jasper
Rotten DM
Player’s Handbook Errata
This document corrects or clarifies some
rules in the fifth edition Player’s Handbook.
Recent printings of it include revised
text that reflects the explanations here.
A few changes appear for the first time
in the sixth printing. If a change is from
that printing, the description of the change
ends with a notation: 6th printing.
Races
Dwarven Combat Training (p. 20).
Dwarves are proficient with the light hammer,
not the throwing hammer.
Drow Magic (p. 24). Here “once per
day” means you must finish a long rest to
cast the spell again with the trait.
Infernal Legacy (p. 43). Here “once per
day” means you must finish a long rest to
cast the spell again with the trait.
Bard
Song of Rest (p. 54). A creature regains
the extra hit points only if it spends one or
more Hit Dice at the end of the short rest.
Fighter
Feinting Attack (p. 74). The advantage
is lost if not used on the turn you gain it.
Spells Known of 1st-Level and Higher
(p. 75). The final sentence ends as follows:
“… unless you’re replacing the spell you
gained at 3rd, 8th, 14th, or 20th level from
any school of magic” (6th printing).
Monk
Deflect Missiles (p. 78). The range of
the monk’s ranged attack is 20/60 feet.
Eternal Mountain Defense (p. 81). A
monk must be 17th level, not 11th, to learn
this discipline.
Water Whip (p. 81). This discipline requires
an action, not a bonus action.
Paladin
Divine Smite (p. 85). You can expend
any spell slot, not just a paladin spell slot.
Ranger
Ranger’s Companion (p. 93). Like any
creature, the beast can spend Hit Dice
during a short rest. If you are incapacitated
or absent, the beast acts on its own,
focusing on protecting you and itself. It
never requires your command to use its
reaction, such as when making an opportunity
attack.
Bestial Fury (p. 93). When you command
the beast to take the Attack action,
the beast can attack twice or take the Multiattack
action if it has that action.
Sorcerer
Flexible Casting (p. 101). The created
spell slots vanish at the end of a long rest.
Twinned Spell (p. 102). To be eligible
for Twinned Spell, a spell must be incapable
of targeting more than one creature at
the spell’s current level.
Elemental Affinity (p. 102). The damage
bonus applies to one damage roll of a
spell, not multiple rolls.
Wild Magic Surge (p. 103). A surge can
happen once per turn. If a surge effect is a
spell, it’s too wild to be affected by Metamagic.
If it normally requires concentration,
it doesn’t require concentration in this
case; the spell lasts for its full duration.
Warlock
Quick Build (p. 106). Ray of sickness
should be charm person.
Spell Slots (p. 107). In the example,
thunderwave has been replaced by witch
bolt (6th printing).
Pact of the Chain (p. 107). When you
let your familiar attack, it does so with its
reaction.
Pact of the Tome (p. 108). The cantrips
are considered warlock spells for you, and
they needn’t be from the same spell list.
Eldritch Invocations (p. 110). A level
prerequisite in an invocation refers to warlock
level, not character level.
Book of Ancient Secrets (p. 110). The
rituals needn’t be from the same spell list.
Wizard
Your Spellbook (p. 114). The spells copied
into a spellbook must be of a spell level
the wizard can prepare.
Spellbook (p. 114). A spellbook doesn’t
contain cantrips.
Minor Conjuration (p. 116). The conjured
object also disappears if it deals any
damage (6th printing).
Empowered Evocation (p. 117). The
damage bonus applies to one damage roll
of a spell, not multiple rolls.
Overchannel (p. 118). The feature
doesn’t benefit cantrips.
Equipment
Ammunition (p. 146). Loading a onehanded
weapon requires a free hand.
Reach (p. 147). This property also
determines your reach for opportunity attacks
with a reach weapon.
Two-Handed (p. 147). This property
is relevant only when you attack with the
weapon, not when you simply hold it.
Weapons (p. 149). Unarmed strike
doesn’t belong on the Weapons table.
Multiclassing
Class Features (p. 164). You gain the
starting equipment of your first class only.
Spells Known and Prepared (p. 164). A
new paragraph appears at the end of this
subsection: “If a cantrip of yours increases
in power at higher levels, the increase is
based on your character level, not your
level in a particular class” (6th printing).
Feats
Alert (p. 165). The third benefit now
reads as follows: “Other creatures don’t
gain advantage on attack rolls against you
as a result of being unseen by you” (6th
printing).
Athlete (p. 165). The third benefit
should instead say climbing doesn’t cost
you extra movement.
Crossbow Expert (p. 165). The word
“loaded” has been cut from the third
benefit.
Grappler (p. 167). Ignore the third benefit;
it refers to a nonexistent rule.
Magic Initiate (p. 168). The feat’s limit
on casting the 1st-level spell applies only
to the casting given by the feat.
Martial Adept (p. 168). The superiority
die is added to any others you have, no
matter when you gain them.
Polearm Master (p. 168). The bonus attack
uses the same ability modifier as the
main attack.
Sentinel (p. 169). Ignore “within 5 feet
of you” in the second benefit.
Tavern Brawler (p. 170). The feat
doesn’t give you proficiency with unarmed
strikes, since you’re already proficient.
Weapon Master (p. 170). The chosen
weapons must be simple or martial.
Using Ability Scores
Hiding (p. 177). The text clarifies that
the DM decides when circumstances are
appropriate for hiding, and the first sentence
of the second paragraph starts as
follows: “You can’t hide from a creature
that can see you clearly …”
Adventuring
High Jump (p. 182). After applying your
Strength modifier, a high jump is a minimum
of 0 feet (6th printing).
Suffocating (p. 183). If you run out of
breath or are choking, you can’t regain
hit points or be stabilized until you can
breathe again.
Vision and Light (p. 183). A heavily
obscured area doesn’t blind you, but you
are effectively blinded when you try to see
something obscured by it.
Darkvision (p. 185). The definition of
darkvision here now matches the definition
everywhere else in the game (6th
printing).
Resting (p. 186). The text clarifies that
any creature, not just adventurers, can
take a short or long rest (6th printing).
Short Rest (p. 186). After applying your
Constitution modifier to a Hit Die roll,
you regain a minimum of 0 hit points (6th
printing).
Long Rest (p. 186). You regain at least 1
Hit Die when you finish a long rest.
Combat
Ready (p. 193). You have until the start
of your next turn to use a readied action.
Melee Attacks (p. 195). The rule on
unarmed strikes should read as follows:
“Instead of using a weapon to make a
melee weapon attack, you can use an unarmed
strike: a punch, kick, head-butt, or
similar forceful blow (none of which count
as weapons). On a hit, an unarmed strike
deals bludgeoning damage equal to 1 +
your Strength modifier. You are proficient
with your unarmed strikes.”
Spellcasting
Material (M) (p. 203). The final paragraph
now reads as follows: “A spellcaster
must have a hand free to access a spell’s
material components—or to hold a spellcasting
focus—but it can be the same hand
that he or she uses to perform somatic
components.”
Spells
Paladin Spells (p. 209). The spell is destructive
wave, not destructive smite.
Wizard Spells (p. 211). Trap the soul
shouldn’t appear on the spell list.
Glyph of Warding (p. 245). The first
sentence clarifies that the magical effect
needn’t be harmful. The final two sentences
of the first paragraph now read as
follows: “The glyph can cover an area no
larger than 10 feet in diameter. If the surface
or object is moved more than 10 feet
from where you cast this spell, the glyph is
broken, and the spell ends without being
triggered” (6th printing).
Mass Cure Wounds (p. 258). This
spell’s school is evocation, not conjuration.
Mass Heal (p. 258). This spell’s school
is evocation, not conjuration.
Moonbeam (p. 261). The words “up to”
now appear in “move the beam up to 60
feet in any direction” (6th printing).
Phantasmal Killer (p. 265). The frightened
target makes a save at the end of its
turns, not the start.
Polymorph (p. 266). This spell can’t
affect a target that has 0 hit points.
Prismatic Wall (p. 269). The spell no
longer refers to a rod of cancellation, and
the text clarifies that dispel magic works
only against the violet layer (6th printing).
Revivify (p. 272). This spell’s school is
necromancy, not conjuration.
True Polymorph (p. 283). This spell
can’t affect a target that has 0 hit points.
True Resurrection (p. 284). There’s
a new sentence at the end of the second
paragraph: “If the creature was undead,
it is restored to its non-undead form” (6th
printing).
Weird (p. 288). The frightened target
makes a save at the end of its turns, not
the start.
Creature Statistics
If in doubt, the Monster Manual version of
a creature’s stat block is authoritative
this FROM 2016
This document corrects or clarifies some
rules in the fifth edition Player’s Handbook.
Recent printings of it include revised
text that reflects the explanations here.
A few changes appear for the first time
in the sixth printing. If a change is from
that printing, the description of the change
ends with a notation: 6th printing.
Races
Dwarven Combat Training (p. 20).
Dwarves are proficient with the light hammer,
not the throwing hammer.
Drow Magic (p. 24). Here “once per
day” means you must finish a long rest to
cast the spell again with the trait.
Infernal Legacy (p. 43). Here “once per
day” means you must finish a long rest to
cast the spell again with the trait.
Bard
Song of Rest (p. 54). A creature regains
the extra hit points only if it spends one or
more Hit Dice at the end of the short rest.
Fighter
Feinting Attack (p. 74). The advantage
is lost if not used on the turn you gain it.
Spells Known of 1st-Level and Higher
(p. 75). The final sentence ends as follows:
“… unless you’re replacing the spell you
gained at 3rd, 8th, 14th, or 20th level from
any school of magic” (6th printing).
Monk
Deflect Missiles (p. 78). The range of
the monk’s ranged attack is 20/60 feet.
Eternal Mountain Defense (p. 81). A
monk must be 17th level, not 11th, to learn
this discipline.
Water Whip (p. 81). This discipline requires
an action, not a bonus action.
Paladin
Divine Smite (p. 85). You can expend
any spell slot, not just a paladin spell slot.
Ranger
Ranger’s Companion (p. 93). Like any
creature, the beast can spend Hit Dice
during a short rest. If you are incapacitated
or absent, the beast acts on its own,
focusing on protecting you and itself. It
never requires your command to use its
reaction, such as when making an opportunity
attack.
Bestial Fury (p. 93). When you command
the beast to take the Attack action,
the beast can attack twice or take the Multiattack
action if it has that action.
Sorcerer
Flexible Casting (p. 101). The created
spell slots vanish at the end of a long rest.
Twinned Spell (p. 102). To be eligible
for Twinned Spell, a spell must be incapable
of targeting more than one creature at
the spell’s current level.
Elemental Affinity (p. 102). The damage
bonus applies to one damage roll of a
spell, not multiple rolls.
Wild Magic Surge (p. 103). A surge can
happen once per turn. If a surge effect is a
spell, it’s too wild to be affected by Metamagic.
If it normally requires concentration,
it doesn’t require concentration in this
case; the spell lasts for its full duration.
Warlock
Quick Build (p. 106). Ray of sickness
should be charm person.
Spell Slots (p. 107). In the example,
thunderwave has been replaced by witch
bolt (6th printing).
Pact of the Chain (p. 107). When you
let your familiar attack, it does so with its
reaction.
Pact of the Tome (p. 108). The cantrips
are considered warlock spells for you, and
they needn’t be from the same spell list.
Eldritch Invocations (p. 110). A level
prerequisite in an invocation refers to warlock
level, not character level.
Book of Ancient Secrets (p. 110). The
rituals needn’t be from the same spell list.
Wizard
Your Spellbook (p. 114). The spells copied
into a spellbook must be of a spell level
the wizard can prepare.
Spellbook (p. 114). A spellbook doesn’t
contain cantrips.
Minor Conjuration (p. 116). The conjured
object also disappears if it deals any
damage (6th printing).
Empowered Evocation (p. 117). The
damage bonus applies to one damage roll
of a spell, not multiple rolls.
Overchannel (p. 118). The feature
doesn’t benefit cantrips.
Equipment
Ammunition (p. 146). Loading a onehanded
weapon requires a free hand.
Reach (p. 147). This property also
determines your reach for opportunity attacks
with a reach weapon.
Two-Handed (p. 147). This property
is relevant only when you attack with the
weapon, not when you simply hold it.
Weapons (p. 149). Unarmed strike
doesn’t belong on the Weapons table.
Multiclassing
Class Features (p. 164). You gain the
starting equipment of your first class only.
Spells Known and Prepared (p. 164). A
new paragraph appears at the end of this
subsection: “If a cantrip of yours increases
in power at higher levels, the increase is
based on your character level, not your
level in a particular class” (6th printing).
Feats
Alert (p. 165). The third benefit now
reads as follows: “Other creatures don’t
gain advantage on attack rolls against you
as a result of being unseen by you” (6th
printing).
Athlete (p. 165). The third benefit
should instead say climbing doesn’t cost
you extra movement.
Crossbow Expert (p. 165). The word
“loaded” has been cut from the third
benefit.
Grappler (p. 167). Ignore the third benefit;
it refers to a nonexistent rule.
Magic Initiate (p. 168). The feat’s limit
on casting the 1st-level spell applies only
to the casting given by the feat.
Martial Adept (p. 168). The superiority
die is added to any others you have, no
matter when you gain them.
Polearm Master (p. 168). The bonus attack
uses the same ability modifier as the
main attack.
Sentinel (p. 169). Ignore “within 5 feet
of you” in the second benefit.
Tavern Brawler (p. 170). The feat
doesn’t give you proficiency with unarmed
strikes, since you’re already proficient.
Weapon Master (p. 170). The chosen
weapons must be simple or martial.
Using Ability Scores
Hiding (p. 177). The text clarifies that
the DM decides when circumstances are
appropriate for hiding, and the first sentence
of the second paragraph starts as
follows: “You can’t hide from a creature
that can see you clearly …”
Adventuring
High Jump (p. 182). After applying your
Strength modifier, a high jump is a minimum
of 0 feet (6th printing).
Suffocating (p. 183). If you run out of
breath or are choking, you can’t regain
hit points or be stabilized until you can
breathe again.
Vision and Light (p. 183). A heavily
obscured area doesn’t blind you, but you
are effectively blinded when you try to see
something obscured by it.
Darkvision (p. 185). The definition of
darkvision here now matches the definition
everywhere else in the game (6th
printing).
Resting (p. 186). The text clarifies that
any creature, not just adventurers, can
take a short or long rest (6th printing).
Short Rest (p. 186). After applying your
Constitution modifier to a Hit Die roll,
you regain a minimum of 0 hit points (6th
printing).
Long Rest (p. 186). You regain at least 1
Hit Die when you finish a long rest.
Combat
Ready (p. 193). You have until the start
of your next turn to use a readied action.
Melee Attacks (p. 195). The rule on
unarmed strikes should read as follows:
“Instead of using a weapon to make a
melee weapon attack, you can use an unarmed
strike: a punch, kick, head-butt, or
similar forceful blow (none of which count
as weapons). On a hit, an unarmed strike
deals bludgeoning damage equal to 1 +
your Strength modifier. You are proficient
with your unarmed strikes.”
Spellcasting
Material (M) (p. 203). The final paragraph
now reads as follows: “A spellcaster
must have a hand free to access a spell’s
material components—or to hold a spellcasting
focus—but it can be the same hand
that he or she uses to perform somatic
components.”
Spells
Paladin Spells (p. 209). The spell is destructive
wave, not destructive smite.
Wizard Spells (p. 211). Trap the soul
shouldn’t appear on the spell list.
Glyph of Warding (p. 245). The first
sentence clarifies that the magical effect
needn’t be harmful. The final two sentences
of the first paragraph now read as
follows: “The glyph can cover an area no
larger than 10 feet in diameter. If the surface
or object is moved more than 10 feet
from where you cast this spell, the glyph is
broken, and the spell ends without being
triggered” (6th printing).
Mass Cure Wounds (p. 258). This
spell’s school is evocation, not conjuration.
Mass Heal (p. 258). This spell’s school
is evocation, not conjuration.
Moonbeam (p. 261). The words “up to”
now appear in “move the beam up to 60
feet in any direction” (6th printing).
Phantasmal Killer (p. 265). The frightened
target makes a save at the end of its
turns, not the start.
Polymorph (p. 266). This spell can’t
affect a target that has 0 hit points.
Prismatic Wall (p. 269). The spell no
longer refers to a rod of cancellation, and
the text clarifies that dispel magic works
only against the violet layer (6th printing).
Revivify (p. 272). This spell’s school is
necromancy, not conjuration.
True Polymorph (p. 283). This spell
can’t affect a target that has 0 hit points.
True Resurrection (p. 284). There’s
a new sentence at the end of the second
paragraph: “If the creature was undead,
it is restored to its non-undead form” (6th
printing).
Weird (p. 288). The frightened target
makes a save at the end of its turns, not
the start.
Creature Statistics
If in doubt, the Monster Manual version of
a creature’s stat block is authoritative
this FROM 2016
