Monsters

Stat Block Overview

A monster has a stat block that contains the rules necessary to use it in the game. Stat blocks are divided into the following parts:

Name and General Details. The name of the monster is followed by its size, creature type (along with any descriptive tags), and alignment. Combat Highlights. Armor Class, Hit Points, Speed, and Initiative are provided here.

Ability Scores. A monster’s ability scores, ability modifiers, and saving throws are listed here.

Other Details. The monster’s Senses, Languages, and CR entries appear here. Additional details appear in some monsters, such as skill proficiencies, Resistances, Immunities, and Gear. If a monster lacks those details, entries for them don’t appear.

Traits. Monster characteristics that are active at all times or during certain situations appear here. Actions. The monster can take the actions here in addition to those in “Playing the Game.”

Bonus Actions. This section provides a monster’s Bonus Actions, if any.

Reactions and Legendary Actions. These sections provide Reactions and Legendary Actions, if any.

Parts of a Stat Block

The rules for a stat block are detailed in “Rules Glossary” and in this section.

Size

A monster is Tiny, Small, Medium, Large, Huge, or Gargantuan. If size options are presented, you choose the creature’s size from those options. See “Playing the Game” for information on size.

Creature Type

Each monster has a tag that identifies the type of creature it is. Certain spells, magic items, class features, and other effects in the game interact in special ways with creatures of a particular type.

The game includes the following creature types, which have no rules of their own:

Aberrations are utterly alien beings, such as aboleths and cloakers.

Beasts are non-Humanoid natural creatures, like horses and wolves, as well as most giant animals.

Celestials are magical creatures, such as angels and pegasi, with ties to the Upper Planes.

Constructs are magically created creatures such as homunculi and shield guardians.

Dragons are scaly beings of ancient origin, such as red dragons and wyverns.

Elementals are beings from the Elemental Planes, such as efreet and water elementals.

Fey are creatures tied to the Feywild or the forces of nature, such as dryads and goblins.

Fiends are creatures tied to terrifying Lower Planes, such as balors and hell hounds.

Giants are towering beings with humanlike shapes, like fire giants and trolls.

Humanoids are people defined by their roles and professions, such as mages, pirates, and warriors. They include members of varied species.

Monstrosities are unnatural creatures with strange origins, such as mimics and owlbears.

Oozes are gelatinous creatures, including black puddings and gelatinous cubes.

Plants are sentient vegetation and fungal monsters, such as shambling mounds and treants.

Undead are spirits and the reanimated dead, such as ghosts, vampires, and zombies.

Descriptive Tags

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A monster might have one or more tags in parentheses following its type. Such tags provide additional categorization and have no rules of their own, but certain game effects might refer to them.

Alignment

The alignment specified in a monster’s stat block is a default suggestion of how to roleplay the monster, inspired by its traditional role in the game or realworld folklore. Change a monster’s alignment to suit your storytelling needs. The Neutral alignment, in particular, is an invitation for you to consider whether an individual leans toward one of the other alignments.

“Character Creation” describes the nine alignments and unaligned creatures.

Armor Class

A monster’s Armor Class (AC) includes its natural armor, Dexterity, gear, and other defenses. See “Playing the Game” for information on Armor Class.

Initiative

The Initiative entry specifies the monster’s Initiative modifier followed by the monster’s Initiative score in parentheses. Use the modifier when you roll to determine a monster’s Initiative. A monster’s Initiative modifier is typically equal to its Dexterity modifier, but some monsters have additional modifiers, such as Proficiency Bonus, applied to that number.

If you don’t want to roll a monster’s Initiative, use the Initiative score as the monster’s Initiative in combat. Initiative is further detailed in “Playing the Game.”

Hit Points

Running a Monster

To ensure a monster acts in accordance with its Challenge Rating, follow these rules during combat: Special Abilities. If the monster has a special ability that deals a lot of damage but has a limited number of uses, such as a recharging breath weapon or a spell it can cast only once per day, have it use that special ability as quickly and as often as possible. Multiattack. If the monster has Multiattack, have it use Multiattack on any of its turns in which it’s not using one of its more powerful abilities. Bonus Actions, Reactions, Legendary Actions. If the monster has Bonus Actions, Reactions, or Legendary Actions in its stat block, make sure it uses them as often as it can.

A monster’s Hit Points are presented as a number followed by parentheses, where the monster’s Hit Point Dice are provided, along with any contribution from its Constitution. Either use the number for the monster’s Hit Points or roll the die expression in parentheses to determine the monster’s Hit Points randomly; don’t use both. A monster’s size typically determines the die used to calculate its Hit Points, as shown in the Hit Dice by Size table. Hit Dice by Size Monster Size Hit Die Average HP per Die Tiny d4 2½ Small d6 3½ Medium d8 4½ Large d10 5½ Huge d12 6½ Gargantuan d20 10½ A monster’s Constitution modifier is multiplied by the number of Hit Dice it possesses, and the result is added to its Hit Points. For example, if a monster has a Constitution of 12 (+1 modifier) and 2d8 Hit Dice, it has 2d8 + 2 Hit Points (average 11). For more on Hit Points, see “Playing the Game.” Speed The Speed entry specifies a monster’s Speed. Some monsters have one or more of the following speeds: Burrow, Climb, Fly, Swim. Rules for Speed and these specials speeds appear in “Rules Glossary.” Ability Scores Every monster has six ability scores along with corresponding ability score modifiers and saving throw modifiers. For more information on ability scores and saving throws, see “Playing the Game.” Skills The Skills entry specifies a monster’s skill proficiencies, if any. For example, a monster that is very perceptive and stealthy might have bonuses to Wisdom (Perception) and Dexterity (Stealth) checks. A skill bonus is the sum of a monster’s relevant ability modifier and its Proficiency Bonus. Other modifiers might apply. Resistances and Vulnerabilities These entries list a monster’s Resistances and Vulnerabilities, if any. See “Playing the Game” for more information. Immunities This entry lists the monster’s Immunities, if any. If the monster has damage and condition Immunities, the damage types are listed before the conditions. See “Playing the Game” for details. Gear Monsters have proficiency with their equipment. If a monster has equipment that can be given away or retrieved, the items are listed in the Gear entry. The monster’s stat block might include special flourishes that happen when the monster uses an item, and the stat block might ignore the rules in “Equipment” for that item. When used by someone else, a retrievable item uses its “Equipment” rules, ignoring any special flourishes in the stat block. The Gear entry doesn’t necessarily list all of a monster’s equipment. For example, a monster that wears clothes is assumed to be dressed appropriately, and those clothes aren’t in this entry. Equipment mentioned outside the Gear entry is considered to be supernatural or highly specialized, and it is unusable when the monster is defeated. Ammunition and Ranged Attacks A monster that requires ammunition to make ranged attacks carries the necessary ammunition. Equipping a Monster with Other Items You may equip monsters with additional gear however you like, using the items in “Equipment” for inspiration. You decide how much of a monster’s equipment is recoverable after the creature is slain and whether any of that equipment is still usable. Beware of giving a monster combat-oriented magic items, since those might alter the monster’s Challenge Rating. If you do give a monster a magic item, the monster can have Attunement with magic items as noted in “Equipment.” A monster with