•

Tip over a statue Hiding

• Keep a boulder from rolling When you try to hide, make a Dexterity (Stealth) check. Until
you are discovered or you stop hiding, that check’s total is
Attack Rolls and Damage contested by the Wisdom (Perception) check of any creature
You add your Strength modifier to your attack roll and that actively searches for signs of your presence.
your damage roll when attacking with a melee weapon You can’t hide from a creature that can see you, and if you
such as a mace, a battleaxe, or a javelin. You use make noise (such as shouting a warning or knocking over a
melee weapons to make melee attacks in hand-to-hand vase), you give away your position. An invisible creature can’t
combat, and some of them can be thrown to make a be seen, so it can always try to hide. Signs of its passage
ranged attack. might still be noticed, however, and it still has to stay quiet.
In combat, most creatures stay alert for signs of danger
Lifting and Carrying all around, so if you come out of hiding and approach
Your Strength score determines the amount of weight a creature, it usually sees you. However, under certain
circumstances, the Dungeon Master might allow you to stay
you can bear. The following terms define what you can
hidden as you approach a creature that is distracted, allowing
lift or carry.
you to gain advantage on an attack before you are seen.
Carrying Capacity. Your carrying capacity is your Passive Perception. When you hide, there’s a chance
Strength score multiplied by 15. This is the weight (in someone will notice you even if they aren’t searching. To
pounds) that you can carry, which is high enough that determine whether such a creature notices you, the DM
most characters don’t usually have to worry about it. compares your Dexterity (Stealth) check with that creature’s
Push, Drag, or Lift. You can push, drag, or lift a passive Wisdom (Perception) score, which equals 10 + the
weight in pounds up to twice your carrying capacity creature’s Wisdom modifier, as well as any other bonuses
(or 30 times your Strength score). While pushing or or penalties. If the creature has advantage, add 5. For
dragging weight in excess of your carrying capacity, disadvantage, subtract 5.
For example, if a 1st-level character (with a proficiency
your speed drops to 5 feet.
bonus of +2) has a Wisdom of 15 (a +2 modifier) and
Size and Strength. Larger creatures can bear more
proficiency in Perception, he or she has a passive Wisdom
weight, whereas Tiny creatures can carry less. For (Perception) of 14.
each size category above Medium, double the creature’s What Can You See? One of the main factors in determining
carrying capacity and the amount it can push, drag, or whether you can find a hidden creature or object is how well
lift. For a Tiny creature, halve these weights. you can see in an area, which might be lightly or heavily
obscured, as explained in chapter 8.
Variant: Encumbrance Sleight of Hand. Whenever you attempt an act of
The rules for lifting and carrying are intentionally legerdemain or manual trickery, such as planting
simple. Here is a variant if you are looking for more something on someone else or concealing an object on
detailed rules for determining how a character is your person, make a Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) check.
hindered by the weight of equipment. When you use this The DM might also call for a Dexterity (Sleight of Hand)
variant, ignore the Strength column of the Armor table check to determine whether you can lift a coin purse off
in chapter 5. another person or slip something out of another
If you carry weight in excess of 5 times your Strength person’s pocket.
score, you are encumbered, which means your speed Stealth. Make a Dexterity (Stealth) check when you
drops by 10 feet. attempt to conceal yourself from enemies, slink past
If you carry weight in excess of 10 times your guards, slip away without being noticed, or sneak up on
Strength score, up to your maximum carrying capacity, someone without being seen or heard.
you are instead heavily encumbered, which means your Other Dexterity Checks. The DM might call for a
speed drops by 20 feet and you have disadvantage on Dexterity check when you try to accomplish tasks like
ability checks, attack rolls, and saving throws that use the following:
Strength, Dexterity, or Constitution.
• Control a heavily laden cart on a steep descent
Dexterity • Steer a chariot around a tight turn
• Pick a lock
Dexterity measures agility, reflexes, and balance.
• Disable a trap
Dexterity Checks • Securely tie up a prisoner
A Dexterity check can model any attempt to move • Wriggle free of bonds
nimbly, quickly, or quietly, or to keep from falling • Play a stringed instrument
on tricky footing. The Acrobatics, Sleight of Hand, • Craft a small or detailed object
and Stealth skills reflect aptitude in certain kinds of Attack Rolls and Damage
Dexterity checks.
You add your Dexterity modifier to your attack roll and
Acrobatics. Your Dexterity (Acrobatics) check covers
your damage roll when attacking with a ranged weapon,
your attempt to stay on your feet in a tricky situation,
such as a sling or a longbow. You can also add your
such as when you’re trying to run across a sheet of ice,
Dexterity modifier to your attack roll and your damage
balance on a tightrope, or stay upright on a rocking
roll when attacking with a melee weapon that has the
ship’s deck. The DM might also call for a Dexterity
finesse property, such as a dagger or a rapier.
(Acrobatics) check to see if you can perform acrobatic
stunts, including dives, rolls, somersaults, and flips.

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Armor Class legendary people, ancient kingdoms, past disputes,
Depending on the armor you wear, you might add some recent wars, and lost civilizations.
or all of your Dexterity modifier to your Armor Class, Investigation. When you look around for clues and
as described in chapter 5. make deductions based on those clues, you make an
Intelligence (Investigation) check. You might deduce the
Initiative location of a hidden object, discern from the appearance
At the beginning of every combat, you roll initiative of a wound what kind of weapon dealt it, or determine
by making a Dexterity check. Initiative determines the weakest point in a tunnel that could cause it to
the order of creatures’ turns in combat, as described collapse. Poring through ancient scrolls in search of
in chapter 9. a hidden fragment of knowledge might also call for an
Intelligence (Investigation) check.
Constitution Nature. Your Intelligence (Nature) check measures
Constitution measures health, stamina, and vital force. your ability to recall lore about terrain, plants and
animals, the weather, and natural cycles.
Constitution Checks Religion. Your Intelligence (Religion) check measures
Constitution checks are uncommon, and no skills apply your ability to recall lore about deities, rites and prayers,
to Constitution checks, because the endurance this religious hierarchies, holy symbols, and the practices
ability represents is largely passive rather than involving of secret cults.
a specific effort on the part of a character or monster. Other Intelligence Checks. The DM might call for an
A Constitution check can model your attempt to push Intelligence check when you try to accomplish tasks like
beyond normal limits, however. the following:
The DM might call for a Constitution check when you • Communicate with a creature without using words
try to accomplish tasks like the following: • Estimate the value of a precious item
• Hold your breath • Pull together a disguise to pass as a city guard
• March or labor for hours without rest • Forge a document
• Go without sleep • Recall lore about a craft or trade
• Survive without food or water • Win a game of skill
• Quaff an entire stein of ale in one go
Spellcasting Ability
Hit Points Wizards use Intelligence as their spellcasting ability,
Your Constitution modifier contributes to your hit which helps determine the saving throw DCs of
points. Typically, you add your Constitution modifier to spells they cast.
each Hit Die you roll for your hit points.
If your Constitution modifier changes, your hit point Wisdom
maximum changes as well, as though you had the new Wisdom reflects how attuned you are to the world
modifier from 1st level. For example, if you raise your around you and represents perceptiveness and intuition.
Constitution score when you reach 4th level and your
Constitution modifier increases from +1 to +2, you Wisdom Checks
adjust your hit point maximum as though the modifier A Wisdom check might reflect an effort to read body
had always been +2. So you add 3 hit points for your language, understand someone’s feelings, notice things
first three levels, and then roll your hit points for 4th about the environment, or care for an injured person.
level using your new modifier. Or if you’re 7th level and The Animal Handling, Insight, Medicine, Perception,
some effect lowers your Constitution score so as to and Survival skills reflect aptitude in certain kinds of
reduce your Constitution modifier by 1, your hit point Wisdom checks.
maximum is reduced by 7. Animal Handling. When there is any question
whether you can calm down a domesticated animal,
Intelligence keep a mount from getting spooked, or intuit an animal’s
Intelligence measures mental acuity, accuracy of recall,
and the ability to reason.
Finding a Hidden Object
When your character searches for a hidden object such as
Intelligence Checks a secret door or a trap, the DM typically asks you to make a
Wisdom (Perception) check. Such a check can be used to find
An Intelligence check comes into play when you need
hidden details or other information and clues that you might
to draw on logic, education, memory, or deductive
otherwise overlook.
reasoning. The Arcana, History, Investigation, Nature, In most cases, you need to describe where you are looking
and Religion skills reflect aptitude in certain kinds of in order for the DM to determine your chance of success. For
Intelligence checks. example, a key is hidden beneath a set of folded clothes in
Arcana. Your Intelligence (Arcana) check measures the top drawer of a bureau. If you tell the DM that you pace
your ability to recall lore about spells, magic items, around the room, looking at the walls and furniture for clues,
eldritch symbols, magical traditions, the planes of you have no chance of finding the key, regardless of your
existence, and the inhabitants of those planes. Wisdom (Perception) check result. You would have to specify
History. Your Intelligence (History) check measures that you were opening the drawers or searching the bureau
in order to have any chance of success.
your ability to recall lore about historical events,

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intentions, the DM might call for a Wisdom (Animal Intimidation. When you attempt to influence someone
Handling) check. You also make a Wisdom (Animal through overt threats, hostile actions, and physical
Handling) check to control your mount when you attempt violence, the DM might ask you to make a Charisma
a risky maneuver. (Intimidation) check. Examples include trying to pry
Insight. Your Wisdom (Insight) check decides whether information out of a prisoner, convincing street thugs
you can determine the true intentions of a creature, such to back down from a confrontation, or using the edge of
as when searching out a lie or predicting someone’s a broken bottle to convince a sneering vizier to
next move. Doing so involves gleaning clues from body reconsider a decision.
language, speech habits, and changes in mannerisms. Performance. Your Charisma (Performance) check
Medicine. A Wisdom (Medicine) check lets you try to determines how well you can delight an audience with
stabilize a dying companion or diagnose an illness. music, dance, acting, storytelling, or some other form of
Perception. Your Wisdom (Perception) check lets entertainment.
you spot, hear, or otherwise detect the presence of Persuasion. When you attempt to influence someone
something. It measures your general awareness of or a group of people with tact, social graces, or good
your surroundings and the keenness of your senses. nature, the DM might ask you to make a Charisma
For example, you might try to hear a conversation (Persuasion) check. Typically, you use persuasion when
through a closed door, eavesdrop under an open window, acting in good faith, to foster friendships, make cordial
or hear monsters moving stealthily in the forest. Or you requests, or exhibit proper etiquette. Examples of
might try to spot things that are obscured or easy to persuading others include convincing a chamberlain to
miss, whether they are orcs lying in ambush on a road, let your party see the king, negotiating peace between
thugs hiding in the shadows of an alley, or candlelight warring tribes, or inspiring a crowd of townsfolk.
under a closed secret door. Other Charisma Checks. The DM might call for a
Survival. The DM might ask you to make a Wisdom Charisma check when you try to accomplish tasks like
(Survival) check to follow tracks, hunt wild game, guide the following:
your group through frozen wastelands, identify signs • Find the best person to talk to for news,
that owlbears live nearby, predict the weather, or avoid rumors, and gossip
quicksand and other natural hazards. • Blend into a crowd to get the sense of key topics
Other Wisdom Checks. The DM might call for a of conversation
Wisdom check when you try to accomplish tasks like
the following: Spellcasting Ability
• Get a gut feeling about what course of action to follow Bards, paladins, sorcerers, and warlocks use Charisma
• Discern whether a seemingly dead or living crea- as their spellcasting ability, which helps determine the
ture is undead saving throw DCs of spells they cast.

Spellcasting Ability
Clerics use Wisdom as their spellcasting ability,
Saving Throws
A saving throw—also called a save—represents an
which helps determine the saving throw DCs of
attempt to resist a spell, a trap, a poison, a disease, or
spells they cast.
a similar threat. You don’t normally decide to make a
Charisma saving throw; you are forced to make one because your
character or monster is at risk of harm.
Charisma measures your ability to interact effectively To make a saving throw, roll a d20 and add the
with others. It includes such factors as confidence appropriate ability modifier. For example, you use your
and eloquence, and it can represent a charming or Dexterity modifier for a Dexterity saving throw.
commanding personality. A saving throw can be modified by a situational
bonus or penalty and can be affected by advantage
Charisma Checks and disadvantage, as determined by the DM.
A Charisma check might arise when you try to influence Each class gives proficiency in at least two saving
or entertain others, when you try to make an impression throws. The wizard, for example, is proficient
or tell a convincing lie, or when you are navigating a in Intelligence saves. As with skill proficiencies,
tricky social situation. The Deception, Intimidation, proficiency in a saving throw lets a character add his
Performance, and Persuasion skills reflect aptitude in or her proficiency bonus to saving throws made using
certain kinds of Charisma checks. a particular ability score. Some monsters have saving
Deception. Your Charisma (Deception) check throw proficiencies as well.
determines whether you can convincingly hide the The Difficulty Class for a saving throw is determined
truth, either verbally or through your actions. This by the effect that causes it. For example, the DC for a
deception can encompass everything from misleading saving throw allowed by a spell is determined by the
others through ambiguity to telling outright lies. Typical caster’s spellcasting ability and proficiency bonus.
situations include trying to fast-talk a guard, con a The result of a successful or failed saving throw is
merchant, earn money through gambling, pass yourself also detailed in the effect that allows the save. Usually,
off in a disguise, dull someone’s suspicions with false a successful save means that a creature suffers no
assurances, or maintain a straight face while telling a harm, or reduced harm, from an effect.
blatant lie.

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Chapter 8: Adventuring
Delving into the ancient Tomb of Horrors, slipping
through the back alleys of Waterdeep, hacking a fresh Movement
trail through the thick jungles on the Isle of Dread— Swimming across a rushing river, sneaking down a
these are the things that Dungeons & Dragons dungeon corridor, scaling a treacherous mountain slope—
adventures are made of. Your character in the game all sorts of movement play a key role in D&D adventures.
might explore forgotten ruins and uncharted lands, The DM can summarize the adventurers’ movement
uncover dark secrets and sinister plots, and slay foul without calculating exact distances or travel times: “You
monsters. And if all goes well, your character will travel through the forest and find the dungeon entrance
survive to claim rich rewards before embarking on a late in the evening of the third day.” Even in a dungeon,
new adventure. particularly a large dungeon or a cave network, the
This chapter covers the basics of the adventuring life, DM can summarize movement between encounters:
from the mechanics of movement to the complexities of “After killing the guardian at the entrance to the ancient
social interaction. The rules for resting are also in this dwarven stronghold, you consult your map, which leads
chapter, along with a discussion of the activities your you through miles of echoing corridors to a chasm
character might pursue between adventures. bridged by a narrow stone arch.”
Whether adventurers are exploring a dusty dungeon Sometimes it’s important, though, to know how long
or the complex relationships of a royal court, the game it takes to get from one spot to another, whether the
follows a natural rhythm, as outlined in the book’s answer is in days, hours, or minutes. The rules for
introduction: determining travel time depend on two factors: the
speed and travel pace of the creatures moving and the
1. The DM describes the environment.
terrain they’re moving over.
2. The players describe what they want to do.
3. The DM narrates the results of their actions.
Speed
Typically, the DM uses a map as an outline of the
Every character and monster has a speed, which is
adventure, tracking the characters’ progress as they
the distance in feet that the character or monster
explore dungeon corridors or wilderness regions.
can walk in 1 round. This number assumes short
The DM’s notes, including a key to the map, describe
bursts of energetic movement in the midst of a life-
what the adventurers find as they enter each new area.
threatening situation.
Sometimes, the passage of time and the adventurers’
The following rules determine how far a character
actions determine what happens, so the DM might
or monster can move in a minute, an hour, or a day.
use a timeline or a flowchart to track their progress
instead of a map. Travel Pace
While traveling, a group of adventurers can move at a
Time normal, fast, or slow pace, as shown on the Travel Pace
In situations where keeping track of the passage of table. The table states how far the party can move in a
time is important, the DM determines the time a task period of time and whether the pace has any effect. A
requires. The DM might use a different time scale fast pace makes characters less perceptive, while a slow
depending on the context of the situation at hand. In pace makes it possible to sneak around and to search an
a dungeon environment, the adventurers’ movement area more carefully (see the “Activity While Traveling”
happens on a scale of minutes. It takes them about a section later in this chapter for more information).
minute to creep down a long hallway, another minute Forced March. The Travel Pace table assumes that
to check for traps on the door at the end of the hall, and characters travel for 8 hours in day. They can push on
a good ten minutes to search the chamber beyond for beyond that limit, at the risk of exhaustion.
anything interesting or valuable. For each additional hour of travel beyond 8 hours,
In a city or wilderness, a scale of hours is often more the characters cover the distance shown in the Hour
appropriate. Adventurers eager to reach the lonely tower column for their pace, and each character must make
at the heart of the forest hurry across those fifteen miles a Constitution saving throw at the end of the hour. The
in just under four hours’ time. DC is 10 + 1 for each hour past 8 hours. On a failed
For long journeys, a scale of days works best. saving throw, a character suffers one level of exhaustion
Following the road from Baldur’s Gate to Waterdeep, the (see appendix A).
adventurers spend four uneventful days before a goblin Mounts and Vehicles. For short spans of time (up
ambush interrupts their journey. to an hour), many animals move much faster than
In combat and other fast-paced situations, the game humanoids. A mounted character can ride at a gallop
relies on rounds, a 6-second span of time described for about an hour, covering twice the usual distance for
in chapter 9. a fast pace. If fresh mounts are available every 8 to 10
miles, characters can cover larger distances at this pace,
but this is very rare except in densely populated areas.
Characters in wagons, carriages, or other land
vehicles choose a pace as normal. Characters in a

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