Appendix A: Conditions
Conditions alter a creature’s capabilities in a va-
riety of ways and can arise as a result of a spell, a class
feature, a monster’s attack, or other effect. Most condi-
tions, such as blinded, are impairments, but a few, such
as invisible, can be advantageous.
A condition lasts either until it is countered (the prone
condition is countered by standing up, for example) or
for a duration specified by the effect that imposed the
condition.
If multiple effects impose the same condition on a
creature, each instance of the condition has its own
duration, but the condition’s effects don’t get worse.
A creature either has a condition or doesn’t.
The following definitions specify what happens to
a creature while it is subjected to a condition.
Blinded
• A blinded creature can’t see and automatically fails any
ability check that requires sight.
• Attack rolls against the creature have advantage, and
the creature’s attack rolls have disadvantage.
Charmed
• A charmed creature can’t attack the charmer or target
the charmer with harmful abilities or magical effects.
• The charmer has advantage on any ability check to
interact socially with the creature.
Deafened
• A deafened creature can’t hear and automatically fails
any ability check that requires hearing.
Frightened
• A frightened creature has disadvantage on ability
checks and attack rolls while the source of its fear is
within line of sight.
• The creature can’t willingly move closer to the source
of its fear.
Grappled
• A grappled creature’s speed becomes 0, and it can’t
benefit from any bonus to its speed.
• The condition ends if the grappler is incapacitated
(see the condition).
• The condition also ends if an effect removes the
grappled creature from the reach of the grappler or
grappling effect, such as when a creature is hurled
away by the thunder­wave spell.
Incapacitated
• An incapacitated creature can’t take actions
or reactions.
D&D Basic Rules (Version 1.0). Not for resale. Permission granted to print and photocopy this document for personal use only.
Invisible
• An invisible creature is impossible to see without the
aid of magic or a special sense. For the purpose of
hiding, the creature is heavily obscured. The creature’s
location can be detected by any noise it makes or any
tracks it leaves.
• Attack rolls against the creature have disadvantage,
and the creature’s attack rolls have advantage.
Paralyzed
• A paralyzed creature is incapacitated (see the condi-
tion) and can’t move or speak.
• The creature automatically fails Strength and Dexterity
saving throws.
• Attack rolls against the creature have advantage.
• Any attack that hits the creature is a critical hit if the
attacker is within 5 feet of the creature.
Petrified
• A petrified creature is transformed, along with any
nonmagical object it is wearing or carrying, into a
solid inanimate substance (usually stone). Its weight
increases by a factor of ten, and it ceases aging.
• The creature is incapacitated (see the condition), can’t
move or speak, and is unaware of its surroundings.
• Attack rolls against the creature have advantage.
• The creature automatically fails Strength and Dexterity
saving throws.
• The creature has resistance to all damage.
• The creature is immune to poison and disease,
although a poison or disease already in its system
is suspended, not neutralized.
Poisoned
• A poisoned creature has disadvantage on attack rolls
and ability checks.
Prone
• A prone creature’s only movement option is to crawl,
unless it stands up and thereby ends the condition.
• The creature has disadvantage on attack rolls.
• An attack roll against the creature has advantage if the
attacker is within 5 feet of the creature. Otherwise, the
attack roll has disadvantage.
Restrained
• A restrained creature’s speed becomes 0, and it can’t
benefit from any bonus to its speed.
• Attack rolls against the creature have advantage,
and the creature’s attack rolls have disadvantage.
• The creature has disadvantage on Dexterity
saving throws.
Stunned
• A stunned creature is incapacitated (see the condition),
can’t move, and can speak only falteringly.
• The creature automatically fails Strength and Dexterity
saving throws.
• Attack rolls against the creature have advantage.
Appendix A: Conditions
171
Unconscious
• An unconscious creature is incapacitated (see the
condition), can’t move or speak, and is unaware
of its surroundings.
• The creature drops whatever it’s holding and
falls prone.
• The creature automatically fails Strength and Dexterity
saving throws.
• Attack rolls against the creature have advantage.
• Any attack that hits the creature is a critical hit if the
attacker is within 5 feet of the creature.
Exhaustion
Some special abilities and environmental hazards, such as
starvation and the long-term effects of freezing or scorching
temperatures, can lead to a special condition called
exhaustion. Exhaustion is measured in six levels. An effect
can give a creature one or more levels of exhaustion, as
specified in the effect’s description.
Level Effect
1 Disadvantage on ability checks
2 Speed halved
3 Disadvantage on attack rolls and saving throws
4 Hit point maximum halved
5 Speed reduced to 0
6 Death
If an already exhausted creature suffers another effect that
causes exhaustion, its current level of exhaustion increases
by the amount specified in the effect’s description.
A creature suffers the effect of its current level of
exhaustion as well as all lower levels. For example, a
creature suffering level 2 exhaustion has its speed halved
and has disadvantage on ability checks.
An effect that removes exhaustion reduces its level as
specified in the effect’s description, with all exhaustion
effects ending if a creature’s exhaustion level is
reduced below 1.
Finishing a long rest reduces a creature’s exhaustion level
by 1, provided that the creature has also ingested some
food and drink. Also, being raised from the dead reduces a
creature’s exhaustion level by 1.
D&D Basic Rules (Version 1.0). Not for resale. Permission granted to print and photocopy this document for personal use only.
Appendix B: Gods of
the Multiverse
Religion is an important part of life in the worlds of
the D&D multiverse. When gods walk the world, clerics
channel divine power, evil cults perform dark sacrifices
in subterranean lairs, and shining paladins stand like
beacons against the darkness, it’s hard to be ambivalent
about the deities and deny their existence.
Many people in the worlds of D&D worship different
gods at different times and circumstances. People in the
Forgotten Realms, for example, might pray to Sune for
luck in love, make an offering to Waukeen before heading
to the market, and pray to appease Talos when a severe
storm blows in—all in the same day. Many people have a
favorite among the gods, one whose ideals and teachings
they make their own. And a few people dedicate them-
selves entirely to a single god, usually serving as a priest
or champion of that god’s ideals.
Your DM determines which gods, if any, are worshiped
in his or her campaign. From among the gods available,
you can choose a single deity for your character to serve,
worship, or pay lip service to. Or you can pick a few that
your character prays to most often. Or just make a mental
note of the gods who are revered in your DM’s campaign
so you can invoke their names when appropriate. If you’re
playing a cleric or a character with the Acolyte back-
ground, decide which god your deity serves or served, and
consider the deity’s suggested domains when selecting
your character’s domain.
D&D Pantheons
Each world in the D&D multiverse has its own pantheons
of deities. This appendix deals with one pantheon, that of
the Forgotten Realms.
The Forgotten Realms
Dozens of deities are revered, worshiped, and feared
throughout the world of the Forgotten Realms. At least
thirty deities are widely known across the Realms, and
many more are worshiped locally, by individual tribes,
small cults, or certain sects of larger religious temples.
Nonhuman Deities
Certain gods closely associated with nonhuman races
are revered on many different worlds, though not always
in the same way. The nonhuman races of the Forgotten
Realms and Greyhawk share these deities.
Nonhuman races often have whole pantheons of
their own. Besides Moradin, for example, the dwarf
gods include Moradin’s wife, Berronar Truesilver, and
a number of other gods thought to be their children
and grandchildren: Abbathor, Clangeddin Silverbeard,
Dugmaren Brightmantle, Dumathoin, Gorm Gulthyn,
Haela Brightaxe, Marthammor Duin, Sharindlar, Thard
Harr, and Vergadain. Individual clans and kingdoms of
dwarves might revere some, all, or none of these deities,
and some have other gods unknown (or known by other
names) to outsiders.
Appendix B: Gods of the Multiverse
172
Deities of the Forgotten Realms
Deity Alignment Suggested Domains Symbol
Auril, goddess of winter NE Nature, Tempest Six-pointed snowflake
Azuth, god of wizards LN Knowledge Left hand pointing upward, outlined in fire
Bane, god of tyranny LE War Upright black right hand, thumb and fingers together
Beshaba, goddess of misfortune CE Trickery Black antlers
Bhaal, god of murder NE Death Skull surrounded by a ring of blood droplets
Chauntea, goddess of agriculture NG Life Sheaf of grain or a blooming rose over grain
Cyric, god of lies CE Trickery White jawless skull on black or purple sunburst
Deneir, god of writing NG Knowledge Lit candle above an open eye
Eldath, goddess of peace NG Life, Nature Waterfall plunging into still pool
Gond, god of craft N Knowledge Toothed cog with four spokes
Helm, god of protection LN Life, Light Staring eye on upright left gauntlet
Ilmater, god of endurance LG Life Hands bound at the wrist with red cord
Kelemvor, god of the dead LN Death Upright skeletal arm holding balanced scales
Lathander, god of birth and renewal NG Life, Light Road traveling into a sunrise
Leira, goddess of illusion CN Trickery Point-down triangle containing a swirl of mist
Lliira, goddess of joy CG Life Triangle of three six-pointed stars
Loviatar, goddess of pain LE Death Nine-tailed barbed scourge
Malar, god of the hunt CE Nature Clawed paw
Mask, god of thieves CN Trickery Black mask
Mielikki, goddess of forests NG Nature Unicorn’s head
Milil, god of poetry and song NG Light Five-stringed harp made of leaves
Myrkul, god of death NE Death White human skull
Mystra, goddess of magic NG Knowledge Circle of seven stars, or nine stars encircling a
flowing red mist, or a single star
Oghma, god of knowledge N Knowledge Blank scroll
Savras, god of divination and fate LN Knowledge Crystal ball containing many kinds of eyes
Selûne, goddess of the moon CG Knowledge, Life Pair of eyes surrounded by seven stars
Shar, goddess of darkness and loss NE Death, Trickery Black disk encircled with a border
Silvanus, god of wild nature N Nature Oak leaf
Sune, goddess of love and beauty CG Life, Light Face of a beautiful red-haired woman
Talona, goddess of disease and poison CE Death Three teardrops on a triangle
Talos, god of storms CE Tempest Three lightning bolts radiating from a central point
Tempus, god of war N War Upright flaming sword
Torm, god of courage and self-sacrifice LG War White right gauntlet
Tymora, goddess of good fortune CG Trickery Face-up coin
Tyr, god of justice LG War Balanced scales resting on a warhammer
Umberlee, goddess of the sea CE Tempest Wave curling left and right
Waukeen, goddess of trade N Knowledge, Trickery Upright coin with Waukeen’s profile facing left

Appendix B: Gods of the Multiverse

173
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Appendix C: The Five Factions
Many characters created in the Forgotten Realms stops the tyrant, feeds the oppressed, and asks for noth-
setting, especially those for organized D&D play, belong ing in return.
to one of five factions that have risen to prominence in the
world of Faerûn. Each faction has its own motivations, We are the song for those who have no voice.
goals, and philosophy. Some are more heroic than others, —Remallia “Remi” Haventree
but all band together in times of trouble to address ma-
jor threats.
Order of the
Harpers Gauntlet
The clandestine network of
The Order of the Gauntlet is a
spellcasters and spies known
relatively new organization ded-
as the Harpers seeks to tip the
icated to smiting evil wherever
scales in favor of the innocent,
it lurks and without hesitation.
the weak, and the poor. Harper
Its members understands that
agents pride themselves on
evil wears many guises, playing
being incorruptible defenders
games and tricking others in
of good, and they never hesitate
order to hasten its spread. That
to aid the oppressed. Because
is why its members act on their
they prefer to work behind the
own authority, identifying threats
scenes, they are rarely noticed
and removing them before they
as they thwart tyrants, depose
can reach their full potential.
rulers, and head off any growing
Because the seeds of evil are
force that is thought to have evil
nourished in the shadows, the
intent. The faction has its finger
Order of the Gauntlet rides out to the most dangerous
on the pulse of power in the
dungeons, the darkest caverns, and the foulest pits to
Realms, and its members work tirelessly to even the odds
weed out wrongdoers. Even so, its members are keenly
for the downtrodden.
aware that the seed of evil lies within everyone, waiting
Individual Harper agents operate alone, relying on their
for a moment when it can take root in their souls. The or-
wits and the faction’s extensive information network to
der’s paladins, monks, and clerics spend long hours deep
gain an advantage over their enemies. They know that
in prayer to keep their inner eye vigilant and focused on
knowledge is power, so gathering intelligence beforehand
their own thoughts and emotions. In this way they purify
is paramount to their success. They are well informed
themselves from within before taking up their swords to
and always have access to aid, magical and otherwise.
cleanse the world.
Veteran members have secret caches of information
The Order of the Gauntlet believes that all sentient
stashed all over Faerûn, along with trusted sources sta-
beings must come forth into the light of reason and good-
tioned in every major town and city.
ness of their own volition. That is why the faction is not
The organization is always on the lookout for pow-
interested in controlling minds: it focuses only on deeds,
erful items, expressly to keep them out of the hands of
setting an example for the world in the hope of inspiring
evildoers. To this end, its agents use various guises and
and enlightening others. The order holds that faith in
identities to aid their search for carefully guarded secrets
one’s god, one’s friends, and one’s self are the best weap-
such as ancestral maps, buried cities, and mages’ keeps.
ons for combating the hordes of malice.
The bond between Harpers is strong, and the
Possessed of such devout conviction, the order’s
friendships they form are nigh unbreakable. Rarely do
members can be relied on as a source of strength
they operate in the open, but on rare occasions they must,
to themselves and others, a bright light against the
because there is no other choice. When that happens,
darkness. They are not preemptive bullies, though. A
you can be sure that a fellow Harper is watching closely,
strict code of honor allows them to strike only when
ready to dart out from the shadows and help a comrade at
evil deeds are being committed. Thus, the Order of the
a moment’s notice.
Gauntlet is constantly vigilant, using every resource at its
A Harper is first and foremost self-reliant, for once you are disposal—both magical and mundane—to tell where and
when dark deeds will occur.
autonomous, no one can tempt you into using power as a
crutch. You are sovereign unto yourself. That’s the thing about evil: it is darkness, it is shadow, it hides
Therefore, a Harper’s soul must be incorruptible. Many in your blind spot. Then, when you are distracted, it sneaks
believe themselves to be so, but power comes in many guises, in. Evil is a master of disguise—and what is the greatest dis-
and it will surely find your weakness. Of this you may be guise, you ask? Yourself. Evil will cloak itself in thoughts and
certain. Only a true Harper can pass this test and transform emotions pretending to be your own, telling you to get angry,
weakness into strength. That is why we are the hand that to be greedy and envious, to hold yourself above others.

Appendix C: The Five Factions

174
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 People aren’t born evil—it takes time for evil to fool you
into thinking that its voice is yours. That is why to know who
you truly are is what the order requires from each hopeful
who wishes to join our ranks. Bravery isn’t fighting the drag-
on out there—it is fighting the dragon within. That is what
we do in our prayers. Once you have slain that dragon, you
have overcome the darkness lurking within yourself. Only
then do you have the capacity to know true goodness. Only
then are you ready to take up the sword and wear the badge
of our order.
—Kajiso Steelhand
Emerald Enclave
The Emerald Enclave is a far-ranging group that opposes
threats to the natural world and helps others survive
in the wilderness. Branches of
the organization are scattered
throughout Faerûn and often
operate in isolation from the
others. This existence instills in
the enclave’s members a fierce
self-reliance and mastery of cer-
tain fighting and survival skills.
A ranger of the enclave might
be hired to lead a caravan
through a treacherous moun-
tain pass or across the frozen
tundra of Icewind Dale. A druid
might volunteer to help a village
prepare for a long, brutal winter.
Barbarians and druids who live
as hermits might appear from nowhere to help defend a
town against marauding orcs.
Members of the Emerald Enclave know how to survive
and, more important, how to help others do the same.
They are not opposed to civilization or progress, but
they strive to keep such “advances” in balance with the
wild. They restore and preserve the natural order, even
as they root out and destroy all that is unnatural. They
keep the elemental forces of the world in check and
prevent civilization and the wilderness from destroying
one another.
We of the Emerald Enclave serve as gatekeepers to that vast
space beyond the city walls. We are the defenders both of the
wilderness and of the society that does not understand it.
Most have forgotten that there is an ancient, natural order
that held sway long before we formed our intellectual con-
cepts of it. To come into contact with that primal order is to
touch the power that guides all of life.
Those who walk the way of the Emerald Enclave are
infused with this power; we embody it, and it moves us to
do our work. That is why we are never alone. Even in the
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midst of a noisy, crowded city, we can feel the presence of the
natural world inside us, fresh, strong, and alive. The enclave
seeks to make awareness of this power available to all.
Freedom. Is not this the highest of callings?
—Delaan Winterhound
Lords’ Alliance
The Lords’ Alliance is an asso-
ciation of rulers from cities and
towns across Faerûn (primarily
in the North), who believe that
solidarity is needed to keep evil
at bay. The rulers of Waterdeep,
Silverymoon, Neverwinter, and
other free cities dominate the
coalition, and all lords in the alli-
ance work primarily for the fate
and fortune of their individual
settlements.
Alliance agents include sophis-
ticated bards, zealous paladins,
talented mages, and grizzled
warriors. They are chosen pri-
marily for their loyalty and are experts in observation,
stealth, innuendo, and combat. Backed by the wealthy
and the privileged, they carry fine equipment (often dis-
guised to appear common), including large numbers of
scrolls scribed with spells of communication.
Agents of the Lords’ Alliance ensure the safety and
prosperity of civilized Faerûn by standing united against
the forces that threaten civilization. They aggressively
eliminate such threats by any means, fighting with pride
for the glory and security of their people, and for the
welfare of the lords who rule over those folk. Alliance
operatives are often motivated by glory, looking to gain
an advantage in status over their counterparts from
other alliance cities. The leaders of the faction know that
the group will survive only if its members support each
other, requiring all to find a balance between pride and
diplomacy. Rogue agents within the Lords’ Alliance are
rare, but defections have been known to occur.
Everyone wants to sleep at night and feel safe in their homes,
but how many want to do what it takes to keep the tide of
evil at bay? To stand in the cold and rain, waiting for battle
while hunger gnaws at their bellies? Many wish to reap the
rewards of a good harvest, but few care to remove the stones
and till the fields for planting.
The Lords’ Alliance fights the things that the shopkeeper in
his bed has never even heard of. We remove threats before
the town mayor even knows about them. We make bad
things go away. That’s what we’re good at.
—Rameel Jos
Appendix C: The Five Factions
175
 Zhentarim The organization encourages individual ambition and
rewards innovators who take matters into their own
The Zhentarim, also called the hands. Results are all that matter. Those who come
Black Network, is an organiza- into the Black Network with nothing can become major
tion of well-trained mercenaries, players within the organization through their own
savvy rogues, and crafty war- ambition and perseverance.
locks who seek to expand their
influence and power throughout Membership in the Zhentarim is like a key to a thousand
Faerûn. Agents of the Zhen- doors, each one a gateway to fulfilling a personal desire.
tarim believe that if they play
by the rules, nothing gets done.
Most people shy away from this kind of freedom. They like
Ultimately, they want to make their restraints, laws, and swaddling—it gives them the illu-
the rules—and, in some cases, sion of security.
they already have. They walk a The Black Network provides what I need to explore realms
careful line when it comes to fol-
lowing the letter of the law and and dimensions that would tear apart minds accustomed to
don’t shy away from the occa- limits. Only in such places can I find magic powerful enough
sional shady deal or illicit activity to defeat beings that know no such things as time, fear, or
to get what they want.
mercy. You might not like the Zhentarim’s methods, but when
To the Zhentarim, wealth is power. Its agents know
that nothing else inspires such confidence and dispels a demon crawls out of the Abyss and comes for your family,
doubt so well. Zhentarim agents routinely carry the finest you’ll be glad that I have gone to the darkest of realms to find
weapons and armor, since the faction spares no expense the answer to your problem.
in their outfitting. When a merchant needs an escort for a
caravan, when a noble family requires bodyguards to pro-
—Ianna Asterion
tect its holdings, or when a city is desperate for trained
soldiers to defend its walls, the Zhentarim provides the
best warriors money can buy.
RICHARD WHITTERS

Appendix C: The Five Factions

176
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 class & level BackgrouNd Player Name

character Name race aligNmeNt exPerieNce PoiNts

inspiratiOn
strEngth

armOr
prOficiEncy bOnus class initiativE spEEd

PersoNality traits

hit Point maximum

strength
dExtErity
dexterity
constitution
currEnt hit pOints ideals
intelligence
Wisdom
charisma
cOnstitutiOn saving thrOws
tEmpOrary hit pOints BoNds

acrobatics (dex) total successes

animal handling (Wis) Failures

arcana (int) hit dice death saves FlaWs

intElligEncE athletics (str)
deception (cha)
Name atk BoNus damage/tyPe
history (int)
insight (Wis)
intimidation (cha)

wisdOm investigation (int)

medicine (Wis)
Nature (int)
Perception (Wis)
Performance (cha)
Persuasion (cha)
charisma
religion (int)
sleight of hand (dex)
stealth (dex)
survival (Wis)

skills attacks & spEllcasting

Passive Wisdom (PercePtioN)

cP

sP

eP

gP

PP

OthEr prOficiEnciEs & languagEs EquipmEnt fEaturEs & traits

TM & © 2014 Wizards of the Coast LLC. Permission is granted to photocopy this document for personal use.
 aGe heIGht WeIGht

character name eYeS SKIn haIr

name

symbol

character appearance allies & organizations

additional features & traits

character backstory treasure

TM & © 2014 Wizards of the Coast LLC. Permission is granted to photocopy this document for personal use.
 spellcasting spell save dc spell attack
spellcasting ability bonus
class

0 cantrips 3 6

spell
level
slots total slots expended

1 7
epar
spell name
ed
pr

4
spells known

TM & © 2014 Wizards of the Coast LLC. Permission is granted to photocopy this document for personal use.
 What Comes Next?
The Starter Set is a great next step if you want to try
your hand at being a Dungeon Master and introduce your
friends to the game. If you don’t know any DMs, try tak-
ing on that role yourself. The Starter Set is the best place
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The Player’s Handbook is your essential guide to
additional races, classes, backgrounds, and other cus-
tomization options such as feats and multiclassing. You’ll
also find more than two hundred extra spells and a beau-
tiful array of art depicting elements of D&D.
The Monster Manual describes the most important
monsters in the Dungeons & Dragons universe. The
manual is aimed at DMs, but it’s also a useful reference
for players.
The Dungeon Master’s Guide is the ultimate tome of
It isn’t always possible to gather a regular gaming
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tures. These scenarios and campaigns are the perfect
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180