Combat Cheatsheet

[ General Cheatsheet ]

• Roll Dex check
• Initiative order remains the same from round to round

• A round is 6 seconds (phb 181)

These can be done in any order:

• Move (up to your speed), and
• Action

Other:

• Bonus Action: provided by a class/racial feature
  • Take it at any point in your turn, unless the feature states something specific
• Reaction: a response or trigger to an action by another
  • Granted by class/racial feature
  • Taken on your turn or theirs, as specified by the feature that grants it
  • Only one reaction per turn
  • If your reaction interrupts someone else's action, they get to finish their action after you're done

Free Actions:

• Talk
• Interact with one object or feature of the environment
  • Example: draw weapon (this is a book example)
  • Example: open a door (this is a book example)

• Determine who might be surprised
• Roll all sneakers Dex (Stealth) vs passive Wis (Perception) of all opposing creatures
  • Passive: 10 + all modifiers that normally apply (ability bonus, proficiency, etc)
• Any character that doesn't notice a threat is surprised

• If you're surprised, you can't move or take an action on your first turn of combat
• You can't take a reaction until that turn ends
• A member of a group can be surprised even if other members are not

[ See Here ]

• Attack: Roll a d20 (or two, if advantage/disadvantage) vs the target's AC
  • + STR bonus for melee weapons or
  • + DEX bonus for ranged weapons, and
  • + proficiency bonus if you are proficient with the weapon
  • ( + Spellcasting Attribute Mod + proficiency bonus ) if making a Spell Attack
  • 20 on a d20 is always a crit:
  • 1 on a d20 is always a miss
• Ties: go to the attacker (p194)
• Damage: roll weapon damage [Ex: 1d4 for a dagger]
  • + STR bonus for melee weapons, or
  • + DEX bonus for ranged weapons

• Spell attack/Ranged spell attack:
  • Roll d20 vs AC, add spell attack mod to roll
  • Ex: d20 roll nets 11, add CHA (3) + Proficency bonus (2) = 15, which hits AC 15 or less
  • NOTE: this can crit just like any other attack roll [ source ]
• Spell with a save:
  • Target rolls d20 + relevant attribute modifier (+ proficiency bonus depending on their class)
  • This roll is vs your spell save DC (8 + primary stat bonus + proficiency bonus)
  • Example: To avoid Burning Hands, succeed on a Dexterity Save check
    • Target rolls d20 which gets a 9, they add +2 from DEX, they are not proficient
    • Caster's spell save DC is 13 = (8 + CHA(3) + prof(2))
    • Defender nets 11 vs Caster's 13
    • Target fails their check

• Roll all damage dice twice
• Do not add modifiers twice (+ STR bonus is only added once)
• This mechanic is applicable to:
  • Melee attacks
  • Ranged attacks
  • Spell attacks
  • If you're rolling a d20 on any type of attack against an AC, it applies
• Does NOT apply to spells cast that require a save check

• You can move through a friendly space
• You can move through a hostile space only if the creature is 2 sizes larger or smaller than you
  • You cannot end your move in a hostile space
  • If you leave a hostile creature's reach during your move, you provoke an attack of opportunity
• Moving through hostile spaces slows your movement rate

• no cover: +0 AC bonus
• half cover: +2 AC bonus
• three-quarters cover: +5 AC bonus
• total cover: cannot be targeted directly, but may still be hit by an AOE
• If multiple sources of cover, only the best one applies

[ Conditions ]

• Target can be no more than one size larger than you
• STR (Athletics) vs either: STR (athletics) or DEX (Acrobatics)
• No action required to release a grappled target
• Escaping a grapple: force another check as in the above
• Moving a grappled creature: your speed is halved when moving your grappled target unless target is 2+ sizes smaller

Grappled is a “Condition”. See the Conditions section for more info.

When you are grappled:

• Speed is 0
• Speed bonuses no longer apply
• Condition ends if grappler is incapacitated
• Condition ends if an effect hurtles the grappler out of range of the target
• Condition ends if the grappler chooses to end it

Prone is a “Condition”. See the Conditions section for more info.

• Standing up uses half of your move action speed (15' of your 30' move)
• You can't stand if you don't have a move action left or if your speed is 0

• Resistance: Damage type is halved after roll (round down)
• Vulnerability: Damage type is doubled after roll
• Multiple Resistance of the same type does NOT stack, ditto for Vulnerability

• Acid
• Bludgeoning
• Cold
• Fire
• Force
• Lightning
• Necrotic
• Piercing
• Poison
• Psychic
• Radiant
• Slashing
• Thunder (== sonic?)

• If a hit drops you to 0 hps and has rollover damage >= your hitpoint max, you die
  • Example: cleric with 6hps (12 max) takes an 18 dmg blow, he dies (18 - 6 = 12 == 12 hit point max)
• If a hit drops you to 0 hps but fails to instakill you (above), you fall unconscious
  • Unconsciousness ends if you regain any hps
• When starting your turn with 0 hps, make a death saving throw
  • 10 or higher, you succeed, otherwise you fail
  • 3rd success, you become stable
  • 3rd failure, you die
  • They do not need to be consecutive
  • A 1 on a d20 counts as two failures
  • A 20 means you regain 1 hp (meaning you stabilize)

• Stabilizing a downed character
  • Make a medicine check, DC 10 Wisdom (Medicine)
    • Success == stabilized (still at 0 hps)
    • If it takes any damage, it will stop being stable

• Short Rest: roll [one to max] hit dice, add con bonus, regain that many hit points
  • These can be rolled individually
  • Example: roll 1 hit die, see if you heal the 3 hps you're missing, and if not, roll a 2nd

• Long Rest: You regain all lost hit points
  • Regain spent healing hit dice up to to half your level
  • Example: a level 3 character regains 1, a level 4 character regains 2