System Reference Document 5.2.1
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Fear and Mental Stress
Due to the nature of their vocation, adventurers 
tend to be less susceptible to fear and mental stress 
than common folk. Whereas a farmer might flee in 
terror from a bear or an apparition, adventurers are 
made of sterner stuff. That said, certain creatures 
and game effects can terrify or fray the mind of 
even the most stalwart adventurer.
 If you plan to use any of these rules, discuss them 
with your players at the start of the campaign.
Fear Effects
Whenever the characters encounter something that 
is supernaturally frightful, use the Frightened con -
dition as the baseline effect. Fear effects typically 
require a Wisdom saving throw, with a save DC 
based on how terrifying the situation is. The Sample 
Fear DCs table provides some examples.
Sample Fear DCs
Example Save DC
When the characters open a sarcophagus, a 
harmless yet terrifying apparition appears. 
10
A character triggers a magical trap that 
creates an illusory manifestation of that 
character’s worst fears, visible only to that 
character. 
15
A portal to the Abyss opens, revealing a 
nightmarish realm of torment and slaughter.
20
Typically, a Frightened creature repeats the saving 
throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the ef -
fect on itself on a success. 
 At your discretion, a Frightened creature might 
be subject to other effects as long as the Frightened 
condition lasts. Consider these examples:
• The Frightened creature must take the Dash ac -
tion on each of its turns and uses its movement to 
get farther away from the source of its fear.
• Attack rolls against the Frightened creature have 
Advantage.
•  The Frightened creature can do only one of the 
following on each of its turns: move, take an ac-
tion, or take a Bonus Action.
Mental Stress Effects
When a character is subjected to an effect that 
causes intense mental stress, Psychic damage is the 
best way to emulate that effect.
 The Sample Mental Stress Effects table provides a 
few examples of such effects, with suggested saving 
throw DCs and damage. Mental stress can usually 
be resisted with a successful Wisdom save, but 
sometimes an Intelligence or Charisma save is more 
appropriate. On a successful save, a character might 
take half as much damage instead of no damage, at 
your discretion.
Sample Mental Stress Effects
Example
Save 
DC
Psychic 
Damage
A character ingests a hallucinogenic 
substance that distorts the charac -
ter’s perception of reality.
10 1d6
A character touches a fiendish idol 
that tears at the character’s mind, 
threatening to shatter it.
15 3d6
A magical trap flings a character into 
the Far Realm until the end of that 
character’s next turn.
20 9d6
Prolonged Effects
Exposure to mental stress can cause prolonged ef -
fects. Consider the following possibilities.
 Short-Term Effects. The character has the Fright -
ened, Incapacitated, or Stunned condition for 1d10 
minutes. This condition might be accompanied by 
alarming behavior or hallucinations. These effects 
can be suppressed with the Calm Emotions spell or 
removed by the Lesser Restoration  spell. 
 Long-Term Effects. The character has Disad -
vantage on some or all ability checks for 1d10 × 10 
hours, stemming from an unwillingness or inability 
to exert a particular set of abilities. The character 
might feel enervated and unable to exert much 
Strength, for example, or become so suspicious of 
others that Charisma checks are more difficult. 
These effects can be suppressed with the Calm 
Emotions spell or removed by the Lesser Restoration  
spell.
 Indefinite Effects. An indefinite effect is a long-
term effect (see above) that lasts until removed by a 
Greater Restoration spell. It can be suppressed by a 
Calm Emotions spell.