Advanced 5th Edition System Reference Document

1. Core Rules
To make an attack, ability check, skill check, or saving throw, roll a d20 and add any relevant
modi ers. Apply any bonuses and penalties, and compare the total to the appropriate di culty
rating (Armor Class, Di culty Class, and so on). If the total equals or exceeds the rating, the
roll is a success. Otherwise, it’s a failure.

Roll d20 + ability modi er + pro ciency bonus + expertise die

GROUP CHECKS
In a group check, every player makes an ability check or a skill check . If more than half of the
group succeeds in their check, the group as a whole succeeds. If half or less of the group
succeed, the group as a whole fails.

CRITICALS AND FUMBLES

When you roll a 20 on a d20 attack roll, saving throw, or ability check (before applying any
modi ers, bonuses, and penalties), this is referred to as a “natural 20”. Rolling a 1 on a d20
attack roll, saving throw, or ability check (before applying any modi ers, bonuses, and
penalties) is referred to as a “natural 1”.

Critical Hits and Fumbles. A natural 20 on an attack roll is a critical hit and is always
successful. On the ip side, rolling a natural 1 on an attack roll is considered a critical fumble
and always misses.

Critical Saves. A natural 20 on a saving throw is a critical save and always succeeds. A natural
1 on a saving throw is always a failure.

Critical Successes. A natural 20 on an ability check or skill check is a critical success so long
as the creature attempting it would normally have succeeded on the check. For example, a
baby goblin could never break out of steel manacles using Strength but an adult warrior goblin
might. On a critical success the objective of the check is achieved and something else
happens as well.

Critical Failures. A natural 1 on an ability check is a critical failure so long as the creature
attempting it would normally have failed on the check. On a critical failure, the objective of the
check is failed, and something unfortunate happens as well.

Group Criticals. When making a group check, a critical success is achieved if all members of
the party succeed in their checks, while a critical failure takes place if all members of the party
fail.

Criticals and fumbles also provide opportunities for additional positive and negative
consequences. For example, in addition to being a guaranteed success, a critical hit increases
the damage caused by an attack (dealing double damage). At the Narrator’s discretion, a
fumble might also result in a complication for the attacker, such as their weapon getting stuck
in a wooden door, requiring an ability check to free it.

ADVANTAGE, DISADVANTAGE, AND EXPERTISE

There are two ways that a creature's chances of success can be increased or decreased.

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 ADVANTAGE & DISADVANTAGE

Sometimes a circumstance grants advantage or disadvantage on an ability check, a saving

throw , or an attack roll. When that happens, you roll two twenty-sided dice instead of one. For
advantage, you use the higher of the two rolls. For disadvantage, you use the lower of the two
rolls.

When you have both advantage and disadvantage (regardless of from how many sources), they
cancel each other out and you roll normally.

EXPERTISE DICE

Some class features or traits grant you an expertise die for an attack roll or saving throw , or in
a speci c skill or tool pro ciency. When you make a d20 roll with which you have gained an
expertise die, roll 1d4 and add the number rolled to the result of your check.

You can never roll more than one expertise die on the same roll. If another class feature or
situation grants an expertise die that applies to the same roll, you don’t gain another die;
instead, the size of the expertise die increases for that check, from 1d4 to 1d6, or 1d6 to 1d8. If
you have a 1d8 expertise die on a check, further expertise dice have no e ect.

If you have advantage or disadvantage at the same time as an expertise die, only the d20 is
rolled twice, not the expertise die.

While advantage is most commonly used to represent circumstantial factors a ecting a

situation, expertise dice typically represent the particular training a character takes into the
adventure.

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