Grappling in D&D 5e, Explained
A plain-English rules guide
Grappling is one of the most useful — and most misremembered — actions in 5e. Here's exactly how to grab a creature, what the grappled condition does, and how the target breaks free.
How to grapple
When you take the Attack action, you can replace one of your attacks with a grapple. This is a special melee attack, and the target must be no more than one size larger than you and within your reach.
Instead of an attack roll, you make a contested check:
- You roll Strength (Athletics).
- The target rolls Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Acrobatics) — the target chooses which.
If you win the contest, the target is grappled. Note that because you replace an attack, a character with the Extra Attack feature can grapple with one attack and still strike (or grapple again) with another.
What the grappled condition does
A grappled creature:
- Has its speed reduced to 0, and can't benefit from any bonus to its speed.
- Is otherwise able to act normally — grappling doesn't impose disadvantage on its attacks by itself (that's the restrained condition, which is different).
The condition ends if the grappler is incapacitated, or if something moves the target out of the grappler's reach (for example, a spell like Thunderwave shoving them away).
When you move, you can drag or carry the grappled creature with you, but your speed is halved — unless the creature is two or more sizes smaller than you.
How to escape a grapple
A grappled creature can use its action to try to escape. It makes a contested check: its Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Acrobatics) against the grappler's Strength (Athletics). Win, and it breaks free and can move normally.
Common questions
No — it uses a contested ability check, not an attack roll. That means it can't "miss" in the normal sense and doesn't crit; you simply compare the two rolls.
Not normally. A grapple replaces one of your attacks in the Attack action. Some classes or features (like a Rogue's, or specific subclasses) can change this, but by default it's part of the Attack action.
No. Grappled only sets speed to 0. Restrained is a separate, stronger condition (speed 0, disadvantage on attacks and Dex saves, attackers have advantage). Some abilities apply both.
This guide explains the rules in our own words as a reference aid, drawing on the D&D 5e SRD (CC BY 4.0). Always confirm details against your own rulebooks for anything rules-critical.
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