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Exhaustion in Dungeons and Dragons 5e is one of the most dangerous conditions your character can have. You can suffer various levels of exhaustion, which make it increasingly difficult for your character to defend themselves or react quickly in dangerous situations. This quickly leads to a vicious cycle that can even end in your character’s death!
Effects of Exhaustion in Dungeons and Dragons
| Level | Effect | Effect (English) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Disadvantage on ability checks | Disadvantage on ability checks |
| 2 | Speed halved | Speed halved |
| 3 | Disadvantage on attack rolls and saving throws | Disadvantage on attack rolls and saving throws |
| 4 | Hit point maximum halved | Hit point maximum halved |
| 5 | Speed reduced to 0 | Speed reduced to 0 |
| 6 | Death | Death |
If an already exhausted creature suffers another effect that causes exhaustion, its current exhaustion level increases by the value given in the effect’s description.
A creature suffers the effect of its current exhaustion level as well as all lower levels. For example, a creature with exhaustion level 2 has halved speed and disadvantage on ability checks.
An effect that removes exhaustion reduces a creature’s exhaustion level as specified in the effect’s description, with all exhaustion effects ending if a creature’s exhaustion level drops below 1.
Finishing a long rest reduces a creature’s exhaustion level by 1, provided that the creature has also consumed some food and drink. Being resurrected from the dead also reduces a creature’s exhaustion level by 1.
What Causes Exhaustion?
Generally, the Dungeon Master always decides what exactly happens in your game. However, there are basically some situations where many Dungeon Masters would probably say that the characters should become exhausted. These include particularly difficult travels, sleepless nights, spells, and also the effects of some monsters.
Difficult Travel: Difficult terrain like a swamp or jungle could cause your group to become exhausted if they try to move at normal speed. Particularly unpleasant temperatures, like a hot desert or icy tundra, could also quickly exhaust the characters during extended stays.
Sleepless Nights: Staying awake for several days is extremely exhausting, as most of us surely know. Exhaustion in Dungeons and Dragons is no different. This can become particularly dangerous when you rest in a place that isn’t safe. Enemies can surprise you in your sleep and not only engage you in combat, but also add levels of exhaustion.
Spells: Since most combats are relatively quick, enemies usually don’t have the chance to suffer multiple levels of exhaustion, these are more likely spells you should watch out for. But there might also be situations where exhausted enemies could be a great help to you. These spells cause exhaustion in Dungeons and Dragons or can at least do so:
- Dream
- Sickening Radiance (Xanathar’s Guide to Everything 🛒)
- Tenser’s Transformation (Xanathar’s Guide to Everything 🛒)
- Wish
Monster Effects: There are some monsters that directly or indirectly cause levels of exhaustion. These are:
- Gingwatzim (Candlekeep Mysteries 🛒)
- Jade Tigress (Candlekeep Mysteries 🛒)
- Soul Monger (Mordenkainen’s Tome of Foes 🛒)
- Sibriex (Mordenkainen’s Tome of Foes 🛒)
- Kalaraq Quori (Eberron: Rising from the Last War 🛒)
Using Exhaustion in Dungeons and Dragons Encounters
If you’re running a game yourself and find exhaustion as a mechanic interesting, you can definitely incorporate it into your combats and encounters. As you’ve already learned, there are many possibilities. On one hand, you can modify the setting so that the characters might have already suffered one or two levels of exhaustion before the combat. Alternatively, you can also use some effects on the map or monster abilities once the battle begins to exhaust the characters.
If you have more ideas for how to use exhaustion, please leave a comment. Otherwise, you can also learn more about creating encounters here!
Source header image: openai.com
