Encounter Gameplay

Rounds and Turns

A round represents about 6 seconds in the game world. During a round, each participant takes a turn. The order of turns is determined at the beginning of an encounter, when all participants—PCs and monsters alike—roll initiative to determine initiative order. Once everyone has taken a turn, the fight continues to the next round if neither side has defeated the other.

Determining Initiative Order

Initiative determines the order of turns during an encounter. When the GM calls for initiative (typically when an encounter starts), every participant (all involved PCs and NPCs) makes a DEX check (d20 + DEX modifier) to determine their place in the initiative order. If a large group of identical creatures is involved in the encounter, the GM makes one roll for the whole group, so each group member acts at the same time.

Once all participants have rolled, the GM ranks all participants in order from the one with the highest DEX check result to the one with the lowest. This is called initiative order, and the GM follows it to determine when each participant acts during each round. Initiative order remains the same from round to round.

In case of a tie, the GM decides the order among tied NPCs, and the PCs decide among their tied characters. The GM decides the order if the tie is between an NPC and a PC. Optionally, the GM can have tied creatures each roll a d20 with no modifiers to determine the order, highest roll going first.

Hazards

Hazards are location-based threats as opposed to threats presented by creatures (though creatures can create or affect a hazard). Weather conditions can impose hazards like extreme heat or cold, or alter an area’s light or obscurement. Ambient magic is also frequently responsible for bizarre and fantastical hazards.

Four of the most common hazards are included here.

Extreme Cold

Hazard

Exposure to temperatures below 0 degrees Fahrenheit threatens creatures not adapted to the cold. The hazard is generally continual.

Trigger: This hazard begins when a creature is exposed to extreme cold for at least 1 hour. A creature avoids exposure if it is resistant or immune to cold damage, if it has natural adaptation to cold climates, or it is wearing dry winter clothing such as a heavy coat and furs, gloves, and a hat.

Effects: After the first hour, an exposed creature must succeed on a DC 10 CON save or gain one level of exhaustion. The creature must repeat this save at the end of each hour of continued exposure, increasing the DC by 1 for each hour of exposure beyond the first (DC 11 at 2 hours, DC 12 at 3 hours, etc.). Creatures have disadvantage on these saves if they are vulnerable to cold damage, wearing metal armor, wearing clothing not designed for winter conditions, or are wet.

Resolution: If an exposed creature is removed from the affected area or otherwise avoids exposure for at least 1 hour, the CON save made against this hazard resets to DC 10. Otherwise, this hazard ends once a creature leaves the affected area or environmental conditions significantly change.

Extreme Heat

Hazard

Exposure to temperatures above 100 degrees Fahrenheit threatens creatures not adapted to the heat. The hazard is generally continual.

Trigger: This hazard begins when a creature is exposed to extreme heat for at least 1 hour. A creature avoids exposure if it is resistant or immune to fire damage, if it has natural adaptation to hot climates, or if it has access to twice its daily amount of required drinking water.

Effects: After the first hour, an exposed creature must succeed on a DC 10 CON save or gain one level of exhaustion. The creature must repeat this save at the end of each hour of continued exposure, increasing the DC by 1 for each hour of exposure beyond the first (DC 11 at 2 hours, DC 12 at 3 hours, etc.). Creatures have disadvantage on these saves if they are vulnerable to fire damage, wearing metal armor or Heavy armor, or wearing clothing not designed for hot climates.

Resolution: If an exposed creature is removed from the affected area or otherwise avoids exposure for at least 1 hour, the CON save made against this hazard resets to DC 10. Otherwise, this hazard ends once a creature leaves the affected area or environmental conditions significantly change.

Gale Winds

Hazard

Heavy gusting winds can appear with little warning, battering the weak and impairing many activities. Gale winds disperse fog, extinguish open flames, and make movement difficult for small and flying creatures. As a weather hazard, it is usually only minutes long, though in canyons or mountainous regions, it can be continual.

Trigger: This hazard begins when a creature enters an area affected by gale winds.

Effects: Gale winds impose disadvantage on ranged attacks and WIS (Perception) checks that rely on hearing. Small and Tiny creatures must succeed on a DC 11 STR save or fall prone at the start of each of their turns while in the area. A flying creature must land at the end of each turn spent in the area or make a DC 11 STR save. On a failure, the creature falls to the ground instantly and takes falling damage.

Resolution: An affected creature must find shelter or leave the area.

Torrential Precipitation

Hazard

Precipitation such as heavy rain or snowfall causes a variety of problems. It can last from minutes to days.

Trigger: This hazard begins when a creature enters an area affected by torrential precipitation.

Effects: Everything within the area is considered lightly obscured. A creature that starts its turn within torrential precipitation has disadvantage on WIS (Perception) checks. If the torrential precipitation is heavy rain, it extinguishes open flame. If it is heavy snowfall, the ground is difficult terrain.

Resolution: An affected creature must find shelter or leave the area.

Traps

Traps can be almost anywhere. One wrong step in an ancient tomb might trigger a series of scything blades. The seemingly innocuous vines that hang over a cave entrance might choke anyone who pushes through them. A net hidden among the trees might drop on unwary travelers. Detecting and disarming traps are your best defense against these troubles.

Trap Types

A trap can be either mechanical or magical. Either kind can also be complex.

Mechanical Traps

Mechanical traps include things that depend on a mechanism to operate, such as pits, arrow traps, falling blocks, water-filled rooms, and whirling blades.

Magic Traps

Magic traps consist of magical devices that activate spell effects. Spells like glyph of warding and symbol function as magic traps.

Complex Traps

Complex traps continue to execute on rounds after activation instead of triggering once and being done. For example, a trap that slowly floods a room is a complex trap. On the trap’s turn, the water level rises. After several rounds, the room is completely flooded.

Complex traps can start initiative and act independently in initiative order. On each of its turns, the trap takes an action, usually making successive attacks or maintaining an effect that changes over time. Until triggered, a complex trap can be detected and disabled like a standard trap.

Detecting Traps

Every trap in the game has a specific way it can be detected, but a trap usually requires a PC to actively spot it with a WIS (Perception) check against the trap’s DC (set by the GM). Some basic traps can be automatically spotted with a high enough passive Perception score, but the deadliest traps often are hidden too well for passive detection. Your group’s travel pace can also reduce your ability to passively spot hidden dangers.

Disarm Traps

If a PC detects a trap before triggering it, they might be able to disarm it. Every trap has a specific way it can be disarmed (or avoided), but typically, disarming a trap requires a PC to succeed on a DEX (Thieves Tools) check against the trap’s DC (set by the GM). Complex traps might first require a successful INT (Investigation) check just to deduce the trap’s operation. Some magical traps require an INT (Arcana) check to detect or disarm and might even require a spell like dispel magic to disarm instead of thieves’ tools.

Combat Encounters

A typical combat encounter is a clash between two sides, a flurry of weapon swings, feints, parries, footwork, and spellcasting. The game organizes this chaos into a cycle of rounds and turns.

A round represents about 6 seconds in the game world. During a round, each participant takes a turn. The order of turns is determined at the beginning of a combat encounter, when all participants—PCs and monsters alike—roll initiative. Once everyone has taken a turn, if neither side has won, a new round begins.

Combat Steps

The basic steps of combat are detailed here.

1. Determine Surprise

When a combat encounter begins, but before initiative is rolled, the GM determines whether any participants might be surprised and get the surprised condition. If no participants are trying to be stealthy, everyone notices each other and no one is surprised.

Otherwise, the GM compares the DEX (Stealth) checks of any creatures actively hiding at the start of combat with the passive Perception score (for PCs) or Perception score (for NPCs or monsters) of creatures on the opposing side. Individual members of a group can be surprised even if other members aren’t.

Some hazards, traps, and other environmental effects can also cause surprise when triggered. If an effect has this ability, its relevant DCs are listed in the description.

2. Establish Positions

The GM decides where all the PCs and adversaries are located at the start of the combat encounter based on player descriptions and story events.

Typically, a GM places all creatures involved in combat on a physical or virtual map, to give players an idea of where they can move during their turns. Even during theater of the mind combat with no map, participants take up the same amount of space and move as they would on a map divided into squares where each square represents a 5-by-5-foot space.

Space

A standard space covers a 5-by-5-foot square. A space is the area in feet that a creature effectively controls in combat, not just an expression of its physical dimensions. A typical Medium creature isn’t 5 feet wide, for example, but in a fight, it controls that amount of space. If a Medium hobgoblin stands in a 5-foot-wide doorway, other creatures can’t get through unless the hobgoblin lets them.

A creature’s space also reflects the area it needs to fight effectively, which limits the number of creatures that can surround one target in combat. Assuming Medium combatants, eight creatures can fit around one target.

Because larger creatures take up more space, fewer of them can surround a target. If five Large creatures crowd around a Medium or smaller creature, there’s little room for anyone else. In contrast, as many as twenty Medium creatures can surround a Gargantuan one.

Creature Size

Each creature takes up a different amount of space. The Size Categories table shows how much space a creature of a particular size can control in combat.

Size Categories

Size	Space
Tiny	2½ by 2½ ft. (one-quarter of a space)
Small	5 by 5 ft. (one space)
Medium	5 by 5 ft. (one space)
Large	10 by 10 ft. (4 spaces)
Huge	15 by 15 ft. (9 spaces)
Gargantuan	20 by 20 ft. or larger (16 spaces)

3. Roll Initiative

Combat encounters use the initiative system described in the Determining Initiative Order.

4. Take Your Turn

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

Bonus Actions

Various class features, spells, and other abilities let you take a bonus action on your turn in addition to your normal action and movement. A bonus action is an extra ability to act that you only get to take in special circumstances.

You can only ever take one bonus action on your turn, so you must choose which bonus action to use when more than one is available.

You choose when to take a bonus action during your turn, unless the bonus action’s timing is specified. Anything that deprives you of your ability to take an action, such as the incapacitated condition, also prevents you from taking a bonus action.

Reactions

Certain special abilities, spells, and situations allow you to take a reaction. A reaction is an instant response to a trigger (specified in the reaction’s description), which can occur on your turn or on someone else’s. The opportunity attack is the most common type of reaction.

You can take only one reaction until the start of your next turn. If a reaction interrupts another creature’s turn, that creature can continue its turn after the effects of the reaction are resolved.

Other Activity on Your Turn

You can accomplish a variety of minor things during your turn that don’t interfere with your normal action and movement. Here are the kinds of things you might be able to accomplish in this way:

• You can communicate at any time (even on someone else’s turn) through brief talking and gestures.
• You can interact with one object or aspect of the environment for free, during your move or your action. For example, you could open a door during your move, draw your weapon as part of your Attack action, or stow a shield as part of a Ready action.
• If you want to interact with a second object, you must commit your action to it with the Use an Object action.
• Some magic items and other special objects always require an action to use, as stated in their descriptions.

The GM might require you to use an action for any activity that needs special care or presents an unusual obstacle. For instance, the GM could reasonably expect you to use an action to open a stuck door or turn a crank to lower a drawbridge.

Movement in Combat

On your turn, you can move a distance up to your speed. You can use as much or as little of your speed as you like on your turn.

Your movement can include jumping, climbing, and swimming. These different modes of movement can be combined with walking, or they can be your entire move. However you move, deduct the distance of each part of your move from your speed until it is used up or until you are done moving.

Breaking Up Your Move

You can break up your movement on your turn, using some speed before and then the remainder after your action. For example, if you have a speed of 30 feet, you can move 10 feet, take your action, and then move 20 feet.

Moving between Attacks

If your action includes more than one weapon attack, you can break up your movement by moving between attacks. For example, a fighter who can make two attacks with the Multiattack feature and has a speed of 30 feet could move 10 feet, make an attack, move 20 feet, and then attack a different target.

Using Different Speeds

If you have more than one speed, such as a walking speed and a flying speed, you can switch between them during your move. Whenever you switch, subtract the distance you’ve already moved from the new speed. The result determines how much farther you can move. If the result is 0 or less, you can’t use the new speed during the current move.

For example, if you have a speed of 30 and a flying speed of 60 because a wizard cast the fly spell on you, you could fly 20 feet, then walk 10 feet. If you wanted to walk any farther, you’d be done for your move, but you could still leap into the air to fly 30 feet more.

Difficult Terrain

Areas of difficult terrain hamper movement. In addition, during combat encounters, any space occupied by another creature (hostile or not), also counts as difficult terrain.

Falling Prone and Standing Up

Combatants often get knocked down or throw themselves down. This condition is called prone.

You can choose to fall prone on your turn freely, without using any speed. Standing up from prone costs half your speed for the turn. For example, if your speed is 30 feet, you must spend 15 feet of movement to stand up. You can’t stand up if you don’t have enough movement left or if your speed is 0.

To move while prone, you must crawl or use magic such as teleportation.

Moving Around Other Creatures

You can move through a nonhostile creature’s space. You can only move through a hostile creature’s space if the creature is at least two sizes larger or smaller than you. Another creature’s space is difficult terrain for you.

Regardless of attitude, you can’t willingly end your move in another creature’s space.

If you leave a hostile creature’s reach during your move, you provoke an opportunity attack.

Opportunity Attacks

In a fight, everyone is constantly watching for a chance to strike an enemy who flees or passes by. Such a strike is called an opportunity attack.

A creature (PC or monster) can make an opportunity attack when a hostile creature it can see moves out of its reach. To make the opportunity attack, use your reaction to make one melee attack against the provoking creature. The opportunity attack triggers as the creature leaves your reach, so you resolve your attack before it finishes its movement.

You can avoid provoking an opportunity attack by taking the Disengage action. You also don’t provoke an opportunity attack when you teleport or when movement is forced. For example, you don’t provoke an opportunity attack if an explosion hurls you out of a foe’s reach, you are shoved by a hostile creature, or if gravity causes you to fall past an enemy.

Actions in Combat

When you take your action on your turn, you can take one of the actions presented here or an action gained from your class or some other feature. Monsters have distinct actions listed in their stat blocks.

When you describe an action not detailed elsewhere in the rules, the GM tells you whether that action is possible and what kind of roll you need to make, if any, to determine success.

Attack

The most common action in combat is the Attack action, whether you swing a sword, fire an arrow from a bow, or brawl with your fists. With this action, you make one melee or ranged attack. Certain features, such as the fighter’s Multiattack, allow you to make more than one attack with this action.

Cast a Spell

Spellcasting characters, such as clerics and wizards, can take the Cast a Spell action to cast a spell in combat. You can only cast spells this way if the spell has a casting time of 1 action. If a spell’s casting time is longer than an action (minutes or hours), a bonus action or a reaction, you can’t take this action to cast it.

Dash

When you take the Dash action, you gain extra movement for this turn. Move up to your speed, effectively doubling your movement for your turn. With a speed of 30 feet, for example, you can move up to 60 feet on your turn if you take the Dash action.

Any increase or decrease to your speed changes this additional movement by the same amount. For instance, if your normal speed of 30 feet is reduced to 15 feet, you can move up to 30 feet on your turn with a Dash.

Disengage

When you take the Disengage action, your movement doesn’t provoke opportunity attacks for the rest of the turn.

Dodge

When you take the Dodge action, you focus entirely on avoiding attacks. Until the start of your next turn, you make DEX saves with advantage and attack rolls made against you have disadvantage if you can see the attacker. You lose this benefit if you are incapacitated or suffer a similar penalty that reduces your speed to 0.

Help

The Help action lets you aid a creature to complete a task. That creature gains advantage on the next ability check it makes to perform the task you are helping with, provided that it makes the check before the start of your next turn.

You can also take the Help action to aid a friendly creature attack a target within 5 feet of you. You feint, distract the target, or otherwise team up to make your ally’s attack more effective. If your ally attacks the target before your next turn, they get advantage on their first attack roll.

Hide

When you take the Hide action, you make a DEX (Stealth) check in an attempt to hide, following the rules for hiding.

Ready

When you take the Ready action, you prepare to do something on another creature’s turn using your reaction. This lets you get the jump on a foe or wait for a particular circumstance before you act. You must take your readied reaction before the start of your next turn.

First, name a perceivable circumstance that triggers your reaction. Then, state the action or move you plan to take in response to that trigger. Examples include, “If the cultist steps on the trapdoor, I’ll pull the lever that opens it,” and “If the goblin steps next to me, I move away.”

When the trigger occurs, you can either take your reaction right after the trigger finishes or ignore the trigger. Remember that you can take only one reaction per round.

You can ready a spell with the Ready action. You cast it as normal but hold its energy. Then, after the trigger, you release it with your reaction.

To be readied, a spell must have a casting time of 1 action, and holding the energy requires concentration. If your concentration is broken, the spell dissipates without taking effect. For example, if you are concentrating on the web spell and ready magic missile, your web spell ends. Furthermore, if you take damage before you release the readied magic missile, your concentration might be broken.

Search

The Search action lets you devote your attention to finding something. Depending on the nature of your search, the GM might have you make a WIS (Perception) check or an INT (Investigation) check.

Use an Object

When you take the Use an Object action, you focus specifically on that interaction. Since you can normally interact with an object while doing something else, such as drawing a sword as part of an attack, this action is usually only needed when you want to interact with more than one object on your turn. If an object is complex or requires an ability check to use, the GM might require this action even if it’s the only object you’ve handled this turn.

Making an Attack

When you use the Attack action in combat to make an attack, you typically make an attack roll to hit your target. Your attack roll determines whether the attack hits or misses. To make an attack roll, roll a d20 and add the appropriate modifiers. If the check result equals or exceeds the target’s Armor Class (AC), the attack hits. If your attack roll is successful, you deal damage or achieve the goal of your attack.

Various rules factor into determining the success or failure of attack rolls and the effectiveness of damage. These rules are described in this section.

1. Declare Attack Type & Target

To make an attack, first choose the type of attack you intend to make: a melee attack or a ranged attack. You then choose a target (or targets) within reach or range of the kind of attack you want to make.

If you are using the Cast a Spell action, the spell’s description states if the spell is a melee or ranged attack.

Melee Attack

Used in hand-to-hand combat, a melee attack typically uses a handheld weapon such as a sword, warhammer, or axe. A typical monster makes a melee attack when it strikes with its claws, horns, or teeth.

Reach. You can make melee attacks only against targets within a specified reach. Most creatures have a 5-foot reach and can thus attack targets within 5 feet of them when making a melee attack. Certain creatures (typically those larger than Medium) have melee attacks with a greater reach than 5 feet, as noted in their descriptions.

Ranged Attack

When you make a ranged attack, you might fire a bow, hurl a handaxe, or send projectiles to strike at a distance. A monster might shoot spines from its tail. Many spells also involve making a ranged attack.

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

Long Range. Some ranged attacks, such as those made with a longbow or a shortbow, have two ranges. The smaller number is the normal range, and the larger number is the long range. Your attack roll has disadvantage when your target is at long range, and you can’t attack a target beyond long range.

Close Range. Making a ranged attack is more difficult when a foe is next to you. When you make a ranged attack, you have disadvantage on the attack roll if you are within 5 feet of a hostile creature who can see you and who isn’t incapacitated.

2. Determine Modifiers

When a PC makes an attack roll, the two most common modifiers to the roll are an ability modifier and the character’s proficiency bonus (PB). When a monster makes an attack roll, it uses the modifier provided for the action in its stat block.

Other factors can help an attack roll succeed, such as those granted by various class features. Environmental factors, cover, or attempting to attack an invisible target make attack rolls more difficult.

Ability Modifier

The ability modifier for a melee weapon attack is STR, and the ability modifier for a ranged weapon attack is DEX. Weapons with the Finesse or Thrown property break this rule.

Some spells also require an attack roll. The ability modifier used for a spell attack depends on the spellcasting ability of the spellcaster.

Proficiency Bonus

Add your proficiency bonus (PB) to your attack roll when you attack using a weapon with which you have proficiency and any time you attack with a spell.

Cover

Walls, trees, creatures, and other obstacles can provide cover during combat, making a target more difficult to harm. A target benefits from cover only when an attack or other effect originates on the opposite side of the cover.

There are three degrees of cover. If a target is behind multiple sources of cover, only the most protective cover applies. For example, if a target is behind a creature that gives half cover and a tree trunk that gives three-quarters cover, the target has three-quarters cover.

A target with half cover has a +2 bonus to AC and DEX saves. A target has half cover if an obstacle blocks at least half of its body. The obstacle might be a low wall, a large piece of furniture, a narrow tree trunk, or a creature, friendly or hostile.

A target with three-quarters cover has a +5 bonus to AC and DEX saves. A target has three-quarters cover if three-quarters of it is covered by an obstacle. The obstacle might be a portcullis, an arrow slit, or a thick tree trunk.

A target with total cover can’t be targeted directly by an attack or a spell, although some spells can reach a target with total cover by including it in an area of effect. A target has total cover if it is completely concealed by an obstacle.

Unseen Attackers and Targets

Combatants can try to escape notice by hiding, casting the invisibility spell, or lurking in darkness.

When you attack a target you can’t see, you have disadvantage on the attack roll. This is true whether you’re guessing at the target’s location or targeting a creature you can hear but not see. If the target isn’t in the location you targeted, you automatically miss, though the GM might just say that you missed, not whether you guessed the target’s location correctly.

When a creature can’t see you, you have advantage on attack rolls against it. If you are hidden—both unseen and unheard—when you make an attack, you give away your location when the attack hits or misses.

3. Make an Attack Roll

When you make an attack, your attack roll determines whether the attack hits or misses. To make an attack roll, roll a d20 and add the appropriate modifiers. If the check result equals or exceeds the target’s Armor Class (AC), the attack hits.

Critical Miss or Critical Hit

Sometimes fate blesses or curses a combatant, causing the novice to hit and the veteran to miss.

If the d20 roll for an attack is a 20, the attack hits regardless of any modifiers or the target’s AC. This is called a critical hit. Critical hits also allow you to deal extra damage.

If the d20 roll for an attack is a 1, the attack is a critical miss, and it misses regardless of any modifiers or the target’s AC.

4. Resolve the Attack

If your attack roll failed to hit the target, the attack is over and you play out the rest of your turn (or make your next attack if you have a class feature like Multiattack). If your attack roll was a success, you hit! Roll the damage listed in the attack unless the particular attack has rules that specify otherwise. Some attacks cause special effects in addition to or instead of damage.

Damage Rolls and Modifiers

If you successfully hit with an attack roll, you deal the attack’s damage. Each weapon, spell, and harmful monster ability specifies the damage it deals. You roll the damage die or dice, add any modifiers, and apply the damage to your target. Magic weapons, special abilities, and other factors can grant a bonus to damage. A penalty might cause you to deal 0 damage, but you never deal negative damage.

When attacking with a weapon, add your ability modifier (the same one used for the attack roll) to the damage. A spell tells you which dice to roll for damage and whether to add any modifiers.

If a spell or other effect deals damage to more than one target at the same time, roll damage once for all of them. For example, when a wizard casts fireball, the player rolls damage once for all creatures caught in the blast.

Critical Hits

When you score a critical hit (you roll a 20 on the attack roll die), you get to roll extra dice for the attack’s damage. Roll all of the attack’s damage dice twice and add them together. Then add any relevant modifiers as normal. To speed up play, you can roll all damage dice at once.

For example, if you score a critical hit with a dagger, roll 2d4 for the damage, rather than 1d4, and then add your ability modifier. If the attack involves other damage dice, such as from the rogue’s Sneak Attack feature, roll those dice twice as well.

Melee Attacks

This section describes the rules and types of melee attacks.

Reach

Most creatures have a 5-foot reach and can thus attack targets within 5 feet of them when making a melee attack. Certain creatures (typically those larger than Medium) have melee attacks with a greater reach than 5 feet, as noted in their descriptions.

Melee Weapon Attacks

Most melee attacks are melee weapon attacks.A melee attack typically uses a handheld weapon such as a sword, a warhammer, or an axe. A typical monster makes a melee attack when it strikes with its claws, horns, teeth, tentacles, or other body part—these kind of attacks are also considered melee weapon attacks.

Unarmed Strikes

Instead of using a weapon to make a melee weapon attack, you can use an unarmed strike: a punch, kick, headbutt, or similar forceful blow. Although this is still a melee weapon attack, an unarmed strike doesn’t count as a weapon and the damage dealt can’t be modified by effects that increase weapon dice. On a hit, an unarmed strike deals bludgeoning damage equal to 1 + your STR modifier. You are always considered proficient with your unarmed strikes.

Melee Spell Attacks

Some spells are considered melee attacks and are called melee spell attacks. Typically, these spells have a range of touch. If a spell requires you to make a melee spell attack, it is noted in the spell description.

Special Melee Attacks

A melee attack usually involves an attack roll and dealing damage. However, you can try a special melee attack option instead of a standard melee attack.

Grappling

Using the Attack action, you can make a special melee attack to grapple a creature, potentially imposing the grappled condition. If you can make multiple attacks with the Attack action, a grapple attack can replace one.

The target must be no more than one size larger than you and within your reach. Using at least one free hand, you try to seize the target by making a grapple check instead of an attack roll. Make a STR (Athletics) check contested by the target’s STR (Athletics) or DEX (Acrobatics) check (target chooses).

If you win the contest, the target takes no damage but has the grappled condition. The condition specifies what ends it, and you can release the target whenever you like (no action required).

Escaping a Grapple. A grappled creature can use its action to escape. To do so, it must succeed on a STR (Athletics) or DEX (Acrobatics) check (it chooses) contested by your STR (Athletics) check.

Moving a Grappled Creature. When you move, you can drag or carry a grappled creature with you, but your speed is halved unless the creature is two or more sizes smaller than you.

Shoving

Using the Attack action, you can make a special melee attack to shove a creature, either to knock it prone or push it away from you. If you can make multiple attacks with the Attack action, a shove attack can replace one.

The target must be no more than one size larger than you and within your reach. Instead of an attack roll, you make a STR (Athletics) check contested by the target’s STR (Athletics) or DEX (Acrobatics) check (target chooses).

If you win the contest, you knock the target prone or push it 5 feet away from you.

Two-Weapon Fighting

When you take the Attack action and attack with a Light melee weapon you are wielding in one hand, you can use a bonus action to attack with a different Light melee weapon you are wielding in the other hand. You don’t add your ability modifier to the damage of the bonus attack, unless that modifier is negative.

If either Light weapon has the Thrown property, you can throw the weapon instead of making a melee attack with it.

Weapon Options

Weapon Options available for melee weapons are also considered special melee attacks. When using the Attack action, you can use a weapon option as a special melee attack. If you can make multiple attacks with the Attack action, this attack can replace one.

Ranged Attacks

This section describes the rules and types of ranged attacks.

Range

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

Long Range

Some ranged attacks, such as those made with a longbow or a shortbow, have two ranges. The smaller number is the normal range, and the larger number is the long range. Your attack roll has disadvantage when your target is in long range, and you can’t attack a target beyond long range.

Close Range

Making a ranged attack is more difficult when a foe is next to you. When you make a ranged attack with a weapon, a spell, or some other means, you have disadvantage on the attack roll if you are within 5 feet of a hostile creature who can see you and who isn’t incapacitated.

Ranged Weapon Attacks

Many ranged attacks are ranged weapon attacks.A ranged attack typically uses a weapon that fires ammunition via the Ammunition property, such as a bow, sling, or crossbow. Weapons with the Thrown property can also be used for ranged weapon attacks.

Ranged Spell Attacks

The majority of spells that require a spellcaster to make an attack are ranged spell attacks. If a spell requires you to make a ranged spell attack, it is noted in the spell description.

Weapon Options

Weapon Options available for use with ranged weapons are considered special ranged attacks. When using the Attack action, you can use a weapon option as a special ranged attack. If you can make multiple attacks with the Attack action, this attack can replace one.

Special Combat Rules

This section covers rules for unusual combat situations.

Mounted Combat

A willing creature at least one size larger than you and that has an appropriate anatomy can serve as a mount, granting you use of their speed and mobility.

Mounting and Dismounting

Once during your move, you can mount a creature that is within 5 feet of you, or you can dismount. This costs an amount of movement equal to half your speed. For example, if your speed is 30 feet, you must spend 15 feet of movement to mount a horse. You can’t mount it if you don’t have 15 feet of movement left or if your speed is 0.

If an effect moves your mount against its will while you’re on it, you must succeed on a DC 10 DEX save or fall off the mount, landing prone in a space within 5 feet of it. If you’re knocked prone while mounted, you must make the same save with the same results.

If your mount is knocked prone, you can use your reaction to dismount and land on your feet as it falls. Otherwise, you are dismounted and fall prone in a space within 5 feet of it.

Controlling a Mount

While you’re mounted, you can either control the mount or allow it to act independently. Intelligent creatures, such as dragons, generally prefer to act independently.

You can control a mount only if it has been trained to accept a rider. Domesticated horses, donkeys, and similar creatures are assumed to have such training. The initiative of a controlled mount changes to match yours when you mount it. It moves as you direct it, and it has only three action options: Dash, Disengage, and Dodge. A controlled mount can move and act even on the turn that you mount it.

An independent mount retains its place in the initiative order. Bearing a rider puts no restrictions on the actions the mount can take, and it moves and acts as it wishes. It might flee from combat, rush to devour a downed foe, or otherwise act against your wishes.

In either case, if the mount provokes an opportunity attack while you’re on it, the attacker can target you or the mount.

Underwater Combat

Fighting underwater is a challenging environment with special rules to represent that challenge.

When making a melee weapon attack, a creature that doesn’t have a swimming speed (either natural or granted by magic) has disadvantage on attack rolls unless the weapon is a dagger, javelin, shortsword, spear, or trident.

A ranged weapon attack can’t hit a target beyond its normal range. The attack roll has disadvantage even within normal range unless the weapon is a crossbow, net, or a weapon that is thrown like a javelin (such as a spear, trident, or dart). Creatures and objects that are fully immersed in water have resistance to fire damage.