Got suggestions to add to this list???
Leave your suggestions in the comments section.
A
Ability Check — Roll a d20 plus a modifier to test a skill or action.
AC (Armor Class) — The number enemies must roll to hit you.
Advantage — Roll two d20s; take the higher.
Alignment — Your moral compass (e.g., Lawful Good, Chaotic Evil).
Arcana — Knowledge of magic, spells, and mystical lore.
Attack Roll — d20 + bonuses to see if you hit your target.
Aarakocra — Birdfolk from the Elemental Plane of Air.
B
Backstory — Your character’s personal history.
Bardic Inspiration — A bard’s gift: extra dice to aid allies.
Base Attack Bonus (BAB) — Old editions’ bonus to attack rolls.
Beholder — Floating orb monster with deadly eye rays.
Bonus Action — A secondary action on your turn.
Boss Monster — The final or strongest enemy in an encounter.
Buff — A spell or effect that strengthens a character.
C
Cantrip — A simple spell you can cast infinitely.
Charisma (CHA) — Your charm, persuasion, and presence.
Class — Your adventuring role (wizard, rogue, fighter, etc.).
Combat Round — 6 seconds of in-game time.
Constitution (CON) — Health, endurance, and toughness.
Concentration — Maintain a spell; lose it if you take damage.
Critical Hit (Crit) — Natural 20 on an attack roll; max damage.
Curse — A harmful magical effect, often persistent.
D
Damage Dice — The dice rolled for weapon or spell damage.
DC (Difficulty Class) — Number to beat on a d20 roll.
Dexterity (DEX) — Agility, reflexes, and precision.
Disadvantage — Roll two d20s; take the lower.
Divine Smite — Paladin ability to infuse attacks with holy power.
DM (Dungeon Master) — The storyteller and referee.
Downtime — Activities between adventures.
Dragonborn — Humanoid dragons with breath weapons.
Druid — Nature-based spellcaster and shapeshifter.
Dungeon Crawl — Exploring monster-filled labyrinths.
E
Eldritch Blast — Iconic warlock spell of arcane force.
Encumbrance — How much weight you can carry.
Encounter — A combat or roleplaying challenge.
Evasion — Ability to dodge area effects.
Experience Points (XP) — Earned from defeating foes or completing quests.
F
Familiar — Magical animal companion for spellcasters.
Feats — Optional abilities beyond class progression.
Fighter — Martial powerhouse skilled with weapons.
Flat-footed — Old term for being caught off guard.
Flanking — Attacking from opposite sides for advantage.
Full Rest (Long Rest) — Recover HP and spell slots overnight.
G
Gnome — Inventive tricksters with a love of illusion.
Goblin — Small, mischievous humanoids with bad hygiene.
Grapple — Holding an enemy to restrain them.
Greataxe — Barbarian’s favorite toy.
Grid — Map layout for tactical combat.
H
Halfling — Cheerful, small folk with great luck.
Hit Dice (HD) — Dice used to calculate HP or heal during rests.
HP (Hit Points) — Measure of life and stamina.
Holy Symbol — Focus for divine spellcasters.
Homebrew — Custom-made rules or content.
I
Initiative — Determines turn order in combat.
Inspiration — Reward granting advantage on a roll.
Intelligence (INT) — Mental acuity, reasoning, and knowledge.
Invisibility — Magic or stealth that renders you unseen.
Investigation — Searching for clues or traps.
J
Jack of All Trades — Bard feature adding bonus to any skill.
Javelin — Thrown spear weapon.
Jump Spell — Triples your leap distance.
K
Ki — Monk’s mystical energy used for martial arts magic.
Knock Spell — Unlocks sealed doors or chests.
Knowledge Check — INT-based roll for lore or facts.
L
Legendary Action — Boss monster ability used between turns.
Level — Character’s overall power rank.
Long Rest — Eight hours of rest to recover fully.
Loot — Treasure, gear, or rewards.
Luck Points — Halfling or feat-based reroll mechanic.
M
Mage Hand — Telekinetic spectral hand cantrip.
Magic Missile — Never-miss spell of pure energy bolts.
Melee — Close-quarters combat.
Metamagic — Sorcerer’s ability to modify spells.
Monk — Martial artist channeling inner Ki.
Multiclassing — Taking levels in more than one class.
N
Necromancer — Wizard specializing in undead magic.
NPC (Non-Player Character) — Any character run by the DM.
Natural 1 — Automatic failure on an attack or check.
Natural 20 — Automatic success and possible critical hit.
O
Opportunity Attack — Free attack when an enemy leaves reach.
Orc — Brutish, battle-hungry humanoid.
Oath — Paladin’s divine code and power source.
Overland Travel — Long-distance exploration rules.
P
Party — The group of player characters.
Perception — Awareness of surroundings and danger.
Persuasion — Convince NPCs to your side.
Paladin — Holy warrior bound by an oath.
Poisoned — Condition giving disadvantage on attacks and checks.
Prestige Class — Specialized advanced class (older editions).
Proficiency Bonus — Universal bonus to trained skills and weapons.
Q
Quest — A mission or goal driving the adventure.
Quiver — Container for arrows or bolts.
Quasit — Tiny demonic familiar with a bad attitude.
R
Rage — Barbarian battle frenzy boosting strength and durability.
Ranger — Tracker and wilderness expert.
Reaction — Action triggered outside your turn.
Resistance — Halved damage from certain types.
Rogue — Stealthy thief or assassin class.
Roll Initiative! — The DM’s cue that combat begins.
S
Saving Throw — d20 roll to resist a harmful effect.
Shield Spell — Magic reaction boosting AC.
Short Rest — Brief downtime to recover features.
Sorcerer — Spellcaster powered by innate magic.
Spell Slot — Unit of magical energy for casting spells.
Stealth Check — Roll to sneak or hide.
Strength (STR) — Physical power and carrying capacity.
T
Tavern — The unofficial start of 90% of all adventures.
Tiefling — Fiend-blooded humanoid with horns and attitude.
Trap — Mechanical or magical hazard.
Turn Undead — Cleric power to repel or destroy undead.
Tasha’s Hideous Laughter — Spell that drops enemies laughing.
U
Unarmored Defense — AC calculation for monks and barbarians.
Underdark — Vast subterranean world of horrors.
Unconscious — Knocked out; can’t act or defend.
V
Verbal Component — Spoken word needed for spellcasting.
Versatile Weapon — Can be used one- or two-handed.
Victory Pose — Optional rule: dramatically flex after a crit.
W
Warlock — Spellcaster who made a pact with a patron.
Weapon Mastery — Specialized skill with chosen arms.
Wisdom (WIS) — Perception, intuition, and willpower.
Wizard — Learned spellcaster mastering arcane study.
Wild Shape — Druid ability to transform into animals.
X
XP (Experience Points) — Progress toward leveling up.
Xanathar — Infamous beholder crime lord of Waterdeep.
Xorn — Elemental creature that eats metal and gems.
Y
Yuan-ti — Serpentfolk masters of deception and poison.
Yeti — Hairy mountain monster with a chilling gaze.
Yellow Mold — Deadly fungus found in dark dungeons.
Z
Zone of Truth — Spell forcing honesty in a small area.
Zombie — Reanimated corpse obeying its master.
Zuggtmoy — Demon queen of fungi; avoid at all costs.
