Dungeons & Dragons Starter Set
Dungeons & Dragons Starter Set Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Welcome to 4th Edition
Dungeons & Dragons
D&D is the original roleplaying game, the game that created a new category of entertainment. Set in a medieval fantasy world of magic and monsters, the game allows you to experience stories and adventures full of endless possibilities and amazing surprises.
Playing D&D
To play, you need a Dungeon Master (DM) to present challenges, adjudicate the rules, and narrate the adventure. You also need players to run heroic characters (having five players works best), an adventure (such as Keep on the Shadowfell), and dice.
A character is a player's interface with the world of D&D. Like the hero of a novel or the star of a movie, the player characters (PCs) are at the center of the action. But there's no script to follow—the course of every adventure is determined through the actions the players take. And each character grows and improves as the game goes on.
The D&D game uses a special set of dice, including at least one of each of the following types: d4, d6, d8, d10, d12, and d20. The number corresponds to the number of sides each die has. When you roll 3d6 + 4, for example, you roll three six-sided dice and add 4 to the result.
It also helps to have D&D Miniatures to represent the heroes and monsters in the game, and D&D Dungeon Tiles or a battle grid on which to set up the adventure's encounters. You can usually find these products at your local game store or book retailer.
The Core Mechanic
At its heart, the D&D game uses a core game mechanic. Once you master this, you know how to play the game. It all revolves around task resolution. How do you know if a sword swing hits the owlbear? If an outrageous bluff tricks the guards? If a fireblast spell hits the charging kobolds? It all depends on these basic rules:
- Decide what your character wants to do and tell the Dungeon Master.
- Roll a d20 (the higher the roll, the better).
- Add any relevant modifiers (as shown on your character sheet).
- Compare the total result to a target number determined by the Dungeon Master.
If the result is equal to or higher than the target number, the task succeeds. If the result is lower than the target number, the task fails.
There's a little more to it than that, but the core mechanic governs all D&D game play. Everything else is an extension or refinement of the core mechanic. The following sections describe common examples of the core mechanic in play.
Skill Checks
When you use a skill, you make a skill check.
- Roll a d20 and add your skill modifier (as shown on your character sheet or in a monster stat block).
- Add any situational modifiers, such as effects from powers.
- The total is your check result.
The higher the result, the better. Your result is compared against a Difficulty Class (DC)—a number set by the DM based on the situation—or an opposed check made by a character or creature opposing your use of the skill.
Sometimes the only way to complete a complex task is to perform a skill challenge. A skill challenge requires a character or characters to achieve a certain number of successes before achieving a certain number of failures. If a skill challenge is warranted, an encounter will describe the relevant skills and how to apply the challenge to the player character.
Attack Rolls
When you make an attack, you usually make an attack roll.
- Choose the attack type you want to use, such as melee, ranged, close, or area. (See also "Attack Types")
- Choose a target for your attack that is within the range of the attack type you selected. Some attacks can target multiple creatures.
- For each creature you are attacking, roll a d20 and add your attack modifier (as shown on your character sheet or in the monster stat block).
- The total is your attack roll result.
The higher the result, the better. Your result is compared against one of the target's defense scores determined by the attack power. Characters and monsters have four defenses: Armor Class (AC), Fortitude, Reflex, and Will.
Encounters
The action of a D&D game takes place in encounters. In encounters, all characters have something to do, and it's important for them to work together to overcome whatever challenge is set before them. Outside of encounters, characters explore their environment and engage in social interactions. When exploration or social interaction involves serious consequences for success or failure, it becomes an encounter.
Encounters come in two basic forms: combat encounters and noncombat encounters. During encounters, you will use powers.
Combat Encounters
Fighting monsters. What D&D adventure would be complete without combat encounters where characters rely on attack powers, skills, feats, and magic items to battle evil villains or hordes of ravenous creatures?
Noncombat Encounters
Noncombat encounters focus on skill use, utility powers, your wits, and roleplaying. These encounters include dealing with traps and hazards, solving puzzles, confronting nonplayer characters (NPCs), and overcoming skill challenges.
Powers
During encounters, you will use powers. Every class gives you access to attack powers you can use to harm or hinder your enemies and utility powers that help you and your allies. Powers in each of these broad categories are further defined by how often you can use them.
You can use at-will powers as often as you choose. You can use encounter powers many times during a day of adventuring, but you have to rest a few minutes between each use, so you can use them each once per encounter. Daily powers are so dramatic and powerful that you can use each one only once a day.
Gaining Levels
At the end of an encounter, the Dungeon Master gives out an equal number of experience points (XP) to each player character based on the encounter's difficulty. When the characters earn enough XP to reach a new level, they advance and gain new abilities (see the character sheets for how to improve each character). These improvements go into effect after an extended rest.
When a character earns a total of 1,000 XP, he or she achieves 2nd level.
When a character earns a total of 2,250 XP, he or she achieves 3rd level.
By the end of Keep on the Shadowfell, the characters should achieve 4th level (3,750 XP) or be very close to reaching it. From there, you can find more information on advancing your character in the Player's Handbook or by using the D&D Character Builder available for download at www.dndinsider.com.
Three Basic Rules
Along with the core mechanic, three basic principles should always be remembered. Other rules in the game are based on these assumptions.
Simple Rules, Many Exceptions: Every class, race, feat, power, and monster in the D&D game breaks the rules in some way. From minor to significant, the game is built upon exception-based rules design. For example, a normal melee attack always deals a few points of damage, but every class has powers that ramp up the damage when they get used.
Specific Beats General: If a specific rule contradicts a general rule, the specific rule wins. For example, you normally can't move as part of a regular attack. But if you have a power that allows you to move and attack, that specific rule trumps the general rule—when you use that power.
Always Round Down: When the game asks you to divide a number, such as when you deal half damage with an attack, you always round down to the next lower whole number.
Combat
Combat encounters break out when the player characters run into an opposing force. That force could be a powerful solo monster, a group of terrifying creatures, or a gang of villainous nonplayer characters. The chaos of combat is organized into a cycle of rounds and turns.
Round: In a round, every combatant takes a turn. A round represents about 6 seconds in the game world.
Turn: On your turn, you have a specific set of actions that you can use.
Combat Sequence
A combat encounter follows this sequence:
Establish positions. The DM decides where the combatants start out on the battle grid. The DM shows the players where they can set up their characters, and then he or she places the monsters.
Roll initiative. Everyone involved in the encounter rolls initiative (roll a d20 and add the initiative modifier on your character sheet). This determines the order of battle for the entire encounter.
Take surprise round actions. If any combatants gained a surprise round, they act in initiative order, each taking a single action.
Take turns. In initiative order, highest result starting first, every combatant takes a turn.
Repeat. Start a new round and repeat the initiative order. Continue until one side or the other flees or is defeated.
End the encounter. After one side or the other flees or is defeated, the encounter ends when the remaining side takes a short rest or an extended rest.
Taking Your Turn
On your initiative order, you take your turn. Your turn has three parts: the start of your turn, actions during your turn, and the end of your turn. For the DM, a turn consists of taking actions for the monsters in the encounter.
The Start of Your Turn
Before you act, use the start of your turn to keep track of any effects.
- Ongoing Damage. If you're suffering ongoing damage, you take damage now.
- Regeneration. If you have regeneration, you regain hit points now.
- Other Effects. Deal with any other effects that occur at the start of your turn.
- No Actions. You can't take any actions during the start of your turn.
Actions During Your Turn
During your turn, you can take a few actions.
- Standard Action: You can normally take one standard action on your turn. Most attack powers require the use of a standard action.
- Move Action: You can normally take one move action on your turn. Walking your speed requires the use of a move action.
- Minor Action: A minor action lets you perform a task that requires minimal action or attention. Using certain powers and class features, drawing a weapon, or opening a chest requires a minor action.
- Free Action: Free actions take almost no time or effort. You can take as many free actions as you want during your or another combatant's turn, as allowed by the DM. Free actions include talking and dropping a held item.
- Any Order. You can take your actions in any order, and you can skip any of them.
- Substitute Actions. You can swap a standard action for a move action or a minor action, and you can swap a move action for a minor action.
- Extra Action. You can take one extra action of any type by spending an action point.
- Other Combatants' Actions. Other combatants can take free actions on your turn, and you might take actions that trigger immediate actions or opportunity actions from other combatants.
The End of Your Turn
After you act, use the end of your turn to keep track of any effects.
- Saving Throws. You now make a saving throw against each effect that can be ended with a save. Roll a d20. If you roll lower than 10, the effect continues. If you roll 10 or higher, the effect ends.
- End Effects. Some effects end automatically at the end of your turn.
- No Actions. You can't take any actions during the end of your turn.
During Others' Turns
There are two action types that have triggers—an action, event, or condition that happens during another combatant's turn. A power's triggering condition must be met before you can use that power.
Opportunity Action: When an enemy lets its guard down, you can take an opportunity action. You can take only one opportunity action during each combatant's turn. An opportunity action interrupts the action that triggered it.
Opportunity Attack: The most common opportunity action is an opportunity attack. When an enemy leaves a square adjacent to you, or when an enemy adjacent to you makes a ranged attack or an area attack, you can make an opportunity attack against that enemy.
Immediate Action: Interrupts and reactions are immediate actions. Every immediate action has some kind of trigger. You can only take one immediate action per round—an immediate reaction or an immediate interrupt—and you can't take an immediate action on your turn.
Immediate Interrupt: This action lets you act before the triggering action is resolved. If the interrupt invalidates the triggering action, that action is lost.
Immediate Reaction: This action lets you act in response to a triggering action. The triggering action is completely resolved before you take your reaction.
Free Actions With Triggers: A few powers that have triggers are free actions. These powers act like immediate interrupts, but they can be used during your turn as well as during any other combatants' turn.
Attacks and Damage
If you successfully attack an enemy, you deal damage, afflict your target with a condition or an effect, or both. To determine damage, roll the damage dice specified on the power you attacked with. Damage reduces a character's hit points (HP).
Critical Hits
When you roll a 20 on the die when making an attack roll, you score a critical hit.
Instead of rolling damage, you deal the maximum amount of damage possible for the attack.
For example, the dwarf fighter scores a critical hit with his basic melee attack. The damage for this attack is 2d6 + 3. Thus, maximum damage for this attack is 15 (6 + 6 + 3 = 15).
Flanking
Flanking provides a simple combat tactic for you and an ally to use against an enemy. When you are flanking an enemy, you have combat advantage against that enemy. To flank an enemy, you and an ally must be adjacent to the enemy and on opposite sides of the enemy's space. You and your ally must be able to attack the enemy. If you are affected by an effect that prevents you from taking opportunity actions, such as dazed, you don't flank.
Combat Advantage
When a defender can't give full attention to defense, it grants combat advantage to its attacker. This usually occurs when the defender is flanked, dazed, prone, blinded, stunned, or otherwise caught off guard.
- +2 Bonus to Attack Rolls. You gain this bonus when you have combat advantage against the target of your attack.
- Able to See Target. You must be able to see a target to gain combat advantage against it.
Attack Types
There are four attack types.
Melee Attack. A melee attack targets creatures adjacent to you and typically uses a weapon. Attacking with a sword or a mace is an example of a melee attack. Some monsters and special weapons have reach and can target nonadjacent creatures.
Ranged Attack. A ranged attack is a strike against a distant target. A ranged attack typically targets only one creature within its range. Shooting a bow or firing a magic missile is an example of a ranged attack.
Range: Ranged powers specify how far away from you a creature can be to target it. A power that has "Ranged 10" can target a creature 10 or fewer squares away. Some ranged attack powers instead have "Ranged weapon," which means the power's range is determined by the ranged weapon you are wielding.
A ranged weapon has two range numbers: its normal range and its long range. If a target is farther away than a weapon's normal range but within its long range, the attack takes a –2 penalty to the attack roll.
Opportunity Attacks: Using a ranged attack provokes opportunity attacks from enemies adjacent to you.
Close Attack. A close attack is a force that sweeps outward from an origin square, whether from a sword swung in a circle or from a blast of energy that cascades outward.
Origin Square: Depending on the power you use, close attacks originate in your square or in a square adjacent to you.
Area of Effect: Each close attack has an area of effect, which determines the attack's shape. A power determines what creatures you attack within that area—whether the attack hits all creatures, including allies, or just enemies. A target is not affected if you cannot trace an unbroken line between at least one corner of the origin square and one corner of the target's square.
Area Attack. Area attacks are similar to close attacks, except that their origin square is some distance away from the user. A ball of fire that streaks across the battlefield and explodes is an example of an area attack.
Range and Origin Square: An area attack's range is given in the power description. A creature must choose a square within range as the origin square. The origin square is where the area of effect is centered, and the character using the power must be able to trace an unbroken line between at least one corner of the origin square and one corner of his or her square. An area power's range includes both the maximum distance to the origin square and the size of the area of effect.
Area of Effect: The area of effect sets the shape of the attack and determines the targets it affects. A power determines what creatures you attack within that area—whether the attack hits all creatures, including allies, or just enemies. A target is not affected if you cannot trace an unbroken line between at least one corner of the origin square and one corner of the target's square.
Opportunity Attacks: Using an area attack provokes opportunity attacks from enemies adjacent to you.
Targets
To target a creature, it must be within a power's range or area of effect. Many powers allow a creature to select multiple targets.
Multiple Targets. Whenever a creature uses a power with an area of effect, it makes a single damage roll but a separate attack roll for each affected creature. It's easiest to go in that order, especially if the power deals half damage on a miss. Roll the damage dice, add up the total damage, and then make attack rolls one by one.
Blast: A blast fills an area adjacent to the caster that is a specified number of squares on a side. For example, a power that is a blast 3 affects a 3-square-by-3-square area adjacent to the character using that power. The origin square (the character's space) is not affected by the blast. A blast only affects a target if the target is in the blast's area of effect and if there is an unbroken line between one corner of the target's square and one corner of the origin square.
Burst: A burst extends in all directions from the origin square to a specified number of squares. For a close burst, the origin square is the space the character using the power occupies. For an area burst, it is a chosen square within the power's range. A close burst does not affect the origin square, and thus, the character using the power is unaffected. An area burst does affect the origin square, and if the character is in the power's area of effect, he or she might be targeted by it.
Attack Modifiers
In combat, many circumstances can increase or decrease the chance of hitting a target. For example, a flanked target is easier to hit, whereas a target behind cover is harder to hit. A circumstance that provides a temporary advantage or disadvantage is represented by a modifier to the attack roll. A creature adds the modifier to the attack bonus when making an attack.
Attack Modifiers
| Circumstance | Modifier |
|---|---|
| Combat advantage against target | +2 |
| Attacker is prone | –2 |
| Attacker is restrained | –2 |
| Target has cover | –2 |
| Target has superior cover | –5 |
| Target has concealment (melee and ranged only) | –2 |
| Target has total concealment (melee and ranged only) | –5 |
| Long range (weapon attacks only) | –2 |
| Charge attack (melee only) | +1 |
Cover
Enemies behind a low wall, around a corner, or behind a tree enjoy some amount of cover.
Cover
- Cover (–2 Penalty to Attack Rolls): The target is around a corner or protected by terrain.
- Superior Cover (–5 Penalty to Attack Rolls): The target is protected by a significant terrain advantage, such as when fighting behind a window or an arrow slit.
- Area Attacks and Close Attacks: When you make an area attack or a close attack, a target has cover if there is an obstruction between the origin square and the target, not between you and the target.
- Target's Allies Provide Cover: When you make a ranged attack against an enemy and other enemies are in the way, your target has cover.
- Determining Cover: To determine if a target has cover, choose a corner of a square you occupy (or a corner of your attack's origin square) and trace imaginary lines from that corner to every corner of any one square the target occupies. If one or two of those lines are blocked by an obstacle or an enemy, the target has cover. (A line isn't blocked if it runs along the edge of an obstacle's or an enemy's square.) If three or four of those lines are blocked but you can still trace one line to a part of the target's space (such as through an arrow slit), the target has superior cover.
Concealment
When you're fighting in an area of smoke or mist, or among foliage, you or your foe might have concealment.
Concealment
- Melee Attacks and Ranged Attacks Only: Attack penalties from concealment apply only to the targets of melee or ranged attacks.
- Concealment (–2 Penalty to Attack Rolls): The target is in squares of dim light, foliage, fog, smoke, heavy falling snow, or rain but is adjacent to you.
- Total Concealment (–5 Penalty to Attack Rolls): You can't see the target. The target is invisible, in darkness, or in heavy fog, smoke, or foliage and is not adjacent to you.
Conditions
Powers, monsters, traps, and the environment can all cause conditions. A condition imposes various penalties.
Blinded
- You grant combat advantage.
- You can't see any target (your targets have total concealment).
- You take a –10 penalty to Perception checks.
- You can't flank an enemy.
Dazed
- You grant combat advantage.
- You can take either a standard action, a move action, or a minor action on your turn (you can also take free actions). You can't take immediate actions or opportunity actions.
- You can't flank an enemy.
Dying
- You're unconscious.
- You're at 0 or negative hit points.
- You make a death saving throw every round.
Helpless
- You grant combat advantage.
- You can be the target of a coup de grace.
Immobilized
- You can't move from your space, although you can teleport and can be forced to move by a pull, a push, or a slide.
Marked
- You take a –2 penalty to attack rolls for any attack that doesn't target the creature that marked you.
Prone
- You grant combat advantage to enemies making melee attacks against you.
- You get a +2 bonus to all defenses against ranged attacks from nonadjacent enemies.
- You're lying on the ground. (If you're flying, you safely descend a distance equal to your fly speed. If you don't reach the ground, you fall.)
- You take a –2 penalty to attack rolls.
- You can drop prone as a minor action.
Slowed
- Your speed becomes 2. This speed applies to all your movement modes, but it does not apply to teleportation or to a pull, a push, or a slide. You can't increase your speed above 2, and your speed doesn't increase if it was lower than 2. If you're slowed while moving, stop moving if you have already moved 2 or more squares.
Stunned
- You grant combat advantage.
- You can't take actions.
- You can't flank an enemy.
Surprised
- You grant combat advantage.
- You can't take actions, other than free actions.
- You can't flank an enemy.
Unconscious
- You're helpless.
- You take a –5 penalty to all defenses.
- You can't take actions.
- You fall prone, if possible.
- You can't flank an enemy.
Weakened
- Your attacks deal half damage. Ongoing damage you deal is not affected.
Invisible
- You can't be seen by normal forms of vision.
- You have combat advantage against any enemy that can't see you.
- You don't provoke opportunity attacks from enemies that can't see you.
Ongoing Damage
Some powers deal extra damage on consecutive turns after the initial attack.
- Start of Your Turn: You take the specified damage at the start of your turn. If you're taking ongoing 5 fire damage, you take 5 fire damage at the start of your turn.
- Saving Throw: Each round at the end of your turn, make a saving throw against ongoing damage. If you succeed, you stop taking the ongoing damage.
- Different Types of Ongoing Damage: If effects deal ongoing damage of different types, you take damage from each effect every round. You make a separate saving throw against each damage type.
- The Same Type of Ongoing Damage: If effects deal ongoing damage of the same type, or if the damage has no type, only the higher number applies.
Resistance and Vulnerability
Some creatures are resistant or vulnerable to certain types of damage.
Resist: Resistance means you take less damage from a specific damage type. If you have resist 5 fire, then any time you take fire damage, you reduce that damage by 5.
Vulnerable: Being vulnerable to a damage type means you take extra damage from that damage type. If you have vulnerable 5 fire, then any time you take fire damage, you take an additional 5 fire damage.
Other Actions in Combat
This section describes how to perform some of the most common actions available on your turn.
Basic Attack
As a standard action, you can make a basic attack. A basic attack is an at-will attack power that everyone possesses, regardless of class. Your character sheet lists the melee and ranged basic attacks you have.
You use a melee basic attack to make an opportunity attack, and some powers or effects (especially warlord powers) give you the ability to make a basic attack when it isn't your turn.
Bull Rush
As a standard action, you can attempt to push an enemy away from you. To bull rush a target, make a Strength attack (equal to Strength check modifier; see your character sheet) against the target's Fortitude defense. If you hit, you push the target 1 square and can shift into the vacated space.
Charge
As a standard action, you can launch yourself forward and make a melee basic attack. Move your speed as part of the charge. At the end of your move, you make a melee basic attack with a +1 bonus to the attack roll. You must move at least 2 squares from your starting position, and you must charge to the nearest unoccupied square from which you can attack the enemy. Charging provokes opportunity attacks if you leave a square adjacent to an enemy during your movement. After a charge, you can't take any further actions unless you spend an action point.
Coup de Grace
As a standard action, you can deliver a merciless blow against an enemy that is adjacent to you and helpless (see "Conditions"). You can use a basic attack or any attack power you could normally use against the enemy. The attack scores an automatic critical hit, and if you deal damage greater than or equal to the target's bloodied value, it dies.
Escape
As a move action, you can attempt to escape from an enemy that has grabbed you. You make can make an Acrobatics check vs. grabbing enemy's Reflex or an Athletics check vs. grabbing enemy's Fortitude. If you succeed, you escape the grab and can shift 1 square.
Grab
As a standard action, you can attempt to seize a creature adjacent to you and keep it from moving. You make a Strength attack (equal to Strength check modifier; see character sheet) vs. enemy's Reflex, and you must have at least one hand free. If you hit, the enemy is immobilized until it escapes or you end the grab. To maintain the grab, you must sustain it by spending a minor action during each subsequent turn in which the enemy remains grabbed by you. You can end a grab as a free action.
If you are affected by a condition that prevents you from taking opportunity actions (such as dazed, stunned, surprised, or unconscious), you immediately let go of a grabbed enemy. If you move away from the creature you're grabbing, you let go and the grab ends. If a pull, a push, or a slide moves you or the creature you're grabbing so that it is no longer adjacent to you, the grab also ends.
Second Wind
As a standard action, you can spend a healing surge to regain hit points. When you do, you regain hit points equal to your healing surge value. You also gain a +2 bonus to all defenses until the start of your next turn. You can use your second wind once per encounter.
Stand Up
As a move action, you can stand up from being prone. Standing up does not provoke an opportunity attack.
Total Defense
As a standard action, you can focus your attention on defense. When you do, you gain a +2 bonus to all defenses until the start of your next turn.
Use an Action Point
Once per encounter, you can spend an action point to take an extra action.
- You start with 1 action point after an extended rest.
- You gain 1 action point when you reach a milestone—each time you complete two encounters without stopping for an extended rest.
- You lose any unspent action points after an extended rest.
- Most often, you spend an action point to take an extra action during your turn. You decide if the extra action is a standard action, a move action, or a minor action.
Use a Power
Most powers are standard actions. Refer to your character sheet to see what powers you have access to.
Use a Skill
Each skill has different uses and requires various actions to use. Refer to a skill or ask your DM how long it takes to use a specific skill in combat.
Movement
You can use a move action to walk your speed in a turn. If you use two move actions (substituting a move for a standard action), you can walk your speed twice during your turn. To measure distance on a battle grid, simply count squares. Moving diagonally works the same as other movement.
Move Actions
These activities require the use of a move action.
- Walk. Move up to your speed. Moving out of squares adjacent to enemies provokes opportunity attacks.
- Shift. Move 1 square without provoking opportunity attacks. You can't normally shift into difficult terrain.
- Run. Move up to your speed +2 squares and grant combat advantage.
Shift
Moving through a fierce battle is dangerous; you must be careful to avoid your foe. The way you move safely when enemies are nearby is to shift.
Shift: Move Action
- Movement: Move 1 square.
- No Opportunity Attacks: If you shift out of a square adjacent to an enemy, you don't provoke an opportunity attack.
- Difficult Terrain: Each square of difficult terrain costs 1 extra square to enter, so you can't shift into a square of difficult terrain unless you can shift multiple squares.
Run
You can run when you really need to cover ground fast. However, you must lower your guard and can't attack well.
Run: Move Action
- Speed + 2: Move up to your speed + 2.
- –5 Penalty to Attack Rolls: You have a –5 penalty to attack rolls until the start of your next turn.
- Grant Combat Advantage: As soon as you begin running, you grant combat advantage to all enemies until the start of your next turn.
- Provoke Opportunity Attacks: If you leave a square adjacent to an enemy, that enemy can make an opportunity attack against you.
Forced Movement
Certain powers and effects allow you to pull, push, or slide a target.
Pull, Push, and Slide
- Pull: When you pull a creature, each square you move it must bring it nearer to you.
- Push: When you push a creature, each square you move it must place it farther away from you.
- Slide: When you slide a creature, there's no restriction on the direction you can move it.
Whether you're pulling, pushing, or sliding a target, certain rules govern all forced movement.
Forced Movement
- Line of Effect: You must be able to trace an unbroken line between one corner of your square and the corner of any square you move a creature into.
- Distance in Squares: The power you're using specifies how many squares you can move a target. You can choose to move the target fewer squares or not to move it at all. You can't move the target vertically.
- No Opportunity Attacks: Forced movement does not provoke opportunity attacks.
- Ignore Difficult Terrain: Forced movement isn't hindered by difficult terrain.
- Not a Move: Forced movement doesn't count against a target's ability to move on its turn.
- Catching Yourself: If you're forced over a precipice or a pit, you can try to catch yourself before you fall. You can immediately make a saving throw to avoid going over the edge. This saving throw works just like a normal saving throw, except you make it as soon as you reach the edge, not at the end of your turn.
- Lower than 10: Failure. You fall over the edge.
- 10 or higher: Success. You fall prone at the edge, in the last square you occupied before you would have fallen. The forced movement ends.
Occupied Squares
In general, you can't move through an occupied square.
- Ally. You can move through a square occupied by an ally.
- Enemy. You can't move through an enemy's space unless that enemy is helpless.
- Ending Movement. You can't end your movement in an occupied square unless it's a prone ally's square, or it's an enemy's square and that enemy is helpless.
Difficult Terrain
Rubble, undergrowth, shallow bogs, steep stairs, and other types of difficult terrain hamper movement. It costs 1 extra square of movement to enter a square of difficult terrain. If you don't have enough movement remaining, you can't enter a square of difficult terrain.
Obstacles
You can't enter a square with an obstacle that fills the square, such as a wall or a pillar. When an obstacle fills a square, you can't move diagonally across the corner of that square.
Hit Points, Healing, and Dying
Over the course of a battle, your character takes damage from attacks. Damage reduces your hit points.
- Maximum Hit Points. You have a maximum number of hit points, as determined by your class, level, and Constitution score. Your current hit points can't exceed this number.
- Bloodied. When your current hit points drop to one-half your maximum hit points or lower, you are bloodied. Certain powers work only (or work better) against a bloodied target, so you should let your DM and the other PCs know when you're bloodied.
- Dying: When your hit points drop to 0 or fewer, you fall unconscious and are dying. Any additional damage you take continues to reduce your current hit point total until your character dies.
- Death Saving Throw: While you are dying, you need to make a saving throw at the end of your turn each round. The result of your saving throw determines how close you are to death.
- Lower than 10: You slip one step closer to death. If you get this result three times before you take a rest, you die.
- 10–19: No change.
- 20 or higher: Spend a healing surge. When you do so, you are considered to have 0 hit points, and then your healing surge restores hit points as normal. You are no longer dying, and you are conscious but still prone. If you get a result of 20 or higher but have no healing surges left, your condition doesn't change.
- Death: When you take damage that reduces your current hit points to your bloodied value expressed as a negative number, your character dies.
Healing in Combat
Even in a heated battle, you can heal. You can heal yourself by using your second wind, an ally can use the Heal skill on you, and an ally can use a healing power on you.
When a power heals you, you don't have to take an action to spend a healing surge. Even if you're unconscious, the power uses your healing surge and restores hit points. And some healing powers restore hit points without requiring you to spend a healing surge.
When you are dying, any healing restores you to at least 1 hit point. If someone has stabilized you using the Heal skill but you receive no healing, you return to maximum hit points after an extended rest.
Healing a Dying Character
- Regain Hit Points: When you are dying and receive healing, you go to 0 hit points and then regain hit points from the healing effect. If the healing effect requires you to spend a healing surge but you have none left, you are restored to 1 hit point.
- Become Conscious: As soon as you have a current hit point total that's higher than 0, you become conscious and are no longer dying.
Rest and Recovery
Outside of encounters, you can take one of two types of rest: a short rest or an extended rest.
Short Rest. A short rest allows you to renew your encounter powers and use healing surges to regain hit points. It lasts about 5 minutes. You can take as many short rests per day as you want. During a short rest, you have to rest—no strenuous activity, no interruptions.
Extended Rest. Once per day, you can take an extended rest. It must last at least 6 hours to gain the benefits. You have to rest or sleep during this period. At the end of the rest, you regain any hit points you lost and healing surges you spent, your daily powers are renewed, and you lose unspent action points and gain 1 new action point.
Temporary Hit Points
A variety of sources can grant you temporary hit points—small reservoirs of stamina that insulate you.
Temporary Hit Points
- Not Real Hit Points: Temporary hit points aren't real hit points. They're a layer of insulation that attacks have to get through before they start doing damage to you. Don't add temporary hit points to your current hit points. Keep track of them as a separate pool of hit points.
- Don't Count Toward Maximum: Temporary hit points don't count when you compare your current hit points to your maximum hit points, such as when you determine whether you're bloodied, or for any other effects.
- Lose Temporary Hit Points First: When you take damage, subtract it from your temporary hit points. If you take more damage than your temporary hit points, extra damage reduces your current hit points.
- Don't Add Together: If you get temporary hit points from different sources, use the higher value instead of adding the values together.
- Last Until You Rest: Your temporary hit points last until they're reduced to 0 by damage or until you take a rest.
Knocking Creatures Unconscious
When you reduce a creature to 0 hit points (monsters do not have negative hit points like PCs), you can choose to knock it unconscious rather than kill it. Until it regains hit points, the creature is unconscious but not dying. Any healing makes the creature conscious.
If the creature doesn't receive any healing, it is restored to 1 hit point and becomes conscious after a short rest.
Skills
Skills represent a character's capabilities beyond straight-up combat. The dice checks for some common skill checks appear in encounters. You can also use these DCs as a general guideline.
| Level of Difficulty | DC |
|---|---|
| Easy | 5 |
| Moderate | 10 |
| Hard | 15 |
Knowledge Checks
Some skills deal with knowledge about a particular topic: Arcana, Dungeoneering, History, Nature, and Religion. The Difficulty Class increases based on the specific topic and how common the knowledge is. Some information might be so specialized that you must be trained in the skill.
Common Knowledge: This includes the kind of general information that is commonly known about a given topic.
Expert Knowledge: This includes the kind of specialized information that only an expert in the field of study could possibly know.
Master Knowledge: This includes the kind of esoteric information that only a master in the field of study could possibly know.
| Level of Knowledge | DC |
|---|---|
| Common | 10 |
| Expert | 20 |
| Master | 25 |
Monster Knowledge Check: You can also use Arcana, Dungeoneering, Nature, and Religion to see what you know about a creature. The skill you use is based on the creatures' origins, and no action required to make the check.
| Monster Knowledge | DC |
|---|---|
| Name, type, and keywords | 15 |
| Powers | 20 |
| Resistances and vulnerabilities | 25 |
Acrobatics
You can perform an acrobatic stunt, keep your balance while walking on narrow or unstable surfaces, slip free of a grab or restraints, or take less damage from a fall.
Acrobatic Stunt: Standard action or move action, depending on the stunt.
- DC: Base DC 15.
- Success: You perform an acrobatic stunt.
- Failure: You fail to pull off the stunt and might fall or suffer some other consequence.
If you fall or jump down from a height, you can make an Acrobatics check to reduce the amount of falling damage you take.
Reduce Falling Damage: Free action if you fall or a move action if you jump down.
Requirement: You must be trained in Acrobatics.
- Damage Reduced: Make an Acrobatics check, and reduce the amount of falling damage you take by one-half your check result (round down). If this check reduces the damage to 0, you remain standing instead of falling prone.
Arcana
You have picked up knowledge about magic-related lore and magic effects. This knowledge extends to information about the following planes, including the creatures native to those planes: the Elemental Chaos, the Feywild, and the Shadowfell.
Knowledge: Make an Arcana check to identify a creature that has the elemental, the fey, or the shadow origin, or one that is a construct. See the "Knowledge Checks" sidebar.
Athletics
Make an Athletics check to attempt physical activities that rely on muscular strength, including climbing, escaping from a grab, jumping, and swimming.
Climb: Part of a move action.
- DC: See the table.
- Success: You climb at one-half your speed.
- Fail by 4 or Less: You stay where you started and lose the rest of your move action, but you don't fall. You can try again as part of a move action.
- Fail by 5 or More: You fall and lose the rest of your move action. You take 1d10 damage for every 2 squares you fall.
- Grant Combat Advantage: While you are climbing, all enemies have combat advantage against you.
- Uses Movement: Count the number of squares you climb as part of your move.
| Surface | Athletics DC |
|---|---|
| Ladder | 0 |
| Rope | 10 |
| Uneven surface (cave wall) | 15 |
| Rough surface (brick wall) | 20 |
| Slippery surface | +5 |
| Unusually smooth surface | +5 |
Long Jump: Part of a move action.
- Distance Jumped Horizontally: Make an Athletics check and divide your check result by 10 (don't round the result). This is the number of squares you can leap across. You land in the square determined by your result. If you end up over a pit or a chasm, you fall and lose the rest of your move action.
- Running Start: If you move at least 2 squares before making the jump, divide your check result by 5, not 10.
- Uses Movement: Count the number of squares you jump as part of your move. If you run out of movement, you fall. You can end your first move in midair if you double move.
High Jump: Part of a move action.
- Distance Jumped Vertically: Make an Athletics check and divide your check result by 10 (round down). This is the number of feet you can leap up. The result determines the height that your feet clear with a jump. To determine if you can reach something while leaping, add your character's height plus your result.
- Running Start: If you move at least 2 squares before making the jump, divide your check result by 5, not 10.
- Uses Movement: Count the number of squares you jump as part of your move. If you run out of movement, you fall. You can end your first move in midair if you double move.
Swim or Tread Water: Part of a move action.
- DC: See the table.
- Success: You swim at one-half your speed, or you stay afloat and tread water.
- Fail by 4 or Less: Stay where you are and lose the rest of your move action. You can try again as part of a move action.
- Fail by 5 or More: Sink 1 square.
| Water | Athletics DC |
|---|---|
| Calm | 10 |
| Rough | 15 |
| Stormy | 20 |
Bluff
You can make what's false appear to be true, what's outrageous seem plausible, and what's suspicious seem ordinary. You make a Bluff check to fast-talk a guard, con a merchant, gamble, pass off a disguise or fake documentation, and otherwise tell lies. Your Bluff check is opposed by an observer's Insight check.
Diplomacy
You can influence others with your tact, subtlety, and social grace. Make a Diplomacy check to change opinions, to inspire good will, to haggle with a patron, to demonstrate proper etiquette and decorum, or to negotiate a deal in good faith. A Diplomacy check is made against a DC set by the DM.
Dungeoneering
You have picked up knowledge and skills related to dungeoneering, including finding your way through dungeon complexes, navigating winding caverns, recognizing dungeon hazards, and foraging for food in the Underdark.
Knowledge: Make a Dungeoneering check to remember a useful bit of knowledge about an underground environment, recognize an underground hazard or clue, or identify a creature that has the aberrant origin. See the "Knowledge Checks" sidebar.
Endurance
Make an Endurance check to stave off ill effects and to push yourself beyond normal physical limits. You can hold your breath for long periods of time, forestall the debilitating effects of hunger and thirst, and swim or tread water for extended periods.
Heal
You know how to help someone recover from wounds or debilitating conditions, including disease.
First Aid
Make a Heal check to administer first aid.
First Aid: Standard action.
- DC: Varies depending on the task you're attempting.
- Use Second Wind: Make a DC 10 Heal check to allow an adjacent character to use his or her second wind without the character having to spend an action. The character doesn't gain the defense bonuses normally granted by second wind.
- Stabilize the Dying: Make a DC 15 Heal check to stabilize an adjacent dying character. If you succeed, the character can stop making death saving throws until he or she takes damage. The character's current hit point total doesn't change as a result of being stabilized.
- Grant a Saving Throw: Make a DC 15 Heal check. If you succeed, an adjacent ally can immediately make a saving throw, or the ally gets a +2 bonus to a saving throw at the end of his or her next turn.
History
You have picked up knowledge related to the history of a region and beyond, including the chronological record of significant events and an explanation of their causes. This includes information pertaining to royalty and other leaders, wars, legends, significant personalities, laws, customs, traditions, and memorable events.
Knowledge: Make a History check to remember a useful bit of historical knowledge or to recognize a historical clue. See the "Knowledge Checks" sidebar.
Insight
You can discern intent and decipher body language during social interactions. You make an Insight check to comprehend motives, to read between the lines, to get a sense of moods and attitudes, and to determine how truthful someone is being. You use Insight to counter a Bluff check.
| Task | Insight DC |
|---|---|
| Sense motives, attitudes | 10 + one-half creature's level |
| Sense outside influence | 25 + one-half effect's level |
| Recognize effect as illusory | 15 + one-half effect's level |
Intimidate
Make an Intimidate check to influence others through hostile actions, overt threats, and deadly persuasion.
Nature
You have picked up knowledge and skills related to nature, including finding your way through the wilderness, recognizing natural hazards, dealing with and identifying natural creatures, and living off the land.
Knowledge: Make a Nature check to remember a useful bit of knowledge about the natural world—about terrain, climate, weather, plants, and seasons—or to recognize a nature-related clue or identify a creature that has the natural origin. See the "Knowledge Checks" sidebar.
Perception
Make a Perception check to notice clues, detect secret doors, spot imminent dangers, find traps, follow tracks, listen for sounds behind a closed door, or locate hidden objects.
This skill is used against another creature's Stealth check or against a DC set by the DM. In most situations, the DM uses your passive Perception check result to determine if you notice a clue or an imminent danger.
Perception: No action required—either you notice something or you don't. Your DM usually uses your passive Perception check result. If you want to use the skill actively, you need to take a minor action or spend 1 minute listening or searching, depending on the task.
- Opposed Check: Perception vs. Stealth when trying to spot or hear a creature using Stealth. Your check might be modified by distance or if you're listening through a door or a wall (see the table).
- DC: See the table for DCs when you're trying to hear or spot something, searching an area, or looking for tracks.
- Success: You spot or hear something.
- Failure: You can't try again unless circumstances change.
- Searching: When actively searching an area or looking for something specific, assume you're searching each adjacent square. The DM might allow you to do this as a standard action, but usually searching requires at least 1 minute.
| Listen | Perception DC |
|---|---|
| Battle | 0 |
| Normal conversation | 10 |
| Whispers | 20 |
| Through a door | +5 |
| Through a wall | +10 |
| More than 10 squares away | +2 |
| Spot or Search | Perception DC |
|---|---|
| Barely hidden | 10 |
| Well hidden | 25 |
| More than 10 squares away | +2 |
Religion
You have picked up knowledge about gods, religious traditions and ceremonies, divine effects, holy symbols, and theology.
Knowledge: Make a Religion check to remember a useful bit of religious knowledge or to recognize a religion-related clue. You can also make a Religion check to identify a creature that has the immortal origin (a creature of the Astral Sea) or the undead keyword. See the "Knowledge Checks" sidebar.
Stealth
Make a Stealth check to conceal yourself from enemies, slink past guards, slip away without being noticed, and sneak up on people without being seen or heard.
This skill is used against another creature's Perception check or against a DC set by the DM.
Stealth: At the end of a move action
- Opposed Check: Stealth vs. passive Perception. If multiple enemies are present, your Stealth check is opposed by each enemy's passive Perception check. If you move more than 2 squares during the move action, you take a –5 penalty to the Stealth check. If you run, the penalty is –10.
- Success: You are hidden, which means you are silent and invisible to the enemy.
- Failure: You can try again at the end of another move action.
- Remaining Hidden: You remain hidden as long as you don't attack, don't move more than 2 squares with an action, keep out of sight, and remain quiet. If you move more than 2 squares during an action, you must make a new Stealth check with a –5 penalty. If you run, the penalty is –10.
- Not Remaining Hidden: If you take an action that causes you not to remain hidden, you retain the benefits of being hidden until you resolve the action.
- Enemy Activity: An enemy can try to find you on its turn. If an enemy makes an active Perception check and beats your last Stealth check result, you don't remain hidden from that enemy. Also, if an enemy tries to enter your space, you don't remain hidden from that enemy.
Streetwise
When in a settlement—a village, a town, or a city—make a Streetwise check to find out what's going on, who the movers and shakers are, where to get what you need (and how to get there), and where not to go.
Streetwise: Using this skill takes 1 hour and might be part of a skill challenge.
- DC: See the table.
- Success: You collect a useful bit of information, gather rumors, find out about available jobs, or locate the best deal.
- Failure: You can try again, but you might draw attention to yourself if you keep chasing after the same information.
| Settlement and Information | Streetwise DC |
|---|---|
| Typical settlement | 15 |
| Information is readily available | –2 |
| Information is hard to come by | +5 |
| Information is secret or closely guarded | +10 |
Thievery
You have picked up thieving abilities and can perform tasks that require nerves of steel and a steady hand: disabling traps, opening locks, picking pockets, and sleight of hand.
Disable Trap: Make a Thievery check to prevent a trap from triggering. You need to be aware of a trap to try to disable it. Make a Perception check to find a hidden trap.
Disable Trap: Standard action in combat or part of a skill challenge.
- DC: 20. You get a +2 bonus to the check if you use thieves' tools.
- Delay Trap: You get a +5 bonus to the check if you try to delay a trap, rather than disable it.
- Success: You disable or delay the trap. Disabling a trap makes it harmless until it resets. Delaying a trap makes the trapped area safe for passage until the end of your next turn.
- Fail by 4 or Less: Nothing happens. You can try again as a new action.
- Fail by 5 or More: You trigger the trap.
Open Lock: You can make a Thievery check to pick a lock.
Open Lock: Standard action in combat or part of a skill challenge.
- DC: 20. You get a +2 bonus to the check if you use thieves' tools.
- Success: You pick the lock.
- Failure: You can try again as a new action.
Pick Pocket: Make a Thievery check to lift a small object (such as a purse or an amulet) from a creature without that creature being aware of the theft. It must be an object that the creature isn't holding.
Pick Pocket: Standard action.
- DC: DC 20 + one-half your target's level. If in combat, you take a –10 penalty to your check.
- Success: You lift a small object from the target without the target noticing.
- Fail by 4 or Less: You don't get the object, but the target didn't notice. You can try again as a new action.
- Fail by 5 or More: You don't get the object, and the target notices your failed attempt.
Sleight of Hand: Make a Thievery check to palm an unattended object small enough to fit into your hand (such as a coin or a ring) or to perform an act of legerdemain.
Sleight of Hand: Standard action in combat or part of a skill challenge.
- DC: Base DC 15.
- Success: You palm an unattended, small object or perform an act of legerdemain.
- Failure: You can still pick up the object, but onlookers see you pick it up, or they see through your act of legerdemain.
Monsters
A monster's statistics are presented in a format meant to be used in play. A statistics block is formatted as follows.
Monster Name Level and Role
Size, origin, and type (keywords) XP value
Initiative modifier Senses Perception modifier; special senses
Aura name (keywords) aura size; effect.
HP maximum; Bloodied value
AC; Fortitude, Reflex, Will
Saving Throws modifier
Speed
Action Points
[Power icon] Power Name (action; recharge) ✦ keywords
Reach; range, area, or targets; attack bonus vs. target
defense; effect. Miss: Result (if any). Secondary attack or
effect.
Alignment Languages
Skills skill modifiers
Str score (modifier) Dex score (modifier) Wis score (modifier)
Con score (modifier) Int score (modifier) Cha score (modifier)
Equipment armor, shield, weapons, other equipment
Level and Role
Level: A monster's level summarizes how tough it is in an encounter. Level determines most of the monster's statistics as well as the experience point (XP) award the PCs earn for defeating it.
Role: A monster's role describes its preferred combat tactics, much as a character class's role suggests tactics for PCs. Monster roles are artillery, brute, controller, lurker, skirmisher, and soldier.
A monster might have a second role: elite, solo, or minion. Elite monsters and solo monsters are tougher than standard monsters, and minions are weaker. An elite monster represents two standard monsters of its level, a solo monster counts as five, and four minions count as one.
In addition, a monster might have the leader subrole, indicating that it grants some sort of boon to its allies.
Size
A creature's size determines the space it occupies, as well as its typical reach.
| Monster Size | Space | Reach |
|---|---|---|
| Tiny | 1/2 × 1/2 | 0 |
| Small | 1 | 1 |
| Medium | 1 | 1 |
| Large | 2 × 2 | 1 or 2 |
Space: This is the number of squares the creature occupies on the battle grid.
Reach: Some creatures often have exceptional reach and can attack enemies that are not adjacent to them. Exceptional reach is noted (when appropriate) in a creature's powers.
Origin
A monster's origin summarizes its place in the D&D cosmology. Origins are aberrant, elemental, fey, immortal, natural, and shadow.
Type
A creature's type summarizes some basic things about its appearance and behavior. Types are animate, beast, humanoid, and magical beast. See the glossary for information about each type.
Keywords
Some monsters have keywords that further define them. These keywords represent groups of monsters, such as angel, demon, devil, dragon, and undead. Others indicate that a creature is composed of or strongly connected to a certain element: air, cold, earth, fire, or water.
Senses
Every monster has a Perception modifier. Some monsters also have special senses, such as darkvision or tremorsense.
Aura
If a monster has an aura, that is noted near the top of its statistics block. An aura is a continuous effect that emanates from the monster.
Regeneration
Some monsters have regeneration. At the start of each of its turns, a monster that has regeneration regains a specific number of hit points, as long as the monster has at least 1 hit point.
The regeneration of some monsters can be suppressed by certain types of damage or by specific circumstances, and some creatures can use regeneration only under specific circumstances (for example, only while bloodied).
Immunities, Resistances, and Vulnerabilities
Some monsters are resistant or vulnerable to types of damage. Keywords help to determine how, or if, a power works when the target has resistance, vulnerability, or immunity to a damage type or an effect type.
Immune: The creature suffers no damage or effect from attacks that have the indicated keyword.
Resist: Resistance means that a creature takes less damage from a specific damage type. If a creature has resist 5 fire, then any time it takes fire damage, you reduce that damage by 5. An attack can't do less than 0 damage to you.
Vulnerable: Being vulnerable to a damage type means a creature takes extra damage from that damage type. If it has vulnerable 5 fire, then any time it takes fire damage, the creature takes an additional 5 fire damage.
Some creatures have additional weaknesses tied to damage types. For example, if cold is used against an elemental made of magma, the attack might slow it or otherwise hinder its movement or attacks.
Speed
If a monster has alternative movement modes, such as fly, climb, or swim, that fact is noted in its speed entry.
Action Points
Elite and solo monsters have action points they can spend to take extra actions, just as PCs do. Unlike PCs, a monster can spend more than 1 action point in an encounter. A monster can spend only 1 action point per round, though.
Powers
A monster's powers are presented so that its basic attacks appear first, followed by its other powers.
Type: Each power has an icon that represents its type: melee (M), ranged (R), close (C), or area (A). If a power doesn't have an icon, it's a personal power. A basic attack has a circle around its icon: melee basic attack or ranged basic attack.
Action: If a power requires an action to use, that fact is noted in the power's description. An immediate action's trigger is noted right after the action type. Some powers don't require an action to use; they simply occur in response to a trigger.
Recharge: A monster power either is at-will, encounter, or daily or recharges in certain circumstances.
Recharge (die results shown): The power has a random chance of recharging during each round of combat. At the start of each of the monster's turns, roll a d6. If the roll is one of the die results shown in the power description, the monster regains the use of that power. The power also recharges after a short rest.
Recharges when . . . : The power recharges in a specific circumstance, such as when the monster is first bloodied or when it bloodies an enemy. The power also recharges after a short rest.
Range and Area: A melee power has a range of 1, unless otherwise noted. Ranged powers specify a range, and area attacks and close attacks specify a range and an area of effect.
Targets: Some monster powers specify targets. An area attack or a close attack targets each creature within its area of effect, unless otherwise noted.
Miss: Sometimes a power has a reduced effect on a miss; this is stated after whatever happens on a hit.
Secondary Attack and Aftereffects: Sometimes when a power hits, it triggers a secondary attack. A few powers have effects that grow worse each time a saving throw is failed, or that have aftereffects even after a successful saving throw.
Effect: Some monster powers have an effect (indicated by "Effect") that occurs whether or not the power hits a target.
Sustain: The monster can sustain the power's effect until the end of its next turn, usually as a standard or a minor action. If the power requires an attack roll, the attack must succeed before the monster can sustain the power.
Alignment
A monster's alignment suggests what kind of disposition or motivations the creature might have.
Languages
This entry gives the languages that the creature typically can speak and understand.
Skills (Monster Statistics)
This line shows only trained skills and sometimes skills for which the monster has a racial bonus. A monster's Perception score isn't repeated here.
Ability Scores
This section shows the monster's six ability scores. Following each score in parentheses is the adjusted ability score modifier, including one-half the monster's level, which is useful whenever the monster needs to make an untrained skill check or an ability check.
Equipment
A monster's "Equipment" entry notes the weapons and implements the creature uses. If a character gains a monster's equipment, he or she can use it as normal equipment. A character does not gain the powers that a monster uses through its equipment.