There’s a lot of acronyms and jargon when playing a game as rich and diverse as D&D, which can be a little intimidating for a new player. Even old players sometimes need a refresher. Some of the key terms you’ll see used a lot are:
- AC = Armor Class, how hard something is to land a hit on (roll to hit)
- HP = Health Points, how much damage something can absorb
- DC = Difficulty Class, how difficult something is to do (e.g. roll to avoid, roll to succeed)
- Ability Score = the basic physical and mental statistics of your character
- Save = a roll to avoid an effect
- Check = a roll to succeed at a challenge or action
- Modifier = the bonus to add to a dice roll, usually determined by the relevant Ability Score
- Initiative = a roll to determine the order players and monsters take their turn (highest first)
- Advantage = allows rolling dice twice and picking the best roll
- Disadvantage = pick the lowest value of two rolls
- Critical Hit = best possible attack roll, guaranteed hit and does extra damage
Useful online resources: