D&D 5e · 9 entries
Cover
Cover provides a bonus to AC and Dexterity saving throws. Only the highest degree of cover applies.
| Cover | Bonus | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Half cover | +2 AC and Dex saves | Low wall, large furniture, another creature |
| Three-quarters cover | +5 AC and Dex saves | Arrow slit, thick tree trunk |
| Total cover | Cannot be targeted directly | Completely hidden behind a solid barrier |
Difficulty Classes
Standard DCs for ability checks. The DM sets the DC; players roll d20 and add their modifier.
| Task Difficulty | DC |
|---|---|
| Very Easy | 5 |
| Easy | 10 |
| Medium | 15 |
| Hard | 20 |
| Very Hard | 25 |
| Nearly Impossible | 30 |
Encounter Multipliers
When building encounters, multiply total monster XP by this factor based on number of monsters. Use with the Encounter Building rules.
| # Monsters | Multiplier |
|---|---|
| 1 | ×1 |
| 2 | ×1.5 |
| 3–6 | ×2 |
| 7–10 | ×2.5 |
| 11–14 | ×3 |
| 15+ | ×4 |
Falling
A creature takes 1d6 bludgeoning damage for every 10 feet it falls, to a maximum of 20d6. It lands prone unless it avoids the damage.
| Distance Fallen | Damage |
|---|---|
| 10 ft. | 1d6 Bludgeoning, land Prone |
| 20 ft. | 2d6 Bludgeoning, land Prone |
| 30 ft. | 3d6 Bludgeoning, land Prone |
| Every 10 ft. more | + 1d6 (max 20d6 at 200 ft.) |
Improvising Damage
Use these dice for damage that occurs outside the normal rules — environmental hazards, falling objects, or other ad hoc sources.
| Dice | Examples |
|---|---|
| 1d10 | Burned by coals, hit by a falling bookcase, pricked by a poison needle |
| 2d10 | Struck by lightning, stumbling into a firepit |
| 4d10 | Hit by falling rubble in a collapsing tunnel, tumbling into a vat of acid |
| 10d10 | Crushed by compacting walls, hit by whirling steel blades, wading through lava |
| 18d10 | Submerged in lava, hit by a crashing flying fortress |
| 24d10 | Tumbling into a vortex of fire on the Elemental Plane of Fire, crushed in the jaws of a godlike creature |
Light and Vision
How lighting conditions and special senses affect perception and combat.
| Category | Effect |
|---|---|
| Bright light | Normal vision |
| Dim light | Lightly obscured — disadvantage on Perception checks relying on sight |
| Darkness | Heavily obscured — effectively blinded; attacks have disadvantage |
| Darkvision | See dim light as bright, darkness as dim (no color) within range |
| Truesight | See in all darkness, see invisible creatures, see through illusions within range |
Object Armor Class
Suggested AC for objects and structures based on their material.
| Material | AC |
|---|---|
| Cloth, paper, rope | 11 |
| Crystal, glass, ice | 13 |
| Wood, bone | 15 |
| Stone | 17 |
| Iron, steel | 19 |
| Mithral | 21 |
| Adamantine | 23 |
Object Hit Points
Suggested HP for objects based on size. Resilient objects may have double HP; fragile objects may have half.
| Size | HP |
|---|---|
| Tiny (bottle, lock) | 2 (1d4) |
| Small (chest, lute) | 5 (2d6) |
| Medium (barrel, chandelier) | 18 (4d8) |
| Large (cart, 10-ft-by-10-ft window) | 27 (5d10) |
| Huge or Gargantuan | — (DM discretion) |
Travel Pace
Overland travel pace, distance covered, and any associated effects.
| Pace | Miles/Hour | Miles/Day | Effect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fast | 4 | 30 | -5 penalty to passive Wisdom (Perception) |
| Normal | 3 | 24 | — |
| Slow | 2 | 18 | Able to use Stealth |