Questions tagged [monsters]

For questions relating to either monstrous antagonists specifically, or all enemies of the player characters generally, depending on the traditions of specific games. Use as appropriate for the game in question.

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6 votes
2 answers
997 views

What's the DC of a Devourer's "trap essence" attack?

What's the DC of a Devourer's "trap essence" attack? I checked several sources on the internet, but they just say the DC is "charisma-based" without saying what the number is. They ...
36 votes
6 answers
14k views

How are Githyanki effective against Mind Flayers?

The description of the Gith, particularly the Githyanki portrays them as deadly, implacable enemies of Mind Flayers, so much so that they took down the unbelievably vast and powerful ancient Illithid ...
5 votes
1 answer
126 views

How strong is an on-hit dispel effect?

I am considering customising a monster that can make a dispel magic check (as the dispel magic spell in area use, but only affect the one it hits, CL=10) every time it hits someone. Normally at what ...
10 votes
2 answers
11k views

Is there any way for a Mind Flayer to go back to their original human(oid) form?

According to 5e lore, the Mind Flayer / Illithid lore reproduces via ceremorphosis: a tiny illithid-creature eats its way into the (sentient) target's brain, forcing transformation to occur some time ...
14 votes
3 answers
3k views

How does burrowing interact with surprise and attacks from hiding?

I'm running a campaign that the players are about to encounter several burrowing creatures. The creatures in question do have Tremorsense so they'll be able to tell where the players are and with ...
11 votes
1 answer
2k views

If an otyugh's bite attack misses, does the target have to make a saving throw?

Let's consider the following example of an action that an enemy (Guardian Naga) can perform during its turn (emphasis mine): Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 10 ft., one creature. Hit: 8 (...
10 votes
6 answers
5k views

Are there any monsters in D&D lore that focus on devouring memories?

Are there any monsters in D&D that would feed on memories/emotions? I know about illithid and intellect devourers, but I was hoping there might be another type of monster that is known for that ...
6 votes
2 answers
1k views

What are the mechanical effects of odd numbers for ability scores in monster stat blocks?

Whilst homebrewing some variations of existing monsters, I noticed something unusual: Some monsters have odd (i.e., not divisible by two) ability scores. Odd ability scores matter for player ...
2 votes
1 answer
190 views

Is this homebrew creature(s) balanced?

I was thinking this kind of question would be closed due to it would be "opinion-based", but turns out there're tons of similar questions exist (and answered) already. So I am going to give ...
4 votes
1 answer
509 views

Balance Check: Monsters Team Work

I was thinking about an optional monster rule to make an encounter with more creatures fighting in the same space as a "Team Work". This would help adding more creatures in one combat ...
4 votes
2 answers
1k views

Would A Green Abishai Be Considered A Lesser Devil Or A Greater Devil?

My question is kind of two fold in that I'm trying to figure out how these classifications work. In the Monster Manual, Devil's have a classification system: Lesser Devils and Greater Devils. Now, the ...
8 votes
4 answers
551 views

Are Solars unkillable in a dead magic area or anti-magic field?

Solars have the regeneration special ability only to take lethal damage from evil epic weapons. And it seems epic weapons are still subject to the dead magic area and the anti-magic field's effects. ...
22 votes
9 answers
5k views

What are some monsters or spells that could trap NPCs for a long time without killing them?

I'm currently working on a campaign where time is moving faster within a certain region than in the rest of the world. As the players enter this region, I have some NPCs that I want them to rescue. ...
12 votes
2 answers
2k views

Would anything prevent a Displacer Beast from undergoing Ceremorphosis, and if not, what would the result be?

I've looked around wikis and question boards all over, but, as of the moment, I can't even find anything regarding an interaction of any kind between a displacer beast or similar creatures and ...
1 vote
1 answer
572 views

Thri-Kreen multi-attack total attack bonus calculation

Would you mind casting an eye over this and check my understanding is correct? This question refers to an NPC I'm modelling from AD&D Pegasus magazine #8. It's a 5th level Thri Kreen fighter and ...
5 votes
1 answer
607 views

A Thri-Kreen wielding two long swords two handedly, damage bonus calculation

A Thri Kreen has multiple limbs according to page 15 of the expanded psionics handbook: Multiple Limbs thri-kreen have four arms and thus can take the Multiweapon Fighting feat page 304 of the ...
12 votes
1 answer
2k views

Can a Shadow Mastiff be a pet?

In our last session my players stormed the lair of a priestess praying to her dark entity, who had summoned three shadow mastiffs for her protection. The Blood Huntress decided she really wants to ...
7 votes
1 answer
1k views

How many iterative attacks does an epic creature with class levels get?

A naztharune rakshasa (MM3 136-7) has from its Hit Dice a Base Attack Bonus of +11, 8 levels of rogue granting a Base Attack Bonus of +6, and 6 levels of scout (CW 10-13) granting a Base Attack Bonus ...
13 votes
1 answer
3k views

Does this creature, generated by ChatGPT, fit within the guidelines for monsters set by WoTC?

Context This creature is supposed to be a miniboss in one of my adventures with a dark horror theme. It's intended to be a hard encounter for four 3rd level pcs. The questions: Is this monster ...
7 votes
1 answer
84 views

How do Supernatural Transformation and Meta-Spell-Like-Abilities Feat work together?

Let's say a Pit Fiend turn its own spell-like ability, fireball, into a supernatural ability with the feat "Supernatural Transformation". And before doing so, he has also taken Quicken Spell-...
17 votes
2 answers
624 views

What is this creature whose slayer becomes it?

I have a faint memory of a Dungeons & Dragons third edition creature with a trait that if you kill that creature, you become that creature. The idea is that the creature possesses some kind of ...
5 votes
2 answers
369 views

Can all creatures choose between advancing Hit Dice by type and advancing by class when leveling up?

Many creatures advance solely by Hit Dice, while others are a mix of HD and class levels. Many PCs consist solely of class levels, but the Savage Species sourcebook introduced rules for playing and ...
2 votes
1 answer
997 views

Which damage types are the most and least common?

(inspired by these questions) I have already asked which physical damage type is the most common, but how does it look when we consider all of them? I mean the damage directly dealt by monsters, and ...
6 votes
4 answers
4k views

Tiny Creatures Can't Kill Players, Right?

I remember reading somewhere that tiny creatures can't kill players/bring them down to 0 hp in normal conditions, which makes sense to me. A rat biting someone's toe and dealing that 1 damage would be ...
4 votes
2 answers
258 views

Do any of a character's skills or other capabilities transfer to a Podling?

When a Bodytaker plant successfully produces a Podling based on the form & memories of an enveloped creature, does that Podling retain any of the creature's skills or other capabilities? The ...
11 votes
2 answers
2k views

Does the Giant Toad's Swallow also inflict its Bite damage?

After asking this question for clarifications on how the acid damage dealt by the toad's Swallow works, I realised I need another explanation about this attack. A Giant Toad can make a Swallow attack ...
13 votes
2 answers
814 views

How can I deal positive damage to non-undead?

The Stone-Breasted Owl is an incorporeal beast (and spirit), has resistance 5 to all damage, except for force, ghost touch and positive. Each spell I found that deals positive damage only does so to ...
5 votes
3 answers
2k views

How does the Acolyte have 3 spell slots as a 1st-level spell caster?

The Acolyte stat block on page 342 of the 5e Monster Manual states the acolyte is a 1st-level spellcaster. However it also states, that the Acolyte has three 1st-level spell slots. This contradicts ...
10 votes
2 answers
5k views

How is the save DC for a Half-Dragon's breath weapon calculated?

The Half-Dragon Template in D&D 5e (MM, p. 180) states that, "The half-dragon has the breath weapon of its dragon half." However, the sample statblock given for a half-red dragon veteran has a ...
12 votes
1 answer
2k views

Should Tiamat's cold breath target the ability score indicated in its save?

The party is looking at facing Tiamat as the 20th-level epic boss fight that will end the campaign. The evoker has only four spell slots that can directly affect her, due to her limited magic ...
2 votes
1 answer
2k views

For the purpose of the Comprehend Languages spell, does beast speak (i.e. the language spoken by birds) count as a language?

I got into an argument with somebody regarding whether or not an incomprehensible language spoken by an animal (or monstrosity, as we argued) counts as a language for the Comprehend Languages spell. ...
5 votes
1 answer
571 views

Can a creature that can't understand any languages understand the languages of a creature that can't speak if it is polymorphed?

An earlier question about a creature that can't speak(a displacer beast) got me thinking: what if the creature was polymorphed into a creature that could understand languages but couldn't speak, such ...
13 votes
3 answers
2k views

Are there any Monsters or NPCs that have spells or spell like abilities that take >1 round to cast, but <10 rounds (1 min)?

For reasons of dramatic tension, I want to have an enemy spellcaster (or monster) that is going to cast a really big, really bad (for the players), spell that the players need to disrupt in some way ...
9 votes
1 answer
953 views

When calculating CR, what is the damage per turn for a monster with multiple attacks?

The online tool https://iadndmn.neocities.org/CRcalc asks for my monster's average damage per turn, but my monsters has multiple attacks. How do I find the average damage per turn?
6 votes
4 answers
484 views

On whose turn does the fright from a terror dive end?

In our last play session in Chult, the party faced a number of pterafolk, who used their Terror Dive on us: If the pterafolk is flying and dives at least 30 feet straight toward a target, and then ...
10 votes
1 answer
378 views

Can a gelatinous cube block line of effect

If there is a 20-foot by 10-foot passage, can two adjacent gelatinous cubes (or similarly large ooze) block line of effect? If the cleric casts prayer, are enemies behind the cubes protected from the ...
5 votes
1 answer
316 views

How do multiple Star Spawn Hulk interact with zone psychic damage?

The Star Spawn Hulk has the following feature : Psychic Mirror. If the hulk takes psychic damage, each creature within 10 feet of the hulk takes that damage instead; the hulk takes none of the damage....
8 votes
2 answers
1k views

Spellcaster Dragons Casting with legendary actions?

I’m about to throw an adult dragon at my players, one that is using the variant spellcaster rules (7 spells, cast each once per day at 5th level). I was wondering, would it be able to cast any of its ...
19 votes
2 answers
15k views

How can you detect a Doppelganger?

First, within D&D 5e, what magic, items, or special abilities would allow player characters to detect a doppelgänger? Second, and perhaps not easily answerable, what types of clues or cue might ...
12 votes
2 answers
2k views

For the purposes of the Regenerate spell, does a snail shell count as a limb?

Looking at the article for Flail Snails on the Forgotten Realms Wiki, it states that removed flail snail tentacles can be regrown or restored using the regenerate spell. The description of the ...
13 votes
1 answer
3k views

Can a basilisk turn another basilisk to stone?

Can a basilisk turn another basilisk to stone with its petrifying gaze? If yes: then I imagine that around any basilisk herd there should be many petrified basilisks. If no: then I'm thinking that ...
6 votes
3 answers
7k views

Moving through allies in Combat

In our campaign we are currently in the sewers, with most of the rooms being corridors in which only 2 PC of medium size can stand side by side, and dire rats (small creatures) are commom enemies. One ...
19 votes
3 answers
5k views

What is a true dragon?

I was just reading the MM, and reading about dracolichs. It says: Only ancient or adult true dragon can become a dracolich. But what is a true dragon?
4 votes
1 answer
284 views

What happens to a PC lycanthrope's ability scores if it becomes cured? [duplicate]

I have a Fighter character who is a lycanthrope and had a very low Strength score originally, but thanks to her lycanthropic affliction, her Strength is now the highest score. Will her Strength score ...
12 votes
3 answers
3k views

What's the difference between a monster that can't speak and a monster that doesn't speak?

In their languages section of stats for some monsters, the wording sometimes says "can't speak" and sometimes says "doesn't speak." What functional difference is there between these two wordings? ...
3 votes
3 answers
1k views

What Traits are determined by the Summon Aberration Spell?

For reference, in a session last night the Warlock of the group had a summoned Beholderkin from the Summon Aberration Spell. A Lair action occurred which could have caused the Beholderkin to have been ...
15 votes
1 answer
25k views

Is Innate Spellcasting counterspellable?

On p.85 of Xanathar’s Guide to Everything, there’s a section clarifying that you need to perceive a spell being cast (by either a verbal, somatic or material component) in order to counterspell it. ...
14 votes
4 answers
12k views

Can a Lich create a new phylactery?

It looks like 3.5e prevented the creation of a new phylactery. It looks like some people were saying that it was possible in 4e. (as per comment in link above.) I'm interested to know whether we ...
6 votes
1 answer
870 views

How Is Damage Determined For Sunlight Hypersensitivity?

So, as the title states, I'm curious about how the damage is determined with sunlight Hypersensitivity. I was looking through the monster manuals of DnD 5E and I came across a total of 4 monsters that ...
0 votes
1 answer
300 views

Can a doppelganger detect another doppelganger's thoughts?

Surprised it took me this long to think of this, but should two or more doppelgangers come into contact, would their detect thoughts abilities work on each other?

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