System Reference Document 5.2.1
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unsEEn attackErs and tarGEts
When you make an attack roll against a target you 
can’t see, you have Disadvantage on the roll. This is 
true whether you’re guessing the target’s location or 
targeting a creature you can hear but not see. If the 
target isn’t in the location you targeted, you miss.
 When a creature can’t see you, you have Advantage 
on attack rolls against it.
 If you are hidden when you make an attack roll, 
you give away your location when the attack hits or 
misses.
 The GM might require you to use an action for 
any of these activities when it needs special care or 
when it presents an unusual obstacle. For instance, 
the GM might require you to take the Utilize action 
to open a stuck door or turn a crank to lower a 
drawbridge.
 Doing Nothing on Your Turn. You can forgo mov-
ing, taking an action, or doing anything at all on 
your turn. If you can’t decide what to do, consider 
taking the defensive Dodge action or the Ready ac -
tion to delay acting.
Ending Combat
Combat ends when one side or the other is defeated, 
which can mean the creatures are killed or knocked 
out or have surrendered or fled. Combat can also 
end when both sides agree to end it.
Movement and Position
On your turn, you can move a distance equal to your 
Speed or less. Or you can decide not to move.
 Your movement can include climbing, crawling, 
jumping, and swimming (each explained in “Rules 
Glossary”). These different modes of movement can 
be combined with your regular movement, or they 
can constitute your entire move.
 However you’re moving with your Speed, you 
deduct the distance of each part of your move from 
it until it is used up or until you are done moving, 
whichever comes first.
 A character’s Speed is determined during char -
acter creation. A monster’s Speed is noted in the 
monster’s stat block. See “Rules Glossary” for more 
about Speed as well as about special speeds, such as 
a Climb Speed, Fly Speed, or Swim Speed.
Difficult Terrain
Combatants are often slowed down by Difficult 
Terrain. Low furniture, rubble, undergrowth, steep 
stairs, snow, and shallow bogs are examples of Diffi -
cult Terrain.
 Every foot of movement in Difficult Terrain costs 
1 extra foot, even if multiple things in a space count 
as Difficult Terrain.
Breaking Up Your Move
You can break up your move, using some of its 
movement before and after any action, Bonus Ac -
tion, or Reaction you take on the same turn. For 
example, if you have a Speed of 30 feet, you could go 
10 feet, take an action, and then go 20 feet.
Dropping Prone
On your turn, you can give yourself the Prone condi -
tion (see “Rules Glossary”) without using an action 
or any of your Speed, but you can’t do so if your 
Speed is 0.
Creature Size
A creature belongs to a size category, which deter -
mines the width of the square space the creature 
occupies on a map, as shown on the Creature Size 
and Space table. That table lists the sizes from 
smallest (Tiny) to largest (Gargantuan). A creature’s 
space is the area that it effectively controls in com -
bat and the area it needs to fight effectively.
 A character’s size is determined by species, and 
a monster’s size is specified in the monster’s stat 
block.
Creature Size and Space
Size Space (Feet) Space (Squares)
Tiny 2½ by 2½ feet 4 per square
Small 5 by 5 feet 1 square
Medium 5 by 5 feet 1 square
Large 10 by 10 feet 4 squares (2 by 2)
Huge 15 by 15 feet 9 squares (3 by 3)
Gargantuan 20 by 20 feet 16 squares (4 by 4)
Moving around Other Creatures
During your move, you can pass through the space 
of an ally, a creature that has the Incapacitated 
condition (see “Rules Glossary”), a Tiny creature, or 
a creature that is two sizes larger or smaller than 
you.
 Another creature’s space is Difficult Terrain for 
you unless that creature is Tiny or your ally.
 You can’t willingly end a move in a space occupied 
by another creature. If you somehow end a turn in 
a space with another creature, you have the Prone 
condition (see “Rules Glossary”) unless you are Tiny 
or are of a larger size than the other creature.
Making an Attack
When you take the Attack action, you make an 
attack. Some other actions, Bonus Actions, and Re -
actions also let you make an attack. Whether you 
strike with a Melee weapon, fire a Ranged weapon, 