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bookmarks by the_juggler player s handbook arcane divine and martial heroes ® rolepl ay inggamecorerules rob heinsoo · andy collins · james wyatt 4e_phb_ch0fm_toc.indd 1 3/10/08 5:00:11 pm

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credits d&d 4th edition design team rob heinsoo andy collins james wyatt d&d 4th edition final development strike team bill slavicsek mike mearls james wyatt player s handbook design rob heinsoo andy collins james wyatt player s handbook development andy collins mike mearls stephen radney-macfarland peter schaefer stephen schubert player s handbook editing michele carter jeremy crawford player s handbook managing editing kim mohan additional design and development richard baker greg bilsland logan bonner bart carroll michele carter jennifer clarke wilkes bruce r cordell jeremy crawford jesse decker michael donais robert gutschera gwendolyn f m kestrel peter lee julia martin kim mohan david noonan christopher perkins matthew sernett chris sims ed stark rodney thompson rob watkins steve winter chris youngs director of r&d roleplaying games/book publishing bill slavicsek d&d story design and development manager christopher perkins d&d system design and development manager andy collins d&d senior art director stacy longstreet cover illustration wayne reynolds front rob alexander back special thanks to brandon daggerhart keeper of shadowfell ® graphic designers keven smith leon cortez emi tanji additional graphic design karin powell mari kolkowsky shauna narciso ryan sansaver concept artists rob alexander dave allsop christopher burdett adam gillespie lars grant-west david griffith lee moyer william o connor interior illustrations zoltan boros gabor szikszai matt cavotta eric deschamps wayne england david griffith ralph horsley howard lyon raven mimura lee moyer william o connor steve prescott dan scott anne stokes franz vohwinkel eva widermann d&d script design daniel reeve d&d brand team liz schuh scott rouse sara girard kierin chase martin durham linae foster publishing production specialists angelika lokotz erin dorries moriah scholz christopher tardiff prepress manager jefferson dunlap imaging technicians travis adams bob jordan sven bolen production managers cynda callaway building on the design of previous editions by e gary gygax dave arneson 1st edition and earlier david zeb cook 2nd edition jonathan tweet monte cook skip williams richard baker peter adkison 3rd edition dedicated to the memory of e gary gygax 620-21736720-001 en 987654321 first printing june 2008 isbn 978-0-7869-4867-3 u.s canada asia pacific latin america wizards of the coast inc p.o box 707 renton wa 98057-0707 +1-800-324-6496 european headquarters hasbro uk ltd caswell way newport gwent np9 0yh great britain please keep this address for your records wizards of the coast belgium t hofveld 6d 1702 groot-bijgaarden belgium +32 2 467 3360 dungeons dragons d&d d20 d20 system wizards of the coast player s handbook dungeon master s guide monster manual d&d insider all other wizards of the coast product names and their respective logos are trademarks of wizards of the coast in the u.s.a and other countries all wizards characters character names and the distinctive likenesses thereof are property of wizards of the coast inc this material is protected under the copyright laws of the united states of america any reproduction or unauthorized use of the material or artwork contained herein is prohibited without the express written permission of wizards of the coast inc any similarity to actual people organizations places or events included herein is purely coincidental printed in the u.s.a ©2008 wizards of the coast inc visit our website at www.wizards.com/dnd 4e_phb_ch0fm_toc.indd 2 3/18/08 1:14:43 pm

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contents 1 how to play 4 5 skills 176 a roleplaying game 6 a fantastic world 7 what s in a d&d game 8 how do you play 9 the core mechanic 11 three basic rules 11 2 making characters 12 skill training 178 using skills 178 knowledge skills 179 skill descriptions 180 6 feats 190 character creation 14 race class and role 14 ability scores 16 roleplaying 18 alignment vs personality 19 making checks 25 gaining levels 27 retraining 28 the three tiers 28 character sheet 30 3 character races 32 choosing feats 192 feat descriptions 193 heroic tier feats 193 paragon tier feats 202 epic tier feats 206 multiclass feats 208 7 equipment 210 dragonborn 34 dwarf 36 eladrin 38 elf 40 half-elf 42 halfling 44 being small 44 human 46 tiefling 48 4 character classes 50 introducing the classes 52 paragon paths 53 epic destinies 53 power types and usage 54 power sources 54 how to read a power 54 cleric 60 paragon paths 72 fighter 75 paragon paths 86 paladin 89 paragon paths 100 ranger 103 paragon paths 113 rogue 116 paragon paths 126 warlock 129 paragon paths 140 warlord 143 paragon paths 153 wizard 156 wizards and rituals 158 paragon paths 169 epic destinies 172 coins and currency 212 armor and shields 212 weapons 215 adventuring gear 221 magic items 223 identifying magic items 223 armor 227 weapons 232 holy symbols 236 orbs 238 rods 239 staff s 241 wands 242 arms slot items 244 feet slot items 246 hands slot items 247 head slot items 248 neck slot items 249 rings 251 waist slot items 252 wondrous items 253 potions 255 8 adventuring 256 quests 258 encounters 258 rewards 259 exploration 260 rest and recovery 263 9 combat 264 the combat sequence 266 visualizing the action 266 initiative 267 the surprise round 267 action types 267 taking your turn 268 attacks and defenses 269 attack types 270 choosing targets 272 attack roll 273 defenses 274 bonuses and penalties 275 attack results 276 durations 278 saving throws 279 attack modifiers 279 combat advantage 279 cover and concealment 280 targeting what you can t see 281 movement and position 282 creature size and space 282 speed 283 tactical movement 283 falling 284 flanking 285 pull push and slide 285 teleportation 286 phasing 286 actions in combat 286 action points 286 aid another 287 basic attack 287 bull rush 287 charge 287 coup de grace 288 crawl 288 delay 288 escape 288 grab 290 opportunity attack 290 ready an action 291 run 291 second wind 291 shift 292 squeeze 292 stand up 292 total defense 292 use a power 292 walk 292 healing 293 healing in combat 293 regeneration 293 temporary hit points 293 death and dying 295 knocking creatures unconscious 295 healing the dying 295 10 rituals 296 acquiring and mastering a ritual 298 performing a ritual 298 how to read a ritual 299 ritual descriptions 300 playtester credits 316 index 317 character sheet 318 4e_phb_ch0fm_toc.indd 3 3/10/08 5:00:14 pm

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chapter 1 1 how to play world of bold warriors mighty wizards and terrible monsters imagine a world of ancient ruins vast caverns and great wild wastes where only the bravest heroes dare to tread imagine a world of swords and magic a world of elves and goblins a world of giants and dragons this is the world of the dungeons dragons® roleplaying game also referred to as d&d the pinnacle of fantasy roleplaying games you take on the role of a legendary hero a skilled fighter a courageous cleric a deadly rogue or a spell-hurling wizard with some willing friends and a little imagination you strike out on daring missions and epic quests testing yourself against an array of daunting challenges and bloodthirsty monsters get ready the player s handbook contains everything you need to create a heroic character of your own to start you on your first adventure this chapter discusses the following topics a roleplaying game how the d&d game is different from any other game you ve played what s in a d&d game the essential ingredients of the dungeons dragons game how do you play a look at what happens during the game including a brief example of activity at the game table the core mechanic the single fundamental rule you need to know for most challenges you face in the game imagine a ch a p t er 1 how to play 4 4e_phb_ch01.indd 4 r alph hor sle y 3/10/08 4:44:37 pm

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a roleplaying game the dungeons dragons game is a roleplaying game in fact d&d invented the roleplaying game and started an industry a roleplaying game is a storytelling game that has elements of the games of make-believe that many of us played as children however a roleplaying game such as d&d provides form and structure with robust gameplay and endless possibilities d&d is a fantasy-adventure game you create a character team up with other characters your friends explore a world and battle monsters while the d&d game uses dice and miniatures the action takes place in your imagination there you have the freedom to create anything you can imagine with an unlimited special effects budget and the technology to make anything happen what makes the d&d game unique is the dungeon master the dm is a person who takes on the role of lead storyteller and game referee the dm creates adventures for the characters and narrates the action for the players the dm makes d&d infinitely f lexible he or she can react to any situation any twist or turn suggested by the players to make a d&d adventure vibrant exciting and unexpected the adventure is the heart of the d&d game it s like a fantasy movie or novel except the characters that you and your friends create are the stars of the story the dm sets the scene but no one knows what s going to happen until the characters do something and then anything can happen you might explore a dark dungeon a ruined city a lost temple deep in a jungle or a lava-filled cavern beneath a mysterious mountain you solve puzzles talk with other characters battle all kinds of fantastic monsters and discover fabulous magic items and treasure d&d is a cooperative game in which you and your friends work together to complete each adventure and have fun it s a storytelling game where the only limit is your imagination it s a fantasy-adventure game building on the traditions of the greatest fantasy stories of all time in an adventure you can attempt anything you can think of want to talk to the dragon instead of fighting it want to disguise yourself as an orc and sneak into the foul lair go ahead and give it a try your actions might work or they might fail spectacularly but either way you ve contributed to the unfolding story of the adventure and probably had fun along the way you win the dungeons dragons game by participating in an exciting story of bold adventurers confronting deadly perils the game has no real end when you finish one story or quest you can start another one many people who play the d&d game keep their games going for months or years meeting with their friends every week to pick up the story where they left off your character grows as the game continues each monster defeated each adventure completed and each treasure recovered not only adds to your continuing story but also earns your character new abilities this increase in power is ref lected by your character s level as you continue to play your character gains more experience rising in level and mastering new and more powerful abilities from time to time your character might come to a grisly end torn apart by ferocious monsters or done in by a nefarious villain but even when your character is defeated you don t lose your companions can employ powerful magic to revive your character or you might choose to create a new character to carry on from where the previous character fell you might fail to complete the adventure but if you had a good time and you created a story that everyone remembers for a long time the whole group wins ch a p t er 1 how to play 6 4e_phb_ch01.indd 6 3/10/08 4:44:45 pm williamo co nnor

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a fantastic world the world of the dungeons dragons game is a place of magic and monsters of brave warriors and spectacular adventures it begins with a basis of medieval fantasy and then adds the creatures places and powers that make the d&d world unique the world of the d&d game is ancient built upon and beneath the ruins of past empires leaving the landscape dotted with places of adventure and mystery legends and artifacts of past empires still survive as do terrible menaces the current age has no all-encompassing empire the world is shrouded in a dark age between the collapse of the last great empire and the rise of the next which might be centuries away minor kingdoms prosper to be sure baronies holdings city-states but each settlement appears as a point of light in the widespread darkness a haven an island of civilization in the wilderness that covers the world adventurers can rest and recuperate in settlements between adventures no settlement is entirely safe however and adventures break out within and under such places as often as not during your adventures you might visit a number of fantastic locations wide cavern passages cut by rivers of lava towers held aloft in the sky by ancient magic forests of strange twisted trees with shimmering fog in the air anything you can imagine your character might experience as the game unfolds monsters and supernatural creatures are a part of this world they prowl in the dark places between the points of light some are threats others are willing to aid you and many fall into both camps and might react differently depending on how you approach them magic is everywhere people believe in and accept the power that magic provides however true masters of magic are rare many people have access to a little magic and such minor magic helps those living within the points of light to maintain their communities but those who have the power to shape spells the way a blacksmith shapes metal are as rare as adventurers and appear as friends or foes to you and your companions at some point all adventurers rely on magic in one form or another wizards and warlocks draw magic from the fabric of the universe shape it with their will and hurl it at their foes in explosive blasts clerics and paladins call down the wrath of their gods to sear their foes with divine radiance or they invoke their gods mercy to heal their allies wounds fighters rangers rogues and warlords don t use obviously magical powers but their expertise with their magic weapons makes them masters of the battlefield at the highest levels of play even nonmagical adventurers perform deeds no mere mortal could dream of doing without magic swinging great axes in wide swaths that shake the earth around them or cloaking themselves in shadow to become invisible the history of d&d before roleplaying games before computer games before trading card games there were wargames using metal miniatures to re-create famous battles from history wargamers were the original hobby gamers in 1971 gary gygax created chainmail a set of rules that added fantastic creatures and magic into the traditional wargame in 1972 dave arneson approached gygax with a new take instead of controlling a massive army each player would play a single character a hero instead of fighting each other the heroes would cooperate to defeat villains and gain rewards this combination of rules miniatures and imagination created a totally new entertainment experience and in 1974 gygax and arneson published the first set of roleplaying game rules with tsr inc the dungeons dragons game in 1977 the rules were rewritten and repackaged into the dungeons dragons basic set and suddenly d&d was on its way to becoming a phenomenon a year later the first edition of advanced dungeons dragons was published in a series of high-quality hardcover books throughout the 1980s the game experienced remarkable growth novels a cartoon series computer games and the first campaign settings forgotten realms and dragonlance were released and in 1989 the long-awaited second edition of ad&d took the world by storm the 1990s started out strong with the release of more campaign settings including ravenloft dark sun and planescape but as the decade was drawing to a close the d&d juggernaut was losing steam in 1997 wizards of the coast purchased tsr inc and moved its creative staff to seattle to begin work on the third edition of the original roleplaying game in 2000 the third edition of d&d was released and it was hailed as an innovation in game mechanics in this period d&d reached new heights of popularity celebrated its thirtieth anniversary and published an amazing collection of rulesbooks supplements and adventures we ve seen d&d grow and make its mark on popular culture it has inspired multiple generations of gamers writers computer game designers filmmakers and more with its ability to expand the imagination and inspire creativity now we ve reached a new milestone this is the 4th edition of the dungeons dragons game it s new it s exciting it s bright and shiny it builds on what has gone before and firmly establishes d&d for the next decade of play whether you were with the game from the beginning or just discovered it today this new edition is your key to a world of fantasy and adventure ch a p t er 1 how to play arolepl ay inggame 7 4e_phb_ch01.indd 7 3/10/08 4:44:47 pm

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what s in a d&d game all dungeons dragons games have four basic ingredients at least one player four or five players is best a dungeon master an adventure and game books and dice adventure builder the dm creates adventures or selects premade adventures for you and the other players to play through narrator the dm sets the pace of the story and presents the various challenges and encounters the players must overcome monster controller the dungeon master controls the monsters and villains the player characters battle against choosing their actions and rolling dice for their attacks referee when it s not clear what ought to happen next the dm decides how to apply the rules and adjudicate the story the dungeon master controls the monsters and villains in the adventure but he isn t your adversary the dm s job is to provide a framework for the whole group to enjoy an exciting adventure that means challenging the player characters with interesting encounters and tests keeping the game moving and applying the rules fairly many d&d players find that being the dungeon master is the best part of the game taking on the dungeon master role isn t necessarily a permanent post you and your friends can take turns being the dm from adventure to adventure if you think you d like to be the dungeon master in your group you can find all the tools to help you in the dungeon master s guide player characters as a player you create a character a heroic adventurer this adventurer is part of a team that delves into dungeons battles monsters and explores the world s dark wilderness a player-generated character is known as a player character pc like the protagonists of a novel or a movie player characters are at the center of the game s action when you play your d&d character you put yourself into your character s shoes and make decisions as if you were that character you decide which door your character opens next you decide whether to attack a monster to negotiate with a villain or to attempt a dangerous quest you can make these decisions based on your character s personality motivations and goals and you can even speak or act in character if you like you have almost limitless control over what your character can do and say in the game the dungeon master one person has a special role in a d&d game the dungeon master dm the dungeon master presents the adventure and the challenges that the players try to overcome every d&d game needs a dungeon master you can t play without one the dungeon master has several functions in the game the adventure adventurers need adventures a dungeons dragons adventure consists of a series of events when the players decide which way to go next and game dice the game uses polyhedral dice with different numbers of sides as shown below you can find dice like these in the store where you bought this book in any game store and in many bookstores in these rules the different dice are referred to by the letter d followed by the number of sides d4 d6 the common sixsided die many games use d8 d10 d12 and d20 when you need to roll dice the rules tell you how many dice to roll what size they are and what modifiers to add for example 3d8 5 means you roll three eight-sided dice and add 5 to the total you can use d10s to roll percentages if you ever need to roll 1d10 for the tens and 1d10 for the ones to generate a number between 1 and 100 two 10s is 100 but otherwise a 10 on the tens die counts as 0 so a 10 on the tens die and a 7 on the ones die is a result of 7 not 107 d4 d6 d8 d10 d12 d20 ch a p t er 1 how to play 8 4e_phb_ch01.indd 8 3/10/08 4:44:48 pm

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how their characters meet the resulting encounters and challenges they turn the adventure into an exciting story about their characters d&d adventures feature action combat mystery magic challenges and lots of monsters adventures come in three forms ready to play the dm can buy or obtain professionally written ready-to-play adventures from a number of sources including www.dndinsider.com adventure hooks and components most d&d supplements offer pieces of adventures story ideas maps interesting villains or monsters that the dm can assemble into an adventure dungeon m agazine www.dndinsider.com is also a rich source of adventure material homemade many dms choose to create their own dungeons and adventures building challenging encounters and stocking them with monsters from the monster manual and treasure from the player s handbook an adventure can be a simple dungeon crawl a series of rooms filled with monsters and traps with little story to explain why the adventurers need to explore them or as complex as a murder mystery or a tale of political intrigue it can last for a single game session or stretch out over many sessions of play for example exploring a haunted castle might take half a dozen game sessions over the course of a couple of months of real time when the same group of player characters plays with the same dungeon master through multiple adventures you ve got a campaign the story of the heroes doesn t end with a single adventure but continues on for as long as you like miniatures each player needs a miniature to represent his or her character and the dm needs minis for monsters official d&d miniatures are custommade to be used with the d&d game battle grid or dungeon tiles combat in d&d plays out on a grid of 1-inch squares you can pick up an erasable battle grid at many hobby game stores or try d&d dungeon tiles heavy cardstock tiles that can be set up to create a wide variety of locations or you can create your own grid how do you play your piece in the dungeons dragons game is your character he or she is your representative in the game world through your character you can interact with the game world in any way you want the only limit is your imagination and sometimes how high you roll on the dice basically the d&d game consists of a group of player characters taking on an adventure presented by the dungeon master each adventure is made up of encounters challenges of some sort that your characters face encounters come in two types combat encounters are battles against nefarious foes in a combat encounter characters and monsters take turns attacking until one side or the other is defeated noncombat encounters include deadly traps difficult puzzles and other obstacles to overcome sometimes you overcome noncombat encounters by using your character s skills sometimes you can defeat them with clever uses of magic and sometimes you have to puzzle them out with nothing but your wits noncombat encounters also include social interactions such as attempts to persuade bargain with or obtain information from a nonplayer character npc controlled by the dm whenever you decide that your character wants to talk to a person or monster it s a noncombat encounter game books and dice the action of the game takes place mostly in your imagination but you still need a few game pieces to play d&d player s handbook every player needs a player s handbook for reference dungeon master s guide and monster manual the dungeon master needs a copy of each of these books and players might also enjoy perusing the contents dice the dungeons dragons game requires a special set of game dice see the sidebar character sheet to keep track of all the important information about your character use the character sheet at the back of this book or check out www.dndinsider.com you might find some of the following items and accessories useful at your game table exploration between encounters your characters explore the world you make decisions about which way your character travels and what he or she tries to do next exploration is the give-and-take of you telling the dm what you want your character to do and the dm telling you what happens when your character does it for example let s say the player characters have just climbed down into a dark chasm the dm tells you that your characters see three tunnels leading from the chasm floor into the gloom you and the other players decide which tunnel your characters venture into first and you tell the dm which way ch a p t er 1 how to play h ow d o yo u p l ay 9 4e_phb_ch01.indd 9 3/10/08 4:44:50 pm

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your characters are heading that s exploration you might try almost anything else finding a place to hide and set an ambush in case monsters come by shouting hello any monsters here as loud as you can or searching the chasm floor carefully in case there s anything interesting lying amid the boulders and moss that s all exploration too decisions you make as you explore eventually lead to encounters for example one tunnel might lead into a nest of hungry gricks if you decide to go that way your characters are heading into a combat encounter another tunnel might lead to a door sealed by a magic lock that you have to break through a noncombat encounter while exploring a dungeon or other adventure location you might try to do any of the following actions move down a hallway follow a passage cross a room listen by a door to determine if you hear anything on the other side try a door to see if it s locked break down a locked door search a room for treasure pull levers push statues or furnishings around pick the lock of a treasure chest jury-rig a trap the dungeon master decides whether or not something you try actually works some actions automatically succeed you can move around without trouble usually some require one or more die rolls called checks breaking down a locked door for example and some simply can t succeed your character is capable of any deeds a strong smart agile and well-armed human action hero can pull off you can t punch your way through a door of 3-inch-thick iron plate with your bare hands for example not unless you have powerful magic to help you out example of play here s a typical d&d game session the adventurers are exploring the ruins of an old dwarven stronghold now infested by monsters the players in this session are dave the dungeon master toby whose character is the human fighter ammar cam playing isidro a halfling rogue daneen whose character is an eladrin wizard named serissa dave dm old stone steps climb up about 30 feet or so into the mountainside alongside a cold stream splashing through the cave the steps end at a landing in front of a big stone door carved with the image of a bearded dwarf face the door stands open about a foot or so there s a bronze gong hanging from a bracket in the wall nearby what do you do cam isidro i ll creep up and peek through the opening daneen serissa i want to take a closer look at the gong toby ammar i m going to hang back and keep watch in case isidro gets into trouble cam isidro not a chance i m a pro dave dm okay first serissa it s a battered old bronze gong there s a small hammer hanging beside it toby ammar don t touch it daneen serissa i wasn t going to it looks like the doorbell to me no sense telling the monsters we re here dave dm okay now for isidro since you re trying to be sneaky cam make a stealth check cam rolls a stealth check for isidro i got a 22 dave dm isidro is pretty stealthy dave compares isidro s stealth check result to the perception check result of the monsters he knows are in the next room cam s roll beats the perception check so the monsters don t know the half ling is there daneen serissa so what does he see dave dm you re by the gong remember isidro you peek in the door s opening and you see a large stone hall with several thick pillars there s a large fire pit in the center of the room filled with dimming embers you see four beastlike humanoids with hyena faces crouching around the fire pit and a big animal like a real hyena but much bigger dozing on the floor nearby the hyenamen are armed with spears and axes toby ammar gnolls i hate those guys daneen serissa looks like we ll have to fight our way in can we take them cam isidro no problem we ve got the drop on em dave dm so are you going through the door the players all agree that they are show me where your characters are standing right before you go in taking your turn in exploration you don t usually need to take turns the dm normally prompts you by asking what do you do you answer and then the dm tells you what happens you can break in with questions offer suggestions to other players or tell the dm a new action any time you like but try to be considerate of the other players they want their characters to take actions too in combat encounters it works differently the player characters and the monsters all take turns in a fixed rotation called the initiative order ch a p t er 1 how to play 10 4e_phb_ch01.indd 10 3/10/08 4:44:51 pm

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the players arrange their characters miniatures on the dungeon tiles that dave has prepared for the encounter they re now on the landing just outside the room with the gnolls toby ammar all right on the count of three one two three dave dm you ve surprised the gnolls everybody roll initiative and we ll see if you can take these guys or not what happens next can ammar isidro and serissa defeat the gnolls that depends on how the players play their characters and how lucky they are with their dice check to see if you managed to jump across a pit your check result determines how far you jumped if you succeed on a check when you re trying to hide the monsters don t see you there s a little more to it than that but the core mechanic governs all game play all the rest of the rules in the book are extensions and refinements of this simple mechanic three basic rules in addition to the core mechanic three principles are at the heart of the dungeons dragons game many other rules are based on these assumptions simple rules many exceptions every class race feat power and monster in the d&d game lets you break the rules in some way these can be very minor ways most characters don t know how to use longbows but every elf does these exceptions can also appear in very significant ways a swing with a sword normally does a few points of damage but a high-level fighter can use a power that can fell multiple monsters in a single blow all these game elements are little ways of breaking the rules and most of the books published for the d&d game are full of these game elements the core mechanic how do you know if your sword-swing hurts the dragon or just bounces off its iron-hard scales how do you know if the ogre believes your outrageous bluff or if you can swim the raging river and reach the other side all these actions depend on very basic simple rules decide what you want your character to do and tell the dungeon master the dm tells you to make a check and figures out your chance of success a target number for the check you roll a twenty-sided die d20 add some numbers and try to hit the target number determined by the dm that s it the core mechanic 1 roll a d20 you want to roll high 2 add all relevant modifiers 3 compare the total to a target number if your check result is higher than or equal to the target number you succeed if your check result is lower than the target number you fail if your check succeeds you determine the outcome if your check was an attack you roll damage if it was a specific beats general if a specific rule contradicts a general rule the specific rule wins for example a general rule states that you can t use a daily power when you charge but if you have a daily power that says you can use it when you charge the power s specific rule wins it doesn t mean that you can use any daily power when you charge just that one always round down unless otherwise noted if you wind up with a fraction as the result of a calculation round down even if the fraction is 1/2 or larger for instance this rule comes into play whenever you calculate one-half your level if your level is an odd number you always round down to the next lower whole number d&d insider think the game ends with the words on these pages think again check out www.dndinsider.com for all kinds of information game tools and community participation in your favorite game for a nominal subscription d&d insider unlocks the ongoing content of dragon magazine and dungeon magazine online with issue updates happening multiple times each week in addition to great articles adventure hooks and inside information d&d insider provides an interactive database of all things d&d a custom d&d character builder that helps you create and manage your characters a suite of powerful tools to help dungeon masters manage their adventures and campaigns and the remarkable d&d game table that turns the internet into your kitchen table so that you can play d&d with distant friends anytime anywhere d&d insider is constantly updated with new material new stories new tools and new features dedicated to the phenomenon that is the d&d experience ch a p t er 1 how to play t h e co r e m ec hanic 11 4e_phb_ch01.indd 11 3/10/08 4:44:52 pm

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chapter 2 2 making characters step in playing d&d is to imagine and then create a character of your own your character is a combination of the fantastic hero in your mind s eye and the different game rules that describe what he or she can do you choose a race such as elf or dragonborn a class such as wizard or fighter and distinct powers such as magic spells or divine prayers then you invent a personality description and story for your character your character is your representative in the game your avatar in the d&d world a character is a combination of game statistics and roleplaying hooks the statistics define the physical aspects of what the character does in the world while roleplaying choices define who he or she is throughout this book we use the word you interchangeably with your character as far as the rules of the game are concerned your character is you you decide what your character does as you move through the world exploring dungeons fighting monsters and interacting with other characters in the game this chapter includes the following sections character creation a guide to the character creation process ability scores how to generate your character s ability scores roleplaying elements to help you shape your character including alignment deities personality appearance background and languages making checks expanding on the core mechanic to explain the basic die rolls of the game gaining levels rules for gaining experience levels and advancing your character character sheet explanation of a character sheet and where you can find information for each entry on the sheet your first chapt er 2 making c h aracters 12 4e_phb_ch02.indd 12 h owa r d lyo n 3/10/08 4:43:01 pm

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character creation first take a minute to imagine your character think about the kind of hero you want your character to be your character exists in your imagination all the game statistics do is help you determine what your character can do in the game do you like fantasy fiction featuring dwarves or elves try building a character of one of those races do you want your character to be the toughest adventurer at the table try choosing fighter or paladin for your character class if you don t know where else to begin take a look at the art that appears throughout this book and the brief character descriptions in each race entry in chapter 3 and see what catches your interest follow these steps to create your d&d character you can take these out of order for example some people prefer to pick their powers last 1 choose race decide the race of your character your choice of race offers several racial advantages to your character chapter 3 2 choose class your class represents your training or profession and it is the most important part of your character s capabilities chapter 4 3 determine ability scores generate your ability scores your ability scores describe the fundamental strengths of your body and mind your race adjusts the scores you generate and different classes rely on different ability scores chapter 2 4 choose skills skills measure your ability to perform tasks such as jumping across chasms hiding from observers and identifying monsters chapter 5 5 select feats feats are natural advantages or special training you possess chapter 6 6 choose powers each character class offers a different selection of powers to choose from chapter 4 7 choose equipment pick your character s armor weapons implements and basic adventuring gear at higher levels you ll be able to find and create magic items chapter 7 8 fill in the numbers calculate your hit points armor class and other defenses initiative attack bonuses damage bonuses and skill check bonuses chapter 2 9 roleplaying character details flesh out your character with details about your personality appearance and beliefs chapter 2 race class and role the first two decisions you make in character creation are picking your character s race and choosing a class together these describe your basic character concept for example dwarf fighter eladrin wizard or tiefling warlord your choice of character class also determines your character s role the job your character does when the adventuring party is in a fight you should pick the race and class combination that interests you the most however sometimes it s a good idea to first consider the role you want your character to fill for example if you join an existing game and none of the other players are playing a character in the defender role you would help them out by playing a fighter or a paladin character race a variety of fantastic races populate the world of the dungeons dragons game people such as dragonborn dwarves and elves in any good-sized town or city you typically run across at least a few individuals of each race even if they are simply travelers or wandering mercenaries looking for their next challenge many different intelligent creatures populate the world creatures such as dragons mind flayers and demons these aren t characters you can play they re monsters you fight your character is an adventurer of one of the civilized races of the world dragonborn are proud honor-bound draconic humanoids they wander the world as mercenaries and adventurers they are strong and possess dragonlike abilities legendary for their toughness and strong will dwarves are indomitable warriors and master artisans dwarven kingdoms are mighty mountain citadels but clans of dwarf crafters can be found in any town or city eladrin are a graceful magical race born of the feywild the realm of faerie they love arcane magic swordplay and exquisite work in metal and stone they live in shining cities on the borders of the feywild kin to the eladrin elves dwell in the deep forests of the world and love the beauty of nature many elves and some eladrin too live in wandering companies that visit many lands staying a season or two in each elves and humans sometimes have children together giving rise to half-elves with many of the best features of both humans and elves half-elves have capabilities distinct from both races they are charismatic and versatile chapt er 2 making c h aracters 14 4e_phb_ch02.indd 14 3/10/08 4:43:10 pm

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halflings the smallest of the civilized races are a plucky quick and likable people halflings gather in small clans in the marshes and along the rivers of the world traveling and trading widely with the other races brave and ambitious humans are somewhat more numerous than other races and their city-states are among the brightest spots in a dark world however there still exist vast portions of the world where no human has set foot tief lings are a race descended from ancient humans who bargained with infernal powers tieflings are loners who live in the shadows of human society relying only on trusted allies you can learn more about these races in chapter 3 each character race has innate strengths that make it more suited to particular classes however you can create any combination you like there s nothing wrong with playing against type dwarves aren t usually rogues but you can create a capable and effective dwarf rogue by choosing your feats and powers carefully warlock wielders of forbidden lore warlocks are dangerous practitioners of magic who turn their baleful powers against their enemies if you want to deal with mysterious powers scour enemies with potent blasts of eldritch energy and bedevil them with potent curses warlock is the best choice for you warlord hardy and skilled in close combat warlords are brilliant leaders who have the gift of inspiration if you want to lead the battle with the point of your sword coordinate brilliant tactics with your comrades and bolster and heal them when they falter play a warlord wizard masters of potent arcane powers wizards disdain physical conf lict in favor of awesome magic if you want to hurl balls of fire that incinerate your enemies cast spells that change the battlefield or research arcane rituals that can alter time and space you should be a wizard character role each character class specializes in one of four basic functions in combat control and area offense defense healing and support and focused offense the roles embodied by these functions are controller defender leader and striker the classic adventuring party includes one character of each role wizard fighter cleric and rogue character roles identify which classes can stand in for each other for example if you don t have a cleric in your party a warlord serves just as well in the leader role roles also serve as handy tools for building adventuring parties it s a good idea to cover each role with at least one character if you have five or six players in your group it s best to double up on defender first then striker if you don t have all the roles covered that s okay too it just means that the characters need to compensate for the missing function future volumes of the player s handbook will introduce additional classes for all these roles character class many different types of heroes and villains inhabit the world sneaky rogues clever wizards burly fighters and more character race defines your basic appearance and natural talents but character class is your chosen vocation the specific trade you follow you can learn more about these classes in chapter 4 cleric courageous and devout clerics are holy warriors and healers if you want to blast foes with divine powers bolster your companions with healing and magical power and lead them to victory with your wisdom and determination play a cleric fighter fighters are experts in armed combat relying on muscle training and pure grit to see them through if you want to mix it up in close combat protect your companions and hack enemies into submission while their attacks rain down fruitlessly on your heavily armored body be a fighter paladin devout warriors and champions of their deities paladins are divinely inspired knights who fight at the front of a battle if you want to challenge foes to single combat fight for a cause and smite your foes with divine might then paladin is the class for you ranger expert trackers and scouts rangers are wilderness warriors who excel at hit-and-run fighting if you want to master both bow and blade vanish into the woods like a ghost and bring down your foes before they know you re there play a ranger rogue thieves scoundrels dungeon-delvers jacksof-all-trades rogues have a reputation for larceny and trickery if you want to slip into and out of the shadows on a whim tumble across the field of battle with little fear of enemy reprisal and appear from nowhere to plant a blade in your foe s back be a rogue attack powers and utility powers every class gives you access to attack powers you can use to harm or hinder your enemies and utility powers that help you and your allies powers in each of these broad categories are further defined by how often you can use them you can use at-will powers as often as you choose you can use encounter powers many times during a day of adventuring but you have to rest a few minutes between each use so you can use them each once per encounter daily powers are so dramatic and powerful that you can use each one only once a day chapt er 2 making c h arac te rs char ac tercr eat i o n 15 4e_phb_ch02.indd 15 3/10/08 4:43:11 pm

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