Dash: use your modified Speed
Dash adds movement for the current turn. Calculate it from the Speed that applies now, including modifiers, and distinguish gaining movement from making movement free.
Use it at the table
- Determine the relevant Speed after modifiers.
- Gain that much extra movement for the turn; choose the relevant special speed when using one.
- Pay normal movement costs while moving. Dash itself does not remove Difficult Terrain or other costs.
Make the call
A character normally has Speed 30, but an effect reduces it to 15. They take Dash with no other movement changes. How far can they move on the turn across ordinary ground?
The ruling
Up to 30 feet: 15 normal plus 15 from Dash.
Dash adds the currently modified Speed, not the character’s unmodified number. The result is 30 feet of available movement in this example. Terrain or another restriction can still increase the cost of each foot actually traveled. Taking Dash also uses an action unless a feature explicitly lets the character take it another way.
Watch for this mistake
Dash is not automatically a Bonus Action, nor does it automatically protect against Opportunity Attacks. A class feature may change its action cost; Disengage addresses a different concern.
Ask the table
What is the modified Speed, and which movement costs still apply along the route?
The source rule
SRD 5.2.1, page 180. Read the official PDF.
When you take the Dash action, you gain extra movement for the current turn. The increase equals your Speed after applying any modifiers. With a Speed of 30 feet, for example, you can move up to 60 feet on your turn if you Dash. If your Speed of 30 feet is reduced to 15 feet, you can move up to 30 feet this turn if you Dash. If you have a special speed, such as a Fly Speed or Swim Speed, you can use that speed instead of your Speed when you take this action. You choose which speed to use each time you take it. See also “Speed.”
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.