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How to play, read and build: the rules from the SRD, the tables from the Book, and the tools on this site.
Start hereFree RPG PDF Booklets: The Library GuideNine free PDF booklets, no account or email: editions, alternatives, Pathfinder 2e, dice, randomness, the combat turn, Gen Con 2026 and cosplay.
Start hereHow to Fill Out a D&D 5e Character SheetAlmost every box on a level 1 5e sheet comes from six ability scores and a +2 Proficiency Bonus. The SRD 5.2.1 formulas, with one Fighter worked through.
Start hereHow to Run a D&D One-Shot: Three FightsPlan a one-evening D&D adventure for four level 1 characters: three fights from Low to High on the SRD 5.2.1 XP budget, worked out to the exact XP.
Start hereHow to Read a D&D 5e Stat BlockHow to read a 5e stat block: AC, Initiative, HP, Speed, scores, skills, CR and actions, each worked out on the SRD 5.2.1 Goblin Warrior.
Start hereD&D Dice Explained: What Each Die Is ForThe d20 decides whether you succeed; the d4, d6, d8, d10, d12 and percentile dice measure damage, healing and luck. All seven dice, explained.
Start hereHow to Make a D&D Character in Ten MinutesMake a D&D 5e character in five steps: species, class, background, ability scores, name. Free builder, SRD 5.2.1 rules, playable tonight.
Core rulesHow Tool Proficiency Works in 5eTool proficiency adds your Proficiency Bonus to checks with the tool, plus Advantage if a skill you have also applies. Lock odds and crafting by price.
Core rulesHow the Help Action Works in 5eHelp gives an ally Advantage on their next check with a skill or tool you have, or on their next attack against an enemy within 5 feet of you.
Core rulesHow Proficiency Bonus Works in 5eProficiency Bonus starts at +2 and reaches +6 at level 17, never adds twice, and doubles with Expertise. Odds for Jack of All Trades and Reliable Talent.
Core rulesHow Heroic Inspiration Works in D&D 2024Spend Heroic Inspiration to reroll any die right after rolling it, and keep the new roll; you hold one at most. What a reroll is worth, and when.
Core rulesHow Ability Checks and DCs Work in 5eAn ability check is a d20 + ability modifier (+ Proficiency Bonus if your skill applies) against a DC from 5 to 30. The odds at level 1 for each DC.
Core rulesHow Saving Throws Work in D&D 5eA saving throw is a d20 + ability modifier (+ Proficiency Bonus if proficient) against the effect's DC. Which saves each class gets, and Death Save odds.
Core rulesHow Advantage and Disadvantage Work in 5eAdvantage: roll two d20s, keep the higher. Disadvantage: keep the lower. They never stack, one of each cancels, and the odds are worked out here.
CombatHow Monk Martial Arts Works in 5eMartial Arts gives a Monk a Bonus Action punch, a damage die from 1d6 to 1d12, and Dexterity on every strike. What it adds up to at levels 1, 2 and 5.
CombatHow Reckless Attack Works in 5eReckless Attack gives a Barbarian Advantage on Strength attacks until their next turn, and every attacker Advantage against them. When it pays, worked out.
CombatHow Rage Works in 5eRage is a Bonus Action that halves weapon damage taken, adds damage to Strength attacks and lasts until your next turn unless you keep it going.
CombatHow Extra Attack Works in 5eExtra Attack lets you attack twice when you take the Attack action on your turn. Who gets it, why it never stacks, and what the second swing is worth.
CombatHow Sneak Attack Works in 5eSneak Attack adds 1d6 per two Rogue levels, once per turn, to a Finesse or Ranged hit with Advantage or an ally beside the target. Odds and Cunning Strike.
CombatWhat Challenge Rating Means in 5eChallenge Rating measures a monster against four characters. A CR equal to the party's level is a Low fight. XP, budgets and odds for six SRD monsters.
CombatHow Does Initiative Work in D&D 5e?Initiative is a Dexterity check everyone rolls when combat starts; highest goes first. Surprise, ties, Alert, Advantage and the odds of acting first.
CombatHow the Ready Action Works in 5eReady lets you name a trigger and act with your Reaction when it happens. It costs Extra Attack; a readied spell spends its slot and needs Concentration.
CombatDodge vs Dash vs Disengage in 5eDodge gives attacks against you Disadvantage, Dash doubles your movement, Disengage stops Opportunity Attacks. Worked odds on when each beats attacking.
CombatHow Armor Class Works in D&D 5eWithout armor your AC is 10 plus your Dexterity modifier; armor or a class feature replaces that base, and a Shield adds 2. What each point is worth.
CombatHow Two-Weapon Fighting Works in 5eAttack with a Light weapon and you get a Bonus Action attack with another Light weapon, without your modifier to damage unless you have the feat.
CombatHow Weapon Mastery Works in D&D 2024A Fighter unlocks the mastery of three weapon kinds at level 1; Barbarian, Paladin, Ranger and Rogue two. All eight properties, with the odds.
CombatUnderwater Combat Rules in 5eUnderwater, melee attacks have Disadvantage unless the weapon pierces or you can swim, ranged shots past normal range miss, and Fire is resisted.
CombatHow Mounted Combat Works in 5eMounting costs half your Speed, and a controlled mount acts on your turn with only Dash, Disengage or Dodge, so a controlled Warhorse never attacks.
CombatHow Grappling and Shoving Work in 5eBoth are Unarmed Strikes: the target saves (Str or Dex) against 8 + your Str modifier + Proficiency Bonus, or is Grappled, pushed 5 feet, or Prone.
CombatHow Opportunity Attacks Work in 5eLeave a foe's reach and it can spend its Reaction on one melee attack. Disengage stops it; teleporting and being moved don't provoke. From SRD 5.2.1.
CombatHow Does Cover Work in D&D 5e?Half Cover gives +2 to AC and Dex saves, Three-Quarters +5, and Total Cover blocks direct targeting. Plus bow ranges and shooting in melee, with odds.
CombatWhat Can You Do on Your Turn in D&D 5e?On your turn you move up to your Speed and take one action, plus a Bonus Action only if something grants one. A Reaction can come on anyone's turn.
CombatHow Critical Hits Work in 5e: Damage RulesOn a 5e critical hit you roll the damage dice twice and add your modifier once. Damage rolls, half on a save, Resistance and Vulnerability order.
Staying aliveHow Lay On Hands Works in 5eLay On Hands gives a Paladin a pool of five Hit Points per level, spent as a Bonus Action by touch. How to spend it, and why one point is rarely enough.
Staying aliveHow Evasion Works in 5eEvasion turns a made Dexterity save into no damage and a failed one into half. What it covers, what it doesn't, and what it does against a dragon's breath.
Staying alivePotions in 5e, Drinking, Mixing and BrewingDrinking a potion is a Bonus Action. Healing runs 2d4+2 to 10d4+20. Mixing two rolls d100: 55% both work, 25% wastes one. SRD rules and odds.
Staying aliveHow Healing Works in D&D 5eHealing never passes your Hit Point maximum. With Wisdom +3, Cure Wounds averages 12, Healing Word 8, a Potion of Healing 7. Costs and odds.
Staying aliveResistance, Vulnerability, Immunity in 5eResistance halves damage of a type (round down), Vulnerability doubles it, Immunity stops it, in a fixed order after bonuses. With worked odds.
Staying aliveHow Death Saving Throws Work in 5eAt 0 HP you roll a d20 each turn: 10 or higher succeeds, three successes make you Stable, three failures kill. Natural 1s, 20s and the odds.
Staying aliveHow Exhaustion Works in 5e: Six LevelsEach Exhaustion level takes 2 off every D20 Test and 5 feet off your Speed, and level 6 kills. A Long Rest removes one level. The SRD rule, quoted.
Staying aliveShort vs Long Rest in 5e: What Each GivesA Short Rest is 1 hour and lets you spend Hit Point Dice; a Long Rest is 8 hours and gives back all Hit Points and Hit Point Dice.
Staying aliveD&D 5e Conditions ExplainedWhat a 5e condition is, the eight you see every session from Prone to Unconscious, how they nest, and what Restrained does to your odds. SRD 5.2.1.
SpellsHow Metamagic and Sorcery Points Work in 5eSorcerers get Sorcery Points at level 2 and spend them on Metamagic: one option per spell. All ten options, their costs, and what each buys.
SpellsHow the Shield Spell Works in 5eShield is a level 1 Reaction you cast after you are hit: +5 AC until your next turn, the triggering attack included. Here is what it saves a Wizard.
SpellsHow Hunter's Mark Works in 5eHunter's Mark adds 1d6 Force damage to every hit on one target. Rangers cast it free twice a day at level 1, rising to six. Here is what it adds.
SpellsHow Find Familiar Works in 5eFind Familiar gives a Wizard a spirit in animal form. It can't attack, but it scouts, carries touch spells and Helps, turning a 55% hit into 79.75%.
SpellsHow Channel Divinity Works in 5eChannel Divinity is a Cleric and Paladin pool: two uses, one back on a Short Rest. What Turn Undead, Divine Spark and Sacred Weapon really do, with odds.
SpellsHow Divine Smite Works in 5eDivine Smite is now a spell: a Bonus Action after a melee hit, 2d8 Radiant, once a turn. When to smite, what crits do, and which slot to spend.
SpellsHow Warlock Pact Magic Works in 5eWarlock slots are few, all the same level, and come back on a Short Rest. How Pact Magic compares with a Wizard's slots from level 1 to 11.
SpellsHow Many Spells Can I Prepare in 5e?Your class table's Prepared Spells column sets the number, no ability modifier added. Who changes the list after a Long Rest, who on a level up.
SpellsCounterspell and Dispel Magic in 5eCounterspell now forces the caster to make a Con save, and a countered spell keeps its slot. Dispel Magic ends level 3 spells outright. Odds for both.
SpellsCantrip Damage at Levels 5, 11 and 17Damage cantrips gain a die at character levels 5, 11 and 17, so Fire Bolt goes 1d10 to 4d10. Every SRD cantrip, plus Agonizing Blast, worked out.
SpellsHow Do Spell Scrolls Work in 5e?You can read a scroll if its spell is on your class list; above your level, make a spellcasting check against DC 10 + the spell's level. Odds, costs.
SpellsHow Does Attunement Work in 5e?Attuning takes a Short Rest touching the item; you can hold three at once, never two copies. What ends it, prerequisites, and which three to pick.
SpellsWhat Are Spell Components in 5e?V means you speak, S means a free hand to gesture, M means a material a pouch or focus can replace unless it has a cost or is consumed. Foci priced.
SpellsHow Does Ritual Casting Work in 5e?A spell with the Ritual tag can be cast without a slot: it takes 10 minutes longer, you must have it prepared, and it can't be upcast. All 29 listed.
SpellsArea of Effect in 5e: Cones, Spheres, LinesThe six shapes, Cone, Cube, Cylinder, Emanation, Line and Sphere: how each is placed, how many 5-foot squares it covers, and what blocks it.
SpellsHow Spell Slots Work in D&D 5eEach level 1+ spell spends a slot of its level or higher, cantrips spend none, and a Long Rest restores every slot. Save DC and attack formulas too.
SpellsHow Concentration Works in D&D 5eDamage forces a Constitution save, DC 10 or half the damage, whichever is higher. A second Concentration spell or the Incapacitated condition ends it too.
BuildingHow Eldritch Invocations Work in 5eWarlocks get 1 Eldritch Invocation at level 1 and 10 by level 18, swappable each level. How they work and which ones pay off at level 5.
BuildingHow Wild Shape Works in 5eWild Shape is a Druid Bonus Action that swaps your stats for a Beast's but keeps your own Hit Points, plus Temporary Hit Points equal to your level.
BuildingWhat Languages to Pick in D&D 5eEvery hero knows Common plus two languages from the Standard table. Which languages the SRD's 330 stat blocks speak, so you pick the two that get used.
BuildingWhat Are Epic Boons in D&D 2024?Epic Boons are the feats every class can take at level 19: +1 to a score (up to 30) and one rule-breaking power. All seven, against real monsters.
BuildingASI or Feat at Level 4 in D&D 5e?At level 4 every class gets Ability Score Improvement (+2 to one score or +1 to two) or another feat. Why odd scores decide it, and Grappler's numbers.
BuildingWhich Fighting Style Is Best in 5e?Archery gives +2 to ranged attacks, Defense +1 AC in armor, Great Weapon Fighting turns 1s and 2s into 3s. What each Fighting Style is worth.
BuildingWhat Origin Feats Do in D&D 2024Your background gives your level 1 feat: Alert, Magic Initiate, Savage Attacker or Skilled in SRD 5.2.1. What each one changes, with the numbers.
BuildingHow Multiclassing Works in D&D 5eTo multiclass you need 13 in the primary ability of your current and new class. Hit Points, Proficiency Bonus, Extra Attack and spell slots, worked.
BuildingHow Bardic Inspiration Works in 5eAs a Bonus Action a Bard gives an ally a die; within the hour, when that ally fails a D20 Test, they roll it and add it. What a d6 to a d12 is worth.
BuildingHow to Roll Ability Scores in 5e: 3 MethodsThree ways to make 5e ability scores: Standard Array (15, 14, 13, 12, 10, 8), 27-point Point Cost, or 4d6 drop the lowest. The odds and trade-offs.
ExplorationHow Does Fear Work in D&D 5e?Fear is a Wisdom save at a DC set by how terrifying the threat is (10, 15 or 20); fail and you're Frightened: Disadvantage on checks and attacks.
ExplorationHow to Find and Disarm Traps in 5eEach SRD trap names its check: Search with Wisdom (Perception), or Study with Intelligence (Investigation) for pits. All seven, and the Iron Spike.
ExplorationHow Do Poisons Work in D&D 5e?Poison comes as contact, ingested, inhaled or injury, and the target makes a Constitution save against its DC. All 14 SRD poisons, price, DC and odds.
ExplorationExtreme Cold and Heat Rules in 5eAt 0°F or lower, make a DC 10 Con save each hour or gain 1 Exhaustion level; extreme heat starts at DC 5 and climbs. Ice, wind and water too.
ExplorationHow to Break Objects and Doors in 5eObjects have an AC and Hit Points by material and size, and fail every saving throw. A wooden door is AC 15, 18 HP: about four Greataxe swings.
ExplorationHow Carrying Capacity Works in 5eA Small or Medium hero carries Strength × 15 pounds and can drag, lift or push Strength × 30, moving at 5 feet past the first limit. Kits, coins, mules.
ExplorationHow Difficult Terrain Works in 5eEvery foot of movement in Difficult Terrain costs 1 extra foot, so 5 feet costs 10, and it never stacks. Worked numbers for ice, Grease and Spike Growth.
ExplorationHow Darkvision and Light Work in 5eDarkvision sees Darkness as Dim Light, so sight-based Perception still has Disadvantage. A torch gives 20 feet of Bright Light and 20 more of Dim.
ExplorationHow Far Can You Travel in a Day in 5e?Normal pace covers 24 miles a day, Fast 30 and Slow 18. What each pace costs your Perception and Stealth, and how terrain caps it.
Exploration5e Jumping and Falling Rules ExplainedA running Long Jump covers your Strength score in feet, a High Jump 3 plus your Strength modifier. A fall deals 1d6 per 10 feet, up to 20d6.
ExplorationHow Does the Hide Action Work in 5e?Hiding takes a DC 15 Dexterity (Stealth) check while Heavily Obscured or behind Three-Quarters Cover, out of sight. What it gives you and what ends it.
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