Tabletop RPG Primer — TableForge

The Basics

A tabletop RPG (roleplaying game) is a collaborative storytelling game. One player acts as the Dungeon Master (DM) — they describe the world, control monsters and NPCs (non-player characters), and referee the rules. Everyone else plays a character: a hero with unique abilities, history, and goals.

There's no board and no winning condition. Instead, the DM narrates a situation, players decide what their characters do, and dice determine whether risky actions succeed. The story emerges from that back-and-forth.

In TableForge, the DM is an AI. You create a character and play — the AI narrates the story, asks for dice rolls, and responds to your actions.

Dice

D&D uses several different dice, each named after its number of sides. The letter d stands for "die": a d20 is a 20-sided die, a d6 is a standard 6-sided die, and so on.

d4

4 sides

d6

6 sides

d8

8 sides

d10

10 sides

d12

12 sides

d20

20 sides

d100

100 sides

Dice notation like 2d6+3 means: roll two 6-sided dice, add the results together, then add 3. So if you roll a 4 and a 2, the total is 4+2+3 = 9.

Rolling a 20 on a d20 (called a natural 20) is a critical success — attacks deal double damage. Rolling a 1 (a natural 1) is a critical failure — the attack automatically misses regardless of any bonuses.

Ability Scores & Modifiers

Every character has six ability scores (usually ranging 1–20) that describe their natural talents. Each score produces a modifier — the number you actually add to dice rolls. The formula: (score − 10) ÷ 2, rounded down.

Score	Modifier	What it means
8	−1	Below average
10	+0	Average
12	+1	Above average
14	+2	Talented
16	+3	Exceptional
18	+4	Elite — as good as most adventurers get at level 1

Strength (STR)

Physical power. Melee attacks, carrying capacity, breaking things.

Dexterity (DEX)

Agility and reflexes. Ranged attacks, stealth, dodging, and Initiative (who goes first in combat).

Constitution (CON)

Endurance. Adds to your HP every level. Helps maintain concentration on spells when hurt.

Intelligence (INT)

Memory and reasoning. Investigation, knowledge, and Wizard spellcasting.

Wisdom (WIS)

Perception and intuition. Noticing things, reading people, Cleric and Druid spellcasting.

Charisma (CHA)

Personality and social grace. Persuasion, deception, Bard and Sorcerer spellcasting.

Proficiency Bonus

A flat bonus added to rolls for things your character is trained in — certain weapons, skills, saving throws, and tools. It starts at +2 at level 1 and increases as you gain levels (reaching +6 at level 17+). You'll see it added on top of the relevant ability modifier.

Saving Throws

When something bad happens — a fireball, a poison, a mind-control spell — your character makes a saving throw to resist or reduce it. Roll a d20, add the relevant ability modifier (and proficiency bonus if trained). Meet or beat the DC (Difficulty Class) and you succeed.

Skill Checks

Skills are specific applications of ability scores. Stealth uses Dexterity; Persuasion uses Charisma; History uses Intelligence. The DM sets a DC, you roll d20 + modifier (+ proficiency if trained), and compare. Hover any skill name on your character sheet for a full description.

Combat

Initiative & Turn Order

When combat starts, everyone rolls a d20 + their Dexterity modifier. This is called rolling for Initiative. The result determines turn order — highest goes first. The order stays fixed each round (a round represents ~6 seconds of in-game time).

Your Turn

On your turn you get:

Movement — move up to your Speed (usually 30 ft). You can split this before/after actions.
Action — your main activity. Attack, cast a spell, dash (double movement), hide, or use an item.
Bonus Action — only if a class feature, spell, or ability specifically grants one.
Reaction — one instant response per round, triggered by a specific event (e.g., an enemy moving past you).

Attacking

Roll a d20 and add your attack bonus. If the result equals or beats the target's Armor Class (AC), the attack hits. Then roll damage dice and subtract from the target's Hit Points (HP). At 0 HP, a creature falls unconscious (players) or dies (enemies).

HP, AC, and Hit Dice

Stat	What it means
HP (Hit Points)	Your health. When it hits 0, you fall unconscious. Heal with spells, potions, or resting.
AC (Armor Class)	How hard you are to hit. Attackers must roll ≥ your AC to land a hit. Armor and Dexterity raise it.
Hit Die	The die you roll to gain HP when leveling up (d6 for fragile classes, d12 for Barbarians). Also rolled to recover HP during a Short Rest.
Hit Dice	Your pool of Hit Dice for short resting. You regain all of them on a Long Rest.

Damage Types

Attacks deal specific types of damage. Some creatures resist (take half) or are immune (take none) to certain types:

Physical: Slashing, Piercing, Bludgeoning
Elemental: Fire, Cold, Lightning, Thunder, Acid, Poison, Radiant, Necrotic, Force, Psychic

Advantage & Disadvantage

Sometimes circumstances help or hinder you. Advantage: roll two d20s and take the higher. Disadvantage: roll two d20s and take the lower. They cancel each other out if you have both simultaneously.

Spells & Spellcasting

Some classes (Wizards, Clerics, Sorcerers, Bards, Druids, etc.) can cast magical spells. Spells range from damage-dealing fireballs to healing, protection, mind control, and beyond.

Spell Slots

Spellcasters have a limited number of spell slots per day, organized by level (1st through 9th). Casting a spell consumes one slot of that spell's level or higher. You recover all slots after a Long Rest (8 hours of sleep). Think of them as "charges" for your most powerful abilities.

Cantrips

Cantrips are free spells — no slot required, unlimited uses. They're weaker than leveled spells but always available. Most casters start with 2–4 cantrips (e.g., Firebolt, Mage Hand, Sacred Flame).

Spell Properties

Term	What it means
Concentration	You must maintain focus to keep the spell active. Taking damage may break it. You can only concentrate on one spell at a time.
Ritual	Can be cast without a spell slot if you spend 10 extra minutes. Useful outside combat for utility spells.
Save DC	The number enemies must roll (on a saving throw) to resist your spell. Higher = harder to resist.
Spell Attack	For spells that call for an attack roll instead of a save — roll d20 + this bonus against the target's AC.
V (Verbal)	Requires speaking aloud. Can't be cast if silenced.
S (Somatic)	Requires precise hand gestures. Needs a free hand.
M (Material)	Requires a physical ingredient — usually covered by a spell component pouch or arcane focus.

Currency

D&D uses four coin types. Gold is the standard:

Coin	Abbreviation	Value in GP
Copper Piece	CP	0.01 GP (100 CP = 1 GP)
Silver Piece	SP	0.1 GP (10 SP = 1 GP)
Gold Piece	GP	1 GP — the standard unit
Platinum Piece	PP	10 GP — rare and valuable

Alignment

Alignment is a shorthand for a character's moral and ethical worldview, expressed on two axes:

Lawful / Neutral / Chaotic — how much the character values rules, tradition, and social order.
Good / Neutral / Evil — how much the character values the wellbeing of others.

Combined, these form nine alignments: Lawful Good (the classic hero), True Neutral (guided by balance), Chaotic Evil (destructive and selfish), and everything in between.

Alignment is a personality guide, not a cage. Characters grow, change, and sometimes act against type. It's a starting point for roleplay, not a rigid rule.