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  Sage Advice Compendium
  The Sage Advice Compendium collects questions and an-
  swers about the rules of Dungeons & Dragons (fifth edi-
  tion). The document’s version number changes when sub-
  stantive additions or revisions have been made to the text. 
  The newest material is preceded by the tag “[NEW]”.
  Rules References
  The fifth edition of D&D has three official rulebooks, each 
  of which was first published in 2014:
  • Player’s Handbook (abbreviated PH)
  • Monster Manual (abbreviated MM)
  • Dungeon Master’s Guide (abbreviated DMG)
  The free Basic Rules contains portions of those three books 
  and can be downloaded here:
  http://dnd.wizards.com/articles/features/basicrules
   Play in the Adventurers League is also governed by the 
  Adventurers League Player’s Guide.
  Errata
  Errata have been issued for certain fifth edition books and 
  can be downloaded at the following locations.
  Player’s Handbook
  http://media.wizards.com/2018/dnd/downloads/PH-Errata.pdf
  Monster Manual
  http://media.wizards.com/2018/dnd/downloads/MM-Errata.pdf
  Dungeon Master’s Guide
  http://media.wizards.com/2018/dnd/downloads/DMG-Errata.pdf
  Hoard of the Dragon Queen
  http://media.wizards.com/2016/downloads/DND/
  HotDQ-Errata.pdf
  Princes of the Apocalypse
  http://media.wizards.com/2016/downloads/DND/PotA-Errata.pdf
  Out of the Abyss
  http://media.wizards.com/2017/dnd/downloads/OotA-Errata.pdf
  Sword Coast Adventurer’s Guide
  http://media.wizards.com/2017/dnd/downloads/SCAG-Errata.pdf
  Volo’s Guide to Monsters
  http://media.wizards.com/2017/dnd/downloads/VGtM-Errata.pdf
  [NEW] Official Rulings
  Official rulings on how to interpret rules are made here in 
  the Sage Advice Compendium by the game’s lead rules de-
  signer, Jeremy Crawford (@JeremyECrawford on Twitter). 
  The public statements of the D&D team, or anyone else 
  at Wizards of the Coast, are not official rulings; they are 
  advice. Jeremy Crawford’s tweets are often a preview of rul-
  ings that will appear here. 
   A Dungeon Master adjudicates the game and determines 
  whether to use an official ruling in play. The DM always has 
  the final say on rules questions.
  Compiled Answers
  Sage Advice answers that are relevant to the current state 
  of the rules are compiled here. 
  The Role of Rules
  Why even have a column like Sage Advice when a DM 
  can just make a ruling? Rules are a big part of what makes 
  D&D a game, rather than simply improvised storytelling. 
  The game’s rules are meant to help organize, and even in-
  spire, the action of a D&D campaign. The rules are a tool, 
  and we want our tools to be as effective as possible. No 
  matter how good those tools might be, they need a group of 
  players to bring them to life and a DM to guide their use.
   The DM is key. Many unexpected things can happen in 
  a D&D campaign, and no set of rules could reasonably ac-
  count for every contingency. If the rules tried to do so, the 
  game would become unplayable. An alternative would be 
  for the rules to severely limit what characters can do, which 
  would be counter to the open-endedness of D&D. The direc-
  tion we chose for the current edition was to lay a foundation 
  of rules that a DM could build on, and we embraced the 
  DM’s role as the bridge between the things the rules ad-
  dress and the things they don’t.
   In a typical D&D session, a DM makes numerous rules 
  decisions—some barely noticeable and others quite obvi-
  ous. Players also interpret the rules, and the whole group 
  keeps the game running. There are times, though, when the 
  design intent of a rule isn’t clear or when one rule seems to 
  contradict another.
   Dealing with those situations is where Sage Advice 
  comes in. This column doesn’t replace a DM’s adjudication. 
  Just as the rules do, the column is meant to give DMs, as 
  well as players, tools for tuning the game according to their 
  tastes. The column should also reveal some perspectives 
  that help you see parts of the game in a new light and that 
  aid you in fine-tuning your D&D experience.
   When I answer rules questions, I often come at them 
  from one to three different perspectives.
   RAW. “Rules as written”—that’s what RAW stands for. 
  When I dwell on the RAW interpretation of a rule, I’m 
  studying what the text says in context, without regard to the 
  designers’ intent. The text is forced to stand on its own.
   Whenever I consider a rule, I start with this perspective; 
  it’s important for me to see what you see, not what I wished 
  we’d published or thought we’d published.
   RAI. Some of you are especially interested in knowing 
  the intent behind a rule. That’s where RAI comes in: “rules 
  as intended.” This approach is all about what the designers 
  meant when they wrote something. In a perfect world, RAW 
  and RAI align perfectly, but sometimes the words on the 
  page don’t succeed at communicating the designers’ intent. 
  Or perhaps the words succeed with one group of players 
  but not with another.
   When I write about the RAI interpretation of a rule, I’ll 
  be pulling back the curtain and letting you know what the 
  D&D team meant when we wrote a certain rule.
   RAF. Regardless of what’s on the page or what the de-
  signers intended, D&D is meant to be fun, and the DM is 
  the ringmaster at each game table. The best DMs shape the 
  
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  in the Trance trait), the elf finishes the rest after only 4 
  hours. A meditating elf otherwise follows all the rules for a 
  long rest; only the duration is changed.
  Do the lightfoot halfling and wood elf hiding racial traits 
  allow them to hide while observed? The lightfoot halfling 
  and wood elf traits—Naturally Stealthy and Mask of the 
  Wild—do allow members of those subraces to try to hide 
  in their special circumstances even when observers are 
  nearby. Normally, you can’t hide from someone if you’re 
  in full view. A lightfoot halfling, though, can try to vanish 
  behind a creature that is at least one size larger, and a 
  wood elf can try to hide simply by being in heavy rain, mist, 
  falling snow, foliage, or similar natural phenomena. It’s as if 
  nature itself cloaks a wood elf from prying eyes—even eyes 
  staring right at the elf! Both subraces are capable of hiding 
  in situations when most other creatures can’t, but neither 
  subrace’s hiding attempt is assured of success; a Dexterity 
  (Stealth) check is required as normal, and an observant foe 
  might later spot a hidden halfling or elf: “I see you behind 
  that guard, you tricksy halfling!”
  [NEW] Can a dragonborn sorcerer with a draconic 
  bloodline have two different kinds of Draconic Ancestry? 
  A dragonborn sorcerer can choose a different ancestor for 
  the racial trait and for the Dragon Ancestor feature. Your 
  choice for the racial trait is your actual ancestor, while the 
  choice for the class feature could be your ancestor figura-
  tively—the type of dragon that bestowed magic upon you or 
  your family or the kind of draconic artifact or location that 
  filled you with magical energy.
  Class Features
  When you use Extra Attack, do you have to use the same 
  weapon for all the attacks? Extra Attack imposes no lim-
  itation on what you use for the attacks. You can use regular 
  weapons, improvised weapons, unarmed strikes, or a com-
  bination of these options for the attacks.
  Barbarian
  Does the barbarian’s Danger Sense work against breath 
  weapons and enemies’ special abilities? A barbarian’s 
  Danger Sense benefits the Dexterity saving throw against 
  any effect that the barbarian can see.
  For the barbarian’s Reckless Attack, do you grant advan-
  tage to all enemies, or only to the target of your attack? 
  If you use the barbarian’s Reckless Attack, all attack rolls 
  have advantage against you until the start of your next turn.
  Bard
  [NEW] Do the benefits from Bardic Inspiration and the 
  guidance spell stack? Can they be applied to the same 
  roll? Yes, different effects stack if they don’t have the same 
  name. If a creature makes an ability check while it is under 
  the effect of a guidance spell and also has a Bardic Inspira-
  tion die, it can roll both a d4 and a d6 if it so chooses.
  [NEW] Is the intent that a bard gets to know the number 
  rolled on an attack roll or ability check before using 
  Cutting Words, or should they always guess? If used on 
  a damage roll, does Cutting Words apply to any kind 
  of damage roll including an auto-hit spell like magic 
  missile? You can wait to use Cutting Words after the roll, 
  but you must commit to doing so before you know for 
  sure whether the total of the roll or check is a success or 
  game on the fly to bring the most delight to their players. 
  Such DMs aim for RAF, “rules as fun.”
   We expect DMs to depart from the rules when running 
  a particular campaign or when seeking the greatest hap-
  piness for a certain group of players. Sometimes my rules 
  answers will include advice on achieving the RAF interpre-
  tation of a rule for your group.
   I recommend a healthy mix of RAW, RAI, and RAF!
  Character Creation
  How do you calculate a creature’s Armor Class (AC)? 
  Chapter 1 of the Player’s Handbook (p. 14) describes how 
  to determine AC, yet AC calculations generate questions 
  frequently. That fact isn’t too surprising, given the number 
  of ways the game gives you to change your AC! 
   Here are some ways to calculate your base AC:
  Unarmored: 10 + your Dexterity modifier.
  Armored: Use the AC entry for the armor you’re wearing 
  (see PH, 145). For example, in leather armor, you calcu-
  late your AC as 11 + your Dexterity modifier, and in chain 
  mail, your AC is simply 16.
  Unarmored Defense (Barbarian): 10 + your Dexterity 
  modifier + your Constitution modifier.
  Unarmored Defense (Monk): 10 + your Dexterity modifier 
  + your Wisdom modifier.
  Draconic Resilience (Sorcerer): 13 + your Dexter-
  ity modifier.
  Natural Armor: 10 + your Dexterity modifier + your natural 
  armor bonus. This is a calculation method typically used 
  only by monsters and NPCs, although it is also relevant 
  to a druid or another character who assumes a form that 
  has natural armor.
  These methods—along with any others that give you a for-
  mula for calculating your AC—are mutually exclusive; you 
  can benefit from only one at a time. If you have access to 
  more than one, you pick which one to use. For example, if 
  you’re a sorcerer/monk, you can use either Unarmored De-
  fense or Draconic Resilience, not both. Similarly, a druid/
  barbarian who transforms into a beast form that has natu-
  ral armor can use either the beast’s natural armor or Unar-
  mored Defense (you aren’t considered to be wearing armor 
  when you use natural armor).
   What about a shield? A shield increases your AC by 2 
  while you use it. For example, if you’re unarmored and use 
  a shield, your AC is 12 + your Dexterity modifier. Keep in 
  mind that some AC calculations, such as a monk’s Unar-
  mored Defense, prohibit the use of a shield.
   Once you have your base AC, it can be temporarily mod-
  ified by situational bonuses and penalties. For instance, 
  having half cover gives you a +2 bonus to your AC, and 
  three-quarters cover gives a +5 bonus. Spells sometimes 
  modify AC as well. Shield of faith, for example, grants a tar-
  get a +2 bonus to AC until the spell ends.
   Magic items can also enhance your AC. Here are a few 
  examples: +1 chain mail gives you an AC of 17, a ring of 
  protection gives you a +1 bonus to AC no matter what you’re 
  wearing, and bracers of defense grant you a +2 bonus to AC 
  if you’re not wearing armor or using a shield.
  Racial Traits
  Does the Trance trait allow an elf to finish a long rest in 
  4 hours? If an elf meditates during a long rest (as described 
  
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  Does the druid’s Elemental Wild Shape limit you to the 
  four creatures listed, or can you turn into any creature 
  with the elemental type? The creatures listed in Elemental 
  Wild Shape—air, earth, fire, and water elementals—are spe-
  cific creatures in the Monster Manual, not creature types or 
  subtypes. Elemental Wild Shape allows you to transform 
  into one of those creatures.
  Can a Circle of the Moon druid speak the languages it 
  knows while in the form of an elemental? Yes, since the 
  elementals listed in Elemental Wild Shape can speak. 
   A literal interpretation (RAW) of Wild Shape could 
  reasonably lead you to think that transformed druids 
  can speak only languages that appear in an elemental’s 
  stat block, but the intent (RAI) is that druids retain their 
  knowledge, including of languages, when they transform 
  and can speak the languages they know if an adopted form 
  can speak.
  If a druid in elemental form can speak, can the druid 
  cast spells? A druid can cast spells in a Wild Shape form 
  only upon gaining the Beast Spells feature at 18th level.
  If a druid takes the Magic Initiate feat and chooses 
  detect magic as their one spell, can the druid cast that 
  spell as a ritual? A druid’s Ritual Casting requires a ritual 
  to be prepared. The spell from Magic Initiate is known but 
  not prepared.
  Fighter
  [NEW] Does the fighter’s Action Surge feature let you 
  take an extra bonus action, in addition to an extra ac-
  tion? Action Surge gives you an extra action, not an extra 
  bonus action. (Recent printings of the Player’s Handbook 
  no longer include the wording that provoked this question.)
  Can a fighter have two fighting styles active at once? 
  Dueling and Defense, for example. You can benefit from 
  more than one Fighting Style option at a time, as long as 
  they don’t have conflicting requirements, as Dueling and 
  Great Weapon Fighting do.
  Does the Archery fighting style work with a melee 
  weapon that you throw? No, the Archery feature benefits 
  ranged weapons. A melee weapon, such as a dagger or 
  handaxe, is still a melee weapon when you make a ranged 
  attack with it.
  Is the Dueling fighting style intended to support a shield? 
  Yes. A character with the Dueling option usually pairs a 
  one-handed weapon with a shield, a spellcasting focus, or a 
  free hand.
  If you use Great Weapon Fighting with a feature like Di-
  vine Smite or a spell like hex, do you get to reroll any 1 or 
  2 you roll for the extra damage? The Great Weapon Fight-
  ing feature—which is shared by fighters and paladins—is 
  meant to benefit only the damage roll of the weapon used 
  with the feature. For example, if you use a greatsword with 
  the feature, you can reroll any 1 or 2 you roll on the weap-
  on’s 2d6. If you’re a paladin and use Divine Smite with the 
  greatsword, Great Weapon Fighting doesn’t let you reroll a 
  1 or 2 that you roll for the damage of Divine Smite.
  If my Battle Master fighter provokes an opportunity at-
  tack and it misses, can I use Riposte? Yes, you can use the 
  Riposte maneuver in response to an opportunity attack that 
  misses you, assuming your reaction is available.
  a failure. You can use Cutting Words to reduce the dam-
  age from any effect that calls for a damage roll (including 
  magic missile) even if the damage roll is not preceded by an 
  attack roll.
  Can a bard replace spells gained through Magical Se-
  crets? When you gain a level in the bard class, the class’s 
  Spellcasting feature lets you replace one bard spell you 
  know with another bard spell of an appropriate level. A 
  spell learned through your Magical Secrets feature counts 
  as a bard spell for you, so it can be replaced upon gaining a 
  bard level later. But it must be replaced by a bard spell, ac-
  cording to the rule in the Spellcasting feature.
  Which spell scrolls can bards understand—spells from 
  the bard list only, or spells from the bard list plus spells 
  from Magical Secrets? A bard can use any spell scroll that 
  has a bard spell on it—including spells gained from the 
  Magical Secrets feature, which are treated as bard spells 
  for that character.
  Cleric
  When a cleric uses the Destructive Wrath feature, does 
  it maximize all damage getting rolled, as long as some of 
  it is lightning or thunder? Destructive Wrath is meant to 
  maximize lightning and thunder damage only.
  Druid
  What happens if a druid wears metal armor? The 
  druid explodes.
   Well, not actually. Druids have a taboo against wearing 
  metal armor and wielding a metal shield. The taboo has 
  been part of the class’s story since the class first appeared 
  in Eldritch Wizardry (1976) and the original Player’s Hand-
  book (1978). The idea is that druids prefer to be protected 
  by animal skins, wood, and other natural materials that 
  aren’t the worked metal that is associated with civilization. 
  Druids don’t lack the ability to wear metal armor. They 
  choose not to wear it. This choice is part of their identity 
  as a mystical order. Think of it in these terms: a vegetarian 
  can eat meat, but chooses not to.
   A druid typically wears leather, studded leather, or hide 
  armor, and if a druid comes across scale mail made of a 
  material other than metal, the druid might wear it. If you 
  feel strongly about your druid breaking the taboo and don-
  ning metal, talk to your DM. Each class has story elements 
  mixed with its game features; the two types of design go 
  hand in hand in D&D, and the story parts are stronger in 
  some classes than in others. Druids and paladins have an 
  especially strong dose of story in their design. If you want to 
  depart from your class’s story, your DM has the final say on 
  how far you can go and still be considered a member of the 
  class. As long as you abide by your character’s proficiencies, 
  you’re not going to break anything in the game system, but 
  you might undermine the story and the world being created 
  in your campaign.
  [NEW] Can a bound and gagged druid simply use Wild 
  Shape to get out? It’s hard to capture someone who can 
  turn into a mouse at will. Transforming into a different 
  size can be an effective way of escaping, depending on the 
  nature of the bonds or confinement. All things considered, 
  someone trying to keep a druid captive might be wise to 
  stash the prisoner in a room with an opening only large 
  enough for air to enter.
  
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   Page 4
  Does a monk need to spend any ki points to cast the mi-
  nor illusion cantrip granted by the Shadow Arts feature? 
  No. The ki point cost in the feature applies only to the other 
  spells in it.
  For a Way of Shadow monk, can their silence be dis-
  pelled? A spell is a spell, no matter its source. When you 
  cast a spell through a feature, the spell is subject to the nor-
  mal spellcasting rules, unless the feature says otherwise.
  Can a monk of the Way of the Four Elements replace El-
  emental Attunement with another elemental discipline? 
  Yes. Even though you know Elemental Attunement auto-
  matically, without having to choose it, you can exchange it 
  for a different discipline at 6th, 11th, or 17th level.
  Paladin
  Would a Paladin’s Divine Sense register a tiefling due 
  to their infernal heritage? A tiefling is a humanoid, not 
  a fiend, and therefore escapes the notice of Divine Sense. 
  The feature detects creatures that have the celestial, fiend, 
  or undead creature type.
  Can my paladin use a smite spell along with Divine 
  Smite? As in, I cast wrathful smite, hit, then use Divine 
  Smite on the same attack? Yes, you can use Divine Smite 
  on the same weapon attack that benefits from a smite spell, 
  such as wrathful smite—as long as the attack you make af-
  ter casting the smite spell is a melee weapon attack. Divine 
  Smite doesn’t work with any other kind of attack.
  Ranger
  There is no component pouch option in the ranger’s 
  starting equipment. Does the class not need one, nor a 
  focus for spells? Like other spellcasters, the ranger follows 
  the rule on components in chapter 10 of the Player’s Hand-
  book. A ranger typically uses a component pouch for the 
  material components of spells, but doesn’t start with one 
  because rangers don’t have spells at 1st level.
  Can a ranger move between the attack rolls of the Whirl-
  wind Attack feature? No. Whirlwind Attack is unusual, in 
  that it’s a single attack with multiple attack rolls. In most 
  other instances, an attack has one attack roll. The rule on 
  moving between attacks (PH, 190) lets you move between 
  weapon attacks, not between the attack rolls of an excep-
  tional feature like Whirlwind Attack.
  Rogue
  Can a rogue use Sneak Attack more than once per 
  round? The Sneak Attack description specifies that you 
  can use the feature once per turn, but it’s not limited to your 
  turn. The feature also doesn’t limit the number of times you 
  can use it in a round.
   You sometimes get a chance to use Sneak Attack on 
  someone else’s turn. The most common way for this to 
  happen is when a foe provokes an opportunity attack from 
  you. If the requirements for Sneak Attack are met, your 
  opportunity attack can benefit from that feature. Similarly, 
  a fighter could use Commander’s Strike to grant you an 
  attack on the fighter’s turn, and if the attack qualifies, it can 
  use Sneak Attack. Both of those options rely on the use of 
  your reaction, so you could do only one of them in a round.
   Because you get only one reaction per round, you’re un-
  likely to use Sneak Attack more than twice in a round: once 
  with your action and once with your reaction.
  Does the “when” in the Eldritch Knight’s War Magic fea-
  ture mean the bonus attack comes after you cast the can-
  trip, or can it come before? The bonus action comes after 
  the cantrip, since using your action to cast a cantrip is what 
  gives you the ability to make the weapon attack as a bonus 
  action. That said, a DM would break nothing in the system 
  by allowing an Eldritch Knight to reverse the order of the 
  cantrip and the weapon attack.
  If my Eldritch Knight casts true strike and has the War 
  Magic feature, is the attack granted by War Magic made 
  with advantage because of true strike? No. The attack 
  from War Magic is made normally, and you get the benefit 
  of true strike on your next turn if the spell hasn’t ended.
  Monk
  If a monk uses a staff or another versatile weapon two-
  handed, does it still count as a monk weapon? Yes. A 
  monk weapon must lack the two-handed property, but noth-
  ing prevents a monk from wielding such a weapon with two 
  hands. Fundamentally, a monk weapon counts as such no 
  matter how a monk uses it.
  The dart is not classified as a monk weapon, yet a monk 
  gets 10 darts as starting equipment. Why is that? Start-
  ing equipment often lends versatility to a character. In this 
  case, a monk’s darts provide a ranged attack option, not a 
  Martial Arts option.
  Does the Martial Arts feature turn monk weapons and 
  unarmed strikes into finesse weapons? No. The feature 
  grants a benefit that is similar to the finesse property, but 
  the feature doesn’t confer that property.
  When a monk using Deflect Missiles catches and throws 
  a projectile, what is the damage of the attack? A missile 
  counts as a monk weapon if it is thrown using Deflect 
  Missiles; it deals its damage or Martial Arts damage (the 
  monk’s choice).
  [NEW] Can a monk use Stunning Strike with an un-
  armed strike, even though unarmed strikes aren’t 
  weapons? Yes. Stunning Strike works with melee weapon 
  attacks, and an unarmed strike is a special type of melee 
  weapon attack. 
   The game often makes exceptions to general rules, and 
  this is an important exception: that unarmed strikes count 
  as melee weapon attacks despite not being weapons.
  When a monk uses Empty Body, does the invisibility 
  remain in effect after the monk attacks? Yes. The invis-
  ibility of the monk’s Empty Body isn’t ended by the monk 
  attacking. 
  Does a monk’s Purity of Body feature grant immunity to 
  poison damage, the poisoned condition, or both? That 
  feature grants immunity to both. As a result, a monk with 
  Purity of Body can, for example, inhale a green dragon’s 
  poison breath unharmed. Similarly, the monk is unaffected 
  by ray of sickness, which both deals poison damage and im-
  poses the poisoned condition.
  Can the monk’s Open Hand Technique push a Large or 
  larger creature or knock it prone? The Open Hand Tech-
  nique intentionally ignores creature size. A monk’s ki fuels 
  many extraordinary effects! If a feature is limited by crea-
  ture size, the feature tells you so.
  
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   Page 5
  example, the feature improves one of the rays of a scorching 
  ray spell or one of the beams of an eldritch blast spell.
  Can Empowered Spell affect all the rays of a scorching 
  ray spell, or just one? A sorcerer’s Empowered Spell could 
  affect more than one ray of a scorching ray, abiding by the 
  feature’s die limit. For instance, if you create three rays 
  with the spell and you have a +3 Charisma modifier, you 
  could reroll one of the damage dice for each ray, or two of 
  the damage dice for one ray and one of the damage dice for 
  another one.
  Does Quickened Spell allow a sorcerer to cast two spells 
  a round of 1st level or higher? No, the sorcerer must fol-
  low the rule for casting a spell as a bonus action and cast-
  ing another spell on the same turn; the other spell must be 
  a cantrip with a casting time of 1 action.
  Can my sorcerer use Twinned Spell on a spell duplicated 
  by the casting of a wish spell? And if so, how many sor-
  cery points does it cost? Yes, you can. It costs the number 
  of sorcery points appropriate for the level of the spell you’re 
  duplicating.
  Does a sorcerer’s Wild Magic Surge effect replace the 
  effect of the spell that triggered it, or do both effects 
  happen? The spell and the Wild Magic Surge effect both 
  happen. As clarified in the errata for the Player’s Handbook, 
  a surge effect that normally requires concentration does not 
  require concentration in this case.
  Warlock
  Do warlock spells granted by the Expanded Spell List 
  feature count against the number of spells known? The 
  spells granted by that feature aren’t automatically known 
  by a warlock. Those spells are added to the warlock spell 
  list for the character, who can choose them when learning 
  a new warlock spell of the appropriate level. Once learned, 
  such a spell does count against the number of spells the 
  warlock knows.
  Does the Eyes of the Rune Keeper invocation work on 
  magical runes? Eyes of the Rune Keeper lets you read 
  any form of writing, including the linguistic meaning of a 
  rune, if any.
  If a warlock uses Pact of the Blade to bond with a magic 
  weapon, does that weapon have to be a melee weapon, 
  and can the warlock change the weapon’s form? The 
  warlock’s Pact of the Blade feature (PH, 107–8) lets you 
  create a melee weapon out of nothing. Whenever you do so, 
  you determine the weapon’s form, choosing from the melee 
  weapon options in the Weapons table in the Player’s Hand-
  book (p. 149). For example, you can create a greataxe, and 
  then use the feature again to create a javelin, which causes 
  the greataxe to disappear.
   You can also use Pact of the Blade to bond with a magic 
  weapon, turning it into your pact weapon. This magic 
  weapon doesn’t have to be a melee weapon, so you could 
  use the feature on a +1 longbow, for instance. Once the 
  bond is formed, the magic weapon appears whenever you 
  call your pact weapon to you, and you can’t change the 
  magic weapon’s form when it appears. For example, if you 
  bond with a flame tongue (longsword) and send the weapon 
  to an extradimensional space, the weapon comes back as a 
  longsword when you summon it. You don’t get to turn it into 
  For Sneak Attack, what if another enemy of your target 
  was 10 feet away with a polearm (which has a reach of 
  10 feet), instead of 5 feet away? Would you still be able to 
  use Sneak Attack? The 5-foot limitation in Sneak Attack 
  is unaffected by the reach of a weapon. That other enemy 
  of the target is creating a close-up distraction, regardless of 
  the weapon in hand.
  Does Uncanny Dodge work automatically against every 
  attack a rogue or ranger gets hit by? Spell attacks too? 
  A use of Uncanny Dodge works against only one attack, 
  since it expends your reaction, and only if you can see the 
  attacker. It works against attacks of all sorts, including spell 
  attacks, but it is no help against a spell or other effect, such 
  as fireball, that delivers its damage after a saving throw 
  rather than after an attack roll.
  Can a rogue use Evasion if they are surprised? The rule 
  states that if you are surprised, you can’t move or take an 
  action. A surprised rogue can use Evasion, since that fea-
  ture doesn’t require the rogue to take an action or move.
  [NEW] Can the rogue’s Reliable Talent feature be used 
  in conjunction with Remarkable Athlete or Jack of All 
  Trades? No. Each of these features has a precondition for 
  its use; Reliable Talent activates when you make an ability 
  check that uses your proficiency bonus, whereas the other 
  two features activate when you make an ability check that 
  doesn’t use your proficiency bonus. In other words, a check 
  that qualifies for Reliable Talent doesn’t qualify for Remark-
  able Athlete or Jack of All Trades. And Remarkable Athlete 
  and Jack of All Trades don’t work with each other, since you 
  can add your proficiency bonus, or any portion thereof, only 
  once to a roll.
  Can a thief use the Fast Hands feature to activate a 
  magic item? No. One of the benefits of Fast Hands is being 
  able to take the Use an Object action as a bonus action, but 
  using a magic item doesn’t fall under Use an Object, as ex-
  plained in the Dungeon Master’s Guide (p. 141). In contrast, 
  using a nonmagical item, such as a healer’s kit, is in the 
  domain of Use an Object.
  For triggering the rogue’s Assassinate ability, when does 
  a creature stop being surprised? After their turn in the 
  round, or at the end of the round? A surprised creature 
  stops being surprised at the end of its first turn in combat.
  Sorcerer
  If a sorcerer casts a spell with only verbal or somatic 
  components using Subtle Spell, can an opponent use 
  counterspell against it? If a spell that’s altered by Subtle 
  Spell has no material component, then it’s impossible for 
  anyone to perceive the spell being cast. So, since you can’t 
  see the casting, counterspell is of no use.
  Metamagic rules state you can’t use multiple Metamagic 
  options on a single spell. Can you use one option multi-
  ple times? A sorcerer can use one Metamagic option once 
  in the casting of a spell, not the same option more than 
  once. For instance, a sorcerer can’t quadruple the duration 
  of a spell by spending 2 sorcery points on Extended Spell.
  Elemental Affinity improves one damage roll of a spell, 
  not multiple rolls? So with scorching ray, I don’t add my 
  Charisma modifier to each ray that hits? That’s correct. 
  Elemental Affinity benefits one damage roll per casting of 
  a spell, even if the spell allows more than one roll. So, for 
  
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  For the Shapechanger feature of the School of Trans-
  mutation, does polymorph need to be prepared if I only 
  want to cast it without using a spell slot? A transmuter 
  must have polymorph prepared, as normal, to cast it with 
  the Shapechanger feature.
  Backgrounds
  Can you have more than one background? No. You can 
  have only one background. It establishes key aspects of 
  your life before you embarked on a life of adventure. If 
  none of the backgrounds available matches your charac-
  ter concept, talk with your DM and use the guidelines on 
  page 125 of the Player’s Handbook to customize your own 
  background.
  Equipment
  Does heavy armor reduce Dexterity saving throws or 
  ability checks other than Stealth? If you have proficiency 
  with it, heavy armor doesn’t affect Dexterity saving throws 
  or ability checks, other than Stealth.
  If you attack with a shield—most likely as an improvised 
  weapon—do you keep the +2 bonus to AC? Attacking with 
  a shield doesn’t deprive you of the shield’s bonus to AC.
  Multiclassing
  Are ability score improvements class-level dependent, 
  rather than total level? Ability score improvements are 
  based on your level in a particular class, not your total 
  character level if you multiclass. For instance, if you’re a 
  4th-level multiclass character, you haven’t yet received the 
  Ability Score Improvement feature because you haven’t at-
  tained 4th level in one of your classes.
  Would a temporary stat bump fulfill a multiclass prereq-
  uisite, or does the base score have to meet the require-
  ment? Your base score, not a temporary score, has to meet 
  a multiclassing prerequisite.
  When multiclassing, do you get the cantrips from all 
  your classes? If any of your classes grants you cantrips, 
  you get all of them.
  Do you gain proficiency in more saving throws when 
  multiclassing? A class offers various starting proficiencies 
  that you get if it is your first class. If the class isn’t your first, 
  you get only the starting proficiencies listed for that class in 
  the Multiclassing Proficiencies table (PH, 164). No saving 
  throw proficiencies are included in that table.
   Regardless of whether a class is your first, you do gain 
  any proficiencies that the class grants through its features. 
  For instance, if you gain a level in cleric and choose the War 
  Domain, you do benefit from the Bonus Proficiencies fea-
  ture, even if cleric isn’t your first class.
  Can a barbarian/cleric use spiritual weapon to attack 
  while raging, if it is cast before entering rage? A barbar-
  ian’s Rage feature makes concentration impossible but has 
  no effect on spells, like spiritual weapon, that don’t require 
  concentration.
  Can a barbarian/fighter (Battle Master) use maneuvers 
  while raging? Nothing in the barbarian’s Rage feature pre-
  cludes the use of maneuvers.
  a club. Similarly, if you bond with a dagger of venom, you 
  can’t summon it as a maul; it’s always a dagger.
   The feature allows the conjuring forth of a melee weapon, 
  yet we allow more versatility when it comes to magic weap-
  ons. We didn’t want a narrow focus in this feature to make 
  a warlock unhappy when a variety of magic weapons ap-
  pear in a campaign. Does this versatility extend outside the 
  melee theme of the feature? It sure does, but we’re willing 
  to occasionally bend a design concept if doing so is likely to 
  increase a player’s happiness.
  If you’re a Pact of the Blade warlock, can someone 
  else wield your pact weapon? Yes. Someone other than 
  the warlock can use a pact weapon before the weapon 
  disappears.
  Does the warlock’s Awakened Mind feature allow two-
  way telepathic communication? The feature is intended to 
  provide one-way communication. The warlock can use the 
  feature to speak telepathically to a creature, but the feature 
  doesn’t give that creature the ability to telepathically reply. 
  In contrast, the telepathy ability that some monsters have 
  (MM, 9) does make two-way communication possible.
  Does using a bonus action break invisibility from a war-
  lock’s One with Shadows invocation? Taking a bonus 
  action breaks the invisibility of a warlock’s One with Shad-
  ows. A bonus action is an action.
  Wizard
  Is an abjurer’s Arcane Ward healed only when the ward 
  has 0 hit points? The ward regains hit points whenever the 
  abjurer casts an abjuration spell of 1st level or higher, not 
  just when the ward has 0 hit points. As is normal for heal-
  ing, the ward can’t regain more hit points than its hit point 
  maximum: twice the wizard’s level + the wizard’s Intelli-
  gence modifier.
  Does casting alarm as a ritual heal Arcane Ward? Any 
  abjuration spell of 1st level or higher cast by an abjurer, 
  including a ritual, can restore hit points to the abjurer’s Ar-
  cane Ward. 
  How does Arcane Ward interact with temporary hit 
  points and damage resistance that an abjurer might 
  have? An Arcane Ward is not an extension of the wizard 
  who creates it. It is a magical effect with its own hit points. 
  Any temporary hit points, immunities, or resistances that 
  the wizard has don’t apply to the ward.
   The ward takes damage first. Any leftover damage is 
  taken by the wizard and goes through the following game 
  elements in order: (1) any relevant damage immunity, (2) 
  any relevant damage resistance, (3) any temporary hit 
  points, and (4) real hit points.
  An abjurer gains resistance to spell damage at 14th level. 
  Does the abjurer’s Arcane Ward gain this resistance 
  when a spell hits the abjurer? The abjurer, not the Arcane 
  Ward, gains the resistance at 14th level.
  Does the evoker’s Potent Cantrip feature apply to can-
  trips with attack rolls or only to saves? Potent Cantrip af-
  fects only cantrips that require a saving throw, such as acid 
  splash and poison spray.
  Does the 14th-level illusionist ability let you make some-
  thing real every round, or just once? Illusory Reality is 
  intended to make one illusory object real per illusion spell.
  
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  action and doesn’t use up your free interaction with an ob-
  ject on your turn.
   What does that all mean for a hand crossbow? It means 
  Crossbow Expert makes it possible to fire a hand crossbow 
  more than once with a feature like Extra Attack, provided 
  that you have enough ammunition and you have a hand free 
  to load it for each shot.
  Does Crossbow Expert let you fire a hand crossbow and 
  then fire it again as a bonus action? It does! Take a look 
  at the feat’s third benefit. It says you can attack with a hand 
  crossbow as a bonus action when you use the Attack action 
  to attack with a one-handed weapon. A hand crossbow is 
  a one-handed weapon, so it can, indeed, be used for both 
  attacks, assuming you have a hand free to load the hand 
  crossbow between the two attacks.
  Dual Wielder
  Can my character wield two heavy weapons if she has 
  the Dual Wielder feat? No. The Dual Wielder feat lets you 
  wield two one-handed weapons. Every heavy weapon in the 
  Player’s Handbook also has the two-handed property.
  Elemental Adept
  Is Elemental Adept the only feat you can take more than 
  once? Elemental Adept is the only feat in the Player’s Hand-
  book that you can take more than once.
  Great Weapon Master
  With the Great Weapon Master feat, do you have to take 
  the bonus action immediately, or could you move and 
  then use it on the same turn? You take the bonus action on 
  your turn, anytime after you hit with the attack that grants 
  the bonus action. So yes, you can move before taking the 
  bonus action (if you have movement remaining).
  Lucky
  How does the Lucky feat interact with advantage and dis-
  advantage? The Lucky feat represents extraordinary luck 
  that can help you when you need it most. It lets you spend a 
  luck point; roll an extra d20 for an attack roll, ability check, 
  or saving throw; and then choose which d20 to use. This is 
  true no matter how many d20s are in the mix. For example, 
  if you have advantage or disadvantage on your attack roll, 
  you could spend a luck point, roll a third d20, and then 
  decide which of the three dice to use. You still have advan-
  tage or disadvantage, since the feat doesn’t say it negates it, 
  but you get to pick the die. The upshot of this fact is that a 
  rogue, for instance, who has disadvantage on an attack roll 
  couldn’t use Sneak Attack even if the rogue uses the Lucky 
  feat to pick the die. 
   The Lucky feat is a great example of an exception to a 
  general rule. The general rule in this case is the one that 
  tells us how advantage and disadvantage work (PH, 173). 
  The specific rule is the Lucky feat, and we know that a 
  specific rule trumps a general rule if they conflict with each 
  other (PH, 7). 
   If a DM wants advantage and disadvantage to play their 
  normal roles even when the Lucky feat is used, here’s a 
  way to do so: roll two d20s for advantage/disadvantage, roll 
  a third d20 for Lucky, eliminate one of the three dice, and 
  then use the higher (for advantage) or lower (for disadvan-
  tage) of the two dice that remain.
  Can a rogue/monk use Sneak Attack with unarmed 
  strikes? The Sneak Attack feature works with a weapon 
  that has the finesse or ranged property. An unarmed strike 
  isn’t a weapon, so it doesn’t qualify. In contrast, a rogue/
  monk can use Sneak Attack with a monk weapon, such 
  as a shortsword or a dagger, that has one of the required 
  properties.
  A wizard multiclasses into Wild Magic sorcerer. Do 
  spells cast from their spellbook trigger Wild Magic 
  Surge if they are on the sorcerer spell list, or do they 
  have to gain them from sorcerer to trigger? From the 
  multiclassing rules: “Each spell you know and prepare is 
  associated with one of your classes” (PH, 164). This rule 
  means only the spells gained from levels in sorcerer trigger 
  Wild Magic Surge.
  Feats
  Charger
  If you have the Charger feat, can you make your charge 
  attack when your mount takes the Dash action? The 
  Charger feat relies on you, not your mount, taking the 
  Dash action.
  Crossbow Expert
  Is it intentional that the second benefit of Crossbow Ex-
  pert helps ranged spell attacks? Yes, it’s intentional. When 
  you make a ranged attack roll within 5 feet of an enemy, 
  you normally suffer disadvantage (PH, 195). The second 
  benefit of Crossbow Expert prevents you from suffering 
  that disadvantage, whether or not the ranged attack is with 
  a crossbow.
   When designing a feat with a narrow use, we consider 
  adding at least one element that can benefit a character 
  more broadly—a bit of mastery that your character brings 
  from one situation to another. The second benefit of Cross-
  bow Expert is such an element, as is the first benefit of 
  Great Weapon Master. That element in Crossbow Expert 
  shows that some of the character’s expertise with one type 
  of thing—crossbows, in this case—transfers to other things.
  Do the first and third benefits of Crossbow Expert turn a 
  hand crossbow into a semiautomatic weapon? The short 
  answer is no.
   The first benefit of the feat lets you ignore the loading 
  property (PH, 147) of the hand crossbow if you’re proficient 
  with that weapon. The upshot is that you can fire it more 
  than once if you have a feature like Extra Attack. You’re still 
  limited, however, by the fact that the weapon has the am-
  munition property (PH, 146). The latter property requires 
  you to have a bolt to fire from the hand crossbow, and the 
  hand crossbow isn’t going to load itself (unless it’s magical 
  or a gnomish invention). You need to load each bolt into the 
  weapon, and doing so requires a hand.
   To dig deeper into this point, take a look at the following 
  sentence in the definition of the ammunition property: 
  “Drawing the ammunition from a quiver, case, or other 
  container is part of the attack.” The sentence tells us two 
  important things. First, you’re assumed to be drawing—
  that is, extracting with your hand—the ammunition from 
  a container. Second, the act of drawing the ammunition is 
  included in the attack and therefore doesn’t require its own 
  
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  The bonus attack takes place after the triggering attack. 
  Here’s why: the feat doesn’t specify the bonus attack’s tim-
  ing, and when a reaction has no timing specified, the reac-
  tion occurs after its trigger finishes (DMG, 252). In contrast, 
  an opportunity attack specifically takes place before its trig-
  ger finishes—that is, right before the target creature leaves 
  your reach (PH, 195).
  How does the Sentinel feat work against an enemy that 
  has Fancy Footwork or the Mobile feat? Does the charac-
  ter with the Sentinel feat still get the opportunity attack? 
  The second benefit of the Sentinel feat is intended to coun-
  teract the Disengage action only. An enemy with the Fancy 
  Footwork feature (Sword Coast Adventurer’s Guide) or one 
  that has the Mobile feat can avoid provoking opportunity 
  attacks from someone who has the Sentinel feat, as long as 
  that enemy doesn’t take the Disengage action.
  Shield Master
  [NEW] The Shield Master feat lets you shove someone 
  as a bonus action if you take the Attack action. Can you 
  take that bonus action before the Attack action? No. The 
  bonus action provided by the Shield Master feat has a pre-
  condition: that you take the Attack action on your turn. In-
  tending to take that action isn’t sufficient; you must actually 
  take it before you can take the bonus action. During your 
  turn, you do get to decide when to take the bonus action af-
  ter you’ve taken the Attack action. 
   This sort of if-then setup appears in many of the game’s 
  rules. The “if” must be satisfied before the “then” comes 
  into play.
  Tough
  Does the Tough feat have an effect for a druid while in 
  beast form? The intent is no. The Tough feat affects a dru-
  id’s hit points, which are replaced by the beast’s hit points 
  while using Wild Shape.
  Ability Checks
  Are attack rolls and saving throws basically specialized 
  ability checks? They aren’t. It’s easy to mistake the three 
  rolls as three faces of the same thing, because they each 
  involve rolling a d20, adding any modifiers, and compar-
  ing the total to a Difficulty Class, and they’re all subject to 
  advantage and disadvantage. In short, they share the same 
  procedure for determining success or failure.
   Despite this common procedure, the three rolls are sep-
  arate from each other. If something in the game, like the 
  guidance spell, affects one of them, the other two aren’t 
  affected unless the rules specifically say so. The next few 
  questions touch on this point again.
  Can you get a critical hit on an ability check? For ex-
  ample, on a grapple attempt, does a critical win, or the 
  highest number? Ability checks don’t score critical hits. 
  Attack rolls do.
  Is a 1 on an ability check an automatic failure? Rolling a 
  1 on an ability check or a saving throw is not an automatic 
  failure. A 1 is an automatic miss for an attack roll.
  If you cast the hex spell and choose Strength as the af-
  fected ability, does the target also have disadvantage on 
  attack rolls and saving throws that use Strength? No, the 
  hex spell’s description says it affects ability checks that use 
  the chosen ability. The description says nothing about af-
  Magic Initiate
  If you’re a spellcaster, can you pick your own class when 
  you gain the Magic Initiate feat? Yes, the feat doesn’t 
  say you can’t. For example, if you’re a wizard and gain the 
  Magic Initiate feat, you can choose wizard and thereby 
  learn two more wizard cantrips and another 1st-level 
  wizard spell.
  If you have spell slots, can you use them to cast the 1st-
  level spell you learn with the Magic Initiate feat? Yes, but 
  only if the class you pick for the feat is one of your classes. 
  For example, if you pick sorcerer and you are a sorcerer, the 
  Spellcasting feature for that class tells you that you can use 
  your spell slots to cast the sorcerer spells you know, so you 
  can use your spell slots to cast the 1st-level sorcerer spell 
  you learn from Magic Initiate. Similarly, if you are a wizard 
  and pick that class for the feat, you learn a 1st-level wizard 
  spell, which you could add to your spellbook and subse-
  quently prepare.
   In short, you must follow your character’s normal 
  spellcasting rules, which determine whether you can 
  expend spell slots on the 1st-level spell you learn from 
  Magic Initiate.
  Polearm Master
  Can I add my Strength modifier to the damage of the 
  bonus attack that Polearm Master gives me? Yes. If you 
  have the feat and use the Attack action to attack with a 
  glaive, halberd, or quarterstaff, you can also strike with the 
  weapon’s opposite end as a bonus action. For that bonus at-
  tack, you add your ability modifier to the attack roll, as you 
  do whenever you attack with that weapon, and if you hit, 
  you add the same ability modifier to the damage roll, which 
  is normal for weapon damage rolls (PH, 196).
   A specific rule, such as the rule for two-weapon fighting 
  (PH, 195), might break the general rule by telling you not 
  to add your ability modifier to the damage. Polearm Master 
  doesn’t have such a rule.
  Does Polearm Master let me make an opportunity at-
  tack against a target that is being forced to approach 
  me? A creature doesn’t provoke an opportunity attack if it 
  is moved without the use of its movement, its action, or its 
  reaction. For example, the effect of the antipathy/sympathy 
  spell requires the target to use its movement, meaning 
  that it would provoke opportunity attacks when it does so. 
  Similarly, dissonant whispers requires the target to move 
  using its reaction (if available), so that activity also provokes 
  opportunity attacks. In contrast, a creature that’s pushed by 
  a gust of wind spell does not provoke opportunity attacks.
  Savage Attacker
  Does the Savage Attacker feat work with unarmed 
  strikes? No. Savage Attacker relies on a weapon’s damage 
  dice, and an unarmed strike isn’t a weapon (a point that 
  was clarified in the Player’s Handbook errata).
  Does the benefit of the Savage Attacker feat apply to ad-
  ditional effects like the rogue’s Sneak Attack or the pal-
  adin’s Divine Smite? No. The benefit of Savage Attacker 
  applies only to rolls of the weapon’s damage dice, not to any 
  extra damage that a feature or other ability might grant.
  Sentinel
  Does the attack granted by the third benefit of the Senti-
  nel feat take place before or after the triggering attack? 
  
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   Page 9
  determination happens only once during a fight and only at 
  the beginning. In other words, once a fight starts, you can’t 
  be surprised again, although a hidden foe can still gain the 
  normal benefits from being unseen (see “Unseen Attackers 
  and Targets” on page 194 of the Player’s Handbook).
   To be surprised, you must be caught off guard, usually 
  because you failed to notice foes being stealthy or you were 
  startled by an enemy with a special ability, such as the 
  gelatinous cube’s Transparent trait, that makes it exception-
  ally surprising. You can be surprised even if your compan-
  ions aren’t, and you aren’t surprised if even one of your foes 
  fails to catch you unawares.
   If anyone is surprised, no actions are taken yet. First, 
  initiative is rolled as normal. Then, the first round of com-
  bat starts, and the unsurprised combatants act in initiative 
  order. A surprised creature can’t move or take an action 
  or a reaction until its first turn ends (remember that being 
  unable to take an action also means you can’t take a bonus 
  action). In effect, a surprised creature skips its first turn 
  in a fight. Once that turn ends, the creature is no longer 
  surprised.
   In short, activity in a combat is always ordered by initia-
  tive, whether or not someone is surprised, and after the first 
  round of combat has passed, surprise is no longer a factor. 
  You can still try to hide from your foes and gain the benefits 
  conferred by being hidden, but you don’t deprive your foes 
  of their turns when you do so.
  Surprise rules work for two opposing sides. What hap-
  pens with surprise when a third group of combatants 
  sneaks up, hidden from the melee, and ambushes? The 
  surprise rule is relevant only when a combat is starting. 
  Any ambushes during the fight use the rules for Dexterity 
  (Stealth) checks.
  If a wizard casts a spell like fireball during a surprise 
  round, do the enemies get disadvantage on their saving 
  throw? Being surprised has no effect on saves. If you’re 
  surprised, you can’t move or take an action on your first 
  turn of the combat and you can’t take a reaction until that 
  turn ends (PH, 189).
  Can you delay your turn and take it later in the round? 
  No. When it’s your turn, either you do something or you 
  don’t. If you don’t want to do anything, consider taking the 
  Dodge action so that you’ll, at least, have some extra pro-
  tection. If you want to wait to act in response to something, 
  take the Ready action, which lets you take part of your 
  turn later.
   For a variety of reasons, we didn’t include the option to 
  delay your turn:
  • Your turn involves several decisions, including where 
  to move and what action to take. If you could delay your 
  turn, your decision-making would possibly become 
  slower, since you would have to consider whether you 
  wanted to take your turn at all. Multiply that extra 
  analysis by the number of characters and monsters in 
  a combat, and you have the potential for many slow-
  downs in play.
  • The ability to delay your turn can make initiative mean-
  ingless, as characters and monsters bounce around in 
  the initiative order. If combatants can change their place 
  in the initiative order at will, why use initiative at all? 
  On top of that, changing initiative can easily turn into an 
  fecting attack rolls or saving throws. This means, for exam-
  ple, that if you choose Constitution, the spell’s target doesn’t 
  suffer disadvantage when trying to maintain concentration 
  on a spell, since concentration requires a Constitution sav-
  ing throw, not a Constitution check.
   Curious about the spell’s intent? The spell is meant to be 
  a classic jinx—the sort seen in folklore—that is useful in 
  and out of combat. In combat, the spell provides some extra 
  necrotic damage. Outside combat, you could foil a cunning 
  diplomat, for example, by casting the spell and imposing 
  disadvantage on his or her Charisma checks.
  Does the bard’s Jack of All Trades feature apply to attack 
  rolls and saving throws that don’t use the bard’s profi-
  ciency bonus? No. The feature benefits only ability checks. 
  Don’t forget that initiative rolls are Dexterity checks, so Jack 
  of All Trades can benefit a bard’s initiative, assuming the 
  bard isn’t already adding his or her proficiency bonus to it.
  When you make a Strength (Athletics) check to grapple 
  or shove someone, are you making an attack roll? No. 
  That check is an ability check, so game effects tied to attack 
  rolls don’t apply to it. Going back to an earlier question, the 
  hex spell could be used to diminish a grappler’s effective-
  ness. And if the grappler’s target is under the effect of the 
  Dodge action, that action doesn’t inhibit the grapple, since 
  Dodge doesn’t affect ability checks.
  Adventuring
  [NEW] Is there a hard limit on how many short rests 
  characters can take in a day, or is this purely up to the 
  DM to decide? The only hard limit on the number of short 
  rests you can take is the number of hours in a day. In prac-
  tice, you’re also limited by time pressures in the story and 
  foes interrupting.
  Are extradimensional spaces, such as a demiplane or 
  the space created by rope trick, considered to be on a dif-
  ferent plane of existence? An extradimensional space (aka 
  an extraplanar space) is outside other planes. Therefore, if 
  you’re on the Material Plane and your foe is in an extradi-
  mensional space, the two of you aren’t on the same plane of 
  existence.
  How do I tell if something in the game is magical? For 
  an extensive discussion of this topic, see the question “Is 
  the breath weapon of a dragon magical?” in the “Monsters” 
  section below.
  What’s an example of an effect that can reduce exhaus-
  tion? The greater restoration spell can reduce exhaustion.
  Is there a way to get lost Intelligence back, such as after 
  an intellect devourer zeroes it? The greater restoration 
  spell can remove the reduction to an ability score.
  What happens after 20th level? Is there a cap to char-
  acter levels? The highest level is 20th. The “Epic Boons” 
  section in the Dungeon Master’s Guide (p. 231) offers ideas 
  for further advancement.
  Combat
  Does surprise happen outside the initiative order as a 
  special surprise round? No, here’s how surprise works.
   The first step of any combat is this: the DM determines 
  whether anyone in the combat is surprised (reread “Combat 
  Step by Step” on page 189 of the Player’s Handbook). This 
  
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  can take the action and then move away. The action itself 
  is what grants advantage to your ally, not your staying next 
  to the foe.
  If I’m invisible and I become visible when I shoot an 
  arrow at a target, does hiding again require an action? 
  Without a special ability, hiding in combat requires the 
  Hide action.
  If I use the Ready action to deal damage to someone 
  who’s moving, do I deny the target the rest of its move-
  ment? Dealing damage to a moving target doesn’t halt its 
  movement, unless the damage is accompanied by an ability 
  that stops movement. Things like the Sentinel feat give you 
  such an ability. Reducing a moving creature to 0 hit points 
  is also usually an effective way to stop it!
  Can you use the Ready action to take the Dash action on 
  someone else’s turn and then combine the Charger feat 
  with it? No, since you can’t take a bonus action on someone 
  else’s turn.
  For readying a spell or other action, does the target have 
  to be in range? Your target must be within range when you 
  take a readied action, not when you first ready it.
  How does readying a spell work? Do you lose your spell 
  slot if the trigger never occurs? A readied spell’s slot is 
  lost if you don’t release the spell with your reaction before 
  the start of your next turn.
  Can a readied action occur during an enemy’s triggering 
  action, such as between its first and second attacks when 
  it uses Multiattack? A readied action occurs immediately 
  after its trigger. If you defined the trigger as an attack, your 
  action happens after that attack.
  How do I know which ability modifier to use with an 
  attack roll and its damage roll? The Player’s Handbook 
  specifies which ability modifier to use with an attack roll (p. 
  194) and which one to use with the corresponding damage 
  roll (p. 196). Here’s a summary:
  Attack Type
  Attack Roll
  Damage Roll
  Melee weapon attack
  Strength mod.*
  Strength mod.
  Ranged weapon attack
  Dexterity mod.*
  Dexterity mod.
  Spell attack
  Spellcasting ability 
  mod.**
  Depends on effect
  * Add your proficiency bonus if you’re using a weapon with which 
  you’re proficient.
  ** Add your proficiency bonus. Your spellcasting ability is 
  determined by your class or whatever feature gave you the ability 
  to make the spell attack.
   For example, if you make a melee weapon attack with a 
  longsword, you add your Strength modifier to the attack 
  and damage rolls of the attack. In contrast, if you make 
  the spell attack of the fire bolt cantrip, you add your spell-
  casting ability modifier to the attack roll. If you’re a wizard, 
  Intelligence is your spellcasting ability, so add your Intelli-
  gence modifier. Fire bolt doesn’t tell you to add your modi-
  fier to its damage roll, though, so you don’t.
   Various features in the game make explicit exceptions 
  to the rule. For example, a weapon that has the finesse 
  property lets you choose whether to use your Strength or 
  Dexterity modifier with it. Another example: when you use 
  the two-weapon fighting option in the Player’s Handbook 
  unwelcome chore, especially for the DM, who might have 
  to change the initiative list over and over during a fight.
  • Being able to delay your turn can let you wreak havoc on 
  the durations of spells and other effects, particularly any 
  of them that last until your next turn. Simply by changing 
  when your turn happens, you could change the length 
  of certain spells. The way to guard against such abuse 
  would be to create a set of additional rules that would 
  limit your ability to change durations. The net effect? 
  More complexity would be added to the game, and with 
  more complexity, there is greater potential for slower play.
   Two of our goals for combat were for it to be speedy and 
  for initiative to matter. We didn’t want to start every combat 
  by rolling initiative and then undermine turn order with a 
  delay option. Moreover, we felt that toying with initiative 
  wasn’t where the focus should be in battle. Instead, the dra-
  matic actions of the combatants should be the focus, with 
  turns that happen as quickly as possible.
  I have a readied action. Can I stop readying to take an 
  opportunity attack? Or is ready a full turn commitment? 
  If you have an action readied, you can make an opportunity 
  attack, which causes you to stop readying.
  Can a bonus action be used as an action or vice versa? 
  For example, can a bard use a bonus action to grant 
  a Bardic Inspiration die and an action to cast healing 
  word? No. Actions and bonus actions aren’t interchange-
  able. In the example, the bard could use Bardic Inspiration 
  or healing word on a turn, not both.
  Can a flying creature without the hover trait stay in 
  one place while airborne, or does it need to move each 
  round? A flyer that lacks the hover trait can stay aloft with-
  out moving each round.
  Can you move through the space of a prone enemy? The 
  prone condition doesn’t override the rule that prevents you 
  from moving through an enemy’s space, unless that enemy 
  is at least two sizes larger or two sizes smaller than you. 
  If you do move through the space of another creature—
  whether a friend or an enemy—the space is difficult terrain 
  for you, and you can’t willingly end your move there. See 
  the Player’s Handbook, page 190–2, for more on movement 
  in combat.
  Does travel pace apply to movement in combat, or just 
  when traveling? The travel pace rule (PH, 181–2) doesn’t 
  apply in combat.
  If you have a feature like Cunning Action or Step of the 
  Wind, can you take the Dash action more than once on 
  your turn? If you can take the Dash action as a bonus ac-
  tion, nothing in the rules prevents you from taking the Dash 
  action with your regular action too. The same principle 
  holds when you use a feature like Action Surge; you could 
  use both of your actions to take the Dash action.
  My rogue/wizard can get a bonus action to Dash by using 
  Cunning Action, and I can cast expeditious retreat on 
  myself to get a bonus action to Dash. Do I get two bonus 
  actions to Dash? No. You can take only one bonus action 
  on your turn (PH, 189). If you have two or more ways to 
  use a bonus action, you must choose which one (if any) you 
  want to employ on your turn.
  If you use the Help action to distract a foe, do you have 
  to stay within 5 feet of it for the action to work? No, you 
  
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  With two-weapon fighting, can I use both attacks (nor-
  mal and bonus) to shove a creature? No. Two-weapon 
  fighting (PH, 195) doesn’t grant the bonus attack unless the 
  first attack is made with a light melee weapon. Shoving a 
  creature is a special melee attack that does not involve the 
  use of a weapon.
  If a creature is grappled, can it still attack and use its 
  special abilities? The grappled condition limits movement, 
  not attacks, spellcasting, and the like. That said, many grap-
  pling abilities, such as a roper’s tendril attack, also deliver 
  effects like the restrained condition.
  Is the grappling rule in the Player’s Handbook usable 
  by a handless creature? The grappling rule (PH, 195) was 
  written for a grappler with at least one hand, but a DM can 
  easily adapt the rule for a handless creature that has a bite 
  or an appendage, such as a tentacle, that could reasonably 
  seize someone. A wolf, for example, could plausibly try to 
  seize a person with its bite, and the animal wouldn’t be able 
  to use its bite attack as long as it held onto the person. 
   Keep in mind that the grappling rule in the Player’s Hand-
  book requires the Attack action, so a creature must take 
  that action—rather than Multiattack or another action in 
  the creature’s stat block—when it uses that rule. A monster, 
  such as a roper, that has a special grappling attack doesn’t 
  follow that rule when using its special attack.
  Does a grapple or a shove trigger the Tempest cleric’s 
  Wrath of the Storm or a Battle Master’s Riposte? The 
  answer to both questions is no. The grappling and shoving 
  options (PH, 195) don’t result in a hit or a miss.
  Say I grapple you, then I drop prone. Are we now prone 
  together? No. A creature you’re grappling isn’t knocked 
  prone if you become prone. You’re now holding onto the 
  creature from a prone position.
  Target at range caught in melee combat—does that tar-
  get get some kind of cover or do I get disadvantage? Your 
  target has half-cover if another creature is between you and 
  the target (PH, 196).
  Can damage be reduced to 0 by resistance or another 
  form of damage reduction? There is no damage minimum 
  in the rules, so it is possible to deal 0 damage with an at-
  tack, a spell, or another effect.
  A dragon uses a breath weapon against me. I succeed on 
  the save, and I have resistance to the damage. Do I take 
  only one-quarter of the damage? Yes, because resistance 
  is applied after all other modifiers to damage (PH, 197). If 
  you succeed on a save and still take damage, that damage is 
  halved if you have the right resistance.
  Is the intent that only melee weapon attacks can knock 
  foes unconscious, or can melee spell attacks as well? If 
  you reduce a creature to 0 hit points with a melee attack, 
  you can knock the creature out (PH, 198). That melee at-
  tack isn’t restricted to weapons. Even a melee spell attack 
  can be used to knock a creature out.
  Are attacks with a net always made with disadvantage? 
  Unless you have a special ability that says otherwise, any 
  net attack has disadvantage because you’re either within 5 
  feet of your target (see PH, 149) or you’re attacking at long 
  range, which is between 5 and 15 feet for a net.
  (p. 195), you don’t add your ability modifier to the damage 
  of the bonus attack, unless that modifier is negative. You 
  do, however, still add your ability modifier to the attack roll, 
  since the option doesn’t tell you not to. In other words, you 
  follow the general rule until an exception in the game tells 
  you not to.
   What about unusual cases like the green-flame blade 
  spell? The spell, which appears in the Sword Coast Ad-
  venturer’s Guide, tells you to make a melee attack with a 
  weapon. Look at the table above, and you see that, under 
  normal circumstances, you use your Strength modifier 
  when you make a melee weapon attack. It doesn’t matter 
  that a spell told you to attack. If a spell expects you to 
  make a spell attack, the spell’s description says so. For 
  examples, take a look at fire bolt and ray of frost. Both say 
  it—“spell attack.”
  What does “melee weapon attack” mean: a melee attack 
  with a weapon or an attack with a melee weapon? It 
  means a melee attack with a weapon. Similarly, “ranged 
  weapon attack” means a ranged attack with a weapon. 
  Some attacks count as a melee or ranged weapon attack 
  even if a weapon isn’t involved, as specified in the text of 
  those attacks. For example, an unarmed strike counts as a 
  melee weapon attack, even though the attacker’s body isn’t 
  considered a weapon. 
   Here’s a bit of wording minutia: we would write “melee-
  weapon attack” (with a hyphen) if we meant an attack with 
  a melee weapon.
  How does a reach weapon work with opportunity at-
  tacks? An opportunity attack is normally triggered when a 
  creature you can see moves beyond your reach (PH, 195). 
  If you want to make an opportunity attack with a reach 
  weapon, such as a glaive or a halberd, you can do so when 
  a creature leaves the reach you have with that weapon. For 
  example, if you’re wielding a halberd, a creature that is 
  right next to you could move 5 feet away without triggering 
  an opportunity attack. If that creature tries to move an addi-
  tional 5 feet—beyond your 10-foot reach—the creature then 
  triggers an opportunity attack.
  Can a blinded creature make an opportunity attack? An 
  opportunity attack is triggered by “a hostile creature you 
  can see” (PH, 195). If you can’t see an enemy, you can’t 
  make an opportunity attack against it. Creatures with blind-
  sight are an exception to this rule, because that ability lets 
  those creatures “see” within a certain radius.
  Can an opportunity attack be used to make a grapple or 
  a shove? Grappling and shoving are special melee attacks 
  that require the Attack action (PH, 195). An opportunity at-
  tack is a special reaction. Take the Ready action if you want 
  to attempt a grapple or a shove as a reaction.
  When you use two-weapon fighting, can you draw and 
  throw two weapons on your turn? You can throw two 
  weapons with two-weapon fighting (PH, 195), but that rule 
  doesn’t give you the ability to draw two weapons for free. 
   On your turn, you can interact with one object for free, 
  either during your move or during an action (PH, 190). One 
  of the most common object interactions is drawing or stow-
  ing a weapon. Interacting with a second object on the same 
  turn requires an action. You need a feature like the Dual 
  Wielder feat to draw or stow a second weapon for free.
  
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  When casting a spell that affects multiple targets, such 
  as scorching ray or eldritch blast, do I fire one ray or 
  beam, determine the result, and fire again? Or do I have 
  to choose all the targets before making any attack rolls? 
  Even though the duration of each of these spells is instanta-
  neous, you choose the targets and resolve the attacks con-
  secutively, not all at once. If you want, you can declare all 
  your targets before making any attacks, but you would still 
  roll separately for each attack (and damage, if appropriate).
  Can a spell with an attack roll be used as the attack in 
  the Attack action or as part of the Extra Attack feature? 
  The short answer is no.
   As explained in the Player’s Handbook, you can take one 
  action on your turn in combat, in addition to moving. You 
  choose your action from the options available to everyone—
  options such as Attack, Cast a Spell, and Dash—or you 
  choose from among the special actions you’ve gained from 
  a class, a feat, or another source.
   If you want to cast a spell on your turn, you take the Cast 
  a Spell action. Doing so means you’re not taking the Attack 
  action or any other action. It is true that a number of spells, 
  such as fire bolt and ray of frost, involve making an attack, 
  but you can’t make such an attack without first casting the 
  spell that delivers it. In other words, just because some-
  thing involves an attack doesn’t mean the Attack action is 
  being used.
   By extension, the Extra Attack feature (given by several 
  classes, including the fighter and paladin) doesn’t let you 
  cast extra attack spells. That feature specifically relies 
  on the Attack action, not the Cast a Spell action or any 
  other action.
   In summary, to make a spell attack, you have to first cast 
  a spell or use a feature that creates the spell’s effect. A 
  game feature, such as Extra Attack, that lets you make an 
  attack doesn’t let you cast a spell unless it says it does.
  Can you use a melee spell attack to make an opportunity 
  attack? You can’t if the spell attack is created by casting 
  a spell. When a creature triggers an opportunity attack 
  from you, you can use your reaction to make a melee attack 
  against it. The opportunity attack doesn’t suddenly give you 
  the ability to cast a spell, such as shocking grasp.
   Each spell has a casting time. A game feature, such as an 
  opportunity attack, doesn’t let you bypass that casting time, 
  unless the feature says otherwise. The War Caster feat is 
  an example of a feature that does let you bypass a 1-action 
  casting time to cast a spell in place of making an opportu-
  nity attack.
   A few monsters can make opportunity attacks with me-
  lee spell attacks. Here’s how: certain monsters—including 
  the banshee, the lich, and the specter—have a melee spell 
  attack that isn’t delivered by a spell. For example, the ban-
  shee’s Corrupting Touch action is a melee spell attack but 
  no spell is cast to make it. The banshee can, therefore, 
  make opportunity attacks with Corrupting Touch.
  Some spells (like eldritch blast) target a creature. Some 
  others (like fire bolt) target objects too. Does this mean 
  that I can’t attack the door with eldritch blast? The target 
  specifications (creature, object, or something else) in spells 
  are intentional.
  Does a melee spell attack count as a melee attack for 
  Touch of Death? A melee spell attack is, indeed, a me-
  lee attack and can qualify for the Death cleric’s Touch of 
  Death feature.
  Can a non-Battle Master attempt to disarm someone? 
  The Disarming Attack maneuver is designed for the Battle 
  Master archetype, but anyone can try to disarm a foe. The 
  Disarm action option (DMG, 271) provides one way a DM 
  might adjudicate the activity.
  Spellcasting
  Can a spellcaster cast spells off-target to minimize 
  damage to party members from a spell like shatter? The 
  spellcaster chooses where to place the point of origin of a 
  spell like shatter and may, therefore, choose a position that 
  is advantageous to allies.
  Can permanent magical effects be dispelled? Or are they 
  no longer considered magical effects once permanent? If 
  the effect of a spell becomes permanent, it can be dispelled, 
  unless its description says otherwise (such as in the wall of 
  stone spell).
  Do spellcasters have to learn a ritual version of a spell 
  apart from the normal version, or are they the same? 
  To cast the ritual version of a spell you know, you need a 
  feature, such as Ritual Casting, that gives you the ability to 
  cast the spell as a ritual. You don’t need to also learn a spe-
  cial version of the spell.
  Can spellcasters prepare spells not all at once, but 
  prepare spells at various times in the day? You prepare 
  your list of spells only at the end of a long rest. You can’t 
  prepare some spells at the end of the rest and then prepare 
  more later.
  Do you always know when you’re under the effect of a 
  spell? You’re aware that a spell is affecting you if it has a 
  perceptible effect or if its text says you’re aware of it (see 
  PH, 204, under “Targets”). Most spells are obvious. For 
  example, fireball burns you, cure wounds heals you, and 
  command forces you to suddenly do something you didn’t 
  intend. Certain spells are more subtle, yet you become 
  aware of the spell at a time specified in the spell’s descrip-
  tion. Charm person and detect thoughts are examples of 
  such spells.
   Some spells are so subtle that you might not know you 
  were ever under their effects. A prime example of that sort 
  of spell is suggestion. Assuming you failed to notice the 
  spellcaster casting the spell, you might simply remember 
  the caster saying, “The treasure you’re looking for isn’t 
  here. Go look for it in the room at the top of the next tower.” 
  You failed your saving throw, and off you went to the other 
  tower, thinking it was your idea to go there. You and your 
  companions might deduce that you were beguiled if ev-
  idence of the spell is found. It’s ultimately up to the DM 
  whether you discover the presence of inconspicuous spells. 
  Discovery usually comes through the use of skills like 
  Arcana, Investigation, Insight, and Perception or through 
  spells like detect magic.
  Spell Attacks
  Is a touch range spell considered a melee attack for 
  purposes of subduing foes rather than killing? Having 
  a range of touch doesn’t mean a spell is a melee attack. A 
  spell tells you if it delivers such an attack.
  Can spell attacks score critical hits? A spell attack can 
  definitely score a critical hit. The rule on critical hits applies 
  to attack rolls of any sort.
  
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  Components
  Does a spell consume its material components? A spell 
  doesn’t consume its material components unless its de-
  scription says it does. For example, the pearl required by 
  the identify spell isn’t consumed, whereas the diamond re-
  quired by raise dead is used up when you cast the spell.
  If a spell’s material components are consumed, can a 
  spellcasting focus still be used in place of the consumed 
  component? No. A spellcasting focus can be used in place 
  of a material component only if that component has no 
  cost noted in the spell’s description and if that component 
  isn’t consumed.
  What’s the amount of interaction needed to use a spell-
  casting focus? Does it have to be included in the somatic 
  component? If a spell has a material component, you need 
  to handle that component when you cast the spell (PH, 
  203). The same rule applies if you’re using a spellcasting 
  focus as the material component.
   If a spell has a somatic component, you can use the hand 
  that performs the somatic component to also handle the 
  material component. For example, a wizard who uses an 
  orb as a spellcasting focus could hold a quarterstaff in one 
  hand and the orb in the other, and he could cast lightning 
  bolt by using the orb as the spell’s material component and 
  the orb hand to perform the spell’s somatic component.
   Another example: a cleric’s holy symbol is emblazoned 
  on her shield. She likes to wade into melee combat with a 
  mace in one hand and a shield in the other. She uses the 
  holy symbol as her spellcasting focus, so she needs to have 
  the shield in hand when she casts a cleric spell that has a 
  material component. If the spell, such as aid, also has a so-
  matic component, she can perform that component with the 
  shield hand and keep holding the mace in the other.
   If the same cleric casts cure wounds, she needs to put the 
  mace or the shield away, because that spell doesn’t have a 
  material component but does have a somatic component. 
  She’s going to need a free hand to make the spell’s ges-
  tures. If she had the War Caster feat, she could ignore this 
  restriction.
  Duration
  If you’re concentrating on a spell, do you need to main-
  tain line of sight with the spell’s target or the spell’s 
  effect? You don’t need to be within line of sight or within 
  range to maintain concentration on a spell, unless a spell’s 
  description or other game feature says otherwise.
  If I have 10 temporary hit points and I take 30 damage 
  from an attack while concentrating on a spell, what is 
  the DC of the Constitution save to maintain my concen-
  tration? The DC is 15 in that case. When temporary hit 
  points absorb damage for you, you’re still taking damage, 
  just not to your real hit points.
   In contrast, a feature like the wizard’s Arcane Ward can 
  take damage for you, potentially eliminating the need to 
  make a Constitution saving throw or, at least, lowering the 
  DC of that save.
  Can a spellcaster dismiss a spell after casting it? You 
  can’t normally dismiss a spell that you cast unless (a) its 
  description says you can or (b) it requires concentration 
  and you decide to end your concentration on it. Otherwise, 
  a spell’s magic is unleashed on the environment, and if you 
  want to end it, you need to cast dispel magic on it.
  Spell Level
  What level is a spell if you cast it without a spell slot? 
  Such a spell is cast at its lowest possible level, which is the 
  level that appears near the top of its description. Unless you 
  have a special ability that says otherwise, the only way to 
  increase the level of a spell is to expend a higher-level spell 
  slot when you cast it.
   Here are some examples:
  • The warlock’s Chains of Carceri feature lets a warlock 
  cast hold monster without using a spell slot. That casting 
  of hold monster is, therefore, 5th level, which is the lowest 
  possible level for that spell.
  • The warlock’s Thief of Five Fates feature lets a warlock 
  cast bane using a spell slot, which means the spell is 1st 
  level or higher, depending on the slot that the warlock 
  expends to cast it.
  • The monk’s Disciple of the Elements feature lets the 
  monk spend ki points, rather than a spell slot, to increase 
  the level of a spell.
  This rule is true for player characters and monsters alike, 
  which is why the innate spellcasters in the Monster Manual 
  must cast an innate spell at its lowest possible level.
  Casting Time
  Is there a limit on the number of spells you can cast on 
  your turn? There’s no rule that says you can cast only X 
  number of spells on your turn, but there are some practical 
  limits. The main limiting factor is your action. Most spells 
  require an action to cast, and unless you use a feature like 
  the fighter’s Action Surge, you have only one action on 
  your turn.
   If you cast a spell, such as healing word, with a bonus 
  action, you can cast another spell with your action, but that 
  other spell must be a cantrip. Keep in mind that this partic-
  ular limit is specific to spells that use a bonus action. For 
  instance, if you cast a second spell using Action Surge, you 
  aren’t limited to casting a cantrip with it.
  Does the rule on casting a bonus action spell apply 
  when you take a bonus action granted by a spell? The 
  rule on casting a spell as a bonus action (see PH, 202) 
  applies only on the turn you cast the spell. For example, 
  spiritual weapon can be cast as a bonus action, and it lasts 
  for 1 minute. On the turn you cast it, you can’t cast another 
  spell before or after it, unless that spell is a cantrip with 
  a casting time of 1 action. Until spiritual weapon ends, it 
  gives you the option of controlling its spectral weapon as a 
  bonus action. That bonus action does not involve casting a 
  spell, despite the fact that it’s granted by a spell, so you can 
  control the weapon and cast whatever spell you like on the 
  same turn.
  Can you cast a reaction spell on your turn? You sure can! 
  Here’s a common way for it to happen: Cornelius the wizard 
  is casting fireball on his turn, and his foe casts counterspell 
  on him. Cornelius also has counterspell prepared, so he 
  uses his reaction to cast it and break his foe’s counterspell 
  before it can stop fireball.
  Does casting a spell as a ritual require concentration if 
  the spell doesn’t normally require it? Concentration is 
  required when casting any spell, including a ritual version, 
  for longer than 1 action (see PH, 202). Once the casting is 
  complete, the spell requires concentration only if its dura-
  tion entry says it does.
  
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   Page 14
   Other spells of this sort let the spellcaster choose from 
  among several broad options. For example, conjure minor 
  elementals offers four options. Here are the first two:
  • One elemental of challenge rating 2 or lower
  • Two elementals of challenge rating 1 or lower
  The design intent for options like these is that the spell-
  caster chooses one of them, and then the DM decides what 
  creatures appear that fit the chosen option. For example, 
  if you pick the second option, the DM chooses the two ele-
  mentals that have a challenge rating of 1 or lower.
   A spellcaster can certainly express a preference for what 
  creatures shows up, but it’s up to the DM to determine if 
  they do. The DM will often choose creatures that are ap-
  propriate for the campaign and that will be fun to introduce 
  in a scene.
  Can you cast darkness with a higher-level slot to end a 
  spell of 3rd level or higher that creates light? No. The 
  darkness spell can dispel only a light-creating spell of 2nd 
  level or lower, no matter what spell slot is used for dark-
  ness. Similarly, the daylight spell can dispel only a dark-
  ness-creating spell of 3rd level or lower, regardless of the 
  spell slot used.
  [NEW] If the damage from disintegrate reduces a half-
  orc to 0 hit points, can Relentless Endurance prevent the 
  orc from turning to ash? Yes. The disintegrate spell turns 
  you into dust only if the spell’s damage leaves you with 0 hit 
  points. If you’re a half-orc, Relentless Endurance can turn 
  the 0 into a 1 before the spell can disintegrate you.
  [NEW] What happens if a druid using Wild Shape is 
  reduced to 0 hit points by disintegrate? Does the druid 
  simply leave beast form? The druid leaves beast form. As 
  usual, any leftover damage then applies to the druid’s nor-
  mal hit points. If the leftover damage leaves the druid with 
  0 hit points, the druid is disintegrated.
  Can you use dispel magic to dispel a magical effect like a 
  vampire’s Charm ability or a druid’s Wild Shape? Dispel 
  magic has a particular purpose: to break other spells. It has 
  no effect on a vampire’s Charm ability or any other magical 
  effect that isn’t a spell. It also does nothing to the proper-
  ties of a magic item. It can, however, end a spell cast from 
  a magic item or from another source. Spells—they’re what 
  dispel magic is about. For example, if you cast dispel magic 
  on a staff of power, the spell fails to disrupt the staff’s mag-
  ical properties, but if the staff’s wielder casts hold monster 
  from the staff, dispel magic can end that spell if cast on the 
  target of hold monster.
   There are abilities and other spells that can end or sus-
  pend magical effects that aren’t spells. For example, the 
  greater restoration spell can end a charm effect of any sort 
  on a target (such as a vampire’s Charm or a dryad’s Fey 
  Charm), and a paladin’s Aura of Devotion can prevent or 
  suspend such an effect.
   Three of the most versatile spells for ending certain mag-
  ical effects are lesser restoration, greater restoration, and 
  remove curse.
  Can you use dispel magic on the creations of a spell like 
  animate dead or affect those creations with antimagic 
  field? Whenever you wonder whether a spell’s effects can 
  Specific Spells
  Can you extend the duration of armor of Agathys by gain-
  ing more temporary hit points? The spell is meant to work 
  only as long as you have the temporary hit points that the 
  spell grants. When those temporary hit points are gone, the 
  spell is done.
   Keep in mind that temporary hit points aren’t cumulative 
  (see PH, 198). If you have temporary hit points and receive 
  more of them, you don’t add them together, unless a game 
  feature says you can. You decide which temporary hit points 
  to keep. As an example, let’s say you’re a warlock with the 
  Dark One’s Blessing feature, which gives you temporary hit 
  points when you reduce a creature to 0 hit points. You cur-
  rently have 2 temporary hit points remaining from armor 
  of Agathys, you just slew a monster, and your Dark One’s 
  Blessing can now give you 4 temporary hit points. If you 
  take those temporary hit points, they replace the ones from 
  armor of Agathys and end that spell, so you might not want 
  to take them and keep the spell going instead, so as to con-
  tinue benefiting from the cold damage it delivers.
  How does barkskin work with shields, cover, and other 
  modifiers to AC? Barkskin specifies that your AC can’t 
  be lower than 16 while you are affected by the spell. This 
  means you effectively ignore any modifiers to your AC—in-
  cluding your Dexterity modifier, your armor, a shield, and 
  cover—unless your AC is higher than 16. For example, if 
  your AC is normally 14, it’s 16 while barkskin is on you. If 
  your AC is normally 15 and you have half cover, your AC is 
  17; barkskin isn’t relevant in this case.
  Does the blinding smite spell deal extra radiant damage 
  on every successful attack I make while I’m concentrat-
  ing on the spell, or only on the first one? “The next time” 
  in the spell description indicates that the extra damage 
  applies only once, the first time you hit a creature after you 
  finish casting the spell.
  Is the chill touch spell intended as a way of foiling any 
  creature that has Regeneration? Chill touch does, indeed, 
  stop the target it hits from regaining hit points until the 
  spell ends. This is true even if the target takes none of the 
  necrotic damage, whether because of immunity or some 
  other reason.
  [NEW] Using 5-foot squares, does cloud of daggers affect 
  a single square? Cloud of daggers (5 ft. cube) can affect 
  more than one square on a grid, unless the DM says effects 
  snap to the grid. There are many ways to position that cube.
  Is the damage dealt by a beast from conjure animals 
  considered magical? The stat block of a conjured creature 
  determines the nature of the creature’s damage, unless the 
  spell says otherwise.
  When you cast a spell like conjure woodland beings, 
  does the spellcaster or the DM choose the creatures that 
  are conjured? A number of spells in the game let you sum-
  mon creatures. Conjure animals, conjure celestial, conjure 
  minor elementals, and conjure woodland beings are just a 
  few examples.
   Some spells of this sort specify that the spellcaster 
  chooses the creature conjured. For example, find familiar 
  gives the caster a list of animals to choose from.
  
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  Its proximity to a target can allow you to use the Sneak At-
  tack feature or any other feature that requires the presence 
  of an ally.
  Can a spell such as fireball go past its 20-foot radius 
  if the point of origin is set in an enclosed space that’s 
  less than 40 feet across? The fire of the fireball spell can 
  spread around corners, but it’s limited by the spell’s 20-foot 
  radius. It doesn’t extend farther than 20 feet from the point 
  of origin no matter where it is cast.
  If I’m a cleric/druid with the Disciple of Life feature, does 
  the goodberry spell benefit from the feature? Yes. The 
  Disciple of Life feature would make each berry restore 4 
  hit points, instead of 1, assuming you cast goodberry with a 
  1st-level spell slot.
  Can you use green-flame blade and booming blade with 
  Extra Attack, opportunity attacks, Sneak Attack, and 
  other weapon attack options? Introduced in the Sword 
  Coast Adventurer’s Guide, the green-flame blade and boom-
  ing blade spells pose a number of questions, because they 
  each do something unusual: require you to make a melee 
  attack with a weapon as part of the spell’s casting.
   First, each of these spells involves a normal melee 
  weapon attack, not a spell attack, so you use whatever abil-
  ity modifier you normally use with the weapon. (A spell tells 
  you if it includes a spell attack, and neither of these spells 
  do.) For example, if you use a longsword with green-flame 
  blade, you use your Strength modifier for the weapon’s at-
  tack and damage rolls.
   Second, neither green-flame blade nor booming blade 
  works with Extra Attack or any other feature that requires 
  the Attack action. Like other spells, these cantrips require 
  the Cast a Spell action, not the Attack action, and they can’t 
  be used to make an opportunity attack, unless a special fea-
  ture allows you to do so.
   Third, these weapon attacks work with Sneak Attack if 
  they fulfill the normal requirements for that feature. For ex-
  ample, if you have the Sneak Attack feature and cast green-
  flame blade with a finesse weapon, you can deal Sneak At-
  tack damage to the target of the weapon attack if you have 
  advantage on the attack roll and hit.
  For the spell hail of thorns, does it last for the initial 
  attack or as long as you maintain concentration? Hail of 
  thorns lasts until you hit a creature with a ranged weapon 
  attack or your concentration ends, whichever comes first.
  Can the extra action granted by haste be used to activate 
  a magic item? No. Activating a magic item isn’t a function 
  of the Use an Object action (DMG, 141).
  Does the heroes’ feast spell grant immunity to poison 
  damage or just the poison condition? The heroes’ feast 
  spell grants immunity to poison in any form—damage and 
  the condition.
  Do the temporary hit points from heroism accumulate 
  each round? Temporary hit points aren’t cumulative. The 
  spell would tell you if you were meant to add together the 
  temporary hit points it provides. At the start of each of your 
  turns, the spell, effectively, refreshes the number of tempo-
  rary hit points you have from it; if you lost some or all of the 
  temporary hit points, the spell gives them back to you.
  If the heroism spell is cast on a character that is already 
  frightened, does it remove the frightened effect? The 
  heroism spell would suppress a frightening effect that was 
  be dispelled or suspended, you need to answer one ques-
  tion: is the spell’s duration instantaneous? If the answer is 
  yes, there is nothing to dispel or suspend. Here’s why: the 
  effects of an instantaneous spell are brought into being by 
  magic, but the effects aren’t sustained by magic (see PH, 
  203). The magic flares for a split second and then vanishes. 
  For example, the instantaneous spell animate dead har-
  nesses magical energy to turn a corpse or a pile of bones 
  into an undead creature. That necromantic magic is present 
  for an instant and is then gone. The resulting undead now 
  exists without the magic’s help. Casting dispel magic on the 
  creature can’t end its mockery of life, and the undead can 
  wander into an antimagic field with no adverse effect.
   Another example: cure wounds instantaneously restores 
  hit points to a creature. Because the spell’s duration is in-
  stantaneous, the restoration can’t be later dispelled. And 
  you don’t suddenly lose hit points if you step into an anti-
  magic field!
   In contrast, a spell like conjure woodland beings has a 
  non-instantaneous duration, which means its creations can 
  be ended by dispel magic and they temporarily disappear 
  within an antimagic field.
  Can you ready dispel magic to stop another spell from 
  taking effect? The easiest way to stop a spell is to cast 
  counterspell on its caster while it’s being cast. If successful, 
  counterspell interrupts the other spell’s casting, and that 
  spell fails to take effect. Counterspell works against any 
  spell, regardless of a spell’s casting time or duration.
   With the Ready action, dispel magic can be cast in re-
  sponse to another spell being cast, yet dispel magic can’t 
  substitute for counterspell. The main reason is that dispel 
  magic removes a spell that is already on a target, whether 
  that target is a creature, an object, or some other phenom-
  enon. Dispel magic can’t dispel something in advance. If 
  a spell isn’t already present on a target, dispel magic does 
  nothing to that target. The best that a readied dispel magic 
  can do is dispel a spell immediately after the spell has been 
  cast to prevent it from having any effect after the action 
  used to cast it. For example, on your turn you could say 
  something like this: “I ready dispel magic, and if the high 
  priest casts a spell on anyone, I cast dispel magic on the 
  target if the spell takes hold.” If the high priest then cast 
  hold person on your companion who fails the save against 
  it, you could unleash your readied dispel magic and end 
  hold person.
  Can dispel magic end globe of invulnerability? Yes, dispel 
  magic can dispel the barrier created by globe of invulner-
  ability, but not any magical effects that are active inside 
  the barrier.
  If dispel magic targets the magical effect from bless cast 
  by a cleric, does it remove the effect on all the targets? 
  Dispel magic ends a spell on one target. It doesn’t end the 
  same spell on other targets.
  Can the familiar you conjure with the find familiar spell 
  use the Help action to grant you advantage on your at-
  tack roll? A familiar can’t attack, but it can take non-attack 
  actions, including Help. As the text of the Help action indi-
  cates (PH, 192), the action doesn’t require you to be able to 
  attack; you simply need to be able to provide some sort of 
  distraction.
  Does the familiar of find familiar count as an ally for the 
  purposes of Sneak Attack? A familiar is an allied creature. 
  
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  illusory object made by minor illusion is meant to be like a 
  stool or a rock, not an atmospheric effect.
  Does moonbeam deal damage when you cast it? What 
  about when its effect moves onto a creature? The an-
  swer to both questions is no. Here’s some elaboration on 
  that answer.
   Some spells and other game features create an area of 
  effect that does something when a creature enters that area 
  for the first time on a turn or when a creature starts its 
  turn in that area. On the turn when you cast such a spell, 
  you’re primarily setting up hurt for your foes on later turns. 
  Moonbeam, for example, creates a beam of light that can 
  damage a creature who enters the beam or who starts its 
  turn in the beam.
   Here are some spells with the same timing as moonbeam 
  for their areas of effect:
  blade barrier
  cloudkill
  cloud of daggers
  Evard’s black tentacles
  forbiddance
  moonbeam
  sleet storm
  spirit guardians
  Reading the description of any of those spells, you might 
  wonder whether a creature is considered to be entering the 
  spell’s area of effect if the area is created on the creature’s 
  space. And if the area of effect can be moved—as the beam 
  of moonbeam can—does moving it into a creature’s space 
  count as the creature entering the area? Our design intent 
  for such spells is this: a creature enters the area of effect 
  when the creature passes into it. Creating the area of ef-
  fect on the creature or moving it onto the creature doesn’t 
  count. If the creature is still in the area at the start of its 
  turn, it is subjected to the area’s effect.
   Entering such an area of effect needn’t be voluntary, 
  unless a spell says otherwise. You can, therefore, hurl a 
  creature into the area with a spell like thunderwave. We 
  consider that clever play, not an imbalance, so hurl away! 
  Keep in mind, however, that a creature is subjected to such 
  an area of effect only the first time it enters the area on a 
  turn. You can’t move a creature in and out of it to damage it 
  over and over again on the same turn.
   In summary, a spell like moonbeam affects a creature 
  when the creature passes into the spell’s area of effect and 
  when the creature starts its turn there. You’re essentially 
  creating a hazard on the battlefield.
  Does planar binding summon the creature to be bound, 
  or is that done separately? Planar binding doesn’t sum-
  mon a creature. It attempts to bind a creature that is within 
  the spell’s range.
  Can you concentrate on a spell while transformed by 
  polymorph? You can’t cast spells while you’re transformed 
  by polymorph, but nothing in the spell prevents you from 
  concentrating on a spell that you previously cast before be-
  ing transformed.
  Does a willing creature under the effects of polymorph 
  have to take the mental stats of the new form? Yes. Un-
  less a spell tells you otherwise, its effect is no different for a 
  willing creature than it is for an unwilling one.
  What kinds of things count as “nonmagical trinkets” for 
  prestidigitation? Prestidigitation can create a little bauble, 
  already on its target. When the spell ends, the target’s im-
  munity goes away and the frightening effect resumes if it 
  has not expired or been removed.
  Does the extra damage from hex only apply if there is an 
  attack roll? The extra damage in the hex spell requires an 
  attack that hits.
  Since resting identifies magic items, and the identify 
  spell doesn’t spot curses, what is the role of the identify 
  spell? The most important factors are time and conve-
  nience. During a short rest, which takes at least 1 hour, 
  a character who meets the qualifications can determine 
  the properties of one magic item (see “Identifying a Magic 
  Item” on page 136 of the Dungeon Master’s Guide). In 
  contrast, casting the identify spell takes only 1 minute (or 
  11 minutes if it is cast as a ritual) and can be done when a 
  quick determination is needed.
  What happens when a jump spell gives a creature a jump 
  distance greater than its walking speed? Your jump is 
  limited by how far you can move; each foot jumped uses a 
  foot of movement. You can take the Dash action if you want 
  to extend how far you can move on your turn. 
   For example, if you have a Strength score of 15, you can 
  normally leap 15 feet when you make a long jump if you 
  move at least 10 feet immediately beforehand. If the jump 
  spell is cast on you, that potential jump distance is tripled. 
  That’s a jump of 45 feet! If your speed is 30 feet, you can 
  use only 30 feet of that jump distance on your turn, unless 
  you take the Dash action, which allows you to leap the 
  full 45 feet.
  Can you use a shield with mage armor? Mage armor 
  works with a shield. Shields are grouped with armor in 
  the equipment rules in the Player’s Handbook, but various 
  game features distinguish between the armor you wear 
  and a shield you wield. Take a look at the monk’s Unar-
  mored Defense feature and compare it to the barbarian’s 
  version. In the monk’s version, you must both forgo wearing 
  armor and forgo wielding a shield if you want to benefit 
  from the feature, whereas a barbarian must only forgo 
  wearing armor.
  Does Unarmored Defense work with a spell like mage 
  armor? Unarmored Defense doesn’t work with mage ar-
  mor. You might be asking yourself, “Why don’t they work 
  together? Mage armor specifies that it works on a creature 
  who isn’t wearing armor.” It’s true that the target of mage 
  armor must be unarmored, but mage armor gives you a new 
  way to calculate your AC (13 + your Dexterity modifier) and 
  is therefore incompatible with Unarmored Defense or any 
  other feature that provides an AC calculation.
  I find it confusing that the mage armor spell is named 
  that when it doesn’t count as armor. Some spells and 
  class features have figurative, not literal, names. The text of 
  the spell or class feature explains what it does. In this case, 
  mage armor (PH, 256) surrounds the target with “protective 
  magical force”; the spell doesn’t provide armor.
  Can an object created with minor illusion move? For ex-
  ample, a wall sliding down a corridor? An illusory object 
  created by minor illusion doesn’t move. Compare to spells 
  like major image and  mislead, which talk about moving.
  Could minor illusion create a fog cloud? If so, would 
  shooting an arrow through it cancel the illusion? An 
  
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  Does natural armor cap a creature’s Dexterity bonus? 
  Natural armor doesn’t limit a creature’s Dexterity bonus.
  A monster is immune to damage from nonmagical blud-
  geoning weapons. Does it still take damage from falling? 
  Yes, that monster is still going to feel the hurt of a fall, be-
  cause a fall is not a weapon.
  [NEW] What actions can monsters use to make opportu-
  nity attacks? Are Multiattack and breath weapon actions 
  allowed? A monster follows the normal opportunity attack 
  rules (PH, 195), which specify that an attack of opportunity 
  is one melee attack. That means a monster must choose 
  a single melee attack to make, either an attack in its stat 
  block or a generic attack, like an unarmed strike. Multi-
  attack doesn’t qualify, not only because it’s more than one 
  attack, but also because the rule on Multiattack (MM, 11) 
  states that this action can’t be used for opportunity attacks. 
  An action, such as a breath weapon, that doesn’t include an 
  attack roll is also not eligible.
  The bite attacks of ghouls and ghasts don’t appear to 
  have proficiency bonus added in. Intentional or mistake? 
  Intentional; it’s a ghoul/ghast thing. They’re exceptionally 
  bad at biting, compared to their claw attacks. Monsters 
  sometimes have stat quirks like that.
  The Monster Manual says gnolls speak Gnoll, but the 
  Player’s Handbook doesn’t mention that language. 
  What is correct? The Player’s Handbook language tables 
  don’t list every language in the D&D multiverse. The Mon-
  ster Manual mentions other languages, including Gnoll, 
  Modron, Sahuagin, and Slaad.
  Does a monster with at-will spellcasting ability mean 
  it can cast a spell as an action or as a bonus action? If a 
  monster has the ability to cast a spell at will, that spell is 
  cast using its normal casting time.
  If a monster makes a melee attack that uses its Dexterity 
  modifier, is it considered to have used a finesse weapon? 
  A weapon doesn’t have the finesse property unless its de-
  scription says so, and using Dexterity for an attack doesn’t 
  confer the finesse property. If a weapon does have that 
  property, you can use Strength or Dexterity with it.
  The Monster Manual notes that a Mezzoloth exhales 
  toxic fumes that can choke and kill whole groups of 
  creatures. However, its cloudkill is listed under Innate 
  Spellcasting. Because of that, would a paladin’s Aura of 
  Warding resist it? Yes, because cloudkill is a spell, Aura of 
  Warding would be able to grant you and friendly creatures 
  within 10 feet of you resistance to it.
  Is the breath weapon of a dragon magical? If you cast 
  antimagic field, don armor of invulnerability, or use another 
  feature of the game that protects against magical or non-
  magical effects, you might ask yourself, “Will this protect 
  me against a dragon’s breath?” The breath weapon of a typi-
  cal dragon isn’t considered magical, so antimagic field won’t 
  help you but armor of invulnerability will.
   You might be thinking, “Dragons seem pretty magical 
  to me.” And yes, they are extraordinary! Their description 
  even says they’re magical. But our game makes a distinc-
  tion between two types of magic:
  the nature of which is up to the spellcaster and the DM. See 
  the Trinkets table in the Player’s Handbook (p. 160–61) 
  for examples.
  If you grapple or shove an enemy creature, does that end 
  a sanctuary spell cast on you? If you use the grapple or 
  shove option in the combat rules (PH, 195), the sanctuary 
  spell does end on you, since you have made an attack.
  If I cast shillelagh on my quarterstaff and have the 
  Polearm Master feat, does the bonus attack use a d4 or a 
  d8 for damage? The benefit from Polearm Master applies 
  to the opposite end of the weapon and always uses a d4 for 
  damage rather than the weapon’s normal damage die. This 
  is true for a quarterstaff enhanced with shillelagh just as it 
  is for a normal one.
  [NEW] The stinking cloud spell says that a creature 
  wastes its action on a failed save. So can it still use a 
  move or a bonus action or a reaction? Correct. The gas 
  doesn’t immobilize a creature or prevent it from acting 
  altogether, but the effect of the spell does limit what it can 
  accomplish while the cloud lingers.
  Do the effects of storm of vengeance stack? Or do the 
  effects change each turn? In the spell storm of vengeance, 
  each new effect replaces the effect of the previous round.
  Is the sentence of suggestion in the suggestion spell the 
  verbal component, or is the verbal component separate? 
  Verbal components are mystic words (PH, 203), not normal 
  speech. The spell’s suggestion is an intelligible utterance 
  that is separate from the verbal component. The com-
  mand spell is the simplest example of this principle. The 
  utterance of the verbal component is separate from, and 
  precedes, any verbal utterance that would bring about the 
  spell’s effect.
  The wording in Tasha’s hideous laughter implies that 
  the incapacitated effect applies only if the target is made 
  prone. Is this right? Failing a save against Tasha’s hid-
  eous laughter means you’re incapacitated even if you can’t 
  fall prone.
  Can I use unseen servant to act as an ally when using a 
  class feature like Sneak Attack? Unseen servant creates 
  “an invisible, mindless, shapeless force” (PH, 284). In com-
  bat, it doesn’t act as a creature, an enemy, or an ally.
  Whenever you cast wish, do you always have a 33 per-
  cent chance of never casting it again? If you cast wish 
  to duplicate a spell of level 0–8, there are no detrimental 
  effects. However, if you do anything other than duplicate 
  a spell of level 0–8, you suffer the stress described in the 
  final paragraph of the spell. As soon as that stress affects 
  you, there is a 33 percent chance that you are unable to cast 
  wish again.
  Monsters
  Is natural armor considered light armor? No. Natural 
  armor doesn’t fit into the categories of light, medium, and 
  heavy armor, and when you have it, it isn’t considered to be 
  an armor you’re wearing.
  
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  Is a vampire affected by hold person or calm emotions? 
  Many spells affect not just any creatures, but only certain 
  types, as specified in the spell. Hold person and calm 
  emotions work only on humanoids, and a vampire is not 
  a humanoid.
  Is there a limit to the number of creatures a vampire 
  can charm at once? No, there is no limit on the number of 
  creatures a vampire can have charmed at once. A vampire 
  can target a different humanoid each time it uses its Charm 
  action, potentially causing an entire group of enemies to be-
  come charmed if their saving throws aren’t successful.
  How does a monster’s Leadership ability work? A crea-
  ture turns on Leadership as an action. Until the benefit 
  ends, the creature can grant a die whenever a visible ally in 
  range makes an attack roll or a saving throw.
  Magic Items
  Can potions be administered to unconscious characters 
  as an action? Yes, you can administer a potion to someone 
  else as an action (DMG, 139).
  If a potion doesn’t duplicate a spell, does it require con-
  centration? A potion’s effect requires concentration only if 
  its description says so or if it duplicates a spell that requires 
  concentration.
  For the hat of disguise, how do I set the spell save DC for 
  disguise self? Does the wearer have to be a caster? Use 
  your spellcasting ability modifier to set the DC. If you don’t 
  have a spellcasting ability, use your proficiency bonus to set 
  it (see the rule on page 141 of the DMG, under “Spells”).
  Which is correct in the Dungeon Master’s Guide, the 
  rule for scrolls or the rule for a spell scroll? They’re both 
  correct. The rule for scrolls (p. 139) is for scrolls in general, 
  including a scroll of protection, and it allows you to try to 
  activate a spell if you’re literate. The rule for a spell scroll is 
  specific to that type of scroll and introduces an additional 
  requirement: the spell on the scroll must be on your class’s 
  spell list for you to read the scroll.
   A spell scroll can be named in a variety of ways: spell 
  scroll, scroll of X (where X is the name of a spell), or spell 
  scroll of X (where X, again, is the name of a spell). No 
  matter how its name appears, a spell scroll follows the 
  same rule.
   For you to meet a spell scroll’s requirement, the spell 
  on the scroll needs to be on whatever spell list is used by 
  your class. Here are two examples. If you’re a cleric, the 
  spell must be on the cleric spell list, and if you’re a fighter 
  with the Eldritch Knight archetype, the spell must be on 
  the wizard spell list, because that is the spell list used by 
  your class.
  Do the AC bonuses from a ring of protection and bracers 
  of defense stack? Yes. In general, bonuses stack, unless 
  they’re from the same spell (see “Combining Magical 
  Effects” in the Player’s Handbook, p. 205). You also can’t 
  benefit from more than one ring of protection, for instance, 
  since you can’t attune to more than one copy of an item 
  at a time.
  Do magic weapons give you a bonus to attack and dam-
  age rolls? A magic weapon gives you a bonus to attack rolls 
  and damage rolls only if its description says it does. Every 
  magic weapon can bypass resistances and immunities to 
  damage from nonmagical attacks, but only certain magic 
  • the background magic that is part of the D&D 
  multiverse’s physics and the physiology of many 
  D&D creatures
  • the concentrated magical energy that is contained in a 
  magic item or channeled to create a spell or other focused 
  magical effect
  In D&D, the first type of magic is part of nature. It is no 
  more dispellable than the wind. A monster like a dragon 
  exists because of that magic-enhanced nature. The second 
  type of magic is what the rules are concerned about. When 
  a rule refers to something being magical, it’s referring to 
  that second type. Determining whether a game feature is 
  magical is straightforward. Ask yourself these questions 
  about the feature:
  • Is it a magic item?
  • Is it a spell? Or does it let you create the effects of a spell 
  that’s mentioned in its description?
  • Is it a spell attack?
  • Is it fueled by the use of spell slots?
  • Does its description say it’s magical?
  If your answer to any of those questions is yes, the feature 
  is magical.
   Let’s look at a white dragon’s Cold Breath and ask our-
  selves those questions. First, Cold Breath isn’t a magic 
  item. Second, its description mentions no spell. Third, it’s 
  not a spell attack. Fourth, the word “magical” appears no-
  where in its description. Our conclusion: Cold Breath is not 
  considered a magical game effect, even though we know 
  that dragons are amazing, supernatural beings.
  Does the movement from a dragon’s Wing Attack legend-
  ary action draw attacks of opportunity if it moves out of 
  reach? Yes. Wing Attack does not protect the dragon from 
  opportunity attacks.
  [NEW] Does a creature with Magic Resistance have ad-
  vantage on saving throws against Channel Divinity abili-
  ties, such as Turn the Faithless? Channel Divinity creates 
  magical effects (as stated in both the cleric and the paladin). 
  Magic Resistance applies.
  Do air, fire, and water elementals suffer any penalties for 
  fighting or using skills while they are squeezing into a 
  space that’s 5 feet wide or less? An air/fire/water elemen-
  tal ignores the movement part of the squeezing rule (PH, 
  192) in a 1+ inch space, as a result of its special trait, Air 
  Form, Fire Form, or Water Form.
  Can an earth elemental grapple with a creature and 
  then pull it underground and leave it there to die? No. 
  An earth elemental’s Earth Glide is meant to apply to itself 
  only. The elemental doesn’t take other creatures with it 
  when it moves in this way. 
  Does the lich’s Disrupt Life ability affect animated ob-
  jects and other constructs? The ability targets creatures 
  that aren’t undead, so yes, it does affect constructs (as well 
  as all other kinds of creatures).
  If a shadow rolls a critical hit, does it reduce the target’s 
  Strength by 2d4, as well dealing the extra necrotic dam-
  age? No. A critical hit lets you roll damage dice twice. An 
  effect that deals damage is one that reduces the target’s hit 
  points. The shadow’s Strength reduction isn’t damage, be-
  cause it has no effect on the target’s hit points.
  
  Version 2.3 
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   Page 19
  weapons are more accurate and damaging than their non-
  magical counterparts. For example, a +1 longsword and 
  a giant slayer both give you a +1 bonus to attack rolls and 
  damage rolls, whereas neither a flame tongue nor a frost 
  brand provides such a bonus. All four weapons, however, 
  can bypass an earth elemental’s resistance to bludgeoning, 
  piercing, and slashing damage from nonmagical attacks.
   In short, a bonus to attack rolls and damage rolls is con-
  sidered a special property of a magic weapon, not some-
  thing that all magic weapons provide automatically.
  My fighter attacks a creature with a magical longbow 
  and nonmagical arrows. Is the attack magical? The at-
  tacks made by a magical ranged weapon are magical, even 
  if the ammunition isn’t magical. (This point was clarified in 
  the errata for the Dungeon Master’s Guide.)
  Are magic weapons with the thrown property (javelins 
  and the like) assumed to return to their owner after 
  being thrown? If a magic weapon returns to you after you 
  throw it, its description says so, as in the dwarven thrower 
  (DMG, 167).
  If a rogue with the Assassinate feature uses a vorpal 
  sword, isn’t the surprise attack an instant kill? No. A vor-
  pal sword requires you to roll a 20 on the attack roll to de-
  capitate someone. A rogue with the Assassin archetype that 
  attacks a surprised target using a vorpal sword scores an 
  automatic critical hit if the attack roll is successful, but un-
  less the attack roll was a 20, the target gets to keep its head. 
  Would an elf get a saving throw versus a philter of love 
  as it’s a charm? The description implies there is no save. 
  There is no save against the philter of love. The love is just 
  that strong.
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Dungeons & Dragons [multi]/5th Edition (5e)/EXTRA/Sage Advice Compendium v2.3.pdf