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A
- Ability Score: Numerical representation of a character’s basic attributes, e.g., Strength, Dexterity.
- Advantage: Rolling two d20s for an action and taking the higher result.
- Arcana: Knowledge about magic, spells, and magical creatures.
- Attack of Opportunity: A reaction melee attack when an enemy leaves your reach.
- Alignment: Character’s moral and ethical compass, e.g., Lawful Good, Chaotic Neutral.
- Armor Class (AC): A number representing how hard it is to successfully land a hit on someone.
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B
- Barbarian: A class known for their rage and combat prowess.
- Bard: A class who uses music and performance for magic and combat.
- Buff: A positive effect placed on a character, often from spells.
- Beholder: A type of monster, known for its floating eye and various eye beams.
- Bardic Inspiration: A unique ability of bards to inspire others, granting bonus to their rolls.
- Bonus Action: A type of action that is quicker than a regular action, allowing more than one to be taken in a turn.
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C
- Cantrip: A simple magic spell that doesn’t use up spell slots.
- Cleric: A class devoted to deities, channeling divine power.
- Critical Hit (Crit): A perfect attack, often dealing double damage.
- Campaign: A series of adventures forming an overarching storyline.
- Conjuration: A school of magic focused on summoning and teleportation.
- Challenge Rating (CR): A measure of how dangerous a monster is.
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D
- Dungeon Master (DM): The game’s narrator, referee, and storyteller.
- Druid: A class in tune with nature, able to shape-shift into animals.
- D20: A twenty-sided dice, fundamental in determining outcomes in D&D.
- Divination: A school of magic centered on foresight, prophecy, and knowledge.
- Darkvision: The ability to see in darkness as if it were dim light.
- Deception: A skill focused on lying and misleading.
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E
- Eldritch Knight: A fighter subclass that mixes weapon skills with magic.
- Evocation: A school of magic focused on manifesting energy and matter.
- Experience Points (XP): Points accumulated from adventures, which lead to leveling up.
- Elemental Plane: Alternate dimensions made up of one of the core elements.
- Encumbrance: A rule detailing how much a character can carry based on their strength.
- Expertise: A character trait that allows doubling the proficiency bonus for certain skills.
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F
- Familiar: A magical creature summoned to assist wizards and other spellcasters.
- Feats: Special talents or abilities that provide various benefits.
- Fighter: A class skilled in physical combat and weapon use.
- Fey: Magical creatures often associated with nature, like sprites and pixies.
- Flanking: Positioning on opposite sides of an enemy to gain an advantage in combat.
- Focus: An object used to channel magical energy, e.g., a wand or an orb.
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G
- Gnome: A small, cunning race known for their inquisitiveness and engineering skills.
- Goblin: A small, often malicious creature found in many campaigns.
- Grapple: A combat maneuver to seize and hold an opponent.
- Greatsword: A two-handed melee weapon dealing slashing damage.
- Guild: An organized group of individuals with shared interests or professions.
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H
- Halfling: A small, agile race, known for their luck and bravery.
- Hit Points (HP): Numerical representation of a character’s health.
- Healing Potion: A consumable item used to restore hit points.
- Haste: A spell that speeds up the actions of a target.
- Hexblade: A warlock subclass that bonds with a sentient weapon.
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I
- Initiative: A roll to determine the order of turns in combat.
- Illusion: A school of magic focused on creating false images or perceptions.
- Inspiration: A mechanic that rewards players for role-playing, allowing for advantageous rolls.
- Incantation: The spoken component of a spell.
- Innate Spellcasting: The ability to cast spells without needing to prepare them.
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J
- Javelin: A one-handed thrown weapon.
- Jester: Often used to describe playful or mocking bards.
- Journey: A long travel, often involving multiple encounters.
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K
- Kobold: Small, reptilian creatures, often seen as minions.
- Knight: A warrior granted an honorary title and associated with chivalry.
- Ki: Energy points used by monks to fuel their special abilities.
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L
- Lich: A powerful undead spellcaster.
- Longsword: A versatile one-handed melee weapon.
- Loot: Items and treasure obtained from adventures.
- Level: A measure of a character’s power and experience.
- Lightning Bolt: A powerful evocation spell.
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M
- Magic Missile: A spell that always hits its target.
- Monk: A class focused on martial arts and inner energy (Ki).
- Multiclassing: Adopting levels in more than one class.
- Mace: A blunt melee weapon.
- Metagaming: Using out-of-character knowledge in-character.
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N
- Necromancy: A school of magic associated with death and undead.
- NPC (Non-Player Character): Characters in the story controlled by the Dungeon Master.
- Neutral: An alignment that doesn’t lean towards good or evil, lawful or chaotic.
- Natural 20 (Nat 20): Rolling a 20 on a d20, typically a critical success.
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O
- Orc: A brutish, aggressive humanoid creature.
- Oath: A solemn pledge that paladins adhere to, defining their path and abilities.
- Opportunity Attack: A reaction attack taken when an enemy leaves your reach.
- Outlander: A background that represents a character raised in the wilds.
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P
- Paladin: A holy warrior, a champion of a divine cause.
- Potion: A consumable liquid that grants various effects when consumed.
- Proficiency: A character’s aptitude in certain skills, weapons, or tools.
- Psionics: Powers of the mind that grant psychic abilities.
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Q
- Quest: An adventurous journey undertaken by characters.
- Quiver: A container for holding arrows.
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R
- Rogue: A class skilled in stealth, cunning, and dexterity-based tasks.
- Ranger: A warrior of the wilderness.
- Ritual: A type of spellcasting that doesn’t consume a spell slot.
- Resurrection: A powerful spell capable of bringing the dead back to life.
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S
- Sorcerer: A spellcaster with innate magical abilities.
- Spellbook: A wizard’s collection of learned spells.
- Short Rest: A brief downtime where characters can recuperate.
- Saving Throw: A roll made to resist certain effects or spells.
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T
- Thief: An archetype of the rogue class, specialized in stealing and stealth.
- Turn Undead: A clerical ability to repel or destroy undead creatures.
- Tribe: A social group, typically used to refer to orcs, goblins, and other humanoid factions.
- Two-Handed: Weapons that require both hands to use.
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U
- Undead: Creatures that have died and been brought back in a new, unholy form.
- Unarmed Strike: An attack made without a weapon.
- Unseen Servant: A spell that creates an invisible force to serve the caster.
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V
- Vampire: A powerful undead creature that consumes the life force of the living.
- Vow: A solemn promise, often associated with paladins.
- Vision: Different types of sight, like darkvision or truesight.
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W
- Wizard: A spellcaster who learns magic from intense study.
- Warlock: A spellcaster who derives power from a pact with a supernatural entity.
- Wild Shape: A druid’s ability to transform into animals.
- Weapon Proficiency: The ability to use certain types of weapons effectively.
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X
- Xanathar: A beholder crime lord from Waterdeep and the eponymous character of “Xanathar’s Guide to Everything.”
- Xorn: A creature native to the Elemental Plane of Earth, known for consuming precious gems and metals.
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Y
- Yuan-ti: A race of snake-like humanoids.
- Yawning Portal: An iconic tavern in Waterdeep with an entrance to the infamous dungeon Undermountain.
- Yochlol: A shape-changing demon that serves Lolth, the drow goddess.
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Z
- Zombie: An undead creature, often raised by necromantic magic.
- Zone of Truth: A spell that forces those within its radius to speak only the truth.
- Zephyr Strike: A spell that increases a ranger’s mobility and damage for a short time.
