SRD Rule Lookup Skill

Provide authoritative rule lookups from the System Reference Document 5.2 (SRD 5.2). Use the complete SRD markdown files in this skill's references directory to answer questions about official d20 5E rules.

When to Use This Skill

This skill applies when the user:

• Asks "what does the SRD say about..."
• Requests "official rules for..."
• Wants "exact wording of..."
• Asks for "RAW" (rules as written)
• Needs to verify a rule during gameplay
• Questions how a mechanic works

SRD File Organization

The SRD files are located at ${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/skills/d20-rules/references/srd/:

Search Patterns for Large Files

For efficient searching of large SRD files, use grep with the following patterns.

Searching Spells (07_Spells.md)

Spells are organized under #### Spell Name headings. Use case-insensitive search:

# Find a specific spell (show 40 lines for full description)
grep -i -A 40 "^#### Fireball" "${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/skills/d20-rules/references/srd/07_Spells.md"

# Find a specific spell by partial name
grep -i -A 40 "^#### .*Lightning" "${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/skills/d20-rules/references/srd/07_Spells.md"

# List all spells starting with a letter
grep "^#### " "${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/skills/d20-rules/references/srd/07_Spells.md" | grep -i "^#### A"

# Search spell descriptions for keywords (e.g., concentration spells)
grep -i -B 2 "Concentration" "${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/skills/d20-rules/references/srd/07_Spells.md" | grep -i "^####"

Searching Monsters (12_MonstersA-Z.md)

Monsters are organized under ## Monster Name headings:

# Find a specific monster (show 60 lines for full stat block)
grep -i -A 60 "^## Adult Red Dragon" "${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/skills/d20-rules/references/srd/12_MonstersA-Z.md"

# Find monsters by partial name
grep -i -A 60 "^## .*Zombie" "${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/skills/d20-rules/references/srd/12_MonstersA-Z.md"

# List all monsters
grep "^## " "${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/skills/d20-rules/references/srd/12_MonstersA-Z.md"

# Find monsters by CR (search for "CR X" pattern in stat blocks)
grep -B 10 "CR 5" "${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/skills/d20-rules/references/srd/12_MonstersA-Z.md" | grep "^##"

Searching Magic Items (10_MagicItems.md)

Magic items use #### Item Name headings:

# Find a specific magic item
grep -i -A 30 "^#### Bag of Holding" "${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/skills/d20-rules/references/srd/10_MagicItems.md"

# Find all items of a rarity
grep -i -B 2 "Rare" "${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/skills/d20-rules/references/srd/10_MagicItems.md" | grep "^####"

Searching Rules Glossary (08_RulesGlossary.md)

Rules definitions use #### Term headings:

# Find a specific rule definition
grep -i -A 15 "^#### Advantage" "${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/skills/d20-rules/references/srd/08_RulesGlossary.md"

# Find rules mentioning a condition
grep -i -A 15 "^#### Frightened" "${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/skills/d20-rules/references/srd/08_RulesGlossary.md"

# List all rule definitions
grep "^#### " "${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/skills/d20-rules/references/srd/08_RulesGlossary.md"

Searching Classes (03_Classes/)

Each class has its own file:

# Find class features
grep -i -A 20 "^## " "${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/skills/d20-rules/references/srd/03_Classes/05_Fighter.md"

# Search all classes for a feature name
grep -ri "Extra Attack" "${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/skills/d20-rules/references/srd/03_Classes/"

Searching Equipment (06_Equipment.md)

# Find weapon properties
grep -i -A 5 "^#### Heavy" "${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/skills/d20-rules/references/srd/06_Equipment.md"

# Find armor stats
grep -i -A 10 "^#### Chain Mail" "${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/skills/d20-rules/references/srd/06_Equipment.md"

Response Format

When answering rule questions:

1. Quote the exact SRD text first (use blockquotes)
2. Cite the source file
3. Explain or clarify if needed
4. Note any related rules

Example response:

From 08_RulesGlossary.md:

Advantage If you have Advantage on a D20 Test, roll two d20s, and use the higher roll. A roll can't be affected by more than one Advantage, and Advantage and Disadvantage on the same roll cancel each other.

This means having multiple sources of Advantage doesn't stack - you still only roll two dice.

Attribution Requirement

When quoting substantial portions of the SRD in any output, include the CC-BY-4.0 attribution from 00_Legal.md:

This work includes material from the System Reference Document 5.2 ("SRD 5.2") by Wizards of the Coast LLC, available at https://www.dndbeyond.com/srd. The SRD 5.2 is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, available at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode.

Common Rule Categories

Quick reference for which file to search:

Notes

• The SRD contains only rules released under CC-BY-4.0; some PHB content is excluded
• Spell lists are in 07_Spells.md under ### Class Spell Lists
• Creature types and their traits are in 11_Monsters.md
• For animal companions and mounts, check 13_Animals.md