Dungeons and Dragons has a lot of rules to keep track of, so it's easy for players to accidentally end up cheating without ever realizing it.

Dungeons and Dragons' rules are not nearly as rigid as the rules of board games or card games, as they serve different purposes. A roleplaying game's rules are meant to facilitate the story rather than ensure fair competition, so they tend to be a lot more flexible. Every player at the table has the right to propose alterations or flexes to D&D's rules, though the Dungeon Master typically has the responsibility of deciding what to enforce and what to let slide.

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But once the group has agreed on their interpretation of the rules, those rules need to be followed. Cheating can make the game less fun for everyone else at the table, as it changes people's expectations of how the game will play out. That being said, D&D has a lot of rules to keep track of, and many players end up breaking some of these rules without ever knowing it.

A D&D character sheet has a lot going on. Depending on class, any given character might have spell slots, sorcery points, ki points, superiority dice, magic item charges, and/or once-per-day abilities. This much bookkeeping can be a bit much to keep track of, especially when the narrative gets going. It's pretty easy to get caught up in what abilities a character has and forget to expend the resources required to power them. Players might cast the spell they had perfectly prepared for the situation at hand and forget to mark off the slot required, or lose track of exactly how many ki points they spent on any given attack. This is an easy and honest mistake to make, and it can be avoided by having the DM gently remind players each time they use an ability to check it off their sheet.

There is an oft-overlooked rule in the Player's Handbook limits which spells players can cast one after the other. When a character casts a spell using a bonus action, they can't cast another spell during the same turn except for a cantrip with a casting time of one action. This means, for instance, that a player can't cast Healing Word and Heroism in the same turn, for instance.

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Lots of players miss this rule, leading to some spellcasters getting a bit too powerful. It should be noted that there are some edge cases that get around the rule, however. Activating a previously cast spell does not impose this limit, so a cleric could move and attack with their Spiritual Weapon and still cast a level one spell during the same turn.

Spells in D&D require some combination of verbal, somatic, or material components. Verbal components entail chanting mystic phrases and words, somatic components include intricate or forceful gestures, while material components are actual, physical objects needed to cast the spell. Material components are the most commonly ignored, as a spellcaster can replace them with an implement, such as a wand or staff. The only exception is for components with a stated monetary cost, such as the ruby dust worth at least 50 gp used to cast Continual Flame. Some players gloss over this line, assuming that their implement will cover any costs. Alternatively, some players will try to cast spells quietly and subtly despite them requiring obvious chanting and gesticulating.

Several spells and abilities in 5e grant temporary hit points, which serve as an extra buffer between a character and damage that might befall them. It is very important to note that a character can only ever have temporary hit points from one source at a time. If a character has temporary hit points and gains more, they must choose whether to keep the ones they have or replace them with the new value. Temporary hit points are a slightly misunderstood mechanic all around. They do not count as hit points, so they can't bring a character back from below zero. On the flip side, they can bring a character above their maximum hit points as well. Healing abilities can't restore temporary hit points, and they must be subtracted before regular hit points when the character takes damage.

Landing a critical hit can be one of the most satisfying experiences in a game of Dungeons and Dragons. By rolling a 20 on an attack roll or by achieving a critical hit through some other ability, the character lands a devastating blow that deals extra damage. Lots of players learn how to play D&D by word of mouth, and it's easy to abbreviate the critical hit rule in conversation as "deal double damage."

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This is true, but it can be misleading. In 5e, a critical hit allows the character to roll all dice involve in the attack twice, then add their relevant modifiers. This means that a critical hit with a dagger will deal 2d4 damage plus the relevant ability modifier. Extra dice, like a Sneak Attack or a Hunter's Mark should be rolled twice as well.

Plenty of spells in D&D require concentration. This means that the character is spending some amount of mental effort upkeeping the spell. A character can concentrate on only one spell at a time, and must make a Constitution saving throw if they take damage to maintain their concentration. Some players forget to take into account the concentration requirement and will try to cast several concentration spells at once. Others take it the other direction and falsely believe that a character concentrating on a spell can do nothing but upkeep the spell on their turn.

The most common way players cheat in D&D is simple math mistakes. Every turn in combat involves several small calculations, and there is some pressure to get this done quickly to keep combat moving. Not everyone has an easy time quickly adding numbers in their head, and even the most seasoned math whiz makes a mistake from time to time.

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If a player messes up and deals a little extra damage on an attack or hits higher than they should, it could be considered cheating. But more than likely that player will make just as many mistakes in the other direction and miss when they shouldn't have or deal a little less damage. Small mistakes like this are important to look out for, but shouldn't be punished too much.

While not exactly cheating, arguing too much with the DM or other players is bad form for any D&D player. It's important to talk about any issues that arise at the table, but in a way that's not combative or argumentative. At the end of the day, most people get together to play D&D  to have fun and tell a story together, so getting angry about a rule interpretation or someone else's mistakes is extremely counterproductive. If a game isn't working out, players should feel free to leave. Arguing with other players may not be a violation of the rules as written, but it breaks the more important social rules around D&D. 

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Declan is a writer and editor for Comic Book Resources and an independent game designer. They've been playing video and tabletop games since childhood and continue that love today.