4th EDITION D&D SRD (PREVIEW)

BASICS

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 your sword swing hits the nasty owlbear? If your outrageous bluff tricks the guards? If your fireblast spell hits the charging kobolds? It all depends on these basic rules:

There's a little more to it than that, but the core mechanic governs all D&D game play. Everything else in the game is an extension or refinement of the core mechanic. Key examples of the core mechanic in play follow.

Skill Checks: When you use a skill, you make a skill check.

The higher the result, the better. Your result is compared against a Difficulty Class (a number set by the DM based on the situation) or an opposed check made by a character opposing your use of the skill.

Attack Rolls : When you make an attack, either using a basic attack or a power, you make an attack roll.

The higher the result, the better. Your result is compared against the target's defense score. Different attack types are compared against different defense scores. Characters and monsters have four different defenses: Armor Class (AC), Fortitude, Reflex, and Will.

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 normally 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 add half your level to your attack roll, you always round down to the next lower whole number.

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 whatever challenge is before them. Outside of encounters, characters explore their environment and engage in social interactions. When exploration or social interaction involves serious consequences for success or failure, it becomes an encounter.

Encounters come in two basic forms: combat encounters and noncombat encounters.

Combat Encounters: Fighting monsters. What D&D adventure would be complete without combat encounters where characters rely on attack powers, skills, feats, and magic items to battle hordes of ravenous creatures or evil villains?

Noncombat Encounters: Noncombat encounters focus on skill use, utility powers, your wits, and your roleplaying skills. These encounters include dealing with traps and hazards, solving puzzles, and overcoming skill challenges.

ACTIONS & MOVEMENT

ACTIONS

Each time it’s your turn, you get one standard, one move, and one minor action. You can also exchange a standard action for a move action or minor action, or a move action for a minor action. Thus, you can:

You can take your actions in any order, and you can skip any of them.

STANDARD ACTION: The most basic type of action. Common standard actions including making a melee or ranged attack, casting a spell, and using an implement. In a typical round, a character can take a standard action and a move action, but he can't take a second standard action in place of his move action. Most attack powers require the use of a standard action.

MOVE ACTION: An action that is the equivalent of the character moving his speed. A creature moves a number of squares up to its speed. If it doesn't take a standard action it can move up to twice it Speed. Diagonal squares count as 1 square. Move actions include standing up from prone, or laying down, crawling, running, and shifting (moving 1 square).

Generally, a creature may make a move action to:

MINOR ACTION: Minor actions are little things, like drawing a weapon, opening a door or chest.

FREE ACTION: Free actions take almost no time or effort, such as dropping a held item or talking. You can take free actions during your turn or anyone else’s turn, and as many as you like, and as allowed by the DM.

TRIGGERED ACTION: These include opportunity actions (like opportunity attacks) and immediate actions (like a readied action).

There are two additional action types that require triggers before you can use them - an action, event, or condition that takes place on another combatant's turn.

OPPORTUNITY ACTION: When an enemy lets its guard down, you can take an opportunity action. You can only take one opportunity action on each combatant's turn (if available). An opportunity action interrupts the action that triggered it.
The most common opportunity action is an opportunity attack. When an enemy leaves a square adjacent to you, or when an adjacent enemy makes a ranged or an area attack, you can make an opportunity attack against that enemy.

IMMEDIATE ACTION: Interrupts and reactions are immediate actions. Specific powers define the trigger for these actions. You can take only one immediate action per round, and you can't take an immediate action on your turn.
An interrupt lets you act before the triggering action is resolved. If the interrupt invalidates the triggering action, that action is lost.
A reaction lets you act immediately in response to a triggering action. The triggering action is completely resolved before you take your reaction.

Extra Action: You can take an extra standard action by spending an action point (see 'Action Points'below).

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.

Action Points

A character begins each adventure with 1 action point, and gains another one for every 2 encounters that are completed (called a milestone). A player can spend 1 action point per encounter to take one extra action on their turn. It can be a standard, move, or minor action. Action points are regained after taking an extended rest, and reset back to 1 (See Healing & Rest). A player should spend action points at least once every other encounter (as often as you earn them), since they can only spent one per encounter.

The End of Your Turn

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

MOVEMENT

You can use a move action to walk your speed in a turn. If you use two move actions (substituting a move for a standard action), you can walk your speed twice on your turn.

Move Actions

These activities require the use of a move action.

SPEED: Each character has a speed listed in squares. One 1-inch square equals one five-foot square in the game world. When you take a move action, you can move up to the indicated number of squares. Moving from one square to another, even diagonally, costs 1 square of speed. Sometimes terrain will slow you down, costing you more than 1 square of speed – this is called difficult terrain.

Moving away from an enemy adjacent from you usually provokes an opportunity attack. However, you can also use a move action to shift; this lets you move one square without suffering an opportunity attack from adjacent enemies.

OTHER CREATURES: A creature can move through a square occupied by an ally (another creature in its party), but it can't move through a square occupied by an enemy (a creature controlled by the DM). A creature may not end its move in an occupied square.

SHIFTING: A creature can use a move action to shift, and some powers and effects may also force a creature to shift. A creature that shifts moves into a clear adjacent square. Shifting does not provoke opportunity attacks.

RUNNING: If you need to get somewhere fast, you can run as a move action. This gives you +2 speed for your move, but you grant any attackers combat advantage until the beginning of your next turn.

[NOTE: Some confusion here as to whether you can make two 'run' move actions in a round thus moving a total of Speed x 2 + 4; a human would thus be able to run 16 squares in a round.]

Forced Movement

Certain powers and effects allow you to pull, push, or slide a target.

Pull: When you pull a creature, each square you move it must bring it nearer to you.

Push: When you push a creature, each square you move it must place it farther away from you.

Slide: When you slide a creature, there's no restriction on the direction you can move it.

The following rules govern all forced movement.

Difficult Terrain

Rubble, undergrowth, shallow bogs, steep stairs, and other types of difficult terrain hamper movement. It costs 1 additional square of movement to enter a square of difficult terrain. If you don't have enough movement remaining, you can't enter a square of difficult terrain. You can't shift into a square of difficult terrain unless you have a power that allows you to do so.

Obstacles

You can't enter a square with an obstacle that fills the square, such as a wall or a pillar. When an obstacle fills a square, you can't move diagonally across the corner of that square.

COMBAT, ATTACKS & DAMAGE

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.

Turn: On your turn, you take actions in any order you wish. (See 'Actions,' below.)

Combat Sequence

A combat encounter follows this sequence:

ATTACKS

You choose an attack from your suite of combat options - the three power sources – arcane, divine, and martial.
The attacker chooses an attack, rolls 1d20, adds adds any modifiers that apply, and calls out the result against the appropriate defense - AC, Fortitude, Reflex, or Will. If the result of the attack roll equals or exceeds the target number (the enemy's AC or defense), the attack hits. The attack takes effect against the target, usually dealing damage. Some attacks impose a condition or have other effects.

Multiple Targets: Attack actions involve a “to hit”, or attack roll, against any and all targets, so a power that targets all enemies within 1 square requires a separate attack roll against each enemy affected. If you make an attack against multiple targets, you don’t roll damage for each target – just roll that once.
Attacks that target multiple creatures can be used against fewer targets, at the attacker's option. For example, an attack that targets three creatures could target only one instead - the other two attacks are lost.

Attacks are divided up into different types; Melee, Ranged, Close, and Area.

Melee Attacks

Melee attacks are those you make usually when you’re adjacent to your target. A basic attack is always a melee attack.

Ranged Attacks

Ranged attacks can be made at any distance up to the maximum range of the attack; however, if you take a ranged attack next to an enemy you provoke an opportunity attack against you. This attack's entry always includes a range in parentheses, such as (range 10) or (nearest). It targets one or more creatures up to the listed range, including adjacent. A ranged attack always provokes an opportunity attack from adjacent enemies.

Typical ranges include the following:

Close Attacks

Close attacks affect an area starting with squares adjacent to you. The attack's entry includes the area and range of the effect in parentheses. An attack roll is made for every target within the effect area.

Typical areas and ranges include the following:

Close attacks don’t provoke an opportunity attack.

Area Attacks

Area attacks affect all creatures in an area at a distance. An area attack usually includes a range in squares as well the area affected, usually a radius such as (range 10, radius 2). An attack roll is made against every target within the specified area

Typical areas and ranges include the following:

Area attacks provoke opportunity attacks from adjacent enemies.

Most of the time when you take an attack, you’ll use one of your powers. However, there are some times when you’ll use a basic attack – just a regular old swing of the sword or shot from the bow. These attacks are less powerful than using powers, but they can get the job done. You’ll use a basic attack when you’re charging, making opportunity attacks, or when you use certain powers.

A Creature can attack an enemy next to it (Attacking diagonally is OK.)

Opportunity Attacks

If a creature moves while next to an enemy, or vice versa, the creature gets to make a free attack against the moving opponent. This is always a basic attack with whatever weapon, or implement is at hand. A shifting creature does not provoke an opportunity attack.

Special Attacks

Bull Rush: To initiate a bull rush, you need to make a Strength Check vs. the target's Fortitude Defense. This does not provoke an Opportunity Attack. If you succeed,you may push the target 1 space. The margin of success doesn't matter, and 1 space is the maximum that a target can be moved with Bull Rush (without taking special abilities).

Charging: This is a standard action. Move up to your speed, and make a basic attack. You get a +1 bonus on the attack roll. You have to move at least 2 squares from your starting position, and you must charge to the nearest square from which you can attack your target. You can’t charge if the nearest square is occupied, but you can charge over difficult terrain (it just costs you extra movement).

Grappling: Grappling is a standard action basic attack that requires an attack roll vs. Reflex. You can attempt a grab check with anything that is within one size category of you. This doesn't provoke an Opportunity Attack. If you fail, nothing happens. If you succeed, then you have grabbed the opponent, and they are considered immobilized for the remainder of the round - cannot move on its own, but can otherwise act normally - until you let go, or they succeed at an attempt to break the hold. To break free of a grapple is a move action that requires a successful saving throw - Athletics vs Fortitude or Acrobatics vs Reflex - as a move action. You may move the target 1 square by succeeding on an additional grab check in the following round.

Combat Modifiers

  Table: Combat Modifiers:
  Situation                 Attack Modifier
  ---------------------------------------------
  Charges                   +1
  Has combat advantage      +2
  Defender helpless         +4 (automatic crit)
  Defender has minor cover  -2
  Defender has major cover  -5
  Prone                     -2
  ---------------------------------------------

Combat Advantage: This gives you a +2 bonus to attack rolls when you're flanking, or when the target is under one of a number of conditions (dazed, surprised, immobilized etc.). Being on fire, however, does not grant foes combat advantage. Running gives your enemies combat advantage. You must be able to see your enemy to take combat advantage.

Cover: Normal Cover gives enemies a flat -2 penalty on attack rolls, and can prevent adjacent foes from "threatening" (for opportunity attack purposes). Total Cover (such as firing through an arrow slit) gives enemies a -5 penalty. Your allies don't provide cover, but enemies do. There's also no penalty for making ranged attacks into melee.

Flanking: Flanking provides a simple combat tactic for you and an ally to use against an enemy. To flank 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 with a melee or ranged weapon, or with an unarmed attack. If there's a barrier between your enemy and either you or your ally, you don't flank. If you are affected by a condition that prevents you from taking actions, you don't flank. You have combat advantage against an enemy you flank.

DEFENSES

There are four Defense Values; Armor Class (AC), Fortitude (Fort), Reflex (Ref), and Will (Will). These are expressed as static values and modified by both ability values and class. All attacks, checks, and saves are made against these static values. All defenses increase by 1 every other level (+ ½ level, rounded down).

Armor Class = 10 + Armor Value + Shield Bonus (+if wearing Light Armor either Dex or Int modifier, whichever is highest) + ½ character level

Fortitude Defense = 10 + [higher of Str or Con Modifier] + Class Bonus + ½ character level

Reflex Defense = 10 + [higher of Dex or Int Modifier] + Class Bonus + Shield Bonus + ½ character level

Will Defense = 10 + [higher of Wis or Cha Modifier] + Class Bonus + ½ character level

Defense Modifiers

Defenses are modified at level 1 by class as follows:

Table: Class Defense Modifiers
  Class Defense Modifiers
  Cleric   +2 Will
  Fighter  +2 Fortitude
  Paladin  +1 Fortitude, Will
  Ranger   +1 Fortitude, Reflex, Will
  Rogue    +2 Reflex
  Warlock  +1 Reflex, Will
  Wizard   +2 Will


Full Defense: You don't take any actions, but you get a +2 to all defense scores until the start of your next turn.

HIT POINTS & DAMAGE

Sucessful attacks deal Damage, listed in the power, weapon, or implement's stats. A creature's Hit Point (HP) number shows how much damage it can withstand. Each time a creature takes damage, subtract the amount of damage from its current HP total.

If a creature's HP total is reduced to 0 or below, that creature is dead or dying (See Death & Dying).

Rolling a 20: If your attack roll is a natural 20 (a "20" shows on the die), the attack is a critical hit and deals double damage!

Bloodied: When a creature reaches half it's hit points (rounded up), it is considered bloodied.

Conditions and Ongoing Effects: Some attacks impose a condition or ongoing effect on creatures. Unless otherwise stated in the attack power used, a condition or effect automatically ends at the end of the affected creature's next turn. Many ongoing effects may be ended with a Saving Throw (See Saving Throws).

Bonus Damage: Some attacks deal bonus damage, shown by a "+" sign. For example a Yound Silver Dragon's Bite attack deals "+10 Cold" damage. Bonus damage is also doubled on a critical hit. However, additional effects (such as ongoing damage) are not increased on a critical.

EFFECTS & CONDITIONS

Many attacks and special powers impose an ongoing effect or a condition on the target. A number of standard conditions exist as listed below. Unusual conditions or effects are explained in the descriptive text of the attack or power.

Duration: Most effects that have durations (usually imparting a condition on the target) last either until the target makes a saving throw to ward it off, or until the end of the next turn of the attacker that caused the effect. A few effects have durations that last through the entire encounter.

Durations are described in the description text of the individual attack or power. Some common durations include:

A condition can continue even after the originating creature has been destroyed.

Standard Conditions: Many effects produce a number of standard conditions that are not described in detail in the descriptive text of the power or attack that produced them. These are as follows:
Table: Confused Actions
  d20    Result
  ---------------------------------
  1-5    Controlled by its player
  6-15   Takes no actions
  16-20  Controlled by an opponent*
  ---------------------------------
  * This could be the DM or other opponent

A Confused creature can only make basic attacks and cannot use special powers.

Saving Throw: Sometimes a character will be hit by an ongoing effect, like taking poison damage or being immobilized. When this happens they’ll usually get to make a saving throw to remove the effect at the end of their turn. Saving throws are simple – just roll 1d20. If you roll a 10 or higher, you’ll end the effect. If you roll a 9 or lower, the effect will usually continue until the end of your next turn, when they get to make another saving throw. A creature that is affected by more than one effect that allows a saving may attempt a saving throw against each such effect.

Some characters have bonuses that can be applied to certain types of saving throws, and some powers grant modifications to saving throws as well.

Conditions and ongoing effects sometimes allow a saving throw to remove them. Such effects state "save ends" in their descriptive text.

Table: Saving Throws
  d20    Result
  ----------------------------------------
  1-9    Effect continues
  10-19  Effect ends
  20     All effects that allow a save end
  ----------------------------------------


HEALING & RESTING

Hit Points, Healing, and Dying

Over the course of a battle, your character takes damage from attacks. Damage reduces your hit points.

Certain powers work only (or work better) against a bloodied target.

Healing in Combat

Even as the battle rages around you, you can heal. You can heal yourself by using your second wind (see below). An ally can use the Heal skill on you (see below). An ally can use a healing power on you.

When a power heals you, you don't have to take an action to spend a healing surge. Even if you're unconscious, the power uses your healing surge to restore hit points.. And some powers don't require you to spend a healing surge at all.

Healing the Dying

When you are dying, any healing restores you to at least 1 hit point. If someone has stabilized you using the Heal skill but you receive no healing, you regain hit points after an extended rest.

HEALING SURGE: Each character has a certain number of healing surges. Some powers (like some cleric prayers) will also heal you your healing surge value, and you’ll tick off your healing surges for them as well. When you run out of healing surges, you’ll want to take an extended rest.

SECOND WIND: Once during each encounter, you can take a standard action called a second wind; this gives you a certain amount of hit points back equal to your healing surge value and gives you a +2 bonus to all your defenses until the start of your next turn. You then tick off one of your healing surges for the day. When a character has been knocked down a few hit points, taking a second wind action is a good idea.

Rest and Recovery

Outside of encounters, you can take one of two types of rest: a short rest or an extended rest.

SHORT REST: A short rest lasts 5 minutes, and is a long enough time for you to regain your encounter powers and use healing surges to heal up. You can take as many short rests per day as you want. During a short rest, you have to rest; no strenuous activity, no interruptions.

If you’re outside of combat, you can take a short rest and tick off the healing surges you need to heal up damage.

EXTENDED REST: An extended rest is akin to “camping” and lasts 6 hours. You have to rest or sleep during this period. After an extended rest, you’re fully healed, you regain any hit points you lost, you have a full compliment of healing surges, you have your daily powers back, and you reset your action points to 1.

It’s good to take an extended rest when some members in the group are down to about 1 healing surge remaining, or everyone has used all their daily powers.

POWERS & SOURCES

Powers are the special things that your character can do. There are several sources of a characters power including
These are chosen during character creation and may also be gained through experience. Powers have a rank based on character level which is used to determine their effectiveness and are divided into categories according to when they are used, including At-Will, Encounter, and Daily usage.

ARCANE POWERS


Eldritch Blast [Warlock (All) Attack 1]
You fire a bolt of dark, crackling eldritch energy at your foe.
At-Will + Arcane, Implement
Standard Action Ranged 10
Target: One creature
Attack: +4 vs. Reflex
Hit: 1d10 +4 damage.
Special: This power counts as a ranged basic attack. When a power allows you to make a ranged basic attack, you can use this power.

Eyebite [Warlock (Fey) Attack 1]
You glare at your enemy, and your eyes briefly gleam with brilliant colors. Your foe reels under your mental assault, and you vanish from his site.
At-Will + Arcane, Charm, Implement, Psychic
Standard Action Ranged 10
Target: One creature
Attack: +4 vs. Will
Hit: 1d6 +4 psychic damage, and you are invisable to the target until the start of your next turn.

Ghost Sound [Wizard Cantrip]
With a wink, you create an illusory sound that emanates from somewhere close by.
At-Will + Arcane, Illusion
Standard Action Ranged 10
Target: One object or unoccupied square
Effect: You cause a sound as quiet as a whisper or as loud as a yelling or fighting creature to emanate from the target. You can produce nonvocal sounds such as the ringing of a sword blow, jingling armor, or scraping stone. If you whisper, you can whisper quietly enough that only creatures adjacent to the target can hear your words.

Magic Missile [Wizard Attack 1]
You launch a silvery bolt of force at an enemy. (or into the darkness...)
At-Will + Arcane, Force, Implement
Standard Action Ranged 20
Target: One creature
Attack: + 5 vs. Reflex
Hit: 2d4 + 5 force damage
Special: This power counts as a ranged basic attack. When a power allows you to make a ranged basic attack, you can use this power.

Ray of Frost [Wizard Attack 1]
A blisteringly cold ray of white frost streaks to your target.
At-Will + Arcane, Cold, Implement
Standard Action Ranged 10
Target: One creature
Attack: +2vs. Fortitude
Hit: 1d6 + 2 cold damage, and the target is slowed until the end of your next turn.

DIVINE POWERS


Bolstering Strike [Paladin Attack 1]
You attack your foe without mercy or reprieve, and your accuracy is rewarded with a divine gift of vigor.
At-Will + Divine, Weapon
Standard Action Melee weapon
Target: One creature
Attack: + 6 vs. AC (+5 with throwing hammer)
Hit: 1d6 + 3 damage, and you gain 3 temporary hit points

Divine Challenge [Paladin Feature]
You boldly confront a nearby enemy, searing it with divine light if it ignores your challenge.
At-Will + Divine, Radiant
Minor Action Close burst 5
Target: One creature in burst
Effect: You mark the target. The target remains marked until you use this power against another target. If you mark other creatures using other powers, the target is still marked. A creature can be subject to only one mark at a time. A new mark supercedes a mark that was already in place.
If the target makes an attack roll that doesn't include you as a target, it takes a -2 penalty to attack rolls and takes 8 radiant damage. The target takes this damage only once per turn.
Special: Even though this ability is called a challenge, it doesn't rely on the intelligence or language ability of the target. It's a supernatural compulsion that affects the creature's behavior, regardless of the creature's nature. You can't place a divine challenge on a creature that's already affected by your divine challenge.

Holy Strike [Paladin Attack 1]
You strike an enemy with your weapon, which ignites with holy light.
At-Will + Divine, Radiant, Weapon
Standard Action Melee weapon
Target: One creature
Attack: + 5 vs. AC (+4 with throwing hammer)
Hit: 1d6 + 2 radiant damage. If you marked the target, you gain a +3 bonus to the damage roll.

Lance of Faith [Cleric Attack 1]
A brilliant ray of light sears your foe with golden radiance. Sparkles of light linger around the target, guiding your allies attack.
At-Will + Divine, Implement, Radiant
Standard Action Ranged 5
Target: One creature
Attack: +4 vs. Reflex
Hit: 1d8 + 4 radiant damage, and one ally you can see gains a +2 power bonus to his or her next attack roll against the target.

Lay on Hands [Paladin Feature]
Your divine touch instantly heals wounds.
At-Will (Special) + Divine, Healing
Special: You can use this power 3 times per day, but only once per round.
Minor Action Melee touch
Target: One creature
Effect: You spend a healing surge but regain no hit points. Instead, the target regains hit points as if it had spent a healing surge. You must have at least one healing surge remaining to use this power.

Priest's Shield [Cleric Attack 1]
You utter a minor defensive prayer as you attack with your weapon.
At-Will + Divine, Weapon
Standard Action Melee weapon
Target: One creature
Attack: + 4 vs. AC
Hit: 1d8 + 2 damage (if using a dagger 1d4 + 2 damage), and you and one adjacent ally gain a +1 power bonus to AC until the end of your next turn.

Sacred Flame [Cleric Attack 1]
Sacred light shines from above, searing a single enemy with its radiance while at the same time aiding an ally with its beneficent power.
At-Will + Divine, Implement, Radiant
Standard Action Ranged 5
Target: One creature
Attack: + 4 vs. Reflex
Hit: 1d6 +4 radiant damage, and only one ally you can see chooses either to gain 2 temporary hit points or to make a saving throw.

MARTIAL POWERS

Careful Attack [Ranger Attack 1]
You study the enemy, looking for a gap in his defenses. Only when you find it do you strike.
At-Will + Martial, Weapon
Standard Action Ranged weapon
Target: One creature
Attack: + 10 vs. AC
Hit: 1d10 + 4 damage

Cleave [Fighter Attack 1]
You hit one enemy, then cleave into another.
At-Will + Martial, Weapon
Standard Action Melee weapon
Target: One creature
Attack: + 6 vs. AC
Hit: 1d10 + 5 damage, and an enemy adjacent to the target takes 3 damage.

Nimble Strike [Ranger Attack 1]
You slink past your enemt's guard to make your attack, or you make your attack and then withdraw to a more advantageous position.
At-Will + Martial, Weapon
Standard Action Ranged weapon
Target: One creature
Special: Shift 1 square before or after you attack
Attack: + 6 vs. AC
Hit: 1d10 +4 damage

Tide of Iron [Fighter Attack 1]
After each mighty swing, you bring your shield to bear and use it to push your enemy back.
At-Will + Martial, Weapon
Standard Action Melee weapon
Requirement: You must be using a shield.
Target: One creature
Attack: + 6 vs. AC
Hit: 1d10 + 5 damage, and you push the target 1 square if it is your size, smaller than you, or one size category larger. You can shift into the space that the target occupied.

SKILLS


Rangers and Rogues get 6 trained skills, others get 4.

SKILL CHECKS: Characters roll skill checks against a variety of DCs of varying levels including Easy (10) Medium (15) and Hard (20). Players choose which level they are rolling against and the level of success is related to the level of difficulty. Thus, a character who rolls a successful History check at 'Easy' will get less information than one who does so at 'Hard'. Different skills do different things. For instance a party is chased by city guards; the dwarf tosses over a cart (Med STR check) to slow them down, the ranger climbs to a roof (Med Acrobatic Dex), and the warlock bluffs so well that he practically starts ordering the guards around himself (Hard Bluff).

Note: The Rules Appendix from the Scalegloom Halls RPGA Adventure Preview lists the DC as follows: "In general at 1st-3rd level, easy tasks have a DC of 15, moderate tasks have a DC of 20, and difficult tasks have a DC of 25 or higher."


* Armor check penalty applies (-2 for medium, -4 for heavy)

PASSIVE SKILLS: Passive checks are for DMs to have a target number for secret rolls instead of asking players to roll and thus possibly tipping them off.

FEATS


You must meet all prerequisite such as appropriate Tier or higher, correct race, and/or correct class to choose any feat.

ACTION SURGE
Tier: Heroic
Benefit: +3 to attacks on actions gained from action
points.

ALERTNESS
Tier: Heroic
Benefit: You don’t grant enemies combat advantage in surprise rounds. You also gain a +2 feat bonus to Perception checks.

BACKSTABBER
Tier: Heroic ?
Prerequisite: Backstab class feature?
Benefit: Increase damage from backstab from 1d6 to 1d8?

CHANNEL DIVINITY: POWER OF AMAUNATOR
Tier: Heroic
Prerequisite: Channel Divinity class feature?
Benefit: Can discharge a use of Channel Divinity power for that encounter as a free action to boost a simultaneous power that causes radiant damage, gaining an extra 1d10 radiant damage to all targets hit by the power used. If the power deals half damage on a miss, you deal half of the extra damage as well.

DEFENSIVE MOBILITY
Tier: Heroic
Benefit: +2 to AC against opportunity attacks.

DWARVEN WEAPON TRAINING
Tier: Heroic
Benefit: Proficient with certain dwarf weapons like hammers and axes? +1 attack, +2 damage
ELVEN PRECISION [ELF]
Tier: Heroic
Prerequisites: Elf, elven accuracy racial power, heroic tier
Benefit: When you use the elven accuracy power, you gain a +2 bonus to the new attack roll.

FIRST REACTION
Tier: Paragon
Benefit: If you are surprised, you may spend an action point to act during the surprise round.

FEROCIOUS REBUKE
Tier: Heroic
Benefit: Pushes your enemy back one square after taking a hit.

HUMAN PERSEVERANCE
Tier: Heroic
Prerequisite: Human
Benefit: +1 to saving throws.

LETHAL HUNTER
Tier: Heroic
Prerequisite: Hunter’s Quarry class feature?
Benefit: Increases damage from Hunter’s Quarry from 1d6 to 1d8?

LOST IN THE CROWD [HALFLING?]
Tier: Heroic
Prerequisites: Halfling?
Benefit: +2 AC when adjacent to two larger enemies.

TOUGHNESS
Tier: Heroic
Benefit: When you take this feat, you gain additional hit points equal to your level + 3. You also gain 1 additional hit point every time you gain a level.

SKILL TRAINING: (SPECIFIC SKILL)
Tier: Heroic
Benefit: make one untrained skill trained, granting a +5 bonus.

ITEM SLOTS

Primary Slots

Weapon/Implement: Whether you’re swinging a mace or blasting with a magic wand, you have an item that adds to your attack and damage. These weapons also set your critical hit dice (the extra dice you roll when you score a critical hit. Even though this is called an item slot, that doesn’t mean you can’t wield more than one weapon.

Armor: This category now includes cloth armor, so the wizard in robes has magic armor just like the rest of the group. Magic armor adds an enhancement bonus to your Armor Class.

Neck: An item in the neck slot increases your Fortitude, Reflex, and Will defenses, as well as usually doing something else snappy. The most common items are amulets and cloaks.

Secondary Slots

These items don’t have enhancement bonuses. That makes them essentially optional. You could adventure with no items in your secondary item slots and not see a huge decrease in your overall power. Take what looks cool, but don’t worry about having empty slots.

Arms: These are bulky items that fit over your arms, such as bracers, vambraces, and shields. You’ll notice that shields no longer have an enhancement bonus. Instead, shields have special defensive effects and items you wear instead of shields, like bracers, are more offensive.

Feet: Focused on mobility and special movement modes, you can be pretty sure what you’re getting when you look at magic boots, greaves, or sandals.

Hands: Thinner items that fit on your hands fall into this category. This includes gauntlets and gloves. They usually help out your attacks or help your manual dexterity.

Head: These items increase your mental skills or enhance your senses. Helmets, circlets, and goggles all fall in this category. Another major subcategory here includes orbitals, such as ioun stones. If you see someone with an orbital, it’s a good bet you’re dealing with an epic character.

Rings: This slot has changed quite a bit. A starting character isn’t powerful enough to unleash the power of a ring. You can use one ring when you reach paragon tier (11th level) and two when you’re epic (21st level). And before you get started about how Frodo sure as hell wasn’t epic, let's be clear: the One Ring was an artifact, not a magic item any old spellcaster could make. Artifacts follow their own rules.

Waist: Items you wear around your waist are usually about protection, healing, or increasing your Strength temporarily.

Other Items

Some items don’t use item slots. Some of them aren’t useful in combat. Others can be useful in a fight, but only once in a while.

Potions: Potions are consumable items, and they're mostly focused on healing effects.

Wondrous Items: This category no longer includes wearable items. These are utility items that don’t take up space on your body or act as weapons.

MAGIC ITEMS

Some magic items to get you started...

+1 Vicious Longbow [Level 2]
This weapon is good for a ranger to wield.
Enhancement: Attack rolls and damage rolls with weapon
Critical: +1d12 damage

+1 Symbol of Life [Level 2]
This is a perfect implement for a cleric to use.
Implement (Holy Symbol)
Enhancement: Attack rolls and damage rolls with implement.
Critical: +1d6 damage
Power: (M...?) illegible...
Recharge: (M...?)

+1 Dwarven Plate Armor [Level 2]
This armor is good for a paladin.
Enhancement: AC
Property: Gain a +1 item bonus to Endurance checks.
Power (Daily): Free Action - Regain hit points equal to your healing surge value. You don't spend a healing surge when you use this power.

+1 Cloak of Resistance [Level 2]
This cloak is suitable for a character of any class.
Body Slot: Neck
Enhancement: Fortitude, Reflex, and Will defenses.
Power (Daily): Minor Action - Gain resist all 5 until the start of your next turn.

+1 Frost Warhammer [Level 3]
This is a good weapon for a fighter to wield.
Enhancement: Attack rolls and damage rolls with weapon.
Critical: +1d6 cold damage
Power (Encounter): Free Action - Activate when you hit with this weapon. The target takes _1d10 cold daamage, and is slowed until the end of your next turn. (Cold)

+1 Staff of the War Mage [Level 3]
This is a perfect implement for a wizard.
Implement (Staff)
Enhancement: Attack rolls and damage rolls with implement.
Critical: +1d8 damage
Power (Daily): Free Action - Activate when you use a power with a burst or blast effect. Increase the size of the burst or blast by 1.

+1 Delver's Leather Armor [Level 3]
This armor is good for a character in light armor, such as a warlock.
Armor: Any
Enhancement: AC
Power (Encounter): Free Action - Gain a +2 power bonus to a saving throw.

+1 Amulet of Health [Level 3]
This amulet is suitable for a character of any class.
Body Slot: Neck
Enhancement: Fortitude, Reflex, and Will defenses.
Property: Gain resist poison 5.

Ironskin Belt [Level 5]
This belt is suitable for a character of any class.
Body Slot: Waist
Power (Encounter): Minor Action - gain resist weapons 5 until the end of your next turn.

Gauntlets of Ogre Power [Level 5]
These gauntlets are good for a fighter, ranger, or paladin.
Body Slot: Hands
Property: Gain a +1 item bonus to Athletics checks and Strength ability checks (but not strength attacks).
Power (Daily): Free Action - Activate when you hit with a melee attack. Add a +5 power bonus to the damage roll.

Sources: D&D Miniatures Game Battle Rules∞, What You Need to Know About D&D - Quick Rules Primer∞, d20 System SRD∞, D&D Glossary∞

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License.
Creative Commons License
© 2007 LoreWeaver