Grappling: release a target when the hold ends
Grappling describes establishing and ending a hold. Use it alongside the Grappled condition, which describes the held creature’s ongoing restrictions.
Use it at the table
- Track which hand or permitted body part is holding each target.
- A held creature can use an action for Athletics or Acrobatics against the grapple’s escape DC.
- The hold also ends if the grappler becomes Incapacitated, the distance exceeds its range, or the grappler releases it.
Make the call
A creature is holding an enemy in a grapple and becomes Incapacitated. Must the enemy still spend its next action to escape that hold?
The ruling
No; the condition ends because the grappler became Incapacitated.
The rule lists incapacity of the grappler as an independent way the grapple ends. An escape action and check are another route, not a prerequisite for every ending. Release by the grappler needs no action, and leaving the grapple’s range is another listed ending condition.
Watch for this mistake
One gripping hand or other permitted body part holds one creature at a time. Do not use that occupied part against another creature without ending its current hold.
Ask the table
Which body part maintains the hold, what is its range, and has an ending condition occurred?
The source rule
SRD 5.2.1, page 182. Read the official PDF.
A creature can grapple another creature. Characters typically grapple by using an Unarmed Strike. Many monsters have special attacks that allow them to quickly grapple prey. However a grapple is initiated, it follows these rules. See also “Unarmed Strike” and “Grappled.” Grappled Condition. Successfully grappling a creature gives it the Grappled condition. One Grapple per Hand. A creature must have a hand free to grapple another creature. Some stat blocks and game effects allow a creature to grapple using a tentacle, a maw, or another body part. Whatever part a grappler uses, it can grapple only one creature at a time with that part, and the grappler can’t use that part to target another creature unless it ends the grapple. Ending a Grapple. A Grappled creature can use its action to make a Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Acrobatics) check against the grapple’s escape DC, ending the condition on itself on a success. The condition also ends if the grappler has the Incapacitated condition or if the distance between the Grappled target and the grappler exceeds the grapple’s range. In addition, the grappler can release the target at any time (no action required).
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.