Welcome to D&D 5e by

# Welcome to D&D 5e

We'll start your adventure in the world of role-playing, and no, we're not talking about something *kinky*. A role-playing game is where a group of people come together to use characters and tell a story together. Role-playing games can include only narrative elements or can also include mechanical elements, like simple or complex combat.

However, the fundamental aspect is the act of telling and living that story together, don't lose sight of that.

## What is D&D?
It's a role-playing game where you can live a story guided by a Dungeon Master (DM). This person will tell you the story, introduce you to characters, throw monsters at you, kill you, help you survive, and so on. Loved or hated, sometimes both at the same time.

But don't forget that you are the protagonist. You will create the character who will live the story, and your decisions will determine whether they succeed or fail, or simply achieve a personal goal if that's all they care about. Plan your character, the limits will be set by the campaign, setting, and DM, but within those limits, you have almost infinite possibilities. Your character can be archetypal or unique; that doesn't affect your level of fun.

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##### Table of Contents
| Section | Page |
|:-:|:-:|
| Your own experience | 2 |
| Role-playing | 2 |
| The system | 2 |
| Your character | 3 |

##### Disclaimer
This document takes into account the rules prior to the 2024 revision, primarily considering elements from the *Player's Handbook*, *Xanathar's Guide to Everything*, and *Tasha's Cauldron of Everything*, as well as other supplements.

Once the new version is standardized, a general review of this document will be conducted to adjust it to the new rules or additions.

There are some inaccuracies or simplifications in this document, as the main intention is to serve as a guide for beginners, aiming for anyone to understand.

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## Your own experience
Within role-playing, there are different gaming experiences, shaped both by how the DM leads the game and how you play. None are wrong, but it often involves finding the perfect formula for you, considering the campaign or session, the DM, and your fellow players.

I like to say there are four types of players:

- **The Explorer.** You want to discover the world and its environments. You seek ruins, find objects, and learn about the world's lore.
- **The Roleplayer.** You want to interact with the world and its characters. You enjoy talking to others (whether they are other players or characters), building relationships, and uncovering their past and stories.
- **The Warrior.** You want to battle beasts and enemies. You enjoy the narrative of overcoming from small creatures to the big enemy threatening the world.
- **The Socializer.** You want to play with other people and make friends. The game's flow doesn't matter as much as having fun and enjoying time with others.
 
However, don't let this limit you. You can be more than one at the same time!

While some systems may lean towards certain mechanics designed for a specific type of player, D&D is a very accessible system that can be equally enjoyable regardless of your type, as long as the DM takes it into account.

## Role-playing
Do you enjoy acting? Not everyone does, and that's okay. Many might say that to play role-playing games, you have to act and immerse yourself in your character. While this can be fun for those who enjoy it, we know it's not for everyone. Some groups may heavily emphasize this approach, but not all do, and it's not necessary to enjoy the game.

Simply narrate what your character would do if that's more comfortable for you. You might gain confidence and start roleplaying more in the future, but if not, don't worry, the game will still be enjoyable for you.

## The system
The first concept you should understand is ability scores or attributes, as they are the fundamental values that determine every creature, including your character. Much of the system revolves around these values, often referred to frequently.

The first concept you should understand is ability scores, as they are the fundamental values that determine every creature, including your character. Much of the system revolves around these values, often referred to frequently.

You can find all the ability scores and a brief description in the "Ability Score List" table.

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The values that nearly any creature has in these ability scores determine their abilities. The base value is 10, which can increase or decrease depending on many variables. Typically, creatures have values between 3 and 20, though they usually fall between 8 and 15. These values indicate each creature's specialization; some are stronger, others more resilient, but they generally retain a minimum in their weaker areas. This reflects reality for characters as well, because even the most visceral warrior usually possesses at least some intelligence, right?

Depending on the value you have in each ability score, a positive or negative modifier will be assigned. You'll learn how these modifiers are assigned as you play.

The core of the system revolves around making checks represented by rolling a 20-sided die (d20), adding modifiers, and comparing it against a Difficulty Class (DC) or Armor Class (AC), depending on the context. The goal is to equal or exceed this difficulty with your roll and modifiers.

For example, if you try to persuade a guard to let you go and the DM sets the DC at 15, you roll a 20-sided die (1d20)—let's say you roll a 13—and you have a +2 modifier. This totals to 15, so you successfully convince the guard. Conversely, if you attempt to attack a creature with an AC of 14 and you roll a total of 8 on your d20, even with a +4 modifier, you miss the attack.

However, the ability modifier isn't the only one you need to pay attention to. Another crucial one is the Proficiency Bonus. This reflects a creature's growth in skills over time. For playable characters, it's tied to their level; for non-playable characters, it's tied to their difficulty. This bonus is used in many rolls, but not all of them. One of the basic rules involving this is during attacks. When you attack, you typically add both your ability modifier related to the attack and your proficiency bonus, but when calculating damage, you only add the former.

Moreover, some effects can cause rolls to be made with disadvantage or advantage. Rolling with disadvantage means you roll 2d20 and take the lower value, while rolling with advantage means you roll 2d20 and take the higher value.

These rules encompass a significant portion of D&D's basic mechanics. The explanation here was kept fairly basic, avoiding too many numbers. As you play more sessions and gain experience, you'll learn them in more detail.

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### Skills

Your ability scores form the foundation of your character, but they can be represented in various ways. One such representation is through skills. What is a skill? Let's say your character is a scholar of nature, having dedicated much of their life to studying it. Wouldn't that mean they excel in matters related to it? Indeed, that's what skills reflect.

These skills are used through skill checks, which are essentially what was explained earlier: rolling dice and adding modifiers to succeed or fail at something, but in a very specific context. For example, if you want to determine what illness afflicts a person you encounter, you would use a Medicine check to find out. The difficulty is determined by your DM or the campaign you're playing.

Each skill is tied to a ability score. Stealth to Dexterity, Medicine to Wisdom, Deception to Charisma, etc., so their modifier is inherited from that ability score. As you build your character or progress through the game, you gain what's called proficiency. If you're proficient in Stealth, for instance, you not only add the modifier from your Dexterity but also the proficiency bonus mentioned earlier. In rare cases, you may have expertise in a skill, which means you add your proficiency bonus twice.

You can find the list of skills and a brief description in the "Skill List" table.

## Your character
Now let's talk about your character, the most important aspect of playing. You can see it as an extension of yourself, a character you control, or an abstraction of yourself. All these approaches are valid. The key is to understand their role in the story, both narratively and mechanically.

There's a common misconception that mechanics restrict how you can role-play your character. For instance, many believe that to play a devout person, you must choose a class like cleric or paladin, but that's not true. Anyone can be devout, anyone can feel a higher cause—there's no need to have these specific classes to role-play such a character.

If your character grew up on the streets and learned survival skills in that context, it doesn't mean they have to be a rogue. Their skills could be focused on something else, like pure combat prowess, making them a warrior. Alternatively, they might have left that life and pursued academia, becoming a wizard, or something else entirely.

This limitation also applies to races. For example, many assume that a savage warrior must be an orc or a similar race, but that's not necessary. You define your character, and while there may be world background that imposes certain limitations (which you can discuss with your DM), don't confine your character based solely on mechanics. Create a character that you would enjoy playing.

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##### Skill List
| Skill | Ability Score | Example |
|:-:|:-:|:-:|
| Acrobatics | Dexterity | Jumping between two separated buildings. |
| Animal Handling | Wisdom | Calming an animal about to attack. |
| Arcana | Intelligence | Understanding runes in ancient ruins. |
| Athletics | Strength | Pushing someone towards a cliff. |
| Deception | Charisma | Making someone believe you are a noble. |
| History | Intelligence | Recalling a past event that affects the present. |
| Insight | Wisdom | Discovering someone's true intentions. |
| Intimidation | Charisma | Scaring someone who is threatening you. |
| Investigation | Intelligence | Finding specific information in a book. |
| Medicine | Wisdom | Diagnosing a chronic illness affecting someone. |
| Nature | Intelligence | Knowing the characteristics of a creature. |
| Perception | Wisdom | Detecting if you are being watched in a place. 
| Performance | Charisma | Acting like a jester to gather information. |
| Persuasion | Charisma | Convincing a merchant to give a discount. |
| Religion | Intelligence | Finding out which deity a village worships. |
| Sleight of Hand | Dexterity | Stealthily stealing something from a pouch. ||
| Stealth | Dexterity | Infiltrating a building without being seen. |
| Survival | Wisdom | Finding shelter in a desolate forest. |

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### Races
The first element of your character is determined by their race or lineage. There are numerous options, many stemming from epic fantasy, with many more unique to the system that have carved out their own place in popular culture.

Races have various effects, though one of the most important is each race's ability score increase. In this context, there are generally two views: that of the core books, where ability score increases are usually fixed—for example, dwarves have +2 CON due to their physique and cultural context—and that of supplements and newer races, where it leans towards races not determining character ability scores, providing rules or options for adjustments.

There will be proponents and detractors of each view. However, if you wish to consider the latter, don't forget to discuss with your DM, as these are considered optional rules, and they will determine whether to use them or not.

The list of core races and those that have gained prominence in the community can be found in the "Race List" table. Some may not be valid depending on the campaign, so you should consult with your DM to confirm if your choice is acceptable.

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With the introduction of custom lineage (optional rule), you can now create your own unique character. And if that's not enough for you, the community has created many more races that you can use (assuming your DM allows homebrew content).

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### Backgrounds
The second element that defines your character is their background. Where do they come from? What kind of past do they have? Where did they acquire their skills? They have a minor mechanical impact but their greatest impact is on your character's narrative as it determines their backstory.

When I mentioned designing your character without being mechanically limited by class, I also had backgrounds in mind, because they determine more about your character's past than class mechanics. For example, there could be a wizard with a soldier background, either because they come from a militaristic nation where wizards are used for such purposes, or because they were once a soldier and later decided to retire and pursue magical studies. The background gives your character a more personal essence, something unique to them.

Furthermore, backgrounds are a way to gain proficiency in skills. A scholar might have studied a lot of History, thus gaining proficiency in that skill. A soldier has a position that can influence others, gaining proficiency in Intimidation.

There are numerous backgrounds available in the core manuals and supplements. If you're unsure which fits best for your character concept, you can discuss it with your DM. They'll help or guide you to find the most suitable one, whether mechanically or narratively, and of course, both if that's what you're looking for. They can even design a custom background that perfectly fits the idea you have in mind.

### Classes
The third element that defines your character, and perhaps the most important one, is their class. Classes determine how your character is played. Each class has its general concept, but as it levels up, it becomes unique, primarily through its subclass, which modifies its traditional function and is obtained at different levels.

Additionally, if your character requires it, you can take more than one class, with the mechanical and narrative advantages and disadvantages that entails. This mechanic is called multiclassing, and despite being fun, it is recommended to have experience in the game before attempting it.

You can see all the classes, a brief description, and examples of these in the "Class List" table.

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As I said before, certain classes do not limit your character, and some archetypes can be misleading. A clear example of this would be Gandalf from The Lord of the Rings; many might see him as a wizard, but Gandalf doesn't derive his magic from study—he is inherently a magical being. Moreover, Gandalf can engage in melee combat, something that (almost no) wizard could do. Narratively, Gandalf would be a Sorcerer, but mechanically, he could fit many other classes, such as a Fighter with a magical touch.

Build your character concept, and if you have doubts, ask your DM if a certain class could truly fit it best. Because with the mechanical complexity of some classes and their subclasses, there are immense possibilities.

### Growth
Your character doesn't remain unchanged throughout their adventure. They grow, perfect their skills, acquire new ones, among many other things. The most basic element to track this growth is your character's level, starting at level 1 and reaching level 20. A level 1 character is just slightly stronger than a common person, while a level 20 character is a legend.

You should think about your character with this in mind. For example, if the game or campaign you're playing starts at level 1, your character couldn't realistically be the renowned sword master known worldwide. However, with enough ingenuity, you could adapt this idea: "I lost my skill and I'm traveling the world to regain it and seek revenge on those who took it."

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And how does your character grow? There are two main ways to level up: through experience and through achievements. This decision is typically up to your DM based on the campaign they're running.

Each creature has a difficulty—named Challenge Rating (CR)— and an experience assigned for that difficulty. Leveling up through experience means you'll defeat creatures, gain experience, and advance levels. Similarly, completing certain events may provide additional experience at your DM's discretion.

On the other hand, leveling up through achievements means the DM determines when during the game or campaign to grant levels. These levels also match the difficulty of upcoming events so the player team is adequately prepared to face those challenges.

Whichever perspective is used, your character will gain levels, acquiring new abilities and growing more powerful as they do so. Some of these abilities may be specific to the class or subclass, while others could be more general, like feats that grant specific abilities to your character. You can also increase ability scores in specific situations, making your strong warrior even stronger or your charismatic bard even more charismatic.

There are so many possibilities that at higher levels, it's very unlikely for two characters to be exactly alike. Unless you're strictly following optimization strategies to create a character solely focused on maximizing their abilities, your character will grow in a way that adapts to the situations encountered throughout the campaign.