Dungeons & Dragons 5e: Dice & Strategy Guide

Dungeons & Dragons 5th edition is built on a single, elegant question: roll a d20, add your bonuses, and did you meet the number? Almost everything else — classes, spells, monsters — hangs off that one action. If you understand the d20 roll and a handful of tactical ideas, you can play confidently from your very first session.

What dice 5e uses

D&D 5e uses the full standard seven-dice set (d4, d6, d8, d10, d%, d12, d20), but they split into two clear jobs.

The d20 resolves outcomes. Whenever the result of an action is in doubt, you roll one twenty-sided die, add the relevant modifier, and compare the total to a target number:

• Attack rolls — d20 + attack bonus versus the target’s Armour Class (AC). Meet or beat it and you hit.
• Ability checks — d20 + ability modifier (and proficiency if it applies) versus a Difficulty Class (DC) the DM sets.
• Saving throws — d20 + save modifier versus a DC, to resist spells, traps and other effects.

A natural 20 on an attack roll is always a hit and a critical hit (you roll the attack’s damage dice twice); a natural 1 always misses.

The other dice deal damage and measure effects. A dagger deals 1d4, a longsword 1d8, a greataxe 1d12; a fireball deals 8d6. You roll these after a hit lands and add the total to your target’s wound count. Spell durations, healing and character hit points are all counted in these dice too.

Advantage and disadvantage

This is 5e’s signature mechanic and the one newcomers should master first. When circumstances favour you, you roll with advantage: throw two d20 and keep the higher. When they work against you, you roll with disadvantage: throw two d20 and keep the lower. They never stack — you either have advantage, disadvantage, or neither, and if you have both at once they simply cancel to a single d20.

Advantage is worth roughly a +5 bonus on average around the middle of the range, so hunting for it — by flanking, hiding, or using spells like Faerie Fire — is one of the highest-value things you can do.

How a turn plays out

Combat runs in rounds of about six seconds. At the start you roll initiative (d20 + Dexterity modifier) to set turn order. On your turn you generally get:

• One action (Attack, Cast a Spell, Dash, Dodge, Help, Hide and so on),
• One bonus action, but only if a feature or spell grants one,
• Your movement, up to your speed, split before and after your action as you like,
• One free object interaction (draw a weapon, open a door).

Off your turn you also have a single reaction — an opportunity attack when an enemy leaves your reach, or a spell like Shield or Counterspell. Rolling ability scores at character creation uses 4d6, drop the lowest die, six times, which tends to average around 12–13 per score.

Winning and effective strategy

D&D isn’t won on a scoreboard, but survival and success reward good play. The most important ideas:

• Action economy is king. Every creature has limited actions per round; anything that removes an enemy’s turn (a stun, a web, a well-placed sleep) is worth more than raw damage. Conversely, wasting your own bonus action or reaction is a quiet loss every round.
• Respect bounded accuracy. Numbers in 5e stay deliberately compact — a +7 to hit is a lot. Because modifiers are small, situational bonuses (advantage, Bless, cover) swing fights more than they look. Stack them on your side and deny them to enemies.
• Guard your concentration. Many of the strongest spells (Hold Person, Bless, Haste, Hypnotic Pattern) require concentration, and you can only hold one at a time. Take damage and you make a Constitution save (DC 10 or half the damage, whichever is higher) or lose it. Position concentrating casters safely and consider War Caster or Resilient (Con).
• Positioning wins. Use terrain, cover and choke points. Melee characters should body-block to protect the squishy back line; ranged and casters should keep distance and angles.
• Focus fire. A downed enemy deals no damage; a bloodied one still deals full damage. Concentrate attacks to remove threats one at a time rather than spreading them thin.

Beginner tips and common mistakes

• Don’t forget your bonus action and reaction. New players routinely leave these on the table — that’s a third of your potential output going unused.
• Add the right modifier. Attacks and checks use different bonuses; keep proficiency, ability modifier and any temporary bonus straight before you announce a total.
• Rest matters. Short and long rests recover hit points, spell slots and abilities. Pushing on with no resources left is how parties fall.
• Ask for advantage. Describe what your character does to gain an edge; a good DM will often reward clever positioning or teamwork with advantage.
• Play the pillar, not just the fight. Exploration and social scenes use the same d20; a high Persuasion or Perception check can end a problem no sword could.

Coming from another system, or curious how a heavier tactical d20 game compares? Read our Pathfinder 2e dice & strategy guide.