How Does Advantage and Disadvantage Work in D&D 5e?

Advantage and Disadvantage in D&D

Advantage or Disadvantage can strike at any time during your adventures, and understanding how these mechanics work is a fundamental skill for any player. Your character might gain Advantage by sneaking up on an enemy target, or by being at the receiving end of an ally’s generous assistance. Disadvantage may arise as a sinister veil of darkness obscures your vision or if you fall into your enemies’ clutches.

No matter the cause, one must understand how such luck or misfortune affects your character.

An Overview

Advantage and Disadvantage directly affect the results of your D20 Tests. Whether it be during an attack, ability check, or saving throw, the Advantage and Disadvantage mechanic tangibly portrays the reality of your situation during gameplay. As their name implies, Advantage will help increase the result of your rolls, and Disadvantage will make it likely that your rolls will be lower. 

Advantage

Gaining Advantage on a roll allows you to roll not one, but two d20s, using the higher roll as your final result. This represents the luck or skill your character has used to gain the upper hand, increasing the likelihood of a favorable result.

For example: Your character sneaks up on a dozing Goblin blocking your party’s passage. Attacking an unaware enemy is one of many ways to gain Advantage or your roll. Therefore, your attack roll would look like:

• You roll 2d20s, a 4 and a 13. 
• Take the higher roll as the final result: 13
• Add any modifiers, like your attack and Proficiency Bonus: 13 + 2 (Strength ability modifier) + 2 (Proficiency Bonus) = 17
• You hit, so you can roll damage (damage isn’t rolled with Advantage)

Disadvantage

Receiving Disadvantage on a roll also results in the rolling of two d20s. However, this time, you must use the lower roll, representing the misfortune plaguing your character and the resulting decreased likelihood of success.

For example: Ambushed by a group of bandits, your character is hit by an arrow dipped in wyvern poison, giving you the Poisoned condition. While under the effects of the Poisoned condition, you have Disadvantage on attack rolls and ability checks. Your next attack would look like:

• You roll 2d20s, a 6 and a 16. 
• Take the lower roll as the final result: 6
• Add any modifiers, like your attack and Proficiency Bonus: 6 + 2 (Strength ability modifier) + 2 (Proficiency Bonus) = 10
• You miss, so you don’t roll damage

One is Enough

What happens when luck-struck adventurers gain multiple advantages on a single roll? Or when a series of unfortunate events leads your character to face multiple disadvantages in one fell swoop?

Luckily for some, and unfortunately for others, only one instance of either Advantage or Disadvantage is applicable at a time.

Happen to find the perfect hidden vantage point to take out an unsuspecting and already restrained Drow? While impressive, it may be overkill (pun intended). Since only one instance of Advantage will apply in these circumstances, only one additional d20 will be rolled. Same rules apply when dealing with multiple instances of Disadvantage.

Simultaneous Circumstances

As your character inevitably encounters a vast array of monsters, potential allies, and magical items, they may simultaneously find themselves in the midst of both good and bad fortune.

When a character is faced with such circumstances, it may appear they have both Advantage and Disadvantage on their roll—but how does that work? Advantage and Disadvantage will always negate one another, regardless of the source, situation, or how many of each you may have, resulting in a regular roll.

For example: Your character is fighting in an area heavily obsurbed by the Fog Cloud spell, obscuring both their vision, and the vision of their adversary. Also, your enemy is Prone, which means attacks from within 5 feet have Advantage.

Your character gains the following: 

• 1 instance of Advantage since the creature can not see them
• 1 instance of Disadvantage since they, too, are unaware of the enemy’s location
• 1 instance of Advantage since the creature is Prone

Despite having more Advantage than Disadvantage, Advantage and Disadvantage always negate each other, regardless of the number of instances, so your D20 Test will be a normal roll.

Find Your Next Advantage

Advantage and Disadvantage are fundamental mechanics in D&D 5e that can either see you rising to the top, or send you tumbling down. On your next adventure, keep an eye out for opportunities to get the upper hand, and watch out for vulnerabilities that put you and your party at risk.

But since luck and skill can only get you so far, here’s hoping the hands of fate weave you a favorable thread.