Prone

Conditions

A prone creature is lying on the ground. It is harder to hit with ranged attacks but easier to hit in melee — and it costs movement to stand back up, often triggering attacks of opportunity.

Effects

  • –4 penalty on melee attack rolls.
  • +4 bonus to AC against ranged attacks (the reduced profile makes the creature harder to hit from range).
  • –4 penalty to AC against melee attacks (prone defenders are easy to hit up close).
  • A prone creature can only crawl to move (5 feet per move action) or stand up.
  • Standing up from prone is a move action that provokes attacks of opportunity.
Acrobatics can prevent AoOs when standing. A prone creature can attempt an Acrobatics check (DC 20) to stand up without provoking attacks of opportunity. On a failure, it stands up but still provokes.

Ending the Condition

  • Stand up as a move action (provokes AoO).
  • Stand up using Acrobatics (DC 20) to avoid provoking (still a move action).
  • A 5-foot step cannot be taken while prone — the creature must spend a full move action to stand, then may take a 5-foot step on its next turn.

Related Conditions

  • Grappled — a trip during a grapple leaves the target both grappled and prone.
  • Pinned — pinned creatures may also be prone depending on the grapple scenario.
  • Staggered — also limits actions; together with prone, makes escaping very difficult.

Common Sources

A successful trip combat maneuver; certain spell effects (grease, stone call, hydraulic push); a bull rush that sends a creature into an obstacle; falling damage that doesn't kill; some monster special attacks (knockdown, slam with trip). Prone can be voluntary — a creature can drop prone as a free action to gain the ranged AC bonus or to reduce the profile against ranged combatants.