What charmed does not do
- •It doesn't make the creature friendly to the charmer's allies.
- •It doesn't let the charmer give orders.
- •It doesn't stop the creature fighting, casting or moving.
- •It doesn't stop area spells that happen to include the charmer, as long as the charmer isn't the target. Many DMs still rule a charmed creature won't do this willingly.
What causes charmed
Spells
- •Charm Person (1st level): one humanoid, 1 hour. It makes the save with advantage if you or your allies are fighting it, and knows it was charmed when the spell ends.
- •Animal Friendship (1st level): a beast.
- •Suggestion (2nd level), Hypnotic Pattern (3rd level), Dominate Beast, Dominate Person and Dominate Monster.
- •Mass Suggestion and Irresistible Dance (Otto's Irresistible Dance in the Player's Handbook).
Monsters
- •Vampire's Charm: a humanoid that fails a Wisdom save regards the vampire as a trusted friend.
- •Harpy's Luring Song (2014): charmed and incapacitated while the song lasts.
- •Succubus/incubus, dryad and aboleth all have charm abilities in the SRD.
How to end charmed
- •Damage it. Charm Person and Suggestion end if the caster or their allies damage the target (2014 Charm Person also ends on "anything harmful").
- •Greater Restoration (5th level): ends one charming effect (2014) or the charmed condition (2024).
- •Calm Emotions (2nd level): suppresses charmed on humanoids for its duration.
- •Dispel Evil and Good (5th level): can end a charm caused by a celestial, elemental, fey, fiend or undead.
- •Protection from Evil and Good (1st level): aberrations, celestials, elementals, fey, fiends and undead can't charm the target, and if one already has, the target gets advantage on new saves against it.
- •Berserker's Mindless Rage (level 6): immune to charmed while raging.
Common rulings and edge cases
- •Elves and Fey Ancestry. Elves have advantage on saves against being charmed (2014 and 2024).
- •Many monsters are immune. Undead, constructs and oozes often list charmed as a condition immunity.
- •The target may remember. Charm Person says the creature knows it was charmed when the spell ends. Expect consequences.
- •Charmed by whom? The condition is tied to a specific charmer. A creature charmed by a vampire can still attack you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a charmed creature attack the charmer's allies?
Yes. Charmed only protects the charmer. The creature can still fight anyone else, including the charmer's party.
Is charmed the same as mind control?
No. The condition only stops the creature harming the charmer and gives the charmer social advantage. Control comes from specific spells like Dominate Person or Suggestion.
Does damage end the charmed condition?
Not by itself. Many charm spells (Charm Person, Suggestion, Hypnotic Pattern) end when the target takes damage or is harmed, but that's written into each spell.
What removes charmed in 5e?
Greater Restoration, Calm Emotions (suppression), Dispel Evil and Good for certain creature types, or the end condition written into the specific charm effect.
Do elves resist being charmed?
Yes. Elves have Fey Ancestry, which gives advantage on saving throws against being charmed. Magic also can't put an elf to sleep.
Rules checked against the D&D 5e SRD 5.1 (2014) and SRD 5.2.1 (2024).