Conditions

(Negative) Conditions

Incapacitated: the target can take only one of Movement, Action, or Bonus Action on their Turn.
Slowed: the target’s movement speed is halved.
Halted: the target’s movement speed is 0 and they have Disadvantage on DEX Saves.
Grappled: the target’s movement speed is 0, they have Disadvantage on DEX Saves (Halted) and can be dragged; the grappler is Slowed while dragging them.
Restrained: the target’s movement speed is 0, they have Disadvantage on DEX Saves (Halted) and attacks against them have Advantage.

Staggered: the target cannot make Opportunity Attacks and their movement speed is halved (Slowed).
Battered: the target cannot make Opportunity Attacks and has Disadvantage on Attack Rolls.
Disoriented: the target has Disadvantage on STR Saves, Spell Rolls, and attempts to perceive their surroundings.
Stunned: the target can take only one of Movement, Action, or Bonus Action on their Turn (Incapacitated) and they have Disadvantage on STR Saves, Spell Rolls, and attempts to perceive their surroundings (Disoriented).

Poisoned: the target has Disadvantage on all d20 Rolls except for Save Rolls.
Frightened: the target has Disadvantage on Attack and Spell Rolls if the source of fear is Nearby.
Charmed: the target cannot intentionally harm the charmer, and the charmer has Advantage on social Rolls against them.

Prone: the target’s movement speed is halved (Slowed) and melee attacks against them have Advantage.
Off-Guard: successful attacks against the target bypass their HP and cause direct Strain damage. Check the Injury and Strain section for more details.
Unconscious: the target is Off-Guard and may fall Prone. They automatically fail STR/DEX Save Rolls and cannot act (move, speak, etc.).
Paralyzed: the target is Off-Guard and may fall Prone. They automatically fail STR/DEX Save Rolls and cannot act (move, speak, etc.). However, the target is aware of their surroundings.
Petrified: the target is not Off-Guard, but may fall Prone. They automatically fail STR/DEX Save Rolls and cannot act (move, speak, etc.). In addition, the target has Resistance to all damage and is unaffected by poison or disease. Their weight doubles and they gain 100 temporary HP. When this temporary HP is reduced to 0, the target’s petrified form breaks and they instantly die.

Clarifications

• The 5e Blinded and Deafened Conditions are replaced by Disoriented.
• Conditions do not stack. For example, only one instance of Slowed, Halted, Incapacitated, etc. can apply at a time.
• The more specific Condition applies: Petrified overrides Paralyzed, which overrides Unconscious.
• Nearby means within 30 feet. Abstract distances are covered in the Combat section here (coming soon™).

Optional Rules

• If the Injury and Strain rules are not used in conjunction with these rules:
  • The Off-Guard Condition reads as follows: “Attacks against the target have Advantage. Any attack that hits the target is a Critical Hit if the attacker is within 5 feet of the target.”
  • The Staggered and Battered Conditions, representing lower- and upper-body injuries respectively, may be omitted as well.
• Conditions that impose any form of Unconscious-ness take effect over 3 Turns (i.e., a 3-Turn clock).
  • The target must fail 3 consecutive Saves at the start of their Turns to gain this Condition. For each such failed Save (up to the 3rd), the target takes a -1 penalty to all d20 Rolls; this penalty does not apply to these Save Rolls.
  • On a success, any penalties from this Condition are removed; the Condition ends and the 3-Turn clock is stopped.
  • A PC can break out of such Conditions before the 3rd Save by taking Psychic damage equal to the DC of the Save.

Design Notes

The main goal is to make the Conditions snappier than their D&D 2024 counterparts, to avoid locking out the PCs when they apply, and to increase tension and realism in ways that are also fun at the table. NOTE: increased tension can be good; intentionally sabotaging or griefing the players is definitely not.

• Watering down Incapacitated affects certain “save-or-suck” 5e spells like Hypnotic Pattern or Modify Memory. This is intentional: such spells become relatively weaker so a GM can use them safely against the PCs, and a PC’s spell is less likely to completely ruin the BBEG’s plans. The same applies to the new Disoriented Condition.

GM Tips

• If the story warrants a looser interpretation of Conditions, go for it. In general, avoid making Conditions harsher when homebrewing, especially for PCs. This game should not be a realistic injury simulator. Conditions exist to spice things up and represent states that cannot be captured well by dwindling HP. Still, narrative logic does not always coincide with player fun, so try not to completely lock players out of the action.
• Becoming Off-Guard requires an appropriately high DC check and should be used sparingly to ramp up tension. For example, a bandit pressing a dagger to a PC’s throat.
• Being Unconscious is especially dangerous when using the Injury and Strain version of Off-Guard - this will definitely change how the party approaches Rests.
• Being Paralyzed or Petrified is quite harsh as well - it’s best to combine these Conditions with the optional 3-Turn clock rule to avoid making PCs miss their Turns completely.

Attribution

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