D&D 5e Combat cheat sheet
Turn order, actions, and reminders. At-the-table reference for Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition.
D&D 5e combat: d20 + modifiers vs AC or DC. Initiative sets the order, and your turn gives you an Action, Bonus Action, Reaction, and Movement.
Initiative
- Roll
- 1d20 + DEX modifier
- Ties
- DM decides (common: higher DEX goes first)
- Roll once at the start of combat; order stays fixed unless a feature changes it.
- Surprised creatures cannot act on their first turn and cannot take reactions until their first turn ends.
Action economy
- Each turn: 1 Action + 1 Bonus Action (if you have one) + 1 Reaction (if triggered) + Movement (up to your speed).
- Free: one object interaction (draw a weapon, open a door).
- Actions: Attack, Cast a Spell, Dash (double movement), Disengage (no opportunity attacks), Dodge (attacks against you have disadvantage), Help, Hide, Ready, Use an Object.
- Extra Attack: fighters, paladins, rangers, and some others get multiple attacks with the Attack action.
Attack roll
- Melee
- 1d20 + STR mod + proficiency vs AC
- Ranged
- 1d20 + DEX mod + proficiency vs AC
- Spell attack
- 1d20 + spellcasting mod + proficiency vs AC
- Natural 20
- Critical hit: double all damage dice
- Natural 1
- Automatic miss (regardless of modifiers)
- Finesse weapons: choose STR or DEX for both attack and damage.
- Ranged attacks at long range or with a hostile creature within 5 ft: disadvantage.
Damage
- Roll weapon/spell damage dice + ability modifier (STR for melee, DEX for ranged). Spells use only the dice unless a feature adds the modifier (e.g., Agonizing Blast).
- Critical hit: roll all damage dice twice, then add modifier once.
- Resistance: halve the damage (round down). Vulnerability: double it.
- Immunity: zero damage from that type.
Armor Class (AC)
- No armor
- 10 + DEX mod
- Light armor
- Armor base + DEX mod
- Medium armor
- Armor base + DEX mod (max +2)
- Heavy armor
- Armor base (no DEX)
- Shield
- +2 AC
Death saves
- Trigger
- HP drops to 0 (not dead, unconscious)
- Roll
- d20, no modifiers, DC 10
- 3 successes
- Stabilize (unconscious but not dying)
- 3 failures
- Dead
- Natural 20
- Regain 1 HP and wake up
- Natural 1
- Counts as 2 failures
- Taking damage while at 0 HP = 1 death save failure (a crit = 2 failures).
- Any healing at 0 HP brings you back with that many HP (death saves reset).
Cover
- Half cover
- +2 AC and DEX saves
- Three-quarters cover
- +5 AC and DEX saves
- Full cover
- Cannot be targeted directly
Common conditions
- Blinded
- Auto-fail sight checks; attacks have disadvantage; attacks against you have advantage
- Frightened
- Disadvantage on checks/attacks while you can see the source; cannot willingly move closer
- Grappled
- Speed becomes 0; ends if grappler is incapacitated or you are moved out of reach
- Incapacitated
- Cannot take actions or reactions
- Poisoned
- Disadvantage on attack rolls and ability checks
- Prone
- Melee attacks against you have advantage; ranged attacks have disadvantage; standing costs half movement
- Restrained
- Speed 0; attacks against you have advantage; your attacks and DEX saves have disadvantage
- Stunned
- Incapacitated, cannot move, auto-fail STR/DEX saves, attacks against you have advantage
Opportunity attacks
- Triggered when a hostile creature you can see leaves your reach.
- Uses your Reaction: one melee attack.
- Disengage action prevents opportunity attacks for the rest of your turn.
Common mistakes
- Bonus Actions are not interchangeable with Actions: you cannot use a Bonus Action slot for a regular Action.
- Natural 20 is only an auto-hit on attack rolls, not ability checks or saving throws (in base 5e rules).
- Critical hits double the damage dice, not the modifier.
- Healing at 0 HP resets all death saves: there is no 'two failures carried over.'
- Disengage prevents opportunity attacks for the whole turn, not just from one creature.
- Ranged attacks have disadvantage when a hostile creature is within 5 ft, even if the target is far away.