The Manipulate trait marks actions that require you to physically handle an item or make specific gestures. If an action has this trait, you must have a suitable appendage (hands, manipulators, tendrils, etc.) capable of performing it; creatures without such appendages can’t take actions with the Manipulate trait.

Manipulate is primarily a hook trait—other rules key off it. Most actions with this trait are considered “unguarded” enough to trigger reactions like Attack of Opportunity/Reactive Strike when performed in a threatened area. Conditions such as grabbed and restrained also interact with it: grabbed creatures must often succeed at a DC 5 flat check to complete a Manipulate action, while restrained creatures are generally prevented from taking actions with the Manipulate trait except to escape or force an obstruction.

Common Manipulate actions include Interact (drawing weapons, opening doors, grabbing objects), Grab an Edge, many item activations, certain spell components, and various free- or reaction-based fiddly actions like dropping something or dismissing glittery effects. If an item’s activation entry has the Manipulate trait, you can activate it only if you’re holding it or touching it with a free hand, depending on the item’s type. Material-style spell components and some somatic components can also give a spell the Manipulate trait when they involve physically manipulating a component or focus.

Some actions explicitly break the pattern. For instance, Release has the Manipulate trait but is called out as not triggering reactions that respond to Manipulate actions—an exception intentionally called out in its text. This highlights that Manipulate alone doesn’t force a provocation; it simply marks the action so other rules can decide whether and how they interact with it.