
Glossary
Polydice | A set of seven different types of dice necessary to play the game. |
D20 | arguably the most important die in the game, which you will use most often to decide whether your character succeeds at a particular action. It is a die with 20 sides, which is where it got its name. |
GM | A Game Master, sometimes also called a Dungeon Master (DM). This person guides the players through the story and describes the world. |
Character sheet | A piece of paper which describes your character's characteristics, for example how strong or charismatic they are, or what gear they carry with them. |
Race | there are many fantastical races to play in D&D; from the famous elf and dwarf to the lesser known satyr, vedalken, or aasimar. |
Class |
in addition to a race, you will choose a class for your character. These consist of the eagle-eyed ranger, the nature-loving druids, and many more. |
Initiative |
Initiative is when a battle starts and the turn order is decided by rolling dice. The turn order is also called the 'initiative order'. |
Skill check |
Skill checks are rolls made to determine whether a character succeeds at a challenging task. For example, you may be asked to roll a Perception check to see how well your character can see, listen, or smell, or a Stealth check to see how quiet they are. The skills can be found on your character sheet. |
Saving throw |
Saving throws are rolls made to determine whether a character succeeds in a last-ditch effort to prevent something bad from happening. Dodging a fireball, prevent drowning, or resisting poison are good examples of this. Your Saving Throws are also found on your character sheet. |
Armor Class |
Your Armor Class (or AC) indicates how difficult your character is to hit. A higher number means you are less likely to be hit. This could be due to a character's quick reflexes, the armor they wear, or a combination of both. |
Spells |
Not all characters and classes have spells. There is a difference between 'divine magic' (magic of divine origin) and 'arcane magic' (from a deal with a fey, your ancestry, or from books). For example, a Cleric has different spells than a Wizard. |

