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 of a 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, such as 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 trigger or reacts to it. A creature can take only one immediate action per round.

Opportunity Action: An opportunity action is like an immediate action, but it 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: A creature can take free actions on its own or anyone else’s turn. Because most free actions require at least a small amount of time, the DM can restrict the number of free actions a creature can take during a round.

Published in Rules Compendium, page(s) 28.

Action Points

Action points allow creatures to take more actions than normal. Adventurers each start with 1 action point, and some monsters have action points, as noted in their stat blocks. Typically an adventurer spends an action point to pull off an extra attack, to move farther than normal, to take the second wind action in the same turn that he or she attacks, and so on.

Spend an Action Point

Action: Free action. A creature must have an action point in order to take this action. Also, the creature can take this action only during its turn, and never during a surprise round.

Gain an Extra Action: The creature gains an extra action to use during its current turn. The action can be a standard, a move, or a minor action. Some creatures have special abilities that trigger when they spend action points, and some have the option of gaining a benefit other than an extra action when they spend their points.

Once per Encounter or Round: An adventurer can spend an action point only once per encounter. In contrast, a monster that has action points can spend more than 1 action point during an encounter, but only 1 per round.

Gone When Spent: An action point is gone when spent, regardless of the success of the action taken.

Published in Player's Handbook, page(s) 286, Monster Manual 2, page(s) 6, Rules Compendium, page(s) 235.

Aftereffect

An aftereffect automatically occurs after another effect ends. In a power description, an “Aftereffect” entry follows the effect it applies to.

A target is sometimes subject to an aftereffect after a save. If that save occurs when the target is rolling multiple saving throws, the aftereffect takes effect after the target has rolled all of them.

Published in Monster Manual 2, page(s) 216, Monster Manual.

Aid Another

In some situations, creatures can work together to use a skill or an ability. A creature can help another make a skill check or an ability check by taking the aid another action. Given a choice, a group of adventurers should have the character who has the highest ability modifier or skill check modifier take the lead, while the other characters cooperate to provide assistance.

Aid Another

Action: Standard action. When a creature takes this action, it chooses a target adjacent to it.

DC: The assisting creature makes a skill check or an ability check against a DC equal to 10 + one-half its level.

Success: The target gains a +2 bonus to the next check using the same skill or ability before the end of the assisting creature’s next turn.

Failure: The target takes a -1 penalty to the next check using the same skill or ability before the end of the assisting creature’s next turn. This penalty represents the distraction or interference caused by the failed assistance.

A creature can affect a particular check only once using the aid another action. However, up to four creatures can use aid another to affect a single check.

In certain circumstances, the DM might decide that only fewer than four creatures—or even no creatures—can try to aid a check. For instance, it is unlikely that more than one creature can assist in picking a lock.

Published in Player's Handbook, page(s) 287, Rules Compendium, page(s) 128.

Aid Attack

A creature can aid an ally’s attack against an enemy. This action represents a feint, a distraction, or some other action that makes it easier for the ally to hit the enemy.

Aid an Ally’s Attack

Action: Standard action. When a creature takes this action, it chooses an enemy adjacent to it.

Grant Bonus to Attack Roll: The creature chooses an ally. That ally gains a +2 bonus to its next attack roll against the chosen enemy. This bonus ends if it is not used by the end of the aiding creature’s next turn. A creature can take the aid attack action only once to affect a particular attack roll. However, up to four creatures can take the action to affect the same attack roll.

Published in Rules Compendium, page(s) 237.

Aid Defense

A creature can try to protect an ally against an enemy. This action represents a parry, a shield block, or some other action that makes it harder for the enemy to hit the ally.

Aid an Ally’s Defenses

Action: Standard action. When a creature takes this action, it chooses an enemy adjacent to it.

Grant Bonus to Defenses: The creature chooses an ally. That ally gains a +2 bonus to all defenses against the chosen enemy’s next attack against it. This bonus ends if it is not used by the end of the aiding creature’s next turn. A creature can take the aid defense action only once to affect a particular ally’s defenses. However, up to four creatures can take the action to affect the same ally’s defenses.

Published in Rules Compendium, page(s) 238.

all-around vision

Enemies can’t gain combat advantage by flanking a creature that has all-around vision.

Published in Monster Manual 2, page(s) 216, Monster Manual.

altitude limit

If a creature has a specified altitude limit, the creature crashes at the end of its turn if it is flying higher than that limit. See also fly speed.

Published in Monster Manual 2, page(s) 216, Player's Handbook 3, page(s) 220.

Aquatic Combat

Fighting underwater is tricky business for land-dwelling creatures. Water provides resistance against movement, swirling currents grab and drag a swimmer along, and tempestuous waters immobilize all but expert swimmers. Aquatic combat refers to encounters involving combatants in water or some other liquid, not when they’re aboard a vessel. The following rules apply to aquatic combat.

Swim Speed: A creature moves through the water using its swim speed. A creature that has no swim speed must use the Athletics skill to swim.

Fire Powers: Attackers take a -2 penalty to the attack rolls of fire powers used underwater.

Weapons: Attackers take a -2 penalty to attack rolls while wielding any weapon underwater that isn’t from the spear or the crossbow weapon group.

Aquatic and Nonaquatic Creatures

Aquatic creatures, such as water elementals and sharks, can breathe underwater. (If a monster is aquatic, it has the aquatic keyword in its stat block.) In aquatic combat, an aquatic creature gains a +2 bonus to attack rolls against nonaquatic creatures.

Nonaquatic creatures have to hold their breath while fighting underwater. Such strenuous activity requires Endurance checks, especially if the combatant takes damage. See “Starvation, Thirst, and Suffocation” in chapter 5 for more details.

Underwater Terrain

The most important underwater terrain is the water itself, especially when the water is moving. Currents drag creatures along in their path, and difficult terrain, cover, and concealment all exist in watery realms. The ruins of a sunken ship provide cover, while dirt kicked up by powerful currents creates obscured squares. Choppy, storm-churned seas act as difficult terrain.

Underwater battles allow for up-and-down movement. Creatures can attack foes from all directions, not just along the ground. See “Movement in Three Dimensions”.

Published in Dungeon Master's Guide, page(s) 45, Rules Compendium, page(s) 255.

Area Attack

Area of Effect: An area attack creates an area of effect, usually a burst or a wall, within range. An area attack affects certain targets within its area of effect, which has a certain size. An area attack’s area of effect, range, and targets are specified in its power description.

Origin Square: You choose a square within an area attack’s range as the attack’s origin square, which is where you center or start the area of effect. You need line of effect from a square in your space to the origin square. For a target to be affected by an area attack, there needs to be line of effect from the origin square to the target. You don’t have to be able to see the origin square or the target, and concealment between the origin square and the target doesn’t apply.

Multiple Attack Rolls but One Damage Roll: When you make an area attack, you make a separate attack roll against each target in the area of effect, but you make a single damage roll that affects all the targets. A Large or larger creature hit by an area attack is affected only once by the attack, even if multiple squares of the creature’s space are in the area of effect.

If you’re using a projectile weapon to make an area attack, you need one piece of ammunition for each target, and if you’re using thrown weapons, you need one for each target.

Provoke Opportunity Attacks: If you use an area power while adjacent to an enemy, that enemy can make an opportunity attack against you.

Published in Player's Handbook, page(s) 271.

Area of Effect

An area of a specific size where a particular effect takes place. An area of effect usually has one of three types: blast, burst, or wall. Area powers and close powers almost always involve an area of effect.

Published in Rules Compendium, page(s) 308.

Armor

Armor provides a barrier between an adventurer and attacks—or, put more bluntly, between the adventurer and death. Every class provides access to one or more armor proficiencies, and it’s in an adventurer’s best interest to wear the finest armor possible.

Armor Bonus: While wearing a suit of armor, an adventurer gains an armor bonus to Armor Class, determined by the type of armor. For instance, a suit of chainmail grants a +6 armor bonus to AC.

Armor Proficiency

An adventurer’s class specifies the kinds of armor that he or she has proficiency with, and an adventurer can take feats to learn the proper use of other kinds of armor. If an adventurer wears armor that he or she does not have proficiency with, the armor makes the adventurer clumsy and uncoordinated: That character takes a -2 penalty to attack rolls and to Reflex.

Armor proficiency is irrelevant to a monster. If it’s wearing armor, that fact is noted in its stat block, and it is able to use the armor effectively.

Donning Armor

Putting on a suit of armor takes at least 5 minutes, so it’s an activity that can be undertaken only outside combat. Armor can be donned while taking a short rest.

Reading an Armor Description

Each type of armor is defined by a few basic characteristics that indicate how it functions in the game. These characteristics are typically specified in a table that contains the following entries.

Armor Bonus: The armor bonus to AC that a creature gains while wearing the armor.

Check: The penalty to Strength-, Dexterity-, and Constitution-based skill checks that a creature takes while wearing the armor. This penalty is called an armor check penalty. It does not apply to ability checks (such as a Strength check to break down a door or a Dexterity check to determine initiative in combat).

Speed: The penalty to speed that a creature takes while wearing the armor.

Price: The armor’s cost in gold pieces.

Weight: The armor’s weight.

Published in Rules Compendium, page(s) 265.

Armor Types

Armor is grouped into categories. Each category of armor is either light armor or heavy armor.

Light Armor

Light armor is easy to act in if the wearer has proficiency with it. Cloth armor, leather armor, and hide armor are light armor. While wearing light armor, an adventurer adds either his or her Intelligence or Dexterity modifier to Armor Class, whichever is higher.

Cloth Armor: Jackets, mantles, woven robes, and padded vests don’t provide any significant protection by themselves. However, they can be imbued with protective magic. All adventurers have proficiency with cloth armor.

Leather Armor: Leather armor is sturdier than cloth armor. It protects vital areas with multiple layers of boiled-leather plates, while covering the limbs with supple leather that provides a small amount of protection.

Hide Armor: Thicker and heavier than leather, hide armor is composed of skin from any creature that has a tough hide, such as a bear, a griffon, or a dragon. Hide armor can bind and slightly hinder precision, but it’s light enough that it doesn’t affect an adventurer’s speed.

Heavy Armor

Heavy armor is more restrictive than light armor, so natural agility matters less when wearing it. Chainmail, scale armor, and plate armor are heavy armor. An adventurer wearing heavy armor doesn’t add an ability score modifier to his or her AC, unless directed to do so by a special effect. In addition, a typical suit of heavy armor imposes a penalty on its wearer’s speed, as noted in the armor’s description.

Chainmail: Metal rings woven together into a shirt, leggings, and a hood make up a suit of chainmail. Chainmail grants good protection, but it’s cumbersome, so it reduces mobility and agility.

Scale Armor: Overlapping pieces of highly durable material, such as steel or even dragon scales, make up scale armor. Despite its heaviness, scale is easy to wear; its straps and buckles make it adjustable and able to be fit snugly to the body, allowing flexibility and agility.

Plate Armor: The heaviest type of armor, made up of shaped plates of metal or similarly resilient material, plate provides the most armor protection. The cost for its superior fortification is mobility and agility.

Published in Rules Compendium, page(s) 266.

Attack

An attack roll and its effects, including any damage rolls. The word “attack” is sometimes used as shorthand for “attack power.” Some attack powers include multiple attacks, and some powers, such as magic missile, are designated as attacks yet lack attack rolls (using such a power counts as making an attack if the power has a target).

Published in Rules Compendium, page(s) 308.

Attack Roll Modifiers

Combat rarely consists of foes standing toe to toe and bashing each other. Movement and position are important; if one archer can fire from behind a tree at an enemy archer out in the open, the one using the tree for cover enjoys an advantage. Similarly, the use of magic or special abilities often creates opportunities that creatures can exploit. If Albanon the wizard turns his ally Keira invisible, she can easily evade her enemies, but if an enemy wizard stuns Keira with a spell, she drops her guard so that enemies can easily gang up on her.

Temporary advantages and disadvantages in combat are reflected in a set of common attack roll modifiers. An attack roll modifier is a bonus or a penalty that applies to an attack roll in certain circumstances, as determined by the DM.

Circumstance Modifier

Combat advantage against target +2

Attacker is prone -2

Attack is restrained -2

Target has partial cover -2

Target has superior cover -5

Target has partial concealment (melee/ranged only)-2

Target has total concealment (melee/ranged only) -5

Long range (weapon attacks only) -2

Published in Rules Compendium, page(s) 217.

Augmentable

An effect type. A power that has the augmentable keyword has optional augmentations, which a character can use at the cost of power points. Only certain characters have power points, usually as a result of their class. Unless otherwise noted, using an augmentable power follows these rules.

Decide First: A creature must decide whether and how to augment an augmentable power when it chooses to use the power, before making any attack rolls or applying any of the power’s effects.

Power Point Cost: An augmentation specifies its cost in power points. For example, “Augment 1” means a creature must spend 1 power point to use an augmentation. The creature must spend the required power points when it decides to use the augmentation.

One at a Time: A creature can use only one augmentation on a power at a time, so it can’t, for example, spend 3 power points to use both a 1-point and a 2-point augmentation on a single power.

Replace Base Effects: When a power is augmented, changes to the power are noted in the description of the augmentation. If an augmentation includes a specific power entry, such as “Hit” or “Effect,” that entry replaces the entry in the base power that has the same name. An augmented version of a power is otherwise identical to the base power.

Unaugmented: When a creature uses an augmentable power without augmenting it, the power is referred to as unaugmented for that use (some effects apply only when a power is unaugmented). A power that doesn’t have the augmentable keyword is never considered unaugmented.

At-Will Attack Powers: When a power or some other effect lets a creature use an at-will attack power, the creature can choose to use one of its augmentable at-will attack powers, but must use it unaugmented. When a racial trait lets an adventurer choose an extra at-will attack power and the adventurer chooses an augmentable at-will attack power, the power loses both the augmentable keyword and its augmentations.

Published in Player's Handbook 3, page(s) 216, Rules Compendium, page(s) 115-116, 308.

Automatic Hits

Some attacks are so lucky or well timed that bonuses, penalties, and other factors don’t matter. The attacks simply hit.

Natural 20: When a creature makes an attack roll against a target and a 20 comes up on the d20 (this is called getting a natural 20), the power automatically hits the target. Bonuses and penalties don’t matter; the target is simply hit.

Critical Hit: An automatic hit is almost always a critical hit as well (see below).

Published in Rules Compendium, page(s) 216.

Aura

An aura is a continuous effect that emanates from a creature. Unless otherwise noted, an aura uses the following rules.

Fills an Area: The aura fills the creature’s space and each square that is both within a specified distance of the creature and within line of effect of it. For instance, an aura 1 affects each square adjacent to the creature. A creature is normally unaffected by its own aura.

Unaffected by the Environment: The aura is unaffected by environmental phenomena and terrain, although blocking terrain blocks an aura. For instance, an aura of fire is unaffected by an area of extreme cold.

Overlapping Auras: If auras overlap and impose penalties to the same roll or game statistic, a creature affected by the overlapping auras is subjected to the worst penalty; the penalties are not cumulative. For instance, if a creature is affected by three overlapping auras that each impose a -2 penalty to attack rolls, the creature takes a -2 penalty, not a -6 penalty.

Deactivating an Aura: A creature can take a minor action to deactivate or reactivate one of its auras. However, certain auras have set durations and cannot be reactivated after they end.

Death or Unconsciousness Ends: A creature’s auras end immediately when it falls unconscious or dies.

Published in Monster Manual 2, page(s) 6, Rules Compendium, page(s) 308.

Automatic Misses

Sometimes misfortune plagues an attack: The attacker stumbles slightly, makes a poorly timed weapon swing, or otherwise completely misses the mark. No bonus can turn the attack into a hit. It simply misses.

Natural 1: When a creature makes an attack roll against a target and a 1 comes up on the d20 (this is called getting a natural 1), the power automatically misses the target. Bonuses and penalties don’t matter; the target is simply missed.

Basic Attack

When a power or other effect allows a creature to make a basic attack, the creature can make either a melee basic attack or a ranged basic attack. If the power or other effect specifically calls for a melee basic attack or a ranged basic attack, the creature must use that type. For instance, a power might read, “Each ally within 5 squares of you can make a basic attack as a free action,” which means each of those allies can make either a melee or a ranged basic attack, and they can each do so as a free action, rather than a standard action.

Some classes provide alternatives to these default powers, and each monster has its own basic attack power, which is noted in its stat block with a circle around the power’s icon.

A creature uses a melee basic attack to make an opportunity attack or to make a charge attack. Even if it has no weapon equipped, it can make a melee basic attack using an unarmed strike (such as a kick or punch) or another improvised weapon.

A creature can make a ranged basic attack as long as it has something to throw or shoot. Even if it has no ranged weapon equipped, it can make a ranged basic attack using an improvised weapon. If it makes the attack using a weapon that has the heavy thrown property, the attack uses the creature’s Strength instead of Dexterity for the attack roll and the damage roll.

Published in Player's Handbook, page(s) 287, Rules Compendium, page(s) 238.

Beast Form

An effect type. A character can use a beast form power only while in beast form. Only certain characters can assume a beast form.

Published in Player's Handbook 2, page(s) 219, Rules Compendium, page(s) 308.

Bladespell

A bladesinger mixes melee and magic with such ease and grace that every successful strike unleashes a spell. Unique to bladesingers, these bladespells lash out to affect even the most well-defended foes.

Published in Neverwinter Campaign Setting.

Blast

A blast fills an area adjacent to you that is a specified number of squares on a side.

For example, the wizard power thunderwave is a Blast 3, which means the power affects a 3-square-by-3-square area adjacent to you.

The blast must be adjacent to its origin square, which is a square in your space. The origin square is not affected by the blast. A blast affects a target only if the target is in the blast’s area and if there is line of effect from the origin square to the target.

Published in Player's Handbook, page(s) 272.

Blinded

The creature can’t see, which means its targets have total concealment against it.

The creature takes a -10 penalty to Perception checks.

The creature grants combat advantage.

The creature can’t flank.

A blinded creature cannot have combat advantage against anyone.

This condition applies to creatures that have been temporarily blinded, such as by exposure to brilliant light or a magical darkness clouding their eyes. It doesn’t apply to creatures that are naturally blind (such as oozes).

Published in Player's Handbook, page(s) 277, Player's Handbook 3, page(s) 220, Rules Compendium, page(s) 229, Monster Vault: Threats to the Nentir Vale, page(s) 122.

Bonus

A number added to a die roll. If a bonus has a type (such as a power or a feat bonus), the bonus is not cumulative with bonuses of the same type; only the highest bonus applies. Bonuses that have no type are called untyped bonuses. Such bonuses are cumulative. However, untyped bonuses from the same named game element (such as a power or a feat) are not cumulative; only the highest applies.

Each of the bonus types in the game is described below.

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 as an 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 creature wears or wields the item.

Power Bonus: Granted by powers and class features, power bonuses are usually temporary.

Proficiency Bonus: Gained from proficiency with a weapon, this bonus applies to attack rolls with that weapon. An adventurer gains the proficiency bonus only when wielding the weapon and using powers that have the weapon keyword.

Racial Bonus: This bonus is granted by a racial trait, such as the elf ’s Group Awareness trait.

Shield Bonus: Granted by a shield, this bonus applies to AC and Reflex only as long as a creature uses the shield. Some powers, feats, and magic items provide a shield bonus; these typically help only characters who aren’t using shields.

Untyped Bonus: Some bonuses have no type (“a +2 bonus,” for instance). 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 cumulative; only the highest applies, unless otherwise noted.

Published in Rules Compendium, page(s) 27-28, 309.

Bull Rush

When a creature wants to push another creature away, the bull rush power is a good option. Although many classes and monsters have powers that can push a target farther, the advantage of bull rush is that anyone can use it, regardless of class.

The bull rush power is useful for forcing an enemy out of a defensive position or into a dangerous one, such as into a pool of lava or over a cliff. It can also do useful things such as pushing an ally out of an enemy’s grasp.

BULL RUSH: STANDARD ACTION

Target: You can bull rush a target adjacent to you that is smaller than you, the same size category as you, or one category larger than you.

Strength Attack: Make a Strength attack vs. Fortitude defense. Do not add any modifiers for the weapon you use.

Hit: Push the target 1 square, and shift into the vacated space.

Impossible Push: If there’s no square you can push the target into, your bull rush has no effect.

Published in Player's Handbook, page(s) 287, Rules Compendium, page(s) 239.

Burst

A burst starts in an origin square and extends in all directions to a specified number of squares from the origin square.

For example, the cleric power flame strike is a burst 2 within 10 squares of you, which means the power originates in a square up to 10 squares away from you and affects the origin square and every square within 2 squares of it (a 5-square-by-5-square area).

Unless a power description notes otherwise, a close burst you create does not affect you. However, an area burst you create does affect you. A burst affects a target only if there is line of effect from the burst’s origin square to the target.

Character Advancement

Total XP Level Ability Scores Feats

0 1 See race 1

1000 2 — 2

2250 3 — 2

3750 4 +1 to two 3

5500 5 — 3

7500 6 — 4

10000 7 — 4

13000 8 +1 to two 5

16500 9 — 5

20500 10 — 6

26000 11 +1 to all 7

32000 12 — 8

39000 13 — 8

47000 14 +1 to two 9

57000 15 — 9

69000 16 — 10

83000 17 — 10

99000 18 +1 to two 11

119000 19 — 11

143000 20 — 12

175000 21 +1 to all 13

210000 22 — 14

255000 23 — 14

310000 24 +1 to two 15

375000 25 — 15

450000 26 — 16

550000 27 — 16

675000 28 +1 to two 17

825000 29 — 17

1000000 30 — 18

Published in Rules Compendium, page(s) 85.

Channel Divinity

An effect type. A channel divinity power allows a creature to harness the magic of the gods. A creature can use no more than one channel divinity power per encounter.

Published in Rules Compendium, page(s) 309.

Charge

A creature uses the charge action when it wants to dash forward and launch an attack with a single action. Such an attack is sometimes referred to as a charge attack.

Charge a Target

Action: Standard action. When a creature takes this action, it chooses a target. Figure out how far away the creature is from the target—even counting through squares of blocking terrain—and then follow these steps.

1. Move: The creature moves up to its speed toward the target. Each square of movement must bring the creature closer to the target, and the creature must end the move at least 2 squares away from its starting position.

2. Attack: The creature either makes a melee basic attack against the target or uses bull rush against it. The creature gains a +1 bonus to the attack roll.

3. No Further Actions: The creature can’t take any further actions during this turn, except free actions. A creature’s turn usually ends after it charges. However, it can extend its turn by taking certain free actions.

Some powers allow a creature to use them in place of a melee basic attack when charging. When a creature uses such a power, the creature retains all the normal benefits of a charge and must follow all the same rules. For instance, it still must end the move at least 2 squares away from its starting position, and it still gains the +1 bonus to attack rolls.

Published in Player's Handbook, page(s) 287, Rules Compendium, page(s) 240.

Chariot

This two-wheeled conveyance is designed for combat and typically drawn by horses. A light chariot carries a single driver and is pulled by one creature. A heavy chariot can carry up to three passengers plus a driver, and it is pulled by two creatures.

Published in Adventurer's Vault, page(s) 20.

Charm

An effect type. A charm power controls a creature’s actions in some way. This control is often represented by the creature being forced to attack its ally or being subjected to the dominated condition.

Published in Monster Manual 2, page(s) 216, Monster Manual, page(s) 280, Player's Handbook 3, page(s) 220,Rules Compendium, page(s) 309, Monster Vault: Threats to the Nentir Vale, page(s) 122.

Climb speed

A creature that has a climb speed, such as a spider or a carrion crawler, doesn’t have to make Athletics checks to climb. It can simply climb up and down a surface using its climb speed, doing so as part of any of its actions that involve it moving. In addition, the creature ignores difficult terrain during the climb and doesn’t grant combat advantage because of climbing. For rules on climbing, see “Athletics”.

Published in Monster Manual 2, page(s) 216, Monster Manual, page(s) 280, Rules Compendium, page(s) 309,Monster Vault: Threats to the Nentir Vale, page(s) 122.

Close Attack

Area of Effect: A close attack creates an area of effect, usually a blast or a burst. A close attack affects certain targets within its area of effect, which has a certain size. A close attack’s area of effect and targets are specified in its power description.

Origin Square: A close attack’s area of effect defines the attack’s origin square, which is the attack’s starting point. A close burst uses your space as its origin square. A close blast uses a square within your space as its origin square. For a target to be affected by a close attack, there must be line of effect from the origin square to the target.

Multiple Attack Rolls but One Damage Roll: When you make a close attack, you make a separate attack roll against each target in the area of effect, but you make a single damage roll that affects all the targets. A Large or larger creature hit by a close attack is affected only once by the attack, even if multiple squares of the creature’s space are in the area of effect.

If you’re using a projectile weapon to make a close attack, you need one piece of ammunition for each target, and if you’re using thrown weapons, you need one for each target.

Published in Player's Handbook, page(s) 271.

Combat Advantage

One of the most common attack roll modifiers is combat advantage, which represents a situation in which a target can’t give full attention to defense. The target is pressed by multiple enemies at the same time, stunned, distracted, or otherwise caught off guard. Combat advantage has two rules.

+2 Bonus to Attack Rolls: A creature gains a +2 bonus to attack rolls against a target granting combat advantage to it.

Able to See Target: A creature must be able to see a target to gain combat advantage against it. This rule means a blinded creature cannot have combat advantage against anyone.

Once per encounter, a creature can try to gain combat advantage against a target by making a Bluff check.

Combat advantage is relative. In any given pair of combatants, either, both, or neither might have combat advantage against the other. It’s possible for a single creature to be adjacent to one enemy that has combat advantage against it and a second enemy that does not.

Published in Player's Handbook, page(s) 279, Monster Manual, page(s) 280, Rules Compendium, page(s) 217.

Concealment

If an attacker can’t get a good look at a target, the target has concealment: The attacker takes a penalty to melee and ranged attack rolls against that target. The battle might be in an area of dim light, in a chamber filled with smoke or mist, or among terrain features, such as foliage, that get in the way of vision.

Unless otherwise noted, area powers and close powers are not affected by concealment. Such powers often produce explosions or great weapon swings that don’t depend on vision.

Obscured Squares The degree to which a square is obscured helps determine how much concealment a target has while in that square.

Lightly Obscured: Squares of dim light, foliage, fog, smoke, heavy falling snow, or rain are lightly obscured.

Heavily Obscured: Squares of heavy fog, thick smoke, or dense foliage are heavily obscured.

Totally Obscured: Squares of darkness are totally obscured.

Degrees of Concealment There are two degrees of concealment.

Partial Concealment (-2 Penalty to Attack Rolls): An attacker takes a -2 penalty to melee and ranged attack rolls against a target that has partial concealment (sometimes simply called "concealment”). The target is in a lightly obscured square or in a heavily obscured square and adjacent to the attacker.

Total Concealment (-5 Penalty to Attack Rolls): An attacker takes a -5 penalty to melee and ranged attack rolls against a target that has total concealment. The attacker can’t see the target: It is invisible, in a totally obscured square, or in a heavily obscured square and not adjacent to the attacker.

Invisibility A variety of powers and other effects can turn a creature invisible, effectively giving it total concealment. Sometimes invisibility is magical, and other times it is mundane. The most common way to become invisible is to use the Stealth skill to become hidden.

An invisible creature can take advantage of several benefits.

It can’t be seen by normal forms of vision.

It has total concealment against any enemy that can’t see it.

It has combat advantage against any enemy that can’t see it (but it still has to be able to see the enemy).

It doesn’t provoke opportunity attacks from enemies that can’t see it.

Published in Player's Handbook, page(s) 281, Rules Compendium, page(s) 220.

Conditional Durations

An effect that has a conditional duration lasts until a specific event occurs. Three conditional durations appear more than any other in the game.

Until the Start/End of Someone’s Next Turn: The effect ends when a specific creature’s next turn starts or ends. The creature is usually the one who produced the effect or else the target of the effect.

Until the End of the Encounter: The effect ends at the end of the current encounter or after 5 minutes, whichever comes first.

Save Ends: The effect ends when the target makes a successful saving throw against it. See “Saving Throws".

Published in Player's Handbook, page(s) 278, Rules Compendium, page(s) 226.

Conditions

Conditions are states imposed on creatures by various effects, including powers, traps, and the environment. A condition is usually temporary, imposing a penalty, a vulnerability, a hindrance, or a combination of effects.

Duration: The effect that imposes a condition on a creature specifies how long the condition lasts. For instance, a cleric might use an attack power that makes its target blinded (save ends). However, some conditions have built-in rules for when they end. For instance, the prone condition ends on a character who stands up, and the dying condition ends on a character who regains hit points.

No Degrees of Effect: Conditions don’t have degrees of effect; either a creature has a condition, or it doesn’t. Putting the same condition on a creature more than once doesn’t change the condition’s effect on that creature. For instance, if a weakened creature is subjected to the weakened condition again, the creature still deals half damage, not one-quarter damage.

Published in Rules Compendium, page(s) 229.

Conjuration

An effect type. A conjuration power produces a conjuration, which is a creation of magical energy that resembles a creature, an object, or some other phenomenon. Even if a conjuration looks like a creature or displays some degree of sentience, it is not considered a creature. Unless otherwise noted, a conjuration uses the following rules.

Occupies No Squares: The conjuration occupies no squares. The conjuration does not need to be supported by a solid surface, so it can float in the air.

Unaffected by the Environment: Terrain and environmental phenomena have no effect on the conjuration. For instance, a conjuration that is an icy hand functions in an inferno without penalty.

Creator’s Defenses: Normally, a conjuration cannot be attacked or physically affected. If a conjuration can be attacked or physically affected, it uses its creator’s defenses. Unless an attack specifically targets conjurations, only the attack’s damage (not including ongoing damage) affects the conjuration. For instance, an attack power that would cause a creature to take 20 cold damage and become immobilized would instead deal only the cold damage to a conjuration.

Attacking with a Conjuration: Normally, a conjuration cannot attack. If a conjuration can attack, its creator makes the attack, determining line of effect from the conjuration as if the creator were in the conjuration’s space. If line of sight is relevant, determine it from the creator, not the conjuration.

Movable Conjurations: If the power used to create a conjuration allows it to be moved, it’s a movable conjuration. At the end of the creator’s turn, a movable conjuration ends if the creator doesn’t have line of effect to at least 1 square of the conjuration or if the creator isn’t within range (using the power’s range) of at least 1 square of the conjuration.

A conjuration can’t be moved through blocking terrain.

Death Ends: A conjuration ends immediately if its creator dies.

Published in Player's Handbook 3, page(s) 216, Monster Manual, page(s) 281, Player's Handbook 2, page(s) 219,Rules Compendium, page(s) 117, 309-310.

Coup de Grace

Sometimes a creature has the chance to attack a foe who is completely defenseless. Doing so isn’t chivalrous, but it is viciously effective. This action is known as a coup de grace.

Perform a Coup de Grace

Action: Standard action.

Attack Helpless Target: The creature uses one of its attack powers against an adjacent target that is helpless. If the attack hits, it automatically scores a critical hit against the target.

Slaying the Target Outright: If the critical hit deals damage greater than or equal to the target’s bloodied value, the target dies.

The most common way for a target to be helpless is to be unconscious; thus, the coup de grace action is typically used against sleeping foes.

Published in Player's Handbook, page(s) 288, Rules Compendium, page(s) 241.

Cover

Cover (-2 Penalty to Attack Rolls): The target is around a corner or protected by terrain. For example, the target might be in the same square as a small tree, obscured by a small pillar or a large piece of furniture, or behind a low wall.

Superior Cover (-5 Penalty to Attack Rolls): The target is protected by a significant terrain advantage, such as when fighting from behind a window, a portcullis, a grate, or an arrow slit.

Area Attacks and Close Attacks: When you make an area attack or a close attack, a target has cover if there is an obstruction between the origin square and the target, not between you and the target.

Reach: If a creature that has reach attacks through terrain that would grant cover if the target were in it, the target has cover. For example, even if you’re not in the same square as a small pillar, it gives you cover from the attack of an ogre on the other side of the pillar.

Creatures and Cover: When you make a ranged attack against an enemy and other enemies are in the way, your target has cover. Your allies never grant cover to your enemies, and neither allies nor enemies give cover against melee, close, or area attacks.

Determining Cover: To determine if a target has cover, choose a corner of a square you occupy (or a corner of your attack’s origin square) and trace imaginary lines from that corner to every corner of any one square the target occupies. If one or two of those lines are blocked by an obstacle or an enemy, the target has cover. (A line isn’t blocked if it runs along the edge of an obstacle’s or an enemy’s square.) If three or four of those lines are blocked but you have line of effect, the target has superior cover.

Published in Player's Handbook, page(s) 280, Rules Compendium, page(s) 219..

Cover for Close and Area Attacks

Like Ranged Attacks: You determine cover for these attacks in the same way as for ranged attacks, with two exceptions:

Origin, Not Attacker: Treat the origin square of the effect as the attacker’s square.

Creatures Aren’t Cover: Creatures don’t provide cover against close and area attacks.

Crashing

Falling while Flying: If a creature falls while it is flying, it descends the full distance of the fall but is likely to take less damage than a creature that can’t fly. Subtract the creature’s fly speed (in feet) from the distance of the fall, then figure out falling damage. If the difference is 0 or less, the creature lands without taking damage from the fall. For example, if a red dragon falls when it is 40 feet in the air, subtract its fly speed of 8 (8 squares = 40 feet) from its altitude. The difference is 0, so the dragon lands safely and is not prone.

If a creature is flying when it starts a high-altitude fall, it has one chance to halt the fall by making a DC 30 Athletics check as an immediate reaction, with a bonus to the check equal to the creature’s fly speed. On a success, the creature falls 100 feet and then stops falling. On a failure, the creature falls as normal.

High-Altitude Falls: Some encounters take place very high above the ground. In such an encounter, it is possible for a creature to spend more than one round falling to the ground. As a rule of thumb, a creature falls up to 500 feet during its first turn of falling. If it is still falling at the start of its turn, it can take actions on that turn as normal, then falls up to 500 feet at the end of the turn. If none of those actions expressly halts a fall, the creature falls up to 500 feet at the end of the turn. This sequence continues until the creature lands.

Published in Dungeon Master's Guide, page(s) 47.

Crawl

When a creature is prone, crawling is one of the only ways it can move.

Crawl

Action: Move action. A creature must be prone to take this action.

Move: The creature moves up to half its speed.

Standing up and then moving is usually preferable to crawling, but sometimes a prone creature wants to move and doesn’t have enough actions to stand up first. In that situation, crawling and teleporting are the best options.

Published in Player's Handbook, page(s) 288, Rules Compendium, page(s) 241.

Critical Hit

Occasionally an attack is a bull’s-eye: It hits so well that a target takes more damage than normal. Such a lucky result is called a critical hit (sometimes shortened to “crit”).

Natural 20: When an attack roll against a target gets a natural 20, the power not only automatically hits the target, but also scores a critical hit if the attack roll result is high enough to hit the target’s defense. If the result is too low to hit the defense, the power still hits the target automatically, but without scoring a critical hit.

Precision: Some powers and other abilities allow a creature to score a critical hit on a roll other than 20, but only a natural 20 is an automatic hit.

Maximum Damage: When an attack scores a critical hit against a target, the target takes the maximum damage possible from the attack. Don’t make a damage roll. Instead, the target takes damage as if the maximum result had been rolled for damage. However, attacks that don’t deal damage still don’t deal damage on a critical hit.

Extra Damage: Magic weapons and implements, as well as high crit weapons, can increase the damage dealt on a critical hit by contributing extra damage. If this extra damage is a die roll, it is not automatically maximum damage; roll the specified dice and add the result to the critical hit’s damage.

Example: Dendric the fighter is wielding a magic longsword that deals 1d8 extra damage on a critical hit. His player rolls a d8 and adds the result to the damage Dendric deals on a critical hit with the longsword.

Published in Player's Handbook, page(s) 278, Rules Compendium, page(s) 216.

Currents

Currents come into play when creatures are moving or fighting in swift-flowing water (see “Aquatic Combat") or battling strong winds while flying.

A current drags creatures along its path. When a creature enters a current or starts its turn in one, it moves a distance and direction according to the current’s strength (as specified in an adventure or as determined by the DM) and in the direction it flows. This movement is a slide effect, with the distance and direction determined by the current.

A creature that wants to fight against a current can spend squares of movement to reduce the distance the current slides it. The creature can reduce the distance partially, or decrease it to 0, provided that the creature has enough movement to do so.

If a current slides a creature through another square that has a current, the creature ignores that other current. If a creature starts its turn in a square that contains more than one current, the strongest current applies. If the currents have the same strength, the creature chooses which one applies.

Published in Rules Compendium, page(s) 207.

Damage Rolls

When most attacks deal damage, they do so through a damage roll: a roll of dice to determine damage. Whenever a power or other effect requires a damage roll, it specifies which dice to roll and how many of them. For instance, an attack might indicate that it deals 2d8 + 4 damage on a hit. When a creature hits with that attack, roll 2 eight-sided dice and add 4 to determine how much damage it deals.

A damage roll can be modified by a number of factors. Monsters’ damage rolls are rarely modified by anything but temporary bonuses or penalties, such as those applied by powers. The following bonuses are the most common for an adventurer’s damage rolls.

A specific ability modifier. A typical attack power used by an adventurer

specifies an ability modifier to add to the damage roll. The ability modifier

is usually the same one added to the power’s attack roll.

An enhancement bonus (usually from a magic weapon or an implement).

A feat bonus.

An item bonus.

A power bonus.

Modifiers to Damage Rolls

Many powers, feats, and other game features grant bonuses or penalties to damage rolls. A bonus to a damage roll is added to the damage roll as a whole, not to each die roll within it.

Example: A warlock has a +4 bonus to damage rolls. If that warlock uses an attack power that deals 2d10 damage, the warlock adds 4 to the total of the two d10s. He does not add 4 to each d10.

Also, an attack power might contain multiple damage rolls, such as a melee attack power against multiple targets. If a creature has a bonus to damage rolls and uses such a power, the creature applies the bonus to every damage roll of that power.

Weapon Damage Dice

In a damage roll expression, [W] is a variable that stands for the damage die of the weapon used to deal the damage. The number before the [W] indicates the number of times to roll the damage die. This sort of damage roll expression typically appears only in adventurer powers.

Example: If a power deals 2[W] + Strength modifier damage and the attacker uses a dagger (1d4 damage die), roll 2 four-sided dice (2d4), then add the attacker’s Strength modifier. If the attacker uses a maul (2d6 damage die), roll 4d6, then add the attacker’s Strength modifier.

damage type

Powers and other effects often deal specific types of damage. For instance, a red dragon’s breath deals fire damage, a scorpion’s sting deals poison damage, a mind flayer’s telepathic blast deals psychic damage, and a wraith’s touch deals necrotic damage.

If a power doesn’t specify a damage type, the damage has no type. Most weapon attack powers deal damage that has no type. It is simply physical damage.

Published in Rules Compendium, page(s) 223, Monster Vault: Threats to the Nentir Vale, page(s) 122.

Dazed

The creature doesn’t get its normal complement of actions on its turn; it can take either a standard, a move, or a minor action. The creature can still take free actions.

The creature can’t take immediate actions or opportunity actions.

The creature grants combat advantage.

The creature can’t flank.

The dazed condition is a common way of representing a general state of stupor. Dazed creatures don’t act as quickly as normal or respond to danger as readily. A creature might be dazed because it took a hard blow to the head, a spell assaulted its mind, or a prayer called forth a clap of thunder around it.

Published in Player's Handbook, page(s) 277, Player's Handbook 3, page(s) 220, Rules Compendium, page(s) 229, Monster Vault: Threats to the Nentir Vale, page(s) 122.

Deafened

The creature can’t hear.

The creature takes a -10 penalty to Perception checks.

This condition applies to creatures that have temporarily lost their normal sense of hearing, not to creatures that normally can’t hear. The game effects of the condition are relatively minor, but being deafened can be a flavorful result of a thunder power.

Published in Player's Handbook, page(s) 277, Player's Handbook 3, page(s) 220, Rules Compendium, page(s) 230, Monster Vault: Threats to the Nentir Vale, page(s) 122.

Defense Scores

You determine your defense scores as follows.

Base Defense: All defenses start with 10 + one-half your level.

Armor Class: Add the armor bonus of the armor you wear and the shield bonus of the shield you carry. If you’re wearing light armor or no armor, also add your Dexterity modifier or Intelligence modifier, whichever is higher.

Fortitude: Add your Strength modifier or Constitution modifier, whichever is higher.

Reflex: Add your Dexterity modifier or Intelligence modifier, whichever is higher. If you’re using a shield, add its shield bonus.

Will: Add your Wisdom modifier or Charisma modifier, whichever is higher.

Also add any of the following that apply:

• Racial or feat bonuses

• An enhancement bonus (usually from a neck slot magic item)

• An item bonus

• A power bonus

• Untyped bonuses

Published in Player's Handbook, page(s) 275.

Delay

A creature can choose to wait to take its turn until later in a round. It might want to see what actions its allies take so that it can plan tactics, or it could be waiting for enemies to move into range.

Delay Turn

Action: Free action. A creature can take this action only when its turn is about to start.

Delay until Later Initiative: The creature delays its turn until it decides to act later in the initiative order. However, parts of the creature’s turn occur the moment the creature delays, as detailed below.

Returning to the Initiative Order: After any turn has been completed, the creature can step back into the initiative order and take its turn. The creature’s initiative changes to this new position in the initiative order.

Start of Turn: The start of the creature’s turn occurs when the creature delays, not when it later takes its turn. Thus, effects that are triggered by the start of the turn still take place—they can’t be avoided by delaying.

End of Turn: The end of the creature’s turn gets split in two: One part occurs when the creature delays, and the second part when it later takes its delayed turn. Different things occur at each of those times.

End of Turn when the Creature Delays: At the moment the creature delays, any effect that it has been sustaining ends. In addition, effects that last until the end of the creature’s turn now end if they are beneficial to it and its allies—they cannot be prolonged by delaying. For instance, if the creature stunned an enemy until the end of its next turn, the stunned condition ends as soon as the creature delays.

End of Turn after the Creature Acts: After the creature returns to the initiative order and takes its delayed turn, it makes the saving throws it normally makes at the end of its turn. In addition, harmful effects that last until the end of the creature’s turn now end—they cannot be avoided by delaying. For instance, if the creature is weakened until the end of its next turn, the weakened condition ends only after it acts.

Losing a Delayed Turn: If the creature doesn’t take its delayed turn before its initiative comes back up in the order, it loses the delayed turn, and its initiative remains where it was.

Published in Player's Handbook, page(s) 288, Rules Compendium, page(s) 241.

Disease

Infection: When you are exposed to a disease, you risk becoming infected. If you are infected, you suffer the initial effect of the disease and begin to move on the disease track.

Monster Attacks: Make a saving throw at the end of the encounter. If the saving throw fails, you are infected.

Other Exposure: For other kinds of exposure (environmental or food), the disease makes an attack roll. If the disease’s attack hits, you are infected.

Prolonged Exposure: If a character spends a long time exposed to disease, the disease makes one attack roll per day of exposure.

Disease Track: Every disease has at least three states, arrayed on a a row of effects called the disease’s track: cured (the target is no longer affected), the disease’s initial effect, and the disease’s final state.

Initial Effect: When you become infected, you suffer the disease’s initial effect.

Moving on the Disease Track: As the disease progresses, you might get worse, moving on the track toward the final state, or you might improve until you are cured. Some effects continue until you are cured, persisting regardless of where you are on the disease’s track, until you improve to the cured state. Other effects end when you move to a better or worse state on the track.

Disease Progression: Once you’re infected, make an Endurance check after each extended rest to see if you improve, worsen, or maintain your current condition. A disease specifies two target Endurance DCs: a lower DC to maintain and a higher DC to improve.

Maintain: If the check result beats the lower DC but doesn’t beat the higher one, your condition remains the same.

Improve: If the check result beats the higher DC, your condition improves—move one step to the left on the disease track.

Worsen: If the check result doesn’t beat either DC, your condition worsens—move one step to the right on the disease track.

Cure: When you reach the left edge of the track, you are cured and stop making Endurance checks.

Final State: When you reach the right edge of the track, the final state of the disease takes effect. Once the disease is in its final state, you no longer make Endurance checks to improve. Often, the only way to recover from the final state is through the Cure Disease ritual.

Heal Skill: An ally can use a Heal check in place of your Endurance check to help you recover from a disease, as described in the Player’s Handbook.

Published in Dungeon Master's Guide, page(s) 49.

Divine Sanction

Many new paladin powers and some of the new feats subject a target to your divine sanction. Being subject to it means the target is marked by you for a duration specified in the description of the power or feat. Unless otherwise noted, the mark ends before the specified duration if someone else marks the target.

Until the mark ends, the target takes radiant damage equal to 3 + your Charisma modifier the first time each round it makes an attack that doesn’t include you as a target. The damage increases to 6 + your Charisma modifier at 11th level and 9 + your Charisma modifier at 21st level.

Divine sanction is meant to complement divine challenge. You can use divine challenge to mark one creature and use divine sanction to mark others. Divine sanction has fewer restrictions than divine challenge so that you can easily use the two in concert.

Published in Divine Power, page(s) 82.

Dominated

The creature can’t take actions voluntarily. Instead, the dominator chooses a single action for the creature to take on the creature’s turn: a standard, a move, a minor, or a free action. The only powers and other game features that the dominator can make the creature use are ones that can be used at will, such as at-will powers. For example, anything that is limited to being used only once per encounter or once per day does not qualify.

The creature grants combat advantage.

The creature can’t flank.

In spite of this condition, the creature’s allies remain its allies, and its enemies remain its enemies. If the dominator tries to force the creature to throw itself into a pit or to move into some other form of hindering terrain, the creature gets a saving throw to resist entering the terrain.

A wide variety of creatures and powers can impose this condition. Just as in myth and legend, vampires and fey creatures are adept at controlling the minds of others, but the specific limitations of this condition prevent such creatures from forcing player characters to expend their best powers.

Published in Player's Handbook, page(s) 277, Player's Handbook 3, page(s) 220, Rules Compendium, page(s) 230, Monster Vault: Threats to the Nentir Vale, page(s) 123.

Double Move

A creature can move twice on its turn if it takes another move action instead of a standard action. Taking the same move action twice in a row is called taking a double move.

Same Move Action Twice: To take a double move, a creature must take the same move action twice in a row on the same turn—two walks, two runs, two shifts, or two crawls.

Combined Speed: During a double move, first add the speeds of the two move actions together. The creature moves using the combined speed.

Because of this greater speed, the creature can sometimes move into a square that it would otherwise be unable to enter.

Example: A creature whose speed is 5 can enter only 2 squares of difficult terrain (see below) when it takes a single move action to walk. If it takes a double move by walking twice in a row, it can move a total of 10 squares, so it can enter 5 squares of difficult terrain instead of only 4.

Occupied Squares: During a double move, a creature’s first move action can end in an ally’s space, since the creature is not stopping. The second move action follows the normal rules for where the creature can end the move.

Published in Player's Handbook, page(s) 284, Rules Compendium, page(s) 205.

Drop Prone

Sometimes a creature wants to be prone—to avoid ranged attacks, for instance, or to play dead.

Drop Prone

Action: Minor action.

Prone: The creature is now prone.

Dying

The creature is unconscious.

The creature must make death saving throws.

This condition ends immediately on the creature when it regains hit points.

Dropping to 0 hit points or fewer subjects an adventurer to this condition. Monsters normally die when they drop to 0 hit points, so this condition applies to them only in exceptional situations. See “Dying and Death".

Published in Player's Handbook, page(s) 277, Player's Handbook 3, page(s) 220, Rules Compendium, page(s) 231, Monster Vault: Threats to the Nentir Vale, page(s) 123.

Dying and Death

In the unending exploration of the unknown and the fight against monsters, death looms as a constant danger. Even so, death is not necessarily the end in the Dungeons & Dragons game. Some powers and magical rituals can return a dead adventurer to life.

Dying: When an adventurer’s hit points drop to 0 or fewer, he or she falls unconscious and is dying. Any additional damage he or she takes continues to reduce that current hit point total until the adventurer dies.

Death Saving Throw: When an adventurer is dying, make a saving throw at the end of that character’s turn each round. A death saving throw works just like any other saving throw, but the result determines how close the adventurer is to death.

9 or Lower: The adventurer slips one step closer to death. If this result comes up three times before the adventurer takes a short or an extended rest, he or she dies.

10–19: No change.

20 or Higher: The adventurer taps into his or her will to live, represented by being able to spend a healing surge. If the adventurer has at least one surge left and now spends it, he or she is considered to have 0 hit points, and then the healing surge restores hit points as normal. The adventurer is no longer dying, and he or she is conscious but still prone.

Death: When an adventurer takes damage that reduces his or her current hit points to his or her bloodied value expressed as a negative number, the adventurer dies. Example: Fargrim is a 6th-level dwarf fighter and has a maximum hit point total of 61. He’s bloodied at 30 hit points, so he dies if his hit point total drops to -30. In a fight with an umber hulk, Fargrim has been reduced to 28 hit points and is grabbed by the monster; he is now bloodied. The umber hulk then hits him with rending claws, dealing 40 damage and reducing Fargrim’s current hit points to -12. He’s now unconscious and dying, and 18 more damage will kill him.

Monsters and Fallen Adventurers

Most monsters don’t attack enemies who are dying; they focus on any adventurers still on their feet and posing a threat. But some particularly wicked monsters might attack a dying adventurer on purpose, even using a coup de grace, and monsters make no effort to avoid including dying adventurers in an area attack or a close attack aimed at others who are still fighting.

Escape

A creature can attempt to escape when it is grabbed. Other immobilizing effects might also let a creature try to escape.

Escape a Grab or Immobilizing Effect

Action: Move action.

Acrobatics or Athletics Check: The creature makes either an Acrobatics or an Athletics check. Normally, the immobilizing effect specifies the DC for the check. If no DC is specified, an Acrobatics check is opposed by the Reflex of the immobilizing creature or effect, and an Athletics check is opposed by its Fortitude.

Against Multiple Grabbers: If the creature is trying to escape and is grabbed by more than one source at once, the creature makes a single check against the highest of the grab DCs. The DC increases by 2 for each grabber beyond the first, to a maximum increase of 8.

Success: If the check succeeds, the immobilizing effect ends on the creature, which can then shift 1 square.

Published in Player's Handbook, page(s) 288, Rules Compendium, page(s) 243.

Effect

The result of a game element’s use. The damage and conditions caused by an attack power are the power’s effects, for instance. Some powers have “Effect” entries, which contain some but not necessarily all of the powers’ effects. In an attack power, the effects of such an entry are not contingent on a hit or a miss.

Published in Player's Handbook 2, page(s) 219, Rules Compendium, page(s) 311.

Enchantment

Enchantment powers alter creatures’ emotions, thoughts, and actions, including beguiling onlookers, terrifying foes, and encouraging allies.

Published in Rules Compendium.

Encounter XP budget

Dungeon Masters sometimes use published combat encounters, and other times they build combat encounters of their own for their group’s adventurers to face. This appendix summarizes how to build a combat encounter. The Dungeon Master’s Kit contains detailed advice on encounter design.

1. Choose an encounter level.

An easy encounter is one or two levels lower than the group’s level.

A standard encounter is of the group’s level or one level higher.

A hard encounter is two to four levels higher than the group’s level.

2. Determine the XP budget. Multiply the number of characters in the group by the XP value of a standard threat of the encounter’s level, as shown on the Encounter XP Budget table. If the group includes any DM-controlled characters who can contribute significantly in combat, count those characters as members of the group when determining the XP budget.

3. Spend the XP budget. Choose threats that are within three levels of the encounter level. Keep choosing threats until the sum of their XP values equals the XP budget or slightly exceeds it. Threats can include monsters, traps, hazards, and skill challenges.

Encounter XP Budget

Encounter Level

XP per Character

1 100

2 125

3 150

4 175

5 200

6 250

7 300

8 350

9 400

10 500

11 600

12 700

13 800

14 1000

15 1200

16 1400

17 1600

18 2000

19 2400

20 2800

21 3200

22 4150

23 5100

24 6050

25 7000

26 9000

27 11000

28 13000

29 15000

30 19000

31 23000

32 27000

33 31000

34 39000

35 47000

36 55000

37 63000

38 79000

39 95000

40 111000

Publis hed in Rules Compendium, page(s) 285.

Environmental Danger

The Endurance skill determines how well a character can withstand such dangers. Every eight hours within an area of environmental danger, the character must succeed on an Endurance check. Each time a character fails, he loses one healing surge. If a character has no healing surges left when he fails a check, he loses hit points equal to his level.

The adventure sets the DC for the Endurance check. Here are some useful benchmarks. When designing your own environmental dangers, rely on the Difficulty Class and Damage by Level table and your common sense.

Condition Endurance DC

Severe weather 20

High altitude 21

Extreme altitude 26

Cold 22

Frigid cold 26

Heat 22

Stifling heat 26

Pervasive smoke or ash 26

Pervasive necromantic energy 31

If a character takes an extended rest while in an area of environmental danger, he recovers healing surges lost in combat but not those lost from failed Endurance checks. During the six hours that include extended rest, the character gets a +2 bonus to Endurance checks because he’s resting and not exerting himself.

If two or more environmental dangers apply at the same time (such as climbing a mountain in a snowstorm), characters make Endurance checks against each danger.

Published in Dungeon Master's Guide, page(s) 158.

Evocation

Evocation powers bring various magical effects into being, including explosions, rays of magical energy, and lingering environmental effects. This is the most widely practiced school of magic.

Published in Rules Compendium.

Experience Points Reward

Experience points are the fundamental reward of the game, just as encounters are the building blocks of adventures and campaigns. Every encounter comes with an experience point reward to match its difficulty. Any encounter that includes a reasonable risk of failure—and some tangible cost to the adventurers for that failure—should have an XP reward associated with it. Conversely, situations that don’t include a risk of failure, or in which failure has no significant resource costs or story ramifications, should usually have no XP reward.

The Experience Point Rewards table presents the standard XP value for threats of different levels and types (standard, minion, elite, and solo). Monsters are the most typical threats in the game, but traps, hazards, skill challenges, and quests are also considered threats for the purpose of awarding experience points.

Threat Level Standard Minion Elite Solo

1 100 25 200 500

2 125 31 250 625

3 150 38 300 750

4 175 44 350 875

5 200 50 400 1,000

6 250 63 500 1,250

7 300 75 600 1,500

8 350 88 700 1,750

9 400 100 800 2,000

10 500 125 1,000 2,500

11 600 150 1,200 3,000

12 700 175 1,400 3,500

13 800 200 1,600 4,000

14 1,000 250 2,000 5,000

15 1,200 300 2,400 6,000

16 1,400 350 2,800 7,000

17 1,600 400 3,200 8,000

18 2,000 500 4,000 10,000

19 2,400 600 4,800 12,000

20 2,800 700 5,600 14,000

21 3,200 800 6,400 16,000

22 4,150 1,038 8,300 20,750

23 5,100 1,275 10,200 25,500

24 6,050 1,513 12,100 30,250

25 7,000 1,750 14,000 35,000

26 9,000 2,250 18,000 45,000

27 11,000 2,750 22,000 55,000

28 13,000 3,250 26,000 65,000

29 15,000 3,750 30,000 75,000

30 19,000 4,750 38,000 95,000

31 23,000 5,750 46,000 115,000

32 27,000 6,750 54,000 135,000

33 31,000 7,750 62,000 155,000

34 39,000 9,750 78,000 195,000

35 47,000 11,750 94,000 235,000

36 55,000 13,750 110,000 275,000

37 63,000 15,750 126,000 315,000

38 79,000 19,750 158,000 395,000

39 95,000 23,750 190,000 475,000

40 111,000 27,750 222,000 555,000

Published in Dungeon Master's Guide, page(s) 120, Rules Compendium, page(s) 291.

extra damage

Many powers and other effects grant the ability to deal extra damage. Extra damage is always in addition to other damage and is of the same type or types as that damage, unless otherwise noted. Because of this rule, an effect that deals no damage cannot deal extra damage. However, a power doesn’t necessarily have to hit a target to deal extra damage—it needs only to deal damage to the target.

Example: Valenae the cleric might have an ability that causes her to deal 5 extra radiant damage to undead creatures. That ability means she deals 5 extra radiant damage whenever she deals damage to an undead creature.

Published in Monster Manual 2, page(s) 217, Player's Handbook 3, page(s) 220, Rules Compendium, page(s) 223,Monster Vault: Threats to the Nentir Vale, page(s) 123.

Exploration Speed

The Base Exploration Speed table shows how much distance a creature that has a given speed covers in a day, an hour, or a minute of travel. A group of travelers moves at the slowest traveler’s pace, so most groups use the table’s first row (to accommodate dwarves and heavily armored members).

The table includes the four most common speeds. Here’s how to calculate the exploration speed of a creature that has a speed not on the table. To figure out how many miles a creature can typically cover during a 10-hour day of exploration and travel, multiply the creature’s speed by 5. Divide that result by 10 to figure out how many miles the creature can cover per hour, and multiply that result by 10 to figure out how many feet it can cover per minute.

Base Exploration Speed

Speed Per Day Per Hour Per Minute

5 25 miles 2½ miles 250 feet

6 30 miles 3 miles 300 feet

7 35 miles 3½ miles 350 feet

8 40 miles 4 miles 400 feet

Speed per Day: A creature can sustain a normal walking pace for 10 hours of travel per day without tiring out (people who aren’t adventurers can rarely walk for more than 6 or 8 hours in a day). Beyond that limit, the creature must make an Endurance check at the end of each hour (or part of an hour) of walking, until it takes an extended rest. The DC for the check is 20 at the end of the first hour and increases by 5 at the end of each subsequent hour of walking. Whenever a creature fails this check, the creature loses a healing surge, or it takes damage equal to its level if it has no healing surges left.

Speed per Hour: A creature’s speed per hour assumes a walking pace. A creature can move at twice this speed for an hour. If the creature maintains the faster pace beyond that time, the creature loses a healing surge at the end of each subsequent hour (or part of an hour) at that pace, or it takes damage equal to its level if it has no healing surges left.

Speed per Minute: A creature’s speed per minute assumes a walking pace and is intended for travel that takes less than an hour. If a creature is in a hurry, it can move at twice this speed.

Terrain and Travel

The distances on the Base Exploration Speed table assume relatively clear terrain: roads, open plains, or dungeon corridors that aren’t choked with rubble. Other terrain can slow progress. How much? That depends on the prevalence of difficult terrain in the area.

Distance Multiplier

Terrain

x0.5

Difficult terrain predominates (dense forests, mountains, deep swamps, rubble-choked ruins)

x0.75

Difficult terrain is widespread (forests, hills, swamps, crumbling ruins, caves, city streets)

x1

Difficult terrain is rare (open fields, plains, roads, clear dungeon corridors)

To figure out how far creatures travel per day, hour, or minute, multiply the distance they would normally travel, as shown on the Base Exploration Speed table, by the distance multiplier shown on the Terrain and Travel table.

Flying creatures and airborne vehicles ignore distance multipliers for difficult terrain.

Published in Rules Compendium, page(s) 169.

Familiar

Your familiar is a spirit that accompanies you as your friend and ally. It doesn’t need to eat or breathe.

Modes: A familiar has two modes, active and passive. You can switch your familiar between these modes as a minor action. When your familiar is in active mode, you can gain the active benefit described in its statistics block.

In passive mode, your familiar shares your space, perched on your shoulder or tucked inside your clothing, and it can’t be targeted or damaged by any effect. If your familiar is not in your space when you switch it to passive mode, it appears in your space.

In active mode, your familiar takes up the space of a Tiny creature. The familiar is immune to your attacks in this mode, although you can ignore this benefit. An active familiar can take actions—within its capabilities—but you must spend the relevant action for it to act. A familiar doesn’t have its own set of actions.

Attributes: In addition to the characteristics given in its statistics block, these facts are also true about your familiar.

Attacks: It can’t attack, and it can’t flank.

Defenses: It uses your defenses.

Skills and Checks: It uses your modifiers for all skill checks and ability checks.

Hit Points and Dying: Your familiar has 1 hit point, but a missed attack never damages it. If your familiar drops to 0 hit points, it is destroyed. After your next short or extended rest, it reappears in passive mode in your space. If you die, your familiar dies with you. If you are restored to life, so is your familiar.

Communication: You and your familiar can speak to each other, but no one else understands what either of you is saying. The familiar can repeat what it hears in a language you know, but it can’t understand other languages.

Movement and Range: You can move your familiar as a move action. The familiar has its own speed and movement modes, and it can’t move more than 20 squares away from you. If it tries to do so, it appears back in your space in passive mode.

Objects: A familiar cannot pick up or manipulate objects, unless noted otherwise.

Published in Heroes of the Feywild, page(s) 131.

Failed Saving Throw

Sometimes an effect changes as a target fails saving throws against it. The new effect, specified in a “First Failed Saving Throw” or a “Second Failed Saving Throw” entry, takes effect after the target fails a saving throw against the previous effect at the end of the target’s turn. The effect doesn’t change if the creature fails a saving throw against it at a time other than the end of its turn.

Published in Dragon Magazine 373.

Falling

Some kinds of terrain present a unique danger: a precipitous drop. When a creature falls at least 10 feet, it is likely to take damage. Most often, a creature falls because of forced movement.

Falling Damage: A creature takes 1d10 damage for each 10 feet it falls, to a maximum of 50d10. The creature falls prone when it lands, unless it somehow takes no damage from the fall.

Fast Alternative: If a creature falls more than 50 feet, it takes 25 damage per 50 feet, plus 1d10 damage for each 10 extra feet.

Large, Huge, and Gargantuan Creatures: If only part of a creature’s space is over a pit or a precipice, the creature doesn’t fall. (Normally a creature ends up in such a position as a result of forced movement.) On the creature’s next turn, it must either move to an unoccupied space that is at least as large as it is or squeeze if it wants to remain on the edge of the drop.

Reducing Falling Damage: If a creature has training in Acrobatics, it can make a check to reduce the damage of a fall.

No Opportunity Actions Triggered: When a creature falls past an enemy, the creature does not trigger opportunity actions, such as opportunity attacks, from that enemy that are triggered by movement.

High-Altitude Falls: Some encounters take place very high above the ground. In such an encounter, it is possible for a creature to spend more than 1 round falling to the ground. As a rule of thumb, such a creature falls 500 feet during its first turn of falling. If it is still falling at the start of its turn, it can take actions on that turn as normal. If none of those actions expressly halts the fall, the creature falls 500 feet at the end of the turn. This sequence continues until the creature lands.

Flying Creatures: If a creature falls while it is flying (see below), it descends the full distance of the fall but is likely to take less damage than a creature that can’t fly. Multiply the creature’s fly speed by 5 and subtract that value from the distance of the fall, then figure out falling damage. If the difference is 0 or less, the creature lands without taking damage from the fall. For instance, if a red dragon falls when it is 40 feet in the air, subtract its fly speed of 8 (8 squares = 40 feet) from its altitude. The difference is 0, so the dragon lands safely and is not prone.

If a creature is flying when it starts a high-altitude fall, it has one chance to halt the fall by making a DC 30 Athletics check as an immediate reaction, with a bonus to the check equal to the creature’s fly speed. On a success, the creature falls 100 feet and then stops falling. On a failure, the creature falls as normal.

Published in Player's Handbook, page(s) 284, Rules Compendium, page(s) 209.

Far Realm Anomaly Mutation

d20 Result

1 The target bleeds internally, instantly taking damage equal to its bloodied value.

2 One of the target’s arms becomes useless. The target cannot use the arm.

3 One of the target’s legs becomes useless. The target is slowed.

4 The target’s eyes explode as stubby tentacles erupt from its eye sockets. The target is blinded.

5 The target’s mouth seals shut. The target cannot speak.

6 The target’s ears grow wings and fly away. The target is deafened.

7 The target’s legs fuse into a fish tail or a snake tail. The target takes a -3 penalty to speed.

8 The target’s tongue grows too long for its mouth.

9 The target grows an unsightly growth on its head. The target cannot wear hats or head slot magic items.

10 The target loses all its body hair.

11 The target grows profuse body hair.

12 A small, screaming vestigial twin protrudes from the target’s torso. The target cannot gain surprise unless the vestigial twin is silenced or killed. The twin has 1 hit point, defenses equal to the target’s, and no attacks. If the twin is killed, the target loses a healing surge and takes damage equal to its healing surge value.

13 The target grows a strange hump on its back.

14 The target’s arms become tentacles. The target can no longer wear gloves, gauntlets, or rings, and weapon attacks made by the target take a -2 penalty.

15 The target acquires an extra eye in an unusual place, gaining a +1 item bonus to Perception checks.

16 The target’s legs become freakish and muscular until the end of the encounter. While its legs are altered, the target gains a +1 item bonus to speed.

17 The target’s skin thickens until the end of the encounter. While its skin is thick, the target gains a +1 item bonus to AC and Fortitude.

18 The target gains 15 temporary hit points.

19 The target grows wings until the end of the encounter. While it has wings, the target gains a speed of fly 4 (clumsy).

20 The target vanishes into the Far Realm. It is removed from play and takes ongoing 10 acid and psychic damage (save ends both). When the effect ends, the target returns to play in an unoccupied space of the DM’s choice within 3 squares of the space where it vanished from.

Published in The Book of Vile Darkness, page(s) 2-36.

Fear

An effect type. A fear power inspires fright. This fright is often represented by a creature being forced to move, taking a penalty to attack rolls, or granting combat advantage.

Published in Player's Handbook 3, page(s) 217, Rules Compendium, page(s) 311, Monster Vault: Threats to the Nentir Vale, page(s) 123.

Flanking

One of the simplest ways for two allied creatures to gain combat advantage is for them to take up flanking positions adjacent to an enemy.

Combat Advantage: A creature has combat advantage against any enemy it flanks.

Opposite Sides: To flank an enemy, a creature and at least one of its allies must be adjacent to the enemy and on opposite sides or corners of the enemy’s space. When in doubt about whether two creatures flank an enemy, trace an imaginary line between the centers of the creatures’ spaces. If the line passes through opposite sides or corners of the enemy’s space, the enemy is flanked.

Large, Huge, and Gargantuan Creatures: A Large or larger creature is flanking as long as at least one square of its space qualifies for flanking.

Restrictions: A creature cannot flank an enemy that it can’t see. A creature also cannot flank while it is subject to any effect that prevents it from taking actions. If no line of effect exists between a creature and its enemy, the creature cannot flank the enemy.

Published in Player's Handbook, page(s) 285, Rules Compendium, page(s) 218.

Forced Movement

Certain powers and effects allow a creature to move a target forcibly, whether the target is willing or unwilling. (Other effects, such as traps or zones, can also force targets to move.) The three kinds of forced movement are pull, push, and slide. Teleporting a creature does not count as forced movement for the purpose of these rules.

Pull: Pulling a target means that each square of the forced movement must bring the target closer to the creature or effect that is pulling it.

Push: Pushing a target means that each square of the forced movement must move the target farther away from the creature or effect that is pushing it.

Slide: Sliding a target can move it in any direction. Sometimes a creature can swap places with a target. Doing so is a special kind of slide; the creature slides the target into its space and then shifts so that its space includes at least 1 square that the target just left.

The following rules govern all three kinds of forced movement. A particular instance of forced movement might contain exceptions to these rules.

Distance, Specific Destination, or Both: The power or other effect that produces forced movement specifies a distance in squares, a specified destination square, or both for the movement.

When a distance is specified, it is a maximum; the creature or effect producing the forced movement can move its target up to that number of squares (or none at all). For instance, a character’s power might say, “You slide the target 4 squares (or “up to 4 squares”); both mean the character can move the target up to 4 squares or not move it at all.

When a destination is specified, it is absolute; the creature or effect must either move the target to that destination or not move it at all. Often a destination is combined with a distance, which means the target can be moved to the destination only if it is no farther away than the specified distance. For instance, a character’s power might say, “You slide the target up to 5 squares to a square adjacent to you (or “5 squares to a square adjacent to you),” both of which mean the character can move the target up to 5 squares but only if the move ends in a square adjacent to that character.

Line of Effect: A creature must have line of effect to any square that it pulls, pushes, or slides a target into. Also, a target cannot be forced through blocking terrain.

Ignores Difficult Terrain: Forced movement isn’t hindered by difficult terrain.

Ignores Speed: A target’s speed is irrelevant to the distance it is forced to move, and the target expends none of its own actions for the movement.

Destination Space: The destination of the forced movement must be an unoccupied space that is at least the same size as the target. For instance, a Large creature cannot be pushed into a space that is only 1 square wide.

No Opportunity Actions Triggered: When a target is pulled, pushed, or slid, it does not trigger opportunity actions, such as opportunity attacks, that are triggered by movement.

Catching Oneself: If a target is forced over a precipice or into hindering terrain, such as lava or a pit, the target can immediately make a saving throw to avoid going over the edge or entering that terrain. If the creature saves, it falls prone in the last square it occupied before it would have fallen or entered the terrain. Otherwise, it falls over the edge or enters the terrain. Once the saving throw is resolved, the forced movement ends.

Two-Dimensional: Forced movement is normally two-dimensional; all the squares of the movement must be on the same horizontal plane. Forced movement can become three-dimensional when the target is flying, is moved through a substance such as water, or is on a non-horizontal surface, such as an incline, that supports it. This means an earthbound target cannot normally be pushed to a square in the air, but a hovering target can be. Similarly, a target can be pulled down a flight of stairs, and it can be slid in any direction underwater.

Immobilized or Restrained: Being immobilized doesn’t prevent a target from being pulled, pushed, or slid, but being restrained does. See “Conditions" for more.

Published in Player's Handbook, page(s) 285, Rules Compendium, page(s) 311.

Free Actions

Free actions take almost no time or effort. A creature can usually take as many free actions as it wants during any turn, including other creatures’ turns. Examples: Speaking a few sentences, dropping a held item, letting go of a grabbed creature.

There is an exception to this rule: A creature can take a free action to use an attack power only once per turn. Creatures don’t normally have attack powers that can be used as free actions, but some powers and other effects grant the ability to use an attack power (usually a basic attack) as a free action. For instance, a character might have two different abilities that let him or her make a melee basic attack as a free action when their respective triggers occur. If both abilities are triggered on the same turn, the character can make only one of the melee basic attacks during that turn. This limitation does not apply to free actions that a creature is forced to take by an enemy.

In certain circumstances, the DM might decide to limit the use of free actions further. For instance, if an adventurer has already used free actions during a particular turn to talk, drop things, and use a class feature, the DM might rule that the adventurer can use no more free actions during that turn.

Action

Description

Delay

Put off a turn until later in the initiative order

Drop held items

Drop any items currently held

End a grab

Let go of an enemy

Spend an action point

Spend an action point to take an extra action (once per encounter, not in a surprise round)

Talk

Speak a few sentences

Published in Player's Handbook, page(s) 267, Rules Compendium, page(s) 194.

Full Discipline

An effect type. A full discipline power contains what are effectively two mini-powers, an attack technique and a movement technique. Unless otherwise noted, using a full discipline power follows these rules.

One per Round: A creature can use only one full discipline power per round, unless it spends an action point. If the creature does spend an action point to take an extra action, the creature can switch to a different full discipline power.

Separate Actions: Each of the techniques in a full discipline power requires a separate action to use. The action types are specified in the power’s description. A creature can use the techniques in whatever order it likes during a round, and it can use one of the techniques and not the other during a particular round.

The number of times a creature can use a technique during a round is determined by the power’s type (at-will or encounter) and by the actions the creature has available in that round. For example, a creature can use the techniques of an at-will full discipline power as many times during a round as it likes, provided it has enough of the required actions. If a creature uses an encounter full discipline power, the creature can use both techniques, but can use each technique only once during that round.

Published in Player's Handbook 3, page(s) 217, Rules Compendium, page(s) 118, 311.

Gaze

A kind of attack. Blind or blinded creatures are immune to gaze attacks, and a creature cannot make a gaze attack while blinded.

Published in Dragon Magazine Annual.

Grab

By using the grab power, any creature can try to seize a target bodily and keep it from moving. Although class powers and monster powers are usually more effective than grab at locking a target down, the advantage of grab is that anyone can use it, regardless of class.

GRAB: STANDARD ACTION

Target: You can attempt to grab a creature that is smaller than you, the same size category as you, or

one category larger than you. The creature must be within your melee reach (don’t count extra reach

from a weapon).

Strength Attack: Make a Strength attack vs. Reflex. Do not add any weapon modifiers. You must have at least one hand free to make a grab attempt.

Hit: The enemy is immobilized until it escapes or you end the grab. Your enemy can attempt to escape on its turn.

Sustaining a Grab: You sustain a grab as a minor action. You can end a grab as a free action.

Effects that End a Grab: If you are affected by a condition that prevents you from taking opportunity actions (such as dazed, stunned, surprised, or unconscious), you immediately let go of a grabbed enemy. If you move away from the creature you’re grabbing, you let go and the grab ends. If a pull, a push, or a slide moves you or the creature you’re grabbing out of your reach, the grab ends.

Published in Player's Handbook, page(s) 290, Player's Handbook 3, page(s) 220, Rules Compendium, page(s) 243.

grabbed

The creature is immobilized.

Maintaining this condition on the creature occupies whatever appendage, object, or effect the grabber used to initiate the grab.

This condition ends immediately on the creature if the grabber is subjected to an effect that prevents it from taking actions, or if the creature ends up outside the range of the grabbing power or effect.

A grabbed creature can take the escape action to try to get away. Other common tactics for escaping a grab are to teleport away or to be pulled, pushed, or slid out of the grabber’s reach. Using forced movement on the grabber can also end a grab, as long as the movement results in the grabbed creature being out of the grabbing effect’s range.

While a creature is grabbed, the grabber can try to move it (see “Moving a Grabbed Target”.

Published in Monster Manual 2, page(s) 217, Rules Compendium, page(s) 231, Monster Vault: Threats to the Nentir Vale, page(s) 123.

Group Checks

The Dungeon Master sometimes asks the adventurers to make a check as a group. Doing this is called making a group check, which is useful when a number of individuals are trying to accomplish something as a group. In such a situation, the characters who are skilled at a particular task help cover those who aren’t.

To make a group check, everyone in the group makes a skill check or an ability check specified by the DM. A group check is almost always against an easy DC. If at least half the group succeeds, the whole group succeeds. Otherwise, the group fails.

Group checks might come up in a variety of situations: when the adventurers try to sneak past some sentries (using Stealth), try to scale a sheer cliff together (using Athletics), use disguises to pass as a group of orc soldiers (using Bluff ), and so on. Such checks are particularly common in skill challenges, discussed later in this chapter.

Published in Rules Compendium, page(s) 128.

half damage

Some powers deal half damage when they miss, and some effects, such as the weakened condition, cause damage to be halved. When a power or other effect deals half damage, first apply all modifiers to the damage, including resistances and vulnerabilities, and then divide the damage in half (rounded down).

Example: Albanon the wizard is weakened and uses ice storm, which deals 16 cold damage to a fire giant that has vulnerable 5 cold. First add 5 to the 16 cold damage for the vulnerability, giving a result of 21. Then divide that result in half for the weakened condition. The giant ends up taking 10 cold damage.

Insubstantial

Some creatures, such as wraiths, are naturally insubstantial, and some powers can make a creature insubstantial. While a creature is insubstantial, it takes half damage from any attack that deals damage to it. Ongoing damage is also halved.

Published in Monster Manual 2, page(s) 217, Player's Handbook 3, page(s) 220, Rules Compendium, page(s) 226,Monster Vault: Threats to the Nentir Vale, page(s) 123.

Healing

Powers that restore hit points.

Published in Player's Handbook 3, page(s) 217.

Healing in combat

Even in a heated battle, adventurers can heal. They heal themselves by using second wind, and allies can administer first aid with the Heal skill or use healing powers on them.

When a power heals your character, he or she doesn’t have to take an action to spend a healing surge. Even if he or she is unconscious, the power uses a healing surge and restores hit points. Some healing powers restore hit points without requiring your character to spend a healing surge.

Published in Player's Handbook, page(s) 293, Rules Compendium, page(s) 257.

Healing Surges

Most healing requires a character to spend a healing surge. When a character spends a healing surge, he or she regains lost hit points and adds them to his or her current hit point total.

Once per encounter, a character can use the second wind action to spend a healing surge and regain hit points.

A character can spend a limited number of healing surges per day. When the character takes an extended rest, his or her number of healing surges is replenished.

After a short rest, the character can spend as many healing surges as desired outside combat.

Some powers allow a character to regain hit points as if he or she had spent a healing surge. When a character receives such healing, he or she doesn’t actually spend a healing surge.

Number of Healing Surges: An adventurer’s class and Constitution modifier determine how many healing surges he or she can use in a day.

Healing Surge Value: When an adventurer spends a healing surge, he or she regains hit points equal to his or her healing surge value, normally one-quarter of his or her maximum hit points (rounded down).

Monsters and Other Characters: As a general rule, monsters and DM-controlled characters have a number of healing surges based on their tier: one at the heroic tier (1st–10th levels), two at the paragon tier (11th–20th levels), and three at the epic tier (21st–30th levels). However, these individuals rarely have powers that allow them to use these healing surges.

Published in Player's Handbook, page(s) 293, Rules Compendium, page(s) 258.

Healing the Dying

When an adventurer is dying, any healing restores him or her to at least 1 hit point. If someone has stabilized the character using the Heal skill but he or she receives no healing, he or she regains hit points after an extended rest.

Regain Hit Points: When an adventurer is dying and receives healing, he or she is considered to have 0 hit points, and then regains hit points from the healing effect. If the healing effect requires the adventurer to spend a healing surge but he or she has none left, the healing still helps a bit: The adventurer’s hit point total is restored to 1.

Become Conscious: As soon as an adventurer has a current hit point total higher than 0, he or she becomes conscious and is no longer dying. (The adventurer is still prone until he or she takes an action to stand up.)

Example: Fargrim is at -12 hit points, unconscious and dying. His companion, Valenae the cleric, uses healing word to help him. This assistance immediately raises Fargrim’s current hit points to 0 and allows him to spend a healing surge, boosted by 2d6 extra hit points from Valenae’s healing word. Valenae gets a 6 on the dice roll, so Fargrim regains a total of 21 hit points (15 from the healing surge plus 6 from healing word). He is restored to consciousness with a current hit point total of 21.

Published in Player's Handbook, page(s) 295, Rules Compendium, page(s) 261.

Heavily Obscured

A measure of visibility. A creature has total concealment when it is in a heavily obscured square, although it has only partial concealment against an enemy adjacent to it. Examples: Heavy fog, smoke, or foliage. Contrast with lightly obscured and totally obscured.

Published in Player's Handbook, page(s) 281, Player's Handbook 3, page(s) 220, Rules Compendium, page(s) 312, Monster Vault: Threats to the Nentir Vale, page(s) 123.

Helpless

While a creature is helpless, it grants combat advantage and can be the target of a coup de grace.

Published in Player's Handbook, page(s) 277, Player's Handbook 3, page(s) 220, Rules Compendium, page(s) 231, Monster Vault: Threats to the Nentir Vale, page(s) 123.

hidden

When a creature is hidden from an enemy, the creature is silent and invisible to that enemy. A creature normally uses the Stealth skill to become hidden. See also invisible.

Published in Monster Manual 2, page(s) 217, Player's Handbook 3, page(s) 221, Rules Compendium, page(s) 312,Monster Vault: Threats to the Nentir Vale, page(s) 123.

hindering terrain

Pits, electrifying runes, lava, extremely deep water, and other harmful environmental phenomena are hindering terrain, which punishes creatures that are in it or try to enter it.

Saving Throw: A creature can make a saving throw to avoid being forced into hindering terrain, whether it is pulled, pushed, slid, teleported, or otherwise moved against its will. See “Forced Movement” and “Teleportation".

Damage: Hindering terrain almost always has the potential to harm creatures that enter it, either by causing them to fall or by dealing damage to them directly. (Some hindering terrain might impose a penalty or a harmful condition without dealing damage.)

Published in Rules Compendium, page(s) 312, Monster Vault: Threats to the Nentir Vale, page(s) 123.

Hit

If the attack roll is higher than or equal to the defense score, the attack hits and deals damage, has a special effect, or both.

Automatic Hit: If you roll a natural 20 (the die shows a 20), your attack automatically hits.

Critical Hit: If you roll a natural 20 (the die shows a 20), your attack might be a critical hit. A critical hit deals maximum damage, and some powers and magic items have an extra effect on a critical hit.

Published in Player's Handbook, page(s) 276.

Hit Points

Over the course of a battle, adventurers and monsters take damage from attacks. Hit points measure the ability of a creature to stand up to punishment, turn deadly strikes into glancing blows, and stay on its feet throughout a battle. Hit points represent more than physical endurance. They also represent skill, luck, and resolve—all the factors that combine to help a creature stay alive in combat.

An adventurer’s maximum hit points are determined during character creation and change as the character advances in level. A monster’s hit points depend on its level and role and are noted in its stat block, along with its bloodied value.

Whenever a creature takes damage, subtract that number from its current hit points. As long as that current hit point total is higher than 0, the creature can keep on fighting. A monster normally dies at 0 hit points; an adventurer whose current hit point total drops to 0 or lower is dying.

Powers, abilities, and actions that restore hit points are forms of healing. Characters (and some monsters) might regain hit points through rest, heroic resolve, or magic. When a creature heals, add the number of hit points regained to its current hit points. A creature can heal up to its maximum hit point total but can’t exceed it.

Hit Points

Damage reduces hit points.

Maximum Hit Points: A character’s class, level, and Constitution score determine his or her maximum hit points. A monster’s maximum hit points are noted in its stat block. A creature’s current hit points can’t exceed this number.

Bloodied Value: The bloodied value of a typical creature equals one-half its maximum hit points. A creature is bloodied when its current hit points drop to its bloodied value or lower. Certain powers and effects work only against a bloodied target or work better against such a target. An object is never considered to be bloodied.

When an unbloodied creature is killed outright, the creature does not become bloodied in the process. It is just dead. This rule means a minion, which has only 1 hit point, is bloodied only if an attacker reduces the minion to 0 hit points but knocks it unconscious (see “Knocking Creatures Unconscious") instead of killing it.

Dying: When a character’s current hit points drop to 0 or lower, the character is dying.

Published in Player's Handbook, page(s) 293, Rules Compendium, page(s) 256.

Hover

If a creature can hover, it can remain in the air if it is stunned. See also fly speed.

Published in Monster Manual 2, page(s) 217, Player's Handbook 3, page(s) 221, Divine Power, page(s) 159,Rules Compendium, page(s) 312, Monster Vault: Threats to the Nentir Vale, page(s) 123.

Illusion

Powers that deceive the senses or the mind.

Published in Player's Handbook 3, page(s) 217.

Immediate Action

There are two kinds of immediate actions: interrupts and reactions. The following rules govern both kinds of immediate action.

Trigger: Each immediate action—usually a power—defines its trigger. The one type of immediate action that every creature can take is a readied action (see “Ready an Action”.

Someone Else’s Turn: A creature cannot take an immediate action on its own turn. The action interrupts some event on another creature’s turn or responds to that event.

Once per Round: A creature can take only one immediate action per round, either an immediate interrupt or an immediate reaction. Therefore, if a creature takes an immediate action, it can’t take another one until the start of its next turn.

Interrupts: An immediate interrupt jumps in when its trigger occurs, taking place before the trigger finishes. If an interrupt invalidates a triggering action, the triggering action is lost.

Example: An enemy makes a melee attack against Keira the rogue, but Keira uses a power that lets her shift away as an immediate interrupt. If the enemy can no longer reach her, its attack action is lost. Similarly, Albanon the wizard might use shield in response to being hit and turn that hit into a miss, or Keira might use the immediate interrupt heroic escape to evade an enemy’s attack before it can deal damage.

Reactions: An immediate reaction lets a creature act in response to a trigger. The triggering action or event occurs and is completely resolved before the reaction takes place.

An immediate reaction waits for its trigger to finish, not necessarily for the action that contains the trigger to finish.

Example: An elder dragon’s claw attack power is a standard action that allows two attack rolls against the same target. The dragon faces Fargrim the fighter, who has an immediate reaction (veteran gambit) that is triggered by being hit with a melee attack. If the dragon uses claw and hits Fargrim with the first attack roll, he can use veteran gambit in response to that hit. In that case, the immediate reaction waits for that hit to be resolved, but does not wait for the entire power to be resolved.

Likewise, an immediate reaction can interrupt movement. Here’s how: If a creature triggers an immediate reaction while moving (by coming into range, for instance), the reaction can take place before the creature finishes moving, but after it has moved at least 1 square. In other words, an immediate reaction can be in response to a square of movement, rather than to an entire move action.

If an effect has a trigger but is neither an immediate action nor an opportunity action, assume that it behaves like an immediate reaction, waiting for its trigger to completely resolve. However, ignore this guideline when the effect has to interrupt its trigger to function. For instance, if a triggered power allows an adventurer to use a free action to reroll an attack roll, with the hope of turning a miss into a hit, the power must interrupt the trigger (“You miss with an attack”) to function; otherwise the attack would be resolved as a miss.

Published in Player's Handbook, page(s) 268, Rules Compendium, page(s) 195.

Immobilized

The creature can’t move, unless it teleports or is pulled, pushed, or slid.

An immobilized creature can’t reposition itself on the battle grid, but it’s not paralyzed. It can still stand up when it’s prone, pull an item from a backpack, or attack normally. It might have taken a serious, but temporary, injury to the legs, or it could be stuck to the ground by a huge cobweb.

A creature wrapped up in animated vines might be restrained instead (see below); that condition imposes more restrictions on the creature’s ability to attack and defend itself. A creature that is actually paralyzed, such as by the bite of a ghoul, might be stunned rather than immobilized or restrained.

Published in Player's Handbook, page(s) 277, Player's Handbook 3, page(s) 221, Rules Compendium, page(s) 232, Monster Vault: Threats to the Nentir Vale, page(s) 123.

Immune

A creature that is immune to a damage type (such as cold or fire), a condition (such as dazed or petrified), or another specific effect (such as disease or forced movement) is not affected by it. A creature that is immune to charm, fear, illusion, poison, or sleep is not affected by the nondamaging effects of a power that has that keyword. A creature that is immune to gaze is not affected by powers that have that keyword.

Published in Rules Compendium, page(s) 225.

Immunity

Some creatures are immune to certain effects. If a creature is immune to a damage type (such as cold or fire), it doesn’t take that type of damage. If a creature is immune to charm, fear, illusion, or poison, it is unaffected by the non-damaging effects of a power that has that keyword. A creature that is immune to a condition or another effect (such as the dazed condition or forced movement) is unaffected by the stated effect.

Immunity to one part of a power does not make a creature immune to other parts of the power. For example, when a creature that is immune to thunder is hit by a power that both deals thunder damage and pushes the target, the creature takes no damage, but the power can still push it.

Published in Rules Compendium, page(s) 225.

Initiative

Before the first round of combat, each combatant rolls initiative. Rolling initiative follows the normal rules for making a check:

1. Roll a d20.

2. For an adventurer, add his or her initiative modifier, which is typically just his or her Dexterity modifier. For a monster, add the initiative modifier noted in its statistics block.

3. Add any bonuses or penalties that apply.

The result of the check determines the creature’s initiative for the encounter.

Initiative Order: Throughout a battle, creatures act in order, from highest initiative to lowest. The order in which creatures take their turns is called the initiative order. The initiative order remains the same from round to round, although a creature’s position in the order can change after delaying or readying an action.

Ties: When two creatures have the same initiative, the one with the higher initiative modifier goes before the other. If their modifiers are the same, their players can roll a die or flip a coin to break the tie.

Rolling for Different Combatants: Each player rolls initiative for his or her adventurer, and the DM rolls once for each distinct kind of monster or enemy character in the encounter.

Example: In an encounter with one orc storm shaman, two orc reavers, two orc rampagers, and four orc savages, the DM makes one initiative roll for each of the four kinds of orcs. As the combat progresses, all the orc savages act at once, both the orc reavers go together, and so on. The DM can choose to roll for each individual monster, but that could slow down play.

Published in Rules Compendium, page(s) 192.

Insubstantial

When a creature is insubstantial, it takes half damage from any damage source, including ongoing damage. See also half damage.

Published in Monster Manual 2, page(s) 218, Monster Manual, page(s) 282, Player's Handbook 3, page(s) 220,Rules Compendium, page(s) 312, Monster Vault: Threats to the Nentir Vale, page(s) 124.

Invigorating

If a creature has training in Endurance, it gains temporary hit points equal to its Constitution modifier when it hits with a power that has the invigorating keyword. No invigorating power grants temporary hit points more than once during a turn, even if the user hits more than once with that power.

Published in Player's Handbook 2, page(s) 220, Martial Power, page(s) 7, Rules Compendium, page(s) 313.

Invisible

If a creature is invisible, it has several advantages against creatures that can’t see it: It has total concealment against them, it doesn’t provoke opportunity attacks from them, and they grant combat advantage to it.

Published in Player's Handbook, page(s) 281, Player's Handbook 3, page(s) 221, Rules Compendium, page(s) 313, Monster Vault: Threats to the Nentir Vale, page(s) 124.

Knocking Creatures Unconscious

When an adventurer reduces a monster or a DM-controlled character to 0 hit points, he or she can choose to knock the creature unconscious rather than kill it. Until it regains hit points, the creature is unconscious but not dying. Any healing makes the creature conscious.

If the creature doesn’t receive any healing, after a short rest it is restored to 1 hit point and becomes conscious.

Published in Player's Handbook, page(s) 295, Rules Compendium, page(s) 261.

knowledge check

A skill check used to remember a useful bit of information in a particular field of knowledge. Arcana, Dungeoneering, History, Nature, and Religion are the skills most commonly used to make knowledge checks.

Refer to these rules whenever a creature is making a knowledge check, regardless of the skill it is using.

Action: No action. A creature either knows or doesn’t know the information.

DC: See the Knowledge Checks table. The check DC increases based on the topic and how common the knowledge is. A Dungeon Master might decide that certain information is available only to creatures that have training in the appropriate knowledge skill.

Success: The creature recalls a relevant piece of lore in the field of knowledge or recognizes a clue related to it.

Failure: The creature doesn’t recall any pertinent information. The Dungeon Master might allow a new check if further information comes to light.

Information

DC

General

Easy

Specialized

Moderate

Esoteric

Hard

Published in Rules Compendium, page(s) 313, 129.

Legitimate Targets

When a power has an effect that occurs upon hitting, missing, or otherwise affecting a target, the effect takes place only if the target in question is a meaningful threat. For instance, characters can gain no benefit from carrying a sack of rats in the hope of healing their allies by hitting the rats.

When a power’s effect involves a character’s allies, use common sense when determining how many allies can be affected. Dungeons & Dragons is a game about adventuring parties fighting groups of monsters, not the clash of armies. When read strictly, a cleric’s power might be able to give a hundred “allies” a free basic attack, but that doesn’t mean that cleric characters should assemble armies to march before them into a dungeon. In general, a power’s effect should be limited to a small group of about eight people—the size of an adventuring group plus a couple of friendly nonplayer characters—not hired soldiers or lantern-bearers.

Published in Rules Compendium, page(s) 108.

Limited Action

If you get to act in the surprise round, you can take a standard action, a move action, or a minor action. You can also take free actions, but you can’t spend action points. After every nonsurprised combatant has acted, the surprise round ends, and you can act normally in subsequent rounds.

Published in Player's Handbook, page(s) 267.

line of effect

A clear line from one point to another point in an encounter that doesn’t pass through or touch blocking terrain. Unless noted otherwise, there must be line of effect between the origin square of an effect and its intended target for that target to be affected.

Published in Rules Compendium, page(s) 313.

line of sight

A clear line from one point to another point in an encounter that doesn’t pass through or touch an object or an effect—such as a stone wall, a thick curtain, or a cloud of fog—that blocks the vision of the viewer.

Published in Rules Compendium, page(s) 313.

Magic Item Level and Rarity

Two aspects of a magic item control when it is likely to become available to adventurers: its level and its rarity.

Level

A magic item’s level is a general measure of its power and corresponds to the average level of characters using that item. An item’s level doesn’t limit who can acquire or use the item, though it’s unusual for an adventurer to find magic items more than a few levels above his or her own level.

If an adventurer finds some means of creating a magic item, such as a magical ritual, the adventurer cannot create a magic item above his or her level, unless otherwise noted.

Rarity

A magic item’s rarity indicates how easy it is to obtain in the Dungeons & Dragons world.

Common magic items are the sort that the most advanced dwarf smiths and elf weavers create in their workshops. These items are generally simple, often having only a single special property: a bonus to certain skill checks or attacks, enhanced effects on a critical hit, and so on.

Adventurers can purchase these common magic items just as they can buy mundane equipment, though few shops or bazaars routinely sell them. Some fantastic locales, such as the legendary City of Brass in the heart of the Elemental Chaos, have such markets, but those are the exception rather than the rule. Adventurers must usually seek out the artisans who create common magic items, though they are not too difficult to find. In most situations—particularly with a little free time to spend—adventurers can buy any common magic item they can afford without the shopping trip becoming an adventure in its own right.

Uncommon and rare magic items are not normally created in the current age of the world. These items were crafted in the distant past, some even during the Dawn War, and the techniques for their creation have been lost to the ravages of time. Now they are found only as part of treasure hoards in ancient ruins and dangerous dungeons. Uncommon items are more complicated and potent than common items, though they usually carry a single property, a single power, or one of each. Rare items are even more complex and wondrous, frequently having multiple properties or powers. Such a marvelous possession can help define a character’s identity.

Published in Rules Compendium, page(s) 276.

Manipulating Objects

Creatures can pick up or drop items, draw or sheathe weapons, strap shields to their arms or sling them on their backs, open and close doors or chests, or in any other way manipulate the objects that make up their gear or constitute their environment. Most such tasks require only minor actions to perform, because they’re simple and quick, but a few are more complicated or time-consuming.

Depending on the object being manipulated, the Dungeon Master might require the acting creature to make a skill check or an ability check to successfully perform the desired task. In such cases, the action usually requires more time as well. For example, opening a door that’s locked or stuck shut probably requires a standard action and either a Thievery check or a Strength check to open, rather than a simple minor action.

The actions listed on the table at the start of this section are examples. The Dungeon Master can extrapolate from those examples to determine what action is required for similar tasks.

Administer a Potion

Action: Standard action. The creature must be adjacent to whoever is administering the potion and must be either helpless or willing.

Requires Potion in Hand: The creature must have the potion in hand before administering it.

Drink a Potion

Action: Minor action.

Requires Potion in Hand: The creature must have the potion in hand before drinking it.

Draw or Sheathe a Weapon

Action: Minor action.

Requires Free Hand to Draw: The creature must have a hand free to draw a weapon.

Ready for Use: A creature can take a sheathed or otherwise slung weapon and make it ready for use by taking this action.

Sheathed: A sheathed weapon is in a sheath at the creature’s belt or on its back, or otherwise slung out of the way so that the creature’s hands are free to hold or manipulate other objects.

Drop a Held Item

Action: Free action.

In the Creature’s Space: A creature can use this action to drop an item it is holding. The item lands in the creature’s space. If the creature’s space is larger than 1 square, the creature can choose what square the item lands in.

Equip or Stow a Shield

Action: Standard action.

Requires Free Hand to Equip: The creature must have its shield hand free to equip a shield. If the shield is a light shield, the creature can later pick up and hold another item in that hand while still using the shield, but a heavy shield requires the use of the shield hand.

Ready for Use: A creature can take a stowed shield and make it ready for use by taking this action. Once the shield is ready for use, it grants its shield bonus to AC and Reflex (if the creature has proficiency with the shield).

Stowed: A stowed shield is attached to a backpack or slung out of the way so that the creature’s hands are free to hold or manipulate other objects.

Load a Crossbow

Action: Minor action.

Includes Drawing Ammunition: The minor action includes drawing a bolt from a quiver or an open case that’s readily accessible.

Open or Close

Action: Minor action.

Simple Manipulation: A creature can use this action to open or close a door; to open or close a chest, box, drawer, or other container; to pull a lever; to open or close a book; or to perform a similar action. An object that’s stuck, locked, very heavy, or otherwise difficult to manipulate probably requires a check and a standard action to open.

Pick Up an Item

Action: Minor action.

Within Reach: A creature can use this action to pick up an item that’s within its reach or in its own space.

Unattended: A creature can’t use this action to pick up an item in an enemy’s space, unless the enemy is helpless. Similarly, the creature can’t use this action to pick up an item that another creature is holding or an item on another creature’s person, unless that other creature is willing or helpless.

Retrieve or Stow an Item

Action: Minor action.

Easily Accessible: A creature can use this action to retrieve an item from someplace on its own person, most commonly in a belt pouch or a backpack, or to stow an item in such a location.

Published in Rules Compendium, page(s) 244.

Marked

The creature takes a -2 penalty to attack rolls for any attack that doesn’t include the marking creature as a target.

A creature can be subjected to only one mark at a time, and a new mark supersedes an old one.

A mark ends immediately when its creator dies or falls unconscious.

This condition reflects the ability of some creatures to claim the attention of a chosen target in battle. When a target is marked, it has a hard time ignoring the creature that marked it. Most marking effects have very short durations, or else they require the marking creature to remain a threat to the marked target.

Published in Player's Handbook, page(s) 277, Monster Manual 2, page(s) 218, Player's Handbook 3, page(s) 222,Rules Compendium, page(s) 232, Monster Vault: Threats to the Nentir Vale, page(s) 124.

Melee Attack

Targeted: Melee attacks target individuals. A melee attack against multiple enemies consists of separate attacks, each with its own attack roll and damage roll. Melee attacks don’t create areas of effect.

Range: A melee attack’s range usually equals your melee reach. (Sometimes a power specifies that it affects only adjacent targets, though, so even if you’re using a reach weapon, you can’t attack more distant targets with that power.)

Reach: Most characters have a reach of 1 square. Certain powers, feats, and weapons can increase your reach.

Published in Player's Handbook, page(s) 270.

Minor Action

As the name implies, minor actions are simple and quick.

Action

Description

Draw or sheathe a weapon

Use or put away a weapon

Drink a potion

Consume a potion

Drop prone

Drop down to lie on the ground

Load a crossbow

Load a bolt into a crossbow to fire it

Open or close a door

Open or close a door or container that isn't locked or stuck

Pick up an item

Pick up an object in one's space or in an unoccupied square within reach

Retrieve or stow item

Retrieve or stow an item on self

Published in Player's Handbook, page(s) 267, Rules Compendium, page(s) 194.

Miss

If your attack roll is lower than the defense score, the attack misses. Usually, there’s no effect. Some powers have an effect on a miss, such as dealing half damage.

Automatic Miss: If you roll a natural 1 (the die shows a 1), your attack automatically misses.

Published in Player's Handbook, page(s) 276.

Monsters and Death

Monsters and characters controlled by the Dungeon Master usually die when their hit points drop to 0, unless an adventurer chooses to knock them unconscious. Adventurers generally don’t need to stalk around the battlefield after a fight, making sure all their foes are dead.

Published in Rules Compendium, page(s) 261.

Monster Knowledge Checks

Refer to these rules whenever a character makes a check to identify a monster, regardless of the knowledge skill he or she is using. The DM typically tells a player which skill to use, based on the creature’s origin or relevant keyword. If a monster’s origin and keyword suggest the use of two different skills, the DM decides which skill can be used to identify the monster, and might allow the use of either skill. For example, a dracolich is both a natural creature and undead, but the DM might decide that its being undead is more relevant than its natural origin and require the use of Religion. In contrast, an abyssal ghoul is an elemental undead creature, and the DM might allow the use of either Arcana or Religion.

Action: No action. A character either knows or doesn’t know the information.

DC: The DM sets the DC using the Difficulty Class by Level table, selecting the moderate DC for the monster’s level instead of the level of the character making the check.

Success: The character identifies the monster and knows its origin, type, typical temperament, and keywords. If the character meets or exceeds the hard DC for the monster’s level, he or she also knows the monster’s resistances and vulnerabilities, as well as what its powers do.

Failure: The character doesn’t recall any pertinent information about the monster. The Dungeon Master might allow a new check if further information comes to light.

Monster Origin or Keyword

Skill

Aberrant

Dungeoneering

Construct

Arcana

Elemental

Arcana

Fey

Arcana

Immortal

Religion

Natural

Nature

Shadow

Arcana

Undead

Religion

Published in Rules Compendium, page(s) 130.

mount

A creature that has the mount keyword has at least one mount trait or mount power.

Published in Rules Compendium, page(s) 313.

Mounted Combat

Mount Requirements

To be a mount, a creature must meet two requirements.

• Size: The creature’s size category must be larger than its rider’s. For instance, a mount for a Medium creature must be Large or larger.

• Willing: The creature must be a willing mount. The mount is considered an ally to its rider and the rider’s allies.

Mounting and Dismounting

The most common ways for a rider to get on or off a mount are using the mount and dismount actions. Uncommon ways include teleportation and jumping.

Mount (Move Action): The rider mounts a creature adjacent to it and enters its space.

Dismount (Move Action): The rider dismounts, moving from the mount’s space to a square adjacent to it.

Rules for the Mount and Rider

A mount and rider follow these rules while the rider is mounted.

Space: The rider and mount both occupy the mount’s space and are considered adjacent to each other. However, the origin square of any of the rider’s powers and other effects does not change to the mount’s size. Whenever the rider uses an effect that has an origin square (such as a melee, a ranged, a close, or an area power), the rider first picks where that square is located in the mount’s space, and the effect uses that origin square (the rider still shares the mount’s space for the purpose of triggering effects, such as opportunity attacks). For instance, if a Medium rider uses a close burst attack power, the rider chooses a single square within the mount’s space, and the burst emanates from that square. This rule means that if the burst targets each creature within it, rather than each enemy, it can hit the mount.

Initiative: The mount and rider act on the rider’s initiative count, even if the mount had a different initiative before the rider mounted it. The two continue to act on the same initiative count after the rider dismounts. A monster and its mount have separate turns, whereas an adventurer and his or her mount have a single turn.

Actions (Adventurers Only): An adventurer and his or her mount have a shared set of actions: a standard action, a move action, and a minor action. However, they each have their own free actions. The player chooses how the two creatures divide up the set of actions on the adventurer’s turn. Most commonly, the mount takes a move action to walk or shift, and the adventurer takes a standard action to attack. The adventurer and the mount also share a single immediate action each round and a single opportunity action each turn. If one of the creatures can’t take actions, the shared set of actions is still available to the other creature. If either creature is dazed, that creature can take only one of the shared actions.

If the adventurer dismounts, the two still share one set of actions on that turn, but have separate sets of actions on subsequent turns.

Mount Attacks: The mount takes a -2 penalty to attack rolls. While not being ridden, a typical mount (such as a riding horse) rarely attacks on its own, unless it has been trained for battle, is defending itself, or feels unusually protective of its rider. Left to its own devices, a typical mount avoids combat.

Charging: When the rider charges, the rider and mount move up to the mount’s speed and then the rider makes the charge attack. When the mount charges, it follows the normal rules for a charge.

Squeezing: When the mount squeezes, the rider is also considered to be squeezing.

Targeting the Mount and Rider: Even though the mount and rider occupy the same space, they are still separate creatures and are targeted separately. For instance, an attack that targets only one creature can target either the mount or the rider, not both. In contrast, area and burst attacks can affect both mount and rider, since the two are in the same space.

Provoking Opportunity Attacks: If the mount’s movement provokes an opportunity attack, the attacker chooses to target either the mount or the rider, since the two of them move together. However, if the mount or the rider provokes an opportunity attack by using a ranged or an area power, the attacker must target whichever one of them provoked the opportunity attack.

Forced Movement: If the mount is pulled, pushed, or slid, the rider moves with it. If the rider is pulled, pushed, or slid and the mount isn’t, the rider can have the two of them move together. Otherwise, the rider is dismounted and falls prone in the destination space of the forced movement.

Teleportation: If either the mount or the rider is teleported, the other does not teleport with it. If the mount is teleported without the rider, the rider is dismounted and falls prone.

Falling Prone: If the mount falls prone, the rider is dismounted and falls prone in an unoccupied space of the rider’s choice adjacent to the now-prone mount. However, if the mount is flying when it is knocked prone, it instead falls. The rider isn’t dismounted unless the mount lands and falls prone itself. A rider who is knocked prone can immediately make a saving throw. On a roll of 9 or lower, the rider is dismounted and falls prone in an unoccupied space of the rider’s choice adjacent to the mount. On a roll of 10 or higher, the rider is neither dismounted nor knocked prone. A rider who voluntarily drops prone falls prone in an unoccupied space of the rider’s choice adjacent to the mount.

Published in Dungeon Master's Guide, Rules Compendium, page(s) 252.

Move a grabbed target

A creature can try to move a target it is grabbing, whether or not it used the grab power to grab the target.

Move a Grabbed Target

Action: Standard action.

Strength Check: The creature makes a Strength check opposed by the Fortitude of a target it is grabbing. The check automatically succeeds if the target is a helpless ally of the creature.

Success: The creature can move up to half its speed and pull the target with it. The creature’s movement doesn’t provoke an opportunity attack from the grabbed target, but the movement otherwise provokes opportunity attacks as normal.

Published in Player's Handbook, page(s) 290, Rules Compendium, page(s) 244.

Move Action

Move actions involve movement from one place to another.

Action Description

Crawl While prone, move up to half speed

Escape Escape a grab and shift 1 square

Run Move up to speed + 2; grant combat advantage until next turn and take a -5 penalty to attack rolls

Stand up Stand up from prone

Shift Move 1 square without provoking opportunity attacks

Squeeze Reduce size by one category, move up to half speed, and grant combat advantage

Walk Move up to walking speed

Published in Player's Handbook, page(s) 267, Rules Compendium, page(s) 194.

Movement in Three Dimensions

Aquatic and aerial encounters force players to think in three dimensions, as well as creating the awkward situation of trying to stack several figures in one square. Here are some ideas for dealing with these situations.

To begin with, define an arbitrary elevation as “ground” level, preferably the one where most of the encounter takes place. Creatures are all positioned above or below the action relative to that altitude.

Placing a small d6 or d4 next to a miniature or token is a good way to measure its distance above or below ground level. The number on the die shows how many squares the creature is above or below that level. Use dice of one color to mark creatures below ground level and another color for those above.

When a monster is directly above or below an adventurer, its miniature or token can share the same square on the battle grid. Although crowded, two miniatures can usually fit well enough in one square. To avoid knocking figures over or accidentally pushing them into the wrong squares, instead set the miniatures or tokens aside and use smaller proxies, such as the dice that measure elevation, in their place.

Determining the distance between creatures above or below one another is straightforward: First, count squares between the two creatures as if they were at the same elevation, then count the difference between their elevations. Use the higher of these two numbers.

Published in Rules Compendium, page(s) 206.

Obstacles

Like difficult terrain, obstacles can hamper movement.

Obstacles Filling Squares: An obstacle such as a large tree, a pillar, or a floor-to-ceiling wall blocks a square entirely by completely filling it. You can’t enter a square that is filled by an obstacle.

Corners:When an obstacle fills a square, you can’t move diagonally across the corner of that square.

Obstacles Between Squares: Some obstacles run along the edges of squares instead of through squares. An obstacle such as a low wall between two squares makes moving from one square to the other just like entering a square of difficult terrain, even if the squares on each side of the wall are not difficult.

Published in Player's Handbook, page(s) 284, Player's Handbook 3, page(s) 220.

Occupied Square

A creature occupies all the squares of its space. The rules for moving through occupied squares depend on whether the squares belong to an ally or an enemy.

Ally: A creature can enter an ally’s space, but it can end its move in an ally’s space only if the ally is prone.

Enemy: A creature can’t enter an enemy’s space unless that enemy is helpless or two size categories larger or smaller than it. A creature can end its move in an enemy’s space only if the enemy is helpless.

Tiny Creatures: A Tiny creature can enter a larger creature’s space and end its move there, regardless of whether the larger creature is an ally or enemy.

Prone Creatures: A prone creature that ends up in the same square as another creature has two main options for moving itself out of that square: crawl or stand up.

Published in Player's Handbook, page(s) 283, Rules Compendium, page(s) 314.

Once Per Round

Some effects are usable only once per round. For example, if a creature uses an effect (such as a class feature) that is usable only once per turn, it can’t use that effect again until the start of the creature’s next turn.

Published in Player's Handbook, page(s) 269, Player's Handbook 3, page(s) 222, Rules Compendium, page(s) 314, Monster Vault: Threats to the Nentir Vale, page(s) 124.

once per turn

Some effects can occur only once per turn. If a creature can use an effect (such as a class feature) only once per turn, that effect can be used no more than once during each turn in a round—not only during that creature’s turn.

Published in Rules Compendium, page(s) 314.

Ongoing Damage

Some powers deal damage on consecutive turns after the initial attack. Such damage is called ongoing damage. An efreet might hit a creature with a burst of fire that sets it alight, dealing ongoing fire damage. When a snake’s venom courses through a creature’s blood, it deals ongoing poison damage. A royal mummy’s plague chant deals ongoing necrotic damage.

Start of a Creature’s Turn: When a creature is subjected to ongoing damage, it does not take the damage right away. Instead, the creature takes the specified damage at the start of each of its turns until the ongoing damage ends. For instance, a creature that is subjected to ongoing 5 fire damage takes 5 fire damage at the start of each of its turns.

Save Ends: Unless otherwise noted, an instance of ongoing damage lasts on a creature until the creature makes a successful saving throw against it. See “Saving Throws".

Different Types of Ongoing Damage: If a creature is subjected to ongoing damage of different types (including no type) at the same time, it takes damage of each of those types every round, and it must make a separate saving throw against each damage type.

Example: If a creature is taking ongoing 5 damage (which has no type) when a power causes it to take ongoing 5 lightning damage, it is now taking ongoing 5 damage and ongoing 5 lightning damage, and it must make saving throws against each effect.

Same Type of Ongoing Damage: If a creature is subject to multiple instances of ongoing damage of the same type at the same time (including no type), only the highest number applies.

Example: If a creature is taking ongoing 5 damage (which has no type) when a power causes it to take ongoing 10 damage, the creature is now taking ongoing 10 damage, not 15.

Published in Player's Handbook, page(s) 278, Monster Manual, page(s) 282, Rules Compendium, page(s) 224.

Opportunity Actions

An opportunity action is similar to an immediate interrupt, but it can be taken once per turn, rather than once per round.

Trigger: Each opportunity action—usually a power—defines its trigger. The one type of opportunity action that every creature can take is an opportunity attack.

Someone Else’s Turn: A creature cannot take an opportunity action on its own turn. The action interrupts some event on another creature’s turn.

Once per Turn: A creature can take no more than one opportunity action per turn (but it can take one on each other creature’s turn).

Interrupt: Just like an immediate interrupt, an opportunity action interrupts its trigger, taking place before the trigger finishes.

Published in Player's Handbook, page(s) 268, Rules Compendium, page(s) 196.

Opportunity Attack

In a fight, everyone is constantly watching for enemies to drop their guard. A creature can rarely move heedlessly past its foes or use a ranged power or an area power without putting itself in danger: Such actions trigger the opportunity attack power. Anyone can use opportunity attack, regardless of class.

Triggering this power is usually referred to as provoking an opportunity attack, and using it is usually referred to as making an opportunity attack.

OPPORTUNITY ATTACK: OPPORTUNITY ACTION

Melee Basic Attack: An opportunity attack is a melee basic attack.

Moving Provokes: If an enemy leaves a square adjacent to you, you can make an opportunity attack against that enemy. However, you can’t make one if the enemy shifts or teleports or is forced to move away by a pull, a push, or a slide.

Ranged and Area Powers Provoke: If an enemy adjacent to you uses a ranged power or an area power, you can make an opportunity attack against that enemy.

One per Combatant’s Turn: You can take only one opportunity action during another combatant’s turn, but you can take any number during a round.

Able to Attack: You can’t make an opportunity attack unless you are able to make a melee basic attack and you can see your enemy.

Interrupts Target’s Action: An opportunity action takes place before the target finishes its action. After the opportunity attack, the creature resumes its action. If the target is reduced to 0 hit points or fewer by the opportunity attack, it can’t finish its action because it’s dead or dying.

Threatening Reach: Some creatures have an ability called threatening reach. This lets them make opportunity attacks against nonadjacent enemies. If an enemy leaves a square that’s within the creature’s reach, or if an enemy anywhere within the creature’s reach makes a ranged attack or an area attack, the creature can make an opportunity attack against that enemy.

Published in Player's Handbook, page(s) 290, Rules Compendium, page(s) 246.

origin square

The square where an effect originates. Every power has an origin square. A power’s attack or utility type determines the origin square’s location. Some exceptional powers place the origin square elsewhere.

Published in Rules Compendium, page(s) 314.

Overland Flight

Overland flight works like a fly speed with one exception: A creature can take a move action to use overland flight only if it has taken no actions that turn, except free actions or move actions using overland flight. The creature can then take only those actions until the start of its next turn. See also fly speed.

Published in Monster Manual 2, page(s) 218.

Overlapping Durations

When a creature is subject to identical effects that end at different times, it ignores all but the effect that has the most time remaining. For instance, if Dendric the fighter is slowed by a monster until the end of the encounter and is then slowed by another monster until the end of his next turn, he ignores the second effect, since it has less time remaining than the first.

Effects that a save can end (labeled “save ends”) work differently, since it’s not possible to know when they’re going to end. Therefore, effects that a save can end are tracked separately from those that end at specific times.

Published in Player's Handbook, page(s) 278, Rules Compendium, page(s) 227.

Petrified

The creature is unconscious.

The creature has resist 20 to all damage.

The creature doesn’t age.

Usually a creature is subjected to this condition when it is turned to stone, such as by a medusa. Often the only way to end this condition is by using a power or a magical ritual.

Normally, a creature falls prone when it becomes unconscious. The DM might decide that a petrified creature instead remains upright, posed like a statue.

Published in Player's Handbook, page(s) 277, Rules Compendium, page(s) 232, Monster Vault: Threats to the Nentir Vale, page(s) 124.

Phasing

While phasing, a creature ignores difficult terrain and can move through obstacles and other creatures, but it must end its movement in an unoccupied space.

Published in Monster Manual 2, page(s) 218, Monster Manual, page(s) 282, Player's Handbook 3, page(s) 222,Rules Compendium, page(s) 314, Monster Vault: Threats to the Nentir Vale, page(s) 124.

Pocket Change

It’s sometimes useful to know how much money a character might typically have on hand. The table below gives minor and major purchase values (in gp) for a character of a given level. A character can make a minor purchase with the monetary treasure he or she might earn in a single combat encounter, skill challenge, or minor quest. Major purchases are those the character would have to save up for an entire level’s worth of adventuring to afford. A mage’s tower (priced at 10,000 gp) is a major purchase when you’re level 15, but a minor expense when you’re level 22.

Level Minor Major

1 10 144

2 20 208

3 30 271

4 40 336

5 50 400

6 75 720

7 100 1,040

8 125 1,360

9 150 1,680

10 200 2,000

11 350 3,600

12 500 5,200

13 650 6,800

14 800 8,400

15 1,000 10,000

16 1,800 18,000

17 2,600 26,000

18 3,400 34,000

19 4,200 42,000

20 5,000 50,000

21 9,000 90,000

22 13,000 130,000

23 17,000 170,000

24 21,000 210,000

25 25,000 250,000

26 45,000 450,000

27 65,000 650,000

28 85,000 850,000

29 105,000 1,050,000

30 125,000 1,250,000

Published in Mordenkainen's Magnificent Emporium, page(s) 127.

Polymorph

Polymorph powers change a creature’s physical form in some way. For instance, a polymorph power might transform a creature into a mouse. Unless otherwise noted, a creature uses the following rules when it is affected by a polymorph power.

One Polymorph at a Time: If a creature is affected by more than one polymorph power, only the most recent one has any effect. The other powers’ effects remain on the creature and their durations expire as normal, but those effects don’t apply. However, when the most recent effect ends, the next most recent one that is still active applies to the creature.

Example: If a druid uses a polymorph power on herself and then a monster uses a polymorph power on her, the polymorph effect of the druid’s power is suppressed until the monster’s polymorph effect ends on her.

Changing Size: If a polymorph power reduces a creature’s space, the creature does not provoke opportunity attacks for leaving squares as it shrinks. If a polymorph effect would make a creature too large to fit in the available space, the effect fails against the creature, but it is stunned (save ends).

Example: If Keira is crawling through a narrow tunnel and a polymorph effect tries to make her too large for the tunnel, the effect fails, but she is stunned until she saves against that effect.

Death Ends: Polymorph effects end immediately on a creature that dies.

Published in Player's Handbook 3, page(s) 217, Monster Manual 2, page(s) 218, Player's Handbook, page(s) 55,Monster Manual, page(s) 282, Player's Handbook 2, page(s) 220, Rules Compendium, page(s) 118-119, 314,Monster Vault: Threats to the Nentir Vale, page(s) 124.

Prone

The creature is lying down. However, if the creature is climbing or flying, it falls.

The only way the creature can move is by crawling, teleporting, or being pulled, pushed, or slid.

The creature takes a -2 penalty to attack rolls.

The creature grants combat advantage to attackers making melee attacks against it, but it gains a +2 bonus to all defenses against ranged attacks from attackers that aren’t adjacent to it.

A creature can end this condition on itself by standing up. A creature can drop prone as a minor action.

This condition can affect limbless creatures, such as fish and snakes, as well as amorphous creatures, such as oozes. When such a creature falls prone, imagine it is writhing or unsteady, rather than literally lying down. The game effect on that creature is the same as for other creatures.

Published in Player's Handbook, page(s) 277, Player's Handbook 3, page(s) 222, Rules Compendium, page(s) 232, Monster Vault: Threats to the Nentir Vale, page(s) 124.

Pull

When you pull a creature, each square you move it must bring it nearer to you.

• Two-Dimensional: Forced movement is normally two-dimensional; all the squares of the movement must be on the same horizontal plane. Forced movement can become three-dimensional when the tar-get is flying, is moved through a substance such as water, or is on a non-horizontal surface, such as an incline, that supports it. This means an earthbound target cannot normally be pushed to a square in the air, but a hovering target can be. Similarly, a target can be pulled down a flight of stairs, and it can be slid in any direction underwater.

Published in Player's Handbook, page(s) 285, Monster Manual, page(s) 282.

Push

When you push a creature, each square you move it must place it farther away from you.

• Two-Dimensional: Forced movement is normally two-dimensional; all the squares of the movement must be on the same horizontal plane. Forced movement can become three-dimensional when the tar-get is flying, is moved through a substance such as water, or is on a non-horizontal surface, such as an incline, that supports it. This means an earthbound target cannot normally be pushed to a square in the air, but a hovering target can be. Similarly, a target can be pulled down a flight of stairs, and it can be slid in any direction underwater.

Published in Player's Handbook, page(s) 285, Monster Manual, page(s) 282.

Rage

An effect type. A rage power allows the user to enter a rage specified in the power. The rage lasts until the user enters a new rage or until the end of the encounter.

Published in Player's Handbook 2, page(s) 220, Rules Compendium, page(s) 315.

range

The maximum distance that an effect can reach. Range is often expressed as a number of squares.

Published in Rules Compendium, page(s) 315.

Ranged Attack

Targeted: Ranged attacks target individuals. A ranged attack against multiple enemies consists of separate attacks, each with its own attack roll and damage roll. Ranged attacks don’t create areas of effect.

If you’re using a projectile weapon to make a ranged attack against multiple targets, you need one piece of ammunition for each target, and if you’re using thrown weapons, you need one for each target.

Range: Some powers set a specific range (“Ranged 10”) or allow you to attack any target you can see (“Ranged sight”). If you’re using a weapon, the attack’s range is the range of your weapon, as shown on the Ranged Weapons table in Chapter 7.

Long Range: If you use a ranged weapon and your target is farther away than the weapon’s normal range but within its long range, you take a -2 penalty to your attack roll. You can’t hit a target beyond the weapon’s long range. A ranged power that doesn’t use a weapon has a normal range but no long range.

Provoke Opportunity Attacks: If you use a ranged power while adjacent to an enemy, that enemy can make an opportunity attack against you.

Published in Player's Handbook, page(s) 270.

Rattling

If a creature has training in Intimidate and deals damage with a power that has the rattling keyword, the target takes a -2 penalty to attack rolls until the end of the user’s next turn. A target that is immune to fear is not subject to this penalty.

Published in Martial Power, page(s) 7, 73, Player's Handbook 2, page(s) 220, Martial Power 2, page(s) 57, Rules Compendium, page(s) 119, 315.

Ready an action

When a creature readies an action, it prepares to react to an event or to someone else’s action. Readying an action is a way of saying, “As soon as x happens, my character does y.” Examples include “As soon as the troll walks out from behind the corner, I shoot an arrow at it,” or “If the goblin ends its movement adjacent to me, I shift away.”

Ready an Action

Action: Standard action. To ready an action, a creature follows these steps.

1. Choose Action to Ready: Choose the specific action the creature is readying (the attack it plans to use, for example), as well as the intended target, if applicable. The creature can ready a standard action, a move action, or a minor action. Whichever action is chosen, the act of readying it is a standard action.

2. Choose Trigger: Choose the circumstance that will trigger the readied action. When that trigger occurs, the creature can use the readied action. If the trigger doesn’t occur or the creature chooses to ignore it, the creature can’t use the readied action and instead takes its next turn as normal.

3. Immediate Reaction: Using a readied action is an immediate reaction, so it takes place right after the trigger finishes.

4. Reset Initiative: When the creature finishes the readied action, its place in the initiative order moves to directly before the creature or the event that triggered the readied action.

Triggering Opportunity Actions

If a creature readies an action that normally triggers opportunity actions, it triggers them twice: when it readies the action and when it takes the action.

Example: If an adventurer readies a ranged attack while adjacent to an enemy, he provokes an opportunity attack from that enemy. If he is still adjacent to an enemy when he makes the ranged attack, he provokes an opportunity attack again.

Interrupting with a Readied Action

Often a player wants his or her character to use a readied action to attack before an enemy does. In this situation, the action should be readied to respond to the enemy’s movement. That way, if the enemy moves before attacking, the readied action will be triggered by a portion of that movement, allowing the character to interrupt it and attack first. Readying an action to be triggered by an enemy attack means that the readied action will occur as a reaction to the attack, so the character’s attack happens only after the enemy attacks.

An enemy might use a power that lets it move and then attack with a single action. If a character readied an action to attack in response to that enemy’s movement, the readied action interrupts the movement, allowing the character to attack before the enemy does.

Published in Player's Handbook, page(s) 291, Rules Compendium, page(s) 247.

Regeneration

Regeneration is a special form of healing that restores a fixed number of hit points every round. Regeneration doesn’t rely on healing surges.

Heal Each Turn: If a creature has regeneration and at least 1 hit point, it regains a specified number of hit points at the start of its turn. However, if its current hit point total is 0 or lower, it does not regain hit points through regeneration.

Not Cumulative: If a creature gains regeneration more than once, only the largest amount of regeneration applies. For example, a wererat regenerates 5 hit points each round. If another effect grants it regeneration of 2 hit points per round, it still regenerates 5 hit points, not 7.

Published in Player's Handbook, page(s) 293, Monster Manual, page(s) 282, Player's Handbook 3, page(s) 222,Rules Compendium, page(s) 260.

Reliable

An effect type. If a reliable power misses every target, the power is not expended.

Published in Player's Handbook 3, page(s) 217, Monster Manual 2, page(s) 218, Player's Handbook, page(s) 55,Player's Handbook 2, page(s) 220, Rules Compendium, page(s) 315.

removed from play

The creature can’t take actions.

The creature has neither line of sight nor line of effect to anything, and nothing has line of sight or line of effect to it.

An effect that removes a creature from play specifies where the creature reappears when it returns to play. Typically the creature reappears in the space it left, or in the nearest unoccupied space if that space is now occupied.

A creature is normally subjected to this condition because it has been transported to another plane of existence or is engulfed or swallowed. Whatever the cause, the creature’s turns start and end as normal.

Published in Player's Handbook 3, page(s) 222, Rules Compendium, page(s) 233, Monster Vault: Threats to the Nentir Vale, page(s) 125.

Resist

A creature that has resistance takes less damage from a specific damage type. For example, a creature that has resist 10 fire takes 10 less damage whenever it takes fire damage.

Against Combined Damage Types: Your resistance is ineffective against combined damage types unless you have resistance to each of the damage types, and then only the weakest of the resistances applies. For example, if you have resist 10 lightning and resist 5 thunder and an attack deals 15 lightning and thunder damage to you, you take 10 damage, because the resistance to the combined damage types is limited by the lesser of the two resistances.

Not Cumulative: Resistances against the same damage type are not cumulative. Only the highest resistance applies. For example, if you have resist 5 cold and then gain resist 10 cold, you have resist 10 cold, not resist 15 cold. Similarly, if you have resist 5 cold and then gain resist 2 to all damage, you still have resist 5 cold, not resist 7 cold.

Published in Monster Manual 2, page(s) 218, Monster Manual, page(s) 282, Player's Handbook 3, page(s) 222.

Resistance

Resistance means a creature takes less damage from a specific damage type. Resistance appears in a stat block or power as “Resist x,” where x is the amount that the damage is reduced, followed by the type of damage that is being resisted. Damage cannot be reduced below 0. For example, a creature that has resist 5 fire takes 5 less fire damage whenever it takes that type of damage. Some creatures are inherently resistant to certain damage types, as noted in their stat blocks, and some powers and other effects grant temporary resistance.

Against Combined Damage Types A creature’s resistance is ineffective against combined damage types unless the creature has resistance to each of the damage types, and then only the weakest of the resistances applies.

Example: A creature has resist 10 lightning and resist 5 thunder, and an attack deals 15 lightning and thunder damage to it. The creature takes 10 lightning and thunder damage, because the resistance to the combined damage types is limited to the lesser of the two (in this case, 5 thunder). If the creature had only resist 10 lightning, it would take all 15 damage from the attack.

Not Cumulative Resistances against the same damage type are not cumulative. Only the highest resistance applies.

Example: If a creature has resist 5 cold and then gains resist 10 cold, it now has resist 10 cold, not resist 15 cold. Similarly, if a creature has resist 5 cold and then gains resist 2 to all damage, the creature still has resist 5 cold, not resist 7 cold.

Combined with Vulnerability If a creature has resistance and vulnerability to the same type of damage, they both apply. Subtract the smaller value from the larger one and apply the result. For instance, a creature that has resist 5 fire and vulnerable 10 fire is treated as if it has vulnerable 5 fire.

Published in Rules Compendium, page(s) 224.

Restrained

The creature can’t move, unless it teleports. It can’t even be pulled, pushed, or slid.

The creature takes a -2 penalty to attack rolls.

The creature grants combat advantage.

This condition is similar to the immobilized condition (see above), but it puts more restrictions on the creature’s ability to attack or defend itself. This condition usually results from being held in place by something: vines, tentacles, manacles attached to a wall, strands of webbing, or a monster’s gaping jaws. Whatever is holding the creature in place interferes with its ability to move around freely.

Published in Player's Handbook, page(s) 277, Player's Handbook 3, page(s) 222, Rules Compendium, page(s) 233, Monster Vault: Threats to the Nentir Vale, page(s) 125.

Retraining

Sometimes a player makes decisions when creating or advancing a character that he or she later regrets. Perhaps a chosen power isn’t working with the character concept, or a feat never comes into play as anticipated. Fortunately, no one is stuck with bad character decisions. There’s an opportunity to change a decision whenever the character levels up.

Every time a character gains a level, he or she can retrain. This involves changing one feat, power, or trained skill. Only one change is allowed per level. If the player book says to replace one of the character’s powers with a different power of a higher level, replacing the power doesn’t count as retraining. The character can still retrain a feat, some other power, or a trained skill.

Replacing a Feat

Retraining can replace one feat with another. The character must meet the prerequisites of the new feat. A feat can’t be replaced if it’s a prerequisite for any of the character’s other attributes (such as another feat or a paragon path) or if the feat is a feature of his or her class, paragon path, or epic destiny.

Replacing a Power

Retraining can replace a power with another power of the same type: at-will attack power, encounter attack power, daily attack power, or utility power. The new power must have a level, be of the same level as or lower in level than the old power, and come from the same class—a 5th-level cleric daily attack power for another 5th-level cleric daily attack power, for instance, or a 22nd-level utility power for a different 22nd-level utility power.

Retraining doesn’t allow replacing a power that has no level, such as a cleric’s healing word; a power designated as a feature; or a power gained from a paragon path or an epic destiny. If a power has no level but you chose it from a list of powers, you can replace it with a different power from that list.

Replacing a Trained Skill

Retraining can replace one trained skill with another from the character’s list of class skills. A skill can’t be replaced if it’s a prerequisite for a feat, a power, or any other attribute of the character, or if it’s predetermined by class (such as Arcana for wizards and Religion for clerics).

If the character’s class requires the choice of one of two skills (such as either Dungeoneering or Nature), retraining can alter the choice, but the character is limited to replacing one skill with the other.

Published in Rules Compendium, page(s) 86.

Round

A round represents about 6 seconds in the game world. In a round, every combatant takes a turn. See also turn and once per round.

Published in Player's Handbook, page(s) 266, Rules Compendium, page(s) 315.

Run

By taking the run action, a creature can use an all-out sprint when it really needs to cover ground quickly. The creature has to lower its guard to make best speed, however, and it can’t attack very well.

Run

Action: Move action.

Speed + 2: The creature moves up to its speed plus 2 additional squares. For instance, if its speed is 6, the creature can move up to 8 squares when it runs.

-5 Penalty to Attack Rolls: The creature takes a -5 penalty to attack rolls until the start of its next turn.

Grant Combat Advantage: As soon as the creature begins running, it grants combat advantage until the start of its next turn.

Despite the action’s name, a creature isn’t always literally running when it takes this action. The action can include other movement modes such as climbing, flying, and swimming.

Published in Player's Handbook, page(s) 291, Rules Compendium, page(s) 248.

Runic

An effect type. A runic power channels the magic of runes that are specified in the power. Unless otherwise noted, using a runic power follows these rules.

Choose First: When a creature is going to use a runic power, it first chooses one of the runes in the power and then uses the power, applying the chosen rune’s effects at the time indicated in the power (after hitting with the power, for instance).

Rune State: The creature is then in the rune state associated with the chosen rune until it enters a new rune state or until the end of the encounter.

Published in Player's Handbook 3, page(s) 217, Rules Compendium, page(s) 119, 315.

save

A successful saving throw. A save ends an effect that includes one of the following notations in parentheses: “save ends,” “save ends both,” or “save ends all.”

Identical Effects That a Save Can End: If you are subjected to identical effects that a save can end, including ongoing damage, you ignore all but one of those effects. For example, if you are dazed (save ends) and then you are attacked and again dazed (save ends), you ignore the second effect, since it is identical to the effect you are already subject to.

You never make multiple saving throws against identical effects. You do, however, make separate saving throws against effects that aren’t identical, even if they contain the same condition. For example, dazed (save ends) and dazed and immobilized (save ends both) are not identical effects, so you must make separate saving throws against them.

Overlapping Durations: When you are subjected to identical effects that end at different times, you ignore all the effects but the one that has the most time remaining. Effects that a save can end work differently, since you don’t know when they’re going to end. You, therefore, track effects that a save can end separately from effects that end at specific times.

Published in Player's Handbook 3, page(s) 222, Monster Vault: Threats to the Nentir Vale, page(s) 125.

Saving Throws

A saving throw is a special d20 roll, unmodified by a creature’s level or ability scores, which is used to avoid or end certain effects. Some perils, such as being pushed into a pit, can be avoided with a save, and many effects last until the affected creature saves against them.

How to Make a Saving Throw

To make a saving throw, roll a d20 without adding any modifiers, unless the creature has bonuses or penalties that specifically apply to saving throws. On a roll of 9 or lower, the saving throw fails. A roll of 10 or higher is a successful saving throw, called a save. Because a saving throw is usually an unmodified roll, it gives slightly better than even odds to avoid or shake off an effect.

When to Make Saving Throws

The game rules explain when to make a saving throw immediately to avoid a peril, such as avoiding being pushed into a pit. See “Falling" for an example.

If a creature is subject to an effect that a save can end, the creature makes a saving throw against that effect at the end of each of its turns. An effect that a save can end includes one of the following notations: “save ends,” “save ends both,” or “save ends all.”

When two effects are followed by the notation “save ends both,” they are treated as a single effect when making saving throws against them. For instance, if a creature is “weakened and slowed (save ends both),” the creature makes a single saving throw against those two conditions whenever the time comes for it to make saving throws. Similarly, effects that are followed by the notation “save ends all” are treated as a single effect when saving throws are made against them. However, if a creature is subject to separate “weakened (save ends)” and “slowed (save ends)” effects, it must save against each separately. When a creature makes saving throws against multiple effects that a save can end, its player chooses the order of the saving throws.

Sometimes a power or other game feature allows a character to make a saving throw immediately against an effect that a save can end. If the character is allowed to make a single saving throw but is subject to multiple effects that a save can end, the player chooses which of those effects to make the saving throw against.

Identical Effects that a Save Can End

If a character is subject to identical effects that a save can end, ignore all but one of those effects. For instance, if the character is dazed (save ends) and then is attacked and again becomes dazed (save ends), ignore the second effect, since it is identical to the first one.

Identical effects never require multiple saving throws. A creature does make separate saving throws against effects that aren’t identical, even if they contain the same condition. For instance, “dazed (save ends)” and “dazed and immobilized (save ends both)” are not identical effects, so separate saving throws are made against each of them.

Published in Player's Handbook, page(s) 279, Rules Compendium, page(s) 227.

Second wind

Adventurers can dig into their resolve and endurance to find an extra burst of vitality. In game terms, an adventurer focuses momentarily on self-defense and spends a healing surge to regain lost hit points. Using one’s second wind is the one way that all adventurers have of healing themselves during an encounter. They must otherwise rely on other sources of healing.

Unless otherwise noted in the stat block of a monster or DM-controlled character, this action is available only to adventurers.

Use Second Wind

Action: Standard action. A character can take this action only once per encounter, so he or she can take it again after a short or an extended rest. A character can use his or her second wind without taking an action if another character administers first aid to him or her using the Heal skill.

Spend a Healing Surge: The character spends a healing surge to regain hit points.

+2 Bonus to All Defenses: The character gains a +2 bonus to all defenses until the start of his or her next turn. However, the character does not gain this bonus if he or she uses second wind as a result of someone administering first aid.

Published in Player's Handbook, page(s) 291, Rules Compendium, page(s) 248.

Secondary Target and Secondary Attack

Some powers allow you to make secondary (or even tertiary) attacks. A “Hit,” a “Miss,” or an “Effect” entry tells you when to make a secondary attack. Unless otherwise noted, the attack type and the range of a secondary attack are the same as the power’s, and the secondary attack doesn’t require a separate action.

Some powers give you the ability to make a secondary attack at a point later in an encounter, after the initial effect takes place. These powers include information about the secondary attack’s action type, attack type, range, and effect.

Published in Player's Handbook 2, page(s) 219.

Shields

Shields improve an adventurer’s defensive capabilities by helping to deflect attacks.

Shield Bonus: While using a shield, an adventurer gains a shield bonus to AC and Reflex, determined by the type of shield. For instance, a light shield grants a +1 shield bonus to AC and Reflex.

Shield Proficiency

An adventurer must have proficiency with a shield to gain its shield bonus. In other words, a shield provides no benefit to an adventurer who can’t use it properly. Shield proficiency is irrelevant to a monster, however. If it’s using a shield, that fact is noted in its stat block, and it is able to use the shield effectively.

Using a Shield

To use a shield, a creature must strap it to the forearm. Doing so is a standard action, unless otherwise noted. Removing a shield is also a standard action.

Shield Types

Each kind of shield is either a light shield or a heavy shield.

Light Shield: While using a light shield, a creature can use its shield hand for other purposes, such as holding another item or climbing, but the creature can’t make attacks with that hand or with anything it is holding in that hand.

Heavy Shield: While using a heavy shield, a creature can’t use its shield hand for any other task, since it must use that hand to handle the shield.

Reading a Shield Description

Each shield is defined by a few basic characteristics that indicate how it functions in the game. These characteristics are typically specified in a table that contains the following entries.

Shield Bonus: The shield bonus to AC and Reflex that a creature gains while using the shield.

Check: The penalty to Strength-, Dexterity-, and Constitution-based skill checks that a creature takes while using the shield. This penalty is called an armor check penalty. It does not apply to ability checks (such as a Strength check to break down a door or a Dexterity check to determine initiative in combat).

Price: The shield’s cost in gold pieces.

Weight: The shield’s weight.

Published in Rules Compendium, page(s) 267.

Shift

Moving through a fierce battle is dangerous; a creature must be careful to avoid a misstep that gives a foe a chance to strike a telling blow. The way to move safely when enemies are nearby is to shift. When a creature wants to flee, the safest way to do that is to first shift away from an adjacent enemy, then walk or run.

Shift

Action: Move action.

Movement: The creature moves 1 square. (Some powers and effects allow creatures to move farther than 1 square with a shift.)

No Opportunity Actions Triggered: Unless the description of an effect says otherwise, shifting doesn’t trigger opportunity actions such as opportunity attacks.

Special Movement Modes: A creature can’t shift when using a movement mode that requires it to make a skill check. For instance, if it is climbing, it can’t shift if it has to make an Athletics check to climb. (A creature that has a climb speed can shift while climbing.)

Because a square of difficult terrain costs 1 extra square of movement to enter, a creature can’t normally shift into such a square, unless it is able to shift multiple squares or ignores the effects of difficult terrain.

Published in Player's Handbook, page(s) 292, Rules Compendium, page(s) 249.

Skills

Skill

Key Ability

Acrobatics

Dexterity

Arcana

Intelligence

Athletics

Strength

Bluff

Charisma

Diplomacy

Charisma

Dungeoneering

Wisdom

Endurance

Constitution

Heal

Wisdom

History

Intelligence

Insight

Wisdom

Intimidate

Charisma

Nature

Wisdom

Perception

Wisdom

Religion

Intelligence

Stealth

Dexterity

Streetwise

Charisma

Thievery

Dexterity

Published in Rules Compendium, page(s) 125.

Skill Challenge Complexity

Complexity Successes Advantages Typical DCs

1 4 — 4 moderate

2 6 — 5 moderate, 1 hard

3 8 2 6 moderate, 2 hard

4 10 4 7 moderate, 3 hard

5 12 6 8 moderate, 4 hard

Published in Dungeon Master's Guide, page(s) 72, Rules Compendium, page(s) 159.

Skill Challenge XP Rewards

Skill challenges and other noncombat encounters that carry risk also carry reward. A skill challenge has a level and a complexity that combine to determine the XP the adventurers earn for successfully completing the challenge. A skill challenge counts as a number of threats of its level equal to its complexity. For instance, a 7th-level challenge that has a complexity of 3 counts as three 7th-level threats, for a reward of 900 XP.

The Skill Challenge XP Rewards table summarizes the XP values of skill challenges of various levels and complexities.

Level Comp1 Comp2 Comp3 Comp4 Comp5

1 100 200 300 400 500

2 125 250 375 500 625

3 150 300 450 600 750

4 175 350 525 700 875

5 200 400 600 800 1000

6 250 500 750 1000 1250

7 300 600 900 1200 1500

8 350 700 1050 1400 1750

9 400 800 1200 1600 2000

10 500 1000 1500 2000 2500

11 600 1200 1800 2400 3000

12 700 1400 2100 2800 3500

13 800 1600 2400 3200 4000

14 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000

15 1200 2400 3600 4800 6000