Magic Numbers of 5e (5e Guideline)

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Preface

This guide is intended to observe the various numbers prevalent in the mechanics of the D&D Fifth Edition system and explain their significance.

Major Numbers: 1, 5, 6, 10, 20, 30

Minor Numbers: 2, 4, 8, 12, 13, 15, 100

Outlier Numbers: 40, 150, 700

The Numbers

1

Ah, the 1. Probably the second-most iconic D&D number besides the 20.

• A 1 rolled on a d20 indicates a critical failure. In vanilla D&D 5e, this only applies to the following cases:
  • Attack rolls, meaning if a 1 is rolled on an attack roll, it will always miss, irregardless of modifiers.
  • Death saving throws- if a 1 is rolled on a death saving throw, the character fails two death saves instead of one.

Many DMs homebrew additional effects for a natural 1, such as critically failing ability checks, saves, or even having tables for fumbles.

• 1 is the minimum ability score any creature can have in D&D 5e.
• The minimum level a player character can be is 1st level, and most adventures will start off at that level.
• 1 minute along with 1 hour are two of the standard durations.

2

The fairest number.

• +2 is the starting number for a character's proficiency bonus.
• Medium armor allows you to add your dexterity modifier to your armor class, but only up to 2.
• A barbarian's damage bonus from Rage starts at +2.

4

• Them spiky bois. The d4 is recognizable for it's iconic shape and penchant to create pain if stepped on.
  • It is the damage dice used for the lightest and weakest of weapons, such as the dagger.
  • It is also the initial damage die used for the monk's unarmed strikes gained from their Martial Arts ability.
  • The bane and bless spells subtract and add a d4 to various rolls for a duration, respectively. Guidance and resistance do this as well, but for a single roll.
• 4-5 is the optimal size of a D&D party, which many first party modules are designed around.
• The monk and sorcerer's 20th-level capstone features each restore 4 points to their point-based features (Ki and Sorcery Points).
• The barbarian's capstone feature grants a +4 to both their Strength and Constitution scores, as well as increasing the maximum for those scores.

5

Perhaps the most functionally prevalent number in D&D Fifth Edition is 5.

• Ability score modifiers for normal characters will range from +5 to -5, with a modifier of -5 being the lowest possible modifier based solely off of ability scores.
• Advantage is the equivalent of having a +5 bonus to a straight d20 roll. Disadvantage is similar, being the equivalent of -5 to a straight d20 roll.
• The armor class bonus granted by the shield spell is +5.
• In a similar vein, a +3 shield, a very rare magic item, is the strongest shield you can acquire in the game. It gives a +5 bonus to your armor class.
• If a weapon is reduced to a -5 penalty via a monster ability such as the rust monster's or gray ooze's^{MM pg. 243} Corrode Metal, it is destroyed. This indicates a point in which an item becomes functionally useless and is equivalent to attacking with something you have disadvantage with.
• A few monster abilities have enhanced failure conditions if a creature fails a saving throw by 5 or more. Such an example is the Medusa's Petrifying Gaze ability.
• The Typical DCs table ^{DMG p238} has example DCs that range from 5 to 30, with 5 being "very easy". The DCs on the table are each incremented by 5.
• If a 1st-level character is built using standard array (15, 14, 13, 12, 10, 8) and assuming they optimally place their ability scores and racial bonuses for their class, that character will have a +5 to hit with their primary weapon if they are a martial class or cantrips that use an attack roll if they are a spellcaster.
• Each number on a d20 has a 5% chance of being rolled.
• Most characters will be granted 5 Ability Score Improvements/feats throughout their level progression.
• A monster's challenge rating is calculated as being appropriate for a party of 3 to 5 adventurers of that level to take on without significant trouble.
• On combat and dungeon maps, the standard unit of distance is the 5-foot square. Moreover, movement in D&D 5e is almost always measured in increments of 5 feet.
• The highest level of spell slot half-casters (rangers, paladins and artificers^{TCE p9}) get is 5th. This is also the same for warlocks, however their Mystic Arcanum feature allows them to cast higher level spells like a full caster.
• 5th level is a milestone in a lot of ways.
  • Martial classes gain Extra Attack at 5th level. Other martial themed builds like bladelock and bladesinger get Extra Attack-like features as close to 5th level as possible (Thirsting Blade invocation for warlocks at 5th level, Extra Attack for bladesingers at 6th level).
  • Likewise, some of the big spells for casters come online as they get 3rd level spell slots. These include game-changers like fly and fireball.
  • Additionally, level 5 marks the transition in Tiers of Play^{DMG pg. 36} from Local Heroes to Heroes of the Realm.

6

Another functionally prevalent number, right behind 5.

• The six ability scores: Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma.
• A character's proficiency bonus will increase from +2 to +6 as they level up.
• Before a barbarian's rage becomes unlimited at 20th level, the maximum defined value they can use it is a total of 6 times between rests.
• The number of sides of a 6-sided die. This cuboid is used in many games besides D&D, but in D&D it has many uses as well.
  • A d6 is the lowest hit die for a player character, granted to squishy casters like wizards and sorcerers. A probable reason why a d4, the next die size smaller, is not used for hit die, is if you create a character that has a Constitution score of 1, they would instantly die. Whereas, a d6 allows you to be alive with 1 hit point.
  • Mid-tier weapons like shortswords do a d6 of damage.
  • A rogue's sneak attack is metered out in d6s.
  • The bard's bardic inspiration die starts off as a d6.
• A round in combat is typically 6 seconds long.

8

• d8 is the average hit die for most classes.
• 8 hours is the duration of a long rest, as well as one of the standard durations.
• There are 8 schools of magic in D&D 5e: abjuration, conjuration, divination, enchantment, evocation, illusion, necromancy, and transmutation.
• The maximum number of Eldritch Invocations a warlock may learn according to their class table is 8.

10

• +10 is the highest modifier one can have from an ability score alone.
• The final amount of a rogue's sneak attack dice is 10d6.
• There are 10 levels of spells in the game- cantrips (0th level) through 9th level.
• Unless specified otherwise by any other features, equipment, or abilities, a character or creature's armor class is equal to 10 + it's Dexterity modifier.
• If a 1st-level character's spellcasting ability modifier is +0, then their spell save DC is 10.
• A DC of 10 is a considered an easy challenge ^{DMG pg. 238}, with a 50/50 chance of success or failure if there are no modifiers applied. There are many instances where the game mechanics call for checks with a "default" DC of 10, such as concentration and death saving throws.
• 10 minutes is one of the standard durations.
• Excluding electrum pieces- gold pieces, silver, copper, etc. all operate on a base 10 system.
• Creatures with the regeneration trait (such as trolls) almost always regenerate 10 hit points.

12

• d12 is highest hit die possessed by a player character.
• The maximum amount of infusions known by an artificer^{TCE pg. 9} is 12.

13

Not as unlucky as one might think.

• Any feat that has an ability score prerequisite will have that ability score required to be 13 or higher. This is not meant to lock a feat so much as it is to assure that you can actually use use the features it grants as a bonus.
• As touched on in #5, if a 1st-level character is built using standard array (15, 14, 13, 12, 10, 8) and assuming they optimally place their ability scores and racial bonuses for their class, that character's save DC for their primary class features that call for it (spellcasting, battlemaster maneuver, ki, etc) will be 13.

15

• Warlocks and sorcerers can have up to 15 spells known.
• Level 15 is the highest level prerequisite for any eldritch invocation.

20

The most iconic number in D&D.

• The number of sides of a 20-sided die, the die which is used to determine the resolution for all conflicts in the game.
• Character progression levels range from 1 to 20. 20th level is always accompanied by a significantly powerful "capstone feature" specific to the class.
• When a 20 is rolled on a 20-sided die, it indicates a critical success, meaning the best possible result has occurred. In vanilla 5e, this only applies to the following:
  • Attack rolls, meaning a 20 rolled on an attack roll will always hit, irregardless of modifiers.
  • Death saving throws- since very little can actually modify these, a 20 on a death saving throw means you instantly regain 1 hit point.

However, many DMs will allow for natural 20s to affect other events, such as skill checks, giving them additional beneficial effects that can in extreme cases even seem to bend reality.

• Except under special circumstance, ability scores for player characters cannot exceed 20.
• A character wearing full plate and wielding a shield has an armor class of 20.
• Creature vulnerabilities to specific environmental effects, such as a vampire's Sunlight Hypersensitivity and Harmed by Running Water traits, deal a flat 20 damage.
• Rare creatures with even stronger regeneration (such as vampires) typically regenerate 20 hit points.

30

• Ability scores in D&D range from 1 to 30. That is the hard limit that the game was designed with. No first-party monster has ability scores that go beyond 30.
• The Typical DCs table ^{DMG p238} has example DCs that range from 5 to 30, with 30 being "nearly impossible".
• Most races have a movement speed of 30 feet.
• The ranges of most spells are in increments of 30 feet.
• The challenge rating of monsters goes from a minimum of CR ⅛ to a maximum of CR 30.
• Breaking established timing conventions, the augury spell gives an omen based on the next 30 minutes.

40

• Disintegrate deals 10d6 + 40 damage.

100

One of the largest numbers in 5e while still being frequently used.

• The d100 or percentile die.
  • Used for wild magic table.
• Power word kill instantly kills a targeted creature if it has 100 hit points or less.

150

• Power word stun affects a creature of 150 hit points or fewer.

700

The largest stated number in 5e.

• Mass heal allows you to divide up to 700 hit points between creatures within range.

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