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We fought a Mezzoloth (MM, p. 313) last game and in the same turn he could use its Teleport action and then attack, or use magic (like dispel magic) and then attack. As I understand from the Monster Manual, a monster acts like a player character, and I can't see from the monster statblock how it could do both of those actions in the same turn (nothing is listed as a bonus action or whatever else).

Is this a correct interpretation of the mezzoloth's teleportation ability?

Our DM said the teleport was part of his movement, but I can't find any documentation about that. I myself want to start a D&D 5e game in the future, and I'm fairly curious about how to play monsters.

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2 Answers 2

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For the standard Mezzoloth your DM is mistaken, but there are caveats to this answer

The Mezzoloth can do the following things in combat (choose one):

  • Cast spells using it's Innate Spellcasting trait (all of these spells have a casting time of one action)
  • MultiAttack action (one Claws and one Trident attack)
  • Teleport action

During combat, under the standard rules, the Mezzoloth has the same set of possibilities as other characters and monsters:

  • Action
  • Bonus Action
  • Movement
  • Free Object Interaction

Some monsters also have Legendary Actions, which enable them to act at the end of other creatures turns, however those are both not present in this case (ie the Mezzoloth does not have them), and not applicable as Legendary Actions cannot be used on a monster's own turn.

As all of their stat block options use an Action the Mezzoloth must choose one that they will use on their turn.

That being said, there are some caveats to consider here:

  • The Monster stat blocks aren't necessarily laid out in the best way, and it is possible to misinterpret what it allows if the DM is unfamiliar with 5e stat blocks.

  • As with anything in the game your DM is free to change how a monster works. They may have decided the teleportation of this particular Mezzoloth works as part of their movement, instead of requiring an action.

  • Your DM may have decided that this particular Mezzoloth can take more than one Action in a round.

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    \$\begingroup\$ Reiterating illustro’s comment on a DM being free to change how a monster works. It’s a DMs job to challenge their PCs. If a monster or event would normally be a cake walk for players, but a minor tweet can turn it into a more interesting or challenging event, a DM is free (and quite often encouraged in 5e’s non-statistical texts) to do so. If your DM was saying that is how the monster normally works however that is a different matter. \$\endgroup\$
    – L.P.
    Apr 25, 2019 at 13:05
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    \$\begingroup\$ Whereas @L.P. is correct a DM can change certain aspects of an encounter. I caution DMs from changing a creature's fundamental base mechanics. The action economy is there for balance and messing with that can cost you the trust of your players. If you do something to this effect be sure there is a plausible reason that can be eventually revealed to the characters/players or be prepared for fallout. If the players can't trust a set of rules they spent money on you are no longer playing a game but rather engaging in collaborative storytelling and that may not meet everyone's expectations. \$\endgroup\$
    – Slagmoth
    Apr 25, 2019 at 17:18
  • \$\begingroup\$ To add to @Slagmoth's comment - I agree, but I'd go farther. Even for players who don't care about sticking to the rules, if you scale the opposition up while still describing it the normal version ("since you guys are so powerful, ordinary goblins have 200 hp and five attacks", to take it to an extreme), then it makes levels/stats effectively meaningless. Not great for a game like D&D where players are supposed to care about those things. \$\endgroup\$
    – Errorsatz
    Apr 25, 2019 at 20:11
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The Mezzoloth cannot teleport and attack in the same turn as it is in the Monster Manual.

illustro's answer covers the reason why, but I think he is missing an additional proof, and also a potential cause for the confusion.

Compare the Mezzoloth's Multiattack Action:

Multiattack. The mezzoloth makes two attacks: one with its claws and one with its trident.

...to the Nycaloth's (MM, p. 314) Multiattack Action:

Multiattack. The nycaloth makes two melee attacks, or it makes one melee attack and teleports before or after the attack.

Emphasis mine.

The Nycaloth is also a yugoloth, found on the very next page in the Monster Manual and features similar features as the Mezzoloth. It is very possible that your DM was confused or inspired by the Nycaloth's Multiattack and applied it to the creature you faced.

It also shows that, since the Mezzoloth's Multiattack doesn't include the teleport+attack part, it is not a valid option.

Of some interest, the Nycaloth cannot use an innate spell and teleport on the same turn, nor is his teleport ability part of his movement.

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