The Mysterious & Nonsensical Stunned Condition: Fixes & Critiques

Conditions in 5th Edition are an excellent suite of mechanics by which characters can affect monsters, and vice versa. There are fifteen in total: from simple effects such as the prone and restrained conditions to dire situations such as the paralyzed and petrified conditions. While these effects are powerful, many monsters possess defenses against them, the most common of which are condition immunities. This prevents characters from defeating all enemies with a single condition they like to inflict while adding variety to the foes they face. However, one condition stands in defiance of convention, existing in a bizarre design space within 5E. Over time, the strange influence of this condition has harmed the gameplay experience thanks to its inconsistency and redundancy. Let us count the ways and find out why the stunned condition is a menace at the game table and should be stricken from play—or, at the very least, revised.

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