Dungeons and dragons 5th players handbook edition pdf download

PLAYER'S HANDBOOK'

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CREDITS

0&0 Lead Designers: Mike Mearls, Jeremy Crawford

P/aye,'s Handbaok Lead: jeremy Crawford

Rules Development: Rodney Thompson, Peter Lee

Writing: James Wyatt, Robert J. Schwalb, Bruce R. Cordell

Editing: Michele Carter, Chris Sims, Scol! Fitzgerald Gray,

Christopher Perkins

Producer: Greg Bilsland

Art Directors: Kate Irwin, Dan Gelon, Jon Schindehette,

Mari Kolkowsky, Melissa Rapier, Shauna Narciso

Graphic Designers: Bree Heiss, Emi Tanji, Barry Craig

Cover IlIustrator: Tyler Jacobson

Interior IIlustrators: Steve Argyle, Tom Babbey, Daren Bader,

Drew Baker, Mark Behm, Eric Belisle, Christopher Bradley,

Noah Bradley, Sam Burley, Clint Cearley, Milivoj Ceran,

Sidharth Chaturvedi, Jedd Chevrier, jD, Allen Douglas,

Jesper Ejsing, Craig Elliott, Wayne England, Scott M. Fischer,

Randy Gallegos, Justin Gerard, Florian De Gesincourt, Lars

Grant-West, Jon Hodgson, Ralph Horsley, Lake Hurwitz,

Tyler Jacobson, Kekai Kotaki, Olly Lawson, Raphael Lübke,

Titus Lunter, Slawomir Maniak, Brynn Metheney, Aaran

Miller, Christopher Moeller, Mark Molnar, Scott Murphy,

William O'Connor, Hector Ortiz, David Palumbo, Alessandra

Pisa no, Claudio Pozas, Rob Rey, Wayne Reynolds, Aaron J.

Riley, Chris Seaman, Cynthia Sheppard, Craig J Spearing,

John Stanko, Matt Stawicki, Alex Stone, Thom Tenery, Cory

Trego-Erdner, Beth Tratt, Autumn Rain Turkel, jose Vega,

Tyler Walpole, Julian Kok Joon Wen, Richard Whitters, Eva

Widermann, Ben Wootten, Kieran Yanner

Additional Contributors: Kim Mohan, Mal! Sernel!,

Chris Dupuis, Tom LaPille, Richard Baker, Miranda Horner,

Jennifer Clarke Wilkes, Steve Winter, Nina Hess,

Steve Townshend, Chris Youngs, Ben Petrisor, Tom Olsen

Project Management: Neil Shinkle, Kim Graham, John Hay

Production Services: Cynda Callaway, Brian Dumas,

Jefferson Dunlap, David Gershman, Anita Williams

Brand and Marketing: Nathan Stewart, Liz Schuh,

Chris Lindsay, Shelly Mazzanoble, Hilary Ross,

Laura Tommervik, Kim Lundstrom, Trevor Kidd

Based on the original game created by

E. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson,

with Brian Blume, Rob Kuntz, james Ward, and Don Kaye

Drawing from further development by

j. Eric Holmes, Tom Moldvay, Frank Mentzer, Aaron Allston,

Harold Johnson, Roger E. Moore, David "Zeb" Cook, Ed

Greenwood, Tracy Hickman, Margaret Weis, Douglas Niles,

jeffGrubb, Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams,

Richard Baker, Peter Adkison, Keith Baker, Bill Slavicsek,

Andy Collins, and Rob Heinsoo

Playtesting provided by

over , fans of D&D. Thank you!

Additional consultation provided by

JeffGrubb, Kenneth Hite, Kevin Kulp, Robin Laws,

S. John Ross, the RPGPundit, Vincent Venturella, and Zak S.

ON lHE COVER

In this fiery scene illustrated by Tyler

Jacobson, the fire giant King Snurre,

suffering no fools to live, calls his hell

hounds to join him in confronting

unwelcome guests in his home.

Disc/a;mer: W;zards afIne Coost ;5 nal responsible for the consequences of sp/itting up lhe parl'l, sliding oppendages in lhe maulh af Q leering green devi/face, occepting a dirlrler ;"1';;0"

iram bugbears, storming lhe ftas! hall of Q hill g;ont steading, angering o dragon af eln)' ",ariely, or saying yes when lhe DM asks. "Are you real/I' 5ure?"

A EN

ISBN:

First Printing: August

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DUNGEONS & ORAGONS. 0&0, Wízards ofthe (oast, Forgotten Realms, the dragon ampersand. Player'sHandbook. Monster Manual, Dungeon Moste,'s Gtúde, ali other Wizards af

the Caast praduct names, and their respective logos are trademarks arwizards ofthe Coast in lhe USA and other counlries. Ali characters and their distinctive likenesses are property

orWizards ofthe Coast. This material is protected under the copyright laws or the United States of America. Any reproduction or unaulhorized use ofthe material or artwork contained

herein is prohibited without the express written permission ofWizards of the Coast.

Printed in the USA. @ Wizards or the Coast LLC, PO Box , Renton, WA , USA. Manufactured by Hasbro SA, Rue www.cronistalascolonias.com.aréchat 31, Delémont, CH.

Represented by Hasbm ElImpe 4 lhe SQlJare Stockley park Uxbrjdge Mjddlesex !lBU lEI LJK

CONTENTS

PREFACE 4 PART2

INTRODUCTION

Worlds of Adventure 5

Using This Book 6

How to Play 6

Adventures 7

PART 1

CHAPTER 1: STEP-By-STEP CHARACTERS ll

Beyond 1st Level 15

CHAPTER 2: RACES 17

Choosing a Race 17

Owarf 18

Elf 21

Hal fiing 26

Human 29

Oragonborn 32

Gnome 35

www.cronistalascolonias.com.ar 38

Half-Orc 40

Tiefling

CHAPTER 3: CLASSES 45

Barbaria n 46

Bard 51

Cleric 56

Oruid 64

Fighter 70

Monk 76

Paladin 82

Ranger 89

Rogue 94

Sorcerer 99

Warlock

Wizard

CHAPTER 4: PERSONALITY AND

BACKG ROUN D

Character Oetails

Inspiration

Backgrounds

CHAPTER 5: EQUIPMENT

Starting Equipment

Wealth

Armor and Shields

Weapons

Adventuring Gear

Tools

Mounts and Vehicles

Trade Goods

Expenses

Trinkets

CHAPTER 6: CUSTOMIZATION OPTIONS

MuIticlassi ng

Feats

5

9

CHAPTER 7: USING ABILITY SCORES

Ability Scores and Modifiers

Advantage and Oisadvantage

Proficiency Bonus

Ability Checks

Using Each Ability

Saving Throws

CHAPTER 8: ADVENTURING

Time

Movement

The Environment

Social Interaction

Resting

Between Adventures

CHAPTER 9: COMBAT

The Order of Combat

Movement and Position

Actions in Combat

Making an Attack

Cover

Oamage and Healing

Mounted Combat

Underwater Combat

PART3

CHAPTER SPELLCASTING

What Is a Spell?

Casting a Spell

CHAPTER SPELLS :

Spe11Lists

Spel1 Oescriptions

ApPENDIX A: CONDITIONS

ApPENDIX B:

GODS OF THE MULTIVERSE

ApPENDIX C:

THE PLANES OF EXISTENCE

The Material Planc

Beyond the Material

ApPENDIX D:

CREATURE STATISTICS

ApPENDIX E:

INSPIRATIONAL

INDEX

CHARACTER

SHEET

READING

PREFACE

NCE UPON A TIME,

LONG, LONG AGO, IN A

realm called the Midwestern United

States-specifically the states of Minnesota

and Wisconsin-a group of friends

gathered together to forever alter the

history of gaming.

1twasn't their intent to do so. They were

tired of merely reading tales about worlds of magic,

monsters, and adventure. They wanted to play in those

worlds, rather than observe them. That they went on

to invent OUNGEONS & ORAGONS, and thereby ignite a

revolution in gaming that continues to this day, speaks

to two things.

First, it speaks to their ingenuity and genius in figuring

out that games were the perfect way to explore

worlds that could not otherwise exist. Almost every

modern game, whether played on a digital device or

a tabletop, owes some debt to 0&0.

Second, it is a testament to the inherent appeal of the

game they created. OUNGEONS & ORAGONS sparked a

thriving global phenomenon. [t is the first roleplaying

game, and it remains one of the best of its breed.

To play 0&0. and to play it well, you don't need to

read ali the rules, memorize every detail of the game,

or master the fine art of rolling funny looking dice.

None of those things have any bearing on what's best

about the game.

What you need are two things, the first being friends

with whom you can share the game. Playing games with

your friends is a lot of fun, but 0&0 does something

more than entertain.

Playing 0&0 is an exerci se in collaborative creation.

Vou and your friends create epic stories filled with tension

and memorable drama. Vou create silly in-jokes

that make you laugh years later. The dice will be cruel

to you. but you will soldier on. Your collective creativity

will build stories that you will tell again and again.

ranging from the utlerly absurd to the stuff of legend.

If you don't have friends interested in playing, don't

worry. There's a special alchemy that takes place

around a 0&0 table thal nothing else can match. Play

the game with someone enough, and the two of you

are !ikely to end up friends. It's a cool side effect of the

game. Your next gaming group is as close as the nearest

game store, on!ine forum, or gaming convention.

The second thing you need is a lively imagination

or, more importantly, the willingness to use whatever

imagination you have. Vou don't need to be a master

storyteller or a brilliant artist. Voujust need to aspire to

create, to have the courage of someone who is willing to

build something and share it with others.

Luckily. just as 0&0 can strengthen your friendships,

it can help build in you the confidence to create and

share. 0&0 is a game that teaches you to look for the

clever solution, share the sudden ide a that can overcome

a problem, and push yourself to imagine what could be,

rather than simply accept what is.

The first characters and adventures you create will

probably be a collection of clichés. That's true of everyone,

from the greatest Dungeon Masters in history on

down. Accept this rea!ity and move on to create the

second character or adventure, which will be betler,

and then the third, which will be betler still. Repeat that

over the course of time, and soon you'lI be able to create

anything, from a character's background story to an epic

world of fantasy adventure.

Once you have that skill, it's yours forever. Countless

writers, artists, and other creators can trace their beginnings

to a few pages of 0&0 notes, a handful of dice,

and a kitchen table.

Above ali else, 0&0 is yours. The friendships you

make around the table will be unique to you. The adventures

you embark on. the characters you create, the

memories you make-these will be yours. 0&0 is your

personal corner of the universe, a place where you have

free reign to do as you wish.

Go forth now. Read the rules of the game and the

story of its worlds, but always remember that you are

the one who brings them to !ife. They are nothing

without the spark of !ife that you give them.

Mike Mearls

May

PREFACE

INTRODUCTION

HEDUNGEONS& DRAGONSROLEPLAYING

game is about storytelling in worlds of

swords and sorcery. !t shares elements

with childhood games of make-believe. Like

those games, 0&0 is driven by imagination.

!t's about picturing the towering castle

beneath the stormy night sky and imagining

howa fantasy adventurer might react to the challenges

that scene presents.

Oungeon Master (OM):After passing through the

craggy peaks, the road takes a sudden turn to the east

and Castle Ravenloft towers before you. Crumbling

towers of stone keep a silent watch over the approach.

They look like abandoned guardhouses.

Beyond these,

a wide chasm gapes, disappearing into the deep

fog below. A lowered drawbridge spans the chasm,

leading to an arched entrance to the castle courtyard.

The chains of the drawbridge creak in the wind, their

www.cronistalascolonias.com.ar iron straining with the weight. From atop

the high strong walls, stone gargoyles stare at you

from hollow sockets and grin hideously. A rotting

wooden portcullis, green with growth, hangs in the

entry tunnel. Beyond this, the main doors ofCastle

Ravenloft stand open, a rich warm light spilling into

the courtyard.

Phillip (playing Gareth): I want to look at the

gargoyles. I have a feeling they're not just statues.

Amy(playing Rival:The drawbridge looks precarious?

I want to see how sturdy it is. Do I think we can cross

it, or is it going to collapse under our weight?

Unlike a game of make-believe, 0&0 gives structure

to the stories, a way of determining the consequences

of the adventurers' action. Players roll dice to resolve

whether their attacks hit or miss or whether their adventurers

can scale a cliff, roll away from the strike of a

magicallightning bolt, or pull off some other dangerous

task. Anything is possible, but the dice make some outcomes

more probable than others.

Oungeon Master (OM): OK, one at a time. Phillip,

you're looking at the gargoyles?

Phillip:Yeah. 15 there any hint they might be

creatures and not decorations?

OM: Make an Intelligence check.

Phillip: Does my Investigation skill apply?

OM: Sure!

Phillip (rolling a d20): Ugh. Seven.

OM: They look like decorations to you. And Amy,

Rivais checking out the drawbridge?

In the DUNGEONS& DRAGONSgame, each player

creates an adventurer (also called a character) and

teams up with other adventurers (played by friends).

Working together, the group might explore a dark dungeon,

a ruined city, a haunted castle. a lost temple deep

in a jungle, or a lava-filled cavero beneath a mysterious

mountain. The adventurers can solve puzzles, talk with

other characters, battle fantastic monsters, and discover

fabulous magic items and other treasure.

One player, however, takes on the role of the Dungeon

Master (DM). the game's lead storyteller and referee.

The DM creates adventures for the characters, who navigate

its hazards and decide which paths to explore. The

DM might describe the entrance to Castle Ravenloft,

and the players decide what they want their adventurers

to do. WilI they walk across the dangerously weathered

drawbridge? Tie themselves together with rope to minimize

the chance that someone will fali if the drawbridge

gives way? Or cast a spell to carry them over the chasm?

Then the DM determines the results of the adventurers'

actions and narrates what they experience. Because

the DM can improvise to react to anything the players

attempt, 0&0 is infinitely f1exible, and each adventure

can be exciting and unexpected.

The game has no real end; when one story or quest

wraps up, another one can begin, creating an ongoing

story called a campaign. Many people who play the

game keep their campaigns going for months or years.

meeting with their friends every week or so to pick

up the story where they left off. The adventurers grow

in might as the campaign continues. Each monster

defeated, each adventure completed, and each treasurc

recovered not only adds to the continuing story, but also

earos the adventurers new capabilities. This increase

in power is reflected by an adventurer's leveI.

There's no winning and losing in the DUNGEONS&

DRAGONSgame-at least, not the way those terms are

usually understood. Together, the DM and lhe players

create an exciting story of bold adventurers who confront

deadly perils. Sometimes an adventurer might come to

a grisly end, toro apart by ferocious monsters or done in

bya nefarious villain. Even so, the other adventurers can

search for powerful magic to revive their fallen comrade,

or the player might choose to create a new character to

carry on. The group might fail to complete an adventure

successfully, but if everyone had a good time and created

a memorable story, they ali win.

WORLDS OF ADVENTURE

The many worlds of the DUNGEONS& DRAGONSgame

are places of magic and monsters, of brave warriors and

spectacular adventures. They begin with a foundation

of medieval fantasy and then add the creatures, places,

and magic that make these worlds unique.

The worlds of the DUNGEONS& DRAGONSgame exist

within a vast cosmos called the multiverse, connected

in strange and mysterious ways to one another and to

other planes of existence. such as the Elemental Plane

of Fire and the lnfinite Depths of the Abyss. Within

lNTRODUl

TION

this multiverse are an endless variety of worlds. Many

of them have been published as official settings for the

D&D game. The legends of the Forgotten Realms, Dragonlance,

Greyhawk, Dark Sun, Mystara, and Eberron

settings are woven together in the fabric of the multiverse.

Alongside these worlds are hundreds of thousands

more, created by generations of D&D players for their

own games. And amid ali the richness of the multiverse,

you might create a world of your own.

Ali these worlds share characteristics, but each world

is set apart by its own history and cultures, distinctive

monsters and races, fantastic geography, anciem dungeons,

and scheming villains. Some races have unusual

traits in different worlds. The halflings of the Dark Sun

setting, for example, are jungle-dwelling cannibals,

and the elves are desert nomads. Some worlds feature

races unknown in other settings, such as Eberron's warforged,

soldiers created and imbued with life to fight in

the Last War. Some worlds are dominated by one great

story, like the War of the Lance that plays a central role

in the Dragonlance setting. But they're ali D&D worlds,

and you can use the rules in this book to create a character

and play in any one of them.

Your DM might set the campaign on one of these

worlds or on one that he or she created. Because there

is so much diversity among the worlds of D&D, you

should check with your DM about any house rules that

will affect your play of the game. Ultimately, the Dungeon

Master is the authority on the campaign and its

setting, even if the setting is a published world.

USING THIS BOOK

The Player'sHandbook is divided into three parts.

Part 1 is about creating a character, providing the

rules and guidance you need to make the character

you'lI play in the game. It includes information on the

various races, classes, backgrounds, equipment, and

other customization options that you can choose from.

Many of the rules in part 1 rely on material in parts 2

and 3. If you come across a game concept in part 1 that

you don't understand, consult the book's indexo

Part 2 details the rules of how to play the game,

beyond the basics described in this introduction. That

part covers the kinds of die rolls you make to determine

success or failure at the tasks your character attempts,

and describes the three broad categories of activity in

the game: exploration, interaction, and combat.

Part 3 is ali about magic. It covers the nature of magic

in the worlds of D&D, the rules for spellcasting, and the

huge variety of spells available to magic-using characters

(and monsters) in the game.

HOWTO

PLAY

The play of the DUNGEONS& DRAGONSgame unfolds

according to this basic pattern.

1. The DM describes the environment. The DM

tells the players where their adventurers are and what's

around them, presenting the basic scope of options that

present themselves (how many doors lead out of a roam,

what's on a table, who's in the tavern, and so on).

2. The players describe what they want to do. Sometimes

one player speaks for the whole party, saying,

"We'lI take the east door," for example. Other times,

different adventurers do different things: one adventurer

might search a treasure chest while a second examines

an esoteric symbol engraved on a wall and a third keeps

watch for monsters. The players don't need to take

turns, but the DM listens to every player and decides

how to resolve those actions.

Sometimes, resolving a task is easy. If an adventurer

wants to walk across a roam and open a door, the DM

might just say that the door opens and describe what

lies beyond. But the doar might be locked, the floor

might hide a deadly trap, or some other circumstance

might make it challenging for an adventurer to complete

a task. In those cases, the DM decides what happens,

often relying on the roll of a die to determine the results

of an action.

3. The DM narrates the results ofthe adventurers'

actions. Describing the results often leads to another

decision point, which brings the flow of the game right

back to step 1.

This pattern holds whether the adventurers are cautiously

exploring a ruin, talking to a devious prince, or

locked in mortal combat against a mighty dragon. In

certain situations, particularly combat, the action is

more structured and the players (and DM) do take turns

choosing and resolving actions. But most of the time,

play is fluid and flexible, adapting to the circumstances

of the adventure.

Often the action of an adventure takes place in the

imagination of the players and DM, relying on the DM's

verbal descriptions to set the scene. Some DMs like to

use music, art, ar recorded sound effects to help set the

mood, and many players and DMs alike adopt different

voices for the various adventurers, monsters, and other

characters they play in the game. Sometimes, a DM

might lay out a map and use tokens ar miniature figures

to represent each creature involved in a scene to help

the players keep track of where everyone is.

GAME DrCE

The game uses polyhedral dice with different numbers

of sides. Vou can find dice like these in game stores and

in many bookstores.

In these rules, the different dice are referred to by the

letter d followed by the number of sides: d4, d6, dS, dI O,

d12, and d For instance, a d6 is a six-sided die (the

typical cube that many games use).

Percentile dice, ar d, work a little differently. Vou

generate a number between 1 and by rolling two

different ten-sided dice numbered from Oto 9. One die

(designated before you roll) gives the tens digit, and

the other gives the ones digit. If you roll a 7 and a 1, for

example, the number rolled is Two Os represent

Some ten-sided dice are numbered in tens (00, 10, 20,

and so on), making it easier to distinguish the tens digit

from the ones digit. In this case, a roll of 70 and I is 71,

and 00 and Ois

When you need to roll dice, the rules tell you how

many dice to roll of a certain type, as well as what modifiers

to add. For example, "3dS + 5" means you roll

6

INTRODUCTION

three eight-sided dice, add them together, and add 5

to the tota!.

The same d notation appears in the expressions "ld3"

and "ld2." To simulate the roll of Id3, roll a d6 and

divide the number rolled by 2 (round up). To simulate

the roll of Id2, roll any die and assign a I or 2 to the roll

depending on whether it was odd or even. (Alternatively,

if the number rolled is more than half the number of

sides on the die, it's a 2.)

THE D20

Does an adventurer's sword swing hurt a dragon or just

bounce off its iron-hard scales? Will the ogre believe an

outrageous bluff? Can a character swim across a raging

river? Can a character avoid the main blast of a fireball,

or does he or she take full damage from the blaze? In

cases where the outcome of an action is uncertain,

the DUNGEONS& DRAGONSgame relies on rolls of a

sided die, a d20, to determine success or failure.

Every character and monster in the game has capabilities

defined by six ability scores. The abilities are

Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Intelligence, Wisdom,

and Charisma, and they typically range from 3 to 18

for most adventurers. (Monsters might have scores as

lowas I or as high as ) These ability scores, and the

ability modifiers derived from them, are the basis for

almost every d20 roll that a player makes on a character's

or monster's behalf.

Ability checks, attack rolls, and saving throws are the

three main kinds of d20 rolls, forming the core of the

rules of the game. AIl three follow these simple steps.

1. Roll the die and add a modifier. Roll a d20 and

add the relevant modifier. This is typically the modifier

derived from one of the six ability scores, and it

sometimes includes a proficiency bonus to reflect a character's

particular skill. (See chapter I for details on each

ability and how to determine an ability's modifier.)

2. Apply circumstantial bonuses and penalties. A

class feature, a spell, a particular circumstance, ar some

other effect might give a bonus or penalty to the check.

3. Compare the total to a target number. If the total

equals or exceeds the target number, the ability check,

attack roll, or saving throw is a success. Otherwise, it's

a failure. The DM is usually the one who determines

target numbers and tells players whether their ability

checks, attack rolls, and saving throws succeed or fai!'

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).

This sim pie rule governs the resolution of most tasks

in D&D play. Chapter 7 provides more detailed rules for

using the d20 in the game.

ADVANTAGE

AND DISADVANTAGE

Sometimes an ability check, attack roll, or saving throw

is modified by special situations called advantage and

disadvantage. Advantage reflects the positive circumstances

surrounding a d20 roll, while disadvantage

reflects the opposite. When you have either advantage or

disadvantage, you 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 a 17 and

a 5, you use the 5. If you instead have advantage and roll

those numbers, you use the

More detailed rules for advantage and disadvantage

are presented in chapter 7.

SPECIFIC

BEATS GENERAL

This book contains rules, especially in parts 2 and 3,

that govern how the game plays. That said, many racial

traits, class features, spells, magic items, monster abilities,

and other game elements break the general ruIes in

some way, creating an exception to how the rest of the

game works. Remember this: lf a specific ruIe contradicts

a general rule, the specific rule wins.

Exceptions to the rules are often minor. For instance,

many adventurers don't have proficiency with longbows,

but every wood elf does because of a racial trait. That

trait creates a minor exception in the game. Other

examples of rule-breaking are more conspicuous. For

instance, an adventurer can't normally pass through

walls, but some spells make that possible. Magic

accounts for most of the major exceptions to the rules.

ROUND

DOWN

There's one more general rule you need to know at the

outset. Whenever you divide a number in the game,

round down if you end up with a fraction, even if the

fraction is one-half or greater.

ADVENTURES

The DUNGEONS& DRAGONSgame consists of a group

of characters embarking on an adventure that the Dungeon

Master presents to them. Each character brings

particular capabilities to the adventure in the form of

ability scores and skills, class features, racial traits,

equipment, and magic items. Every character is different,

with various strengths and weaknesses, so the

best party of adventurers is one in which the characters

complement each other and cover the weaknesses of

INTRODUCTION

7

their companions. The advenlurers musl coopera te to

successfully complete the adventure.

The adventure is the heart of the game, a story with

a beginning, a middle, and an end. An adventure might

be created by the Dungeon Master or purchased off the

shelf, tweaked and modified to suit the DM's needs and

desires. In either case, an adventure features a fantastic

selting, whether it's an underground dungeon, a crumbling

castle, a stretch of wilderness, or a bustIing city.

It features a rieh cast of characters: the adventurers

created and played by the other players at the table,

as well as nonplayer characters (NPCs). Those characters

might be palrons, allies, enemies, hirelings, or

just background extras in an adventure. Often, one of

the NPCs is a villain whose agenda drives much of an

adventure's action.

Over the course of their adventures, the characters

are confronted bya variety of creatures, objects, and

situations that they must deal with in some way. Sometimes

the adventurers and other creatures do their

best to kill or capture each other in combat. At other

times, the adventurers talk to another creature (or even

a magical object) with a goal in mind. And often, the

adventurers spend time trying to solve a puzzIe, bypass

an obstacle, find something hidden, or unraveI the current

situation. Meanwhile, the adventurers explore the

worId, making decisions about which way lo traveI and

what they'1I try to do next.

Adventures vary in length and complexity. A short

adventure might present only a few challenges, and

it might take no more than a single game session to

complete. A long adventure can involve hundreds of

combats, interactions, and other challenges, and take

dozens of sessions to play through, stretching over

weeks or months of real time. Usually, the end of an

adventure is marked by the adventurers heading back to

civilization to rest and enjoy the spoils of their labors.

Sut that's not the end of the story. Vou can think of

an adventure as a single episode of a TV series, made

up of multiple exciting scenes. A campaign is the whole

series-a string of adventures joined together, with a

consistent group of advenlurcrs following the narrative

from start to finish.

THE THREE PILLARS OF ADVENTURE

Adventurers can try to do anything their players can

imagine, bul it can be helpful to talk about their activities

in three broad categories: exploration, social

interaction, and combat.

ExpIoration includes both lhe adventurers' movement

through the worId and their interaction with objects and

situations that require their altention. Exploration is the

give-and-take of the players describing what lhey wanl

their characters lOdo, and the Dungeon Master telling

the players whal happens as a result. On a large scale,

that might involve lhe characters spending a day crossing

a rolling plain or an hour making lheir way through

caverns underground. On the smallest scale, il could

mean one characler pulling a lever in a dungeon room lo

see what happens.

Social interaction features the advenlurers talking to

someone (or something) else. lt might mean demanding

that a captured scout reveal the secret entrance to the

goblin lair, getting information from a rescued prisoner,

pleading for mercy from an ore chieftain, or persuading

a talkative magic mirror to show a dislant location to

the advenlurers.

The rules in chapters 7 and 8 support exploration and

social interaclion, as do many c1ass features in chapler 3

and personality traits in chapter 4.

Combat, the focus of chapter 9, involves characters

and other creatures swinging weapons, casting spells,

maneuvering for position, and so on-all in an effort

to defeat their opponents, whether that means killing

every enemy, laking captives, or forcing a rout. Combat

is the most struclured element of a D&D session, with

creatures taking turns to make sure that everyone gets

a chance to act. Even in the contexl of a pitched battIe,

there's still plenty of opportunity for adventurers to

altempt wacky stunts like surfing down a lIight of stairs

on a shield, to examine the environment (perhaps by

pulling a mysterious lever), and lOinteract with other

creatures, including allies, enemies, and neutral parties.

THE WONDERS OF MAGIC

Few D&D adventures end without something magical

happening. Whether helpful or harmful, magie appears

frequently in the life of an advenlurer, and it is the focus

of chapters 10 and

In the worlds of DUNGEONS& DRAGONS,practitioners

of magic are rare, set apart from the masses of people

by their extraordinary talent. Common foIk l11ightsee

evidcnce of magic on a regular basis, but it's usually

minor-a fantastic monster, a visibly answered prayer,

a wizard walking through the streets with an animated

shieId guardian as a bodyguard.

For adventurers, though, magic is key to their surviva\.

Without the healing magie of c1erics and paladins,

adventurers would quickly succumb to their wounds.

Wilhout the uplifting magieal support of bards and

c1erics, warriors might be overwhelmed by powerful

foes. Withoul the sheer magieal power and versatility

of wizards and druids, every threat would bc magnified

tenfold.

Magic is also a favored tool of villains. Many adventures

are driven by the machinations of spellcaslers

who are hellbent on using magic for some ill end. A cult

leader seeks to awaken a god who slumbers beneath

the sea, a hag kidnaps youths to magically drain them

of lheir vigor, a mad wizard labors to invest an army of

automatons with a facsimile of life, a dragon begins a

mystical ritual to rise up as a god of destruction-these

are just a few of the magical threats that adventurers

might face. With magic of their own, in the form of

spells and magic items, the adventurers might prevail!

8

INTRODUCTION

PARTl

PART 1 CREi\TING H!\RA

9

CHAPTER 1: STEP-By-STEP

OURFIRSTSTEPINPLAYINGANADVENTURER INTHE

DUNGEONS& DRAGONSgame is to imagine

and create a character of your own. Your

character is a combination of game statistics,

roleplaying hooks, and your imagination. Vou

choose a race (such as human or halfling) and

a class (such as fighter or wizard). Vou also

invent the personality, appearance, and backstory of

your character. Once completed, your character serves

as your representative in the game, your avatar in the

DUNGEONS& DRAGONSworld.

Before you dive into step 1 below, think about the

kind of adventurer you want to play. Vou might be a

courageous fighter, a skulking rogue, a fervent cleric, or

a flamboyant wizard. Or you might be more interested

in an unconventional character, such as a brawny rogue

who likes hand-to-hand combat, or a sharpshooter who