Deafened in D&D 5e — The Deafened Condition, Spells and Silence

A deafened creature can't hear and automatically fails any ability check that requires hearing. That's the whole condition in both 2014 and 2024. It doesn't affect attacks, saves or movement. Its real impact is on spells and abilities that need the target to hear you, and on perception checks that rely on sound.

Track it with the condition tracker.

Deafened rules

• •Can't hear: you can't hear and automatically fail any ability check that requires hearing.

Deafened and spellcasting

• •You can still cast verbal spells. Deafened doesn't stop you speaking. A verbal component only requires you to chant the words, not hear them.
• •Silence is different. Inside a Silence sphere you're deafened and you can't cast any spell with a verbal component, because no sound can be created there.
• •Targets that must hear you. Spells and effects that require the target to hear or understand you fail against a deafened target. Examples: Suggestion ("a creature ... that can hear and understand you"), and monster abilities like the harpy's Luring Song and the vrock's Stunning Screech that affect only creatures that can hear them.
• •Command requires the target to understand your language in 2014. Deafness isn't named in the spell, but many DMs rule a target that can't hear can't follow a spoken command.

What causes deafened

• •Blindness/Deafness (2nd level): Constitution save or deafened (caster's choice of blinded or deafened) for 1 minute; the target repeats the save each turn.
• •Silence (2nd level): creatures entirely inside the 20-foot sphere are deafened.
• •Divine Word (7th level): on a failed Charisma save, a creature with 41–50 hit points is deafened for 1 minute; lower totals get worse effects.
• •Storm of Vengeance (9th level): creatures under the cloud that fail a Constitution save take thunder damage and are deafened.

How to end deafened

• •Lesser Restoration (2nd level) ends it.
• •Heal (6th level) ends it.
• •Repeat the save against Blindness/Deafness.
• •Step out of a Silence sphere.
• •Paladin, level 14 (2024): Restoring Touch removes it through Lay On Hands.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does deafened do in 5e?

You can't hear and you automatically fail ability checks that require hearing. Nothing else.

Can a deafened creature cast spells?

Yes. Deafened doesn't stop speech, so verbal components work. Being gagged, standing in a Silence sphere, or being unable to speak (as when incapacitated in 2024) is what stops verbal spells.

Can you use Suggestion on a deafened creature?

No. Suggestion requires a creature that can hear and understand you.

Is deafened useful against spellcasters?

Not much on its own. Pick blinded from Blindness/Deafness instead, unless you face a creature that relies on hearing. Bats, giant bats and darkmantles can't use their blindsight while deafened, because it works by echolocation.

Related rules

• •All D&D 5e conditions
• •Blinded
• •Incapacitated — the 2024 version stops speech
• •Condition tracker

Rules checked against the D&D 5e SRD 5.1 (2014) and SRD 5.2.1 (2024).