Combat

Adventurers encounter many dangerous monsters and nefarious villains. In those moments, combat often breaks out.

The Order of Combat

A typical combat encounter is a clash between two sides: a flurry of weapon swings, feints, parries, footwork, and spellcasting. The game organizes combat into a cycle of rounds and turns. A round represents about 6 seconds in the game world. During a round, each participant in a battle takes a turn. The order of turns is determined at the beginning of combat when everyone rolls Initiative. Once everyone has taken a turn, the fight continues to the next round if neither side is defeated.

Combat Step by Step

Combat unfolds in these steps:

Establish Positions. The Game Master determines where all the characters and monsters are located. Given the adventurers' marching order or their stated positions in the room or other location, the GM figures out where the adversaries are—how far away and in what direction.
Roll Initiative. Everyone involved in the combat encounter rolls Initiative, determining the order of combatants' turns.
Take Turns. Each participant in the battle takes a turn in Initiative order. When everyone involved in the combat has had a turn, the round ends. Repeat this step until the fighting stops.

Initiative Δ

Initiative determines the order of turns during combat. When combat starts, every participant rolls Initiative; they make a Dexterity check that determines their place in the Initiative order. The GM rolls for other entities.

Optional: For a group of identical entities (i.e. same stat block), the GM can make a single roll, so each member of that group has the same Initiative. Suggested for low challange rating only (e.g. minions).

Surprise. If a combatant is surprised by combat starting, that combatant has Disadvantage on their Initiative roll. For example, if an ambusher starts combat while hidden from a foe who is unaware that combat is starting, that foe is surprised.

Initiative Order Δ

A combatant's check total is called their Initiative count, or Initiative for short.

The GM ranks the combatants, from highest to lowest Initiative. This is the order in which they act during each round. The Initiative order remains the same from round to round.

Initiative Reorder (Optional): For narrative reasons, it can be useful to tweak the Initiative Order. Each player, in order of highest to lowest Initiative, can propose to swap their place with another player. The GM can do the same among the entities they control. The swap can only happen before the first round begins. A surprised combatant cannot swap places.

Ties. If a tie occurs, the GM decides the order among tied non-player entities, and the players reroll a D20 to decide the order among tied characters. The GM decides the order if the tie is between a monster and a player character.

Your Turn

On your turn, you can move a distance up to your Speed and take one action. You decide whether to move first or take your action first.

The main actions you can take are listed in Actions. A character's features and an entity's stat block also provide action options. The Movement and Position section gives the rules for movement.

Communicating Δ

You can communicate however you are able—through brief utterances and gestures—as you take your turn. Doing so uses neither your action nor your move.

Extended Communication. In case a longer communication is needed differentiate two cases:

Attempts to influence a foe, require the usage of the Influence action
Interactions among allies, for example to provide a detailed explanation or discuss strategies, require:
- The entity initiating the communication to use either an Action or a Bonus Action
- If a reply is needed, replying entities use their Reaction

Interacting with Things Δ

You can interact with one object or feature of the environment for free, during either your move or action. For example, you could open a door during your move as you stride toward a foe.

If you want to interact with a second object, you need to take the Utilize action. Some magic items and other special objects always require an action to use, as stated in their descriptions.

The GM might require you to use an action or bonus action for any of these activities when it needs special care or when it presents an unusual obstacle. For instance, the GM might require you to take the Utilize action to open a stuck door or turn a crank to lower a drawbridge.

Doing Nothing on Your Turn

You can forgo moving, taking an action, or doing anything at all on your turn. If you can't decide what to do, consider taking the defensive Dodge action or the Ready action to delay acting.

Ending Combat

Combat ends when one side or the other is defeated, which can mean the entities are killed or knocked out or have surrendered or fled. Combat can also end when both sides agree to end it.

Movement and Position

On your turn, you can move a distance equal to your Speed or less. Or you can decide not to move.

Your movement can include burrow, climbing, crawling, flying, jumping, and swimming (for some of these, talents may be needed). These different modes of movement can be combined with your regular movement, or they can constitute your entire move.

However you're moving with your Speed, you deduct the distance of each part of your move from it until it is used up or until you are done moving, whichever comes first.

A character's Speed is determined during Character Creation. Speed for other entities is noted in their stat block.

Speed

An entity has a Speed, which is the distance in feet or meters the entity can cover when it moves on its turn.

Special Speeds. Some entities have special speeds, each of which is defined below. If you have more than one speed, choose which one to use when you move; you can switch between the speeds during your move. Whenever you switch, subtract the distance already moved from the new speed. The result determines how much farther you can move. If the result is 0 or less, you can't use the new speed during the current move. For example, if you have a Speed of 30 and a Fly Speed of 40, you could fly 10 feet, walk 10 feet, and leap into the air to fly 20 feet more.

Changes to Your Speeds. If an effect increases or decreases your Speed for a time, any special speed you have increases or decreases by an equal amount for the same duration. For example, if your Speed is reduced to 0 and you have a Climb Speed, your Climb Speed is also reduced to 0. Similarly, if your Speed is halved and you have a Fly Speed, your Fly Speed is also halved.

Burrow

An entity that has a Burrow Speed can use that speed to move through sand, earth, mud, or ice. The creature can't burrow through solid rock.

Climbing

While you're climbing, each foot of movement costs 1 extra foot (0.3m) or 2 extra feet (0.6m) in Difficult Terrain. You ignore this extra cost if you have a Climb Speed and use it to climb.

At the GM's discretion, climbing a slippery surface or one with few handholds might require a successful DC 15 Athletics (STR) check.

Crawling

While you're climbing, each foot of movement costs 1 extra foot (0.3m) or 2 extra feet (0.6m) in Difficult Terrain.

Flying

A variety of effects allow an entity to fly. A flying entity has a Fly Speed that can be used to travel through the air. While you have a Fly Speed, you can stay aloft until you land, fall, or die. While flying, you fall if one or more of the following applies:

You have the Incapacitated condition
You have the Prone condition
Your Fly Speed is reduced to 0.

Hover: Some entities can hover, as noted in their stat blocks, and some spells and other effects grant the ability to hover. Hovering while flying prevents you from falling in the circumstances listed above.

Jumping Δ

When you jump, you make either a:

Long Jump (Horizontal). When you make a Long Jump, you leap horizontally a number of feet up to 5 x your Strength modifier (or 1.5 meters x your Strength modifier), provided you move at least 10 feet immediately before the jump. When you make a standing Long Jump, you can leap only half that distance. This rule assumes that the height of the jump doesn't matter.
High Jump (Vertical). When you make a High Jump, you leap into the air a number of feet equal to half those of a Long Jump. When you make a standing High Jump, you can jump only half that distance (i.e. a quarter of a Long Jump). This rule includes the length of your extended arms above yourself.

Either way, each foot you jump costs a foot of movement.

If you land in Difficult Terrain, you must succeed on a DC 10 Acrobatics (DEX) check or have the Prone condition.

At the GM's discretion, you may need to succeed on a DC 10 Athletics (STR) check to clear a low obstacle or grab an object or onto a ledge.

Swimming

While you're swimming, each foot of movement costs 1 extra foot (0.3m) or 2 extra feet (0.6m) in Difficult Terrain (i.e. rough water). You ignore this extra cost if you have a Swim Speed and use it to swim. At the GM's discretion, moving any distance in rough water might also require a successful DC 15 Athletics (STR) check.

Difficult Terrain

Combatants are often slowed down by Difficult Terrain. Low furniture, rubble, undergrowth, steep stairs, snow, rough waters and shallow bogs are examples of Difficult Terrain.

Every foot of movement in Difficult Terrain costs 1 extra foot (0.3m), even if multiple things in a space count as Difficult Terrain.

Breaking Up Your Move

You can break up your move, using some of its movement before and after any action, Bonus Action, or Reaction you take on the same turn. For example, if you have a Speed of 30 feet, you could go 10 feet, take an action, and then go 20 feet.

Dropping Prone

On your turn, you can give yourself the Prone condition without using an action or any of your Speed, but you can't do so if your Speed is 0.

Playing on a Grid

If you play using a square grid and miniatures or other tokens, follow these rules.

Squares. Each square represents 5 feet or 1.5 meters.

Speed. Rather than moving foot by foot, move square by square on the grid, using your Speed in 5-foot (1.5m) segments. You can translate your Speed into squares by dividing it by 5. For example, a Speed of 30 feet (9m) translates into 6 squares. If you use a grid often, consider writing your Speed in squares on your character sheet.

Entering a Square. To enter a square, you must have enough movement left to pay for entering. It costs 1 square of movement to enter an unoccupied square that's adjacent to your space (orthogonally or diagonally adjacent). A square of Difficult Terrain costs 2 squares to enter. Other effects might make a square cost even more.

Corners. Diagonal movement can't cross the corner of a wall, a large tree, or another terrain feature that fills its space.

Ranges. To determine the range on a grid between two things—whether entities or objects—count squares from a square adjacent to one of them and stop counting in the space of the other one. Count by the shortest route.

Entity Size

An entity belongs to a size category, which determines the width of the square space the entity occupies on a map, as shown on the Entity Size and Space table. That table lists the sizes from smallest (Tiny) to largest (Gargantuan). An entity's space is the area that it effectively controls in combat and the area it needs to fight effectively.

A character's size is determined during Character Creation, and size for other entities is specified in their stat block. Various effects may change an entity's size during gameplay.

Entity Size and Space

Entity Size	Space (Feet)	Space (Meters)	Space (Squares)
Tiny	2.5 x 2.5	0.75 x 0.75	2.5 x 2.5
Small	5 x 5	1.5 x 1.5	5 x 5
Medium	5 x 5	1.5 x 1.5	5 x 5
Large	10 x 10	3 x 3	10 x 10
Huge	15 x 15	4.5 x 4.5	15 x 15
Gargantuan	20 x 20	6 x 6	20 x 20

Moving around Other Entities

During your move, you can pass through the space of an ally, an entity that has the Incapacitated condition, a Tiny creature, or a creature that is two sizes larger or smaller than you.

Another entity's space is Difficult Terrain for you unless that entity is Tiny or your ally.

You can't willingly end a move in a space occupied by another entity. If you somehow end a turn in a space with another entity, you have the Prone condition unless you are Tiny or are of a larger size than the other entity.

Making an Attack

When you take the Attack action, you make an attack. Some other actions, Bonus Actions, and Reactions may also let you make an attack. Whether you strike with a Melee weapon, fire a Ranged weapon, or make an attack roll as part of a spell, an attack has the following structure:

Choose a Target. Pick a target within your attack's range: an entity, an object, or a location.
Determine Modifiers. The GM determines whether the target has Cover and whether you have Advantage or Disadvantage against the target. In addition, spells, special abilities, and other effects can apply penalties or bonuses to your attack roll.
Resolve the Attack. Make the Attack Roll. On a hit, you roll damage unless the particular attack has rules that specify otherwise. Some attacks cause special effects in addition to or instead of damage.

Cover Δ Θ

Walls, trees, entities, and other obstacles can provide cover, making a target more difficult to harm. As detailed in the Cover table, there are three degrees of cover, each of which gives a different benefit to a target.

A target can benefit from cover only when an attack or other effect originates on the opposite side of the cover. If a target is behind multiple sources of cover, only the most protective degree of cover applies; the degrees aren't added together. For example, if a target is behind an entity that gives Half Cover and a tree trunk that gives Three-Quarters Cover, the target has Three-Quarters Cover.

Degree	Benefit to Target	Offered by...
Half	+2 bonus to AC and Constitution saves	Another entity or an object that covers at least half of the target.
Three-Quarters	+5 bonus to AC and Constitution saves	An object that covers at least three-quarters of the target.
Total	Can't be targeted directly	An object that covers the whole target.

Unseen Attackers and Targets

When you make an attack roll against a target you can't see, you have Disadvantage on the roll. This is true whether you're guessing the target's location or targeting an entity you can hear but not see. If the target isn't in the location you targeted, you miss.

When an entity can't see you, you have Advantage on attack rolls against it.

If you are hidden when you make an attack roll, you give away your location when the attack hits or misses.

Ranged Attacks

When you make a ranged attack, you fire a bow, hurl an axe, or otherwise send projectiles to strike a foe at a distance. Many spells also involve making a ranged attack.

Range

You can make ranged attacks only against targets within a specified range. If a ranged attack, such as one made with a spell, has a single range, you can't attack a target beyond this range.

Some ranged attacks, such as those made with a Longbow, have two ranges. The smaller number is the normal range, and the larger number is the long range. Your attack roll has Disadvantage when your target is beyond normal range, and you can't attack a target beyond long range.

Ranged Attacks in Close Combat

Aiming a ranged attack is more difficult when a foe is next to you. When you make a ranged attack roll with a weapon, a spell, or some other means, you have Disadvantage on the roll if you are within 5 feet (1.5m) of an enemy who can see you and doesn't have the Incapacitated condition.

Melee Attacks

A melee attack allows you to attack a target within your reach. A melee attack typically uses a handheld weapon or an Unarmed Strike. Many monsters make melee attacks with claws, teeth, or other body parts. A few spells also involve melee attacks.

Reach

An entity has a 5-foot reach and can thus attack targets within 5 feet (1.5m) when making a melee attack. Certain entities have melee attacks with a reach greater than 5 feet, as noted in their descriptions.

Unarmed Strike Δ

Instead of using a weapon to make a melee attack, you can use a punch, kick, headbutt, or similar forceful blow. In game terms, this is an Unarmed Strike—a melee attack that involves you using your body to damage, grapple, or shove a target within 5 feet of you.

Whenever you use your Unarmed Strike, choose one of the following options for its effect.

Damage. You make an attack roll against the target. Your bonus to the roll equals your Strength modifier plus your Proficiency Bonus. On a hit, the target takes Bludgeoning damage equal to 1 plus your Strength modifier.
Grapple.
- Grappling. The target must succeed on a Constitution saving throw, or they the Grappled condition.
- Ending a Grapple. A Grappled entity can use their action to make an Athletics (STR) or Acrobatics (DEX) check against the grapple's escape DC, ending the condition on themself on a success.
- Grapple DC. The DC for the saving throw and any escape attempts equals 8 plus your Strength modifier and Proficiency Bonus.
- Size Limit. Grappling is possible only if the target is no more than one size larger than you.
- One Grapple per Hand. An entity must have a free hand—or functionally equivalent body part—to grapple another entity. Whatever part a grappler uses, it can grapple only one creature at a time with that part.
Shove.
Shoving. The target must succeed on a Constitution saving throw, or you either push it 5 feet away or cause it to have the Prone condition.
Shove DC. The DC for the saving throw equals 8 plus your Strength modifier and Proficiency Bonus.
Size Limit. This shove is possible only if the target is no more than one size larger than you.

Opportunity Attacks

Combatants watch for enemies to drop their guard. If you move heedlessly past your foes, you put yourself in danger by provoking an Opportunity Attack.

Avoiding Opportunity Attacks. You can avoid provoking an Opportunity Attack by taking the Disengage action. You also don't provoke an Opportunity Attack when you teleport or when you are moved without using your movement, action, Bonus Action, or Reaction. For example, you don't provoke an Opportunity Attack if an explosion hurls you out of a foe's reach or if you fall past an enemy.

Making an Opportunity Attack. You can make an Opportunity Attack when an entity that you can see leaves your reach. To make the attack, take a Reaction to make one melee attack with a weapon or an Unarmed Strike against that entity. The attack occurs right before it leaves your reach.

Concentration

Some spells and other effects require Concentration to remain active, as specified in their descriptions. If the effect's creator loses Concentration, the effect ends. If the effect has a maximum duration, the effect's description specifies how long the creator can concentrate on it: up to 1 minute, 1 hour, or some other duration. The creator can end Concentration at any time (no action required). The following factors break Concentration.

Another Concentration Effect. You lose Concentration on an effect the moment you start casting a spell that requires Concentration or activate another effect that requires Concentration.
Damage. If you take damage, you must succeed on a Constitution saving throw to maintain Concentration. The DC equals 10 or half the damage taken (round down), whichever number is higher, up to a maximum DC of 30.
Incapacitated or Dead. Your Concentration ends if you have the Incapacitated condition or you die.

Area of Effect

The descriptions of many spells and other features specify that they have an area of effect, which typically has one of six shapes.

An area of effect has a point of origin, a location from which the effect's energy erupts. The rules for each shape specify how to position its point of origin. If all straight lines extending from the point of origin to a location in the area of effect are blocked, that location isn't included in the area of effect. To block a line, an obstruction must provide Total Cover.

If the creator of an area of effect places it at an unseen point and an obstruction—such as a wall—is between the creator and that point, the point of origin comes into being on the near side of the obstruction.

Cone

A Cone is an area of effect that extends in straight lines from a point of origin in a direction its creator chooses. A Cone's width at any point along its length is equal to that point's distance from the point of origin. For example, a Cone is 15 feet wide at a point along its length that is 15 feet from the point of origin. The effect that creates a Cone specifies its maximum length.

A Cone's point of origin isn't included in the area of effect unless its creator decides otherwise.

Cube

A Cube is an area of effect that extends in straight lines from a point of origin located anywhere on a face of the Cube. The effect that creates a Cube specifies its size, which is the length of each side.

A Cube's point of origin isn't included in the area of effect unless its creator decides otherwise.

Cylinder

A Cylinder is an area of effect that extends in straight lines from a point of origin located at the center of the circular top or bottom of the Cylinder. The effect that creates a Cylinder specifies the radius of the Cylinder's base and the Cylinder's height.

A Cylinder's point of origin is included in the area of effect.

Emanation

An Emanation is an area of effect that extends in straight lines from an entity or an object in all directions. The effect that creates an Emanation specifies the distance it extends.

An Emanation moves with the entity or object that is its origin unless it is an instantaneous or a stationary effect.

An Emanation's origin (entity or object) isn't included in the area of effect unless its creator decides otherwise.

Line

A Line is an area of effect that extends from a point of origin in a straight path along its length and covers an area defined by its width. The effect that creates a Line specifies its length and width.

A Line's point of origin isn't included in the area of effect unless its creator decides otherwise.

Sphere

A Sphere is an area of effect that extends in straight lines from a point of origin outward in all directions. The effect that creates a Sphere specifies the distance it extends as the radius of the Sphere.

A Sphere's point of origin is included in the Sphere's area of effect.

Mounted Combat

A willing entity that is at least one size larger than a rider and that has an appropriate anatomy can serve as a mount, using the following rules.

Mounting and Dismounting Δ

During your move, you can mount an entity that is within 5 feet of you or dismount. Doing so costs an amount of movement equal to the entity size. For example: if your Speed is 30 feet (9m), and the entity you mount is of size Large, you spend 10 feet (3m) of movement to mount them.

Controlling a Mount

You can control a mount only if it has been trained to accept a rider. Domesticated horses, mules, and similar entities have such training.

The Initiative of a controlled mount changes to match yours when you mount it. It moves on your turn as you direct it, and it has only three action options during that turn: Dash, Disengage, and Dodge. A controlled mount can move and act even on the turn that you mount it.

In contrast, an independent mount—one that lets you ride but ignores your control—retains its place in the Initiative order and moves and acts as it likes.

Falling Off

If an effect is about to move your mount against its will while you're on it, you must succeed on a DC 10 Dexterity saving throw or fall off, landing with the Prone condition in an unoccupied space within 5 feet of the mount.

While mounted, you must make the same save if you're knocked Prone or the mount is.

Underwater Combat

A fight underwater follows these rules.

Impeded Weapons

When making a melee attack roll with a weapon underwater, a creature that lacks a Swim Speed has Disadvantage on the attack roll unless the weapon deals Piercing damage.

A ranged attack roll with a weapon underwater automatically misses a target beyond the weapon's normal range, and the attack roll has Disadvantage against a target within normal range.

Fire Resistance

Anything underwater has Resistance to Fire damage.