D&D 5E Fear with no Options

[beaumontsebos]

My group had a creature grappled and prone. Then the bard cast Fear on it, which says that a creature can only take the Dash action, unless there is nowhere to move.

It technically did have places it could move, so it would would have used Dash. But since grappled and prone, the creature had a speed of 0 and could not Dash. But since Dash was the only action available to it, it could not escape the grapple.

I ruled that the creature could attempt an escape to try to get away, but I gave it disadvantage. Then it would dash,

Did I miss something in the rules that would have solved this issue differently? How would you have ruled?

Thanks,
Beaumont

 

[FrogReaver]

Good call imo

 

[jaelis]

Yes I would give them the chance to escape. Probably wouldn't impose disadvantage, myself. But I'd make sure to tell the player before he casts.

(Forgot frightened condition itself gives disadvantage.)

 

[Reynard]

I would not have allowed the creature the chance to escape. The effects of the spell are explicit and the intent in casting it on a grappled creature seems obvious: keep the creature from breaking out of the grapple. I would have had the creature shake with terror until the spell ends or the grapple is released,.

 

[CapnZapp]

Yeah, that critter is pretty much done for.

If you successfully manage to inflict all of the Grappled, Prone and Feared conditions, you pretty much a game over win.

So I wouldn't change a thing: the monster simply cowers ineffectually and is at your mercy. Good enough for me.

Sent from my C6603 using EN World mobile app

 

[Hawk Diesel]

Disadvantage was appropriate given that the Frightened condition states the subject as having disadvantage on attack rolls and ability checks. And although the Dash option was not available, escaping the grapple was the only way for the target to position himself to use dash. I imagine it like hugging a cat. The cat wants to get away, and will wildly flail until it can run. Likewise, this guy was so caught up be their fear that he was trying to get out of the grapple wildly rather than with calm focus or skill (hence the disadvantage).

Good call.

 

[ad_hoc]

I would not have allowed the creature the chance to escape. The effects of the spell are explicit and the intent in casting it on a grappled creature seems obvious: keep the creature from breaking out of the grapple. I would have had the creature shake with terror until the spell ends or the grapple is released,.

Their options for moving are 0 so they don't take the Dash action. It would be reasonable to have the creature attack as well.

If you corner a frightened animal, they will likely attack you. Or a frightened person for that matter too.

Disadvantage is appropriate because they are also Frightened so they have disadvantage to ability checks and attack rolls while the creature they are frightened of is in line of sight.

 

[Barolo]

Good call, nothing to add that was not mentioned by other fellow posters.

Anyway, I keep reading the thread title as "Feat with no Options", go figure.

 

[seebs]

I would say that "can't move" is a kind of "nowhere to move".

 

[Hriston]

IMO, your ruling is correct. The fact that the creature's speed is 0 due to being grappled should be understood as the creature having nowhere to move, and thus as waiving the requirement that the creature use its action to dash away from the caster, allowing the creature to select from its full range of possible actions. I also agree that the contested check to escape would be made with disadvantage due to the creature being frightened.