Stunned: apply its list without adding paralysis
Stunned includes Incapacitated and two further effects. It does not contain every clause of Paralyzed, even though both conditions can look similar in a scene.
Use it at the table
- Apply Incapacitated, including lost actions, speech and Concentration.
- Automatically fail Strength and Dexterity saving throws.
- Give attack rolls against the creature Advantage. Check other active effects independently.
Make the call
An attacker within five feet hits a Stunned target. Does Stunned alone turn that hit into an automatic Critical Hit?
The ruling
No; Stunned does not contain an automatic-critical clause.
Stunned grants Advantage to incoming attacks, but its definition does not include Paralyzed’s automatic-critical rule. A normal critical hit remains possible under the usual attack rules. The distinction changes damage, so announce the condition by name and consult its list instead of substituting a remembered rule for a different condition.
Watch for this mistake
Do not add a Speed-zero clause simply because another disabling condition has one. Stunned includes Incapacitated, which removes actions, Bonus Actions, Reactions and speech, but neither listed condition independently sets Speed to zero.
Ask the table
Which effects are explicitly listed for Stunned, and is another condition adding anything else?
The source rule
SRD 5.2.1, page 189. Read the official PDF.
While you have the Stunned condition, you experience the following effects. Incapacitated. You have the Incapacitated condition. Saving Throws Affected. You automatically fail Strength and Dexterity saving throws. Attacks Affected. Attack rolls against you have Advantage.
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.