Glossary

A

Ally

Ally refers to any creature in an [Encounter] that you choose to regard as friendly for the purpose of any particular action or ability. You cannot treat a creature as an ally unless they allow you to do so. You are always your own ally. You can assign this term as you wish, though a creature can never be treated as both an ally and an opponent for purposes of a single instance of the same effect.

Attack

Attack refers to making an attack roll in order to hit a creature with a weapon, ability, or natural attack. Depending on the implement used, an attack is either a melee attack or a ranged attack.

Attack action

Attack action refers to the full set of attacks that a creature is entitled to make when using a standard action to attack.

B

Bonus Attack

[Bonus attack] denotes an attack you may make at a given time. You may only benefit from one [Bonus attack] per [Round]. A [Bonus attack] is made at your full Base Attack Bonus unless otherwise noted.

C

Critical threat range

Critical threat range is the range of d20 results on an attack roll that, if the attack hits, result in a critical hit. This refers only the natural, unmodified roll, before attack bonuses. Critical threat range is normally 20 (only a natural roll of 20) but items, feats and abilities can increase this, in which case it is measured as a range (18-20, for example).

D

DC

DC, short for Difficulty Class, sets how hard a task or effect is to complete, overcome, or resist. DCs are opposed by a roll of some kind, usually 1d20 + some numbers like level (or half level), an ability modifier, and other modifiers. If the result of the roll is greater than or equal to the DC, success is achieved.

F

Focus Points

Focus points are the fuel behind certain abilities. Any ability that gives a focus point adds the point to the same pool. Focus points from this pool may be spent on any ability that requires them. Focus points are lost at the beginning and end of each [Encounter].

L

Level

A creature's level is a numerical indicator of its overall experience, power, and abilities. Player characters increase in level over time by Leveling Up.

N

Natural Roll

Also: natural 20, natural 1

A "natural" roll result is the number shown on the die rolled (usually the d20) independent of any modifiers.

O

Obstacle

Obstacle refers to an object that takes up the edge of a square, a vertex of a square, or one or more squares themselves on the battlefield (creatures are not objects). The existence and placement of obstacles are determined by the GM, and are never created by abilities or effects unless otherwise stated.

Offensive action

Offensive action refers to any of the following actions:

• Any action in which you make an attack.
• An attack of opportunity. (Even though they do not require an action to take.)
• Casting a spell that can deal damage, inflict [HP reduction], or force a creature to make a saving throw.
• Activating an extraordinary, spell-like, or supernatural ability that can deal damage, inflict [HP reduction], or force a creature to make a saving throw.

Opponent

Opponent refers to any creature in an [Encounter] that you choose not to regard as an ally or that does not allow you to regard it as an ally for the purpose of any particular action or ability. You can assign this term as you wish, though a creature can never be treated as both an opponent and an ally for purposes of a single instance of the same effect.