11
\$\begingroup\$

We are playing Curse of Strahd and we encounter this creature: a Deva.

It has the Angelic Weapons feature:

The deva's weapon attacks are magical. When the deva hits with any weapon, the weapon deals an extra 4d8 radiant damage (included in the attack).

It also has Change Shape as one of its actions:

The deva magically polymorphs into a Humanoid or beast that has a Challenge rating equal to or less than its own, or back into its true form. It reverts to its true form if it dies. Any Equipment it is wearing or carrying is absorbed or borne by the new form (the deva's choice).
In a new form, the deva retains its game Statistics and ability to speak, but its AC, Movement modes, Strength, Dexterity, and Special Senses are replaced by those of the new form, and it gains any Statistics and capabilities (except Class Features, legendary Actions, and lair actions) that the new form has but that it lacks.

If the deva changes shape into a brown bear, do its attacks deal extra radiant damage from the Angelic Weapons feature?

\$\endgroup\$

1 Answer 1

17
\$\begingroup\$

The Angelic Weapons trait is retained while using Change Shape, and it applies to natural weapons.

The Deva’s Change Shape trait description tells you what it keeps and doesn’t keep while transformed:

In a new form, the deva retains its game statistics and ability to speak, but its AC, movement modes, Strength, Dexterity, and special senses are replaced by those of the new form, and it gains any statistics and capabilities (except class features, legendary actions, and lair actions) that the new form has but that it lacks.

The feature description says the deva retains its game statistics, and most importantly, the Angelic Weapons feature is not in the list of exceptions to this (AC, movement, strength, dexterity, special senses). Therefore, Angelic Weapons is retained while transformed, and since natural weapons1 are “any weapon”2, they deal the extra radiant damage.


1 The brown bears claw and bite attacks are what the rules refer to as "natural weapons", as the introduction to the Monster Manual defines (by example) natural weapons for us when describing the attacks listed on a monster stat block: "These can be spell attacks or weapon attacks, where the “weapon” might be a manufactured item or a natural weapon, such as a claw or tail spike."

2 The Sage Advice Compendium confirms this in its official ruling: "Are natural weapons considered weapons? Things designated as weapons by the rules, including natural weapons, are indeed weapons. In contrast, unarmed strikes are not weapons. They are something you do with an unarmed part of your body."

\$\endgroup\$
0

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .