A Guide to the Incapacitated Condition in Dungeons & Dragons

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Rules, applications, and how to remove the incapacitated condition
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You’re in the middle of an epic D&D battle when an enemy hits your character with a spell, and the DM says you’re “incapacitated,” but what does that mean? In D&D 5e, the incapacitated condition is a broad term meaning that your character can’t take any actions, reactions, or bonus actions until their incapacitation ends. This can be a challenge to deal with in the middle of a fight, but it can also raise the stakes and make everything more exciting! Read on for a complete overview of the incapacitated condition, including how it works and the best way to end it.

Things You Should Know

  • The incapacitated condition prevents characters from taking actions, reactions, or bonus actions in combat.
  • The incapacitated condition doesn’t limit your character’s movement, but it’s often paired with conditions that do—like paralyzed, stunned, petrified, or unconscious.
  • There’s no set way to end the incapacitated condition since it has so many causes, but you can always wait it out or make a saving throw if the DM allows.
Section 1 of 6:

What is the incapacitated condition in D&D 5e?

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  1. According to the D&D 5e Basic Rules , the incapacitated condition has one main effect when imposed on player characters (PCs): incapacitated creatures can’t take actions or reactions. During combat in D&D, “action economy” determines the number of things a PC can do in a single turn (namely an action, bonus action, reaction, and movement)—but incapacitation effectively disrupts that. [1]
    • “Incapacitated” is actually a blanket term applied to PCs whose ability to perform actions gets interrupted.
    • Because a number of other conditions in the game also cause creatures to be incapacitated, there are quite a few possible triggers (and effects) of incapacitation.
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Section 2 of 6:

Incapacitated Condition Rules

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  1. In D&D, “advantage” on attack rolls means enemies can roll 2d20s (20-sided dice) and take the higher result, making them more likely to hit your PC. When your PC is affected by certain conditions (like the paralyzed, unconscious, or petrified conditions), enemies get advantage on attack rolls against them—but the incapacitated condition can’t give advantage this way. [2]
    • However, the incapacitated condition is often paired with conditions that do give enemies advantage.
    • For example, if your PC is targeted by the Hold Person spell (which renders them paralyzed and incapacitated), enemies would have advantage on attacks against them.
  2. The incapacitated condition alone doesn’t actually limit your PC’s movement, even if it takes away all their other abilities in battle. However, it’s still rare to be able to move incapacitated PCs because so many of the conditions that cause incapacitation also restrict PCs’ movement. Still, there are rare cases in which your PC may be incapacitated and still able to move. [3] For example:
    • PCs affected by Raulothim’s Psychic Lance (a spell) become incapacitated until the start of the caster’s next turn—but no other conditions are inflicted on them, meaning affected PCs are still free to move while incapacitated.
    • Other spells like this include Symbol (Pain) and Banishment.
    • On the other hand, the Tasha’s Hideous Laughter spell causes both incapacitation and the prone condition, meaning affected creatures can’t stand up and can only crawl if they move at all.
  3. When your PC is incapacitated, but no other conditions (like paralyzed or stunned) are active, they can still take a free object interaction along with their movement, according to the Player’s Handbook . Taking an object interaction basically means manipulating an object somehow, whether your PC opens a door, picks something in the environment up off the ground, or draws a weapon. [4]
    • Incapacitated creatures don’t fall prone automatically (although some spells and abilities, like Tasha’s Hideous Laughter, cause the prone condition along with the incapacitated condition).
    • Sleeping and unconscious creatures are naturally considered incapacitated, too, since being asleep (or unconscious) prevents them from taking actions in combat.
    • When applied to enemies on the battlefield, the incapacitated condition prevents legendary actions—which means legendary foes can’t take those special actions while incapacitated.
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Section 3 of 6:

Mechanics Affected by the Incapacitated Condition

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  1. Incapacitated creatures can’t use bonus actions. Although the incapacitated condition rules don’t explicitly state this, it’s mentioned in the Player’s Handbook that PCs deprived of the ability to take actions (for any reason, including being incapacitated) also can’t take bonus actions. Therefore, incapacitated PCs can’t do much in combat besides potentially moving—since they don’t have access to their action, bonus action, or reaction. [5]
  2. Incapacitated creatures can’t concentrate on spells. In 5e, some spells are considered “concentration” spells, and PCs must focus on sustaining them in combat. However, if your PC can’t take actions, they also can’t cast any concentration spells . Furthermore, if your PC becomes incapacitated while concentrating on a spell, that spell automatically ends as their concentration fails. [6]
    • Incapacitated creatures also can’t communicate telepathically—so if your PC is incapacitated while the Telepathic Bond spell is active (or any other ability that lets them speak telepathically), the telepathy is immediately cut short.
  3. Incapacitated creatures are easier to hit with close-range attacks. Normally, when you make attacks with ranged weapons (like a bow or dart) while within 5 feet of your target, you have disadvantage on the attack roll (since ranged weapons aren’t meant to be used at close range). However, the Player’s Handbook specifies that disadvantage only applies if the creature isn’t incapacitated. [7]
    • For example, when you attack an incapacitated creature with a longbow at close range (or an enemy attacks your PC at close range with a longbow), you get to attack without rolling at disadvantage.
    • Disadvantage means rolling 2d20 and taking the lower result, which makes the attack roll or ability check less likely to succeed.
  4. Getting incapacitated also ends certain class or subclass features (listed below) if they’re active when your PC is incapacitated. Since many different class features act similarly to the concentration mechanic (meaning your PC has to focus to maintain the ability for its duration), those abilities will automatically drop when your PC becomes incapacitated. [8] Affected class and subclass abilities include:
    • Barbarian class: Rage, Danger Sense, and Feral Instinct
    • Bard class: Countercharm and Unbreakable Majesty (Glamour)
    • Cleric class: Twilight Sanctuary (Twilight) and Keeper of Souls (Grave)
    • Druid class: Wildshape, Fungal Body (Circle of Spores), and Starry Form (Circle of Stars)
    • Fighter class: Weapon Bond (Eldritch Knight), Born to the Saddle, Unwavering Mark (Cavalier), Bulwark of Force (Psi Warrior) and Storm Rune (Rune Knight)
    • Monk class: Agile Parry (Kensei), Arms of the Astral Self, Awakened Astral Self, and Visage of the Astral Self
    • Paladin class: Aura of Protection, Aura of Conquest, Scornful Rebuke (Conquest), Protective Spirit (Redemption), Aura of Alacrity (Glory), and Aura of the Sentinel (Watchers)
    • Ranger class: Writhing Tide (Swarmkeeper)
    • Rogue class: Elusive
    • Sorcerer class: Empowered Healing, Otherworldly Wings (Divine Soul), Umbral Form (Shadow), and Telepathic Speech (Aberrant Mind)
    • Warlock class: Hexblade’s Curse
    • Wizard class: Bladesong
  5. Incapacitated creatures can’t use the dodge action and lose the benefits of this action if they become incapacitated while dodging. The dodge action normally lets your PC try to avoid incoming attacks (giving enemies disadvantage on attack rolls and your PC advantage on Dexterity saving throws). However, since your PC can’t take actions while incapacitated, they also can’t dodge. [9]
  6. If you’re playing a rogue character , you’ll have access to the rogue’s sneak attack ability, which lets you deal extra damage to enemies as long as you have advantage on the attack. Normally, you’ll get advantage on an enemy when an ally is within 5 feet of them (which is called flanking)—but if the ally gets incapacitated, they can no longer “flank” enemies. Therefore, an incapacitated ally might prevent you from making sneak attacks. [10]
  7. According to the rules for both the Shove action and Grapple action (which both rely on athletics checks), incapacitated creatures automatically fail against attempts to shove or grapple them. So, if an enemy tries to shove or grapple your incapacitated PC, they’d succeed without even needing to make a roll. Similarly, if you’re being grappled by a creature that becomes incapacitated, the grapple would immediately end. [11]
    • Grapple is an action that involves wrestling and grabbing hold of a creature, reducing its movement speed to 0.
    • Shove attacks involve either pushing a creature away from you or knocking it prone.
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Section 4 of 6:

How is the incapacitated condition applied?

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  1. Incapacitation is essentially designed to ensure PCs can’t take actions and reactions while also preventing them from triggering certain passive effects. Because there are so many different conditions that can stop your PC from taking actions in D&D 5e, the incapacitated condition is often a secondary condition caused as the result of another condition currently affecting your PC. [12] Conditions that cause incapacitation include:
    • Stunned. Stunned creatures can’t move and only speak falteringly. Attacks against them have advantage, and they fail all Strength and Dexterity saving throws.
    • Paralyzed. Paralyzed creatures can’t move or speak. All attacks against them are made with advantage, and melee attacks are automatically critical hits.
    • Petrified. The petrified condition inflicts the same penalties as the paralyzed condition. Petrified creatures also have resistance to all damage and immunity to disease and poison.
    • Unconscious. Unconscious creatures fall prone; they can’t move or speak and are unaware of their surroundings. Attacks against them have advantage, and melee attacks are critical hits.
  2. A number of spells in D&D 5e are capable of inflicting the incapacitated condition on other creatures (or on your PC at the hands of an enemy spellcaster). An even larger number of spells don’t explicitly incapacitate foes, but they inflict conditions that also cause incapacitation (like paralysis or the stunned condition). [13] Spells that specifically cause the incapacitated condition include:
    • 1st level: Tasha’s Hideous Laughter
    • 2nd level: Nathair’s Mischief
    • 3rd level: Hypnotic Pattern, Feign Death
    • 4th level: Banishment, Raulothim’s Psychic Lance
    • 5th level: Banishing Smite, Modify Memory
    • 7th level: Symbol (Pain)
  3. Certain creatures have spells or innate abilities designed to incapacitate their foes! So, if your DM pits your character against one of those creatures, you may find yourself dealing with the incapacitated condition. [14] Alternatively, if you want to be a DM and throw your players a challenge, check out the following creatures:
    • Yochlol
    • Red Dragon (lair action)
    • Harpy
    • Myconid Sovereign
    • Bheur Hag
    • Corpse Flower
    • Howler
    • Star Spawn Seer
  4. If your PC falls victim to a short-term madness effect, it’s possible for them to become incapacitated. Short-term madness doesn’t happen often, but various magical effects (including spells like Contact Other Plane or certain diseases and poisons) can cause short-term madness. If you roll 21-30 on a d100 when inflicted with short-term madness, your PC will become incapacitated and spend the duration laughing, screaming, or weeping. [15]
    • A couple of class abilities (specifically from the warlock and sorcerer classes) can also cause incapacitation.
      • Tomb of Levistus is a warlock invocation that gives your PC 10 temporary hit points but also incapacitates them.
      • Wild Magic Surge is a Wild Magic sorcerer subclass feature. Rolling 41-42 on the wild magic table results in your PC becoming incapacitated as a potted plant.
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Section 5 of 6:

How to Get Rid of the Incapacitated Condition

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  1. Because the incapacitated condition has so many different causes, there’s no concrete way to end it when your PC is affected. If nothing else, you’ll be able to wait for the effect or condition currently incapacitating your character to end (since such conditions rarely last longer than a few rounds or minutes in-game). [16]
    • Most of the time, your character will be able to make a saving throw of some kind when they become incapacitated. In that case, it’s the DM’s job to ask you to make a saving throw. If you succeed, the incapacitation will end!
    • If your character’s incapacitation is caused by another condition (like paralyzed, unconscious, or petrified), certain spells can help.
      • A healing spell (like Cure Wounds or Healing Word) can end the unconscious condition.
      • The Lesser Restoration spell can remove the paralyzed condition from your PC.
      • The Greater Restoration spell can remove the petrified condition from your PC.
Section 6 of 6:

Incapacitated vs. Unconscious

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  1. While it might seem like the unconscious condition is super similar to the incapacitated condition, there are a few distinctions. Being unconscious also means your PC is incapacitated, but being incapacitated doesn’t make them unconscious. Furthermore, when PCs fall unconscious, they automatically fail any Strength or Dexterity saving throws—but incapacitated PCs can still make saving throws without any interference. [17]
    • Attacks against unconscious PCs have advantage, but attacks against incapacitated creatures don’t—they’re made normally (unless the enemy has advantage for an unrelated reason).
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      References

      1. ↑ https://media.wizards.com/2018/dnd/downloads/DnD_BasicRules_2018.pdf
      2. ↑ https://media.wizards.com/2018/dnd/downloads/DnD_BasicRules_2018.pdf
      3. ↑ https://media.wizards.com/2018/dnd/downloads/DnD_BasicRules_2018.pdf
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      5. ↑ https://media.wizards.com/2018/dnd/downloads/DnD_BasicRules_2018.pdf
      6. ↑ https://media.wizards.com/2018/dnd/downloads/DnD_BasicRules_2018.pdf
      7. ↑ https://rpgbot.net/dnd5/characters/status-conditions/
      8. ↑ https://rpgbot.net/dnd5/characters/status-conditions/
      9. ↑ https://rpgbot.net/dnd5/characters/status-conditions/
      1. ↑ https://rpgbot.net/dnd5/characters/status-conditions/
      2. ↑ https://rpgbot.net/dnd5/characters/status-conditions/
      3. ↑ https://thegmsays.com/dnd-5e-conditions/
      4. ↑ https://media.wizards.com/2020/dnd/downloads/SA-Compendium.pdf
      5. ↑ https://notesofyore.com/incapacitated-in-5e/
      6. ↑ https://notesofyore.com/incapacitated-in-5e/
      7. ↑ https://rpgbot.net/dnd5/characters/status-conditions/
      8. ↑ https://rpgbot.net/dnd5/characters/status-conditions/

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