What Does the Stunned Condition Do in D&D 5e? How it Works & More

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Learn all about 5e’s stunned condition and how it affects gameplay
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In the middle of a battle, the DM (Dungeon Master) tells you that your character is stunned—but what does that mean, and more importantly, how can you break the condition? In D&D 5e, the stunned condition incapacitates creatures, leaving them vulnerable to attacks and unable to take actions, move, or even fully speak. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explain how the stunned condition works, how to end it, and how to use it against your enemies!

Stunned Condition Overview

The stunned condition in D&D 5e causes characters to become incapacitated and dazed, leaving them unable to take actions or reactions, move, or speak clearly. It leaves characters vulnerable to attack and can last for a round or longer, depending on the spell or effect causing it.

Section 1 of 6:

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

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  1. In 5e, conditions are statuses that come with effects and impact a creature’s capabilities somehow. The “stunned” condition is most often used by high-level monsters in combat, although there are a few ways players can stun their enemies as well. Being stunned applies the following effects: [1]
    • Stunned creatures are incapacitated and can’t move. They can only speak haltingly.
    • Stunned creatures automatically fail all Strength (STR) and Dexterity (DEX) saving throws.
    • Attack rolls against stunned creatures always have advantage.
    • Keep in mind that the stunned condition can last for different amounts of time, depending on the spell or effect used to cause it.
      • Sometimes, it may last for a turn, a few minutes, or even an hour.
      • Other times, you may be able to make a saving throw to end the condition early.
      • Whatever the case, the DM will let you know how long you're stunned.
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Section 2 of 6:

How does the stunned condition work?

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  1. “Incapacitated” is a blanket condition for creatures that can’t move or act; thus, being stunned also means that many spells and class features won’t work as well. If your character is concentrating on a spell, being stunned will cause it to fail, and stunned creatures are considered unaware of their surroundings. [2]
    • Remember that even though the rules for being incapacitated just say you can’t take actions or reactions, this also applies to bonus actions (meaning you can’t use them either).
    • Although the “unconscious” condition involves many of the same effects as stunned, they’re not the same.
      • Stunned creatures don’t drop what they’re holding and fall prone; unconscious creatures do.
      • Melee attacks against unconscious creatures are auto-crits, but this isn’t true for stunned creatures.
  2. Normally, characters can make STR and DEX saves to resist negative effects (like spells or a monster’s special abilities). On a successful save, characters can take half-damage, not full. However, being stunned means auto-failing all STR and DEX saves, so stunned characters suffer the full effects of enemy spells and abilities. [3]
    • For example, if an enemy wizard hurls a Fireball at the party, a stunned character won’t be able to make a DEX save against it.
    • Even if other party members succeed their DEX saves and partially dodge the Fireball, the stunned character will take the spell’s full 8d6 damage.
  3. Having advantage on attacks against another creature means being able to roll 2d20 and take the higher roll for attack rolls, resulting in a higher chance of hitting. Thus, when stunned, characters are more likely to take damage (and even critical hits, which deal double damage). [4]
    • This is why being stunned can be such a dangerous—and even deadly—condition. While the condition itself doesn’t deal damage, enemies can take advantage of the condition in a fight.
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Section 3 of 6:

How to Apply the Stunned Condition

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  1. Since “stunned” is such a powerful condition, it’s not easy for player characters (PCs) to inflict it on their enemies—but there are a few high-level spells that can do the trick. If you’re playing a spellcaster, you may be able to utilize the following spells: [5]
    • Contagion (5th level). You can sicken a creature and choose a disease to inflict on it; the “Slimy Doom” option stuns the target whenever they take damage.
    • Divine Word (7th level). When a creature with 30 hit points or fewer is affected by Divine Word, they become stunned for 1 hour.
    • Symbol (7th level). Choosing the “Stunning” option for the Symbol spell forces targets to make a Wisdom saving throw and become stunned for 1 minute if they fail.
    • Power Word Stun (8th level). A creature with 150 hit points or fewer is immediately stunned, though they can make Constitution saves at the end of each turn and break the spell on a success.
    • Reality Break (8th level). This spell’s “Vision of the Far Realms” effect can deal psychic damage and stun targets until the end of their next turn.
    • Psychic Scream (9th level). Creatures that fail their Intelligence save against this spell take immediate psychic damage and are stunned.
  2. Beyond spells, the only class feature capable of stunning enemies is the monk’s Stunning Strike. Monks can use this ability starting at the 5th level, hitting creatures with a melee weapon attack and spending a ki point to attempt a stunning strike. Targets must make a Constitution saving throw, and become stunned until the end of their next turn if they fail the save. [6]
    • Interestingly, there are also a few magic items capable of stunning creatures sprinkled throughout the D&D rulebook; these include:
      • Hammer of Thunderbolts (legendary)
      • Robe of Scintillating Colors (very rare)
      • Staff of Thunder and Lightning (very rare)
      • Storm Boomerang (uncommon)
      • Wand of Wonder (rare)
    • Whelm (legendary)
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Section 4 of 6:

How to Break the Stunned Condition

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  1. The only spell that can end a stun effect outright is Power Word Heal, a 9th-level spell (meaning it’s only available to the most high-level, powerful spellcasters). Power Word Heal causes targets to regain all hit points and removes any charmed, frightened, paralyzed, or stunned conditions affecting them. [7]
    • There’s also the 4th-level Aura of Purity spell; while it doesn’t remove the stunned condition automatically, it grants creatures advantage on saving throws against being stunned.
  2. Most stun effects require an initial saving throw—and if your character succeeds on their saving throw, they won’t be stunned. So, any spell or ability that can boost your saving throws or give you advantage on them (like the aforementioned Aura of Purity) can help you resist stun effects. Other helpful spells and abilities include: [8]
    • Bless, a spell that grants a 1d4 bonus to saving throws.
    • Resistance, a spell that also grants a 1d4 bonus to saving throws.
    • Resilient is a feat that gives you proficiency in a saving throw.
    • The Ring of Protection, a magic item that grants a +1 bonus to saving throws.
    • The Cloak of Protection offers the same bonus as the Ring of Protection.
  3. Not many classes have the power to break a stunning effect without needing to make a saving throw, but there are a few exceptions. Monks with the Way of Mercy subclass can use their Physician’s Touch feature to end a stun effect, and a paladin’s Cleansing Touch can end spells causing the stunned condition. [9]
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Section 5 of 6:

Does being stunned affect other mechanics?

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  1. As mentioned above, all concentration spells fail when your character is stunned since they can no longer focus on keeping the spell active. Additionally, being stunned while flying reduces your character’s speed to 0, which means they’ll fall unless they have the ability to hover. [10]
    • After being stunned, you can have your character fall prone without movement (which can help you avoid ranged attacks). However, you won’t be able to stand up until the stun effect ends.
Section 6 of 6:

Other Conditions

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  1. Some conditions can even cause others to take effect (for example, the way being stunned or falling unconscious also incapacitates creatures). Some of the other conditions that can affect your D&D character include: [11]
    • Blinded . Blinded creatures can’t see. They have disadvantage on attacks, attacks against them have advantage, and they fail ability checks based on sight.
    • Charmed . Charmed creatures can’t attack or inflict harmful effects on the creature that charmed them.
    • Deafened . Deafened creatures can’t hear, causing them to fail ability checks based on hearing.
    • Exhaustion . Exhaustion is a condition with several levels that intensify with more repercussions as creatures become more exhausted, from level 1 (disadvantage on ability checks) to level 6 (death).
    • Frightened . Frightened creatures have disadvantage on checks and attacks against the source of their fear and can’t move closer to it.
    • Grappled . Grappled creatures can’t move until released from the grapple (or they break free using an action).
    • Invisible . Invisible creatures can’t be seen; attacks against them have disadvantage and their attacks have advantage.
    • Paralyzed . Paralyzed creatures are incapacitated and auto-fail any STR or DEX saves. Melee attacks against them are automatically critical hits.
    • Petrified . Petrified creatures transform into a solid, inanimate substance and stop aging. They’re incapacitated, auto-fail all STR and DEX saves, and attack against them have advantage, although they have resistance to all damage as well.
    • Poisoned . Poisoned creatures have disadvantage on ability checks and attack rolls.
    • Restrained . Restrained creatures can’t move, have disadvantage on DEX saves, and attack rolls against them have advantage (while theirs have disadvantage).
    • Fortunately, conditions (including stunned) can't stack. If you're already stunned, you can't get stunned again until the initial condition ends. The only exception to this is exhaustion, which stacks.
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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
      4. ↑ https://media.wizards.com/2018/dnd/downloads/DnD_BasicRules_2018.pdf
      5. ↑ https://5thsrd.org/spellcasting/spells/symbol/
      6. ↑ http://dnd5e.wikidot.com/monk
      7. ↑ http://dnd5e.wikidot.com/spell:power-word-heal
      8. ↑ https://5thsrd.org/rules/abilities/saving_throws/
      9. ↑ https://5thsrd.org/character/classes/paladin/
      1. ↑ https://5thsrd.org/spellcasting/casting_a_spell/
      2. ↑ https://5thsrd.org/rules/conditions/

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