend a healing surge. Whe n a creatur e doe s so, it regains a numbe r of hit points equa l to its healing surge value (one-quarte r of its maximu m hit points). Onc e pe r encounter, an adventure r ca n use his or her second wind to spend a healing surge. Afte r a short rest, an adventure r ca n spen d as man y healing surges as he or she likes outside combat. Adventurers have a numbe r of healing surges determine d by their class and Constitution. Some powers allow a characte r to heal as if he or she had spent a healing surge—he or she regains hit points but doesn't spen d a healing surge. Secon d Wind : Adventurers can dig into their resolve an d enduranc e to find an extra burst of vitality. Onc e pe r encounte r as a standar d action, a character ca n spend a healing surge to regain hit points an d gain a +2 bonus to all defense s until the start of his or her next turn . Alternatively, a characte r ca n use his or her second win d without taking a standar d action if anothe r character administers first aid using the Heal skill, but he or she doe s not gain the bonus to defenses. Temporar y Hit Points: A variety of sources grant temporar y hit points, whic h aren't real hit points. They ar e a layer of insulation that attacks must get through before they start doing damag e to a creature . Keep track of temporar y hit points separately from curren t hit points. Whe n a creatur e takes damage , first subtract th e damag e from its temporar y hit points. Temporar y hit points ar e not cumulative . If a creatur e gains temporar y hit points whe n it already ha s some, use the highe r value as its temporar y hit point total, instead of addin g the values together. A creatur e s temporar y hit points last until they ar e reduced to 0 or until the creatur e takes a rest. Dying and Death Whe n a n attacker reduce s a creatur e to 0 hit points or fewer, the attacker can decide to knock that creatur e unconscious. Otherwise , a player characte r wh o drops to 0 hit points or fewer is dying.
Dying: Characters wh o ar e dying can continue taking damag e until they dro p to their bloodied value expressed as a negative number, at which point they die. For example , a characte r whos e bloodied value is 25 dies whe n he or she drop s to -2 5 hit points. Whil e dying, a characte r must mak e a death saving throw at the end of each of his or he r turns. Roll a d20 . On a roll of 9 or lower, the characte r slips closer to death. If the characte r gets that result thre e time s before taking a rest, he or she dies. On a roll of 10 or higher, there's no chang e in the characters condition. On a result of 2 0 or higher, he or she ca n spend a healing surge. If the characte r doe s so, he or she is no longer dying and is conscious, but still prone. If a characte r gets a 2 0 or highe r but ha s no healing surges left, the character's condition doesn't change . Healing the Dying: Whe n a characte r is dying and receives healing, he or she goes to 0 hit points an d then regains hit points from the healing effect. If the healing effect require s the characte r to spend a healing surge but he or she ha s none left, the characte r is restored to 1 hit point. As soon as a characte r ha s a curren t hit point total highe r tha n 0, the characte r become s conscious a n d is no longer dying. REST AND RECOVERY Sooner or later, even the toughest adventurers need to rest. Whe n not in an encounter, a characte r can take a short rest or a n extended rest. Short Rest About 5 minute s long, a short rest consists of stretching one's muscles and catching one's breath afte r a n encounter. Whe n a characte r takes a short rest, he or she regains the use of any encounte r powers used durin g the encounter. After a short rest, a characte r can spend as man y healing surges as the player wants. Extended Rest At least 6 hours long, an extended rest includes relaxation, sometime s a meal, and usually sleep. A characte r can take an extended rest only once pe r day: after finishing the rest, he or she ha s to wait 12 hours before beginnin g anothe r one. A characte r normally sleeps durin g an extende d rest, but doesn't have to. Th e character can engage in light activity that doesn't requir e muc h exertion. At the end of an extended rest, a characte r regains any lost hit points an d any spent healing surges. Th e characte r also regains the use of all his or her encounter powers an d daily powers. Th e characte r starts fresh with 1 action point.
Your first step: Imagine a character and create it. Choose a race, a class, powers, and feats. Invent his or her personality and backstory. MAKING CHARACTERS Your first step in playing an adventure r in the DUNGEON S & DRAGON S game is to imagine a characte r of your own and creat e it. Your characte r is a combination of game statistics, roleplaying hooks, an d your imagination. You choos e a race (such as huma n or elf)> a class (such as fighter or wizard), an d othe r game elements appropriate to the characte r you have in mind , including skills, powers, an d feats. You also invent the personality, appearance , a n d backstory of your character. Onc e completed, your characte r serves as your representative in the game , your avatar in the DUNGEON S & DRAGON S world. Creating your characte r is just the beginning. As the characte r goes on various adventures, he or she earn s experienc e points and gain levels, leading to new options and greater powe r as time goes on. HAVE YOU PLAYED THE RED BOX? If you played through the DUNGEONS & DRAGONS Fantasy Roleplaying Came Starter Set, you now have a sense of how the game world operates. We recommend you rebuild the character you played, using the options available in this book. Or, now that you know wha t to expect, create an entirely new character to play! Here's wha t yo u nee d to mak e a character : Playe r Books: Th e player books Heroes of the Fallen Lands an d Heroes of the Forgotten Kingdoms contain th e commo n races an d classes available in the DUNGEONS & DRAGON S world. If you're going to use a race or a class from anothe r source, suc h as anothe r player book, you need that source. DUNGEON S & DRAGON S Insider features an additional class an d race. HEROES OF THE FALLEN LANDS Classes (roles) 1 • Races Fighter, knight (defender) r TSiSlii? 5 B = I ; V^WT^fl H Fighter, slayer (striker) Eladrin Cleric, warpriest (leader) Rogue, thief (striker) Halfling Wizard, mage (controller) Human
Character Sheet: To keep track of all th e importan t information about your character, use a photocopy of the characte r sheet in the back of this book, or download the characte r sheet available at www.DungeonsandDragons.com. CHARACTER CREATION STEPS First, imagine your character, thinkin g about the kind of adventure r you want to play. Do you like fantasy fiction featuring dwarve s or elves? Try building a characte r of one of those races. Do you wan t your characte r to be the toughest adventure r at the table? Conside r a class like fighter or paladin. If you don't know wher e else to begin, take a look at th e illustrations in this book to see wha t catches your interest. T h e description of the class you pick walks you throug h makin g your character, but here's a rundow n of the steps. (In general, steps 4, 5, and 6 ar e interchangeable: that is, you can choos e feats and trained skills before choosing powers if you so desire.) Choose Class. Your class represents your training or profession, an d it is the most important part of your character's capabilities. Your class also determine s your role in battle. See "Class,'1 page 33, for mor e information. Choose Race: Your choice of race offers several advantages. See "Race," page 35, for details. Determine Ability Scores. Ability scores describe a character's fundamenta l state of body and mind . A characte r s race modifie s these ability scores, and different classes rely on different ability scores. See "Ability Scores," page 36, for mor e information. HEROES OF THE FORGOTTEN KINGDOMS Classes (roles) Races Druid, sentinel (leader) Dragonborn Paladin, cavalier (defender) Drow Ranger, hunter (controller) Half-elf r^tiMBH i Ranger, scout (striker) Half-ore Warlock, hexblade (striker) Human Tiefling DUNGEONS & DRAGONS INSIDER Tiefling Class (role) Race Assassin, executioner (striker) Revenant
Choose Skills. Skills measur e a characters ability to perform tasks such a s jumpin g across chasms, hiding from observers, an d identifying monsters. Your characters class tells you how man y trained skills to pick at 1st level. Some races give you an additional skill choice as well. After choosing trained skills, note the characte r s modifie r for every skill, including the +5 bonu s for a trained skill. See Chapte r 6 for details on skills. Choose Powers. Consult your characte r class for how man y powers you choos e at 1st level. Your choice of class powers define s how your characte r functions in and out of combat. See Chapte r 3 for how powers work. Select Feats. Feats represent natura l advantage s or special training. You choos e at least one feat at 1st level for your character, wh o might get a bonus feat or two from your race or class selection. See Chapte r 7 for mor e about feats. Select Equipment. Your characte r begins with 100 gold pieces at 1st level, enough gold to purchas e basic gear. As characters adventure , they find magic items that improve their capabilities significantly. See Chapte r 8 for mor e about equipment. Fill in the Numbers. Calculat e your character's hit points, defense s (Armor Class, Fortitude, Reflex, and Will), initiative modifier, attack roll modifiers, damag e roll modifiers, an d skill check modifiers. See page 3 9 for details. Other Character Details. Flesh out th e characte r with details of alignment, god worshiped, background, personality, appearance , and languages. See "Othe r Characte r Details," page 43 , for mor e information. As you mak e your choices, look ahea d to wha t your characte r gains at higher levels from his or he r class. Th e options at highe r levels might influenc e the choices you make . An d don't worry if you're unsur e about an option you pick now; you can chang e your min d later, using the retraining rules. For mor e about leveling u p an d retraining, see "Gaining Levels." page 55. Class T h e first decision you mak e in characte r creation is picking your character's class. Man y different type s of heroe s inhabit th e world: sneaky rogues, clever wizards, burly fighters, an d more . Your class represents your character's vocation, wherea s your race define s a character's appearanc e an d natura l talents. Your choice of class probably also says somethin g about the character's personality. A wizard might be quick-witted but a tad absentminded , for example, wherea s a cleric might be serious in his or he r religious devotions but cheerful in social interactions. Here's a quick rundow n of the classes available in this book.
Fighters: Fighters ar e experts in arme d combat. They rely on muscle, training, and pur e determination . If you want to play a characte r wh o gets up close an d personal in combat, select a fighter. Th e two type s of fighters you can creat e using this book ar e the knight an d the slayer. Clerics: Courageous holy warriors an d healers, clerics us e divine powe r to blast foes, bolster allies, and lead with wisdom and devotion. If you want to play a characte r who heals allies an d smite s enemie s with holy power, select a cleric. Using this book, you can creat e a type of cleric known as a warpriest. Rogues: Sneaky an d skillful, rogues range from tricky scoundrels to expert dungeon-delvers. If you wan t to play a sly characte r wh o loves to us e shadows to slip in and out of combat, select a rogue. Th e thie f is a type of rogue that you can creat e using this book. Wizards: Smart and scholarly or adventurou s and daring, wizards have mastered the arcan e arts. If you like a challenge an d want to play a characte r wh o tosses powerful spells or casts subtle cantrips whe n the need arises, select a wizard. This book describe s a type of wizard known as a mage. Role Characte r class determine s your character's role—the mai n jo b your characte r does whe n the adventuring grou p is in combat. Each class specializes in one of four roles: controller, defender, leader, or striker. Roles mostly serve as hand y tools for building adventurin g groups. It's a good idea to cover each role with at least one character. Ifyo u don't have all the roles covered, that's fine; it just mean s that th e grou p need s to compensat e for the missing function in some manner. Controller Controllers deal with large numbers of enemie s at the same time. They favor offense over defense, using powers that deal damag e to multiple foes at once, as well as subtler powers that weaken, confuse , or delay their foes. T h e mage is a classic exampl e of a controller. Defender Defenders have the highest defense s in the game and good close-up offensive capabilities. They ar e the party's frontline combatants; wherever they're standing, that's wher e the action is. Defenders have abilities an d powers that mak e it difficult for enemie s to move past them or to ignore them in battle. Th e knight is a classic exampl e of a defender. Leader Leaders inspire, heal, an d aid the othe r characters in an adventuring group. Leaders have good defenses, but their strength lies in powers that protect their companion s an d target specific foes for th e party to concentrat e on. Th e warpriest is a classic exampl e of a leader.
Members of this role encourage an d motivate, but that doesn't mea n they're necessarily a group's spokesperson or commander. Th e party leader—if the group ha s one—might as easily be a charismati c membe r of anothe r role. Leaders (the role) fulfill their function throug h their powers an d class features; party leaders ar e born throug h roleplaying. Striker Strikers specialize in dealing high amounts of damag e to a single target at a time . The y have th e most concentrated offense of any characte r in the game . Strikers rely on superior mobility, trickery, or magi c to move aroun d tough foes an d single out the enemy they wan t to attack. Th e thief and the slayer ar e classic example s of strikers. Race A variety of fantastic races populat e th e DUNGEONS & DRAGON S world-peopl e such as dwarves, elves, and halflings -bu t human s outnumbe r them all. In any city or large town, members of several races intermingle . Some of them ar e residents, and others ar e travelers or wanderin g mercenarie s looking for their next challenge . Each characte r race ha s innat e strengths that mak e it mor e suited to particular classes. However, you ca n creat e any combination you like. There's nothing wron g with playing against type; dwarve s aren't usually rogues, but you can creat e an effective dwarf rogue by choosing your feats and powers carefully. Many different intelligent creature s populat e the world, creature s such as dragons, min d flayers, and demons. Thes e aren't races you can play; they ar e monsters you encounter. Your characte r is an adventure r of one of the civilized races of the world. Here s a quick rundow n of the races available in this book. Dwarf: Tough an d strong, dwarve s ar e indomitabl e warriors and maste r artisans. Smalle r in statur e but broade r an d mor e solidly built tha n humans, dwarve s freely intermingl e with the othe r races. Eladrin: Graceful an d magical, these elves of th e Feywild love arcan e magic, swordplay, an d menta l challenge s of all sorts. Elf: Kin to the eladrin, elves dwell in the dee p forests of the world an d have an affinity for nature . Halfling: Th e smallest of the races, halflings ar e curious, fearless, and extremely likable. They love to explore an d go on adventures. Human: Brave, ambitious, and extremely versatile, human s ar e the most numerous of all the civilized races.
Ability Scores Six abilities provide a quic k descriptio n of a character's physical an d menta l characteristics: Strength , Constitution , Dexterity, Intelligence , Wisdom, an d Charisma . Is a characte r muscle-boun d an d insightful ? Brilliant an d charming? Nimbl e an d hardy ? Ability score s defin e thes e qualities—a characte r s strength s as well as weaknesses. Each of a character's abilities ha s a score, a numbe r tha t measure s th e might of tha t ability. A characte r wh o ha s Strengt h 16 is muc h stronge r tha n a characte r wh o ha s Strengt h 6. A scor e of 10 or 11 is th e norma l huma n average, but adventurers an d man y monsters ar e a cut above average in most abilities. As adventurers advanc e in level (see page 55), their ability scores improve . Ability Modifiers An ability score's mai n purpos e is to determin e a n ability modifier, whic h is a bonu s or a penalty tha t is adde d to any attack roll, damag e roll, ability check , skill check , or defens e that is based on tha t ability. T h e Ability Modifiers table note s t h e ability modifiers for th e most commo n ability scores. A powe r specifie s whic h ability modifier, if any, to use with the power. For instance , whe n a characte r use s a mele e attack powe r that says "Strength vs. Fortitude " in its "Attack" entry, add his or he r Strength modifie r (along with one-half his or he r level an d any othe r modifiers) to th e attack roll. The Abilities Each ability represents a different aspec t of a character. Strength, Constitution, a n d Dexterity ar e th e physical abilities, and Intelligence, Wisdom, an d Charisma ar e th e menta l abilities. Strength (Str) Strength measure s physical power. Th e ability score is importan t for man y adventurers wh o fight hand-to-hand. • Th e default mele e basic attack (page 26) is based on Strength. • Strength is the key ability for Athletics skill checks (page 289). 4- An adventurer's Strength modifie r contribute s to Fortitude, unless his or he r Constitution modifie r is higher. ABILITY MODIFIERS Score Modifier 1 -5 2-3 -4 K 4-5 • • • -3 M • 6-7 -2 8-9 •••••• • 10-11 +0 K 12-13 MUM; +1 9M m 14-15 +2 16-17 • H +3 ! • m 18-19 +4 20-21 • E H +5 ejSm: EH 22-23 +6 24-25 • j i +7 af l • 26-27 +8 28-29 • H +9 |fflj • 30-31 +10 32-33 +11 m 34-35 +12
Constitution (Con) Constitution represents health, stamina , an d vital force. All adventurers benefit from a high Constitution score. • At 1st level, an adventurers Constitution score is adde d to his or her hit points. • Th e numbe r of healing surges that a n adventure r ca n use each day is influenced by his or he r Constitution modifier. • Constitution is th e key ability for Enduranc e skill checks (page 295). • An adventurer's Constitution modifie r contribute s to Fortitude, unless his or he r Strength modifie r is higher. Dexterity (Dex) Dexterity measure s hand-eye coordination, agility, reflexes, an d balance . • Th e default ranged basic attack (page 26) is based on Dexterity. • Dexterity is the key ability for Acrobatics, Stealth, an d Thievery skill checks (pages 286 , 301, an d 30 2 respectively). • An adventurers Dexterity modifie r contribute s to Reflex, unless his or her Intelligence modifie r is higher. • An adventurer's Dexterity modifie r contribute s to initiative checks. • If a n adventure r is wearin g light armo r or no armor, the adventurers Dexterity modifie r contribute s to Armo r Class, unless his or her Intelligence modifie r is higher. Intelligence (Int) Intelligence describe s how well a characte r learns an d reasons. • Intelligence is the key ability for Arcana , History, and Religion skill checks (pages 287, 296 , an d 30 0 respectively). • An adventurer's Intelligence modifie r contribute s to Reflex, unless his or he r Dexterity modifie r is higher. • If an adventure r is wearin g light armo r or no armor, the adventurer's Intelligence modifie r contribute s to Armo r Class, unless his or he r Dexterity modifie r is higher. Wisdom (Wis) Wisdom measure s commo n sense, perception, self-discipline, and empathy. • Wisdom is the key ability for Dungeoneering , Heal, Insight. Nature, and Perception skill checks (pages 294 , 295, 297, 298 , an d 29 9 respectively). 4- An adventurer's Wisdom modifie r contribute s to Will, unless his or her Charisma modifie r is higher.
Charisma (Cha) Charisma measure s force of personality, persuasiveness, and leadership. 4 Charisma is the key ability for Bluff, Diplomacy, Intimidate , an d Streetwise skill checks (pages 292 , 293, 297, an d 30 2 respectively). 4 An adventurer's Charisma modifie r contribute s to Will, unless his or he r Wisdom modifie r is higher. Determining Ability Scores Choos e one of these thre e sets of ability scores. You ca n assign th e numbers to whicheve r ability score you want. Remembe r that your class determine s which ability scores ar e importan t to your character, an d race modifie s certain ability scores. Ability scores increas e as a characte r gains levels (see page 55). Your scores will improve over time as you play th e game . Balanced Scores 16 14 14 11 10 10 You're strong in one area , but you aren't weak in anything. This set of numbers gives you strong offense and defense , with no weaknesse s to cover. Before you add any racial modifiers, you get a +3 bonus and two +2 bonuses, with no penalties. Specialist Scores 18 14 11 10 10 8 You're really good in one area , but you have a significant weakness an d your othe r scores ar e average. This provides you with a very strong offense, but you take a hit in one defens e as a consequence . Before you add any racial modifiers, you get a + 4 bonus and a +2 bonus, with a -1 penalty. Dual Specialist Scores 16 16 12 11 11 8 You can do two things quit e well, but you wind up with a weakness in one ability. This gives you a strong offense an d defense , an d you get the most out of class feature s and powers that rely on a secondary ability score. Before you add any racial modifiers, you get two +3 bonuses, a +1 bonus, an d a -1 penalty.
OTHER METHODS The DUNGEON S & DRAGON S Rules Compendium gathers all the rules of the game into a single volume and features additional methods for determining a character's ability scores. They include a random generation method and a point-buy customization method. These methods should be used only with the permission of your Dungeon Master. Choosing Skills, Powers, and Feats Refer to your specific class entry whe n it come s to choosing skills, powers, and feats for your character. Selecting Equipment Refer to your specific class entry for what kind s of weapon s and armo r ar e suitable for your character. The n check out Chapte r 8 for mor e details. Filling in the Numbers Here's how to calculate the key parts of your characte r sheet. Many of th e bonuse s noted below don't come into play at 1st level, such as item or enhance - ment bonuse s from magi c items. Initiative In every battle, the participants act in an orde r determine d by initiative checks that they mak e at the start of the battle. Makin g those checks is called rolling initiative. Each creatur e ha s an initiative modifier, which is the numbe r that the creatur e adds whe n it rolls initiative. Your initiative modifie r is determine d at characte r creation and increase s with level, as follows: • One-half the character's level • Th e character's Dexterity modifie r • Racial or feat bonuse s • Any othe r bonuse s or penalties Speed A character's speed is determine d by th e character's race and any bonuse s and penalties. Th e most commo n penalty to speed come s from certain types of armo r (page 326). For example , a n elf starts with a speed of 7. But Lyriel the elf fighter wears plate armor, so he r speed drop s to 6, since the armo r impose s a -1 penalty to speed.
Determin e your adventurer's speed as follows: 4 Th e speed listed in the character's racial description 4 Any penalty for heavy armo r Any of these othe r factors might also apply to speed: 4 Racial or feat bonuse s 4 Any othe r bonuse s or penaltie s Defenses Every characte r ha s four defenses: Armo r Class, Fortitude, Reflex, an d Will. You determin e the character's defens e scores as described below. 4- Bas e Defense : Each defens e starts at 10 + one-half the character's level. 4 Armo r Class: Add the armo r bonu s provided by the armo r you have equipped . Add the shield bonus of the shield you ar e carrying, if any. Ifyo u ar e wearin g light armo r or no armor, also add your Dexterity modifie r or Intelligence modifier, whicheve r is higher. • Fortitude : Add your Strength modifie r or Constitution modifier, whichever is higher. 4 Reflex : Add your Dexterity modifie r or Intelligence modifier, whicheve r is higher. If you use a shield, add its shield bonus. 4- Will : Add your Wisdom modifier or Charisma modifier, whichever is higher. In addition, add any of the following modifiers that apply to eac h defense: 4 A bonus from the character's class 4 Racial or feat bonuse s 4 An enhancemen t bonu s (usually from magi c armo r or from a neck slot magic item) 4 Any othe r bonuse s or penalties Hit Points and Healing Surges Your character's hit points at 1st level ar c given as part of your class's traits (for example , "15 + your Constitution score"). Your character's healing surge value equals one-quarte r of his or her maximu m hit points. T h e character's class determine s the numbe r of healing surges that he or she can use each day. Th e character's Constitution contribute s to this total.
TEMPORARY MODIFIERS Powers, circumstances, conditions, and the like produce many bonuses and penalties in play. For instance, your target might have partial cover, causing you to take a -2 penalty to the attack roll you make against the target. Or you might use a power tha t grants a temporary bonus to all of your companions' defenses. Temporary modifiers are extremely varied and are specified in many different parts of the game. In particular, see page 2 4 for a list of the most common attack roll modifiers. Base Attack Roll Modifiers Because of how often your characte r will use his or he r attack powers, its helpful to calculate their base attack roll modifiers in advance . Th e base attack roll modifie r of a character's powe r includes the following numbers: • One-half the character's level • Th e ability modifie r specified by the powe r Also add any of the following modifiers that apply: • Racial or feat bonuse s • An enhancemen t bonu s (usually from a magic weapon or implement) • A proficiency bonus (if th e powe r is a weapo n powe r an d the characte r wields a weapo n tha t he or she ha s proficiency with) • Any othe r bonuse s or penaltie s Base Damage Roll Modifiers In addition to calculating th e base attack roll modifiers for your characters powers, it's helpful to calculate their base damag e roll modifiers in advance. T h e base damag e roll modifie r of a character's powe r includes th e following numbers: • Th e ability modifie r specified by th e power. Th e modifie r is usually the same one used for the power's attack roll. Also add any of the following modifiers that apply: • Racial or feat bonuse s • An enhancemen t bonu s (usually from a magi c weapo n or implement) • Any othe r bonuse s or penaltie s
BONUSES AND PENALTIES Attack rolls, damage rolls, defenses, skill checks, and ability checks are often modified by bonuses and penalties. Bonuses: There's one important rule for bonuses: Don't add together bonuses of the same type to the same roll or score. If a creature has two or more bonuses of the same type (such as "power bonus") that apply to the same roll or score, use the higher bonus. For example, if a character has a +2 power bonus to attack rolls and gains a +4 power bonus to attack rolls, the character has a +4 power bonus, not a +6 power bonus. Bonus Types: If a bonus has a type, one of the following words precedes the word "bonus" in the rules text: armor, enhancement, feat, item, power, proficiency, racial, or shield. These types are defined and explained in the Rules Compendium. Untyped Bonuses: Some bonuses have no type ("a +2 bonus," for instance). Most of these bonuses are situational and add together with other bonuses, including other untyped bonuses. However, untyped bonuses from the same named game element (a power, a feat, and the like) are not cumulative; only the highest applies, unless noted otherwise. Penalties: Unlike bonuses, penalties don't have types. Penalties add together, unless they're from the same named game element. If two monsters attack an adventurer with the same power and each causes the adventurer to take a penalty to a particular roll or score, he or she doesn't add the penalties together but instead takes the worst penalty. A penalty might be effectively canceled by a bonus and vice versa. If a creature gains a +2 bonus to attack rolls and takes a - 2 penalty to attack rolls at the same time, it ends up with a +0 modifier. Ability Check Modifier Determin e your adventurer's ability check modifie r for eac h ability. Your character's ability check modifie r for always includes the following: 4- One-half the character's level 4 Th e ability modifie r for the skill's key ability Any of thes e othe r factors might also apply to an ability check modifier: 4 Racial or feat bonuse s 4 Any othe r bonuse s or penaltie s
Skill Check Modifier Determin e your adventurers skill check modifie r for each skill. Your character's skill check modifie r for a skill always includes the following: • One-half the character's level 4 Th e ability modifie r for the skill's key ability Any of thes e othe r factors might also apply to a skill check modifier: 4 A +5 bonus if the adventure r ha s training in the skill (see page 279) 4 An armo r check penalty (page 326) if the adventure r is wearing certain kinds of armo r and the skills key ability is Strength, Dexterity, or Constitution 4 Racial or feat bonuse s 4 Any othe r bonuse s or penalties Other Character Details T h e DUNGEONS & DRAGON S game is, first an d foremost, a roleplaying game , which mean s that it's all about taking on the role of a characte r in the game . Some people take to this play-acting naturally an d easily; others find it mor e of a challenge. This section is her e to help you out, whethe r you're comfortabl e and familia r with roleplaying or you're new to the concept. Your characte r is mor e tha n a combination of race, class, and feats. He or she is one of the protagonists in a living, evolving story line. Like the hero of any fantasy novel or film, your characte r ha s ambitions an d fears, likes an d dislikes, motivations and mannerisms, moments of glory an d of failure. Th e best characters blend the ongoing story of their adventurin g careers with memorabl e characteristics or traits. Jaden th e 4th-level huma n fighter is a perfectly playable characte r even without any embellishment, but the personality of Jaden the Grim-brooding , fatalistic, and honest-suggests a particula r approach to negotiating with townsfolk or discussing issues with the othe r characters. A wellcrafted personality expand s your experienc e of th e game dramatically. T h e DUNGEONS & DRAGON S game is a roleplaying game but not necessarily an exercise in improvisational theater. Sometimes, the role you play is defende r or leader; the characte r you're playing is engaged in comba t and ha s a job to do so that your team come s out victorious. Even in combat, though, you can interject bits of personality and dialogue tha t mak e your characte r mor e tha n just the statistics on your characte r sheet.
Alignment A characte r s alignment describe s his or he r mora l stance. Many adventurers, and some monsters, ar e unaligned, which mean s they have no overriding mora l stance. If you choos e an alignmen t for your character, you're indicating the characters dedication to a set of mora l principles: good, lawful good, evil, or chaotic evil. In a cosmi c sense, it's th e team he or she believes in an d fights for most strongly. Alignments ar e tied to universal forces bigger tha n deities or any othe r allegiance that a characte r might have. A lawful good cleric is on the same team as the god Bahamut, wh o is also lawful good, even if tha t cleric isn't devoted to Bahamut. Most people in the world, and plenty of adventurers, haven't signed u p to play on any team—they're unaligned. Picking an d adherin g to an alignment represents a distinct choice. If you choos e a n alignmen t for your character, you should pick either good or lawful good. Unless your DM is runnin g a campaig n in which all th e characters ar e evil or chaotic evil, playing an evil or chaotic evil characte r usually disrupts an adventuring party. Unaligned Just let me go about my business. Unaligned characters don't actively seek to harm others or wish them ill. But such characters also don't go out of their way to put themselve s at risk without some hope for reward. The y support law and orde r whe n doing so benefits them. They value their own freedom, without worrying too muc h about protecting the freedom of others. A few unaligned people, and most unaligned deities, aren't undecide d about alignment. Rather, they've chosen not to choose, either becaus e they see the benefits of both good and evil or becaus e they see themselve s as above the concern s of morality. Th e Raven Quee n an d her devotees fall into the latter camp , believing that mora l choices ar e irrelevant to their mission, since deat h come s to all creature s regardless of alignment. The Good Alignment Protecting the weak from those who would kill them is just the right thing to do. Good characters believe it is right to aid an d protect those in need. Such characters ar e not required to sacrifice themselve s to help others, but might be asked to place the needs of others above their own, even if that mean s putting themselve s in harm's way. In man y ways, that's the essence of being a heroic adventurer. Th e people of the town can't defend themselve s from the maraudin g goblins, so the good characte r descends into the dungeon-a t significant personal risk-t o put an end to the goblin raids.
Members of this alignmen t follow rules an d respect authority but ar e keenly awar e that powe r tends to corrupt those wh o wield it, too often leading them to exploit their powe r for selfish or evil ends. Whe n that happens, good characters feel no obligation to follow the law blindly. It's better for authority to rest in the hand s of a communit y tha n in the hand s of a power-hungry individual or group. Whe n law become s exploitation, it crosses into evil territory, an d good characters feel compelled to fight it. Goo d an d evil represent fundamentall y different viewpoints, cosmically opposed an d unabl e to coexist in peace. Good an d lawful good characters, though, get along fine, even if a good characte r think s a lawful good companio n might be a little too focused 011 following the law, rathe r tha n simply doing the right thing. The Lawful Good Alignment An ordered society protects us from evil. Lawful good characters respect th e authority of persona l codes of conduct, laws, a n d leaders, and they believe tha t those code s ar e the best way of achieving one s ideals. Virtuous authority promote s the well-being of its subjects and prevents them from harmin g one another. Lawful good characters believe just as strongly in the value of life, an d they put even mor e emphasis 011 th e need for the powerful to protect the weak an d lift u p the downtrodden . Th e exemplars of the lawful good alignmen t ar e shinin g champion s of what's right, honorable, and true, risking or even sacrificing their own lives to stop th e spread of evil in the world. Whe n leaders exploit their authority for persona l gain, whe n laws grant privileged status to some citizens and reduc e others to slavery or untouchabl e status, law ha s given in to evil an d just authority become s tyranny. Lawful good characters ar e not only capabl e of challenging such injustice, but ar e morally boun d to do so. However, such characters would prefe r to work within the system to right such problems, rathe r tha n resorting to lawless methods. For the purpos e ofgam e effects, a lawful good characte r is also considered to be good. The Evil Alignment It is my right to claim what others possess. Evil characters don't necessarily go out of their way to hurt people, but they're perfectly willing to take advantage of the weakness of others to acquir e wha t they want. Evil characters use rule s and orde r to maximiz e persona l gain. They don't car e whethe r laws hurt othe r people. They support institutional structure s that give the m power, even if that powe r come s at th e expens e of the freedom of others. Slavery an d rigid caste structure s ar e not only acceptable but desirable to evil characters, as long as they ar e in a position to benefit from the orde r they provide.
The Chaotic Evil Alignment I don't care what I have to do to get what I want. Chaotic evil characters have a complet e disregard for others. Each believes he or she is the only being that matters. Such characters have no problem killing, stealing, and betraying others to gain power. Their word is meaningless and their actions destructive. Their world views ca n be so warpe d that they destroy anything and anyone that doesn't directly contribut e to their specific interests. By the standard s of good and lawful good people, chaotic evil is as abhorrent as evil-perhap s even mor e so. Chaoti c evil monsters such as demon s an d ores ar e at least as muc h of a threa t to civilization an d general well-being as evil monsters are. An evil creatur e and a chaotic evil creatur e ar e both opposed to good, but they don't have muc h respect for each othe r either an d rarely cooperat e toward commo n goals. For the purpos e of game effects, a chaotic evil characte r is also considered evil. Personality T h e DUNGEONS & DRAGON S game is a game of heroic extremes, populated by legendary heroe s an d unrepentan t villains. Your characte r needs only a few personality traits that you can use as roleplaying touchstones, key traits that you can focus on an d tha t ar e fu n to play. A complex background an d extensive motivations aren't necessary, although you can flesh out your character's personality as muc h as you like. A typical adventur e offers man y opportunitie s for your character's personality to shine. Pick two or thre e personality traits from the list below as a starting point for developing a story for your character. Personality Traits Humble Adaptable Commanding Adaptable Grim Pragmatic Boastful Gullible Protective Bold Happy-go-lucky Reckless Brave Hard-hearted Relaxed Brooding Helpful Reserved Calm Honest Restless Cautious Honorable Scrupulous Charming Hopeful Self-assured Cheerful Impassioned Skeptical Commanding Impatient Skittish Competitive Impulsive Steady Curious Kind Stern Easygoing Morose Stoic Enthusiastic Naive Talkative Fatalistic Oblivious Thoughtful Fierce Open-minded Unshakable Flexible Patient Wild
Appearance Is your characte r tali, short, or in between ? Solid and muscular, or lean and wiry? Mal e or female? Old or young? These decisions have no impac t on game statistics, but they affect the way others thin k about your character. Each race description gives the average height an d weight for a characte r of that race. You ca n decide for your characte r to be above or below average. You should also decide what color skin, hair, an d eyes your characte r has. Most races approximat e the huma n range of coloration, but some races also have unusua l coloration, such as the stony gray skin of dwarve s or the violet eyes of some elves. Finally, consider feature s that distinguish your characte r from others. Some of thes e might b e inborn, such as an unusua l eye color or skin color, while others might be habits of fashion or the scars of past injuries. Jewelry, clothing, tattoos and birthmarks, hairstyles an d colors, an d posture-on e unusua l feature from amon g those choices ca n mak e your characte r stand out in the mind s of the othe r players. Background Your characters backgroun d often stays there—in the background. What's most importan t about your characte r is wha t he or she doe s over th e cours e of adventures, not wha t happene d in th e past. Even so, thinkin g about your character's birthplace, family, upbringing, training, and previous occupation can help you decide how to play your character. Thes e questions-directe d at your character—can help you start thinkin g about your character's background . 4- Wh y did you decide to be an adventurer ? How old wer e you then, and how old ar e you now? 4 How did you acquir e your class? Ifyou'r e a fighter, for example , you might have been in a militia, come from a family of soldiers, trained in a martia l school, or be a self-taught warrior. 4 How did you acquir e your starting equipment ? Did you assembl e it piece by piece over time ? Wa s it a gift from a parent or a mentor? Do any of your persona l items have special significance? 4 What's the worst event of your life? 4 What's the best thing that's ever happene d to you? 4 Do you stay in contact with your family? Wha t do your relatives think of you an d your chosen career ? 4 Whic h culture s did you interact with as a child? Did those interactions influenc e your language choices?
Languages Ten languages form the basis of every dialect spoken an d written throughout the DUNGEON S & DRAGON S world an d the plane s beyond. Thes e language s ar e transcribed in different scripts, most of which ar e alphabets, from the flowing characters of the Rellanic alphabe t to the rune s of the Davek alphabet. Th e Superna l script is a system of hieroglyphics. Dependin g on your characters race,you r characte r starts off knowin g two or thre e languages an d the script associated with each. Characters can learn additional languages throug h options such as the Linguist feat. You can't choos e the Abyssal or Superna l language s as a lst-level character. Some races let you choos e your second language . If you want to determin e this language randomly, roll a d20 . The Gods T h e deities of the DUNGEONS & DRAGON S game world reside in the countless dominion s that swirl throug h the Astral Sea. They appea r in dreams an d visions to their followers an d wea r countless different faces, and artwork depicting them shows them in a variety of forms. Their tru e natur e is beyond any physical form. Corellon is often depicted as an eladrin, but he is no mor e a n eladrin tha n he is a fey panther-h e is a god, an d he transcend s th e physical laws that bind all othe r beings to concret e forms. Some deities ar e good or lawful good, some ar e evil or chaotic evil, an d some ar e unaligned. Each deity ha s a vision of how the world should be, and the agents of the deities seek to bring tha t vision to life. Even the agents and worshipers of deities wh o shar e an alignmen t can come into conflict. Except for chaotic evil gods, all deities ar e enemie s of the demons, which would rathe r destroy the world tha n govern it. d20 Language Spoken by .. . Script — Common Humans, halflings, tieflings Common 1-2 Deep Speech Mind flayers, githyanki, kuo-toas Rellanic 3-5 Draconic Dragons, dragonborn, kobolds iokharic 6-9 Dwarven Duergar, dwarves Davek 10-13 Elven Elves, eladrin, fomorians Rellanic 14-16 Giant Giants, ores, ogres Davek 17-19 Goblin • • Goblins, hobgoblins, bugbears Common 20 Primordial Efreets, archons, elementals Barazhad — Supernal Angels, devils, gods Supernal — Abyssal Demons, gnolls, sahuagin Barazhad
T H E DEITIES Deity Alignment Areas of Influence Avandra Good Change, luck, trade, travel Bahamut Lawful good Justice, honor, nobility, protection Corellon Unaligned Arcane magic, spring, beauty, the arts • •• Unaligned Civilization, invention, laws loun Unaligned Knowledge, prophecy, skill Kord •• • Unaligned Storms, strength, battle Melora Unaligned Wilderness, sea Moradin Lawful good Creation, artisans, family Pelor HH M Good Sun, summer, agriculture, time Raven Queen Unaligned Death, fate, winter Sehanine Unaligned Trickery, moon, love, autumn iViost people revere mor e tha n one deity, praying to different gods at different times. Commoners in a small town might visit a templ e that has thre e altars, wher e they pray to Bahamu t for protection, Pelor for fertile crops, an d Moradin to aid their skill at crafting. Clerics and paladins mor e often serve a single deity, championin g that god s particula r cause in the world. Othe r adventurers range across the spectrum, from paying lip service to th e whole pantheon , to fervently serving a single god, to ignoring the gods entirely as they pursu e their own divine ascension. The gods appropriat e for player characters to revere follow. Avandra Good The god of change , Avandr a delights in freedom, trade, travel, adventure , and the frontier. He r temple s ar e few in civilized lands, but her wayside shrine s appea r throughou t the world. Halflings, merchants, an d all type s of adventurers ar e drawn to he r worship, an d man y people raise a glass in he r honor, viewing he r as the god of luck. He r command - ments ar e few: 4 Luck favors the bold. Take your fate into your own hands, and Avandr a smiles upo n you. 4 Strike back against those wh o would rob you of your freedom and urge others to fight for their own liberty. 4 Chang e is inevitable, but it takes the work of the faithful to ensur e that chang e is for the better.