Charmed: restrictions without mind control
Read the condition separately from the spell or ability that caused it. Charmed protects the charmer from certain harm and changes social checks; additional instructions must come from the originating effect.
Use it at the table
- Identify the charmer, because the restrictions concern that creature.
- Prevent attacks against the charmer and targeting it with damaging abilities or magical effects.
- Give the charmer Advantage on ability checks to interact socially with the charmed creature. Read any extra effect separately.
Make the call
A guard is Charmed by a visitor. The visitor demands the guard hand over a vault key. Does the condition alone compel the guard to obey?
The ruling
No; the condition alone does not compel that order.
The condition lists a restriction on harming the charmer and a social-check benefit for the charmer. It does not list automatic obedience. Resolve the request using the applicable interaction rules and any additional text of the effect that imposed Charmed. A specific spell can add instructions, but those are not part of this condition’s general rule.
Watch for this mistake
Avoid importing another spell’s control language into every charm effect. Keep the character’s remaining choices visible while enforcing the actual listed restrictions.
Ask the table
What does the originating effect add beyond Charmed, and which request is being made?
The source rule
SRD 5.2.1, page 178. Read the official PDF.
While you have the Charmed condition, you experience the following effects. Can’t Harm the Charmer. You can’t attack the charmer or target the charmer with damaging abilities or magical effects. Social Advantage. The charmer has Advantage on any ability check to interact with you socially.
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 and tables reformatted. 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.