100 Burning • A burning creature suders 9 (2d8) Cre damage at the start of its turn. Any edect that would deal Cre damage to the creature has advantage and rerolls damage results of 1s, it must use the new result even if it is a 1. • A creature can end this condition by spending its action to douse the iames. Another creature within 5ft can also spend its action to douse the iames as an action. Blinded • A blinded creature can't see and automatically fails any ability check that requires sight. • Attack rolls against the creature have advantage, and the creature's attack rolls have disadvantage. Grappled • A grappled creature's speed becomes zero, and it can't beneCt from any bonus to its speed. • re condition ends if the grappler is incapacitated (see the condition). • re condition also ends if an edect removes the grappled creature from the reach of the grappler or grappling edect, such as when a creature is hurled away by a spell. Exhausted Some special abilities and environmental hazards, such as starvation and the long-term edects of freezing or scorching temperatures, can lead to a special condition called exhaustion. Exhaustion is measured in six levels. An edect can give a creature one or more levels of exhaustion, as speciCed in the edect's description. If an already exhausted creature suders another edect that causes exhaustion, its current level of exhaustion increases by the amount speciCed in the edect's description. A creature suders the edect of its current level of exhaustion as well as all lower levels. For example, a creature sudering level 2 exhaustion has its speed halved and has disadvantage on ability checks. An edect that removes exhaustion reduces its level as speciCed in the edect's description, with all exhaustion edects ending if a creature's exhaustion level is reduced below level 1. Finishing a Long rest reduces a creature's exhaustion level by 1. A creature that dies and awakens by a bonCre loses all level of exhaustion. Charmed • A charmed creature can't attack the charmer or target the charmer with harmful abilities or magical edects. • re charmer has advantage on any ability check to interact socially with the creature. Deafened • A deafened creature can't hear and automatically fails any ability check that requires hearing. Frightened • A frightened creature has disadvantage on ability checks and attack rolls while the source of its fear is within line of sight. • re creature can't willingly move closer to the source of its fear. Level Eeect 1 2 3 4 5 6 Disadvantage on ability checks Speed halved Disadvantage on attack rolls and saving throws Hit point maximum halved Speed reduced to 0 Death Core Rules — Conditions Conditions alter a creature's capabilities in a variety of ways and can arise as a result of a spell, a class feature, a monster's attack, or other edect. Most conditions, such as blinded, are impairments, but a few, such as invisible, can be advantageous. A condition lasts either until it is countered (the prone condition is countered by standing up, for example) or for a duration speciCed by the edect that imposed the condition. If multiple edects impose the same condition on a creature, each instance of the condition has its own duration, but the condition's edects don't get worse. A creature either has a condition or doesn't. re following deCnitions specify what happens to a creature while it is subjected to a condition.
101 Incapacitated • An incapacitated creature can't take actions or reactions. Poisoned • A poisoned creature has disadvantage on attack rolls and ability checks Invisible • An invisible creature is impossible to see without the aid of magic or a special sense. For the purpose of hiding, the creature is heavily obscured. re creature's location can be detected by any noise it makes or any tracks it leaves. • Attack rolls against the creature have disadvantage, and the creature's attack rolls have advantage. Paralyzed • A paralysed creature is incapacitated (see the condition) and can't move or speak. • The creature automatically fails Strength and Dexterity saving throws. • Attack rolls against the creature have advantage. • Any attack that hits the creature is a Critical hit if the attacker is within 5 feet of the creature. Prone • A prone creature's only movement option is to crawl, unless it stands up and thereby ends the condition. • re creature has disadvantage on attack rolls. • An attack roll against the creature has advantage if the attacker is within 5 feet of the creature. Otherwise, the attack roll has disadvantage. Restrained • A restrained creature's speed becomes zero, and it can't beneCt from any bonus to its speed. • Attack rolls against the creature have advantage, and the creature's attack rolls have disadvantage. • re creature has disadvantage on Dexterity saving throws. Stunned • A stunned creature is incapacitated (see the condition), can't move, and can speak only falteringly. • re creature automatically fails Strength and Dexterity saving throws. • Attack rolls against the creature have advantage. Petrified • A petriCed creature is transformed, along with any nonmagical object it is wearing or carrying, into a solid inanimate substance (usually stone). Its weight increases by x10, and it ceases aging. • re creature is incapacitated (see above), can't move or speak, and is unaware of its surroundings. • Attack rolls against the creature have advantage. • re creature automatically fails Strength and Dexterity saving throws. • re creature has resistance to all damage. • re creature is immune to poison and disease, although a poison or disease already in its system is suspended, not neutralized. Surprised • A surprised creature can’t move or take an action on their Crst turn of combat • re creature can’t take a reaction on the Crst turn of combat. Unconscious • An unconscious creature is incapacitated (see the condition), can't move or speak, and is unaware of its surroundings • re creature drops whatever it's holding and falls prone. • re creature automatically fails Strength and Dexterity saving throws. • Attack rolls against the creature have advantage. • Any attack that hits the creature is a Critical hit if the attacker is within 5 feet of the creature.
102 I nsidious and deadly, poisons are a favourite tool among assassins, and the Ghru. Poison comes in the following four types. Some creatures’ attacks deal poison, while player characters can gain access to poison by buying it or Cnding it (see page 262). Poisons come in the following four types. Contact. Contact poison can be smeared on an object and remains potent until it is touched or washed od. A creature that touches contact poison with exposed skin suders its edects. Inhaled. rese poisons are powders or gases that take edect when inhaled. Blowing the powder or releasing the gas subjects all creatures within 5 feet to its edect. re resulting cloud dissipates immediately afterward. Holding one's breath is inedective against inhaled poisons, as they adect nasal membranes, tear ducts, and other parts of the body. Ingested. A creature must swallow an entire dose of ingested poison to suder its edects. re dose can be delivered in food or a liquid. You may decide that a partial dose has a reduced edect, such as allowing advantage on the saving throw or dealing only half damage on a failed save. Injury. Injury poison can be applied to weapons, ammunition, trap components, and other objects that deal piercing or slashing damage and remains potent until delivered through a wound or washed od. A creature that takes piercing or slashing damage from an object coated with the poison is exposed to its edects. Core Rules — Poison
103 Seeing your comrade come back from the dead beside a bonCre Gazing into the abyss or the true darkness lurking beneath the Cathedral of the Deep Encountering the hollow version of an old friend or lover Dying, and being brought back from the beyond once more Encountering a creature of ancient legend, or terrifying power (Alrich, Devourer of Gods, perhaps) The world suders under an endless curse. re sun is bloated, its red light scarcely illuminating the decaying citadels, cathedrals and cities that once teemed with life. Now, those same places are infested with mindless corpses, with demons, with deformed creatures of dark magic. ris inevitably takes a toll on the mind, driving those who have seen too much, or lived too long in such cursed places, beyond sanity. Whenever the GM deems an event might trigger a period of madness, a character must make a Wisdom saving throw with a DC equal to 10 + number of previous episodes of madness. So, the Crst time a character makes such a saving throw, their DC is 10. Should they fail that saving throw, the next time they make one the DC is 11. When a player character fails, they roll on the Short-term Madness table. Every third time a character fails and succumbs to madness, they must roll on the IndeCnite Madness table that cannot be cured or removed. Going Mad In DARK SOULS: Ce Roleplaying Game there are several situations in which a character might be struck by temporary madness, succumbing to delusions or having their mental equilibrium unsettled. re GM can call for such a check after any situation they feel appropriate. A list of such circumstances might include: Core Rules — Madness
104 Eeect 01 - 20 61 - 70 21 - 30 71 - 75 31 - 40 76 - 80 41 - 50 81 - 90 51 -60 91-100 re character retreats into their mind and becomes paralysed. re edect ends if the character takes any damage re character becomes incapacitated and spends the duration screaming, laughing, or weeping re character becomes frightened and must use their action and movement each round to iee from the source of their fear re character begins babbling and is incapable of normal speech or spellcasting re character must use their action each round to attack the nearest creature re character experiences vivid hallucinations and has disadvantage on ability checks re character does whatever anyone tells them to do that isn't obviously self-destructive re character experiences an overpowering urge to eat something strange such as dirt, slime, or odal re character is stunned re character falls unconscious d100 Madness can be short-term, long-term, or indeCnite. Most relatively mundane edects impose short-term madness, which lasts for just a few minutes. More horriCc edects or cumulative edects can result in long-term or indeCnite madness. A character asicted with short-term madness is subjected to an edect from the short-term Madness table for 1d20+10 minutes. Madness Effects Short-Term Madness
105 Eeect (lasts 1d10 d 10 hours) 01 - 10 46 - 55 11 - 20 56 - 65 91 - 95 96 - 100 21 - 30 66 - 75 31 - 40 76 - 85 41 - 45 86 - 90 re character develops an obsessive fear of one kind of monster of their choice. rey have disadvantage on all attacks made against that kind of monster re character experiences vivid hallucinations and permanently suders -1 Wisdom re character suders extreme paranoia and permanently suders -1 Charisma re character regards something (usually the source of madness) with intense revulsion, as if adected by the antipathy edect of the antipathy/sympathy spell re character experiences a powerful delusion. At the start of any encounter, the character must succeed on a DC 12 Wisdom saving throw or be paralysed for the Crst round of the encounter as the delusion seizes them anew. rey may act normally after this re character becomes attached to a "lucky charm," such as a person or an object, and has disadvantage on attack rolls, ability checks and saving throws while more than 30 feet from it re character is blinded (25%) or deafened (75%) re character loses the ability to speak re character falls unconscious. No amount of jostling or damage can wake the character After two hours in this state, they die and awake at the nearest bonCre. A character aiicted with indeCnite madness gains a new character taw from the IndeCnite Madness table that lasts until cured. re character experiences uncontrollable tremors or tics, which impose disadvantage on attack rolls, ability checks and saving throws using Strength or Dexterity re character suders from partial amnesia. re character knows who they are but fails to recognize other people or remember anything that happened before the madness took edect Whenever the character takes damage, they must succeed on a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw or be adected as though they failed a saving throw against the confusion spell. re confusion edect lasts for one minute d100 Indefinite Madness
106 Traps can be found almost anywhere. One wrong step in the Great Archive might trigger a series of scything blades, which cleave through armour and bone. re seemingly-innocuous plant life sprouting through the choked surface of a swamp might grab and slice at anyone who pushes through them. re world of Lothric, and of DARK SOULS, is Clled with deadly dangers at every step. A trap can be either mechanical or magical in nature. Mechanical traps include pits, arrow traps, falling blocks, water-Clled rooms, whirling blades, and anything else that depends on a mechanism to operate. Magic traps are either magical device traps or spell traps. Magical device traps initiate spell edects when activated, hurling magical Creballs at an unsuspecting victim, for example. Traps in Play When adventurers come across a trap, you need to know how the trap is triggered and what it does, as well as the possibility for the characters to detect the trap and to disable or avoid it. Triggering a Trap Most traps are triggered when a creature goes somewhere or touches something that the trap's creator wanted to protect. Common triggers include stepping on a pressure plate or a false section of ioor, pulling a trip wire, or using the wrong key in a lock. Magic traps are often set to go od when a creature enters an area or touches an object. Usually, some element of a trap is visible to careful inspection. Characters might notice an uneven iagstone concealing a pressure plate, spot the gleam of light od a trip wire, notice small holes in the walls from which jets of iame will erupt, or otherwise detect something that points to a trap's presence. A trap's description speciCes the checks and DCs needed to detect it, disable it, or both. A character actively looking for a trap can attempt a Wisdom (Perception) check against the trap's DC. You can also compare the DC to detect the trap with each character's passive Wisdom (Perception) score to determine whether anyone in the party notices the trap in passing. If one of the unkindled detects a trap before triggering it, they might be able to disarm it, either permanently or long enough to move past it. You might call for an Intelligence (Investigation) check for a character to deduce what needs to be done, followed by a Dexterity check using thieves' tools to perform the necessary sabotage. Any character can attempt an Intelligence (Arcana) check to detect or disarm a magic trap, in addition to any other checks noted in the trap's description. re DCs are the same regardless of the check used. In most cases, a trap's description is clear enough that you can adjudicate whether a character's actions locate or foil the trap. As with many situations, you shouldn't allow die rolling to override clever play and good planning. Use your common sense, drawing on the trap's description to determine what happens. No trap's design can anticipate every possible action that the characters might attempt. You should allow a character to discover a trap without making an ability check if an action would clearly reveal the trap's presence. For example, if a character lifts a rug that conceals a pressure plate, the character has found the trigger and no check is required. Foiling traps can be a little more complicated. Consider a trapped treasure chest. If the chest is opened without Crst pulling on the two handles set in its sides, a mechanism inside Cres a hail of poison needles toward anyone in front of it. After inspecting the chest and making a few checks, the characters are still unsure if it's trapped. Rather than simply open the chest, they prop a shield in front of it and push the chest open from a distance with an iron rod. In this case, the trap still triggers, but the hail of needles Cres harmlessly into the shield. Traps are often designed with mechanisms that allow them to be disarmed or bypassed. Intelligent monsters placing traps in or around their lairs need ways to get past those traps without harming themselves. Such traps might have hidden levers that disable their triggers, or a secret door might conceal a passage that goes around the trap. Detecting and Disabling a Trap Core Rules — Traps
107 The edects of traps can range from inconvenient to deadly, making use of elements such as arrows, spikes, blades, poison, toxic gas, blasts of Cre, and deep pits. re deadliest traps combine multiple elements to kill, injure, contain, or drive od any creature unfortunate enough to trigger them. A trap's description speciCes what happens when it is triggered. re attack bonus of a trap, the saving throw DC to resist its edects, and the damage it deals can vary depending on the trap's severity. Use the Trap Save DCs and Attack Bonuses table and the Damage Severity by Level table for suggestions based on three levels of trap severity. A trap intended to be a setback is unlikely to kill or seriously harm characters of the indicated levels, whereas a dangerous trap is likely to seriously injure (and potentially kill) characters of the indicated levels. A deadly trap is likely to kill characters of the indicated levels. Complex traps work like standard traps, except once activated they execute a series of actions each round. A complex trap turns the process of dealing with a trap into something more like a combat encounter. When a complex trap activates, it rolls initiative. re trap's description includes an initiative bonus. On its turn, the trap activates again, often taking an action. It might make successive attacks against intruders, create an edect that changes over time, or otherwise produce a dynamic challenge. Otherwise, the complex trap can be detected and disabled or bypassed in the usual ways. For example, a trap that causes a room to slowly iood works best as a complex trap. On the trap's turn, the water level rises. After several rounds, the room is completely iooded. Trap Effects Complex Traps Save DC Attack Bonus Setback Dangerous Deadly Trap Save DCs and Attack Bonuses Damage Severity by Level +3 to +5 1d10 4d10 4d10 +6 to +8 2d10 10d10 10d10 +9 to +12 10d10 18d10 2d10 4d10 18d10 24d10 Setback Dangerous Deadly 10 - 11 1st - 4th 12-15 5th - 10th 16 - 20 11th - 16th 17th - 20th Trap Danger Character Level
108 re magical and mechanical traps presented here vary in deadliness. Sample Traps Collapsing Roof - Mechanical trap ris trap uses a trip wire to collapse the supports keeping an unstable section of a ceiling in place. re trip wire is 3” od the ground and stretches between two support beams. re DC to spot the trip wire is 10. A successful DC 15 Dexterity check using thieves' tools disables the trip wire harmlessly. A character without thieves' tools can attempt this check with disadvantage using any edged weapon or edged tool. On a failed check, the trap triggers. Anyone who inspects the beams can easily determine that they are merely wedged in place. As an action, a character can knock over a beam, causing the trap to trigger. re ceiling above the trip wire is in bad repair, and anyone who can see it can tell that it's in danger of collapse. When the trap is triggered, the unstable ceiling collapses. Any creature in the area beneath the unstable section must succeed on a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw, taking 22 (4d10) bludgeoning damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. Once the trap is triggered, the ioor of the area is Clled with rubble and becomes ditcult terrain. Falling Net - Mechanical trap ris trap uses a trip wire to release a net suspended from the ceiling. re trip wire is 3” od the ground and stretches between two columns or trees. re net is hidden by cobwebs or foliage. re DC to spot the trip wire and net is 10. A successful DC 15 Dexterity check using thieves' tools breaks the trip wire harmlessly. A character without thieves' tools can attempt this check with disadvantage using any edged weapon or edged tool. On a failed check, the trap triggers. When the trap is triggered, the net is released, covering a 10-foot-square area. rose in the area are trapped under the net and restrained, and those that fail a DC 10 Strength saving throw are also knocked prone. A creature can use its action to make a DC 10 Strength check, freeing itself or another creature within its reach on a success. re net has AC 10 and 20 hit points. Dealing 5 slashing damage to the net destroys a 5 feet section of it, freeing any creature trapped in that section. Fire-Breathing Statue -Magic trap ris trap is activated when an intruder steps on a hidden pressure plate, releasing a magical gout of iame from a nearby statue. re statue can be of anything, including a dragon or a wizard casting a spell. re DC is 15 to spot the pressure plate, as well as faint scorch marks on the ioor and walls. A spell or other edect that can sense the presence of magic, such as detect magic, reveals an aura of evocation magic around the statue. re trap activates when more than 20 pounds of weight is placed on the pressure plate, causing the statue to release a 30-foot cone of Cre. Each creature in the Cre must make a DC 13 Dexterity saving throw, taking 22 (4d10) Cre damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. Wedging an iron spike or other object under the pressure plate prevents the trap from activating.
109 Pits -Mechanical Trap Four basic pit traps are presented here. Simple Pit: a simple pit trap is a hole dug in the ground. re hole is covered by a large cloth anchored on the pit's edge and camouiaged with dirt and debris. re DC to spot the pit is 10. Anyone stepping on the cloth falls through and pulls the cloth down into the pit, taking damage based on the pit's depth (usually 10 feet, but some pits are deeper). Hidden Pit: this pit has a cover constructed from material identical to the ioor around it. A successful DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) check discerns an absence of foot tratc over the section of ioor that forms the pit's cover. A successful DC 15 Intelligence (Investigation) check is necessary to conCrm the trapped section of ioor is actually the cover of a pit. When a creature steps on the cover, it swings open like a trapdoor, causing the intruder to spill into the pit below. re pit is usually 10–20 feet deep but can be deeper. Once the pit trap is detected, an iron spike or similar object can be wedged between the pit's cover and the surrounding ioor in such a way as to prevent the cover from opening, thereby making it safe to cross. re cover can also be magically held shut using the arcane lock spell or similar magic. Locking Pit: this pit trap is identical to a hidden pit trap, with one key exception—the trap door that covers the pit is spring-loaded. After a creature falls into the pit, the cover snaps shut to trap its victim inside. A successful DC 20 Strength check is necessary to pry the cover open. re cover can also be smashed open. A character in the pit can also attempt to disable the spring mechanism from the inside with a DC 15 Dexterity check using thieves' tools, provided that the mechanism can be reached, and the character can see. In some cases, a mechanism (usually hidden behind a secret door nearby) opens the pit. Spiked Pit: this pit trap is a simple, hidden, or locking pit trap with sharpened wooden or iron spikes at the bottom. A creature falling into the pit takes 11 (2d10) piercing damage from the spikes, in addition to any falling damage. Even nastier versions have poison smeared on the spikes. In that case, anyone taking piercing damage from the spikes must also make a DC 13 Constitution saving throw, taking 22 (4d10) poison damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. Poison Needle -Mechanical trap A poisoned needle is hidden within a treasure chest's lock, or in something else that a creature might open. Opening the chest without the proper key causes the needle to spring out, delivering a dose of poison. When the trap is triggered, the needle extends 3” straight out from the lock. A creature within range takes 1 piercing damage and 11 (2d10) poison damage and must succeed on a DC 15 Constitution saving throw or be poisoned for one hour. A successful DC 20 Intelligence (Investigation) check allows a character to deduce the trap's presence from alterations made to the lock to accommodate the needle. A successful DC 15 Dexterity check using thieves' tools disarms the trap, removing the needle from the lock. Unsuccessfully attempting to pick the lock triggers the trap. Poison Darts - Mechanical trap When a creature steps on a hidden pressure plate, poison-tipped darts shoot from spring-loaded or pressurized tubes cleverly embedded in the surrounding walls. An area might include multiple pressure plates, each one rigged to its own set of darts. re tiny holes in the walls are obscured by dust and cobwebs, or cleverly hidden amid bas-reliefs, murals, or tapestries adorning the walls. re DC to spot them is 15. With a successful DC 15 Intelligence (Investigation) check, a character can deduce the presence of the pressure plate from variations in the mortar and stone used to create it compared to the surrounding ioor. Wedging an iron spike or other object under the pressure plate prevents the trap from activating. Stutng the holes with cloth or wax prevents the darts contained within from launching. re trap activates when more than 20 pounds of weight is placed on the pressure plate, releasing four darts. Each dart makes a ranged attack with a +8 bonus against a random target within 10 feet of the pressure plate (vision is irrelevant to this attack roll). If there are no targets in the area, the darts don't hit anything. A target that is hit takes 2 (1d4) piercing damage and must succeed on a DC 15 Constitution saving throw, taking 11 (2d10) poison damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. Rolling Sphere - Mechanical trap When 20 or more pounds of pressure are placed on this trap's pressure plate, a hidden trapdoor in the ceiling opens, releasing a rolling sphere of solid stone, 10 feet in diameter. With a successful DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) check, a character can spot the trapdoor and pressure plate. A search of the ioor accompanied by a successful DC 15 Intelligence (Investigation) check reveals variations in the mortar and stone that betray the pressure plate's presence. re same check made while inspecting the ceiling notes variations in the stonework that reveal the trapdoor. Wedging an iron spike or other object under the pressure plate prevents the trap from activating. Activation of the sphere requires all creatures present to roll initiative. re sphere rolls initiative with a +8 bonus. On its turn, it moves 60 feet in a straight line. re sphere can move through creatures' spaces, and creatures can move through its space, treating it as ditcult terrain. Whenever the sphere enters a creature's space or a creature enters its space while it's rolling, that creature must succeed on a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw or take 55 (10d10) bludgeoning damage and be knocked prone. re sphere stops when it hits a wall or similar barrier. It can't go around corners, but smart dungeon builders incorporate gentle, curving turns into nearby passages that allow the sphere to keep moving. As an action, a creature within 5 feet of the sphere can attempt to slow it down with a DC 20 Strength check. On a successful check, the sphere's speed is reduced by 15 feet, and if the sphere's speed drops to 0 it stops moving and is no longer a threat.
110
111 Core Rules — Combat Determine surprise. re GM determines whether anyone involved in the combat encounter is surprised. Determine Initiative. Each character establishes whether they are a 'Fast' character, and acts before the enemy creatures, or a 'Slow' character, and acts after them.By rolling their initiative and comparing it to the DC of the creature(s) they are Cghting. Establish Position & location. re GM decides where all the characters and monsters are located. Given the adventurers marching order or their stated place in the room or other location, the GM Cgures out where the adversaries are how far away and in what the characters determine their Position pool for combat. Take turns. Each participant in the battle takes a turn, with players determining which order their characters act, on either side of the creature’s actions. Begin the next round. Begin the next round. When everyone involved in the combat has had a turn, the round ends. Repeat step 4 until the Cghting stops. The Order of Combat A typical combat encounter is a clash between two sides, a iurry of weapon swings, feints, parries, footwork, and spellcasting. re game organizes the chaos of combat into a cycle of rounds and turns. A round represents about six seconds in the game world. During a round, each participant in a battle takes a turn. re order of turns is determined at the beginning of a combat encounter, when everyone rolls initiative. Once everyone has taken a turn, the Cght continues to the next round if neither side has defeated the other. Combat Step by Step 1 3 5 2 4
112 Surprise A hollow lies slumped, staring at the wall, unaware of your approach. A demon lurks above, about to leap down, to prevent your escape. In these situations, one side of the battle gains surprise over the other. re GM determines who might be surprised. If neither side tries to be stealthy, they automatically notice each other. Otherwise, the GM compares the Dexterity (Stealth) checks of anyone hiding with the passive Wisdom (Perception) score of each creature on the opposing side. Any character or monster that doesn't notice a threat is surprised at the start of the encounter. If you're surprised, you can't move or take an action on your Crst turn of the combat, and you can't take a reaction until that turn ends. A member of a group can be surprised even if the other members aren't. Your Turn On your turn, you can move a distance up to your speed and take one action. You decide whether to move Crst or take your action Crst. Your speed—sometimes called your walking speed—is noted on your character sheet. re most common actions you can take are described in the "Actions in Combat" section later in this chapter. Many class features and other abilities provide additional options for your action. re "Movement and Position" section gives the rules for your move. You can forgo moving, taking an action, or doing anything at all on your turn. If you can't decide what to do on your turn, consider taking the Dodge or Ready action, as described in "Actions in Combat". Bonus Actions Various class features, spells, and other abilities let you take an additional action on your turn called a bonus action. You can take a bonus action only when a special ability, spell, or other feature of the game states that you can do something as a bonus action. You otherwise don't have a bonus action to take. You can take only one bonus action on your turn, so you must choose which bonus action to use when you have more than one available. You choose when to take a bonus action during your turn, unless the bonus action's timing is speciCed, and anything that deprives you of your ability to take actions also prevents you from taking a bonus action. Other Activity on Your Turn Your turn can include a variety of iourishes that require neither your action nor your move. You can communicate however you are able, through brief utterances and gestures, as you take your turn. You can also interact with one object or feature of the environment for free, during either your move or your action. For example, you could open a door during your move as you stride toward a foe, or you could draw your weapon as part of the same action you use to attack. If you want to interact with a second object, you need to use your action. Some magic items and other special objects always require an action to use, as stated in their descriptions. re GM might require you to use an action for any of these activities when it needs special care or when it presents an unusual obstacle. For instance, the GM could reasonably expect you to use an action to open a stuck door or turn a crank to lower a drawbridge. Initiative Used to determine who attacks, and when, during a combat, initiative works slightly diderently in DARK SOULS. Each creature the characters might confront as an enemy, or who might Cght besides them as an ally, possesses a Cxed Initiative Value. ris is a number between 1 and 20. When a player character is determining their initiative, they roll a d20 and add their initiative modiCer to it. Rather than determining a Cxed position in a linear order, however, this merely tells a player character whether they act before or after a creature. re rule is simple: if a character rolls equal to or above the enemy creature's initiative value, they are 'Fast' and act before the creature. If they roll under, then they are 'Slow' and act after the creature. re actual order in which each player character takes their actions, either before or after the creature, is up to the players themselves. ris order is not Cxed, but remains iuid and dynamic, enabling player characters to pursue diderent tactics and combinations. re only Cxed element is whether a player character goes before or after an enemy creature. If the player characters are facing several diderent enemies, each with a diderent Initiative value, then the creatures use the initiative value of creature of the highest Challenge Rating, even if that creature’s initiative is lower than their initial value. If the player characters are facing multiple creatures, and two or more creatures have the same highest level, then the creatures act on the initiative of the creature with the highest Intelligence. If, after this, another tiebreak is required, then the decision is made by the GM.
113 Reactions Certain special abilities, spells, and situations allow you to take a special action called a reaction. A reaction is an instant response to a trigger of some kind, which can occur on your turn or on someone else's. re opportunity attack, described later in this chapter, is the most common type of reaction. When you take a reaction, you can't take another one until the start of your next turn. If the reaction interrupts another creature's turn, that creature can continue its turn right after the reaction. Using Different Speeds I f you have more than one speed, such as your walking speed and a iying speed, you can switch back and forth between your speeds during your move. Whenever you switch, subtract the distance you've already moved from the new speed. re result determines how much farther you can move. If the result is zero or less, you can't use the new speed during the current move. Difficult Terrain Combat rarely takes place in bare rooms or on featureless plains. Boulder-strewn caverns, briar-choked forests, treacherous staircases—the setting of a typical Cght contains ditcult terrain. Every 1 feet moved in ditcult terrain costs 1 extra feet of movement. ris rule is true even if multiple things in a space count as ditcult terrain. Low furniture, rubble, undergrowth, steep stairs, snow, and shallow bogs are examples of ditcult terrain. re space of another creature, whether hostile or not, also counts as ditcult terrain. Being Prone Combatants often Cnd themselves lying on the ground, either because they are knocked down or because they throw themselves down. In the game, they are prone (see "Conditions"). You can drop prone without using any of your speed. Standing up takes more edort; doing so costs an amount of movement equal to half your speed. For example, if your speed is 30 feet, you must spend 15 feet of movement to stand up. You can't stand up if you don't have enough movement left or if your speed is zero. To move while prone, you must crawl or use magic such as teleportation. Every 1 ft moved while crawling costs 1 extra feet of movement Crawling 1 feet in ditcult terrain, therefore, costs 3 feet of movement. Movement I n combat, characters and monsters are in constant motion, often using movement to gain the upper hand. On your turn, you can move a distance up to your speed. You can use as much or as little of your speed as you like on your turn, following the rules here. Your movement can include jumping, climbing, and swimming. rese diderent modes of movement can be combined with walking, or they can constitute your entire move. However you're moving, you deduct the distance of each part of your move from your speed until it is used up, or until you have Cnished moving. Breaking Up Your Move You can break up your movement on your turn, using some of your speed before and after your action. For example, if you have a speed of 30 feet, you can move 10 feet, take your action, and then move the 20 feet remaining. Moving Between Attacks I f you take an action that includes more than one weapon attack, you can break up your movement even further by moving between those attacks. For example, a warrior who can make two attacks with the Extra Attack feature and who has a speed of 25 feet could move 10 feet, make an attack, move 15 feet, and then attack again. Flying Movement Flying creatures enjoy many beneCts of mobility, but they must also deal with the danger of falling. If a iying creature is knocked prone, has its speed reduced to zero, or is otherwise deprived of the ability to move, the creature falls, unless it can hover.
114 Interacting with Objects Around You Here are a few examples of the sorts of thing you can do in tandem with your movement and action: draw or sheathe a sword open or close a door withdraw a relic from your pack pick up a dropped axe remove a ring from your Cnger stud some food into your mouth plant a banner in the ground Csh a few coins from your belt pouch read the letter of a fallen pontid knight throw a lever or a switch pull a torch from a sconce take a book from a shelf you can reach extinguish a small iame don a mask pull the hood of your cloak up and over your head put your ear to a door kick a small stone turn a key in a lock tap the ioor with a 10 feet pole hand an item to another character Moving Around Other Creatures You can move through a nonhostile creature's space. In contrast, you can move through a hostile creature's space only if the creature is at least two sizes larger or smaller than you. Remember that another creature's space is ditcult terrain for you. Whether a creature is a friend or an enemy, you can't willingly end your move in its space. If you leave a hostile creature's reach during your move, you provoke an opportunity attack, as explained later in the chapter.
115 Space Size Catagories Tiny Small Large Medium Huge Gargantuan 2-1/2 by 2-1/2 feet 5 by 5 feet 10 by 10 feet 5 by 5 feet 15 by 15 feet 20 by 20 feet or larger Size Space A creature's space is the area in feet that it edectively controls in combat, not an expression of its physical dimensions. A typical Medium creature isn't 5 feet wide, for example, but it does control a space that wide. If a Medium silver knight stands in a 5 feet wide doorway, other creatures can't get through unless the silver knight chooses to let them—an unlikely scenario. A creature's space also reiects the area it needs to Cght edectively. For that reason, there's a limit to the number of creatures that can surround another creature in combat. Assuming Medium combatants, eight creatures can Ct in a 5 feet radius around another one. Because larger creatures take up more space, fewer of them can surround a creature. If Cve Large creatures crowd around a Medium or smaller one, there's little room for anyone else. In contrast, as many as 20 Medium creatures can surround a Gargantuan one. Squeezing into a Smaller Space A creature can squeeze through a space that is large enough for a creature one size smaller than it. rus, a Large creature can squeeze through a passage that's only 5 feet wide. While squeezing through a space, a creature must spend 1 extra feet for every foot it moves there, and it has disadvantage on attack rolls and Dexterity saving throws. Attack rolls against the creature have advantage while it's in the smaller space. Core Rules — Creature Size Each creature takes up a diderent amount of space. re Size Categories table shows how much space a creature of a particular size controls in combat. Objects sometimes use the same size categories.
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117 Core Rules — Actions in Combat When you take your action on your turn, you can take one of the actions presented here, an action you gained from your class or a special feature, or an action that you improvise. Many monsters have action options of their own in their stat blocks. When you describe an action not detailed elsewhere in the rules, the GM tells you whether that action is possible and what kind of roll you need to make, if any, to determine success or failure. Attack The most common action to take in combat is the Attack action, whether you are swinging a sword, Cring an arrow from a bow, or brawling with your Csts. With this action, you make one melee or ranged attack. See the "Making an Attack" section for the rules that govern attacks. Certain features, such as a knight’s Extra Attack feature, allow you to make more than one attack with this action. Certain weapons also allow you to spend Position to make additional attacks. Cast A Spell Spellcasters such as sorcerers and clerics, as well as many monsters, have access to spells and can use them to great edect in combat. Each spell has a casting time, specifying how long it requires to use such magic. Casting a spell is, therefore, not necessarily an action. Most spells do have a casting time of one action, so a spellcaster often uses his or her action in combat to cast such a spell. Dash When you take the Dash action, you gain extra movement for the current turn. re increase equals your speed, after applying any modiCers. With a speed of 30 feet, for example, you can move up to 60 feet on your turn if you dash. Any increase or decrease to your speed changes this additional movement by the same amount. If your speed of 30 feet is reduced to 15 feet, for instance, you can move up to 30 feet this turn if you dash. Disengage I f you take the Disengage action, your movement doesn't provoke opportunity attacks for the rest of the turn. Critical Hit I f the d20 roll for an attack is a 20, the attack hits regardless of an modiCers or the target's AC. ris is called a Critical hit. When you score a Critical hit, roll damage dice as normal, and add any appropriate modiCers, then multiply that number by 2.
118 Dodge When you take the Dodge action, you focus entirely on avoiding attacks. Until the start of your next turn, any attack roll made against you has disadvantage if you can see the attacker, and you make Dexterity saving throws with advantage. You lose this beneCt if you are incapacitated (see "Conditions") or if your speed drops to zero. Hide When you take the Hide action, you make a Dexterity (Stealth) check to hide, following the rules for hiding. If you succeed, you gain certain beneCts, as described in the "Unseen Attackers and Targets" section later in this chapter. Ready Sometimes you want to get the jump on a foe or wait for a particular circumstance before you act. To do so, you can take the Ready action on your turn, which lets you act using your reaction before the start of your next turn. First, you decide what perceivable circumstance will trigger your reaction. ren, you choose the action you will take in response to that trigger, or you choose to move up to your speed in response to it. Examples include "If the hollow steps on the trapdoor, I'll pull the lever that opens it," or "If the crystal lizard stops next to me, I move away." When the trigger occurs, you can either take your reaction right after the trigger Cnishes or ignore the trigger. Remember that you can take only one reaction per round. When you ready a spell, you cast it as normal but hold its energy, which you release with your reaction when the trigger occurs. To be readied, a spell must have a casting time of one action and holding onto the spell's magic requires concentration. If your concentration is broken, the spell dissipates without taking edect. Search When you take the Search action, you devote your attention to Cnding something. Depending on the nature of your search, the GM might have you make a Wisdom (Perception) check or an Intelligence (Investigation) check. Use an Object You normally interact with an object while doing something else, such as when you draw a sword as part of an attack. When an object requires your action for its use, you take the Use an Object action. ris action is also useful when you want to interact with more than one object on your turn. Help You can lend your aid to another creature in the completion of a task. When you take the Help action, the creature you aid gains advantage on the next ability check it makes to perform the task you are helping with, if it makes the check before the start of your next turn. Alternatively, you can aid a friendly creature in attacking a creature within 5 feet of you. You feint, distract the target, or in some other way team up to make your ally's attack more edective. If your ally attacks the target before your next turn, the Crst attack roll is made with advantage.
119 Modifiers to the Roll When a character makes an attack roll, the most common modiCers to the roll are an ability modiCer and the character's proCciency bonus, or spending Position. When a monster makes an attack roll, it uses whatever modiCer is provided in its stat block, or they may spend their own Position pool. Ability ModiCer. re ability modiCer used for a melee weapon attack is Strength, and the ability modiCer used for a ranged weapon attack is Dexterity. Weapons that have the Cnesse or thrown property break this rule. Some spells also require an attack roll. re ability modiCer used for a spell attack depends on the spellcasting ability of the spellcaster. ProCciency Bonus. You add your proCciency bonus to your attack roll when you attack using a weapon with which you have proCciency, as well as when you attack with a spell. Position. Position is both an expendable resource you can use to enhance your attacks, and utilise your most powerful abilities. Rolling a 20. Sometimes fate blesses a combatant, causing the novice to hit and the veteran to miss. If the d20 roll for an attack is a 20, the attack hits regardless of any modiCers or the target's AC. ris is called a Critical hit (page 117). Unseen Attackers and Targets. Combatants often try to escape their foes' notice by hiding or lurking in darkness. When you attack a target that you can't see, you have disadvantage on the attack roll. ris is true whether you're guessing the target's location, or if you're targeting a creature you can hear but not see. If the target isn't in the location you targeted, you automatically miss, but the GM typically just says that the attack missed, not whether you guessed the target's location correctly. When a creature can't see you, you have advantage on attack rolls against it. If you are hidden—both unseen and unheard— when you make an attack, you give away your location when the attack hits or misses. 1 3 2 Attack Rolls When you make an attack, your attack roll determines whether the attack hits or misses. To make an attack roll, roll a d20 and add the appropriate modiCers. If the total of the roll plus modiCers equals or exceeds the target's Armour Class (AC), the attack hits. re AC of a character is determined at character creation, whereas the AC of a monster is in its stat block. Making an Attack Whether you're striking with a melee weapon, Cring a weapon at range, or making an attack roll as part of a spell, an attack has a simple structure. Choose a target. Pick a target within your attack's range: a creature, an object, or a location. Determine modiCers. re GM determines whether the target has cover and whether you have advantage or disadvantage against the target. In addition, spells, special abilities, and other edects can apply penalties or bonuses to your attack roll. Resolve the attack. You make the attack roll. If you roll a hit, you then roll damage, unless the attack has rules that specify otherwise. Some attacks cause special edects in addition to or instead of damage. If there's ever any question whether something you're doing counts as an attack, the rule is simple: if you're making an attack roll, you're making an attack.
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121 Core Rules — Ranged Attacks Melee Attacks When you make a ranged attack, you Cre a bow or a crossbow, hurl a hand axe, or otherwise send projectiles to strike a foe at a distance. A monster might hurl a sword or deliver a mighty blow to the ground. Many spells also involve making a ranged attack. Used in hand-to-hand combat, a melee attack allows you to attack a foe within your reach. A melee attack typically uses a handheld weapon such as a sword, a warhammer, or an axe. A typical monster makes a melee attack when it strikes with its claws, horns, teeth, tentacles, or other body part. A few spells also involve making a melee attack. Most creatures have a 5 feet reach and can thus attack targets within 5 feet of them when making a melee attack. Certain creatures (typically those larger than Medium) have melee attacks with a greater reach than 5 feet, as noted in their descriptions. Instead of using a weapon to make a melee weapon attack, you can use an unarmed strike: a punch, kick, head-butt, or similar forceful blow (none of which count as weapons). On a hit, an unarmed strike deals bludgeoning damage equal to 1 + your Strength modiCer. You are proCcient with your unarmed strikes. Range You can make ranged attacks only against targets within a speciCed range. If a ranged attack, such as one made with a spell, has a single range, you can't attack a target beyond this range. Some ranged attacks, such as those made with a longbow or a short bow, have two ranges. re smaller number is the normal range, and the larger number is the long range. Your attack roll has disadvantage when your target is beyond normal range, and you can't attack a target beyond the long range. Ranged Attacks in Close Combat Aiming a ranged attack is more ditcult when a foe is next to you. When you make a ranged attack with a weapon, a spell, or some other means, you have disadvantage on the attack roll if you are within 5 feet of a hostile creature who can see you and who isn't incapacitated. Opportunity Attacks I n a Cght, everyone is constantly watching for a chance to strike an enemy who is ieeing or passing by. Such a strike is called an opportunity attack. You can make an opportunity attack when a hostile creature that you can see moves out of your reach. To make the opportunity attack, you use your reaction to make one melee attack against the provoking creature. re attack occurs right before the creature leaves your reach. You can avoid provoking an opportunity attack by taking the Disengage action. You also don't provoke an opportunity attack when you teleport or when someone or something moves you without using your movement, action, or reaction. For example, you don't provoke an opportunity attack if an explosion hurls you out of a foe's reach or if gravity causes you to fall past an enemy. Contests in Combat Battle often involves pitting your prowess against that of your foe. Such a challenge is represented by a contest. ris section includes the most common contests that require an action in combat: grappling and shoving a creature. The GM can use these contests as models for improvising others.
122 Shoving a Creature Using the Attack action, you can make a special melee attack to shove a creature, either to knock it prone or push it away from you. If you're able to make multiple attacks with the Attack action, this attack replaces one of them. re target must be no more than one size larger than you and must be within your reach. Instead of making an attack roll, you make a Strength (Athletics) check contested by the target's Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Acrobatics) check (the target chooses the ability to use). If you win the contest, you either knock the target prone or push it 5 feet away from you. Grappling When you want to grab a creature or wrestle with it, you can use the Attack action to make a special melee attack, a grapple. If you're able to make multiple attacks with the Attack action, this attack replaces one of them. re target of your grapple must be no more than one size larger than you and must be within your reach. Using at least one free hand, you try to seize the target by making a grapple check instead of an attack roll: a Strength (Athletics) check contested by the target's Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Acrobatics) check (the target chooses the ability to use). If you succeed, you subject the target to the grappled condition (see "Conditions"). re condition speciCes the things that end it, and you can release the target whenever you like (no action required). Moving a Grappled Creature When you move, you can drag or carry the grappled creature with you, but your speed is halved unless the creature is two or more sizes smaller than you. Escaping a Grapple A grappled creature can use its action to escape. To do so, it must succeed on a Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Acrobatics) check contested by your Strength (Athletics) check. Two-Weapon Fighting When you take the Attack action and attack with a light melee weapon that you're holding in one hand, you can use a bonus action to attack with a diderent light melee weapon that you're holding in the other hand. You don't add your ability modiCer to the damage of the bonus attack, unless that modiCer is negative. If either weapon has the thrown property, you can throw the weapon instead of making a melee attack with it.
123 Walls, trees, creatures, and other obstacles can provide cover during combat, making a target more ditcult to harm. A target can beneCt from cover only when an attack or other edect originates on the opposite side of the cover. rere are three degrees of cover. If a target is behind multiple sources of cover, only the most protective degree of cover applies; the degrees aren't added together. For example, if a target is behind a creature that gives half cover and a tree trunk that gives three-quarters cover, the target has three-quarters cover. A target with half cover has a +2 bonus to AC and Dexterity saving throws. A target has half cover if an obstacle blocks at least half of its body. re obstacle might be a low wall, a large piece of furniture, a narrow tree trunk, or a creature, whether that creature is an enemy or a friend. A target with three-quarters cover has a +5 bonus to AC and Dexterity saving throws. A target has three-quarters cover if about three-quarters of it is covered by an obstacle. re obstacle might be a portcullis, an arrow slit, or a thick tree trunk. A target with total cover can't be targeted directly by an attack or a spell, although some spells can reach such a target by including it in an area of edect. A target has total cover if it is completely concealed by an obstacle. Core Rules — Cover
124 Taking damage changes the behaviour of those engaged in combat. As anyone who has played DARK SOULS knows, diderent stages of a big Cght triggers diderent moves, diderent attacks, and diderent tactics. In DARK SOULS: Ce Roleplaying Game this is simulated using the bloodied rules. re bloodied condition pertains when a player character or creature’s starting Position pool is equal to or beneath half their total, rounded down. For example, a player character with a starting Position pool of 50 becomes bloodied when they are down to 25 Position. A creature with 150 Position becomes bloodied when its pool reaches 75. re number at which a player character or creature becomes bloodied is referred to as its bloodied value. A creature or character can only become bloodied in combat. If their base Position is reduced to equal or beneath half its total outside of combat, the bloodied condition does not apply. re edect of becoming bloodied is diderent for each player character class, and for each creature. Some creatures become even more deadly, others weaken. Each bloodied edect is diderent. If a player character or creature is healed, and their Position goes back above their bloodied value, the player character or creature is no longer considered bloodied. Bloodied Abilities, or bonuses, only apply when a player character or creature is bloodied. Once that player character has exceeded their bloodied value, they can no longer use a bloodied ability and a bonus no longer applies. ris is the case even if a player character or creature starts a turn below their bloodied value but, before their second action, is raised above it. rey cannot use a bloodied ability or bonus during their second action. At the same time, they no longer suder from any penalties imposed by being bloodied, either. Core Rules — Bloodied Conditions
125 Acid re corrosive spray of a carefully designed trap, or the surge of acid unleashed by a magic-user, all deal acid damage. Lightning re weapons wielded by the Knights of Lothric unleash the power of the storms, as do certain spells. All deal lightning damage. Bludgeoning Blunt force attacks—hammers, falling, constriction, and the like— deal bludgeoning damage. Necrotic Necrotic damage is dealt by some of those cursed to undeath. Cold re hellish touch of ice from the Boreal valley, or the weapons of the Pontid ’s knights deal cold damage. Piercing Puncturing and impaling attacks, including spears and monsters' bites, deal piercing damage. Fire Dragons breathe Cre, and many spells conjure iames to deal Cre damage. Poison Venomous stings and weapons touched with rot deal poison damage. Force Force is pure magical energy focused into a damaging form. Most edects that deal force damage are spells, including magic missile and spiritual weapon. Radiant Radiant damage, dealt by a cleric's spells, is capable of shifting even the perpetual gloom of Lothric for a short time. Slashing Swords, axes, and monsters' claws deal slashing damage. sunder A concussive burst of sound, such as the edect of the thunderwave spell, deals thunder damage. Core Rules — Damage Type Diderent attacks, damaging spells, and other harmful edects deal diderent types of damage. Damage types have no rules of their own, but other rules, such as damage resistance, rely on the types. re damage types follow, with examples to help a GM assign a damage type to a new edect
126 Damage Resistance and Vulnerability Some creatures and objects are exceedingly difficult or unusually easy to hurt with certain types of damage. If a creature or an object has resistance to a damage type, damage of that type is halved against it. If a creature or an object has vulnerability to a damage type, damage of that type is doubled against it. Resistance and then vulnerability are applied after all other modiCers to damage. For example, a creature has resistance to bludgeoning damage and is hit by an attack that deals 25 bludgeoning damage. re creature is also within a magical aura that reduces all damage by -5. re 25 damage is Crst reduced by -5 and then halved, so the creature takes 10 damage. Multiple instances of resistance or vulnerability that adect the same damage type count as only one instance. For example, if a creature has resistance to Cre damage as well as resistance to all nonmagical damage, the damage of a nonmagical Cre is reduced by half against the creature, not reduced by three-quarters. Healing Unless it results in death, damage isn't permanent. Rest can restore a creature's Position, and magical methods such as a cure wounds spell or a potion of healing can remove damage in an instant. When a creature receives healing of any kind, Position regained is added to its current Position pool. A creature's Position pool can't exceed the total rolled at the start of combat, during a combat encounter, or its maximum base Position if outside of combat. As a result, any Position regained in excess of this number are lost. For example, a Cleric heals a Knight for +8 Position. If the Knight has a current Position of 14 and a base Position of 20, the Knight regains +6 Position from the Cleric, not +8. Dropping to Zero Position When you drop to zero Position, you are dead. Killed. It’s over. Until you wake up at a bonCre, a little while later. When a player character dies, they lose all their collected souls, but, when they awaken, are restored to full Position, and all their abilities are once again ready to use. Determining the nearest bonCre is based on the area the player characters are currently exploring. If player characters have not visited or rested at a bonCre, it can still be used as the closest bonCre for purposes of awakening after being killed. If more than half of a party of player characters are killed, they have failed. re whole party must respawn at the nearest bonCre, and all the party lose their souls. For further rules on respawning, see page 98.
127 Core Rules — Mounted Combat A knight charging into battle on a warhorse enjoys the beneCts of speed and mobility that a mount can provide. A willing creature that is of at least the same size than you and that has an appropriate anatomy can serve as a mount, using the following rules. Underwater Combat I t is possible, when exploring the ancient ruins of Lothric, you might Cnd yourself in a iooded dungeon room or other similarly subaquatic location, and you must Cght in this challenging environment. Underwater the following rules apply. When making a melee weapon attack, a creature that doesn't have a swimming speed (either natural or granted by magic) has disadvantage on the attack roll unless the weapon is a dagger, javelin, short sword, spear, or trident. A ranged weapon attack automatically misses a target beyond the weapon's normal range. Even against a target within normal range, the attack roll has disadvantage unless the weapon is a crossbow, a net, or a weapon that is thrown like a javelin (including a spear, trident, or dart). Creatures and objects that are fully immersed in water have resistance to Cre damage. Mounting and Dismounting Once during your move, you can mount a creature that is within 5 feet of you (or dismount). Doing so costs an amount of movement equal to half your speed. For example, if your speed is 30 feet, you must spend 15 feet of movement to mount a horse. rerefore, you can't mount it if you don't have 15 feet of movement left or if your speed is zero. If an edect moves your mount against its will while you're on it, you must succeed on a DC 10 Dexterity saving throw or fall od the mount, landing prone in a space within 5 feet of it. If you're knocked prone while mounted, you must make the same saving throw. If your mount is knocked prone, you can use your reaction to dismount it as it falls and land on your feet. Otherwise, you are dismounted and fall prone in a space within 5 feet of it. Controlling a Mount While you're mounted, you have two options. You can either control the mount or allow it to act independently. Intelligent creatures, such as dragons, act independently. You can control a mount only if it has been trained to accept a rider. Domesticated horses, donkeys, and similar creatures are assumed to have such training. re initiative of a controlled mount changes to match yours when you mount it. It moves as you direct it, and it has only three action options: Dash, Disengage, and Dodge. A controlled mount can move and act even on the turn that you mount it. An independent mount retains its place in the initiative order. Bearing a rider puts no restrictions on the actions the mount can take, and it moves and acts as it wishes. It might iee from combat, rush to attack and devour a badly injured foe, or otherwise act against your wishes. In either case, if the mount provokes an opportunity attack while you're on it, the attacker can target you or the mount.
128
129 spell is a magical or miraculous eCect, crafted and codired by a sorcerer or other practitioner of the arts in the long ago of the world. Magic users can utilise these spells, once they’ve learned them, to generate astonishing powers, forcing the world to obey them, altering the physical laws of reality for a few moments. !"#$%& '&!$("%)*+ While spells and miracles are thematically diCerent, they function in-game identically. As a result, we’ll be referring to both spells and miracles as ‘spells’ for the duration of this chapter. Spells have several uses. ee rrst of these is as weapons and dealing damage, the second is for healing, and the third is for improving and boosting your abilities. Equipping and utilising spells is simple. Follow the rules on subsequent pages to determine whether you can equip the spell, and then use the description of the spell to determine how it interacts with the game.
130 Magic & Miracles — ,%-.$($/#&& 01*))+ I n DARK SOULS: Ce Roleplaying Game you gain spells through hunting them down, winning them in combat, or purchasing them from merchants. eey aren’t just in a book waiting for you to learn them when you hit the right level. eis is DARK SOULS, remember? eings are never that easy. While most classes capable of using magic begin with at least one spell accessible to them, rnding more necessitates some work on the part of the characters. Fighting powerful creatures to requisition their treasure is one way of rnding spells. Other times, it’s simply exploring the strange and sinister locations of Lothric that’ll present you with the opportunity to discover spells. While most spells are available to purchase for souls, GMs can supply them as treasure. ee GM can place spells wherever they choose, or wherever feels suitable for a quest. eere is advice about placing spells for player characters to rnd in Chapter 5. 01*))&2*3*) Alongside an attunement value, a spell has a casting level. ee casting level indicates the minimum player level you must be to attempt to cast the spell. Spells are powerful things; it’s not a simple matter to wield magic, or the power of a god. If, for example, you’re a 5th level Pyromancer, you can cast spells of level 5 and below. You cannot cast spells of level 6 or above. 4"+5+ The number of times a spell can be cast per Long rest is determined by the cast value. Each time a spell is used, the cast value decreases by -1. When the cast value reaches zero, it cannot be cast again until a player character has Long rested at a bonrre. When resting at a bonrre, all spells are returned to their starting cast value. Once a spell has reached zero casts, it does not stop taking up its attunement slots. It is not possible to exhaust the casts of one spell and immediately replace it with another spell. 01*))&,55./*6*/5 Each magic-user class possesses a number of attunement slots. eese slots tell you how many spells you can have available to you at any one time. Every spell has an attunement value. eis indicates how many attunement slots it requires. If a spell has an attunement value of 3, then it takes up 3 attunement slots. In order to equip a spell, you must have the corresponding number of free attunement slots. If you do not, you cannot equip that spell. For example, if you have two attunement slots, you can utilise two spells with an value of one, or one spell with an value of two. 7-.$11$/#&01*))+ To use a spell, it must be equipped in an appropriate number of attunement slots. Equipping a spell is a simple process; determine which spells your character would like to equip, and ensure you have enough attunement slots for them. You can only equip and unequip spells during a Long rest, at a bonrre. It is possible to acquire a spell multiple times, and equip each instance as a separate spell. eis does not reduce the number of attunement slots the spells occupy, however.
131 Magic & Miracles — 48+5 Some spells come with an additional Position cost; this is how many points of Position a character must spend in order to cast the spell, when in combat. eis represents the additional didculty of summoning, and wielding magic as battle rages around you. In non-combat situations, you do not need to spend Position to cast a spell, though you must still reduce the number of casts the spell has remaining. For example, if a pyromancer wishes to cast rreball at the wooden door of an empty tower, blasting it open, they do not need to pay any Position to do so, as they are not in combat. eere are no Hollows clawing at them, no clang of steel distracting them. If the same pyromancer tries to cast rreball amid a frenetic rght, however, they need to spend 1 Position to do so—overcoming the distractions and dangers surrounding them as they call up the iames. 4"+5$/#&9$6* Each spell has an associated casting time. Some spells can be cast immediately, others require a few turns to spring to life. Bonus Action A spell cast with a bonus action is especially swift. You must use a bonus action on your turn to cast the spell, if you haven't already taken a bonus action this turn. You can't cast another spell during the same turn. Longer Casting Times Certain spells (including spells cast as rituals) require more time to cast. When you cast a spell with a casting time longer than a single action or reaction, you must spend your action each turn casting the spell, and you must maintain your concentration while you do so. Whenever you take damage while you are concentrating on a spell, you must make a Constitution saving throw to maintain your concentration. ee DC equals 10 or half the damage you take, whichever number is higher. If your concentration is broken, the spell fails, but you don't expend a cast. If you want to try casting the spell again, you must start over. Reactions Some spells can be cast as reactions. eese spells take a fraction of a second to bring about and are cast in response to some event. If a spell can be cast as a reaction, the spell description tells you exactly when you can do so.
132 Magic & Miracles — :"/#* ee target of a spell must be within the spell's range. For a spell like rreball, the target is a creature. For a spell like toxic mist, the target is the point in space where the ball of rre erupts. Most spells have ranges expressed in feet. Some spells can target only a creature (including you) that you touch. Other spells, such as the hush spell, aCect only you. eese spells have a range of self. Spells that create cones or lines of eCect that originate from you also have a range of self, indicating that the origin point of the spell's eCect must be you. Once a spell is cast, its eCects aren't limited by its range, unless the spell's description says otherwise. ;.("5$8/ A spell's duration is the length of time the spell persists. A duration can be expressed in rounds, minutes, hours, or even years. Some spells specify that their eCects last until the spells are dispelled or destroyed. Most spells are instantaneous. ee spell harms, heals, creates, or alters a creature or an object in a way that can't be dispelled, because its magic exists only for an instant. Other spells persist over several rounds. eese spells have their duration listed as part of their description. 9"(#*5+ A typical spell requires you to pick one or more targets to be aCected by the spell's magic. A spell's description tells you whether the spell targets creatures, objects, or a point of origin for an area of eCect (described below). Unless a spell has a perceptible eCect, a creature might not know it was targeted by a spell at all. An eCect like crackling lightning is obvious, but a more subtle eCect, such as an attempt to read a creature's thoughts, typically goes unnoticed unless a spell says otherwise. A Clear Path to the Target To target something, you must have a clear path to it, so it can't be behind total cover. If you place an area of eCect at a point that you can't see and an obstruction, such as a wall, is between you and that point, the point of origin comes into being on the near side of that obstruction. Targeting Yourself If a spell targets a creature of your choice, you can choose yourself, unless the creature must be hostile or specircally a creature other than you. If you are in the area of eCect of a spell you cast, you can target yourself.
133 Cone A cone extends in a direction you choose from its point of origin. A cone's width at a given point along its length is equal to that point's distance from the point of origin. A cone's area of eCect specires its maximum length. A cone's point of origin is not included in the cone's area of eCect, unless you decide otherwise. Cube You select a cube's point of origin, which lies anywhere on a face of the cubic eCect. ee cube's size is expressed as the length of each side. A cube's point of origin is not included in the cube's area of eCect, unless you decide otherwise. Line A line extends from its point of origin in a straight path up to its length and covers an area derned by its width. A line's point of origin is not included in the line's area of eCect, unless you decide otherwise. Sphere You select a sphere's point of origin, and the sphere extends outward from that point. The sphere's size is expressed as a radius in feet that extends from the point. A sphere's point of origin is included in the sphere's area of eCect. Cylinder A cylinder's point of origin is the centre of a circle of a particular radius, as given in the spell description. ee circle must either be on the ground or at the height of the spell eCect. ee energy in a cylinder expands in straight lines from the point of origin to the perimeter of the circle, forming the base of the cylinder. ee spell's eCect then either shoots up from the base or down from the top to a distance equal to the height of the cylinder. A cylinder's point of origin is included in the cylinder's area of eCect. Some spells cover an area, allowing them to aCect multiple creatures at once. A spell's description specires its area of eCect, which typically has one of rve diCerent shapes: cone, cube, cylinder, line, or sphere. Every area of eCect has a point of origin, a location from which the spell's energy erupts. ee rules for each shape specify how you position its point of origin. Typically, a point of origin is a point in space, but some spells have an area whose origin is a creature or an object. A spell's eCect expands in straight lines from the point of origin. If no unblocked straight line extends from the point of origin to a location within the area of eCect, that location isn't included in the spell's area. To block one of these imaginary lines, an obstruction must provide total cover. ,(*"+&8<&7<<*%5 0"3$/#&9=(8>+ Many spells specify that a target can make a saving throw to avoid some or all of a spell's eCects. ee spell specires the ability that the target uses for the saving throw and what happens on a success or failure. ,55"%?&:8))+ Some spells require the caster to make an attack roll to determine whether the spell eCect hits the intended target. Most spells that require attack rolls involve ranged attacks. Remember that you have disadvantage on a ranged attack roll if you are within 5 feet of a hostile creature that can see you and that isn't incapacitated. ee DC to resist one of your spells = 8 + your spellcasting ability modirer + your prorciency bonus + any special modirers. Your attack bonus with a spell attack = your spellcasting ability modirer + your prorciency bonus.
134 @$(*A"))& @$(*&B(A C(*"5&@$(*A")) You create a small ball of iame and hurl it at a chosen target creature within range. ee enemy creature suCers 1d6+ your spellcasting ability modirer rre damage, or half damage on a successful Dexterity saving throw against your spell DC. When you throw this magical rre orb, you may nominate a single target or area of the combat environment. On a successful magic attack roll, the nominated target takes 4d6 rre damage, or half damage on a successful Dexterity saving throw against your spell DC. All creatures within 5 feet must make a Dexterity saving throw, taking 2d6 rre damage if unsuccessful. On a successful saving throw, they only suCer half damage. You hurl a much larger rreball at a single target or area of the combat environment. On a successful magic attack roll, the nominated target takes 12d6 rre damage, or half damage on a successful Dexterity saving throw against your spell DC. All creatures within 5 feet must make a Dexterity saving throw, taking 6d6 rre damage if unsuccessful. On a successful saving throw, they only suCer half damage. ECect ECect ECect Range Range Range Level Cost Cost Cost Level Level 1 1 Position 1 Position 2 Position 5 12 Duration Duration Duration Cast Time Cast Time Cast Time Casts Casts Casts Instantaneous Instantaneous Instantaneous 120 feet 120 feet 240 feet 3 3 3 1 action 1 action 1 action 1 1 2 Attunement Slots Attunement Slots Attunement Slots C(*"5&4="8+&@$(*A"))& You select a creature or point within range that you can see. On a successful spell attack roll, the original target and all creatures within 5feet of the target must make a dexterity saving throw, with the original target su target suCering 18d6 ering 18d6 rre damage and all other creatures su re damage and all other creatures suCering 8d6 ering 8d6 rre damage on a failure, or half as much on a success. For 1d6+2 rounds a pool of lava with a radius of 30 feet appears centred on the original target. A creature that enters the lava for the rrst time or starts its turn in the lava suCers 3d6 rre damage and the burning condition. After the number of rounds rolled the lava vanishes. ECect Range Cost Level 3 Position 17 Duration Cast Time Casts Instantaneous 240 feet 2 2 actions Attunement Slots 2 Magic & Miracles — DE(86"/%*(& 01*))+
135 @$(*+58(6& @$(*&9*61*+5 4="8+&058(6 ee caster nominates three points within 30 feet of their position. From those points, three cylindrical columns of rre erupt from the ground. Each has a diameter of 5 feet, and any creature within the cylinder of rre when it erupts suCers 5d6 rre damage, or half damage on a successful Dexterity saving throw against your spell DC. ee columns remain in place until the start of your next turn. Moving through a space occupied by a column of rre deals 2d6 rre damage. Position can be spent to increase the length of time a column remains in place after casting, at the cost of 2 Position per additional turn. You must spend this additional Position when casting the spell. ee caster nominates three points within 80 feet of their position. From those points, three cylindrical columns of rre erupt from the ground. Each has a diameter of 15 feet, and any creature within the cylinder of rre when it erupts suCers 10d6 rre damage, or half damage on a successful Dexterity saving throw against your spell DC. ee columns remain in place for 1 turn after the spell has been cast. Moving through a space occupied by a column of rre deals 4d6 rre damage. Position can be spent to increase the length of time a column remains in place after casting, at the cost of 2 Position per additional turn. You must spend this additional Position when casting the spell. ee caster nominates three points within 80 feet of their position. From those points, three cylindrical columns of rre erupt from the ground. Each has a diameter of 15 feet, and any creature within the cylinder of rre when it erupts suCers 12d6 rre damage, or half damage on a successful Dexterity saving throw against your spell DC. ee columns remain in place until the start of your next turn. Moving through a space occupied by a column of rre deals 5d6 rre damage. Each column leaves behind it a pool of lava. Each pool covers a circle with a radius of 10 feet, with the nominated target as its centre. ee lava remains in place for 1d3+1 rounds. Any creature coming into contact with it immediately suCers 5d6 rre damage, or half damage on a successful Dexterity saving throw against your spell DC, and suCers the burning condition. After the number of rounds has elapsed, the lava vanishes. ECect ECect ECect Range Range Range Cost Cost Cost Level Level Level 1 Position 2 Position 2 Position 5 10 15 Duration Duration Duration Cast Time Cast Time Cast Time Casts Casts Casts 1 turn 1 turn 1 round 30 feet 80 feet 80 feet 3 2 1 1 action 1 action 2 actions 1 2 2 Attunement Slots Attunement Slots Attunement Slots 486A.+5$8/ ee hand bearing your pyromancy glove erupts into iame lasting for 1 turn. It can be used to make a melee attack, which if successful deals 3d6 rre damage, or half damage on a successful Dexterity saving throw against your spell DC. You may increase the damage of this spell by spending 3 Position per extra d6 of damage dealt. For example, you may spend 6 Position to increase this from a spell dealing 3d6 rre damage to a spell dealing 5d6 rre damage to a maximum of 5 Position. ECect Range Cost Level - 1 Duration Cast Time Casts 1 turn Self 8 1 action Attunement Slots 1
136 C(*"5&486A.+5$8/ ee hand bearing your pyromancy glove erupts into searing white iame. ee iame lasts for 3 turns. It can be used to make a melee attack, which if successful deals 8d6 rre damage, or half damage on a successful Dexterity saving throw against your spell DC. In addition, any creatures adjacent to your target must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or suCer 2d6 rre damage as they are scorched by the intense heat. You may increase the duration of this spell by spending 2 Position per additional turn and/or you may also increase its damage at the cost of 3 Position per additional d6, to a maximum of 12 Position total. For example, you may spend 10 Position to increase this from a spell lasting three turns, dealing 8d6 damage to the target and 2d6 to anything adjacent to them, to a spell lasting rve turns, dealing 10d6 damage to the target and 4d6 to anything adjacent to them. ECect Range Cost Level 1 Position 5 Duration Cast Time Casts 3 turns Self 10 1 action Attunement Slots 1 4="8+&@$(*&F=$1 A whip of dark rre lashes out from your hand, slicing at the foe. You may make a melee attack against any number of creatures in a straight line measuring 40 feet from yourself . All creatures struck by the attack suCer 4d6 rre damage, and the burning condition, unless they succeed on a Dexterity saving throw, in which case they suCer half damage. You may increase the range of this attack by spending 1 Position per additional 10 feet range. ECect Range Cost Level 1 Position 7 Duration Cast Time Casts 1 turn Self (40 feet line) 3 1 action Attunement Slots 1 @$(*&0.(#* D8$+8/&!$+5 @$(*&F=$1 A thin sheet of iames shoots forth from your outstretched rngertips. Each creature in a 15 feet cone must make a Dexterity saving throw, taking 3d6 rre damage on a failed saving throw, or half damage on a successful one. You exhale a corrosive, poisonous mist that sears the iesh of those in its path. It forms a 15 feet cone. Any creature in the path of the mist suCers 3d6 poison damage and must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or be aticted with the poisoned condition. A blazing whip lashes out from your hand, slicing at the foe. You may make a melee attack against any number of creatures in a straight line measuring 25 feet from yourself. All creatures struck by the attack suCer 3d6 rre damage, or half damage on a successful Dexterity saving throw against your spell DC. ECect ECect ECect Range Range Range Cost Cost Cost Level Level Level - - 1 Position 2 2 4 Duration Duration Duration Cast Time Cast Time Cast Time Casts Casts Casts Instantaneous 1 turn Instantaneous Self (15 feet cone) Self (15 feet cone) Self (25 feet line) 12 8 10 1 action 1 action 1 action 1 1 1 Attunement Slots Attunement Slots Attunement Slots
137 Position Spent AC Boost Damage Boost 98G$%&!$+5 ,%$H&0.(#* I(8/&@)*+= You breathe out a toxic gas melting the skin of all those in its path. It forms a 20 feet cone. Any creature in the path of the mist suCers 3d6 poison damage and must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or be aticted with the poisoned condition. ee 20 feet cone of mist then remains in place for 1d3 turns. Any creature passing through the mist suCers 1d6 poison damage. You exhale a searing, corrosive mist that decays the armour and weaponry of those in its path. It forms a 10 feet cone. Any creature within the cone must succeed on a Constitution saving throw, or suCer 1d4+1 acid damage, and, for the next 1d3+1 turns, make all melee attacks at disadvantage. On a successful saving throw, they suCer half as much damage, and make melee attacks as normal. For 1d8+2 turns, the caster gains +6 AC, and gains resistance to nonmagical bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage. While the spell lasts, the caster has disadvantage on all Dexterity saving throws and checks. ECect ECect ECect Range Range Range Cost Cost Cost Level Level Level 1 Position 1 Position 1 Position 3 2 5 Duration Duration Duration Cast Time Cast Time Cast Time Casts Casts Casts 1d3 turns 1d3+1 turns Instantaneous Self (20 feet cone) Self (10 feet cone) Self 8 5 10 1 action 1 action 1 action 1 1 1 Attunement Slots Attunement Slots Attunement Slots J)"%?&@)"6* D8>*(&F$5=$/ ee hand bearing your pyromancy glove erupts into all consuming black rre. ee rre lasts for 1 turn. It can be used to make a melee attack, which re lasts for 1 turn. It can be used to make a melee attack, which if successful deals 8d6 rre damage and permanent -2 AC the rrst time it iniicts damage to a creaturea. ee duration of the spell can be increased at a cost of 2 Position per additional turn. ee rrst time this attack hits a creature its AC is permanently reduced by 2 to a maximum of 10 Position. You press your glove to your chest, imbuing yourself with renewed strength and vigour. You can choose to spend Position equal to the level you wish to power the spell to. eese eCects occur immediately and last until the end of your next turn, or a number of rounds equal to the Position spent, whichever is longer. ee additional damage applies to all attacks you make, whether melee, ranged, or magical. ECect ECect Range Range Cost Cost Level Level - See eCect 7 8 Duration Duration Cast Time Cast Time Casts Casts - - Self Self 3 5 1 action 1 action 1 1 Attunement Slots Attunement Slots 1 2 3 4 5 +1 +2 +3 +4 +5 +1d3 +1d4 +1d6 +1d8 +1d10
138 K/H*"H&:"118(5 You attempt to form a rapport with one undead creature of a Challenge Rating equal to your caster level or below that you can see within 40 feet of you. It must make a Wisdom saving throw and does so with advantage if you or your companions are hostile to the target creature. If it fails the saving throw, it is charmed by you until the spell ends or until you or your companions do anything harmful to it. ee undead regards you as a friendly acquaintance and will follow basic instructions. You can increase the number of undead creatures you attempt to form a rapport with at a cost of 3 Position per additional undead creature to a maximum of 5 undead creatures. ee duration of this spell is 1 hour. e duration of this spell is 1 hour. eis spell has no e is spell has no eCect on boss creatures. ect on boss creatures. ECect Range Cost Level 1 Position 9 Duration Cast Time Casts See eCect 40 feet 4 1 action Attunement Slots 1 Magic & Miracles — 08(%*($*+ 08.)&,((8> You create a glowing arrow of magical force, throwing it at a single enemy creature within 120 feet of you. ee orb deals 1d6+ your spellcasting ability modirer force damage You can increase the damage dealt by the orb at a cost of 1 Position per +2 damage. ECect Range Cost Level - 1 Duration Cast Time Casts Instantaneous 120 feet 10 1 action Attunement Slots 1 L*"3E&08.)&,((8> C(*"5&08.)&,((8> You create a glowing orb of magical force. On a successful spell attack roll, it strikes a creature of your choice that you can see within range, the orb deals 8d6 + 8 force damage to its target, or half damage on a successful Dexterity saving throw against your spell DC. You can increase the number of orbs cast by this spell, at a cost of 5 Position per additional orb cast. eis additional orb can be cast at the same or at a diCerent target. You create a glowing arrow of magical force. On a successful spell attack roll, it strikes a creature of your choice that you can see within range, the orb deals 5d6 + 5 force damage to its target, or half damage on a successful Dexterity saving throw against your spell DC. You can increase the number of damage dice iniicted by this spell, at a cost of 3 Position per additional d6 of damage iniicted to a maximum of 12 Position. ECect ECect Range Range Cost Cost Level Level 1 Position 1 Position 15 5 Duration Duration Cast Time Cast Time Casts Casts Instantaneous Instantaneous 250 feet 180 feet 5 5 2 actions 1 action 1 1 Attunement Slots Attunement Slots
139 L86$/#&08.)6"++ You create three projectiles. Each projectile hits a creature of your choice that you can see within 70 feet of you. A projectile deals 1d4 + 1 force damage to its target. ee darts all strike simultaneously, and you can direct them to hit one creature or several. ECect Range Cost Level - 1 Duration Cast Time Casts Instantaneous 70 feet 15 1 action Attunement Slots 1 L86$/#&4(E+5")&08.)6"++ You create six projectiles. Each projectile hits a creature of your choice that you can see within range. A projectile deals 1d6 + 2 piercing damage to its target. ee darts all strike simultaneously, and you can direct them to hit one creature or several. Upon striking the target, the projectiles shatter into crystals. eese deliver an additional 1d3 damage. ECect Range Cost Level 1 Position 4 Duration Cast Time Casts Instantaneous 90 feet 10 1 action Attunement Slots 1 08.)&01*"( A spear of gleaming crystal forms in one of your empty hands. It can be used to make one ranged or one melee attack against a single target. A successful attack deals 8d6 piercing damage. ECect Range Cost Level 1 Position 5 Duration Cast Time Casts Instantaneous 60 feet 3 1 action Attunement Slots 1 Range Level 12 120 feet 4(E+5")&08.)&01*"( Crystal sprouts from your rngers, forming a spear in one of your empty hands. It can be used to make one ranged or one melee attack against a single target. A successful attack deals 14d6 piercing damage, and the target creature must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or become paralysed. ECect Cost 2 Position Duration Cast Time Casts Instantaneous 4 1 action Attunement Slots 2 F=$5*&;("#8/&J(*"5= A line of gleaming white crystals erupt from the ground, travelling in a straight line up to 30 feet from you to one target you can see. ee target must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or suCer 10d6 piercing damage and become paralysed until the end of their next turn. On a successful saving throw, they take half damage and are not paralysed. ECect Range Cost Level 1 Position 9 Duration Cast Time Casts Instantaneous 30 feet 3 1 action Attunement Slots 1 C(*"5&L*"3E&08.)&,((8> You create a glowing orb of magical force. On a successful spell attack roll, it strikes a creature of your choice that you can see within range, the orb deals 18d6 force damage to its target, or half damage on a successful Dexterity saving throw against your spell DC. You can increase the number or orbs cast by this spell, at a cost of 2 Position per additional orb cast, to a maximum of 10 Position. eese additional orbs can be cast at the same or at a diCerent target. ECect Range Cost Level 2 Position 20 Duration Cast Time Casts Instantaneous 300 feet 2 2 actions Attunement Slots 3 Range Level 12 120 feet
140 C(*"5&!"#$%&F*"18/ You touch one melee or ranged weapon. For the duration of the spell, the weapon deals an extra +8d6 piercing or slashing damage whenever it makes a successful attack. In addition, the weapon cannot degrade or break while this spell is active. ee duration of the spell can be increased at a cost of 1 Position per additional minute. All damage dealt by this weapon is treated as magical for the purposes of damage resistances and immunities. ECect Range Cost Level - 13 Duration Cast Time Casts 3 minutes Touch 6 1 action Attunement Slots 1 !"#$%&0=$*)H You summon the forces of magic to protect you against your foes. For the duration of the spell, you gain +4 AC. You may extend the duration of the spell at the cost of 2 Position per additional minute. ECect Range Cost Level - 5 Duration Cast Time Casts 5 minutes Touch 6 1 action Attunement Slots 1 05(8/#&!"#$%&0=$*)H ,.(")&;*%8E You summon the forces of magic to protect you against your foes. For the duration of the spell, you gain +8 AC, and are resistant to piercing, bludgeoning, slashing, acid, force, and lightning damage. You may extend the duration of the spell at the cost of 2 Position per additional minute to a maximum of 10 Position. You create an instantaneous, harmless auditory eCect somewhere within 60 feet of you. You may cast this spell multiple times per turn, at the cost of 1 Position per additional cast. eis counts as a separate cast of the spell for the purposes of remaining casts. ECect ECect Range Range Cost Cost Level Level - - 11 1 Duration Duration Cast Time Cast Time Casts Casts 3 minutes Instantaneous Touch 60 feet 6 25 1 action 1 action 1 1 Attunement Slots Attunement Slots L.+= With a twist of the hand, you make yourself utterly silent. For the duration of the spell, you make all Stealth skill checks at advantage. You may cast this spell on additional targets at the same time, at the cost of 1 Position per additional cast. eis counts as a separate cast of the spell for the purposes of remaining casts. ECect Range Cost Level - 2 Duration Cast Time Casts 1 hour Self 20 1 action Attunement Slots 1 !"#$%&F*"18/ You touch one melee or ranged weapon. For the duration of the spell, the weapon deals an extra +1d6 piercing or slashing damage whenever it makes a successful attack. In addition, the weapon cannot degrade or break while this spell is active. ee duration of the spell can be increased at a cost of 1 Position per additional minute. All damage dealt by this weapon is treated as magical for the purposes of damage resistances and immunities. ECect Range Cost Level - 4 Duration Cast Time Casts 5 minutes Touch 8 1 action Attunement Slots 1
141 L$HH*/&F*"18/ For the duration of the spell, you turn one object in your hand entirely invisible. You can extend the duration of the spell by an additional hour, at the cost of 1 Position per hour. ECect Range Cost Level - 1 Duration Cast Time Casts 1 hour Touch 15 1 action Attunement Slots 1 L$HH*/&J8HE A creature you touch melts into the shadows until the spell ends. Anything the target is wearing or carrying is rendered didcult to see for as long as it is on the target's person. ee spell ends for a target that attacks or casts a spell. Any Perception check to detect you is made at disadvantage, and any stealth checks you make are made at advantage while eCected by this spell. ECect Range Cost Level 1 Position 3 Duration Cast Time Casts 1 hour Touch 5 1 action Attunement Slots 1 :*1"$( 4"+5&2$#=5 eis spell repairs a single break or tear in one of your weapons or sets of armour. You must be able to touch the weapon or armour. If the break or tear is no larger than 1 feet in any dimension, you mend it, leaving no trace of the former damage. You touch an object or point at an area. Until the spell ends, the object sheds bright light in a 20-foot radius and dim light in an additional 20 feet radius. ee light is bright white. ee spell ends if you cast it again or dismiss it as an action. ECect ECect Range Range Cost Cost Level Level - - 1 1 Duration Duration Cast Time Cast Time Casts Casts - 1 hour Touch 30 feet 30 15 1 action 1 action 1 1 Attunement Slots Attunement Slots :*6*HE You touch a creature. If it is poisoned or bleeding, you neutralize the poison or halt the bleeding. If more than one such condition aticts the target, you neutralise one poison that you know is present, or you neutralise one at random. For the duration, the target gains advantage on saving throws against being poisoned, suCering from the bleeding condition, and has resistance to poison damage. ECect Range Cost Level - 2 Duration Cast Time Casts 1 hour Touch 20 1 action Attunement Slots 1 @"))&48/5(8) ee caster makes themselves lighter. Whenever the caster would take falling damage, they should make a Dexterity saving throw with a DC 15. On a successful saving throw, they take no damage. On a failed saving throw, they take only half damage. ECect Range Cost Level 2 Position 2 Duration Cast Time Casts 1 hour Self 25 1 action Attunement Slots 1
142 4="6*)*8/ eis spell transforms the caster into a new form. ee new form can be any inanimate object of the caster’s size or smaller. ee caster retains the Position of their original form. ee transformation lasts for one hour, and ends if the caster takes any damage, they immediately revert to their original form. ee caster is limited in the actions it can perform by the nature of their new form, and they can’t speak, cast spells, or take any other action that requires hands or speech. eey are also slowed to a walk and move at half speed for the duration (if their new form is capable of motion). ee target’s gear melds into the new form. ee caster can’t activate, use, wield, or otherwise benert from any of its equipment. ECect Range Cost Level 2 Position 8 Duration Cast Time Casts 1 hour Self 5 1 action Attunement Slots 1 :*+$+5&4.(+* ;"(?&B(A ;"(?&@8# At your touch, all curses aCecting one creature or object end. If the object is a cursed magic item, its curse remains but the spell breaks its owner’s attunement to the object so it can be removed or discarded. You hurl an orb of swirling darkness at one target, you can see within range. It hits automatically. ee creature takes 4d6+4 force damage and must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or be knocked prone. A poisonous mist forms amid your foes. A sphere of poison forms at a point of your choice within 30 feet of you. Any creature in the sphere suCers 3d6 poison damage and must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or be aticted with the poison condition. ee mist then remains in place for 1d3 turns. Any creature passing through the mist suCers 1d6 poison damage and poisoned condition for 1 minute. ECect ECect ECect Range Range Range Cost Cost Cost Level Level Level - 1 Position 1 Position 5 9 6 Duration Duration Duration Cast Time Cast Time Cast Time Casts Casts Casts instantaneous Instantaneous 1d3 turns Touch 150 feet 30 feet 20 5 5 1 action 2 actions 1 action 1 1 1 Attunement Slots Attunement Slots Attunement Slots ;"(?&J*"H 10 small black beads emerge from your hand, iying at one or multiple targets that the caster can see, within range. Each bead automatically hits and deals 1d3 +1 piercing damage. As an action you can rre a number of beads equal to your spellcasting modirer, each bead can target the same or a diCerent target. ee spell duration is 1 minute or until the last bead is rred. ECect Range Cost Level 1 Position 12 Duration Cast Time Casts See eCect 40 feet 8 1 action Attunement Slots 2
143 D.(+.*(+ A mass of dark soul energy erupts from you, rolling towards your enemies. A 10 feet sphere emerges from you, and moves in a straight line away from you, at a rate of 15 feet per turn. Any hostile creature it touches suCers 5d6 force damage. At the end of 1d4+1 turns, the sphere vanishes. ECect Range Cost Level 1 Position 17 Duration Cast Time Casts 1d4+1 turns Self 2 2 actions Attunement Slots 2 Magic & Miracles — !$("%)*+ L*") A creature you touch regains a number of Position equal to 1d8 + your spellcasting ability modirer. ECect Range Cost Level - 3 Duration Cast Time Casts Instantaneous Touch 5 1 action Attunement Slots 1 C(*"5&L*")&7G%*(15 0885=$/#&0./)$#=5 A creature you touch regains a number of Position equal to 5d8 + your spellcasting ability modirer. Your faith blazes out from you, in a circle of sunlight. ee circle has a circumference of 20 feet from the caster.All friendly creatures within the circle regains a number of Position equal to 4d8 + your spellcasting ability modirer. ECect ECect Range Range Cost Cost Level Level 1 Position 2 Position 5 8 Duration Duration Cast Time Cast Time Casts Casts Instantaneous Instantaneous Touch 20 feet 3 2 1 action 2 actions 1 1 Attunement Slots Attunement Slots C(*"5&L*") You channel your faith, restoring health and more. A creature you touch regains a number of Position equal to 10d8 + your spellcasting ability modirer. You can also reduce the target’s exhaustion level by one, or end one of the following eCects on the target: One eCect that charmed or petrired the target. One curse, including the target’s attunement to a cursed magic item.Any reduction to one of the target's ability scores, caused by dying or any other reason ECect Range Cost Level 1 Position 12 Duration Cast Time Casts Instantaneous Touch 2 2 actions Attunement Slots 2
144 @8(%* A wave of force iattens all those close to you. Emanating from the caster, a circle of force with a circumference of 20 feet strikes all creatures in its proximity. Each creature must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or be knocked back 10 feet in a straight line and be left prone. A creature who succeeds on the saving throw is only knocked back. ECect Range Cost Level - 1 Duration Cast Time Casts Instantaneous 20 feet 6 1 action Attunement Slots 1 F("5=&8<&5=*&C8H+ All creatures of the casters choice within a 20 feet circle centred on the caster. All hostile creatures must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or suCer 10d10 force damage. Any creature who succeeds on the saving throw suCers only half damage. ECect Range Cost Level 2 Position 16 Duration Cast Time Casts Instantaneous 20 feet 3 1 action Attunement Slots 2 76$5&@8(%* !"#$%&J"(($*( When you throw this magical force orb, you may nominate a single target or area within 50 feet of you. On a successful spell attack roll, the nominated target takes 8d8 force damage. All other creatures within 10 feet of the target must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or take 3d8 force damage. On a successful saving throw, they only suCer half damage. You wreathe yourself in the protection of your faith. For the duration of the spell, the caster has resistance to magical damage, radiant, necrotic and force damage. Including all damage dealt by pyromancies, sorceries and miracles. You may increase the duration of the spell at a cost of 1 Position per additional minute. ECect ECect Range Range Cost Cost Level Level 1 Position 2 Position 9 6 Duration Duration Cast Time Cast Time Casts Casts Instantaneous 2 minutes 50 feet Self 5 2 1 action 1 action 1 2 Attunement Slots Attunement Slots C(*"5&!"#$%&J"(($*( ee blessing of faith renders you safe from wicked sorcery. For the duration of the spell, you are immune to magical and force damage. You also have resistance to piercing, slashing, bludgeoning, acid, rre, ice, lightning, and necrotic damage. You may extend the duration of this spell at a cost of 3 Position per additional minute. ECect Range Cost Level 2 Position 15 Duration Cast Time Casts 2 minutes Self 2 1 action Attunement Slots 2 :*1)*/$+=6*/5 ee caster restores Position equal to 1d6 + your spellcasting ability modirer at the start of each of their turns for the duration of the spell. ECect Range Cost Level 1 position 4 Duration Cast Time Casts 1 minute Self 3 1 action Attunement Slots 1
145 M"(6$%&N.+5$%* O8>&8<&0$)*/%* 2$#=5/$/#&01*"( Your faith in the protection of the gods manifests itself in physical danger for those who would attack you. After you cast this spell, if you suCer more than half your total Position in damage, a wave of magical force erupts from you. All creatures of your choice within 20 feet of you suCer 8d8 force damage and must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or be knocked prone. Duration till triggered for 10 minutes. A wave of silence spreads out around you. For one minute, no creature within 20 feet of you may cast any spell or miracle. You may extend the duration of this spell at the cost of 3 Position per additional minute. A spear of lightning forms in one of your empty hands. It can be used to make one melee attack, or a ranged spell attack with a range of 30 feet, against a single target. A successful attack deals 8d6 lightning damage. ECect ECect ECect Range Range Range Cost Cost Cost Level Level Level 1 Position 1 Position - 1 12 5 Duration Duration Duration Cast Time Cast Time Cast Time Casts Casts Casts See eCect 1 minute 1 minute 20 feet 20 feet Self 4 8 4 1 action 1 action 1 action 1 1 1 Attunement Slots Attunement Slots Attunement Slots 0**?&C.$H"/%* C(*"5&2$#=5/$/#&01*"( Name or describe a person, place, or object. ee spell brings to your mind a brief summary of the signircant lore about the thing you named and reveals the location of any new information within 120 feet of the caster. ee lore might consist of current tales, forgotten stories, or even secret lore that has never been widely known. If the thing you named isn’t of legendary importance, or directly related to the area you are in, you gain no information. ee more information you already have about the thing, the more precise and detailed the information you receive is. A larger, and more ferocious spear of lightning forms in one of your empty hands. It can be used to make one melee attack, or a ranged spell attack with a range of 45 feet, against a single target. A successful attack deals 12d6 lightning damage. If thrown into water, the entire area becomes electrired and any creature stood within the water, or within 5 feet of the water, must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or suCer 10d6 lightning damage, or half this on a successful saving throw. Using the spear of lightning in this fashion costs 1 additional Position. ECect ECect Range Range Cost Cost Level Level 1 Position 1 Position 13 13 Duration Duration Cast Time Cast Time Casts Casts Instantaneous 1 minute Self Self 3 4 1 action 1 action 1 1 Attunement Slots Attunement Slots
146 0./)$#=5&01*"( A crackling spear of lightning forms in one of your empty hands. It can be used to make one melee spell or ranged spell attack against a single target. A successful attack deals 15d6 radiant damage. ee ranged attack has a range of 20 feet ee spell ends after you make the attack. If thrown into water, the entire area becomes electrired and any creature stood within the water, or within 10 feet of the water, must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or suCer 12d6 lightning damage, or half damage on a successful saving throw. Using the spear of lightning in this fashion costs 1 Position. ECect Range Cost Level 1 Position 14 Duration Cast Time Casts 1 minute Self 2 1 action Attunement Slots 2 9("/-.$)&F")?&8<&D*"%* All enemy creatures within 20 feet of you move at half speed for the duration of the spell. You may extend the duration of the spell at the cost of 1 Position per additional minute. ECect Range Cost Level - 1 Duration Cast Time Casts 1 minute 20 feet 12 1 action Attunement Slots 1 C("3*)8(H&C(*"5+>8(H&;"/%* Each creature within a 40 feet sphere centred on a point you can see within range must make a Dexterity saving throw. ee sphere spreads around corners. A creature takes 20d6 piercing damage and 20d6 bludgeoning damage on a failed saving throw, or half damage on a successful one. ECect Range Cost Level 2 Position 18 Duration Cast Time Casts Instantaneous 40 feet 2 2 actions Attunement Slots 2 7+%"1*&;*"5= You might not be able to die, but that doesn’t mean death doesn’t aCect you. eis spell prevents you from losing any souls when you die, or when a creature you touch dies. In addition, with the rrst time the eCected creature is reduced to 0 position roll a d20 on a 11+ the creature is instead reduced to 1 position. ECect Range Cost Level - 5 Duration Cast Time Casts - Self 8 1 action Attunement Slots 1 0./)$#=5&J)"H* A melee weapon you touch becomes sheathed in lightning. For the duration of the spell, the weapon deals an additional +1d6 lightning damage whenever it makes a successful attack. ee additional damage dealt by the lightning can be increased, at the cost of 1 Position per additional d6 to a maximum of 6 Position. ECect Range Cost Level - 2 Duration Cast Time Casts 1 hour Self 8 1 action Attunement Slots 1 C("3*)8(H&0>8(H&;"/%* Each creature within a 40 feet sphere centred on a point you can see within range must make a Dexterity saving throw. ee sphere spreads around corners. A creature takes 10d6 piercing damage on a failed saving throw, or half damage on a successful one. ECect Range Cost Level 1 Position 9 Duration Cast Time Casts Instantaneous 40 feet 3 2 actions Attunement Slots 1
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149 othric is Clled with dangers. Dangers only a sword, a shield, and a suit of armour can truly hope to turn aside. Whether it’s the claws of a dragon, the broken teeth of a hollow, or the expertly wielded sword of a silver knight, you face a constant assault as you make your way through this sinister, twilit realm. !"#$%&'() Fortunately, this chapter has all the tools you might need to defend yourself. DARK SOULS: Ce Roleplaying Game places a heavy emphasis on your ability to build your character as you want to. One of the key means of enabling you to tailor your character is choosing the equipment your character carries and utilises. Every piece of equipment possesses a special trait, or unique ability unlockable through spending Position. Choose carefully, though; you cannot take everything with you, and making sure your character is prepared to face the darkness is a dircult undertaking!