Inept Wizard

Playing the Game

Swords & Sorcery: The Pulp Fantasy (S&S) is a cooperative tabletop role-playing game in which players assume the roles of fictional characters to undertake adventures within a fantasy world. The typical motivations for these adventures include the pursuit of fame, fortune, or justice; however, the characters’ motivations may often extend beyond these aims.

5e Compatibility

The S&S game system is fully compatible with 5e monsters and adventure modules. The 5e races/species, subclasses, backgrounds, feats, spells, and other content also can be used after a quick conversion (see “5e Content Conversion”)

Your Role

To play S&S, one person has to assume the role of Game Master (GM), while other people (typically two to six) are playing adventurers.

The Game Master

If you decide to be a GM, here is what you will have to do:

  1. World Building and Storytelling. As a GM you create and describe the game world, including its locations, history, and cultures. You develop the plot and introduce the story arcs that the player characters encounter during their adventures.
  2. Non-Player Characters. As a GM you play all the characters in the game that are not controlled by the players, known as NPCs. These can include allies, enemies, villagers, merchants, and any other inhabitants of the game world.
  3. Game Mechanics and Rules Arbitration. As a GM you are responsible for knowing and enforcing the rules of the game. You make decisions on how certain rules are applied in specific situations to ensure fair play.
  4. Encounters and Challenges. As a GM you design combat encounters, puzzles, and other challenges that test the skills and abilities of the player characters.

A Player

If you will be a player, here is what you will have to do:

  1. Create Characters. You will create your own character by choosing a race, a class, and other traits. You will develop a backstory and personality for your character. As the game progresses, you will make decisions that affect the development of your character.
  2. Role-Playing. As a player you will assume the role of your character during the game, making decisions and interacting with other characters and the environment as your character would.
  3. Problem-Solving and Strategy. Players work together to overcome challenges, whether they are puzzles, traps, or combat encounters. They must think strategically, using their characters' abilities and resources effectively to succeed.
  4. Exploration. As a player, you will explore the game world, discovering new locations, interacting with NPCs, and uncovering hidden secrets. Exploration can lead to new adventures and storylines.
  5. Collaborative Storytelling. Players contribute to the unfolding narrative by making choices that influence the story.

Cooperation is Essential

S&S is a cooperative game, which means that each character who joins the adventuring party is an ally to the other characters. The players are obliged not to create characters whose motivation would be to act against other adventuring party members, and do not act in disruptive or antagonistic fashion within the party. The GM should avoid in-game scenarios that would lead to conflicts between characters.

The justification “My character would do that” is insufficient for behavior that is unkind or harmful toward other party members. In a world where might often equates to right, it is unwise to act maliciously toward one's allies.

“Civilized men are more discourteous than savages because they know they can be impolite without having their skulls split, as a general thing.”

— Robert E. Howard, The Tower of the Elephant

What is Needed for the Game

Games like S&S are sometimes called pen-and-paper role-playing games, meaning that just having a sheet of paper and a pen is enough to get started. But it's a good idea to have a few things at hand:

  1. Character Sheet. Print out a character sheet (or make your own!) so you can easily check your character's stats anytime.
  2. Pen and Paper. Keep a piece of paper and a pen for notes, quick memos, and updating your character sheet.
  3. A Set of Dice. If you're new and don't have dice yet, no worries—your fellow players might lend you some, or you can use a dice-rolling app on your phone. Still, having a set of seven dice (d4, d6, d8, d10, percentile d10, d12, and d20; with corresponding face numbers) is recommended. It’s also smart to have at least two sets for convenience since the game often calls for rolling multiple dice of the same kind.
  4. An Adventure. If you’re the GM, you’ll need an adventure to run the game. You can find lots of free ones online or buy some, especially since S&S works well with adventures made for the 5e system. Or you can make your own—based on your favorite media or just something from your imagination.

Rhythm of Play

The three main pillars of S&S play are social interaction, exploration, and combat. Whichever one you’re experiencing, the game unfolds according to this basic pattern:

  1. The Game Master Describes a Scene. The GM tells the players where their adventurers are and what’s around them (how many doors lead out of a room, what’s on a table, and so on).

  2. The Players Describe What Their Characters Do. Typically, the characters stick together as they travel through a dungeon or another environment. Sometimes different adventurers do different things: one adventurer might search a treasure chest while a second examines a mysterious symbol engraved on a wall and a third keeps watch for monsters. Outside combat, the GM ensures that every character has a chance to act and decides how to resolve their activity. In combat, the characters take turns.

  3. The GM Narrates the Results of the Adventurers’ Actions. Sometimes resolving a task is easy. If an adventurer walks across a room and tries to open a door, the GM might say the door opens and describe what lies beyond. But the door might be locked, the floor might hide a trap, or some other circumstance might make it challenging for an adventurer to complete a task. In those cases, the GM might ask the player to roll a die to help determine what happens. Describing the results often leads to another decision point, which brings the game back to step 1.

This pattern holds during every game session (each time you sit down to play S&S), whether the adventurers are talking to a noble, exploring a ruin, or fighting a dragon. In certain situations—particularly combat—the action is more structured, and everyone takes turns.

Exceptions Supersede General Rules

General rules govern each part of the game. For example, the combat rules tell you that melee attacks use Strength and ranged attacks use Dexterity. That’s a general rule, and a general rule is in effect as long as something in the game doesn’t explicitly say otherwise.

The game also includes elements—class features, feats, weapon properties, spells, magic items, monster abilities, and the like—that sometimes contradict a general rule. When an exception and a general rule disagree, the exception wins. For example, if a feature says you can make melee attacks using your Charisma, you can do so, even though that statement disagrees with the general rule.

The Six Plus One Abilities

All creatures—characters and monsters—have six abilities that measure physical and mental characteristics: Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma. In addition, player characters have an additional ability—Luck. Abilities are described in the Ability Descriptions table.

Ability Descriptions
Ability Score Measures
Strength Physical might
Dexterity Agility, reflexes, and balance
Constitution Health and stamina
Intelligence Reasoning and memory
Wisdom Insightful decision making
Charisma Confidence, poise, and charm
Luck Likelihood of favorable events

Ability Scores

Each ability has a score from 1 to 20, although some monsters have a score as high as 30. The score represents the magnitude of an ability. The Ability Scores table summarizes what the scores mean.

Ability Scores
Score Measures
1 This is the lowest a score can normally go. If an effect reduces a score to 0, that effect explains what happens.
2-9 This represents a weak capability.
10-11 This represents the human average.
12-19 This represents a strong capability.
20 This is the highest an adventurer’s score can go unless a feature says otherwise.
21-29 This represents an extraordinary capability.
30 This is the highest a score can go.

Ability Modifiers

Each ability has a modifier that you apply whenever you make a D20 Test with that ability (explained in “D20 Tests”). An ability modifier is derived from its score, as shown in the Ability Modifiers table.

The ability modifier can be calculated from an ability score using a simple formula:

Ability Modifier = (Ability Score - 10) / 2, rounded down.

Eg.: For a Wisdom score of 15, the ability modifier is calculated as (15 - 10) / 2 = 2.5, which, rounded down, gives a modifier of +2.

Round Down

Whenever you divide or multiply a number in the game, round down if you end up with a fraction, even if the fraction is one-half or greater. Some rules make an exception and tell you to round up.

D20 Tests

When the outcome of an action is uncertain, the game uses a d20 roll to determine success or failure. These rolls are called D20 Tests, and they come in three kinds: ability checks, saving throws, and attack rolls. They follow these steps:

  1. Roll 1d20. You always want to roll high. If the roll has Advantage or Disadvantage (described later in “Playing the Game”), you roll two d20s, but you use the number from only one of them—the higher one if you have Advantage or the lower one if you have Disadvantage.
  2. Add Modifiers. Add these modifiers to the number rolled on the d20:
    • The Relevant Ability Modifier. “Playing the Game” and “Rules Glossary” explain which ability modifiers to use for various D20 Tests.
    • Skill Rank If Relevant. Player characters add their Skill Rank to corresponding skill, attack, or item they want to use. See “Skill Rank” later in “Playing the Game.”
    • Your Proficiency Bonus If Relevant. Each creature has a Proficiency Bonus. Player characters add their Proficiency Bonus only to Saving Throws they are proficient with; non-player characters and creatures add their Proficiency Bonus to skills, attacks, and saving throws they are proficient with. See “Proficiency” later in “Playing the Game.”
    • Circumstantial Bonuses and Penalties. A racial bonus, a class feature, a spell, or another rule might give a bonus or penalty to the die roll.
  3. Compare the Total to a Target Number. If the total of the d20 and its modifiers equals or exceeds the target number, the D20 Test succeeds. Otherwise, it fails. The Game Master determines target numbers and tells players whether their rolls are successful. The target number for an ability check or a saving throw is called a Difficulty Class (DC). The target number for an attack roll is called an Armor Class (AC), which appears on a character sheet or in a stat block (see “Rules Glossary”).

Ability Checks

An ability check represents a creature using talent and training to try to overcome a challenge, such as forcing open a stuck door, picking a lock, entertaining a crowd, or deciphering a cipher. The GM and the rules often call for an ability check when a creature attempts something other than an attack that has a chance of meaningful failure. When the outcome is uncertain and narratively interesting, the dice determine the result.

The GM Calls for Rolls

Players declare actions in the fiction. The GM decides if a roll is required and which test applies. Players do not initiate rolls (“I roll Investigation”); they describe intent (“I search the cart”) and the GM adjudicates.

Ability Modifier

An ability check is named for the ability modifier it uses: a Strength check, an Intelligence check, and so on. Different ability checks are called for in different situations, depending on which ability is most relevant. See the Ability Check Examples table for examples of each check's use.

Ability Check Examples
Ability Make a Check To...
Strength Lift, push, pull, or break something
Dexterity Move nimbly, quickly, or quietly
Constitution Push your body beyond normal limits
Intelligence Reason or remember
Wisdom Notice things in the environment or in creatures' behavior
Charisma Influence, entertain, or deceive

Skill Rank

Add your Skill Rank to an ability check when the GM determines that a skill or tool is relevant to the check, and you have invested skill points in the relevant skill or tool. For example, if a rule refers to a Strength (Athletics) check, you can add your Skill Rank to the check if you have invested Skill Points in the Athletics skill. See “Skill Rank” later in “Playing the Game” for more information about skill ranks.

Proficiency Bonus

Player characters do not add their Proficiency Bonus to ability checks, however, non-player characters and creatures use Proficiency Bonus instead of Skill Rank. They add their Proficiency Bonus to an ability check when the GM determines that a skill or tool proficiency is relevant to the check and they have that proficiency. See “Proficiency” later in “Playing the Game” for more information about skill and tool proficiencies.

Difficulty Class

The Difficulty Class of an ability check represents the task's difficulty. The more difficult the task, the higher its DC. The rules provide DCs for certain checks, but the GM ultimately sets them. The Typical Difficulty Classes table presents a range of possible DCs for ability checks.

Typical Difficulty Classes
Task Difficulty DC Example (Skill Used)
Straightforward 0 Recall your own name (History)
Very easy 5 Tell if someone is angry from tone (Insight)
Easy 10 Climb a rope (Athletics)
Medium 15 Hear muffled voices through a thick wooden door (Perception)
Hard 20 Swim a strong river current (Athletics)
Very hard 25 Pick a well-made iron lock (Sleight of Hand)
Nearly impossible 30 Track a single rider across rocky ground after a day of rain (Survival)
Heroic 35 Leap a 30-foot chasm clad in heavy armor without magical aid (Athletics)
Divine Deed 40 Heal a mortally wounded warrior with only herbs and prayer (Medicine)

Sometimes, there are objectives that appear to be nearly unattainable. Generally, tasks regarded as practically impossible have a Difficulty Class (DC) of 40 or higher. It can be challenging to distinguish between truly impossible and practically impossible tasks in advance. Such accomplishments typically require exceptional skill and favorable circumstances.

The Game Master determines what qualifies as genuinely impossible versus practically impossible. Characters with significantly high skill modifiers can achieve extraordinary and seemingly unbelievable feats, often considered to be divine in nature.

The Impossible and the Unbelievable

In S&S, the dice can make miracles happen. The GM sets the DC. You set your courage. Sometimes you prevail. But most of the times you fall. Either way, it’s a story worth telling.

Saving Throws

A saving throw—also called a save—represents an attempt to evade or resist a threat, such as a fiery explosion, a blast of poisonous gas, or a spell trying to invade your mind. You don’t normally choose to make a save; you must make one because your character or a monster (if you’re the GM) is at risk. A save’s result is detailed in the effect that caused it.

If you don’t want to resist the effect, you can choose to fail the save without rolling.

Ability Modifier

Saving throws are named for the ability modifiers they use: a Constitution saving throw, a Wisdom saving throw, and so on. Different saving throws are used to resist different kinds of effects, as shown on the Saving Throw Examples table. There are no Luck saving throws.

Saving Throw Examples
Ability Make a Save To …
Strength Physically resist direct force
Dexterity Dodge out of harm’s way
Constitution Endure a toxic hazard
Intelligence Recognize an illusion as fake
Wisdom Resist a mental assault
Charisma Assert your identity

Proficiency Bonus

You add your Proficiency Bonus to your saving throw if you have proficiency in that kind of save. See “Proficiency” later in “Playing the Game.”

Difficulty Class

The Difficulty Class for a saving throw is determined by the effect that causes it or by the GM. For example, if a spell forces you to make a save, the DC is determined by the caster’s spellcasting ability, and Proficiency Bonus or Skill Rank. Monster abilities that call for saves specify the DC.

Attack Rolls

An attack roll determines whether an attack hits a target. An attack roll hits if the roll equals or exceeds the target's Armor Class. Attack rolls usually occur in battle, described in “Combat” later in “Playing the Game”, but the GM might also ask for an attack roll in other situations, such as an archery competition.

Ability Modifier

The Attack Roll Abilities table shows which ability modifier to use for different types of attack rolls.

Attack Roll Abilities
Ability Attack Type
Strength Melee attack with a weapon or an Unarmed Strike
Dexterity Ranged attack with a weapon
Varies Spell attack (the ability used is determined by the spellcaster's spellcasting feature, as explained in “Spells”)

Some features let you use different ability modifiers from those listed. For example, the Finesse property (see “Equipment”) lets you use Strength or Dexterity with a weapon that has that property.

Skill Rank

All weapons are categorized in categories (see “Equipment”), as well as all spells are categorized into magical schools (see “Spells”). When you make an attack with a weapon or spell, if you have invested skill points into a skill rank of a corresponding weapon category or magical school, you add your skill rank to the attack roll. See “Skill Rank” later in “Playing the Game” for more information about skill ranks.

Proficiency Bonus

Non-player characters and creatures add their proficiency bonus, instead of their Skill Rank, to their attack roll when attacking with a weapon they are proficient with, as well as when attacking with a spell. See “Proficiency” later in “Playing the Game” for more information about weapon proficiencies.

Armor Class

A creature's Armor Class represents how well the creature avoids being wounded in combat. The AC of a character is determined at character creation (see "Character Creation"), whereas the AC of a monster appears in its stat block.

Calculating AC. All creatures start with the same base AC calculation:

Base AC = 8 + the creature's Dexterity modifier

A creature's AC can then be modified by armor, magic items, spells, and more.

Only One Base AC. Some spells and class features give characters a different way to calculate their AC. A character with multiple features that give different ways to calculate AC must choose which one to use; only one base calculation can be in effect for a creature.

Rolling 20 or 1

If you roll a 20 on the d20 (called a “natural 20”) for an attack roll, the attack hits regardless of any modifiers or the target’s AC. This is called a Critical Hit (see “Combat” later in “Playing the Game”).

If you roll a 1 on the d20 (a “natural 1”) for an attack roll, the attack misses regardless of any modifiers or the target’s AC. This is called a Critical Failure (see “Combat” later in “Playing the Game”).

Bastard 20

Sometimes you hit a total of 20 on an attack roll after adding modifiers, but you didn’t roll a natural 20. Around the table, you can call this a “bastard 20.” That way, the GM knows you didn’t score a critical hit — it was just ordinary.

Advantage/Disadvantage

Sometimes a D20 Test is modified by Advantage or Disadvantage. Advantage reflects the positive circumstances surrounding a d20 roll, while Disadvantage reflects negative circumstances.

You usually acquire Advantage or Disadvantage through the use of special abilities and actions. The GM can also decide that circumstances grant Advantage or impose Disadvantage.

Roll Two D20s

When a roll has either Advantage or Disadvantage, roll a second d20 when you make the roll. Use the higher of the two rolls if you have Advantage, and use the lower roll if you have Disadvantage. For example, if you have Disadvantage and roll an 18 and a 3, use the 3. If you instead have Advantage and roll those numbers, use the 18.

They Don’t Stack

If multiple situations affect a roll and they all grant Advantage on it, you still roll only two d20s. Similarly, if multiple situations impose Disadvantage on a roll, you roll only two d20s.

If circumstances cause a roll to have both Advantage and Disadvantage, the roll has neither of them, and you roll one d20. This is true even if multiple circumstances impose Disadvantage and only one grants Advantage or vice versa. In such a situation, you have neither Advantage nor Disadvantage.

Interactions with Rerolls

When you have Advantage or Disadvantage and something in the game lets you reroll or replace the d20, you can reroll or replace only one die, not both. You choose which one.

Skill List

The skills are shown on the Skills table, which notes example uses for each skill.

Skills
Skill Ability Example Uses
Acrobatics Dexterity Stay on your feet in a tricky situation, or perform an acrobatic stunt.
Animal Handling Wisdom Calm or train an animal, or get an animal to behave in a certain way.
Arcana Intelligence Recall lore about spells, magic items, and the planes of existence.
Athletics Strength Jump farther than normal, stay afloat in rough water, or break something.
Deception Charisma Tell a convincing lie, or wear a disguise convincingly.
Haggle Charisma Bargain a better price, trade shrewdly, or spot a bad deal.
History Intelligence Recall lore about historical events, people, nations, and cultures.
Insight Wisdom Discern a person’s mood and intentions.
Intimidation Charisma Awe or threaten someone into doing what you want.
Investigation Intelligence Find obscure information in books, or deduce how something works.
Medicine Wisdom Diagnose an illness, or determine what killed the recently slain.
Nature Intelligence Recall lore about terrain, plants, animals, and weather.
Perception Wisdom Using a combination of senses, notice something that’s easy to miss.
Performance Charisma Act, tell a story, perform music, or dance.
Persuasion Charisma Honestly and graciously convince someone of something.
Religion Intelligence Recall lore about gods, religious rituals, and holy symbols.
Sleight of Hand Dexterity Pick a pocket, conceal a handheld object, or perform legerdemain.
Stealth Dexterity Escape notice by moving quietly and hiding behind things.
Streetwise Intelligence Navigate the hidden life of town streets.
Survival Wisdom Follow tracks, forage, find a trail, or avoid natural hazards.
Luck Application Example: The Padlock

Luck has no associated skills or saving throws. The GM may call for a Luck test when an outcome hinges on fortune rather than talent. Roll d20 + Luck modifier against a DC set by the GM. You never add Skill Rank or Proficiency to a Luck test.

The adventurers have stormed the Witches’ Tower. After slaying the last hag, they climb to the topmost chamber. In the gloom, they find a six-year-old boy imprisoned in a heavy iron cage.

Paladin (Player): “We never found the key. Maybe the witches forgot to lock the padlock? Can I check?”

GM (thinking): The cage was meant to be secure. But the paladin is asking for a chance, not a certainty. This feels like sheer fortune. “All right—roll a Luck test.”

Paladin rolls. Natural 20.

GM: “By some odd oversight, the shackle was never pushed fully through. The padlock clicks open with a touch. The boy stares at you as the cage swings wide.”

In this way, a Luck check doesn’t replace planning or skill. Instead, it lets the GM answer daring, provocative, or whimsical player requests with the hand of fate.

Skill Rank

Player characters may possess a Skill Rank for each skill, tool, armor, weapon group, or magic school. The Skill Rank reflects the level of formal training and expertise the character has achieved in that area. When creating a new player character, all Skill Ranks are at zero.

Skill Points

A character’s starting Skill Point number is determined at character creation: some races, a class, some Upbringing feats, and other options (see “Character Creation”) provide the starting Skill Point number. Each time the character gains a new level, they receive additional skill points, the amount of which is determined by their class and their Intelligence modifier (minimum of 1).

Gaining a Skill Rank

To gain a Skill Rank in a particular skill, the player has to invest Skill Points into that skill. If the player character has a Knack for a skill, then 2 Skill Points may be invested into that skill to gain an additional +1 bonus to that skill. If the player character doesn't have a Knack for the skill, then the cost of a +1 bonus to that skill is 4 Skill Points.

A character’s maximum Skill Rank in a skill they have a Knack for is their character level divided by two, rounded up. The maximum rank in a skill a character has no Knack for is +5, but no more than their character level divided by two, rounded up.

Normally, Skill Rank is limited to +10 when playing at level 20; however, some Epic Boons (see “Feats” in “Character Creation”), or the GM, may grant additional Skill Ranks, above +10, at high levels of play.

Knack

A player character’s Knacks are determined at character creation (see “Character Creation”). A race, a class, and other features provide the character's Knacks.

Using a Skill Rank

Skills

Most ability checks involve using a skill. The descriptions of the actions you take (see “Actions” later in “Playing the Game”) specify which skill applies if you make an ability check for that action, and many other rules note when a skill is relevant. The GM has the ultimate say on whether a skill is relevant in a situation.

If a character has a Skill Rank in a skill, they apply their Skill Rank to ability checks involving that skill. Without a Skill Rank in a skill, a character can still make ability checks involving that skill but doesn’t add their Skill Rank. For example, if a character tries to climb a cliff, the GM might ask for a Strength (Athletics) check. If the character has a Skill Rank in Athletics, the character adds their Skill Rank to the Strength check. If the character lacks that Skill Rank, they make the check without adding their Skill Rank.

Equipment

A character may have a Skill Rank for various weapons, armor, and tools from their race, class, and background. There are three categories of equipment for which a character can have a Skill Rank:

Weapons. Anyone can wield a weapon, but Skill Rank makes you better at wielding it. If you have a Skill Rank with a weapon category, you add your Skill Rank to attack rolls you make with the weapon from that category (see “Equipment”).

Armor. You can wear any armor, but Skill Rank allows you to wear it without penalties, and armor provides additional Resistance Points to the physical damage (see “Resistance Points” in “Playing the Game”). The exact effects of how Skill Rank affects the armor vary by the armor type (see “Equipment”).

Tools. If you have a Skill Rank with a tool, you can add your Skill Rank to any ability check you make that uses the tool. If you have a Skill Rank in the skill that’s also used with that check, you can add it too. This means you can benefit from both the skill’s Skill Rank and the tool’s Skill Rank on the same ability check.

Spells

The spells are divided into separate Magic Schools. If you have a Skill Rank with a Magic School, you can cast spells from that school better. Usually, it means two things:

  1. Attack Bonus. When casting a spell that requires an attack roll, you add your Skill Rank to that roll.
  2. Spell Saving DC. If a spell compels another creature to make a saving throw, the spell save DC is calculated as follows: Spell save DC = 8 + your spellcasting ability modifier + your Skill Rank in the corresponding Magic School

For more information, see “Spells”.

Proficiency

All creatures have a Proficiency Bonus, which reflects the impact that training has on the creature’s capabilities. A character’s Proficiency Bonus increases as the character gains levels (described in “Character Creation”). A monster’s Proficiency Bonus is based on its Challenge Rating. The Proficiency Bonus table shows how the bonus is determined.

Player Characters and Proficiency

Player characters add Proficiency only to saving throws unless a feature explicitly says otherwise

This bonus is applied to a D20 Test when the player character or non-player creature (monster) has proficiency in a saving throw, or when monster has proficiency in a skill or with an item that the monster uses to make the D20 Test. The bonus is also used for monster’s spell attacks and for calculating the DC of saving throws for spells.

Training for Heroes, Simplicity for Savages

For adventurers, training is measured in Skill Ranks, except for Saving throws. For monsters, simplicity rules—they use proficiency.

Proficiency Bonus
Level or CR Bonus
Up to 4 +2
5–8 +3
9–12 +4
13–16 +5
17–20 +6
21–24 +7
25–28 +8
29–30 +9
The Bonus Doesn’t Stack

Proficiency Bonus can’t be added to a die roll or another number more than once.

Determining Proficiencies

A character’s starting Saving Throw proficiencies are determined at character creation, and a monster’s skill and other proficiencies appear in its stat block.

Saving Throw Proficiencies

Proficiency in a saving throw lets a character add their Proficiency Bonus to saves that use a particular ability. For example, proficiency in Wisdom saves lets you add your Proficiency Bonus to your Wisdom saves. Some monsters also have saving throw proficiencies, as noted in their stat blocks.

Each class gives proficiency in at least two saving throws, representing that class’s training in evading or resisting certain threats. Wizards, for example, are proficient in Intelligence and Wisdom saves; they train to resist mental assault.

Skill Proficiencies

If a monster is proficient in a skill, the monster applies its Proficiency Bonus to ability checks involving that skill. Without proficiency in a skill, a monster can still make ability checks involving that skill but doesn’t add its Proficiency Bonus.

Equipment Proficiencies

A monster gains proficiency with various weapons from their stat block. If a monster has proficiency with a weapon, it adds its Proficiency Bonus to attack rolls monster make with it.

Different Skill Usage

Passive Skill

When the GM wants to know if a character notices or achieves something without a roll, they use that character’s Passive Skill. A Passive Skill represents steady competence, or how good you are at something when you are not actively trying.

Passive Skill = 10 + relevant Ability Modifier + Skill Rank (or + Proficiency Bonus for monster if it is proficient in skill).

If you would normally roll with Advantage, add +5. If you would normally roll with Disadvantage, subtract –5.

The most frequently utilized passive skill is Passive Perception, which reflects a character's ability to observe and notice surrounding details, without taking an active Action to do so.

Examples of Passive Skills
  • A Ranger with Wisdom +3 and Perception Rank +2 has a Passive Perception of 15. If a trap has a DC of 15 or lower, the ranger spots it automatically without rolling or taking the Search action to look for traps (see “Actions” in “Playing the Game”).
  • A Rogue with Charisma +2 and Haggle Rank +3 has a Passive Haggle of 15. The GM may decide they automatically recognize when a price is outrageous.

Opposed Checks

Sometimes two creatures are in direct competition, with only one able to succeed. In such situations, the GM requests an Opposed Check. Both parties roll a d20 and add their relevant modifiers (such as Ability Modifier, Skill Rank, or Proficiency Bonus, if applicable). The higher total determines the winner, while the lower total results in a failure. In the event of a tie, the creature with the higher skill modifier prevails. If these scores are the same, a creature with the highest Skill Rank (or Proficiency Bonus) wins. If those scores are still identical, a re-roll is conducted to break the tie.

Examples of Opposed Checks
  • A warrior tries to shove a thief to the ground: the warrior rolls Strength (Athletics) against the thief’s Dexterity (Acrobatics).
  • A rogue attempts to sneak past a sentry: the rogue rolls Dexterity (Stealth) against the sentry’s Wisdom (Perception).

Checks without a Roll

Sometimes success is only a matter of patience. If no real threat is pressing, and failure carries no meaningful penalty, the GM may allow a creature to succeed without rolling. This is called taking 10 or taking 20.

Taking 10

When not threatened or distracted, and when sufficient time is available, you can choose to take 10 on an Ability Check. This means the check result is as if you have rolled a 10 on the d20.

The GM decides if this option applies, but generally it is allowed when:

  • You can safely make several attempts.
  • A failed attempt does not impose penalties.
  • The time required is usually twice as long as making a single rolled check.
Examples of Taking 10
  • A rogue is picking a lock in a dungeon that has already been cleared of monsters. Since there is no pressure and no consequence for failing, the GM allows the rogue to take 10 on Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) check.
  • The tower was cleared earlier, and no enemies are around. The fighter isn’t rushing, and is confident in their Strength, so the GM lets the fighter take 10 on the Strength (Athletics) check.

Taking 20

When an ability check is performed as part of downtime activity, and there is no penalty for failure, the GM may allow you to take 20. This means the result is as if you have rolled a natural 20 on the d20.

The GM decides if this option applies, but generally it is allowed when:

  • The task is performed during downtime.
  • The task has no penalty on failure.
  • The task does not consume limited resources—or the character has enough resources to attempt it at least 20 times.
Examples of Taking 20
  • A wizard spends a week brewing an alchemical potion, with an abundance of ingredients at hand.
  • A druid carves wooden toys during winter evenings, when wood scraps are plentiful and time is no concern.

Group Checks

Sometimes the entire party attempts the same task together. Instead of resolving each check individually, the GM may call for a Group Check. A Group Check represents the combined effort of the adventurers, where success or failure depends on the average performance of the group.

To make a Group Check, each participating character rolls the appropriate ability check. Add together all the results and divide the sum by the number of participants. Round down to the nearest whole number. Compare this average to the task’s DC to determine success.

Examples of Group Checks
  • The adventurers must sneak across an old rope bridge while goblins patrol below. Each character rolls Dexterity (Stealth). Their results are totaled and divided by the number of adventurers. If the average equals or beats the goblins’ passive Perception, the party gets across unseen.
  • The group bands together to raise an iron portcullis before the chamber floods. Each character rolls Strength (Athletics). The average result is compared against the DC. Success means the gate is lifted; failure means it stays stuck.

Helping Another Creature

Adventurers often succeed by working together. You can assist an ally with a skill check or to distract an enemy in combat. Several creatures may attempt to help with the same skill check, or distract the same enemy. If more than one helper succeeds, their bonuses are cumulative.

Assisting with a Skill Check

You can help another creature perform a skill check if you are capable in that skill.

  1. Declare Before the Roll. You must decide to help before the assisted creature rolls.
  2. Minimum Training. You must have at least +2 Skill Rank in the skill being attempted.
  3. Helping Roll. Roll 1d20:
    • 10 or higher: Your assistance is effective. The assisted creature adds half your Skill Rank (rounded down) to their roll.
    • 9 or lower: Your help fails; the assisted creature gains no benefit.
    • 1: You hinder the attempt. The assisted creature subtracts half your Skill Rank (rounded down) from their roll.
Example of Helping with Skill Check

  • A rogue with Sleight of Hand +5 tries to pick a lock. The fighter, with Sleight of Hand Rank +2, decides to help. The fighter rolls 1d20 and gets an 11. Since this is above 10, the rogue adds +1 (half of 2) to her check.

Distracting an Enemy

You can spend your Action to distract an enemy at melee range, giving your allies an opening.

  1. Melee Range. You must be adjacent to the enemy you want to distract.
  2. Distraction Roll. Roll 1d20:
    • 10 or higher: The enemy is distracted. Until the start of your next turn, your allies add half your Proficiency Bonus (rounded down) to their attack rolls against that enemy.
    • 9 or lower: The enemy is not distracted.
    • 1: The distraction backfires, and the enemy can immediately make an Opportunity Attack against you.
Example of Distracting an Enemy

  • A barbarian closes in on an ogre and spends their Action to distract it. They roll a 14 on the d20. The ogre is distracted, and the barbarian’s allies add +1 (half of their +3 Proficiency Bonus) to attack rolls against the ogre until the barbarian’s next turn.

Actions

When you do something in the game, you typically take an action. The game outlines five primary action categories: Move, Action, Bonus Action, Reaction, and Free Action; each category may include various types of activities you can undertake. Typically, during combat, all creatures take turns in their initiative order and can take only one action from each primary category per turn, as explained in “Combat” later in “Playing the Game.” Outside of combat, the turn order in the game is usually not applied, and the action economy is more lax.

For example, during combat, a Paladin character on her turn may: move closer to an enemy as her Move Action, draw a sword as her Free Action, attack an enemy as her Action, and cast the spell “Divine Smite” as her Bonus Action, but she cannot do anything else. Later, during the same round, when an enemy takes its turn, should it decide to move away from the Paladin, the Paladin may take an Opportunity Attack as her Reaction.

As an additional example, outside of combat, a Rogue character might declare: “I want to negotiate a price for this amulet, and if the merchant isn’t willing to lower the price, then I will attempt to steal it,” and then role-play how he carries out that action. His plan involves several Actions to be completed for success; however, the player controlling the Rogue explicitly communicates his intentions to the GM. The player and GM can then initiate a role-playing scene that covers both the haggling and the act of thievery, with the GM requesting the necessary Ability Checks as appropriate.

Yet, you cannot perform several Actions at one time: at any given moment you’re doing one clear thing; you can sequence actions, but not perform two simultaneously. When exploring a dungeon you can’t simultaneously use the Search action to look for traps and use the Help action to aid another character who’s trying to open a stuck door (with the Utilize action). If you want to help another character, you must stop looking for traps, before you give aid.

Action

The Action table lists the game’s main actions, which are defined in more detail below the table.

Table: Actions

Action Summary
Attack Attack with a weapon or an Unarmed Strike.
Dash For the rest of the turn, give yourself extra movement equal to your Speed.
Disengage Your movement doesn’t provoke Opportunity Attacks for the rest of the turn.
Dodge Until the start of your next turn, attacks against you are harder.
Help Help another creature’s ability check or attack roll, or administer first aid.
Hide Make a Dexterity (Stealth) check.
Influence Make a Charisma (Deception, Haggle, Intimidation, Performance, or Persuasion) check to alter a creature’s attitude.
Magic Cast a spell, use a magic item, or use a magical feature.
Ready Prepare to take an action in response to a trigger you define.
Search Make a Wisdom (Insight, Medicine, Perception, or Survival) check.
Study Make an Intelligence (Arcana, History, Investigation, Nature, Religion, or Streetwise) check.
Utilize Use a nonmagical object.

Player characters and monsters can also do things not covered by these actions. Many class features and other abilities provide additional action options, and you can improvise other actions. When you describe an action not detailed elsewhere in the rules, the Game Master tells you whether that action is possible and what kind of D20 Test you need to make, if any.

Attack

When you take the Attack action, you can make one attack roll with a weapon or an Unarmed Strike. See “Combat” in “Playing the Game” for more information.

Moving between Attacks. If you move on your turn and have a feature, such as Extra Attack, that gives you more than one attack as part of the Attack action, you can use some or all of that movement to move between those attacks.

Dash

When you take the Dash action, you gain extra movement for the current turn. The increase equals your Speed after applying any modifiers. With a Speed of 30 feet, for example, you can move up to 60 feet on your turn if you Dash. If your Speed of 30 feet is reduced to 15 feet, you can move up to 30 feet this turn if you Dash.

If you have a special speed, such as a Fly Speed or Swim Speed, you can use that speed instead of your Speed when you take this action. You choose which speed to use each time you take it.

Disengage

If you take the Disengage action, your movement doesn't provoke Opportunity Attacks for the rest of the current turn. See “Combat” in “Playing the Game” for more information.

Dodge

If you take the Dodge action, you gain the following benefits: 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. See “Combat” in “Playing the Game” for more information.

You lose these benefits if you have the Incapacitated condition or if your Speed is 0.

Help

You can take the Help action, to assist another creature. See “Different Skill Usage” in “Playing the Game” for more information.

Hide

With the Hide action, you try to hide yourself. To do so, you make a Dexterity (Stealth) check while you're Heavily Obscured or behind Three-Quarters Cover or Total Cover, and you must be out of any enemy's line of sight; if you can see a creature, you can discern whether it can see you.

You don't know whether your hiding attempt was successful. If another creature’s Passive Perception is equal to or higher than your roll, the creature can see you. If your hiding attempt was successful, another creature may take the Search action, in which case it rolls a Wisdom (Perception) check in an Opposed Check against the Dexterity (Stealth) result you rolled while hiding.

You stop being hidden immediately after any of the following occurs: you make a sound louder than a whisper, an enemy finds you, you make an attack roll, or you cast a spell with a Verbal component.

Influence

With the Influence action, you urge a monster to do something. Describe or roleplay how you're communicating with the monster. Are you trying to deceive, intimidate, amuse, or gently persuade? The GM then determines whether the monster feels willing, unwilling, or hesitant due to your interaction; this determination establishes whether an ability check is necessary, as explained below.

Willing. If your urging aligns with the monster's desires, no ability check is necessary; the monster fulfills your request in a way it prefers.

Unwilling. If your urging is repugnant to the monster or counter to its alignment, no ability check is necessary; it doesn't comply.

Hesitant. If you urge the monster to do something that it is hesitant to do, you must make an ability check, which is affected by the monster's attitude: Indifferent, Friendly, or Hostile. The Influence Checks table suggests which ability check to make based on how you're interacting with the monster. The GM chooses the check, which has a default DC equal to the 12 or monster's Intelligence score, whichever is higher. On a successful check, the monster does as urged. On a failed check, you must wait 24 hours (or a duration set by the GM) before urging it in the same way again.

Influence Checks
Ability Check Interaction
Charisma (Deception) Deceiving a monster that understands you
Charisma (Haggle) Offer a monster (that understands you) something worth of value in exchange
Charisma (Intimidation) Intimidating a monster
Charisma (Performance) Amusing a monster that understands you
Charisma (Persuasion) Persuading a monster that understands you
Wisdom (Animal Handling) Coaxing a Beast or Monstrosity
Attitude

Indifferent. An Indifferent creature has no desire to help or hinder you. Indifferent is the default attitude of a monster.

Friendly. A Friendly creature views you favorably. You have Advantage on an ability check to influence a Friendly creature.

Hostile. A Hostile creature views you unfavorably. You have Disadvantage on an ability check to influence a Hostile creature.

Magic

When you take the Magic action, you cast a spell that has a casting time of an action or use a feature or magic item that requires a Magic action to be activated.

If you cast a spell that has a casting time of 1 minute or longer, you must take the Magic action on each turn of that casting, and you must maintain Concentration while you do so. If your Concentration is broken, the spell fails, but you don't expend a spell slot (see “Spells”).

Ready

You take the Ready action to wait for a particular circumstance before you act. To do so, you take this action on your turn, which lets you act by taking a Reaction before the start of your next turn.

First, you decide what perceivable circumstance will trigger your Reaction. Then, 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 cultist steps on the trapdoor, I'll pull the lever that opens it,” and “If the zombie steps next to me, I move away.”

When the trigger occurs, you can either take your Reaction right after the trigger finishes or ignore the trigger.

When you Ready a spell, you cast it as normal (expending any resources used to cast it) 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 an action, and holding on to the spell's magic requires Concentration, which you can maintain up to the start of your next turn. If your Concentration is broken, the spell dissipates without taking effect (see “Spells”).

Study

When you take the Study action, you make an Intelligence check to study your memory, a book, a clue, or another source of knowledge and call to mind an important piece of information about it.

The Areas of Knowledge table suggests which skills are applicable to various areas of knowledge.

Areas of Knowledge
Skill Areas
Arcana Spells, magic items, magical traditions, and certain creatures (Aberrations, Constructs, Elementals, and Fey)
History Historic events and people, ancient civilizations, wars, and certain creatures (Giants and Humanoids)
Investigation Traps, ciphers, riddles, and gadgetry
Nature Terrain, flora, weather, and certain creatures (Beasts, Dragons, Monstrosities, Oozes, and Plants)
Religion Deities, religious hierarchies and rites, cults, and certain creatures (Celestials, Fiends, and Undead)
Streetwise The black market, local gangs, criminal rumors, fences, safe or unsafe taverns.
Of Beasts and Myths

Some Monstrosities belong to no single lore. In one tale, a minotaur might be the descendant of a soul cursed by the god; in another, a sorcerer’s creation; in yet another, nothing more than a savage beast. Such creatures may be scrutinized with Arcana, Nature, or Religion—the skill depends on the judgment of the GM.

Utilize

You normally interact with an object while doing something else, such as when you draw a sword as part of the Attack action. When an object requires an action for its use, you take the Utilize action.

Bonus Actions

Various class features, spells, and other abilities (such as the Rogue’s Cunning Action) let you take an additional action on your turn, called a Bonus Action. You can take a Bonus Action only when a special ability, a spell, or another feature of the game states that you can do something as a Bonus Action. You otherwise don’t have a Bonus Action to take, except administering a potion, which is considered a Bonus Action.

You can take only one Bonus Action on your turn, so you must choose which Bonus Action to use if you have more than one available.

You choose when to take a Bonus Action during your turn unless the Bonus Action’s timing is specified. Anything that deprives you of your ability to take actions also prevents you from taking a Bonus Action.

Reactions

Certain 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. The Opportunity Attack, described later in “Playing the Game,” 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.

In terms of timing, a Reaction takes place immediately after its trigger unless the Reaction’s description says otherwise.