UNGEONS IDRAGONS ES SEN TUAL'S" — N RULES COMPENDIUM A GAME REFERENCE FOR ALL PLAYERS Rob Heinsoo # Andy Collins J smy CrawfoUNGEONS IRAGONS ESSENTIALS" RULES COMPENDIUM™ ROLEPLAYING GAME CORE RULES ‘ob Heinsoo + Andy Colli jeremy Crawford Wyatt + Jeremy Crawfordnx CREDITS Rules Compendium” Design and Compilation Jeremy Crawford DAD 4th Edition Design Rob Heinsoo, Andy Collins, James Wyatt Additional Design Stephen Schubert, Mike Mearls Editing Jennifer Clarke Wilkes (lead), Greg Bilsland Managing Editing Kim Mohan, Michele Carter D&D R&D/Book Publishing Director Bill Slavicsek D&D Creative Manager Christopher Perkins D&D Design Manager James Wyatt D&D Senior Creative Art Director Jon Schindehette D&D Brand Team Liz Schuh, Kierin Chase, Laura Tommervik, Shelly Mazzanoble, Chris Lindsay, Hilary Ross Art Director Mari Kolkowsky US, CANADA, ASIA, PACINC LATIN AMERICA suds ofthe Coast LLC 100-324-6496 Ph EUROPEAN HEADQUARTERS phic Designer Kolkowsky Cover Illustration Mike May (front), Adam Paquette (back) Interior Hllustrations Alexey Aparia, Eric Belisle, Kerem Beyit, Julie Dillon, Emrah Elmasli, Jason A. Engle, Ralph Horsley, Goran Josic, Howard Lyon, David Martin, Lee Moyer, Jim Nelson, William O'Connor, Adam Paquette, Steve Prescott, Eva Widermann, Ben Wootten, James Zhang Cartographers Jason A. Engle, Mike Schley DAD Script Design Daniel Reeve Publishing Production Specialist Angelika Lokotz Prepress Manager Jefferson Dunlap Imaging Technician Carmen Cheung Production Manager Cynda Callaway Building on the Design of Previous Editions by E. Gary Gygax, Dave Arneson, David “Zeb” Cook, Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Williams, Richard Baker, Peter Adkison WIZARDS OF THECOAST Hn ad ci Case Woy Ind Cha NP9 Ov Wr on Bg ra su baa 32070253207 Heep this address lon your coco ‘97054321 2010 620 -24754000 GOL EN ISBN. 974 0.7869:56210 DBD, Warass oF 0 ¢ Compendium alleles Wirs Aer consis. All Wizands chan Dane Masers Kit, Heroes ofthe Full cast product names, a rsd he eapeess wt tein fs paelycolnehdental Pr the copyiglt aw d withau Ted the Fongorten Kings < sail of Whew hed States of America ivan of Waar inthe USA, €2010 Wu VISHP OUR WEBSITE AT WWW.DUNGEONSANDDRAGONS.COM— CONTENTS he a " Makiog Attacks, 2 Corarren 3 ‘Attack Roll Moriiers wy IN RUSTON, * UNDERSTANDING ye m Rokeplying Gone. "arama Wo {POWERS 2 Ds Petit FR re Cane ioe Aa wtsinac 3 ogee n eee nay ™ ta 9 counter Powers ’ Resistance He Dingn Mase id ene ng) aes Ms The Advertire peas o” Half Damage: ; Grmten dh) sat Potty pes 38 yl hie ase of Ply " Ringed Pome iy Ged Encourmers . POMeTS css scsee 101 \etlons in Combat oer HG wa jC Taking Thr pa ;: 105 ‘Aid Another Faample o Target Definitions -- 105 ‘Aid Attack Ghapren 1 19 Rags and Aen of it. 107 Ad Deen BAS acess nal fet Dae Aa ora es ase on meet Chen 2 08 lpales Tiers ol Pays lst. ios ear estones and Guests. 02 ce cae 2 109 Com Chen? Wall. a ; Check Modifiers. 2 Keywords 3 Delay, ‘tack Rol pease ts ares oom Drop Prone ‘tack Rol. wi Sou } P Skil Check 35 Scho f Magic oe MM Bape Nicer vee Comes eee Manipulating Objects. Bonuses and Penal se Damoge Typ Sas Opportunity Attack Table ies $25.0 Gusned 123 flu : Improvisation oe eta Tean cond Wind The Dunctons & Daacons World 38 — SKILLS * els Sods ‘Second Ws soe39 "Skil Check Madi Se The Nem Vale 9 eck pees 3 The Planes.ceco. os 4 Sk Training...» aay Squeec seed 46 Key Ability Si Stand Up ssecessesces on nae 54 Using Skis... a Gates eerste bias aac Dilfiulty Cass 15 Toul Deseae ae Dunetons Opposed Checks es ene a ae Checks without Rolls a sea Skill ooh ADVENTURE! IN Another 18 Ma 35 AND MONSTERS .......59 pean Rmnn S on ae Vigel HR pCtacceole SeMeae SMe, Tor Wet Cones and Steg uit 25 acd 60 Skill Challenges... Dying arid Death meets pa BL are Healing the Dying ine eae wel Wa ace “61 EXPLORATION AND Cuaeren 7 o Grete pond) TE ENVIRONMENT 188 EQUIPMENT paces Creature Keywords... i er Coins and Other Currenc Siete a hee as enmaactes Cary ting Desig. 185 Role. vies é re bas everett Mie 5 pags Reta ai eee cae 7 bales pias tended Ras a4 tenses ith nneating wan ha ace 5 Ree 66 Environmental Dangers... 178 Mgle eens peace act 5) ips en eaniotr Avnaprx 1 ti eae 13 ion Gp Dieaiteerrvin ; BUILDING A COMBAT ane Speed. EEevet Caren 6 187 ENCOUNTER, aR esa Poa pee COMBAT... ae ‘Monster Roles pes sie aa re Clerc 180 Aepewpx 2 e Valnerably. a Iniaive sos 192 REWARDS ie Spt Tas 58 ation Types tere erpaaetons pacpers sat Equipment, 68 The Structure of a Turn, ee Espen aa 71 i” Jol Aretron3 = oa 7 Deter 40? TERRAIN FEATURES 303 16 pee ‘ 204 ‘Mundane " se Mover Ras i0s Geng iy Ses 17 Bk ovaren ies 1h a Gang Lees a 3°) GLOSSARY 3 Saepby Step : Relig a rant 1 INDEX a8 eo» budget and the technology to make INTRODUCTION This book presents the core rules of the Duncrons & Dracons* came, the premier roleplaying game of f Ienture. Whether you're new to the game or a veteran, you'll find rules, guidelines, and examples herein that will help you and your friends play through tales of high fantasy. q ume is vast, as are its rules. This book focuses on the rules that nearly all groups need, and it is structured so that you can read it front to back or hop from one topic to another using the index. Intended for both players and Dungeon Masters, the rules ah ed in the fol Whether you're new to the lowing chapters are the most game or a veteran, you'll up-to-date versions, reflecting refine- find rule aeiineel anal ments since the current edition was find rules, guidelines, anc released in 2008. examples that will help you These rules are in service to your 1 Sea group's fun. Experiment with them, and your friends play. and make them your own. In the 1979 Dungeon Master's Guide” rulebook, Gary Gygax, the game's cocreator, introduced the main principles of the rules, many of which have been evident in all of the game's editions. What he said about the game still applies today: As a realistic simulation of things from the realm of make-believe, or even as a reflection of medieval or ancient warfare or culture or society, it can be deemed only a dismal failure. Readers who seek the latter must search elsewhere. Those who desire to create and populate imaginary worlds with larger-than-life heroes and villains, who seek relaxation with a fascinating game, and who generally believe games should be fun, not work, will hope fully find this system to their taste. A ROLEPLAYING GAME ‘The Dunceons & Dracons game is a roleplaying invented roleplaying games and started an industr A roleplaying game isa storytelling g of make-believe that many of us played as children. However, a roleplaying game provides form and structure, with robust gameplay and endless pos sibilities. While the Duncrons & DRAGONS game uses dice and miniatures or other tokens, the action takes place in the imagination. There, players have the ame. In fact, this game me that has clements of the games. freedom to create anything they can imagine, with an unlimited special effects thing happen. In the DunGrons & Dracons game, each player creates a hero (also called a chara eter or an adventurer), teams up with other adventurers (played by friends),explores a magical world, and battles monsters. One player takes on the role of the Dungeon Master (DM), the game's lead storyteller and referee, The DM creates adventures for the characters and narrates the action for the players, Having a DM makes the Duncrons & Dracons game infinitely flexible; he or she can react to any situation-any (wist suggested by the players—to make each adventure vibrant, exciting, and unexpected. \n adventure is the heart ofthe DunGrons & DRacons game. Its like a fants movie or novel, except that the players’ group of characters (often referred to asthe idventuring group, or the party) are the stars of the story. The DM sets the scene, but no one knows what's going to happen until the adventurers do something, and then anything can happen! The group might explore a dark dungeon, a ruined city, a lost temple deep in a jungle, or a lava-filled cavern beneath a mysterious moun- tain, The adventurers can solve puzzles, talk with other characters, battle all kinds of fantastic monsters, and discover fabulous magic items and other treasure, The Duncrons & DRAGONS game is a cooperative game in which a group of {riends works together to complete each adventure and have fun. It’s a storytell- ing game where the only limit is a player's imagination, Its a fantasy-adventure game, building on the traditions of the greatest fantasy stories of all time. The game has no real end; when one story or quest wraps up, another one can begin, woven in an ongoing story called a campaign. Many people who play the same keep their campaigns going for months or years, meeting with their friends every week or so to pick up the story where they left off. The adventurers grow in might as the game continues. Each monster defeated, each adventure completed, and each treasure recovered not only adds to the continuing story, but also earns the adventurers new powers and other abilities. This increase in might is reflected by an adventurers level There's no winning and losing in the Duncrons & DRacons game=at least, not the way those terms are usually understood. The DM and the players TRY IT! When you play an adventurer, you put yourself into his or her boots and make decisions as if you were that person. You decide which door your adventurer opens next. You decide whether to attack a monster, to negotiate with a villain, or to attempt a dangerous quest. You can make these decisions based on your adventurer's personality, motivations, and goals, and you can even speak in char- acterif you like, Within the boundaries set by the Dungeon Master, you control what your adventurer can do and say in the game. Your hero can attempt anything you can think of. Want to talk to the dragon instead of fighting it? Want to disguise yourself as an orc and sneak into the foul lair? Go ahead and give it a try. An adventurer's actions might work, or they ‘night fail spectacularly, but either way the player contributed to the unfolding story and had fun, INTRODUCTIONparticipate together in an excitin; perils. Sometimes an adventurer might come to a grisly end, torn apart by [ero pus villain. Even so, the other adventurers story of bold adventurers confronting deadly cious monsters or done in by a nefar can search for powerful magic to revive their fallen comrade, or the player might choose to create a new character to carry on, The group might fail to complete an adventure successfully, but if everyone had a good time and created a memorable . they all win story A Fantastic World The world of the DuNGKONS & DRaGoNs game is a place of magic and monsters. of brave warriors and spectacular adventures. It begins with a basis of medieval fantasy and then adds the creatures, places, and powers that make the DuNcrons & Deacons world unique. The world of the Duncrons & DRAGONS game is ancient, built upon and beneath the ruins of past empires, leaving the landscape dotted with places of venture and mystery. Legends and artifacts of past empires still survive—as do ces. Although minor realms exist, they are widely seattered points terrible mend of light in the surrounding darkness that shrouds the world. Monsters and super natural creatures prow! the dark spaces. Some are threats, others are willing t aid the adventurers, and many fall into both eamps and might react diflerently depending on how the adventurers approach them A ROLEPLAYING GAME 7THE HISTORY OF THE GAME Before roleplaying games, before computer games, before trading card games, there were wargames. Using metal miniatures to simulate famous battles from history, wargamers were the original hobby gamers. In 1971, Gary Gygax cre ated Chainmail”, a set of rules that added fantastic creatures and magic into the traditional wargame. In 1972, Dave Arneson approached Gygax with a new take on the subject; instead of controlling an army, each player would play a single charact hero. Instead of fighting each other, the heroes would cooperate to defeat villains and gain rewards. This combination of rules, miniatures, coopera- tion, and imagination created a totally new entertainment experience, and in 1974 Gygax and Arneson published the first set of roleplaying game rules with TSR Hobbies, Inc.: the Dunceons & Dracons* roleplaying game. In 1977, the rules were rewritten and repackaged into a new form with the Dunctons & Dracons Basic Set, and suddenly the game was on its way to becom: ing a phenomenon. A year later, the first edition of the Avvanceo Dunceons & Dracons game was published in a series of hardcover books. Throughout the 1980s, the game experienced remarkable growth. Novels, 2 cartoon series, computer games, and the first campaign settings (GrevHawk’, Forcorren Reaums", and Dracontance*) were released, and in 1989 the second edition of the AD&D game took the world by storm. The 1990s started out strong, with the release of more campaign settings (including Raventorr”, Dark Sun", and Ptanescare”), but as the decade was drawing to a close, the DuNGEoNs & Dracons Juggernaut was losing steam, In 1997, Wizards of the Coast purchased TSR and moved its creative staff to Seattle to begin work on the third edition of the game. !n 2000, the third edition of Dunctons & Dracons was released, and it was hailed as an innovation in game mechanics. During this period, Dunceons & Dracons reached new heights of popularity, celebrated its thirtieth anniversary, and published a vast collection of tulebooks, supplements, and adventures. !n 2008, the Dunceons & Dracons game reached a new milestone with its latest edition. This edition builds on what has gone before, introducing and refin- ing various game elements, Over the years, Dunceons & Dracons has grown and made its mark on popu- lar culture. It has inspired multiple generations of gamers, writers, computer game designers, filmmakers, and more with its ability to expand the imagina- tion and inspire creativity. Whether you were with it from the beginning or just discovered it today, the Dunceons & Dracons game is your key to a world of fantasy and adventure, Magic is everywhere, Berle! agic pro People believe in and accept the power that magic Pr vides, True masters of magic, however, are rare. At some point, all adventurers es pepe ante warlocks draw power from the fabric of the anes diane Paladins call down the wrath of their gods to sear their foes ue Misnce. or they invoke their gods’ mercy to heal wounds. Fighters and INTRODUCTIONrogues don't use magical powers, but their expertise with magic weapons makes them masters of the battlefield. At the highest levels of play, even nonmagical adventurers perform deeds that no mortal could dream of doing without magic. WHAT’S IN A GAME AUDu player (five players wor books and accessories, stone ons & Dracons games have several basic components: at lez s best), a Dungeon Master, an adventure, and cluding dice. ume Players Duncrons & Dracons players fill two distinct roles in the game: controlling the players’ characters—also called adventurers—and acting as the Dungeon Master. These roles aren't mutually exclusive, and a player can roleplay an adventurer today and run an adventure for the other players tomorrow. Although everyone who plays the game is technically a player, this book usually refers to players as those who run the adventurers. Each player creates an adventurer, part of a team that delves into dungeons, battles monsters, and explores the world’s dark wilderness. Like the protago- nists of a novel, a movie, or a video game, adventurers stand at the center of the game’s action. The Dungeon Master The Dungeon Master controls the pace of the story and referees the action along the way. Every Duncrons & Dracons game needs a DM. The DM has several parts to play in the game. + Adventure Builder: The DM creates adventures, or selects published ones, for the other players to experience. + Narrator: The DM sets the pace of the story and presents the various chal lenges and encounters that the other players must overcome, + Monster Controller: The DM controls the monsters that the adventurers confront, choosing the monsters’ actions and rolling dice for them + Referee: The DM decides how to apply the game rules and guides the story. Ifthe rules don’t cover a situation, the DM determines what to do. Attimes, the DM might alter or even ignore the result ofa die roll if doing so benefits the story. me. Many players find that being the Dungeon Master is the best part of the s The Dungeon Master role isn't necessarily a permanent post; cach player in the group can take turns being the DM from adventure to adventure. WHAT'S IN.\ GAMECOOPERATION, NOT OPPOSITION Even though as the DM you control the monsters in an adventure, you aren't the other players’ adversary and don't want them to fail. Your job is to provide a framework for the whole group to enjoy an exciting adventure. That means challenging the adventurers with interesting encounters and tests, keeping the game moving, and applying the rules of the game fairly. Your goal is to make suc. cess taste its sweetest by presenting challenges that are just hard enough that the other players have (o work to overcome them, but not so hard that victory or escape is impossible. The Adventure \dyenturers need adventures. A Duncrons & DRAGons adventure consists of 1 series of linked events. As the players decide which way to go next and how their characters deal with the resulting encounters and challenges, they turn citing story about their characters. All DunGEons & Dx \cons adventures feature action, combat, mystery, magic, challenges, conver sation, and lots of monsters. the adventure into an \dventures come in three forms. + Ready-to-Play: The DM can buy or obtain professionally written, ready-to play adventures from a number of sources, including a local game store and www.dndinsider.com, * Adventure Hooks and Components: Most Duncrons & DRAGONS products offer pieces of adventure: story ideas, maps, interesting mon sters~that the DM can assemble into an adventure. + Homemade: Many DMs choose to create their own adventures, building challenging encounters and stocking them with monsters and treasures {rom products such as the Monster Vault and the Dungeon Master's Kit. \n adventure can be a simple “dungeon crawl,” a series of rooms filled with monsters and traps that has little story to explain why the adventurers are facing those challenges. lt can be as complex as a murder mystery or a tale of politi cal intrigue, or it can be but one chapter in an epic tale related to the fate of the world. An adventure ean last fora single game session or stretch out over many >essions of play. For instance, exploring a haunted castle (which takes a few hours or days in the pame world) might involve half'a dozen game sessions over the ple of months of real time. When the same group of through multiple adventure doesn't end with a single ad course of a ce adventurers plays with the same Dungeon Master s,the result isa campaign. The story of the heroes venture but continues on for as long as desired, just 40 ongoing comic book, television 1, oF novel series, XTRODUCTIONGame Books and Accessories The action of the game takes place mostly in the imagination, but a few products are necessary to play the DuxGrons & Dragons game. The following Duncrons & Dnacons Essentials” products provide a great place to start Essential Products for Players and Dungeon Masters + Duncrons & Dracons Fantasy Roleplaying Game Starter Set. This boxed set contains everything a group of players needs to start playing the Donarons & Dracons game. [Contains rules, dice, maps, tokens, and an adventure that takes characters from Ist to 2nd level. + DUNGEONS & Ditacons Rules Compendium”. This comprehensive book contains the essential rules of the game collected in one place, taking a campaign from Ist to 30th level. # DuncEons & Dragons Roleplaying Game Dice Set. The Duncrons & Dracons game, as well as other games using the D&D" game system, require a special set of dice (see the “Game Dice” sidebar). Pick up extra dice so that every player has a set. Essential Products for Players The Essentials player books feature the fundamental elements of the game from a player's point of view. + Heroes of the Fallen Lands”. This volume contains rules for several classes: cleric, fighter, rogue, and wizard, Italso describes several races: dwarf, cladrin, elf, halfling, and human. + Heroes of the Forgotten Kingdoms”. This volume contains rules for several classes: druid, paladin, ranger, and warlock. It also describes several races: dragonborn, drow, half-clf, halfore, and tiefling. Essential Products for Dungeon Masters + Dungeon Master's Kit”. This product features yame rules, advice, adven tures, maps, tokens, and a DM sereen—all useful tools for a Dungeon Master. Many Dungeon Masters like to use a screen to keep the other players from seeing dice rolls for the monsters and from spotting secrets in the DM's notes. + Monster Vault”. This product features a collection of monsters for use in any Duncrons & Dracons game, from Ist level to 30th level, and includes monster tokens and an adventure, les Master Sets. Vhree master sets of Dungeon tiles and The Wilderness) enable you to create encounter + Dungeon! (The Dungeon, The Cit as for any adventure, using DuNGroNs & Deacons tokens and ar miniatures. The tiles let you casily create a battle map for a combat WHAT'S INA GAME uencounter. Tokens and miniatures are placed on the map to keep track of where adventurers and monsters are positioned as the encounter unfolds, Other Useful Ingredients for Play \ Place to Play: The bare minimum of space needed to play the Dunceoys & Di ycons game is room lor everyone in the group to sit. Most likely, everyone Will also want a table to sit around. A table holds the battle grid and tokens or miniatures, gives players a place to roll dice and write on character sheets, and holds piles of books and papers. People can pull chairs around a dining table or sit in chairs or sofas by a coffee table. It's possible to run a game without a table for the battle grid, but combat runs more easily if everyone can see Where everything is positioned. Paper and Pencils: Everyone should have a pencil and paper. During every round of combat, players need to keep track of hit points, bonuses and penal- ties, the use of powers, the consequences of various conditions, and other information. Someone in the group typically takes notes about what has hap- pened in the adventure, and players need to make note of experience points and treasure their characters acquire. Alternatively, players can do a lot of this note-taking digitally, using a computer or a smart phone. GAME DICE The game uses polyhedral dice with different numbers of sides, as shown here. You can find dice like these in game stores and in many bookstores. {In these rules, the different dice are referred to by the letter “d” followed by the number of sides: d4, 6, d8, d10, d12, and d20. For instance, a d6 is a six- sided die (the typical cube that many games use). _ When you need to rolll dice, the rules tell you how many dice to roll, what Size they are, and what modifiers to add, For example, “3d8 +5” means you ll three eight-sided dice and add 5 to the total. The same “d” notation appe late the roll of 143, rolla d6 a 142, roll any die and assign a r 't was odd or even, ars in the expressions “1d3” and “1d2.” To simu- ind divide the result by 2. To simulate the roll of ‘esult of 1 or 2 to the roll depending on whetherHow TO PLay Basically, the Duncrons & Dracons on an adventure presented by the Dungeon Master, Each adventure is made up me consists ofa group of heroes taking of encounters—various challenges that the characters face Ina board game, you have a piece, or pieces, to move around. Your “piece in the Duncrons & Dracons game is your adventurer if you're a player and an adventure’s monsters and other characters if you're the DM. Often the action of nation only, but if you use tokens or m an adventure takes place in your im ture: es around on the table. ou literally move pi Basics of Play Here's a summary of the basic rules of the game. Every creature has powers, skills, and special features tied to one of six ability scores. The abilities are Strength, Constitution, Dexterity, Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma. Each creature also has hit points, which are reduced when the creature takes damage, most often as the result of a damage roll, A creature does things in the game by performing actions. Actions are resolved by making different kinds of checks, A check is rolling a twenty-sided die (a d20), adding modifiers based on the nd announcing the result. Example: An adventurer might make a melee basic attack, using the char ter’s Strength modifier and a modifier based on the weapon used to make the attack (totaling 5). The player rolls a d20 and adds 5, getting a 12. on the die and announcing a result of 17 (12 +5 = 17). tion, ype of the three basic checks that are used all the time are attack rolls, skill checks, and y check nstat but sometimes a check is compared to another character's check. This is an mber getni Players usually make checks aga opposed check now topiay f 13| | | \ modifier is any number that adds to or subtracts from a die roll. A char. acter’s ability scores, for example, provide modifiers that apply to many actions inthe game. \ bonus is a positive modifier (such asa +2 bonus). A penalty sq tive modifier (for example, a-1 penalty). ‘Tn any (ask, a creature's modifiers represent training, competence, and natura talent. The d20 roll, on the other hand, reflects luck and the unpredictable nature of action and adventure. The Dungeon Master compares a check result against a target number, the Difficulty Class (DC) of the task being attempted or the defense against which an attack is being made, Most target numbers are set for the DM, such asa mon n ster’s defense numbers or the DC for climbing a dungeon wall. Other times, the DM estimates the difficulty of a task that isn't specifically covered by the rules lo do this, the DM makes use of advice and tables provided in adventures, the Dungeon Master’s Kit, or this book. Chapter 1 goes into more detail about the basic rules of the game. Encounters Encounters are the action scenes in an adventure, various kinds of challenges that the adventurers must face and overcome. Encounters come in two types, + Combat encounters are battles against nefarious foes, In a combat encounter, adventurers and monsters take turns attacking until one side or the other is defeated. Noncombat encounters include dead! ly traps, difficult puzzles, and other obstacles to overcome. Sometimes the adventurers prevail in noncombat encounters by applying their skills or with clever use of magic, and sometimes the players have to puzzle them out with nothing but their wits. Noncombat encounters also include social interactions, such as attempts to persuade, bargain with, or obtain information from a character played by the DM. Adventurers have an array of tools at their disposal to help them overcome the challenges in encounters, ncluding attack powers—such as a wizard’ fireball ora fighter’s power strike—that deal damage and produce other effects against enemies in combat. Adventurers also have utility powers, skills, and other features that can be useful in both combat and noncombat encounters, Exploration Between encounters, the adventurers explore the segment world—or whatever limited DM's adventure presents them with. The players make rs travel and what they try to do next. ayers saying what they want their charac ‘ayers what happens when their characters do it. hturers have just climbed down into a dark "s that their characters see three tunnels leading the world the decisions about which we ay their character ation is the give-and.take of the pl to do, and the DM telling the pl For instance ets say the adver chasm. The DM tells the playe Explor, \ INTRODUCTIONfrom the chasm floor into the gloom. characters venture into first, and the heading, That’s exploration The players decide which tunnel their indicate which way their characters arc ve their adventurers try almost anything: finding a place to hide and set an ambush in case monsters come by shouting “Hello, any monsters here?” as loud as they n, or searching the chasm floor carefully in case there’s anything interesting lying amid the boulders and moss, That's all exploration too. Decisions the characters make as they explore eventually lead to encounters. One tunnel might open into a cave full of goblins. If the char- acters decide to go that way, they're heading into a combat encounter. Another tunnel might lead to a door sealed by a magic lock that they have to break through—a noncombat encounter, The Dungeon Master decid whether something the adventurers. try actually works. Some actions automatically succeed (characters can usually move around without trouble); some actions require one or more checks (breaking down a locked door, for example); and some actions simply can't succeed. Adventurers are capable of any deeds a strong, smart, agile, and well-armed human action hero can Exploration While exploring an adventure location, the adventurers might try to do any of the following actions: + Move down a hallway, follow a pas- sage, or cross a room + Have conversations with DM-con: trolled characters 4 Listen by a door to determine if they hear anything on the other side + Try a door to see ifit’s locked + Break down a locked door + Search a room for treasure + Pull levers or push statues or furnish: ings around + Pick the lock of a treasure chest + Jury-rig a trap pull off, They can't punch their way through a door of 3-inch-thick iron plate with their bare hands, for help them out! ample—not unless they have powerful mag ic to Chapters 4 and 6 give the information that a group needs to determine whether the characters ¢: page 22, spells out the details of r Taking Turns In exploration, players don’t usu nsucceed at the tasks they attempt. “Making Checks.” aking each kind of check Illy need to take turns. The DM might prompt the players by asking, “What do you do?” The players answer, and then the DM tells them what happens. The players might break in with questions, ofler su ges tions to other players, or bring up a new action any time they like. Combat encounters work differently: The adventurers and the monsters all take turns in a fixed rotation, called the initiative order. See Chapter 6 for how combat works. HOW TO PLAY 15Example of Play joncrenee “san example scene ina typical game session. The adventurers are explor- Se sctrcet 11 old dwarven stronghold infested by monsters, There are four ing the a players in this session + Chris, the Dungeon Master + Justin, playing the human fighter Shara + Mike, playing the halfling rogue Uldane ard Albanon + Jennifer, playing the eladrin wi Chris (DM): Old stone steps climb about 30 feet or so into the mountain, along- side a cold stream that splashes through the cave. The steps end at a landing in front of a big stone door carved with the image of a bearded dwarf face, The door stands open about a foot or so. There's a bronze gong hanging froma bracket in the wall nearby. What do you do? Mike (Uldane): I'll creep up and peek through the opening, Jennifer (Albanon): I want to take a closer look at the gong. Justin (Shara): I'm going to hang back and keep watch, in case Uldane gets into trouble. Mike (Uldane): Not a chance, I'ma pro. Chris (DM): OK, first Albanon: It’s a battered old bronze gong. There's a small hammer hanging beside it. Justin (Shara): Don't touch it! Jennifer (Albanon): I wasn't going to! It looks like the doorbell to me. No sense telling the monsters we're here. Chris (DM): Now for Uldane, Since you're trying to be sneaky, Mike, make a Stealth check Mike (rolls a Stealth check for Uldane): | got a 22. Chris (DM): Uldane is pretty stealthy, Chris compares ( JIdane monsters he knows are monsters don't know th Stealth check result to the Perception check result ofthe ; in the next room, Mike’s roll beats the Perception check, so the halfling is there. Jennifer (Albanon): So what's in there? Chris (DM): You're by the pening, and you see large fire pit in the ce four beastlike + door's ong, remember? Uldane, you peek through the door it large stone hall with several thick pillars, There's 4 ier of the room filled with dimming embers. You see humanoid fire pit, and S with hyena faces crouching around thia big animal-like a hyena, but much bigger—dozing on the floor nearby. The hyena-men are armed with spears and axes, Justin (Shara): Gnolls! | hate those guys. Jennifer (Albanon): Looks like we'll have to fight our way in. Can we take them? Mike (Uldane): No problem-we've got the drop on ‘em: Chris (DM): So are you going through the door? The players all agree that they are. Chris (DM): Show me where your characters are standing right before you go in The players arrange their characters’ tokens on the Dungeon Tiles that Chris has prepared for the encounter, They're now on the landing just outside the room with the gnolls Justin (Shara): All right, on the count of three Mike (Uldane): Is that on three or right after three? Jennifer (Albanon): Uldane! for clarification! Mike (Uldane): What? I'm just aski Justin (Shara): One... two... three! Chris (DM): You have surprised the gnolls! Everybody roll initiative, and we'll see if you can take these monsters down or not What happens next? Can Shara, Uldane, and Albanon defeat the gnolls? That depends on how the players play their characters, and how lucky they are with their diceCHAPTER 1 THE BASICS The Duncrons & Drac NS game offers many sorts of adventures, including a descent into a monster lair, back-alley investigation in a bustling city, an expedi tion into an enchanted forest, a battle under dragon. filled skies, intrigue in the court of lords and ladies, the exploration of a haunted castle, and a confrontation with the forces of the gods themselves, The adventurers who face the game's chal lenges are as varied as the stories they help to shape. Because the possibilities for adventure are so vast, the game's rules must be able to guide play in many different situations, both in combat and outside it A few basic rules form the foundation of play—the focus of this chapter. After : mastering these basics, any playercan TM game offers many understand how most of the sorts of adventures ... a game work: This chapter covers the following topics. lair, an expedition into an + Creatures and Levels: The rules of play often refer to descent into a monster enchanted forest, a battle “creatures,” “characters,” and under dragon-filled skies, a adventurers.” This section confrontation with the forces explains the differences : between those key terms. As of the gods themselves. well, many of the game’s rules depend on a creature's level or tier, which are discussed here, 1g Checks: The core mechanic of the Duncrons & DRacons game is making a check (rolling a d20 and adding modifiers, then comparing to a target number). This section goes into more detail about the three kinds of checks in the game: attack rolls, skill che bility checks. Putting together a play group and keeping the game running smoothly require a few table rules, which guide how the group conducts its game sessions, This section provides a few suggestions. + Improvisation: This game is all about imagination. Players are free to try anything they can think of for their characters to do, and DMs should be flexible cnough to respond to unexpected player choices. This section pro vides tips on “winging it.” + The DunGrons & DRAGONS World: Because this isa storytelling game at its heart, understanding the setting where the game’s rules come to life is important.CREATURES AND LEVELS The main participants in a DuNGrons & DraGons adventure are creatures, he main pi 5 N Shy ; Si f them are the adventurers. The rest of them are the monsters and Peoples ome of them a a a of the world that are controlled by the Dungeon Master, KEY TERMS The following terms appear again and again in the game’s rules. creature: A being in the game world. Both adventurers and monsters are crea- tures. See Chapter 2 for rules about creature statistics. character: Another term for a creature. The term is usually used to refer to a person who is not monstrous: either an adventurer or a DM-controlled indi- vidual (sometimes called a nonplayer character, or NPC). adventurer: The character controlled by a player other than the Dungeon Master. An adventurer is sometimes called a player character. monster: A creature controlled by the Dungeon Master. The term is usually used to refer to creatures that are hostile to the adventurers (often including DM- controlled characters). Ifa creature is going to be involved in combat or some other encounter that requires game statistics, it has a character sheet if the creature is an adventurer, ora statistics block (often called just “stat block”) if the creature is a monster or a DM-controlled character. It might have a {ull complement of'statistics (such as ability scores, powers, and skills) or only the few statistics needed for the encoun- ter in which the creature appears, Many creatures are imply part of an adventure’s background and have no Same statistics at all. For instance, the DM might describe the proprietor of an inn and have that character appear in multiple sessions of play, but the proprietor probably never has game statistics, unless the DM plans to have him join a battle. He is simply a name and Perhaps a sentence or two on a page, though he might be a beloved figure in the campaign, A creature that has game statis resents how powerful it is compared a 2nd Jevel creature is substantially Mfter adventurers complete encou points to them, and ¢ re $ typically has a level. A creature's level rep to everything else in the game. For instance, less powerful than a 30th-level creature. heounters and quests, the DM awards experience ‘ach gains a new level (or “levels up") whenever he or she “10 number of points, It takes about cight to ten encounters 10 aevance from one level to the next See Chapter 2 for information on the tow to make a character and how to ches a cert ame statistics of creatures, including advance that character in level. CHAPTER UL the g,ee a es Tiers of Play Heroes in the Duncrons & Dir acons game and most of the threats they face have levels, which reflect their relative power. Levels are grouped into three tiers: the heroic tier (levels 1-10), the paragon tier (levels 1 1-20), and the epic tier (levels 21-30). When adventurers leave one tier and cross the threshold into a new one, they experience a major increase in power and simultaneously face more lethal threats. As a campaign progresses through the three tiers, its story and the style of its encounters also evolve. Heroic Tier Even 1stlevel characters are heroes, different from common folk because of exceptional aptitudes, learned skills, and the hint of a great destiny. At the start of their careers, adventurers rely on their own abilities and powers, and they quickly acquire magic items, The fate ofa village might hang on the success or failure of heroic tier adven turers. Heroes in this tier navigate dangerous terrain and explore haunted crypts, where they can expect to fight sneaky goblins, savage orcs, ferocious wolves, giant spiders, evil cultists, and flesh-secking ghouls, If the heroes face a dragon, it is a young one that might still be searching for a lair and has not yet found its place in the world. One, in other words, that is much like themselves. Paragon Tier By 11th level, heroes are shining examples of courage and determination, set well apart from the masses. Paragon tier adventurers are more versatile than they were at lower levels. The fate of a nation or even the world might depend on momentous quests that heroes in this tier undertake. Such heroes explore uncharted regions and delve into long-forgotten dungeons, and they confront monsters such as savage giants, cruel beholders, bloodthirsty vampires, and devious mind flayers. They might face a powerful adult dragon that has established a lair and a role in the world. Epic Tier By 21st level, characters have truly superheroic capabilities, and ordinary people can hardly dream of such power. The heroes’ deeds become the stuff of legend. Epic adventures have far-reaching consequences fate of the natural world and even planes beyond. erworldly realms and explore never-before-seen caverns of wonde demon lords, mind flayer masterminds, terrible archdevils, lich archmages, he dragons they encounter are ancient wyrms . possibly determining the ipic characters navigate oth: They fight and even the gods themselves, of earthshaking power, whose sleep troubles kingdoms and whose waking threatens the world. CREATURES AND Levets f 2122 MILESTONES AND QUESTS As adventurers move from one encounter to another on their way to gaining the next level, they reach milestones and complete quests. Milestones: When the adventurers complete two consecutive encounters without stopping for an extended rest (page 172), they reach a milestone, Each time they reach a milestone, each adventurer gains an action Point (page 235), The DM might provide additional rewards, depending on the adventure and the style of the campaign. Quests: Quests are the fundamental story framework of an adventure-the reason the adventurers want to get involved. They are why an adventure exists, and they indicate what the adventurers need to do to resolve the situation the adventure presents. A quest connects a series of encounters into a meaningful story. The simplest adventures revolve around a single major quest, usually one that gives everyone in the group a motivation to pursue it. For example, a group's major quest might be to put an end to the goblin raids on a local village, to rescue a kidnapped merchant, or to recover an ancient relic lost in the nearby ruins. Most adventures, however, involve multiple quests. An adventure might have two or more major quests. For example, the goblin raiders might also be respon- sible for kidnapping an important merchant. Adventures often also include minor quests that relate to individual characters’ goals or backgrounds. Sometimes these quests can conflict with each other, presenting characters with interesting choices about which quests to pursue. When the group completes a quest, each character earns experience points and possibly other kinds of rewards, depending on the quest. See Appendix 2 for typical rewards for completed quests. Each published adventure usually includes one or more quests appropriate to. that adventure, The Dungeon Master's Kit includes guidelines for creating quests. MAKING CHECKS Does a sword swin, ron-hard scales? Will cross a raging eae ve hat the dragon or just bounce off its an outrageous bluff, or can a character sw river? The DunGrons & Dragons game relies on die roll determine success or failure in these kinds of situations, Making ck j - genes heckis the core mechanic of the game. It follows a few simple 1, Roll 2. Add atwenly-sided die (420). The higher the result, the better any relevant modifiers, why es iether bonuses or penalties. 3. Compare the re ; : 3 ne i K result (o a target number. Ifthe result equals or exceeds the arget nun che umber, the check is a success, Otherwise, it’s a failure.This mple rule governs most Dunerons & Dracons play. Three types of checks come up in most sessions of the game: attack rolls, skill checks, and ability checks, No matter what type of check a creature is making. modifiers come into play: bonuses, penalties, or both Check Modifiers Modifiers of some sort apply to every check. A creature’s innate advantages and disadvantages affect its chance of success, and the circumstances surrounding the check might contribute bonuses or penalties. The following kinds of modifiers ean affect a check. One-Half Level: No matter which type of check a creature is making, the creature's level affects how much ofa chance it has to succeed. This fact is represented by a bonus that a creature gains to every check equal to one-half the creature's level, rounded down. The modifiers in a monster's stat block already include this bonus, whereas an adventurer applies the bonus to every check that he or she makes (most players record this bonus on their character sheets and adjust it whenever their characters reach an even-numbered level), Example: The level of a 1st-level adventurer contributes no bonus to his or her checks, since half of 1 is 0 after rounding down. In contrast, the level of a 7th-level adventurer contributes a +3 bonus to all of the adventurer’s checks. MAKING cheeks [23er: A typical creature has six abilities—St rength, Dexterity, i ach of which has a score representing how strong the ere ha lity, Each score has a modifier associated with it (see the Ability Modifiers table, Page 63), For instance, a score of 14 in an ability grants a +2 modifier to checks using that ability, In other words, ifa character has a Strength of 14, he or she gains a +2 bonus to any check using Strength. A monster's ability modifiers ae already included in its statistics, but an adventurer applies the appropri ate modifier whenever he or she makes a check (most players record this + Ability Mod ; : Constitution, Intelligence, Wisdom, and ¢ is eature is in that al bonus on their character sheets). tures have various modifiers that persist from one encounter to another. One adventurer might have a feat that gives him a +1 bonus to attack rolls whenever he uses a particular type of weapon, whereas another adventurer might take a -1 penalty to all of her checks because of a powerful curse. Almost every creature has a bonus toa skill or ‘vo as the result of skill training (page 124). Magic items (page 275) and Weapon proficiencies (page 273) also grant persistent bonuses. Monsters have fewer persistent bonuses than adventurers do, since monsters don't have feats or weapon proficiencies and rarely benefit directly from magic items. * Temporary Modifiers: Powers, circumstances, feats, conditions, and other effects cause many bonuses and penalties in play. For instance, a creature’ target might have partial Cover, causing the creature to take a -2 penalty to the attack roll it makes against the target. Or an adventurer might use a power that grants a temporary bonus to all of her companions’ defenses. Temporary modifiers are extremely varied and are specified in many dif: ferent parts of the game. Attack Rolls An attack roll is a kind of check that occurs in every battle, where the target number for the check is the defense of a target. Attack rolls are often described using a shorthand notation: |Ability name| vs, [Defense] or [Modifier] vs. [Defense] The ability (or other attack used. The fe (See “Defenses, modifier) as well as the defense involved are specified in the bur defenses i i are Armor Class (AC), Fortitude, Reflex, and will. » Page 65, for more information.) If the result of the attack roll is rena the larget’s defense; the attack hia A snenelers age alres arget’s defen 1 ability modifier DC lM4es the modifier for one-half its level and the relevant For instance an adventurer’s 4 roll notation ee ‘ack power might include the following attack frength ys, Fortitud r y his fe" The adventurer makes a check (adding FHAPTER DL (The BassTHE DM’S BEST FRIEND As the Dungeon Master, you're frequently faced by unusual circumstances in the game, since the players often come up with unexpected things for their charac- ters to do—acts the rules don't cover, Other times, the adventurers do something that is covered by the rules, but neither you nor the players can remember the relevant rule. In such cases, you can fall back on the following rule of thumb, known as the “DM's best friend”: An especially favorable circumstance gives a +2 bonus to a check, and a particularly unfavorable circumstance gives a -2. penalty, This rule of thumb can be used in encounter after encounter, and it can save a group from spending too much time trying to recall a forgotten rule. Can't remember if there's a rule for the effect of strong winds on attack rolls with ranged weapons? Just apply a -2 penalty and keep playing. In the end, what mat- ters is crafting a vivid scene so that everyone has fun, not focusing on a minor rule of the game. or her Strength modifier, one-half his or her level, and any other modifiers) and compares the result to the target's Fortitude. The power specifies what happens if the adventurer hits and might even specify something that happens on a miss. In contrast, a monster might use an attack power that specifies “+10 vs. Reflex” for the attack roll. The monster makes a check, adding 10 plus any other modi fiers, and compares the result to the target's Reflex. The modifiers to an attack roll include temporary modifiers, such as a +2 bonus for having combat advantage or a -2 penalty ifthe target has partial cover. Players use the information in player books such as Heroes of the Fallen Lands and Heroes of the Forgotten Empires to determine the attack modifiers for their powers. The Dungeon Master most often uses the numbers provided for mon. sters in sources such as the Monster Vault. Attack rolls are described in more detail in Chapter 6. Skill Checks Skill checks occur both in combat and outsid such checks test a creature's aptitude in a particular field: athletic ability (represented by the Athletics skill), knowledge of history (represented by the History skill), a knack for making the improbable seem believable (represented by the Bluff skill), and so on. An adyen turer begins play with training ina handful of skills, the number of which is determined by the adventu or two skills, Training in a skill gives a creature a +5 bonus to checks involving that skill. Skill checks sometimes use a shorthand notation: class. A typical monster has training in only one [DC] [Skill name] cheek MAKING CHECKS 25Phe target number fora skill cheek~called its Difficulty Class, or DC~is deter mined by the DM. Published adventures and rulebooks (including this one) provide many target numbers for the DM to use, but he or she h s the final say on what number is appropriate in a particular situation (sce the Difficulty Class by Level table, page 126, for Garget numbers that are appropriate for different oy Level ti et els of play). Seats published adventure might include the following skill check notation; “Make a DC 20 Athletics check.” The adventurer makes a check (adding his or her Strength modifier, one-half his or her level, the bonus for train ing in Athletics ifapplicable, and any other modifiers) and compares the result lo the target DC. The check is successful ifthe result equals or exceeds the DC. Ia monster attempts the same DC 20 Athletics check, it adds either the \thletics check modifier in its stat block or its Strength modifier, plus any other modifiers, and compares the result to the DC. skill check is the result of another crea- ture’s skill check. In that situation, the creatures are said to be making opposed checks. Whoever gets the higher result succeeds, \ successful skill check usually just means that the character accomplishes what he or she set out to do, but the results can be more subtle than that. Ifa character attempts a Perception check while pressing her ear against a door, hoping to hear signs of what might lurk on the other side of the door, it’s upto the DM to describe the sounds she hears ifher check meets or beats the DC set by the DM. Ifa character makes an Athletics check in an attempt to jump over achasm, however, a successful check probably just means that he cleared the chasm and landed safely on the other side. Chapter 4 gives complete rules on making skill checks. Ability Checks Attack rolls and skill checks account for most of the checks that a creature makes, but sometimes the DM wants a creature to make a check when none of the creature's skills or powers apply. In that situation, the DM has the creature make an ability check, using the most appropriate ability modifier of the crea- ture. For instance “Murer might try to hold a door closed against an ore, test of raw strength: a Strength check (another DM tics skill is appropriate in the same situation). ‘shorthand notation similar to that for a skill check: Sometimes the DC for a creature's an adve and the DM decides that’s might decide that the Athi Ability checks often use DC] |Ability name} check Ability checks follow the rules for skill checks in ¢ ind aiding another creature. ‘The main difference betwee ski i ines Ichecks is that a creature uses an ability modifier fo stead of a skill modifier, apter 4, including the rules for opposed checks ability checks and an ability check in SMAPTER 11 The Busy.Bonuses and Penalties Checks, as well as other die rolls, are modified by bonuses and penalties. Bonuses There's one important rule for bonuses: of the same type to the same roll or score. [fa creature has two bonuses of the same type that apply to the same roll or score, use the higher one. For instance, ifa character has a +2 power bonus to attack rolls and gains a +4 power bonus to attack rolls, the character has a +4 power bonus, not a:+6 power bonus. Monsters don't have feats and don't use proficiency bonuses, and they rarely wield or use magic items. In general, all the relevant bonuses to a monster's check are included in its stat block. Each of the bonus types in the game is described below. Jon't combine bonuses Armor Bonus: Granted by armor, this bonus applies only as long as a creature wears the armor, Enhancement Bonus: This bonus improves attack rolls and damage rolls or defenses. An adventurer gains an enhancement bonus to Armor Class when wearing magic armor, an enhancement bonus to attack rolls and damage rolls when wielding a magic weapon or implement, and an enhancement bonus to Fortitude, Reflex, and Will when wearing a magic item that occupies the neck item slot (such n enchanted cloak). An adventurer can benefit from a magic weapon, magic armor, and a magic cloak at the same time, since their enhancement bonuses add to different rolls or scores. Feat Bonus: Granted by a feat, this bonus applies only as long as a creature has the feat. Item Bonus: Granted by a magic item, this bonus applies only as long as a crea- ture wears or wields the lem. Power Bonus: Granted by powers and class features, power bonuses are usually temporary. pon, this bonus applies Proficiency Bonus: Gained from proficiency with a we to attack rolls with that weapon. An adventurer gains the profic only when wielding the weapon and using powers that have the wea keyword. iency bonus pon the els Group Racial Bonus: This bonus is granted by a racial trait, such Awareness trait. Shield Bonu. as long as a creature uses the shield. Some powers provide a shield bonus; these typically help only characters who aren't using Granted by a shield, this bonus applies to AC and Reflex only s, feats, and magic items shields. MAKING CHECKS. 27Untyped Bonus: Some bonuses have no type (“a +2 bonus,” for ip stance), Most of these bonuses are situational and combine with other bonuses, including other untyped bonuses. However, untyped bonuses from the same named game element (such as a power or a feat) are not cumulativ only the highest applies, unless otherwise noted. ACTION TYPES As the adventurers explore the world and interact with its inhabitants, game play is usually free-form, guided by the roleplaying of the players and the DM, When the adventurers enter combat, though, the game becomes very structured, The creatures involved in combat each take a turn over the course ofa round, A creature can take a limited number of actions each round, and each action has a type. During some rounds, a creature spends its entire allotment of actions, and during other rounds, it might not take a single action. A creature gets the following three actions on its own turn, + Standard Action: A standard action requires more effort than any other type of action and is usually the main action of a creature’s turn. Making an attack almost always requires a standard action. * Move Action: A move action involves movement from one place to another. + Minor Action: A minor action involves a simple activity of some kind, suchas opening a door or picking up an item. A creature's allotment of actions includes some actions that it can take on others’ turns. + Immediate Action: An immediate action is always in response to a trigger on another creature's turn (such as an action or an event), and either interrupts the “lager OF reacts to it. A creature can take only one immediate action per round. + Opportunity Action: An opportunity action is like an immediate action, but ital ii ij "always interrupts its trigger, Also, a creature can take a single opportunity action on each turn except its own, The one type of action that is rarely limited is the appropriately named free action. + Free Action: ; they de ion: A creature can take free actions on its own or anyone else’s turn can ae Mnost free actions require at least a small amount of time, the DM rict the number of free actions a creature can take during a round. Ch ‘apter 6 has more about actions in combat, CHAPTER 11 The Basic aPenalties Unlike bonuses, penalties don't have types. Penalties are added together, unless they're from the same named game clement. For instance, if two monsters attack an adventurer with the same power and each causes the adven turer to take a penalty to a particular roll or score, th penalties together but instead takes the worst penalty A penalty might be neutralized by a bonus, and vice versa, For instance ifa creature gains a +2 bonus to attack rolls and takes a -2 penalty to attack rolls at the same time, it ends up with a +0 modifi yenturer doesn't add the Two Principles to Keep in Mind This rulebook presents the general rules of the Duncrons & DRacons game. While reading these rules, remember the two principles discussed below. 1. Specific Beats General Powers, class features, racial traits, feats, magic items, monster abilities, and other game statistics usually include some element that breaks the general rules in some way. The element creates an exception to how the rest of the game works. Remember this: Ifa specific rule contradicts a general rule, the specific rule wins. Exceptions and contradictions to the rules are often minor. For instanc ‘e, most adventurers don't have proficiency with longbows, but every elf adventurer does because ofa racial trait. That trait creates a minor ex ption in the game, Other examples of rule-breaking are more conspicuous. For instance, a creature can't normally enter an enemy’s space during combat, but the creature might gain a power that lets it enter several enemies’ spaces in the same turn. Similarly, a crea- ture’s melee basic attack normally requires a standard action to use, but many powers allow the use of a melee basic attack as a free action instead. Powers often create major ey Many of the exceptions in the game last for but a moment. For instance, a power might grant a character the ability to move up to his or her speed as a free action. Moving that far usually requires a move action, but the power breaks that general rule for an instant. Once the power's moment has pa ceptions to the rules. sed, the character must again follow the general rule, Other exceptions, such as the elf"s proficiency with longbows, are persistent for certain creatures, 2. Always Round Down The game does require calculations now and then, which s ometimes end up in round down even if the fraction a fraction, Unless instructed otherwise, alw. or larger. For instance, this rule comes into play when calculating one-hall a level for making a check. Ifthe level isan odd number, always round down to the next lower whole number, is characte MAKING checks [29TABLE RULES While setting up a Duncrons & DRAGONS | ame, every gaming group needs ig establish some table rule: which outline everyone's responsibility to keep the game fun. Some table rules deal with the conflict between the needs of the and the realities of life, such as when players are unable to attend a game game session, Others are about coming to agreement on special situations, such as how to treat strange die rolls Respect: Be there, and be on time. Don't let disagreements escalate into loud arguments. Don't bring personal conflicts to the gaming table. Don’t hurl insults or dice across the table. Don't touch other players’ dice if they're tive about it, sensi- Distractions: I the DM runs a casual, lighthearted game, it might be fine to have players wandering away from the table and back. Most groups, though, come together to focus on playing, Turn off the television, ban portable video games, and get a babysitter if necessary. By reducing distractions everyone has an easier time getting in character, enjoying the story, and focusing on playing the game. Food: Come to a consensus about food for a session. Should everyone eat before arriving, or eat together? Does one player want to play host? Do all players chip in for takeout? Who provides snacks and drinks? Character Names: Agree on some ground rules for naming adventurers. Ina Sroup consisting of Sithis, Travok, Anastrianna, and Kairon, the human fighter named Bob II sticks outespecially when he’s identical to Bob I, who was killed by kobolds. Ifeveryone takes a lighthearted approach to names, that’s fine. If the group would rather take the adventurers and their names alittle more seriously, Bob’s player should come up with a better name. Player character names should match the flavor of the campaign world, a should the names that the DM makes up for nonplayer characters and for Places, Travok and Kairon might feel out of place visiting Gumdrop Island or talking to the enc hanter Tim, Missing Players: How does the Consider th hese options: + Have anothe group deal with the absence of missing pla r player run the the Permission of the acter should make Fesources wisely, Have the DM play the handle, given work. The DM 4 player would missing player's character. Don't do this without missing player. The player running the extra chat an effort to keep the el ‘acter alive and use his or he character, Doing this can sometimes be too much all of the DM's other t sks during a session, but it ean 'eeds o play the character reasonably, as the missing HAPTER 1 | The js,# Decide the character's not there. The DM might be able to provide a good reason for the character to miss the adventure, perhaps by having him or her linger in town, Make sure there's a way for the character to rejoin the adventuring group when the player returns. * Have the character fade into the background. This solution requires everyone to step out of the game world a bit and suspend disbelief, but it’s the easiest solution. The group acts as if the character is absent, but without any expla nation for the absence. When the player returns, the character reappears, also without explanation, Multiple Characte game plays best that way, since the player can devote his or her full attention to that character. However, if the group is small, one or more players might want to take on playing two characters. One character could be the mentor or employer of the other, giving the ple ver a good re one of the characters. Another situation in which multiple characters can be a good idea is in a game with a high rate of character death. If the group is willing to play such a game, cach player might want to keep one or two additional characters on hand, ready to jump in whenever the current character dies. Each time the main character gains a level, the backup ones do as well. Most of the time, each player controls one character, The ‘ason to focus on roleplaying TABLE RULES. 31Table Talk: It’s a good idea to set some expectations about how players Converse at the table. : 4 Who's speaking—the character or the player (out of character)? + Cana player offer advice if his or her character isn't present or is unconscious? + Cana player give other players information such as how many hit Points they have lefi? + [fa player immediately regrets the action chosen for his or her character, can the player pick a different action before any consequences occur? Being Ready: Every round of combat is an exercise in patience. Everyone wants to take a turn, Ifa player isn’t ready when his or her turn comes up, the others can get impatient. The DM should encourage the players to consider their actions before their turns and let them know the consequences of holding up the game. For instance, ifa player takes too long to make a decision, the DM might decide that the player's character is considered to be delaying (page 241), Rolling Dice: Establish some basic expectations about how players roll dice. Rolling in full view of everyone is a good starting point. Ifa player consistently makes checks and scoops the dice up before anyone else can see the result, the DM might nudge that player to be less cagey. This is a cooperative game, after all. What about strange die rolls? When a die falls on the floor, does it count, or should the player reroll it? When it lands cocked against a book, should the player pull the book away and see where the die lands, or reroll? Rules Discussions: Set a policy on rules discussions at the table. Some groups don't mind putting the game on hold while they hash out different interpre: tations of the rules, Others prefer to let the DM make a call and get on with things. Ifthe group does gloss over a rules issue in play, make a note of it(@ good task to delegate to someone other than the DM) and get back to it later at natural stopping point. Metagame Thinking: Players get the best enjoyment when they preserve the willing jsPension of disbelief. A roleplaying game's premise is that itis an Lea People in a fictional world, Metagame thi i ee ae ete as a game, It’s like a character in a movie in Dishen than wean Scting accordingly. “This dragon must be a few le 7 ah oe } a player might say. “Phe DM wouldn't throw such a iB rat us!” Or, "The read-aloud text spent a lot of time on that door-lets ng means search it again! The DM ¢ an discourage this se reminder: "fj tof thinking by giving a gentle verbal ut what do your characters think? CHAPTER | The BasicsDM'’S GUIDE TO DICE ROLLS Myou're the DM, you can make your die rolls where the others can see them, or you can hide the rolls behind your Dungeon Master's Screen. It's up to you, but consider the following. Rolling behind a screen keeps the players guessing about the strength of the oppo sition. When a monster hits all the time, is it of a much higher level than the players, or are you just rolling a string of high numbers? Rolling behind the screen lets you Judge if you want to. If two critical hits in a row would kill an adventurer, you might want to change the second critical hit to a normal hit, or even a miss. Don't do this sort of thing too often, though, and don’t let on that you're doing it. Otherwise the other players might feel as though their characters don’t face any real risk—or worse, that you're playing favorites. Ifyou roll where everyone can see, they know that you're playing fair. You're not going to fudge the dice either in their favor or against them. You need to make some rolls behind the screen no matter what. If a player thinks there might be someone hiding in a room and makes a Perception check, roll a die behind the screen, as though making a Stealth check, even if no one is hiding. Ifyou didn't roll a die at all, the player would know no one is hiding. If you rolled in front of your screen, the player would have some idea how hidden the oppo- nent was, and be able to make an educated guess about whether someone was there at all. Rolling behind the screen preserves the mystery. Sometimes you need to make a roll for an adventurer, because the player shouldn't know how good the check result is. If the adventurer suspects the bar- oness might be charmed and wants to make an Insight check, you should make the roll behind the screen. If the player rolled it and got a high result, but didn’t sense anything amiss, he or she would be confident that the baroness wasn't charmed. If the roll was low, a negative answer wouldn’t mean much. A hidden die roll allows some uncertainty. IMPROVISATION Improvisation, the fine art of making things up on the fly, is one of the most enjoyable and compelling parts of the DuNGrONS & Di acons game, No one ever knows exactly what twist or turn a session of play might take. One aspect of the game—an aspect that has helped keep it going for over than any other; the Dungeon Master. thirty-five years—helps improvisation mot A session of play is never an exercise in reading from a seript, following a linear path from one place to the next, or walking through a static plot toward a pre determined ending. This is a dynamic game, primarily because the DM—a person—adjudicates the action. Other types of games (such as video games, board game on the specific options and choices built into them by their designers, .\ player and card games) relyJecide to go in a direction or take an option that isn't built into the can never decide to go in a ' In the Duxcrons & Dracons game, the DM can change the game's game, Ln the G 4 ; ange ec the fly, often in reaction to the decisions of the other player: tion on the fly, ¢ ‘ s WHEN PLAYERS DO THE UNEXPECTED Let's say you're the DM and the adventurers in your campaign have tracked an evil priest to an old castle deep in the forest. When you mapped out the castle and designed the encounters that you expected to take place there, you assumed that the group of gung-ho, battle-ready characters would kick in the front gate and storm the place. As it happens, the players have chosen a different path. Convinced that the group Is outnumbered, and remembering that the priest is trying to negotiate an alliance with the sleazy Baron Haldar, they decided that their adventurers are disguising themselves as the baron’s diplomats. Now, the adventurers have tracked the evil priest, Kolden, to his castle. You have to decide the fairest way to handle this unexpected twist. With the right preparation, this kind of improvisation is easy to run at the table. If you didn’t think ahead of time about the opposing characters’ person: alities and the relationships between them, your task would be much harder. If you treated each of your encounters solely as a chance for a fight, that’s all you would be ready for. In this case, you can take the time to name a few important opponents and work out some story details that cement their relationships. The players’ plan does make sense, Kolden wants to ally with the baron, and his eagerness filters down to his followers. The guards are likely to err on the side of believing the adventurers’ story. However, the adventurers shouldn't be able to just walk into the castle. You need a complication, Perhaps the captain of the guard, an ogre named Oldek, Plans to betray Kolden, He wants to ally with Haldar, so rather than bring the adventurers directly to the Priest, the guards bring them to Oldek. Oldek isn’t the smartest guy in the world, He’s an ogre, after all. Kolden has Spies watching him. If the adventurers ally with Oldek, they might fall into the trap that Kolden has set for him, You can easily note that Oldek wants to usurp Kolden’s power, while Kolden's ecco Ifthe adventurers had simply attacked the castle, those se Pi Sk fee fe have come up. However, even during a fight they can ioe sine ‘ ‘might surrender rather than fight to the death. He mane a 5 sing. the adventurers’ assault as his chance to eliminate a rival. 5 YOU can see, 'Mprovisation works both wa' s. The players will never know that the sudden, dramatic turn in the os improvised, By taking a litle game was improvised. By taking time to prepare. mi gh oe ea create Your own opportunitine for tatctstnri niet HE ight not have seen comingDMs and Improvisation The DM's job includes telling a story, playing monsters, and building dungeons for the adventurers to explore, Those activities are part of the job, but they aren't everything. Once everyone sits down to play, the DM takes on another, very 5 Rules for DM Improvisation important role: making spot judgments. on the other players’ ideas, plans, and ® Keep the action moving forward tactics. Such improvisation requ # Add complications. DM to make decisions in the space ofa + Be fair. few seconds. This job might sound + Be prepared. hard, but it's actually fairly simple. A good DM rolls with the players’ ideas, judging them in a fair manner, applying the rules even-handedly, and letting the players succeed when they have ideas that seem particularly clever, entertaining, or both, By the same token, a DM never simply gives the players what they want. Ifa player has an idea that seems ill-conceived or shortsighted, the DM might assign a high DC to it, add an extra complication, or let the adventurers stumble into a perilous situation. eS al + Failure isn’t an end point. Five Rules for DM Improvisation Anyone who has ever participated in improv theater or comedy should find the following rules familiar. Good improvisation requires a little practice and perhaps a change in adventure preparation, but most people can grasp these principles quickly. 1. Keep the Action Moving Forward. When the pl improvised plan or action, try to avoid saying no unless the plan is truly terrible, nonsensical, or impossible. The DM shouldn't give the players the world on a platter, but the game should remain open to improvisation. After all. if the players wanted a scripted experience, they could play some other Letting them take the adventure in an unexpected direction encour layers come up with an game ages them to be en; Add Complications. The players aren't masters of the campaign, That's the DM's job! When they have a good idea for improvisation, add some per sonalized spin or complication to it. Ideally, this complication takes what y route around a problem and makes it a little more ged by the action, N might have been an e: difficult or tense. Be Fair. The DM's role is to adjudicate the rules, so be fair and consistent in handling them. When it comes to improvisation, such decisions usually boil what sort of skill or attack makes sense, down to choosing DCs, decidir and so forth, relying on the Dilliculty Class by Level table (page 126) for guidance, Don't favor one player over another, or punish the players with high DCs just because the story is heading in an unexpected direction IMPROVISATION 35