Deafened: decide which checks need hearing
Deafened is a narrow sensory condition. The important ruling is whether the information being sought depends on sound, rather than assuming that all observation or communication becomes impossible.
Use it at the table
- Describe what the character can see and what information is only audible.
- Automatically fail an ability check that requires hearing.
- Use the normal rules for a visual or tactile task unless another condition changes them. Deafened itself adds no attack-roll penalty.
Make the call
A deafened lookout tries to hear a whispered warning behind a door, then tries to read a visible hand signal. Which task automatically fails because of Deafened?
The ruling
The whispered warning; the visible signal is not automatically failed by this condition.
Hearing the whisper requires hearing and therefore fails. Reading a visible signal does not inherently require hearing. Whether the signal is clear, familiar or obstructed is a separate question. A character may still need a check for a difficult visual task, but Deafened does not automatically fail it.
Watch for this mistake
The condition does not say the creature cannot speak, move, take actions or make attacks. Do not add those restrictions from another condition. Equally, do not silently supply an unheard warning as if the character heard it.
Ask the table
Is the clue actually audible, or can the character obtain it through a visible sign?
The source rule
SRD 5.2.1, page 181. Read the official PDF.
While you have the Deafened condition, you experience the following effect. Can’t Hear. You can’t hear and automatically fail any ability check that requires hearing.
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.