System	
  Reference	
   Document	
  5.1 	
   358	
  
Appendix PH-A: 
Conditions 
Conditions	
  alter	
  a	
  creature ’s	
  capabilities	
  in	
  a	
  variety	
  
of	
  ways	
  and	
  can	
  arise	
  as	
  a	
  result	
  of	
  a	
  spell,	
  a	
  class	
  
feature,	
  a	
  monster `s	
  attack,	
  or	
  other	
  effect.	
   Most
conditions,	
  such	
  as	
  blinded,	
  are	
  impairments,	
  but	
  a	
  
few,	
  such	
  as	
  invisible,	
  can	
  be	
  advantageous. 	
  
	
   A	
  condition	
  lasts	
  either	
  until	
  it	
  is	
  countered	
  (the	
  
prone	
  condition	
  is	
  countered	
  by	
  standing	
  up,	
  for	
  
example)	
  or	
  for	
  a	
  duration	
  specified	
  by	
  the	
  effect	
  
that	
  imposed	
  the	
  condition. 	
  
	
   If	
  multiple	
  effects	
  impose	
  the	
  same	
  condition	
  on	
  a	
  
creature,	
  each	
  instance	
  of	
  the	
  condition	
  has	
  its	
  own	
  
duration,	
  but	
  the	
  condit ion’s	
  effects	
  don’t	
  get	
  worse.	
  
A	
  creature	
  either	
  has	
  a	
  condition	
  or	
  doesn’t. 	
  
	
   The	
  following	
  definitions	
  specify	
  what	
  happens	
  to	
  
a	
  creature	
  while	
  it	
  is	
  subjected	
  to	
  a	
  condition. 	
  
Blinded 
• A	
  blinded	
  creature	
  can’t	
  see	
  and	
  automatically
fails	
  any	
  ability	
  check	
   that	
  requires	
  sight.
• Attack	
  rolls	
  against	
  the	
  creature	
  have	
  advantage,
and	
  the	
  creature’s	
  attack	
  rolls	
  have	
  disadvantage.
Charmed 
• A	
  charmed	
  creature	
  can’t	
  attack	
  the	
  charmer	
  or
target	
  the	
  charmer	
  with	
  harmful	
  abilities	
  o r
magical	
  effects.
• The	
  charmer	
  has	
  a dvantage	
  on	
  any	
  ability	
  check	
  t o
interact	
  socially	
  with	
  the	
  creature.
Deafened 
• A	
  deafened	
  creature	
  can’t	
  hear	
  and	
  automatically
fails	
  any	
  ability	
  check	
  that	
  requires	
  hearing.
Exhaustion 
Some	
  special	
  abilities	
  and	
  environmental	
  hazards,	
  such	
  as	
  
starvation	
  and	
  the	
  long-­‐term	
  effects	
  of	
  freezing	
  or	
  scorching	
  
temperatures,	
  can	
  lead	
  to	
  a	
  special	
  condition	
  called	
  
exhaustion.	
  Exhaustion	
  is	
  measured	
  in	
  six	
  levels.	
  An	
  effect	
  
can	
  give	
  a	
  creature	
  one	
  or	
  more	
  levels	
  of	
  exhaustion,	
  as	
  
specified	
  in	
  the	
  effect’s	
  descripti on.	
  
Level	
   Effect	
  
1	
   Disadvantage	
  on	
  ability	
  checks 	
  
2	
   Speed	
  halved	
  
3	
   Disadvantage	
  on	
  attack	
  rolls	
  and	
  saving	
  throws	
  
4	
   Hit	
  point	
  maximum	
  halved 	
  
5	
   Speed	
  reduced	
  to	
  0 	
  
6	
   Death	
  
If	
  an	
  already	
  exhausted	
  creature	
  suffers	
  another	
  effect	
  that	
  
causes	
  exhaustion,	
  its	
  current	
  level	
  of	
  exhaustion	
  increases	
  
by	
  the	
  amount	
  specified	
  in	
  the	
  effect’s	
  description. 	
  
A	
  creature	
  suffers	
  the	
  effect	
  of	
  its	
  current	
  level	
  of	
  
exhaustion	
  as	
  well	
  as	
  all	
  lower	
  levels.	
  For	
  example,	
  a	
  creature	
  
suffering	
  level	
  2	
  exhaustion	
  h as	
  its	
  speed	
  halved	
  and	
  has	
  
disadvantage	
  on	
  ability	
  checks. 	
  
An	
  effect	
  that	
  removes	
  exhaustion	
  reduces	
  its	
  level	
  as	
  
specified	
  in	
  the	
  effect’s	
  description,	
  with	
  all	
  exhaustion	
  
effects	
  ending	
  if	
  a	
  creature’s	
  exhaustion	
  level	
  is	
  reduced	
  
below	
  1.	
  
Finishing	
  a	
  long	
  rest	
  reduces	
  a	
  creature’s	
  exhaustion	
  level	
  
by	
  1,	
  provided	
  that	
  the	
  creature	
  has	
  also	
  ingested	
  some	
  food	
  
and	
  drink.	
  
Frightened 
• A	
  frightened	
  creature	
  has	
  disadvantage	
  on	
  ability
checks	
  and	
  attack	
  rolls	
  while	
  the	
  source	
  of	
  its	
  fear
is	
  within	
  line	
  of	
  sigh t.
• The	
  creature	
  can’t	
  willingly	
  move	
  closer	
  to	
  the
source	
  of	
  its	
  fear.
Grappled 
• A	
  grappled	
  creature’s	
  speed	
  becomes	
  0,	
  and	
  it
can’t	
  benefit	
  from	
  any	
  bonus	
  to	
  its	
  speed.
• The	
  condition	
  ends	
  if	
  the	
  grappler	
  is	
  incapacitated
(see	
  the	
  condition). 	
  
• The	
  condition	
  also	
  ends	
  if	
  an	
  effect	
  removes	
  the
grappled	
  creature	
  from	
  the	
  reach	
  of	
  the	
  grappler
or	
  grappling	
  effect,	
  such	
  as	
  when	
  a	
  creature	
  is
hurled	
  away	
  by	
  the	
   thunder-­‐‑wave	
  spell.
Incapacitated 
• An	
  incapacitated	
  creature	
  can’t	
  take	
  actions	
  or
reactions.
Invisible 
• An	
  invisible	
  creature	
  is	
  impossible	
  to	
  see	
  without
the	
  aid	
  of	
  magic	
  or	
  a	
  special	
  sense.	
  For	
  the	
  purpose	
  
of	
  hiding,	
  the	
  creature	
  is	
  heavily	
  obscured.	
  The	
  
creature’s	
  location	
  can	
  be	
  detected	
  by	
  any	
  noise	
  it	
  
makes	
  or	
  any	
  tracks	
  it	
  leaves. 	
  
• Attack	
  rolls	
  against	
  t he	
  creature	
  have
disadvantage,	
  and	
  the	
  creature’s	
  attack	
  rolls	
  have	
  
advantage.	
  
Paralyzed 
• A	
  paralyzed	
  creature	
  is	
  incapacitated	
  (see	
  the
condition)	
  and	
  can’t	
  move	
  or	
  speak. 	
  
• The	
  creature	
  automatically	
  fails	
  Strength	
  and
Dexterity	
  saving	
  throws. 	
  
• Attack	
  rolls	
  against	
  the	
  creature	
  have	
  advantage.