Combat

Combat in System 5 is structured into rounds and turns, where characters and monsters take actions to defeat their opponents.

The Order of Combat

1. Determine Surprise: The DM determines if anyone is surprised
2. Establish Positions: Characters and enemies take their places on the battlefield
3. Roll Initiative: Everyone rolls initiative to determine turn order
4. Take Turns: Each participant takes a turn in initiative order
5. Begin Next Round: When everyone has taken a turn, the round ends and a new one begins

Initiative

Initiative determines the order of turns during combat. Each participant rolls a d20 and adds their Dexterity modifier. The DM ranks combatants from highest to lowest initiative.

Surprise

A surprised creature can't move or take an action on its first turn of combat and can't take a reaction until that turn ends.

Your Turn

On your turn, you can:

• Move: Up to your speed
• Take one Action: Attack, Cast a Spell, Dash, Disengage, Dodge, Help, Hide, Ready, Search, or Use an Object
• Take one Bonus Action: If you have an ability that uses a bonus action
• Interact with one Object: For free (open a door, draw a weapon, etc.)
• Communicate: Brief communication is free

Actions in Combat

Attack

Make one melee or ranged attack (more if you have Extra Attack or similar features).

Cast a Spell

Cast a spell with a casting time of 1 action.

Dash

Gain extra movement equal to your speed.

Disengage

Your movement doesn't provoke opportunity attacks for the rest of the turn.

Dodge

Until the start of your next turn, attack rolls against you have disadvantage, and you make Dexterity saving throws with advantage.

Help

Aid an ally with their next ability check or attack, giving them advantage.

Hide

Make a Dexterity (Stealth) check to hide.

Ready

Prepare an action to occur in response to a trigger you specify.

Search

Make a Wisdom (Perception) or Intelligence (Investigation) check to find something.

Use an Object

Interact with a second object or use a complex object.

Making an Attack

Attack Rolls

d20 + Ability Modifier + Proficiency Bonus (if applicable) ≥ Target's AC

• Melee Attacks: Usually use Strength
• Ranged Attacks: Usually use Dexterity
• Spell Attacks: Use spellcasting ability

Critical Hits

When you roll a natural 20 on an attack roll, you score a critical hit. Roll all damage dice twice and add them together, then add relevant modifiers.

Attack Modifiers

Advantage and Disadvantage

Various circumstances grant advantage or impose disadvantage on attack rolls:

• Attacking a prone target in melee: advantage
• Attacking a prone target at range: disadvantage
• Attacking an unseen target: disadvantage
• Attacking while unseen: advantage

Ranged Attacks

• Normal Range: No penalty
• Long Range: Disadvantage on the attack roll
• Beyond Long Range: Can't attack

Damage and Healing

Hit Points

Hit points represent physical and mental durability. When you take damage, subtract it from your current hit points.

Damage Types

Acid, bludgeoning, cold, fire, force, lightning, necrotic, piercing, poison, psychic, radiant, slashing, thunder

Resistance and Vulnerability

• Resistance: Take half damage
• Vulnerability: Take double damage
• Immunity: Take no damage

Healing

Hit points can be restored through:

• Healing spells and abilities
• Potions and magical items
• Resting (short rest uses Hit Dice, long rest recovers all HP)

Dropping to 0 Hit Points

When you drop to 0 hit points, you either die outright or fall unconscious.

Death Saving Throws

When you start your turn with 0 hit points, make a death saving throw (DC 10):

• Success: Mark one success (three successes = stable)
• Failure: Mark one failure (three failures = dead)
• Natural 20: Regain 1 hit point
• Natural 1: Count as two failures

Taking damage while at 0 HP causes one failed death save (two failures if from a critical hit).

Instant Death

Massive damage (reducing you to 0 HP with damage remaining equal to or exceeding your max HP) kills you instantly.

Movement and Position

Speed

During your turn, you can move up to your speed. You can break up your movement, moving before and after your action.

Difficult Terrain

Every foot of movement in difficult terrain costs 1 extra foot.

Climbing, Swimming, and Crawling

Each foot costs 1 extra foot (2 feet for difficult terrain).

Jumping

• Long Jump: With 10-foot running start, jump a distance equal to your Strength score in feet
• High Jump: With 10-foot running start, jump 3 + Strength modifier feet vertically

Opportunity Attacks

When a hostile creature you can see moves out of your reach, you can use your reaction to make one melee attack against it.

Cover

• Half Cover: +2 bonus to AC and Dexterity saves
• Three-Quarters Cover: +5 bonus to AC and Dexterity saves
• Total Cover: Can't be targeted directly

Mounted Combat

If you're riding a mount in combat:

• You control an independent mount's movement but it can only Dash, Disengage, or Dodge
• An intelligent mount acts independently
• If your mount is knocked prone or moves against your will, make a DC 10 Dexterity save or be dismounted

Underwater Combat

• Creatures without swim speed have disadvantage on melee weapon attacks unless using daggers, javelins, shortswords, spears, or tridents
• Ranged weapon attacks automatically miss beyond normal range
• Fire damage has disadvantage, and some spells function differently