D&D ThatOneDude’s D&D Forge Open the builder

Charmed 5e condition

How the charmed condition works in the 2014 rules (SRD 5.1) and the 2024 rules (SRD 5.2), what changed, and which spells and monsters cause it.

Jump to: 2014 rules · 2024 rules · What changed · Spells · Monsters

Charmed in the 2014 rules (SRD 5.1)

Charmed in the 2024 rules (SRD 5.2)

While you have the Charmed condition, you experience the following effects.

Can't Harm the Charmer. You can't attack the charmer or target the charmer with damaging abilities or magical effects.

Social Advantage. The charmer has Advantage on any ability check to interact with you socially.

What changed in 2024

How Charmed works

A charmed creature can’t attack the charmer or target it with harmful abilities or magical effects, and the charmer has advantage on ability checks to interact socially with it. That’s all. The condition itself doesn’t make the creature friendly, obedient or unaware of what’s happening.

Everything else comes from the effect that did the charming. Charm Person makes the target treat you as a friendly acquaintance, a vampire’s Charm makes it a trusted friend and a willing target for the vampire’s bite, Hypnotic Pattern incapacitates it, and Dominate Person lets you command it. Read the source before deciding what a charmed creature does.

Resisting and ending it

What changed in 2024

One word, with real consequences. In 2014 a charmed creature can’t target the charmer with harmful abilities or magical effects; in 2024 the ban covers damaging abilities or magical effects. Read literally, a 2024 charmed creature still can’t hurt the charmer, but it could cast a spell that deals no damage, like Hold Person, on it. The social advantage is unchanged.

Common questions

Does a charmed creature know it was charmed?

The condition doesn’t say, so it depends on the effect. A creature freed from Charm Person knows it was charmed by you; for many other effects it’s the DM’s call.

Can a charmed creature attack my allies?

Yes. It can’t attack the charmer or target it with harmful effects, but unless the effect says otherwise it can fight everyone else normally.

Does a charmed creature have to obey the charmer?

No. The condition only gives the charmer advantage on social checks. Obedience comes from specific effects, like Dominate Person or a succubus’s Charm.

Can the charmer attack a creature it has charmed?

Nothing in the condition stops it, but many charms end when the charmer harms the target. Charm Person ends the moment you or your companions do anything harmful to it.

What cures the charmed condition?

Greater Restoration ends one effect that charmed the target, and Calm Emotions suppresses it on humanoids for the spell’s duration. Lesser Restoration doesn’t cover charm.

Which creatures resist being charmed?

Elves and half-elves have advantage on saves against it, and many undead and constructs are immune. A creature under Mind Blank is immune for 24 hours.

Charmed compared with similar conditions

ConditionHow it compares
FrightenedThe other mind-affecting condition: you can still attack the source, with disadvantage, but can’t move toward it.
IncapacitatedNo actions or reactions at all. Hypnotic Pattern combines it with charmed.
Charm Person1st level: charms a humanoid for an hour, with advantage on the save if you’re fighting it.
Suggestion2nd level: talks a creature into a reasonable course of action for up to 8 hours. Charm-immune creatures ignore it, and in 2024 it imposes the Charmed condition.
Dominate Person5th level: a charmed humanoid you command telepathically, for up to a minute with concentration.

Spells and the charmed condition

From the SRD 5.1 spells: 9 spells can leave a creature charmed, and 6 spells can end or prevent it.

Spells that cause it

Spells that end or prevent it

Monsters and the charmed condition

Monsters whose attacks or traits cause it (6)

Monsters immune to it (43)

Rules that mention charmed

Other conditions