Shaken

A shaken creature is rattled and unsettled by fear. It is the mildest of the three primary fear conditions — penalties apply, but the creature retains full control of its actions and is not compelled to flee.

Effects

• –2 penalty on all attack rolls, saving throws, skill checks, and ability checks.
• The creature can act normally — it is not compelled to flee.
• The penalty applies even to saves made to resist further fear effects, making escalation more likely.

The Fear Condition Chain

Fear conditions escalate when additional fear effects are applied to an already-feared creature:

• A shaken creature that becomes shaken again becomes frightened for the duration of the new effect (or 1 round, whichever is longer).
• Multiple overlapping shaken durations do not stack penalties — the creature is still only –2. But a second shaken source triggers escalation to frightened.

Ending the Condition

• Shaken with a limited duration ends when that duration expires.
• Remove fear suppresses all fear conditions (including shaken) for 10 minutes.
• Calm emotions suppresses fear effects for its duration.
• Heal and greater restoration remove ongoing fear conditions entirely.

Related Conditions

• Frightened — the next step; same –2 penalties plus compulsion to flee.
• Panicked — more severe; drops held items and cannot take offensive actions.
• Cowering — the most severe fear state; frozen completely, cannot act.

Common Sources

Cause fear (1 round/level or until the creature leaves the area); scare; certain auras (some undead and dragons); failed saves vs. fear effects that generate shaken as a secondary result; being within the area of a bane weapon in some interpretations. Shaken is a mind-affecting fear effect — creatures immune to fear or mind-affecting effects are unaffected.