Standing up and crawling
- •Standing costs half your speed. With a 30-foot speed, you spend 15 feet to stand and have 15 left. You can't stand if you don't have enough movement left or if your speed is 0.
- •Dropping prone is free. It costs no movement in 2014.
- •Crawling costs double. Every foot of crawling costs 1 extra foot, so crawling 1 foot through difficult terrain costs 3 feet.
- •Teleporting works. Teleportation isn't crawling, so it moves you while prone.
What causes prone
Shoves and trips
- •Shove. In 2014, use one attack to make a Strength (Athletics) check contested by the target's Athletics or Acrobatics; win and the target is knocked prone or pushed 5 feet. In 2024, the Shove option of an Unarmed Strike makes the target save (Strength or Dexterity, DC 8 + your Strength modifier + proficiency bonus).
- •Falling. A creature that takes damage from a fall lands prone (both editions).
Spells
Monsters
- •Wolf bite: in 2014, Strength save (DC 11) or prone. The 2024 wolf knocks a Medium or smaller target prone on a hit, no save.
- •Charges and pounces (2014 stat blocks): tigers, lions, panthers, boars and rhinoceroses force a Strength save or prone after moving 20 feet straight at a target and hitting.
- •Dragon Wing Attack (2014 adult and ancient dragons): a legendary action that forces a Dexterity save or prone on everything within 10 feet.
Other conditions
How to end prone
Stand up by spending half your speed. That's it. Nothing else ends it unless a spell says otherwise (Hideous Laughter, for example, stops you standing until it ends).
Common rulings and edge cases
- •Melee vs ranged is about distance, not weapon type. The 5-foot line is what matters. A dagger thrown from 20 feet has disadvantage against a prone target. A melee attack with a reach weapon from 10 feet also has disadvantage.
- •Knock prone, then attack. Melee allies get advantage on a prone target. Shove first, then attack, to set up the rest of the party.
- •Ranged party, keep them standing. If your archers are 30 feet away, knocking the enemy prone gives them disadvantage.
- •Prone isn't cover. Dropping prone gives ranged attackers disadvantage, but it doesn't give you half cover by default. Some DMs rule otherwise behind low walls.
- •Prone fliers fall unless they can hover (2024 states this in the flying rules).
- •Advantage and disadvantage cancel. A prone attacker (disadvantage) hitting a prone target from 5 feet (advantage) rolls one d20.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much movement does it take to stand up from prone?
Half your speed. With 30 feet of speed you spend 15 feet. If your speed is 0, you can't stand up.
Do ranged attacks have disadvantage against prone creatures?
Yes, if the attacker is more than 5 feet away. A ranged attack from within 5 feet has advantage instead, though the attacker may suffer disadvantage for being in melee range with a hostile creature.
Can you attack while prone?
Yes, with disadvantage on your attack rolls. Spells that use saving throws aren't affected, because they don't make attack rolls.
Does dropping prone cost movement?
No. In 2014 you can drop prone without using any of your speed.
Can you stand up when grappled?
Yes, as long as you have movement to spend. Grappled sets your speed to 0, though, and you can't stand up with a speed of 0. A grappled and prone creature stays on the floor until the grapple ends.
Rules checked against the D&D 5e SRD 5.1 (2014) and SRD 5.2.1 (2024).