QuickStartRules.pdf

WELCOME TO 4TH EDITION

The newest edition of the Dungeons & Dragons ® Role-

playing Game showcases an evolution in gameplay and

puts an emphasis on fun. These quick-start rules provide

an overview of the game so that you can play the Keep on

the Shadowfell adventure. For the complete experience,

including character creation and the full rules of the

game, pick up the D&D ® Player’s Handbook ® , Dungeon

Master’s Guide ® , and Monster Manual ® , and check out

www.dndinsider.com .

✦ Add any relevant modifiers (as shown on your character

sheet).

✦ Compare the total result to a target number determined

by the Dungeon Master.

If the result is equal to or higher than the target

number, the task succeeds. If the result is lower than the

target number, the task fails.

There’s a little more to it than that, but the core

mechanic governs all D&D game play. Everything else

is an extension or refinement of the core mechanic. The

following sections describe common examples of the core

mechanic in play.

DUNGEONS & DRAGONS

D&D is the original roleplaying game, the game that cre-

ated a new category of entertainment. Set in a medieval

fantasy world of magic and monsters, the game allows you

to experience stories and adventures full of endless possi-

bilities and amazing surprises.

SKILL CHECKS

When you use a skill, you make a skill check.

✦ Roll a d20 and add your skill modifier (as shown on your

character sheet or in a monster stat block).

✦ Add any situational modifiers, such as effects from

powers.

✦ The total is your check result.

PLAYING D&D

To play, you need a Dungeon Master (DM) to present chal-

lenges, adjudicate the rules, and narrate the adventure.

You also need players to run heroic characters (having five

players works best), an adventure (such as Keep on the Shad-

owfell ), and dice.

A character is a player’s interface with the world of

D&D. Like the hero of a novel or the star of a movie, the

player characters (PCs) are at the center of the action. But

there’s no script to follow—the course of every adventure is

determined through the actions the players take. And each

character grows and improves as the game goes on.

The D&D game uses a special set of dice, including at

least one of each of the following types: d4, d6, d8, d10,

d12, and d20. The number corresponds to the number of

sides each die has. When you roll 3d6 + 4, for example,

you roll three six-sided dice and add 4 to the result.

It also helps to have D&D Miniatures to represent the

heroes and monsters in the game, and D&D Dungeon

Tiles or a battle grid on which to set up the adventure’s

encounters. You can usually find these products at your

local game store or book retailer.

The higher the result, the better. Your result is com-

pared against a Difficulty Class (DC)—a number set by the

DM based on the situation—or an opposed check made by

a character or creature opposing your use of the skill.

Sometimes the only way to complete a complex task

is to perform a skill challenge. A skill challenge requires

a character or characters to achieve a certain number of

successes before achieving a certain number of failures. If

a skill challenge is warranted, an encounter will describe

the relevant skills and how to apply the challenge to the

player character.

ATTACK ROLLS

When you make an attack, you usually make an attack

roll.

✦ Choose the attack type you want to use, such as melee,

ranged, close, or area. (See also “Attack Types”)

✦ Choose a target for your attack that is within the range

of the attack type you selected. Some attacks can target

multiple creatures.

✦ For each creature you are attacking, roll a d20 and add

your attack modifier (as shown on your character sheet

or in the monster stat block).

✦ The total is your attack roll result.

THE CORE MECHANIC

At its heart, the D&D game uses a core game mechanic.

Once you master this, you know how to play the game. It

all revolves around task resolution. How do you know if a

sword swing hits the owlbear? If an outrageous bluff tricks

the guards? If a fireblast spell hits the charging kobolds? It

all depends on these basic rules:

✦ Decide what your character wants to do and tell the

Dungeon Master.

✦ Roll a d20 (the higher the roll, the better).

The higher the result, the better. Your result is

compared against one of the target’s defense scores deter-

mined by the attack power. Characters and monsters have

four defenses: Armor Class (AC), Fortitude, Ref lex, and

Will.

ENCOUNTERS

The action of a D&D game takes place in encounters. In

encounters, all characters have something to do, and it’s

important for them to work together to overcome what-

ever challenge is set before them. Outside of encounters,

characters explore their environment and engage in

social interactions. When exploration or social interac-

tion involves serious consequences for success or failure, it

becomes an encounter.

Encounters come in two basic forms: combat encoun-

ters and noncombat encounters. During encounters, you

will use powers.

GAINING LEVELS

At the end of an encounter, the Dungeon Master gives

out an equal number of experience points (XP) to each

player character based on the encounter’s difficulty. When

the characters earn enough XP to reach a new level, they

advance and gain new abilities (see the character sheets

for how to improve each character). These improvements

go into effect after an extended rest.

When a character earns a total of 1,000 XP, he or she

achieves 2nd level.

When a character earns a total of 2,250 XP, he or she

achieves 3rd level.

By the end of Keep on the Shadowfell , the characters

should achieve 4th level (3,750 XP) or be very close to

reaching it. From there, you can find more information on

advancing your character in the Player’s Handbook or by

using the D&D Character Builder available for download

at www.dndinsider.com.

COMBAT ENCOUNTERS

Fighting monsters. What D&D adventure would be com-

plete without combat encounters where characters rely on

attack powers, skills, feats, and magic items to battle evil

villains or hordes of ravenous creatures?

NONCOMBAT ENCOUNTERS

Noncombat encounters focus on skill use, utility powers,

your wits, and roleplaying. These encounters include

dealing with traps and hazards, solving puzzles, confront-

ing nonplayer characters (NPCs), and overcoming skill

challenges.

COMBAT

Combat encounters break out when the player characters

run into an opposing force. That force could be a powerful

solo monster, a group of terrifying creatures, or a gang of

villainous nonplayer characters. The chaos of combat is

organized into a cycle of rounds and turns.

Round: In a round, every combatant takes a turn. A

round represents about 6 seconds in the game world.

Tu rn: On your turn, you have a specific set of actions

that you can use.

POWERS

During encounters, you will use 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.

COMBAT SEQUENCE

A combat encounter follows this sequence:

Establish positions. The DM decides where the com-

batants start out on the battle grid. The DM shows the

players where they can set up their characters, and then

he or she places the monsters.

Roll initiative. Everyone involved in the encounter

rolls initiative (roll a d20 and add the initiative modifier

on your character sheet). This determines the order of

battle for the entire encounter.

Take surprise round actions. If any combatants

gained a surprise round, they act in initiative order, each

taking a single action.

THREE BASIC RULES

Along with the core mechanic, three basic principles should

always be remembered. Other rules in the game are based

on these assumptions.

Simple Rules, Many Exceptions: Every class, race, feat,

power, and monster in the D&D game breaks the rules in

some way. From minor to significant, the game is built upon

exception-based rules design. For example, a normal melee

attack always deals a few points of damage, but every class

has powers that ramp up the damage when they get used.

Specific Beats General: If a specific rule contradicts a

general rule, the specific rule wins. For example, you nor-

mally can’t move as part of a regular attack. But if you have

a power that allows you to move and attack, that specific

rule trumps the general rule—when you use that power.

Always Round Down: When the game asks you to divide

a number, such as when you deal half damage with an attack,

you always round down to the next lower whole number.

Take turns. In initiative order, highest result starting

first, every combatant takes a turn.

Repeat. Start a new round and repeat the initiative

order. Continue until one side or the other f lees or is

defeated.

End the encounter. After one side or the other f lees or

is defeated, the encounter ends when the remaining side

takes a short rest or an extended rest.

ThE EnD of YouR TuRn

After you act, use the end of your turn to keep track of any

effects.

✦ Saving Throws. You now make a saving throw against

each effect that can be ended with a save. Roll a d20. If

you roll lower than 10, the effect continues. If you roll 10

or higher, the effect ends.

✦ End Effects. Some effects end automatically at the end

of your turn.

✦ no Actions. You can’t take any actions during the end of

your turn.

TAKING YOUR TURN

On your initiative order, you take your turn. Your turn

has three parts: the start of your turn, actions during your

turn, and the end of your turn. For the DM, a turn consists

of taking actions for the monsters in the encounter.

DuRinG oThERS’ TuRnS

There are two action types that have triggers—an action,

event, or condition that happens during another combat-

ant’s turn. A power’s triggering condition must be met

before you can use that power.

Opportunity Action: When an enemy lets its guard

down, you can take an opportunity action. You can take

only one opportunity action during each combatant’s turn.

An opportunity action interrupts the action that triggered

it.

Opportunity Attack : The most common opportunity

action is an opportunity attack. When an enemy leaves a

square adjacent to you, or when an enemy adjacent to you

makes a ranged attack or an area attack, you can make an

opportunity attack against that enemy.

Immediate Action: Interrupts and reactions are imme-

diate actions. Every immediate action has some kind of

trigger. You can only take one immediate action per round—

an immediate reaction or an immediate interrupt—and you

can’t take an immediate action on your turn.

Immediate Interrupt: This action lets you act before the

triggering action is resolved. If the interrupt invalidates

the triggering action, that action is lost.

Immediate Reaction: This action lets you act in response

to a triggering action. The triggering action is completely

resolved before you take your reaction.

Free Actions With Triggers: A few powers that have

triggers are free actions. These powers act like immediate

interrupts, but they can be used during your turn as well

as during any other combatants’ turn.

ThE START of YouR TuRn

Before you act, use the start of your turn to keep track of

any effects.

✦ ongoing Damage. If you’re suffering ongoing damage,

you take damage now.

✦ Regeneration. If you have regeneration, you regain hit

points now.

✦ other Effects . Deal with any other effects that occur at

the start of your turn.

✦ no Actions. You can’t take any actions during the start

of your turn.

AcTionS DuRinG YouR TuRn

During your turn, you can take a few actions.

✦ Standard Action: You can normally take one standard

action on your turn. Most attack powers require the use

of a standard action.

✦ Move Action: You can normally take one move action

on your turn. Walking your speed requires the use of a

move action.

✦ Minor Action: A minor action lets you perform a task

that requires minimal action or attention. Using certain

powers and class features, drawing a weapon, or opening

a chest requires a minor action.

✦ free Action: Free actions take almost no time or effort.

You can take as many free actions as you want during

your or another combatant’s turn, as allowed by the DM.

Free actions include talking and dropping a held item.

✦ Any order. You can take your actions in any order, and

you can skip any of them.

✦ Substitute Actions. You can swap a standard action

for a move action or a minor action, and you can swap a

move action for a minor action.

✦ Extra Action. You can take one extra action of any type

by spending an action point.

✦ other combatants’ Actions. Other combatants

can take free actions on your turn, and you might take

actions that trigger immediate actions or opportunity

actions from other combatants.

ATTACKS AND DAMAGE

If you successfully attack an enemy, you deal damage,

aff lict your target with a condition or an effect, or both. To

determine damage, roll the damage dice specified on the

power you attacked with. Damage reduces a character’s hit

points (HP).

CRITICAL HITS

When you roll a 20 on the die when making an attack roll,

you score a critical hit.

Instead of rolling damage, you deal the maximum

amount of damage possible for the attack.

For example, the dwarf fighter scores a critical hit

with his basic melee attack. The damage for this attack is

2d6 + 3. Thus, maximum damage for this attack is 15 (6 +

6 + 3 = 15).

Area of Effect: Each close attack has an area of effect,

which determines the attack’s shape. A power determines

what creatures you attack within that area—whether the

attack hits all creatures, including allies, or just enemies. A

target is not affected if you cannot trace an unbroken line

between at least one corner of the origin square and one

corner of the target’s square.

Area Attack. Area attacks are similar to close attacks,

except that their origin square is some distance away from

the user. A ball of fire that streaks across the battlefield

and explodes is an example of an area attack.

Range and Origin Square: An area attack’s range is given

in the power description. A creature must choose a square

within range as the origin square. The origin square is

where the area of effect is centered, and the character

using the power must be able to trace an unbroken line

between at least one corner of the origin square and one

corner of his or her square. An area power’s range includes

both the maximum distance to the origin square and the

size of the area of effect.

Area of Effect: The area of effect sets the shape of the

attack and determines the targets it affects. A power

determines what creatures you attack within that area—

whether the attack hits all creatures, including allies, or

just enemies. A target is not affected if you cannot trace

an unbroken line between at least one corner of the origin

square and one corner of the target’s square.

Opportunity Attacks: Using an area attack provokes

opportunity attacks from enemies adjacent to you.

FLANKING

Flanking provides a simple combat tactic for you and an

ally to use against an enemy. When you are f lanking an

enemy, you have combat advantage against that enemy. To

f lank an enemy, you and an ally must be adjacent to the

enemy and on opposite sides of the enemy’s space. You

and your ally must be able to attack the enemy. If you are

affected by an effect that prevents you from taking oppor-

tunity actions, such as dazed, you don’t f lank.

COMBAT ADVANTAGE

When a defender can’t give full attention to defense,

it grants combat advantage to its attacker. This usu-

ally occurs when the defender is f lanked, dazed, prone,

blinded, stunned, or otherwise caught off guard.

✦ +2 Bonus to Attack Rolls. You gain this bonus when

you have combat advantage against the target of your

attack.

✦ Able to See Target. You must be able to see a target to

gain combat advantage against it.

ATTACK TYPES

There are four attack types.

Melee Attack. A melee attack targets creatures adja-

cent to you and typically uses a weapon. Attacking with

a sword or a mace is an example of a melee attack. Some

monsters and special weapons have reach and can target

nonadjacent creatures.

Ranged Attack. A ranged attack is a strike against a

distant target. A ranged attack typically targets only one

creature within its range. Shooting a bow or firing a magic

missile is an example of a ranged attack.

Range: Ranged powers specify how far away from you

a creature can be to target it. A power that has “Ranged

10” can target a creature 10 or fewer squares away. Some

ranged attack powers instead have “Ranged weapon,”

which means the power’s range is determined by the

ranged weapon you are wielding.

A ranged weapon has two range numbers: its normal

range and its long range. If a target is farther away than

a weapon’s normal range but within its long range, the

attack takes a –2 penalty to the attack roll.

Opportunity Attacks: Using a ranged attack provokes

opportunity attacks from enemies adjacent to you.

Close Attack. A close attack is a force that sweeps out-

ward from an origin square, whether from a sword swung

in a circle or from a blast of energy that cascades outward.

Origin Square: Depending on the power you use, close

attacks originate in your square or in a square adjacent to

you.

TARGETS

To target a creature, it must be within a power’s range or

area of effect. Many powers allow a creature to select mul-

tiple targets.

Multiple Targets. Whenever a creature uses a power

with an area of effect, it makes a single damage roll but a

separate attack roll for each affected creature. It’s easiest to

go in that order, especially if the power deals half damage

on a miss. Roll the damage dice, add up the total damage,

and then make attack rolls one by one.

Blast: A blast fills an area adjacent to the caster that is

a specified number of squares on a side. For example, a

power that is a blast 3 affects a 3-square-by-3-square area

adjacent to the character using that power. The origin

square (the character’s space) is not affected by the blast.

A blast only affects a target if the target is in the blast’s

area of effect and if there is an unbroken line between one

corner of the target’s square and one corner of the origin

square.

Burst: A burst extends in all directions from the origin

square to a specified number of squares. For a close burst,

the origin square is the space the character using the

power occupies. For an area burst, it is a chosen square

within the power’s range. A close burst does not affect the

origin square, and thus, the character using the power is

unaffected. An area burst does affect the origin square,

and if the character is in the power’s area of effect, he or

she might be targeted by it.

ATTAck MoDifiERS

circumstance Modifier

combat advantage against target +2

Attacker is prone –2

Attacker is restrained –2

Target has cover –2

Target has superior cover –5

Target has concealment (melee and ranged only) –2

Target has total concealment (melee and ranged only) –5

long range (weapon attacks only)

–2

charge attack (melee only)

COVER

Enemies behind a low wall, around a corner, or behind a

tree enjoy some amount of cover.

covER

✦ cover (–2 Penalty to Attack Rolls): The target is

around a corner or protected by terrain.

✦ Superior cover (–5 Penalty to Attack Rolls): The

target is protected by a significant terrain advantage,

such as when fighting behind a window 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.

✦ Target’s Allies Provide cover: When you make a

ranged attack against an enemy and other enemies are

in the way, your target has cover.

✦ 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 can still trace one line to a part of the

target’s space (such as through an arrow slit), the target

has superior cover.

ATTACK MODIFIERS

In combat, many circumstances can increase or decrease

the chance of hitting a target. For example, a f lanked

target is easier to hit, whereas a target behind cover is

harder to hit. A circumstance that provides a temporary

advantage or disadvantage is represented by a modifier to

the attack roll. A creature adds the modifier to the attack

bonus when making an attack.

CONCEALMENT

When you’re fighting in an area of smoke or mist, or

among foliage, you or your foe might have concealment.

concEAlMEnT

✦ Melee Attacks and Ranged Attacks only: Attack

penalties from concealment apply only to the targets of

melee or ranged attacks.

✦ concealment (–2 Penalty to Attack Rolls): The target

is in squares of dim light, foliage, fog, smoke, heavy falling

snow, or rain but is adjacent to you.

✦ Total concealment (–5 Penalty to Attack Rolls): You

can’t see the target. The target is invisible, in darkness, or

in heavy fog, smoke, or foliage and is not adjacent to you.

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