Helpless

A PC or NPC is helpless when it is asleep, held, or has any of its Abilities reduced to zero. Note that paralysis will prevent action but not cause this condition, contrary to one of the loading screens. No action can be taken, objects cannot be interacted with (not even rest shrines or chests), and inventory items cannot be moved, traded, equipped or consumed.

Helplessness is often caused by a spell such as Hold Person or Sleep. In the case of a Hold Person spell, casting Freedom of Movement will end this condition and prevent future Hold Person spells while it lasts.

If helplessness is caused by ability score attribute damage, it can be cured by any Restoration spell or Heal. Attribute damage also recovers with time.

Any hit against a helpless character counts as a sneak attack.


 * Prior to Update 9, any hit against a helpless character was automatically considered a critical hit. With Update 9, "auto-crits" no longer exist. Helpless mobs take an extra 50% damage from all sources (including spells) except sneak attacks and glancing blows but are not automatically critically hit.  A critical hit can still occur if the attacker rolls in his threat range.
 * Players that have been rendered helpless also take additional damage from all harmful sources, except for sneak attack damage and glancing blow damage, instead of being automatically critically hit by physical attacks, but the value varies depending on dungeon difficulty:
 * Solo/Casual: +5% damage
 * Normal: +10% damage
 * Hard: +15% damage
 * Elite: +20% damage
 * Epic: +25% damage


 * In addition to the extra damage, helpless creatures lose there dexterity bonus to AC and Reflex saves.

Inhibit Methods Subject to Helplessness

 * Ability Damage Helplessness
 * Earthgrab
 * Flesh to Stone
 * Freezing Ice
 * Hold Creature Effects
 * Paralysis induced by Ghoul Touch
 * Sleep
 * Stuns induced from
 * KotC Censure Demons
 * Power Word: Stun
 * Stunning Fist
 * Stunning Blow
 * Severe Stunning blow (Monster only feat)
 * Stunning Weaponry
 * Halt Undead/Turn Undead Stun (Only versus non-intelligent undead)

Inhibit Methods Not Subject to Helplessness

 * Cometfall Knockover
 * Command/Greater Command
 * Cyclonic Blast Knockdown
 * Dance Effects
 * Daze Monster
 * Fascination Effects
 * Fear induced Helplessness
 * Hypnotism
 * Paralysis (from a paralyzing weapon)
 * Stuns/Dazes induced from
 * Electric Loop
 * Soundburst
 * Symbol of Stunning
 * Trip
 * Web