The official description of Prone is as follows: (Source – Roll 20)
- A prone creature’s only Movement option is to crawl, unless it stands up and thereby ends the condition.
- The creature has disadvantage on Attack rolls.
- An Attack roll against the creature has advantage if the attacker is within 5 feet of the creature. Otherwise, the Attack roll has disadvantage.
Usually uses a Strength Saving throw. Sometimes Dexterity Saving Throws. Spends 15 feet of movement to get up from prone.
Additional Homebrew Rules
I’ve seen some people mention some additional rules for prone for Homebrew, particularly in regards to stealth checks. The thinking behind this is that you are lower to the ground, and move quieter. Here is a rule I designed based on that information.
- A Prone creature has advantage on steath checks, unless wearing armor that grants disadvantage on stealth. Disadantage is removed for those armors that are under 50 pounds.
- A prone creature can only move half their normal walking distance
These are not official rules though, I just thought you might find this interesting.
Causes of Prone
Aside from possible outcomes from success at a cost, there are quite a few causes of the prone condition. For example, there are intuitive causes, such as your players walking through the woods, and one of them stumbles over a root onto their face. That can be applied on the fly as a comical addition to spice up your group’s roleplay. And then there are specific designations that cause prone, as defined by monster abilities or spells.
Conditions and Effects that cause Prone
- Unconsciousness
- Falling [Player’s Handbook Pg 183]
Monster Abilities
- Boar {Charge} [Player’s Handbook Pg 304]
- DC 11 Strength Saving Throw
- Dire Wolf {Bite} [Player’s Handbook Pg 305]
- DC 13 Strength Saving Throw
- Lion {Pounce} [Player’s Handbook Pg 307]
- DC 13 Strength Saving Throw
- Mastiff {Bite} [Player’s Handbook Pg 307
- DC 11 Strength Saving Throw
- Panther {Pounce} [Player’s Handbook Pg 308]
- DC 12 Strength Saving Throw
- Tiger {Pounce} [Player’s Handbook Pg 311]
- DC 13 Strength Saving Throw
- Warhorse {Trampling Charge} [Player’s Handbook Pg 311]
- DC 14 Strength Saving Throw
- Wolf {Bite} [Player’s Handbook Pg 311]
- DC 11 Strength Saving Throw
There are many more monsters that apply the prone condition, including variants of the above. The Monster Manual is a great resource to find them, but far from the only place.
Class Abilities
- Totemic Attunment {Wolf} (14th level Path of the Totem Warrior Barbarian Feature) [Player’s Handbook Pg 50]
- Affects up to Large creatures – No Saving throw mentioned.
- Maneuvers {Trip Attack} (3rd Level Battlemaster Fighter Feature) [Player’s Handbook Pg 74]
- Strength Saving Throw
- Way of the Open Hand {Open Hand Technique} (3rd level Way of the Open Hand Tradition Monk) [Player’s Handbook Pg 79]
- Dexterity Saving Throw
- Elemental Disciplines {Fist of Unbroken Air} (3rd level Disciple of the Elements Monk) [Player’s Handbook Pg 81]
- Strength Saving Throw
- Elemental Disciplines {Water Whip} (3rd level Disciple of the Elements Monk) [Player’s Handbook Pg 81]
- Dexterity Saving Throw
Items – Magical & Mundane
- Ball Bearings [Player’s Handbook Pg 151]
- DC 10 Dexterity Saving Throw – Avoided if using Half speed.
- Decanter of Endless Water {Geyser} [Dungeon Master’s Guide Pg 162]
- DC 13 Strength Check
- Giant Slayer {Only Giants} [Dungeon Master’s Guide Pg 172]
- DC 15 Strength Check
Actions
- Shove [Player’s Handbook Pg 195]
- The Shover’s Athletics check vs the Shoved Athletics or Acrobatics check.
- Mounting & Dismounting [Player’s Handbook Pg 198]
Spells
- Command (1st Level) {Grovel} [Player’s Handbook Pg 223]
- Wisdom Saving Throw
- Grease (1st Level) [Player’s Handbook Pg 246]
- Dexterity Saving Throw
- Tasha’s Hideous Laughter (1st Level) [Player’s Handbook Pg 280]
- Wisdom Saving Throw
- Thunderous Smite (1st Level) [Player’s Handbook Pg 282]
- Strength Saving Throw
- Meld into Stone (3rd Level) [Player’s Handbook Pg 259]
- Only If Stone is completely destroyed that you are melded into
- Sleet Storm (3rd Level) [Player’s Handbook Pg 276]
- Dexterity Saving Throw
- Destruction Wave (5th Level) [Player’s Handbook Pg 231]
- Constitution Saving Throw
- Earthquake (8th Level) [Player’s Handbook Pg 236]
- Dexterity Saving Throw
- Additional Effect – Structure collapse, see spell for details
Terrain & Traps
- Slippery Ice [Dungeon Master’s Guide Pg 110]
- DC 10 Acrobatics Check
- Falling Net [Dungeon Master’s Guide Pg 122]
- DC 10 Strength Check
- Rolling Sphere (Indiana Jones Style) [Dungeon Master’s Guide Pg 123]
- DC 15 Dexterity Saving Throw
Flying Creatures Special Prone Rule for 5e
If your creature can fly, then you will want to be wary of things that cause prone, because if you are inflicted with prone, you begin to fall out of the sky, unless the flying is caused by magic. If you are high enough up, that means you risk taking 20d6 of bludgeoning damage, which, as you can imagine, can hurt quite a lot.
Counters to Prone
The main counter to prone is succeeding your skill check against whatever is attempting to apply the condition. Barring that, you can use Power Word Heal on a prone target, which allows them to use their reaction to get up, allowing them to stand up while not on their turn. This seems like an excessive solution, given that power word heal is a 9th level spell, but who am I to judge what people choose to do in D&D?
Otherwise, you can simply spend 15 feet of your total movement to get up on the turn of the inflicted. In a lot of cases, A DM will also rule that a party member or NPC can help a prone individual to their feet using a bonus action.
Additionally, If you take the Athlete Feat, you only need to spend 5 feet of your movement to get up from prone.
How Bad is the Prone Condition?
The worst part about prone is that it gives your attacker advantage to hit you in melee range. However, if the target is attempting to hit you from range, it has disadvantage. Depending on the situation, this can be quite deadly to contend with. With that said, it is a fairly easy condition to overcome, using only a part of your movement capability to get up. I’d say it is one of the least problematic conditions to deal with, compared to others like Petrification or Paralyzed.
