What can you do while prone?

What Can You Do While Prone?

When a character in Dungeons and Dragons 5e falls to the ground, they become prone. Being prone can be a challenging and dangerous situation, but it’s not without its possibilities. In this article, we’ll explore what a character can do while prone, including movement, combat, and even spellcasting.

Movement While Prone

When a character is prone, they can move in a limited capacity. According to the official D&D 5e rules, a prone character can crawl. Crawling is a form of movement that allows a character to move while prone, but it’s slower and more difficult than walking or running. Every foot of movement while crawling costs 1 extra foot, which means that a character will need to use more movement to cover the same distance.

Here’s a breakdown of the movement options for a prone character:

Combat While Prone

Being prone in combat can be a significant disadvantage, but it’s not without its opportunities. A prone character can still make opportunity attacks, which allows them to attack enemies that are within 5 feet of them. Opportunity attacks are a great way for a character to take advantage of an enemy’s movement and deal damage.

However, a prone character is also vulnerable to attack. Enemies can attack a prone character more easily, and the character is considered to be in a difficult terrain, which makes it harder for them to move or cast spells.

Here’s a summary of the combat options for a prone character:

Spellcasting While Prone

Surprisingly, a character can still cast spells while prone, but it’s not without its limitations. Casting a spell while prone requires the character to use their bonus action, which means that they can only cast a spell if they have a bonus action available.

Additionally, some spells may not be castable while prone, depending on the specific spell and its requirements. For example, a spell that requires the character to be standing may not be castable while prone.

Here’s a summary of the spellcasting options for a prone character:

Ending Prone

Finally, let’s talk about how a character can end being prone. A character can stand up from prone, but it requires them to spend half their movement. This means that if a character has a lot of movement left, they may want to consider standing up and moving away from their prone position.

Here’s a summary of the ending prone options:

Conclusion

Being prone in Dungeons and Dragons 5e can be a challenging and dangerous situation, but it’s not without its possibilities. A character can move while prone, make opportunity attacks, and even cast spells, although with some limitations. By understanding the options available to a prone character, players can make more informed decisions and potentially turn the tide of battle in their favor.