Markdown

# Combat & Turn-Based Action

# When to Use Turn-Based Action

Turn-Based Action can be called when a hostile action is taken, when the characters enter a precarious location or situation, or at the start of a competition. Whenever methodical actions are necessary from multiple characters at the same time, this system presents the scene in a way that ensures everyone gets the spotlight.

# Turn Order

All engagements using Turn-Based Action consist of two phases: set-up and initiative rounds. The set-up phase establishes the status and order of the participants and the amount of time each round takes in the game world. During initiative rounds, participants take their turns round after round until one side is victorious.

### Set-Up

1. Set the Scene. The Narrator determines where everyone is located, the appropriate amount of time for each round, and any important conditions of the engagement.
2. Surprise. If any characters intend to act before all participants are aware of the encounter, the Narrator calls for ability checks to determine if any combatants are surprised.
3. Roll Initiative. The remaining participants roll initiative and determine the turn order.

### Initiative Rounds

1. World Actions. If the environment features any world bonuses or penalties with an active element, it occurs at the start of a round before the participants take their turns.
2. On Your Turn. The active character moves and uses their available actions.
3. Off Your Turn. The inactive characters plan their next turn and react to the active character’s actions.
4. End of Round. When everyone has taken their turn, the initiative round repeats at step 1 until the encounter concludes.

## Setting the Scene

The Narrator establishes the conditions of any Turn-Based Action encounter. This includes the known participants and their positions, any active elements and known world bonuses or penalties in the environment, and the length of each round.
A round encompasses the semi-simultaneous actions of the participants within a period of game-world time. In combat, one round is usually 6 seconds. In other cases a round might last 10 seconds, 1 minute, or 10 minutes, as deemed appropriate by the Narrator.

## Surprise & Sudden Actions

If some participants are unaware of others due to successful attempts to be stealthy, they begin the encounter surprised. The Narrator calls for appropriate ability checks to determine whether participants are aware of each other. Surprised creatures are unable to move or take an action on their first turn, and they can’t use a reaction until after their first turn.
Sometimes all participants are aware of each other at the start of an encounter, but one side takes an action or launches an attack while others’ guards are down. In this case, no one is surprised, but the Narrator might allow the instigating creature or party to roll initiative (see below) with advantage.
If nobody is trying to be sneaky, combat begins normally with initiative as described below.

## Initiative

TABLE: TYPES OF INITIATIVE

Wisdom (Perception) | Spotting a hidden threat
--- | ---
Strength (Athletics) | Climbing a cliff during a landslide
Charisma (Deception) | Being unassuming before suddenly taking action
Wisdom (Insight) | Noticing when an unassuming participant is about to take action
Dexterity (Land Vehicles) | Participating in a wagon race

The initiative step sets the order of everyone’s turn throughout the encounter. Each participant makes an ability check to determine their place in the initiative count, from the highest check total to the lowest. This ability check is typically Dexterity. The Narrator might determine that one or more participants should instead roll a different ability check, potentially utilizing a relevant skill or tool (see Table: Types of Initiative). In the event of a tie, the tied participants each roll a d20 to determine the order amongst themselves (the highest roll goes first.)
If any creatures have already made an ability check during the surprise step, they use that existing score for initiative.

## World Actions

The battlefield itself can be as active a participant in Turn-Based Action as the characters are, and its actions can have serious consequences for everyone involved.
Some world bonuses and penalties have an effect that activates within the initiative count. These world actions occur at the start of each round before any participants act. The Narrator determines if any participants are within the range of these effects and adjudicates the action accordingly.
The World Bonuses and Penalties section later in this chapter provides more details and examples of world actions.

## On Your Turn

When it’s your turn, you can move a distance up to your Speed and take your actions. You can declare your intent for your turn in any order, breaking up your movement between actions or using your bonus action first. You can also choose to do absolutely nothing.
Within a single round, you can take an action, a bonus action, and any free actions (like communicating with allies, dismissing the effect of a thaumaturgy cantrip you have already cast, or interacting with an object) during your turn, and one reaction at any time. After using a reaction, you can't do so again until at the start of your turn.
The rules for actions and movement are found in the Actions in Combat and Movement and Position below.

## Off Your Turn

You’re still an active participant in Turn-Based Action even when it’s not your turn! You have a number of responsibilities to keep track of within an encounter in between taking actions.

1. Plan your actions so you’re ready when your turn comes. In particular, characters that can cast spells have a lot of options to manage, and you might not want to spend your precious 6 seconds flipping through a book.
2. Pay attention to the encounter beyond events that involve you. The priorities of you and your allies can change in the blink of an eye, and the actions you were planning can become inappropriate for the task.
3. Be prepared to use your reaction. Reactions have specific conditions that can occur at any time and you don’t want to let a golden opportunity escape your grasp.

## End of Round

Once all participants have taken their turn, the encounter returns to the start of a new round. The loop persists until the action concludes or the granularity of Turn-Based Action is no longer needed.

# Movement and Position

You can move a distance up to your Speed on your turn. With that in mind, how you choose to move and how much movement you use are all up to you.

## Size and Space

Creatures and objects come in all different shapes and sizes. To determine the amount of space one can effectively command, Table: Size Categories approximates a standard for Turn-Based Action.
The 5-foot square that a Medium creature commands can’t be passed through by other Medium creatures unless the creature allows them to. Likewise, the space determines the limit to the number of creatures that can surround it; a Medium creature can be surrounded by a maximum of 8 Medium creatures, or 4 Large creatures.

TABLE: SIZE CATEGORIES

SIZE | SPACE | SURROUNDING CREATURES
--- | --- | ---
Tiny | 2-½ ft. by 2-½ ft. | 8
Small | 5 ft. by 5 ft. | 8
Medium | 5 ft. by 5 ft. | 8
Large | 10 ft. by 10 ft. | 12
Huge | 15 ft. by 15 ft. | 16
Gargantuan | 20 ft. by 20 ft. | 20
Titanic | 25 ft. by 25 ft. or larger | 24 or more

### Squeezing

A creature usually has the option to squeeze through a space one size smaller than its own.

While you are squeezing:

- Your movement speed is halved.
- You have disadvantage on ability checks, attack rolls, and Dexterity saving throws.
- Ability checks and attack rolls made against you have advantage.

## Movement in Turn-Based Action

Your Speed centers around moving across the ground by running, walking, rolling, slithering, and so on. Any natural or magical means can provide you with additional speeds based on other forms of movement.
Climbing and Swimming. You can use your base Speed to perform these tasks, but you must spend 1 extra foot for every foot you move. A swim or climb speed allows you to move in those ways at no additional cost.
Gliding, Hovering, and Burrowing. You must have the appropriate movement speed to perform these tasks.
Flying. Not only do you need to have a fly speed to fly, you might fall out of the sky if you are knocked prone or if your Speed is reduced to 0.
When switching between different movement speeds, you subtract the distance you’ve already moved during your turn from the new speed. If the difference is 0 or less, you can’t use the new speed this turn.
The way you break up your movement between speeds is up to you. If you have two attacks and a Speed of 30 feet, you can move 15 feet, perform an attack, move another 15 feet, and then attack a second time. If you have more than one movement speed, like a swim speed of 30 feet, you can run 10 feet, swim across a pool for 10 feet, and then run another 10 feet on the other side.

### Mounted Combat

A creature can ride on top of another creature at least one size larger than its own, provided the bigger creature can support its weight. Mounting or dismounting a creature costs half your movement and can be performed once per turn.

While you are mounted on a creature:

- You have half cover (+2 to AC, Dexterity saving throws, and ability checks made to hide) against melee attacks.
- You have advantage on ability checks to leap off the creature you’re riding.
- If you are knocked prone, you must succeed on a DC 10 Dexterity saving throw or fall prone in a space within 5 feet of the creature you’re riding.
- If the creature you’re riding is knocked prone, you can use your reaction to dismount and land on your feet. Otherwise, you also fall prone.

While you are being ridden by another creature:

- You have advantage on ability checks to throw the creature riding you.

If you’re riding another creature that you have control of, you use its Speed instead of your own, and you and your mount share movement on your turn. When moving after you’ve jumped onto or off the creature, remember that mounting or dismounting costs half your Speed .
A mounted creature under your control can take the Dash, Disengage, or Dodge action during your movement on your turn. Alternatively, you can use a bonus action to command the creature to make an ability check or take the Attack action (this does not include Multiattack). You can read more about these actions later in this chapter.

### Being Prone

You can drop prone on your turn without using any movement. You can also drop prone as a reaction to being targeted by a ranged attack you can see.

While you are prone:

- Your only movement option is to crawl until you stand up. While crawling, every 1 foot of movement costs 1 extra foot.
- You have disadvantage on melee attack rolls.
- An attack roll against you is made with advantage if the attacker is within 5 feet. Otherwise, the attack roll is made with disadvantage.
- Standing up from prone uses half your movement.

## Tactical Positioning

### Attacking From Above

If you are at least 5 feet above your target and you aren’t grappled or restrained, you gain an expertise die on melee attack rolls made against it.

### Back-To-Back

When you are within 5 feet of an ally, you can use a bonus action to stand back-to-back. While back-to-back with an ally, it is harder to be caught off guard, and you cannot be flanked. As long as neither you nor your ally move, your passive Perception is increased by 2 until either the start of your next turn or when one of you moves.

### Dragging An Ally

While within 5 feet of a willing ally, you can use your reaction to grab them and pull them along with your movement, even if they’ve already expended all of theirs. While doing so, every foot of movement costs you an additional 2 feet of movement, and the ally can’t use their reaction. This movement provokes opportunity attacks as normal.

### Flanking

When you and an ally are on direct opposite sides of a target, you gain an expertise die on attack rolls and ability checks against that target. You and your ally can’t flank for one another if either of you are incapacitated. If you’re not using a grid for combat, flanking instead occurs when three or more creatures are attacking the same creature in melee.

### Pulling From Below

If you are at least 5 feet below your target, your target is your size or smaller, and you aren’t grappled or restrained, you gain an expertise die on Strength-based checks and saving throws made against it.

# Actions in Combat

For your action on your turn, you can use one of the following options, an action gained from your class, magic item, or trait, or an action that you improvise. Monsters have additional action options described in their statistics.
When you want to perform an action not detailed here, the Narrator determines whether the action is possible and what kind of roll you need to make (if any) to determine if you succeed or fail.

## Attack

Attacks are either melee attacks or ranged attacks. See the “Making an Attack” section for details on this action. In addition to regular attacks, you can choose to use a special melee attack such as a shove, a disarm, or a grapple. These special melee attacks are described in Combat Maneuvers.
Certain class and monster features, like Extra Attack or Multiattack, allow you to make more than one attack with a single action.

## Cast a Spell

Many spells have a casting time of an action. Some, though, use a reaction, bonus action, minutes, or hours to cast. See Spellcasting for the rules that govern spells.

## Dash

When you take the Dash action, your speed is doubled for the current turn (after applying any modifiers). You can’t Dash if you’re suffering fatigue.

## Disengage

When you take the Disengage action, you take a defensive, guarded retreat, and your movement doesn’t provoke opportunity attacks during that turn.

## Dodge

When you take the Dodge action, until the start of your next turn attacks against you made by creatures you can see are made with disadvantage, and you make Dexterity saving throws with advantage. You can’t take the Dodge action when your Speed is reduced to 0.

## Help

When you take the Help action, you aid another creature in a task. The creature gains advantage on the next ability check it makes to perform that task before the start of your next turn.
You can also help a friendly creature in attacking a creature. The creature must be within 5 feet of you and you must be able to target the creature with an attack, or otherwise threaten it. If your ally attacks the target before your next turn, its next attack roll against the target is made with advantage.

## Hide

When you take the Hide action, you make a Dexterity (Stealth) check contested by the passive Perception scores of creatures able to observe you. If you succeed, you gain the benefits described under Unseen Attackers and Targets.

## Press the Attack

Before you take the Attack action, you can use a bonus action to designate one creature within your reach that isn’t currently the target of a Press the Attack action. Until the start of your next turn, your melee attacks against that creature gain an expertise die, and all attacks against you are made with advantage. You can’t gain expertise dice in this way on attacks made with disadvantage.
When you Press the Attack, your target can use its reaction to Fall Back.

### Fall Back

Whenever a creature takes the Press the Attack bonus action against you, you can use your reaction to yield ground. You move backwards 5 feet, and your attacker does not gain an expertise die against you from using Press the Attack. As part of its action, your attacker can move 5 feet towards you.
Neither you nor the attacker provoke opportunity attacks from this movement.
A creature using the Rage class feature can’t choose to Fall Back.

## Ready

When you take the Ready action, you prepare an action to be used when a certain triggering circumstance comes to pass. You then choose the action you will take, or decide that you will move up to your Speed, in response to the trigger. When the trigger occurs, you can use your reaction immediately afterwards, or you can decide to ignore the trigger, wasting your readied action.
Only spells with a casting time of 1 action can be readied. When you take the Ready action to cast a spell, you first cast it normally and then concentrate on the spell to be released when the trigger is met (more details on concentration can be found in Spellcasting).

## Search

Without using the Search action, your passive Investigation and passive Perception scores determine whether you notice a hidden creature or object. Using the Search action gives you an additional chance. Depending on circumstances, the Narrator might call for a Wisdom (Perception) check or an Intelligence (Investigation) check to Search.

## Sprint

When you take the Sprint action, you focus all your effort on moving as fast as possible to the exclusion of everything else.

- You can’t take any other actions, bonus actions, or reactions other than to move your Speed for the turn.
- If you are unencumbered, your Speed is quadrupled for one turn; if you are encumbered or wearing heavy armor, your Speed is tripled for one turn.
- You must Sprint in a straight line each turn, although you can change direction each time you Sprint.
- You can Sprint a number of turns equal to your Constitution modifier. Each turn you Sprint after that, you make a Constitution (Athletics) check (DC 10 + 1 per previous check made in the last minute) or you suffer a level of fatigue from either tiredness or a minor sprain or injury. You recover fatigue suffered from sprinting 1 minute after you stop sprinting.
- You can’t Sprint or Dash if you are suffering from one or more levels of fatigue.
- Attacks against you are made with advantage until the start of your next turn.

## Tumble

You can use an action or bonus action to Tumble through a hostile creature’s space by deftly diving or rolling past. Make a Dexterity saving throw against the target’s combat maneuver DC. On a success, you can move through the hostile creature’s space once this turn. If you have proficiency with Acrobatics, you gain an expertise die on the save (or you gain a 1d6 expertise die if you also have the tumbling specialty.) The creature can choose to let you pass, with no save required.
If you’re smaller than the creature, you have advantage on the save. If you’re larger than the creature, you have disadvantage (though if you are two or more sizes larger than the target, you can move through the hostile creature’s space without making a saving throw). You still provoke opportunity attacks if you move beyond a creature’s reach.

## Use a Basic Maneuver

You can always choose to Disarm, Grapple, Knockdown, Overrun, or Shove as a basic maneuver instead of making an attack. See Combat Maneuvers for the rules that govern basic maneuvers.

## Use a Combat Maneuver

Many combat maneuvers are used alongside making an attack, but some have their own action costs. See Combat Maneuvers for the rules that govern combat maneuvers.

## Use an Object

You can use some objects as part of an action, and you can make a quick interaction with one object for free without spending an action. When using an object is more complex or time consuming, or when you need to use a second object on your turn, you take the Use an Object action.

# Making an Attack

An action is an attack if you are making an attack roll.

1. Select a Target: Choose a target within your attack’s reach or range: a creature, an object, or a location in space. Generally, you must have line of sight (a straight line between two points through which light could pass) and line of effect (an unobstructed straight line between two points through which objects could pass) to attack a target, but that can vary (such as when firing an arrow through a glass window, or swinging a sword at where you assume a hidden target is located).
2. Apply Modifiers: The Narrator determines whether the target has cover. Certain circumstances, abilities, spells, or effects can apply additional modifiers, advantage, disadvantage, or expertise dice to your attack roll.
3. Resolve the Attack: You make your attack roll, rolling a d20 and applying your modifier with the bonuses or penalties from above. On a hit, you roll damage and apply any additional effects of the attack.

## Attack Rolls

An attack roll is a d20 roll plus appropriate modifiers (usually proficiency bonus and either Strength or Dexterity modifier). If the total of the roll plus modifiers equals or exceeds the target’s Armor Class (AC), the attack hits. Objects and monsters have their own AC scores, while a character’s AC is determined by their armor, ability scores, features, traits, and magic items.
Critical Hits and Fumbles. A natural 20 on an attack roll is a critical hit and is always successful. On the flip side, rolling a natural 1 on an attack roll is considered a critical fumble and always misses.

## Modifiers to the Roll

When making an attack roll, a character typically adds an ability modifier and their proficiency bonus to the roll. Monsters and other NPCs use whatever modifier is provided in their statistics (though they typically follow the same formulas).

Ability Modifier: Melee attacks use the attacker’s Strength or Dexterity modifier depending on the weapon used, while ranged attacks usually use the attacker’s Dexterity modifier, unless they are thrown.
Spell attacks utilize the spellcasting ability of the spellcaster, determined by the class or trait that grants the spell.
Proficiency Bonus: You add your proficiency bonus when attacking with a weapon you are proficient with, or when you are attacking with a spell. Nonproficient attacks don’t add your proficiency bonus.
Miscellaneous Modifiers: Sometimes you will gain other modifiers to your roll. These can come from combat maneuvers, spells, features, traits, or any ability that adds an expertise die. Magical weapons often grant bonuses to attack rolls.

# Unseen Attackers and Targets

When you attack a target you can’t see, but whose location you know, you have disadvantage on your attack roll.
Being unseen doesn’t always mean being hidden; you might know the location of an invisible target that isn’t using the Hide action to move quietly. However, if a target is both unseen and undetected, you must guess what space it occupies. The Narrator will typically say that an attack missed if you guess wrong, so as not to give more information about the target’s location.
Likewise, if your target can’t see you, you have advantage on your attack rolls against it. If you are hidden when you make your attack, you give away your location after making the attack.
In situations where your target is unseen by you and you are unseen by your target (such as if both you and your target are invisible, or if you are fighting in magical darkness), all attack rolls are made at disadvantage.
Some creatures and characters have additional senses, like blindsight, that allow them to sense targets without vision. A creature is only unseen to them if they are unable to perceive it.

# Ranged Attacks

## Range

Ranged attacks come with a range, and your target must be within that range. If a ranged attack has a single range, you can’t make an attack at a target beyond that range. If a ranged attack has two ranges (a normal range and a long range), attacks made at targets further than the normal range are made at disadvantage, while targets beyond long range can’t be targeted at all.

## Ranged Attacks in Close Combat

When you make a ranged attack while you are within the reach of a hostile creature, you make the attack with disadvantage.

# Melee Attacks

A melee attack is an attack made in hand-to-hand combat. These can be attacks with manufactured weapons, unarmed attacks, or natural weapons like claws, teeth, or horns. Some spells utilize melee attacks as well.
Most creatures have a reach of 5 feet, allowing them to make melee attacks against any creature within 5 feet of them. Larger creatures, or creatures using reach weapons, can have larger reach (noted in their attack entries).

## Opportunity Attacks

If someone drops their guard, they open themselves up to attack. Such an attack is called an opportunity attack.
You can use your reaction to attempt an opportunity attack when a hostile creature you can see moves out of your reach. An opportunity attack is a single melee attack against the provoking creature, made immediately before the creature leaves your reach.
The Disengage action can be used to avoid provoking opportunity attacks. Movement via teleportation doesn’t provoke opportunity attacks, and unless noted otherwise neither does forced movement (such as if you are pushed away by a creature or effect, or if you move past a creature while falling).

## Two-Weapon Fighting

When you take the Attack action and attack with a weapon that doesn’t have the heavy property that you are wielding in one hand, you can use your bonus action to attack with a different, dual-wielding melee weapon that you are holding in your off-hand. You don’t add your ability modifier to the damage roll of the off-hand attack, unless that modifier is negative. If a weapon has the thrown property, you can make a ranged weapon attack with it instead.
If you have the Extra Attack feature, you can use your bonus action to make two attacks with the weapon in your off-hand.

# Damage and Recovery

## Hit Points

Hit points represent a creature’s stamina, willpower, and the luck needed to survive deadly challenges. Creatures with a lot of hit points are harder to kill.
A creature’s current hit points can range anywhere from their hit point maximum down to 0. A creature loses hit points when taking damage, subtracting the damage value from current hit points down to a minimum of 0. It regains hit points when it receives healing, adding hit points up to its hit point maximum.
When a character loses hit points, they aren’t necessarily taking physical harm. Rather they are avoiding otherwise fatal blows, and their ability to keep doing so is whittled away as they take further damage and their hit points decrease.
Loss of hit points has no effect on a creature’s abilities and effectiveness in combat until it drops to 0 hit points.

## Damage Rolls

Damaging attacks and effects each specify the damage they deal. Damage can be a fixed number or it can be a die or dice plus modifiers. Magic and other factors can grant a bonus, or occasionally a penalty, to damage. With a penalty it is possible to deal 0 damage, but never negative damage.
When attacking with a weapon, you add the same ability modifier used for the attack roll to the damage. A spell tells you exactly what to roll for damage.
Any time an effect deals damage to more than one target at the same time, roll the damage once for all targets.

## Critical Hits

When you score a critical hit, you double the attack’s damage against the target (including any static modifiers to the damage roll). A critical hit can be turned into a regular hit by sacrificing an equipped shield (see Equipment) or choosing to suffer fatigue (see Fatigue below).

## Damage Types

Most damaging attacks or effects deal one or more of the following types of damage: acid, bludgeoning, cold, fire, force, lightning, necrotic, piercing, poison, psychic, radiant, slashing, thunder.
Other rules (such as damage resistance) rely on damage types.

## Ongoing Damage

Some attacks, spells, and effects deal ongoing damage. This hit point loss happens at the end of each of your turns. Unless the effect states a damage type, the hit point loss is unaffected by damage resistance or vulnerability (see below).
An effect that deals ongoing damage specifies the circumstance that ends the damage.

# Damage Resistance, Vulnerability, and Immunity

A creature or an object with resistance to a damage type takes only half the damage whenever it takes damage from that type.
A creature or an object with vulnerability to a damage type takes twice the damage whenever it takes damage from that type.
Resistance and then vulnerability are applied after all other modifiers to damage.
Two instances of resistance or vulnerability affecting the same damage don’t stack.
Some creatures and objects are immune to certain types of damage or damage inflicted by mundane weapons. Damage immunity doesn’t modify damage dealt; instead the immune creature is unaffected by damage of that type. Furthermore, some creatures are immune to certain conditions.

# Fatigue, Death, and Doom

## Massive Damage and Instant Death

Massive damage can injure or kill you instantly. If you are reduced to 0 hit points after taking an amount of damage equal to or greater than 20 + triple your character level (or Hit Dice for creatures), you make a DC 15 Constitution saving throw. On a failure, you die instantly. On a success, you live but suffer one level of fatigue and one level of strife.

## Dropping to 0 Hit Points

Damage that reduces you to 0 hit points without killing you knocks you unconscious (see Conditions). Regaining any hit points ends this unconsciousness.
Falling unconscious as a result of taking damage during an encounter is traumatic and inflicts a level of fatigue (see below).

## Dying and Death Saving Throws

When you are reduced to 0 hit points and not killed outright, you are dying. While dying, when you begin your turn you must make a death saving throw, a special saving throw that isn’t tied to an ability score. Like other saving throws, it can be affected by circumstances that modify your chances of succeeding on a saving throw.
Roll a d20. On a result of 10 or higher, you succeed. Otherwise, you fail. Keep track of your successes and failures over multiple turns until you collect three successes or three failures. On your third success, you become stable. On your third failure, you die. When you regain hit points or become stable, your successes and failures counts are reset.
Rolling a 1 or 20. When you make a death saving throw and roll a natural 1, you suffer one level of fatigue and one level of strife. If you roll a natural 20, you regain 1 hit point, immediately regain consciousness, and are able to take the rest of your turn.
Being Attacked at 0 Hit Points. If you take damage from an attack while you’re on 0 hit points, the attacker can choose to make you suffer a death saving throw failure, one level of fatigue, or one level of strife.
Other Damage at 0 Hit Points. If you take any other damage while you have 0 hit points, you suffer a death saving throw failure. At the Narrator’s discretion, depending on the nature of the damage, such as blasting steam or errant magic, this might instead inflict a level of fatigue or strife.

## Stabilizing a Creature

Even when you can’t restore hit points to a creature, you can stabilize so it doesn’t need to make death saving throws.
As an action, you can administer first aid to an unconscious creature by making a DC 10 Wisdom (Medicine) check. On a success, the creature stabilizes.
When stable, a creature is no longer dying and doesn’t make death saving throws. It remains unconscious while at 0 hit points. If a stable creature takes any damage, it is dying again and must begin making death saving throws again. After being stable for 1d4 hours, a creature regains 1 hit point.

## Fatigue

Sometimes during an encounter, a creature will gain an injury representing a serious wound. This is represented by fatigue.

Suffering Fatigue. You gain a level of fatigue:

- Each time you take damage that makes you fall unconscious during an encounter.
- When you take a critical hit while at 0 hit points.
- When you take a critical hit, you can use your reaction to block it, turning the critical hit into a regular hit and suffering a level of fatigue (if you have a shield, you can Sacrifice Shield instead; see Equipment). Once you’ve turned a critical hit into a regular hit in this way, you can’t do so again until you finish a rest.

The effects of fatigue gained during combat are only felt after the encounter in which they were inflicted has ended. During the heat of battle it is easy to fight on without realizing the extent of your injuries.
A creature can survive multiple such injuries and continue adventuring; however, injuries are not to be ignored lightly. If you gain seven levels of fatigue, you are doomed (see below), as your combined injuries mean you’re beyond the aid of all but the most powerful healing magics.

## Doomed

A doomed creature has sustained damage to their body, mind, and spirit that puts it beyond the help of normal recovery and lesser magic. While the symptoms of a doomed creature’s injuries might be removed, only powerful spells such as regeneration or resurrection can spare it from death or restore it to life.
Suffering the effects of seven or more levels of fatigue is one way to become doomed; however at the Narrator’s discretion a creature might become doomed for any number of other reasons.
The doomed condition is described in Conditions.

## Monsters, NPCs, and Death

Rather than falling unconscious, accruing injuries, or making death saving throws, a monster that drops to 0 hit points usually dies immediately.
Essential villains and important nonplayer characters are common exceptions. The Narrator might rule that a nonplayer character follows the same dying rules as player characters, or they might become doomed the moment they hit 0 hit points—allowing them a final dramatic action or speech before they succumb and die.

# Knocking a Creature Out

When a melee attack drops a creature to 0 hit points, the attacker can knock the creature unconscious. This choice is made when the creature is reduced to 0 hit points. The creature falls unconscious, gains a level of fatigue, and is stable.

# Healing and Recovery

Rest and magic can heal a creature, restoring its hit points. Restored hit points regained are added to a creature’s current hit points, up to their hit point maximum. Excess healing has no effect.
A dead creature can’t regain hit points unless it is restored to life first.

## Recovering From Fatigue

Recovering from fatigue is more difficult than restoring hit points.
A creature can recover from the initial level of fatigue during a long rest anywhere, but recovering from two or more levels of fatigue requires long rests taken at a Haven (see Exploration). While resting a Haven, a creature reduces its level of fatigue by one each time it finishes a long rest.

# Temporary Hit Points

Some spells and special abilities grant a creature temporary hit points, a separately tracked buffer against damage.
When a creature takes damage, any temporary hit points are lost first, and remaining damage is subtracted from normal hit points.
Healing can’t restore temporary hit points because they are separate from actual hit points. However, temporary hit points plus current hit points can exceed a creature’s hit point maximum. A creature can be at full hit points and receive temporary hit points.
Temporary hit points can’t be added together—if you receive temporary hit points while you already have some, you decide whether to keep the new set or the old set.
Temporary hit points don’t end the dying, stabilized, or unconscious conditions. However, you can receive temporary hit points even while you’re at 0 hit points, and the temporary hit points still absorb damage.
Unless otherwise stated, temporary hit points disappear when they’re expended or when you finish a long rest.

# World Bonuses, Penalties, and Cover

## Difficult Terrain

One of the most common forms of world penalties is difficult terrain. Anything from dense bramble, precarious steps, or tenacious mud can reduce your normal movement Speed.
Every foot of movement you take within difficult terrain costs 1 extra foot. Multiple hazards that would cause difficult terrain in a space don’t stack. However, additional conditions that increase the cost of movement (such as crawling while prone) stack with difficult terrain.

## Cover

Obstacles such as trees and stone walls can help to keep creatures out of sight and out of harm’s way.
Cover offers you protection against attacks and effects from the other side of it. There are three types of cover: half cover, three-quarters cover, and total cover. If you are behind multiple sources of cover, you only gain the benefits from the most protective source of cover.
Half cover is provided by obstacles that block at least half of your body. Half cover grants you a +2 bonus to AC, Dexterity saving throws, and ability checks made to hide.
Three-quarters cover obscures three-quarters of your body.. It grants you a +5 bonus to AC, Dexterity saving throws, and ability checks made to hide.
Total cover keeps you completely concealed from the other side. While you’re behind total cover, creatures can’t target you directly with attacks, spells, or ability checks, although spells that target an area or ability checks made to search the area might still affect you.

## World Actions

Environments are often dynamic spaces with moving parts other than their inhabitants. Within Turn-Based Action, the world gets its own turn to enact these moving parts in the form of a world action.
After the environment uses a world action with a recharge, the Narrator rolls 1d6. On a result equal to or greater than the listed number, the environment regains its world action. Otherwise, at the start of each round the Narrator repeats the roll until the environment regains the world action.

## Example Environments

If a particular bonus, penalty, or action doesn’t make sense for where the participants are located, the Narrator can reskin a different environment’s effects or forgo using them altogether for a Turn-Based Action encounter. That said, an unexpected effect can prompt creativity, challenge, and intrigue in the game.

### CAVERNOUS

Echo. Sound travels twice as far, and any effect that causes thunder damage deals 1 extra point of damage per die rolled.
Loose Foundation. Area hazard that can cause the entire section of cave to collapse within 2 rounds of being disturbed by any explosive effect or significant impact. Creatures still in the area when the collapse occurs are grappled (escape DC 12) and start to suffocate.
Stalactites. Obstacles that can be knocked down by ranged attacks that deal any damage (AC 12). A creature beneath a falling stalactite makes a DC 12 Dexterity saving throw or takes 2d6 piercing damage.
Stalagmites. Obstacles that provide half cover.

### FIERY

Burning Surface. A creature that touches an unattended object or a surface for the first time on a turn takes 1d6 fire damage.
Floating Ash. A participant that ends their turn in the area makes a DC 10 Constitution saving throw or is blinded until the start of its next turn.

#### WORLD ACTIONS

Flame Burst (Recharge 4–6). One creature makes a DC 12 Dexterity saving throw or takes 1d12 fire damage.
Sweltering Heat. Each creature makes a DC 10 Constitution saving throw or suffers one level of fatigue.

### FORESTED

Brush. Obstacles that provide half cover to a prone creature within 5 feet.
Trees (Fallen or Standing). Obstacles that provide half cover.
Fallen Leaves. Might conceal potholes, traps, and other hazards. A creature can perceive what’s under the leaves by making a DC 12 Wisdom (Perception) check.

#### WORLD ACTIONS

Distressed Animal Cacophony (Recharge 4–6). Creatures can only hear sounds within 10 feet of them (except for loud, explosive noises) until the start of the environment’s next turn.

### FRIGID

Frostbitten Surface. A creature that touches an unattended object or a surface for the first time on a turn takes 1d6 cold damage, unless that creature has cold resistance or its skin isn’t exposed to the surface.
Icy Patch. Once a creature starts moving through this area in a particular direction, movement in another direction is considered difficult terrain to it until the start of its next turn.
Snow. The area is lightly obscured.

#### WORLD ACTIONS

Cold Chill (Recharge 4–6). Each creature makes a DC 15 Constitution saving throw or takes 2d6 cold damage. This damage is reduced to 1d6 if the creature is wearing cold-weather gear.

### FURNISHED

Chandelier. Obstacle that can be swung from with a DC 12 Dexterity (Acrobatics) check. A creature beneath a falling chandelier makes a DC 12 Dexterity saving throw or takes 2d6 bludgeoning damage.
Clutter. Counts as difficult terrain. A creature that uses the Dash action to move through the area makes a DC 10 Dexterity saving throw or falls prone.
Mirror. When targeted by a cantrip or 1st-level spell, a creature using this Medium-sized object as cover can use their reaction to reflect the spell back onto the spellcaster by succeeding on a Dexterity check contested by the creature’s spellcasting ability check. On a failure, the spell hits a randomly determined unoccupied square instead. The mirror then breaks.
Tables. Obstacles that can be pushed over as an action to provide half cover.

### HAZY

Blanketed Ground. Might conceal potholes, traps, and other hazards. A creature can perceive what’s under the fog by making a DC 12 Wisdom (Perception) check.
Thick Fog. The area is heavily obscured.

#### WORLD ACTIONS

Shadow Puppet (Recharge 6). A shadow that looks identical to a random creature in the haze manifests, acting on initiative count 20. The shadow can see through the fog clearly and is hostile to everyone.
Twisting Haze. Each creature in the haze teleports to a random, unoccupied space within 5 feet.

### ROCKY

Boulder. A creature can use an action to dislodge and roll the boulder by making a successful DC 15 Strength (Athletics) check. A creature in the boulder’s path makes a DC 12 Dexterity saving throw or takes 2d10 damage.
Loose Rocks. Object that can be used for a thrown weapon attack (range 15/30 ft., 1d4 bludgeoning damage).
Uneven Footing. The area is difficult terrain.

#### WORLD ACTIONS

Falling Rocks (Recharge 5–6). Each creature near a treacherous cliffside makes a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw or takes 2d6 bludgeoning damage.

### STORMY

Heavy Precipitation. The area is difficult terrain.
Loud Winds. Creatures can only hear sounds within 15 feet of them (except for loud, explosive noises).

#### WORLD ACTIONS

Forceful Gale. One creature makes a DC 12 Strength saving throw or is pushed 15 feet. This movement doesn’t provoke opportunity attacks.
Lightning Strike (Recharge 5–6). One creature makes a DC 10 Dexterity saving throw or takes 4d6 lightning damage. This action can’t target that creature again until Turn-Based Action ends.

### SWAMPY

Thick Trudge. The area is difficult terrain.
Tenacious Mud. A creature that ends its turn in the area makes a DC 12 Strength saving throw or is restrained until the end of its next turn. The creature can also use their action to break free.

#### WORLD ACTIONS

Swamp Gas. Each creature in the area makes a DC 10 Constitution saving throw or is poisoned until the end of its next turn.
Leeches (Recharge 6). A swarm of insects (leeches) rises out of the swamp to attack any creature in the area.

# Controlling Summons and Multiple Creatures

The Narrator typically controls all characters that aren’t the PCs. However, players might command mounts and hirelings, summon familiars, or conjure squads of reinforcements during a Turn-Based Action encounter to tip the scales in their favor.
Creatures under your control can take their movement at any point on your turn. Identical creatures move as a group, provided each creature is within 5 feet of at least one other member.
You can use your bonus action to command a single creature or group of creatures to take their actions. For groups, this means each member performs the same action against the same target or towards the same goal.

For group ability checks:

1. Roll the ability check for one member of the group.
2. For Strength-based group ability checks, add +1 for every other member of the group.

For group attack rolls:

1. The attack roll becomes a Dexterity saving throw made by the target. If the action already requires a saving throw, skip step 2.
2. The DC of the Dexterity saving throw equals 8 + the highest attack bonus of any creature in the group. On a failure, the target takes the attack's damage and any additional effects, or half damage and no additional effects on a success.
3. Add +1 to the DC and damage for each additional member of the group.

# Alternative Turn-Based Action Scenarios

The Turn-Based Action rules can be used for more than combat; they are ideal for most high-octane situations. There are several alternative scenarios where an additional layer of granularity can provide new challenges and strategies for the participants.

## Suspended Movement

Adventures can take you under the sea, into the sky, or adrift in the Astral Plane. These scenarios aren’t anchored to the ground and expand your movement options to a whole new dimension.
Participants in these Turn-Based Action encounters can move in any direction and have their movement suspended vertically from any ground. The conditions of this suspension depend on the environment.

While participants are suspended in a large body of water:

- Bludgeoning and fire damage are halved.
- Ranged weapon attacks beyond the weapon’s normal range automatically miss their target.
- Unless the weapon is thrown, attacks made with ranged weapons have disadvantage.
- Dexterity-based ability checks and melee weapon attacks have disadvantage unless the attacker has a swim speed.

While participants are aloft in the sky:

- When a creature is knocked prone, restrained, or otherwise has no fly speed, it automatically begins to fall.
- Willing movement made vertically downward costs half the distance (in feet) that it normally would. A creature that moves 10 feet downward only spends 5 feet of its movement to do so.

While participants are adrift in an intangible, space-like environment such as the Astral Plane:

- Creatures and objects have vulnerability to psychic damage, unless they are proficient in either Intelligence or Wisdom saving throws.
- A creature’s Speed is determined by its thoughts. Each creature gains a fly speed equal to 30 feet + (5 feet × its Intelligence modifier).

## Rolling Movement

When each participant of the Turn-Based Action encounter is moving in roughly the same direction, such as in a chase:

- The Narrator determines the direction and the base speed of the encounter per round, typically either 30 feet or the base Speed of the second-slowest active participant.
- The World Actions phase of Turn-Based Action occurs at the start of each participant’s turn, affecting only them.
- Participants can’t use their basic movement to move further forward without Dashing or performing an improvised action. They can still move sideways or slow down.
- Participants that become too distant from the action must find a way to return themselves, wait for active participants to move the action back to them, or wait until the end of the encounter.

##

## Countdowns

TABLE: APPROXIMATE NUMBER OF ROLLS

DICE POOL | SLOW (6) | MEDIUM (5–6) | FAST (4–6)
--- | --- | --- | ---
1d6 | 6 | 3 | 2
2d6 | 9 | 4 | 3
3d6 | 11 | 5 | 3
4d6 | 12 | 6 | 4
5d6 | 13 | 6 | 4
6d6 | 14 | 7 | 4
7d6 | 15 | 7 | 4
8d6 | 15 | 7 | 4
9d6 | 16 | 7 | 5
10d6 | 17 | 8 | 5

A countdown takes place when there is an unknown time limit before something occurs.
The countdown is started by forming a pool of six-sided dice. The Narrator determines the size of that dice pool based on the circumstances.
At the start of each round, the dice pool is rolled. Any dice with a result of 6 are removed from the dice pool, and play continues. The countdown is not immutable: the Narrator might deem that certain actions during the scenario adds or removes a die from the countdown, and there will often be a way to stop the countdown entirely. However, sometimes a countdown can’t be stopped—the cliff is going to crumble, and you must reach the top before it does!
When the last die is removed from the dice pool, the countdown expires.
For a faster countdown, remove any dice that roll a 5 or a 6, or that roll a 4, 5, or 6. See Table: Approximate Number of Rolls for a guide to how long each countdown can be expected to last. However, remember that these are only average figures, and even the slowest countdown can end quickly if the dice fall badly.