D&D 5E I'm incapacitated, but I can move just fine.


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It's technically true but incapacitated seems to always be part of a more serious condition (paralyzed, petrified, stunned, unconscious) that specifies you can't move.
 

Reviewing the spells that use this condition, yes this seems to be correct that you cannot move.

Hence many things specify an additional rider on the condition, such as: "incapacitated and can't move" (wind walk), "incapacitated and can't stand up" (Tasha's hideous laughter), "incapacitated and has a speed of 0" (hypnotic pattern, feign death, Hypnotic Gaze ability), "incapacitated and can't move or speak and is unaware of surroundings" (unconscious condition).

So yes, you can move while incapacitated, unless otherwise specified, and it frequently is otherwise specified.
 

The funniest part is in the section on knocking people out:

5B said:
Sometimes an attacker wants to incapacitate a foe, rather than deal a killing blow. When an attacker reduces a creature to 0 hit points with a melee attack, the attacker can knock the creature out...The creature falls unconscious and is stable.

So when you want to incapacitate, you actually don't want to incapacitate, because incapacitation isn't incapacitating enough. :uhoh:

Though incapacitation is a sub-status of unconscious.

Thaumaturge.
 


Real question is What Incapacitates?

In 5B? Nothing merely incapacitates. It's either like [MENTION=2525]Mistwell[/MENTION] quoted, or incapacitated is part of another condition (stunned, unconscious, petrified, or paralyzed).

I can't as easily do a text search of the PH(B). :)

Thaumaturge.
 

The incapacitated condition likely exists for the sole purpose of being added to other conditions or being one of many conditions a spell or other ability imposes. Why use incapacitated when you could just say "and can't take actions or retains?" Likely because there may be times when you want allow someone to do some when they're incapacitated without negating the rest of the condition.

I can imagine, for example, a future psionic ability that works even when the psion (or other target) is incapacitated. Without incapacited as a condition, wording such a power specifically enough to include only those situations could be difficult.
 

Real question is What Incapacitates?

Ignoring things that have other attached conditions or drop your speed to 0, not much.

  • Turning into a Potted Plant (although it may be intended that Potted Plants can't actually move).
  • School of Enchantment: Hypnotic Gaze (also viably dazes you but that is not actually a condition)
  • Spell: Banishing Smite (Your also locked in a demi-plane, you can probably move about within it though, yay!)
  • Spell: Banishment (see notes for 'Banishing Smite' above)
  • Spell: Symbol [Pain] (This actually just incapacitates you)
  • Spell: Tasha’s Hideous Laughter (You also cant stand up as noted above, but can move otherwise)
 

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