Rules of Dungeons and Dragons

[kitsunewarlock]

This is super simplified.

You are a character. You have stats.

Strength increases your attack rolls and damage with melee weapons.
Dexterity increases your attack rolls with ranged weapons and your armor and affects your reflex saves.
Constitution gives you bonus hit points and affects your fortitude saves.
Intelligence gives you skill points.
Wisdom affects your will-saving throws.
Charisma affects how NPCs like or hate you.

Stats have modifiers. A modifier is that stat, minus ten, divided by 2. So 18 is a +4 modifier. That means 18 dexterity adds 4 to your AC and ranged attack rolls.

You are also a class and race. Your class tells you what type of powers you have. Your race gives you other powers, as well as a basic character background and some stat modifiers.

You have skills. When you level, your class gives you points to put in skills. If they are class skills, you also get a +3 bonus if you have ranks in them. All skills are modified by your skill modifiers. So if you have 18 intelligence, you get +4 to all your knowledge skills! Some skills cannot be used without ranks in them, like knowledge skills. To use a skill, simply roll a 20 sided die (1d20) and add your ranks, modifiers and bonuses together. The skill is trying to beat a Difficult Class (a number set by the DM) to reach some point. Like a knowledge skill check/roll can tell you things you know about the world. A sleight of hand check can be used to steal something from someone's pocket. The harder the task, the higherthe roll you need.

You also use the 20-sided dice for attack rolls. When you attack you add your base attack bonus, determined by your class and level, and stat (str for melee; dex for ranged). Many feats, weapon enchancements, items and more can affect this roll and many little bonuses add up fast. This roll needs to meet or beat your opponent's AC.

AC is armor class. It is equal to 10 + modifiers. These modifiers are usually Armor, determined by your armor, and Dexterity. The higher the armor bonus, the lower the maximum dexterity bonus (because its harder to move in full plate to dodge attacks). There are many other armor bonuses you can collect in your adventures: like the dodge bonus granted by the dodge feat or the deflection bonus granted by a ring of deflection.

Most bonuses have names. Like Armor, Deflection, Luck or Sacred Bonuses. The names don't mean much: except that they don't stack. So if you have a +3 deflection and a +2 deflection bonus, only the +3 deflection bonus counts. The exception to this are unnamed bonuses, circumstance bonuses and dodge bonuses.

If your caught unexpectidly in an attack, you do not get dexterity to your AC. This is called being caught flat-footed. Furthermore, some attacks are simply touch attacks--they ignore all armor EXCEPT dodge and dexterity becuase all your trying to do is touch the enemy, not damage them with the force of the touch itself.

Spells often times don't use attack rolls. Instead, your opponent has to roll a saving throw against your spell. There are three asving throws modified by three stats and your class: Fortitude (how well your body can resist thigns), Reflex (how well you dodge effects) and Will (how strong your mind is against compulsion). Roll these rolls against the DC (Difficulty Class) of the spell cast.

The DC of a spell is equval to 10 + the levle of the spell + the spellcasters relevant ability score (int for wisdom; cha for bards, etc...).

As you build your character you also earn Feats. These are special techniques, characteristics or powers that help define and specialize your character.

[kitsunewarlock]

You get maximum HD at level one. So if your class uses d10s, you get 10 HP at level 1.

You add your con bonus to your hit points every level.

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Rounds:

Combat is seperated into rounds. When combat begins, you roll initiative (1d20 + dex modifier). Combat proceeds with highest initiative first. You have the following options during combat:

->5-Foot Step: This is a free action that you may only take if you do not move.
->Standard Action - A single attack or casting a spell.
->Move Action - You may move up to your speed.
->Full Round Attack - This takes your standard and move action. If you have over +5 base attack bonus, you can get multiple attacks per round doing this even if you aren't using an offhand weapon.
->Free Actions take no time but are very rare.
->Swift Actions are like free actions (in that they do not require an action). But you only get 1 swift action per round.
->Immediate Actions take up your swift action but can be done on other people's turns (like defensive stuff).

You may also Delay your action (putting yourself lower in initiative than other players/monsters). This permanently lowers your initiative.

You may also "Ready" a standard or move action in reponse to a specific event. If the event doesn't trigger, you just wasted your whole turn.