Playing the Game

D&D is a conversation with dice in it. Someone describes a situation, someone else says what they do about it, and when the outcome is genuinely in doubt, the dice settle it. Everything in this section is an elaboration of that loop.

The pages here cover the parts of the game that apply everywhere, whatever your character happens to be:

  • Rhythm of Play — how a scene actually moves, at the table and in combat.
  • The Six Abilities — what your character is made of, and what each ability is for.
  • D20 Tests — the three rolls that resolve almost everything.
  • Proficiency — what training adds, and where it applies.
  • Actions — what you can do with your turn.
  • Social Interaction — talking to people, and when that needs a roll.
  • Exploration — light, terrain, senses and the hazards of getting there.
  • Combat — how a fight is run, from Initiative to the attack landing.
  • Damage and Healing — what a hit does, and how you come back from it.
  • Conditions — how conditions behave, stack and end.

Terms with a dashed underline open their full definition from the Rules Glossary; the pages here explain how the pieces fit together rather than repeating what each one means.

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