Playing the Game — page 7

Saving Throws A saving throw—also called a save—represents an attempt to evade or resist a threat, such as a fiery explosion, a blast of poisonous gas, or a spell trying to invade your mind. You don't normally choose to make a save; you must make one because your character or a monster (if you're the GM) is at risk. A save's result is detailed in the effect that caused it.

If you don't want to resist the effect, you can choose to fail the save without rolling. Ability Modifier Saving throws are named for the ability modifiers they use: a Constitution saving throw, a Wisdom saving throw, and so on. Different saving throws are used to resist different kinds of effects, as shown on the Saving Throw Examples table.

Saving Throw Examples Ability Make a Save To … Strength Physically resist direct force Dexterity Dodge out of harm's way Constitution Endure a toxic hazard Intelligence Recognize an illusion as fake Wisdom Resist a mental assault Charisma Assert your identity Proficiency Bonus You add your Proficiency Bonus to your saving throw if you have proficiency in that kind of save. See "Proficiency" later in "Playing the Game." Difficulty Class The Difficulty Class for a saving throw is determined by the effect that causes it or by the GM.

For example, if a spell forces you to make a save, the DC is determined by the caster's spellcasting ability and Proficiency Bonus. Monster abilities that call for saves specify the DC. Attack Rolls An attack roll determines whether an attack hits a target. An attack roll hits if the roll equals or exceeds the target's Armor Class. Attack rolls usually occur in battle, described in "Combat" later in "Playing the Game," but the GM might also ask for an attack roll in other situations, such as an archery competition. Ability Modifier The Attack Roll Abilities table shows which ability modifier to use for different types of attack rolls.

Attack Roll Abilities Ability Attack Type Strength Melee attack with a weapon or an Unarmed Strike (see "Rules Glossary") Dexterity Ranged attack with a weapon Varies Spell attack (the ability used is determined by the spellcaster's spellcasting feature, as explained in "Spells") Some features let you use different ability modifiers from those listed. For example, the Finesse property (see "Equipment") lets you use Strength or Dexterity with a weapon that has that property. Proficiency Bonus You add your Proficiency Bonus to your attack roll when you attack using a weapon you have proficiency with, as well as when you attack with a spell.

See "Proficiency" later in "Playing the Game" for more information about weapon proficiencies. Armor Class A creature's Armor Class represents how well the creature avoids being wounded in combat. The AC of a character is determined at character creation (see "Character Creation"), whereas the AC of a monster appears in its stat block.

Calculating AC. All creatures start with the same base AC calculation: Base AC = 10 + the creature's Dexterity modifier A creature's AC can then be modified by armor, magic items, spells, and more.

Only One Base AC. Some spells and class features give characters a different way to calculate their AC. A character with multiple features that give different ways to calculate AC must choose which one to use; only one base calculation can be in effect for a creature. Rolling 20 or 1 If you roll a 20 on the d20 (called a "natural 20") for an attack roll, the attack hits regardless of any modifiers or the target's AC. This is called a Critical Hit (see "Combat" later in "Playing the Game").

If you roll a 1 on the d20 (a "natural 1") for an attack roll, the attack misses regardless of any modifiers or the target's AC. Advantage/Disadvantage Sometimes a D20 Test is modified by Advantage or Disadvantage. Advantage reflects the positive circumstances surrounding a d20 roll, while Disadvantage reflects negative circumstances.

You usually acquire Advantage or Disadvantage through the use of special abilities and actions. The