Tremorsense: locate without granting sight

SRD 5.2.1 · Senses

At the table

  1. Check the sense’s stated range.
  2. Confirm both the sensing creature and the target touch the same surface or liquid.
  3. Do not detect airborne targets with this sense, and do not treat the information as a form of sight.

Example decision

A creature pinpoints a nearby enemy through Tremorsense while both touch the same floor. Another ability requires a target it can see. Does Tremorsense alone satisfy that requirement?

No; the sense does not count as sight.

Tremorsense can supply the location under the stated surface and range conditions, but its rule explicitly says it is not a form of sight. A separate ability requiring a visible target needs an actual way to see that target. Keep location information useful without granting permissions the sense lacks.

Watch for this mistake

A flying target that does not contact the shared surface or liquid cannot be detected with Tremorsense merely because it is nearby. Range alone is insufficient.

Ask the table

Is there a shared contact surface, and does the intended action require sight rather than location?

Source rule

A creature with Tremorsense can pinpoint the location of creatures and moving objects within a specific range, provided that the creature with Tremorsense and anything it is detecting are both in contact with the same surface (such as the ground, a wall, or a ceiling) or the same liquid. Tremorsense can’t detect creatures or objects in the air, and it doesn’t count as a form of sight.

Source: SRD 5.2.1, 190. Online guide.

Source and reuse

This work includes material from the System Reference Document 5.2.1 (“SRD 5.2.1”) by Wizards of the Coast LLC, available at dndbeyond.com/srd. The SRD 5.2.1 is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, available at creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode.

The explanation, example and table prompt are Table Ready adaptations; source text has been reflowed. This guide and its printable card are available under the same CC BY 4.0 license. Independent reference; no official affiliation. These rules are optional for our system-neutral adventures.