Monster Manual

MonsterManual

D%26D%205E%20-%20Monster%20Manual

User Manual: Pdf

Open the PDF directly: View PDF PDF.
Page Count: 354

DownloadMonster Manual
Open PDF In BrowserView PDF
MONSTER MANUAl . ·,

"'

..

•'

'

.. &
,

).J 1f

•... '
I

,'

4;\

~

!1L

¥~

:-.
\

'{

~
'

•:oo>Oo:·.< ''

J

CREDITS

I

D&D Lead Designers: Mike Mearls, Jeremy Crawford

Monster Manual Lead: C.hristopher Perkins
Stat Block Development: Chris Sims, Rodney Thompson,
'•

Peter Lee

Story Development: Robert

Co~tri'Butors:

Bruce R. Cordell, Kim 'Mohan, Chris
Dup1:1is, Tom La Pille, Miranda Horner, Jennifer Clarke Wilkes,
Steve Winter, Chris Youngs, Ben Petrisor, Tom Olsen,
R.A . Salvatore

Additional

Project Management: Neil Shinkle, Kim Graham, John Hay
Production Services: Cynda Callaway, Brian Dumas,
·

J. Schwalb, Matt Sernett,

Steve Townshend, James Wyatt

Jefferson Dunlap, David Gershman, Matt Knannlein,
Anita Williams

Editing: Scott Fitzgerald Gray
Managing Editor: Jeremy Crawford
Producer: Greg Bilsland

Brand and Marketing: Nathan Stewart, Liz Schuh,

Art Directors: Kate Irwin, Dan Gelon, Jon Schindehette,

Mari Kolkowsky, Melissa Rapier, Shauna Narciso
Graphic Designers: Bree Heiss, Emi Tanji, Barry Craig
Cover Illustrator: Raymond Swanland
Interior Illustrators: Tom Babbey, Daren Bader, John-Paul

Balmet, Mark Behm, Eric Belisle, Michael Berube, Zoltan
Boros, Christopher Bradley, Aleksi Briclot, Filip Burburan,
Christopher Burdett, Sam B-urley, Mike Burns, Wesley Burt,
Milivoj Ceran, Jedd Chevrier, Conceptopolis, Adam Danger
Cook, Julie Dillon, Dave Dorman, Jesper Ejsing, Emrah
Elmasli, Wayne England, Mike Faille, Toma Feizo Gas,
Emily Fiegenschuh, Tomas Giorello, E.M. Gist, Lars GrantWest, E.W. Hekaton, jD, Jo·n Hodgson, Ralph Horsley, Kurt
Huggins and Zelda Devon, Lake Hurwitz, Tyler Jacobson,
Vance Kovacs, Daniel Landerman, Lindsey Look, Daniel
Ljunggren, Raphael Lubke, Titus Lunter, Slawomir Maniak,
Andrew Mar, Brynn Metheney, Christopher Moeller, Mark
Molnar, Marco Nelor, Jim Nelson, Mark A. Nelson, Hector
Ortiz, Ryan Pancoast, Adam Paquette, Jim Pavelec, Kate
Pfeilschiefter, Steve Prescott, Vincent Proce, Darrell Riche,
Ned Rogers, Scott Roller, Jasper Sandner, Mike Sass, Marc
Sasso, llya Shkipin, Carmen Sinek, Craig J Spearing, Annie
Stegg, Zack Stella, Matt Stewart, Raymond Swan land,
Justin Sweet, Anne Stokes, Matias Tapia, Cory TregoErdner, Autumn Rain Turkel, Cyril Van Der Haegen, David
Vargo, Franz Vohwinkel, Richard Whitters, Sam Wood, Ben
Wootten, Kieran Yanner, Min Yum, Mark Zug

Chris Lindsay, Shelly Mazzanoble, Hilary Ross,
Laura Tommervik, Kim Lundstrom, Trevor Kidd
Based on the original game created by

E. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson,
with Brian Blume, Rob Kuntz, James Ward, and Don Kaye
Drawing from further development by

J. Eric Holmes, Tom Moldvay, Frank Mentzer, Aaron Allston,
Harold Johnson, David "Zeb" Cook, Ed Greenwood,
Keith Baker, Tracy Hickman, Margaret We is, Douglas Niles,
Jeff Grubb, Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams,
Richard Baker, Peter Adkison, Bill Slavicsek, Andy Collins,
and Rob Heinsoo
Playtesting provided by

over 175,000 fans of D&D. Thank you!
Additional feedback provided by

Robert Alaniz, Anthony Caroselli, Josh Dillard, Curt Duval,
Sam E. Simpson Jr., Adam Hennebeck, Sterling Hershey,
Paul Hughes, Doug Irwin, Ken J. Breese, Yan Lacharite, Tom
Lommel, Jonathan Longstaff, Rory Madden, Matt Maranda,
Paul Melamed, Mike Mihalas, David Milman, Daren Mitchell,
Claudio Pozas, John Proudfoot, Karl Resch, M. Sean Molley,
Sam Sherry, Pieter Sleijpen, David "Oak" Stark, Vincent
Venturella, Fredrick Wheeler, Arthur Wright

ON THE COVER
Raymond Swan land illustrates the Xanathar
ambushing explorers in the darkest depths
of Undermountain, proving that the beholder
crime lord's interests run deep beneath the
city ofWaterdeep.

620A9218000001 EN
ISBN: 978-0-7869-6561-8
First Printing: September 2014
987654321

CE

Disclaimer: Any similarities between monsters depicted in this book and monsters that actually exist are purely
coincidental. That goes double for mind jlayers, which absolutely, utterly, and completely do not exist, nor do they
secretly run the Da[D team. Do we really need a disclaimer to tell you that? You shouldn't use your brain to consider
such irrational thoughts. They only make the mind cluttered, c~nfused, and unpleasantly chewy. A good brain is nice,
tender, and barely used. Go ahead, put down this book and watch some reality TV or Internet cat videos. They're really
funny these days. You won't regret it. We say this only because we love you and your juicy, succulent gamer brain .

DUNGEONS & DRAGONS , D&D, Wizards of the Coast, Forgotten Realms, the dragon ampersand, Player's Handbook , Monster Manual, Dungeon Master 's Guide, all other Wizards of
the Coast product names, and their re spec tive logos are trademarks of\vizards of the Coast in the USA and other countries. All characters and their distinctive likenesses are property
of Wizards of th e Coast. This material is protected•under the copyright laws of the United States of America. Any reproduction or unauthorized use of the material or artwork contained
herein is prohibited without the express written permission of Wizards of the Coast.

©201'4 Wizards ofthe Coast LLC, PO Box 707, Renton, WA 98057-0707, USA. Manufactured by Hasbro SA, Rue Emile-Boechat 31,2800 Delemont, CH.
Represented by Ha sbro Europe 4 The SQuare Stockley Park lJxbrjdge Middlesex lJB11 lET UK PRINTED IN THE USA.
Please ·retajn company details for future reference.

CONTENTS
Introduction .. . .. .. . .. ... ... .. ... 4
Aarakocra ............ . .. ....... 12
Aboleth .. ..... . .... .. . .. .. .. ... 13
Angels ... .... . ..... . ....... .. .. 15
Animated Objects ..... . .... ... . . 19
Ankheg ...... . .. . . .. . .......... 21
Azer .......... ...... . . . ... . .. .. 22
Banshee ......... . . . . ...... . .... 23
Basilisk .............. . .. . . ..... 24
Behir . .. .. ................. .. . . 25
Beholders ........... . .......... 26
Blights .. . ....... ............... 31
Bugbears ....... .. .............. 33
Bulette .. . .. . . ... .... . .......... 34
Bullywug . ..... ......... . .. ..... 35
Cambion .. . .. . ............ . ... . 36
Carrion Crawler ................ 37
Centaur ... . .. . ... . . . .. . . .. ..... 38
Chimera ..... .. .......... .. ... . 39
Chuul .. . .. ... . . .. .. ... . . . .... .. 40
Cloaker ...... . .. . ...... . .. . ... . 41
Cockatrice .. . ... . .... .. .. .. .. .. 42
Couatl . . .. .... . . .. . .. . . ........ 43
Crawling Claw .. .. . ... . . ... ..... 44
Cyclops ..... . .. . .. .. . ...... . ... 45
Darkmantle ... .. ~ ..... . .. . ... .. 46
Death Knight .. . . ... ... . . . .. ... . 47
Demilich .. . ...... . .. . .. .. . . .... 48
Demons ......... ·"· ... .. . .. . . ... 50
Devils .. ......... : . .. . ..... . ... . 66
Dinosaurs . ............ . .. . ..... 79
Displacer Beast ........ ..... .... 81
Doppelganger ........ ..... . ..... 82
Dracolich .. . .. .................. 83
Dragon, Shadow ... . ......... .. . 84
Dragons . . .. .. . .. ............. . 86
Dragon Turtle ............. .. . . 119
Drider . .. . .. ........ . ......... 120
Dryad . .. .... . ......... .... ... . 121
Duergar . .. . .. . .. ............. . 122
Elementals ............. . .. .... 123
Elves: Drow .... . . . ....... . ... . 126
Empyrean ................. . .. . 130
Ettercap ...... . .. . . ..... . .. .. . . 131
Ettin .. ..... .... ... . . . .. . ... . .. 132
Faerie Dragon . ...... . . . . .. .. .. 133
Flameskull ........ . . . ... . .. ... 134
Flumph . .. . . . . .. ...... . . .. .... 135
Fomorian .... .. .. ..... . . . ..... 136
Fungi ............ . .... .... . ... 137
Galeb Duhr ... . ..... . .......... 139
Gargoyle . .. ..... .. ... .. ..... .. 140
Genies . .. .. . .. .. ..... . . .... ... 141
Ghost . .. . .... ...... . . .. .. . .. .. 147
Ghouls ....... . ........... .. .. . 148
Giants ........ .. .... . .. . .. . .. . 149
Gibbering Mouther .... . ...... .. 157
Gith ...... . .......... ..... ..... 158
Gnolls . . .. . .. . . .. ...... . . ..... 162

Gnome, Deep (Svirfneblin) . . .. . . 164
Goblins ................. . ..... 165
Colems ........ ...... . .. .... .. 167
Gorgon ..... .... .. .. .... .. . .. . 171
Grell ... ... ...... .. . . .. ....... . 172
Grick . . ....... .. ... . .. ........ 173
Griffon . . ....... . ... .. .. . ..... . 174
Grimlock . . .. .. .... . ... .. . .... . 175
Hags ............. . ... . ... . .... 176
Half-Dragon .. . .. . ... . .. . ...... 180
Harpy .. . . .. . .. .... ... . . .. ... .. 181
Hell Hound . .. . ....... . . . ... ... 182
Helmed Horror .......... . . .. .. 183
Hippogriff ............. . .... . .. 184
Hobgoblins . . . . ........ .. . .. . . . 185
Homunculus . .. ........ .. .. . ... 188
Hook Horror ... . .... .. ...... . .. 189
Hydra ..... . ... . ... ..... . .. .. .. 190
Intellect Devourer ............ .. 191
Invisible Stalker .. ........... .. 192
Jackalwere .... . .. . ....... ..... 193
Kenku . . ..... . ........ . .... . .. 194
Kobolds ...... .. .. .. . ...... . . .. 195
Kraken ....... . ... .. .... .. . . . . . 196
Kuo-toa ... . ....... . ...... . .. .. 198
Lamia . .... . ....... . .. ... . .... 201
Lich . ......... . .. .. . ..... ... .. 202
Lizardfolk ....... .. .. .. ........ 204
Lycanthropes .... .. .. . ... .. ... . 206
Magmin ................. . ..... 212
Manticore ........... .. ..... . . . 213
Medusa ........... .. .. . ....... 214
Mephits . . ...... ... . ... . ...... . 215
Merfolk .......... .. . . . . ....... 218
Merrow ....... ..... . .... ...... 219
Mimic ........ . .. ... . .. ....... 220
Mind Flayer .. . .... .. .. ..... ... 221
Minotaur . .. . ... .. . .... ........ 223
Modrons ........ . . .... . ..... .. 224
Mummies ... . .... .. . . .... . .... 227
Myconids . ... . .... .. .. .. .. . .... 230
Nagas .. ...... . ... .. ...... . .... 233
Nightmare ..... .... ..... . . .. . . 235
Nothic .... ..... .. .. . ........ . . 236
Ogres ... . . . . .. .. . ... . ...... ... 237
Oni . ........... . .... . ...... . .. 239
Oozes . .... . .... . .. . . . ... .. .. . . 240
Orcs ... . ................ .. .... 244
Oty ugh .. . .. ......... .. . .. .... 248
Owlbear . ......... . . . ......... 249
Pegasus . ... ........ .. .. . ...... 250
Peryton ....... .. . .. .. ......... 251
Piercer .. .. . . ... . .. ........ .. .. 252
Pixie . .. ..... .. . .. .......... ... 253
Pseudodragon ........ .. ... . . .. 254
Purple Worm ..... . ... .. . ... . .. 255
Quaggoth .. . ......... ...... .. . 256
Rakshasa ....... . ... .. ...... .. 257
Remorhazes ....... ... ...... . .. 258

Revenant .. ... . . .... . .. ..... . .. 259
Roc ...... .. ......... . .. ... .... 260
Roper ....... . ......... .. . . . . .. 261
Rust Monster . . . . .... . . . . ...... 262
Sahuagin ....... .... . ...... ... 263.
Salamanders . ..... . .... ... . , .' . 265
Satyr . . .. ...... . ... ... . . ....... 267
Scarecrow . .... .... . ..... . .... 268
Shadow . .. . . .. .. ..... ......... 269
Shambling Mound . .. . ... : . .'' .. ·. ~70
S hield Guardian . ........... ... . 271
Skeletons .. . . . .. .. . . .. . ....... 272
Slaadi ............ . . ..... ·. .... 274
Specter ..... . . .. ....... .... . . . 279
Sphinxes .... .. .. . ... . ......... 280
Sprite .. . .. ... . .. •.. . ...... ... . . 283
Stirge ............ . ......... .. . 284
Succubus/ Incubus .. .... ....... 285
Tarrasque ..................... 286
Thri-kreen . ............ . ....... 288
Treant ...... . .. .. ..... . .. . ..... 289
Troglodyte .. . .. . ..... .. . . ...... 290
Troll ...... . ..... . ..... . . . ..... 291
Umber Hulk ... . ............... 292
Unicorn .... ................ . .. 293
Vampires ....... . ............. 295
Water Weird . .. . . .. ......... .. . 299
Wight .. . .. . . . .. .. . ......... . . . 300
Will-o'-wisp . . . ... ....... .. -. ... 301
Wraith .. .. . . . ...... .. ....... .. 302
Wyvern . . .. . .. ... . ..... .. ..... 303
Xorn ... . .. . .. . . . ..... . ........ 304
Yetis .......... .. . . .. . ... .. ... . 305
Yuan-ti ...... . . . . ....... . ...... 307
Yugoloths .................. .. . 311
Zombies ........ . . . .. .. .... .. .' 315
Append ix A: Miscellaneous
Creatures ........ ... ........ 317
Appendix B: Nonplayer
Characters ...... . .. .. . . ... .. 342
Index of Stat Blocks .. .. .. . .... . 351

INTRODUCTION
his bestiary is for storytellers and worldbuilders. If you have ever thought about
running a DUNGEONS & DRAGONS game
for your friends, either a single night's
adventure or a long-running campaign,
this tome contains page after page of
inspiration. It's your one-stop shop for
creatures both malevolent and benign.
Some of the creatures that inhabit the worlds of
D&D have origins rooted in real-world mythology and
fantasy literature. Other creatures are D&D originals.
The monsters in this book have been culled from all
previous editions of the game. Herein you'll discover
classic critters such as the beholder and the displacer
beast next to more recent creations such as the chuul
and the twig blight. Common beasts mingle with the
weird , the terrifying, and the ridiculous. In collecting
.mons~ers from the past, we've endeavored to reflect the
multifaceted nature of the game, warts and all. D&D
monsters come in all shapes and sizes, with stories that
not only thrill us but also make us smile.
If you're an experienced Dungeon Master (DM), a few
of th<'; monster write-ups might surprise you, for we've
gone into the Monster Manuals of yore and discovered
some long-lost factoids. We've also added a few new
twists . Naturally, you can do with these monsters what
you will. Nothing we say here is intended to curtail
your creativity. If the minotaurs in your world are
shipbuilders and pirates, who are we to argue with you?
>It's your world, after all.

How TO UsE THIS BooK
The best thing about being a DM is that you get to invent
your own fantasy world and bring it to life, and nothing
brings a D&D world to life more than the creatures
that inhabit it. You might read a monster's entry and
be spurred to create an adventure revolving around it,
or you might have an awesome idea for a dungeon and
· need just the right monsters to populate it. That's where
the Monster Manual comes in handy.
The Monster Manual is one of three books that form
the foundation of the DUNGEONS & DRAGONS game,
the other two being the Player's Handbook and the
Dungeon Master's Guide. The Monster Manual, like
the Dungeon Master's Guide, is a book for DMs. Use it
to populate your D&D adventures with pesky goblins,
stinky troglodytes, savage orcs, mighty dragons, and a
veritable horde of creepy crawlies.
Guidelines for creating encounters with monsters can
be found in the Dungeon Master's Guide. That book also
contains wandering monster tables and other goodies
to help you use the monsters in this book in interesting
ways, as well as advice for modifying monsters and
creating your own.
If you've never run a D&D adventure before, we
recommend that you pick up the DUNGEONS & DRAGONS
Starter Set, which demonstrates how to take a bunch of
monsters and build an exciting adventure around them.

WHAT Is

A

MoNSTER?

A monster is defined as any creature that can be
interacted with and potentially fought and killed. Even
something as harmless as a frog or as benevolent as
a unicorn is a monster by this definition. The term
also applies to humans, elves, dwarves, and other
civilized folk who might be friends or rivals to the player
characters. Most of the monsters that haunt the D&D
world, however, are threats that are meant to be stopped:
rampaging demons, conniving devils, soul-sucking
undead, summoned elementals- the list goes on.
This book contains ready-to-play, easy-to-run
monsters of all levels, and for nearly every climate and
terrain imaginable. Whether your adventure takes place
in a swamp, a dungeon, or the outer planes of existence,
there are creatures in this book to populate that
environment.

WHERE Do MoNSTERS DwELL?
If you are new to the D&D game, you might not be
familiar with the weird and wondrous places where
monsters can be found and fought.
DuN GE ON S

When most people think of a dungeon, images of dark
cells with iron bars and shackles spring to mind. In
the D&D game, the word "dungeon" takes on a broader
meaning to include any enclosed, monster-infested
location. Most dungeons are sprawling underground
complexes. Here are a few other examples:
A ruined wizard's tower atop a lonely hill riddled with
goblin-infested tunnels
• A pharaoh's pyramid filled with haunted crypts and
secret treasure vaults
• A lost city in the jungle, overgrown with vines and
overrun with demons and demon-worshiping cultists
The icy tomb of a frost giant king
A filthy, labyrinthine sewer system controlled by a
gang of wererats
THE UNDERDA RK

There is no greater dungeon than the Underdark, the
underworld beneath the surface world. It is a vast
subterranean realm where monsters accustomed to
darkness dwell. It is a place filled with lightless caverns
connected by tunnels that wind ever downward. One
could spend a lifetime (however brief!) exploring the
Underdark and find such places as the following:
A mind flayer prison or asylum, filled with mindless
thralls and raving lunatics
A lost dwarven necropolis containing row after row of
dusty tombs waiting to be plundered
• A fortified outpost br-i stling with armaments, guarding
the way to a magnificent drow city
A subterranean rift filled with giant fungi and ruled by
a megalomaniacal beholder or mad fomorian king
• A chain of rocky islands on a vast, sunless sea that's
home to aboleths and insane kuo-toa

ThE WILDERNESS

Not all monsters lurk underground. Many of them
inhabit deserts, mountains, swamps, canyons, forests,
and other natural settings. The wilderness can be just
as dangerous as any dungeon, particularly when there's
nowhere to hide! Some wilderness locations are just as
memorable as any dungeon:
• A roc's nest made of shattered ship hulls, built atop a
lonely mountain or rocky hill
A vast arctic tundra that serves as a hunting ground
for berserkers and yeti
A primeval forest protected by treants or corrupted by
demon-worshiping gnolls
A fog-shrouded swamp haunted by lizardfolk that
worship a vile black dragon
A jungle island inhabited by dinosaurs and human
tribal warriors
TOWNS AND CITIES

Some of the best adventures unfold in the cradles of
civilization. Urban settings afford adventurers the
chance to rub shoulders with the rich and powerful, butt
heads with the dregs of society, and peel back the veneer
of civility to see the monstrous evil lurking beneath.
Within a medieval town or city are places as deadly as
any dungeon:
• A clock tower that serves as a base for a guild of
kenku rogues and assassins
• A slavers' den hidden in an orphanage run by a
rakshasa disguised as the headmaster
A wizard's academy rife with corruption and practitioners of the necromantic arts
A noble's manor where rich, devil-worshiping cultists
gather to perform sacrifices
• A temple, vault, or museum watched day and night by
animated constructs
UNDERWATER

Not all adventures take place on land. This book casts
light on several creatures that haunt the oceans of the
world, from the devilish sahuagin to the peaceful aquatic
elves who loathe them. Within this aquatic domain are
many surprising adventure locations:
• A graveyard of sunken ships haunted by sharks,
aquatic ghouls, and angry ghosts
• A storm giant's coral castle, beautiful yet foreboding
• A lost city on the sea floor, encased in a magic bubble
of air and ruled by a medusa queen
A kraken's cave or bronze dragon's cavernous lair,
filled with ancient treasures
A sunken temple of Sekolah, evil god of the sahuagin
THE PLANES OF EXISTENCE

The Abyss. The Nine Hells. The City of Brass. Such
faraway places beckon high-level adventurers to their
doorsteps, defying the brave and the foolhardy to
overthrow their evil masters and unlock their hidden
mysteries. Many powerful, weird creatures live on other

planes of existence, from orderly modrons to murderous
demons. When it comes to interesting adventure
locations, not even the sky is the limit when you pass
beyond the boundaries of the world:
• A pit fiend's stronghold on Avern us, the first layer of
the Nine Hells
• A haunted castle in the Shadowfell that serves as a
shadow dragon's lair
An elf queen's tomb in the Feywild
A djinni's palace on the Elemental P lane of Air, filled
with marvelous stolen treasures
A lich's secret demiplane, where the undead arch mage
hides its phylactery and spellbook
See the Dungeon Master's Guide for more information
on the planes of existence.

WHAT MoNSTERS TO UsE?
Many monsters inhabit dungeons, while others live in
deserts, forests, labyrinths, and other environments.
Regardless of which environment a monster
traditionally calls home, you can place it anywhere
you want. After all, "fish out of water" stories are
memorable, and sometimes it's fun to surprise players
with gricks hiding under the desert sands or a dryad
living in a giant mushroom in the Underdark.

STATISTICS
A monster's statistics, sometimes referred to as its stat
block, provide the essential information that you need
to run the monster.

SIZE
A monster can be Tiny, Small, Medium, Large, Huge,
or Gargantuan. The Size Categories table shows how
much space a creature of a particular size controls
in combat. See the Player's Handbook for more
information on creature size and space.
SIZE CATEGO RI ES

Size
Tiny
Smal l
Medium
Large
Huge
Gargantuan

Space
21/2 by 21/2 ft.
5 by 5 ft.
5 by 5 ft.
10 by 10ft.
15 by 15 ft.
20 by 20ft. or larger

Exam ples
Imp, sprite
Giant rat, goblin
Ore, werewolf
Hippogriff, ogre
Fire giant, treant
Kraken, purple worm

M O DIFYING CREAT U RES

Despite the versatile col lection of monsters in this book,
you might be at a loss when it comes to finding the perfect
creature for part of an adventure. Feel free to tweak an
existing creature to make it into something more useful for
you, perhaps by borrowing a trait or two from a different
monster or by using a varia nt or template, su~h as the
ones in this book. Keep in mind that modifying a monster,
including when you apply a temp late to it, might change its
chal lenge rating.
For advice on how to customize creatures and calculate
their chal lenge ratings, see the Dungeon Master's Guide.

6

l \,,,

''

'

A monster's type speaks to its fundamental nature.
Certain spells, magic items, class features, and other
effects in the game interact in special ways with
creatures of a particular type. For example, an arrow of
dragon slaying deals extra damage not only to dragons
but also other creatures of the dragon type, such as
dragon turtles and wyverns.
The game includes the following monster types, which
have no rules of their own.
Aberrations are utterly alien beings. Many of them
have innate magical abilities drawn from the creature's
alien mind rather than the mystical forces of the world.
The quintessential aberrations are aboleths, beholders,
mind fiayers, and slaadi.
Beasts are nonhumanoid creatures that are a natural
part of the fantasy ecology. Some of them have magical
powers, but most are unintelligent and lack any society
or language. Beasts include all varieties of ordinary
animals, dinosaurs, and giant versions of animals.
Celestials are creatures native to the Upper Planes.
Many of them are the servants of deities, employed
as messengers or agents in the mortal realm and
throughout the planes. Celestials are good by nature,
so the exceptional celestial who strays from a good
alignment is a horrifying rarity. Celestials include
angels, couatls, and pegasi.
Constructs are made, not born. Some are
programmed by their creators to'follow a simple set of
instructions, while others are imbued with sentience
and capable of independent thought. Golems are the
iconic constructs. Many creatures native to the outer
plane of Mechanus, such as modrons, are constructs
shaped from the raw material of the plane by the will of
more powerful creatures.
Dragons are large reptilian creatures of ancient origin
and tremendous power. True dragons, including the
good metallic dragons and the evil chromatic dragons,
are highly intelligent and have innate magic. Also in this
category are creatures distantly related to true dragons,
but less powerful, less intelligent, and less magical, such
as wyverns and pseudodragons.
Elementals are creatures native to the elemental
planes. Some creatures of this type are little more than
animate masses of their respective elements, including
the creatures simply called elementals. Others have
biological forms infused with elemental energy. The
races of genies, including djinn and efreet, form the
most important civilizations on the elemental planes.
Other elemental creatures include azers, invisible
stalkers, and water weirds.
Fey are magical creatures closely tied to the forces of
nature. They dwell in twilight groves and misty forests.
In some worlds, they are closely tied to the Feywild, also
called the Plane of Faerie. Some are also found in the
Outer Planes, particularly the planes of Arborea and the
Beastlands. Fey include dryads, pixies, and satyrs.
Fiends are creatures of wickedness that are native
to the Lower Planes. A few are the servants of deities,
but many more labor under the leadership of archdevils
and demon princes. Evil priests and mages sometimes

summon fiends to tne' material world to do their bidding.
If an evil celestial is a rarity, a good fiend is almost
inconceivable. Fiends include demons, devils, hell
hounds, rakshasas, and yugoloths.
Giants tower over humans and their kind. They are
humanlike in shape, though some have multiple heads
(ettins) or deformities (fomorians). The six varieties of
true giant are hill giants, stone giants, frost giants, fire
giants, cloud giants, and storm giants. Besides these,
creatures such as ogres and trolls are giants.
Humanoids are the main peoples of the D&D
world, both civilized and savage, including humans
and a tremendous variety of other species. They have
language and culture, few if any innate magical abilities
(though most humanoids can learn spellcasting), and a
bipedal form. The most common humanoid races are
the ones most suitable as player characters: humans,
dwarves, elves, and halflings. Almost as numerous but
far more savage and brutal, and almost uniformly evil,
are the races of goblinoids (gol:ilins, hobgoblins, and
bugbears), orcs, gnolls, lizardfolk, and kobolds.
A variety of humanoids appear throughout this book,
but the races detailed in the Player's Handbook- with
the exception of drow-are dealt with in appendix B.
That appendix gives you a number of stat blocks that
you·can use to make various members of those races.
-Monstrosities are monsters in the strictest sensefrightening creatures that are not ordinary, not truly
natural, and almost never benign. Some are the
results of magical experimentation gone awry (such
as owlbears), and others ,a re the product-of terrible
curses (including minotaurs and yuan-ti). They defy
categorization, and in some sense serve as a catch-all
category for creatures that don't fit into any other type.
Oozes are gelatinous creatures that rarely have a
fixed shape. They are mostly subterranean, dwelling
in caves and dungeons and feeding on refuse, carrion,
or creatures unlucky enough to get in their way. Black
puddings and gelatinous cubes are among the most
recognizable oozes.
Plants in this context are vegetable creatures, not
ordinary flora. Most of them are ambulatory, and some
are carnivorous. The quintessential plants are the
shambling mound and the treant. Fungal creatures
such as the gas spore and the myconid also fall into
this category.
Undead are once-living creatures brought to a
horrifying state of undeath through the practice of
necromantic magic or some unholy curse. Undead
include walking corpses, such as vampires and zombies,
as well as bodiless spirits, such as ghosts and specters.
TAGS

A monster might have one or more tags appended to
its type, in parentheses. For example, an ore has the
hum~noid (ore) type. The parenthetical tags provide
additional categorization for certain creatures. The tags
have no rules of their own, but something in the game,
such as a magic item, might refer to them. For instance,
a spear that is especially effective at fighting demons
would work aga~nst any monster that has the demon tag.

ALIGNMENT
A monster's alignment provides a clue to its di~positiron
and how it behaves in a roleplaying or combat situation.
For example, a chaotic evil monster might be difficult
to reason with and might attack characters on sight,
whereas a neutral monster might be willing to Regotiate.
See the Player's Handbook for descriptions of the '
different alignments.
,
The alignment specified in a monster's stat blo~k 'is·
the default. Feel free to depart from it and' ch'ange a
monster's alignment to suit the needs of your campaign.Ifyou want a good-aligned green dragon or ari -evil'storm ·
'
giant, there's nothing stopping you.
Some creatures can have any alignment. In ~ther
words, you choose the monster's alignment. Some
monster's alignment entry indicates a tendency or ''
aversion toward law, chaos, good, or evil. For example,
a berserker can be any chaotic alignment (chaotic good,
chaotic neutral, or chaotic evil), as befits its wild nature.
Many creatures of low intelligence have no
comprehension of law or chaos, good or evil. They don't
make moral or ethical choices, but rather act on instinct.
These creatures are unaligned, which means they don't
have an alignment.

ARMOR CLASS
A monster that wears armor or carries a shield has
an Armor Class (AC) that takes its armor, shield, and
Dexterity into account. Otherwise, a monster's AC is
based on its Dexterity modifier and natural armor,
if any. If a monster has natural armor, wears armor,
or carries a shield, this is noted in parentheses after
its AC value.

HIT POINTS
A monster usually dies or is destroyed when it
drops to 0 hit points. For more on hit points, see the '
Player's Handbook.
A monster's hit points are presented both as a die
expression and as an average number. For example,
a monster with 2d8 hit points has 9 hit points on
average (2 x 4Y2).
A monster's size determines the die used to calculate
its hit points, as shown in the Hit Dice by Size table.
HIT DICE BY SIZE

Monster Size
Tiny
Small
Medium
Large
Huge
Gargantuan

Hit Die
d4
d6
d8
dlO
dl2
d20

Average HP per Die
21/2
31/2
41f2
51/2
61/2
101/2

A monster's Constitution modifier also affects the
number of hit points it has. Its 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) an'd 2cl8
Hit Dice, it has 2d8 + 2 hit points (average 11). r
' "'

7

SPEED
A monster's s peed tells you how far it can move on
its turn. For more information on s peed, see the
Player's Handbook.
All creatures have a wa lking s peed , s imply called the
monster's s peed. Creatures that have no form of groundbased locomotion have a wa lking s peed of 0 feet.
Some creatures have one or more of the following
additiona l movement modes.
BURROW

A monster that has a burrowing s peed can use that
s peed to move through sa nd, earth, mud, or ice. A
mons ter can't burrow through solid rock unless it has a
special tra it that allows it to do so.
CLIMB

A monster that has a climbing speed can use all or
part of its movement to move on vertical s urfaces . The
monster doesn't need to s pend extra moveme nt to climb.
FLY
A monster that has a flyin g s peed can use a ll or pa rt
of its movement to fly. Some monsters have the ability
to hover, which makes them ha rd to knock out of the
air (as explained in the rules on flying in the Player's
Handbook). Such a monster stops hovering when it dies.
SWIM

A monster that has a swimming speed doesn't need to
spend extra movement to swim.

ABILITY SCORES
Every monster has six ability scores (Strength,
Dexterity, Constitution, Intelligence, Wisdom , and
Charis ma) a nd corresponding modifie rs. For more
information on ability scores a nd how they're used in
play, s ee the Player's Handbook.

SAVING THROWS
The Saving Throws entry is reserved for creatures
that are adept at resisting certai n kinds of effects .
For exa mple, a creature that isn't easily charmed or
frightened might ga in a bonus on its Wisdom saving
throws . Most creatures don't have special saving throw
bonuses , in which case this section is absent.
A saving th row bonus is the s um of a monster's relevant
ability modifier and its proficiency bonus, which is
determined by the mons ter's challenge rating (as s hown
in the Proficiency Bonus by Cha llenge Rating table).

PROFICIENCY BONUS BY CHALLENGE RATING
Challenge

Proficiency
Bonus

Challenge

Proficiency
Bonus

+2
+2
+2
+2
+2
+2
+2
+2
+3
+3
+3
+3
+4
+4
+4
+4
+5

14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30

+5
+5
+5
+6
+6
+6
+6
+7
+7
+7
+7
-t-8
-t-8
-t-8
+8
+9
+9

0
1/8
1/4
1/2
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11

12
13

SKILLS
The S kills entry is reserved fo r monsters that are
proficient in one or more s k ills. For example, a monster
that is very perceptive a nd stealthy might have bonuses
to Wisdom (Perception) a nd Dexterity (Stealth) checks .
A skill bonus is the s um of a monster's relevant
ability modifier and its proficiency bonus, which is
determined by the monste r's challenge rating (as
s hown in the Proficiency Bonus by Challenge Rating
table). Other modifiers might apply. For instance, a
monster might have a larger-than-ex pected bonus
(us ually double its proficiency bonus) to account fo r
its he ightened expertise.

VULNERABILITIES, RESISTANCES,
AND IMMUNITIES
S ome creatu res have vulnerability, resista nce, or
immunity to certain types of damage. Additiona lly,
some creatures a re immune to certain conditions. If a
monster is immune to a game effect that is n't considered
damage or a condition, it has a special tra it.

SENSES
T he S enses entry notes a monster's passive
Wisdom (Perception) score, as well as a ny special
senses the monster might have. Specia l senses are
described below.
BLINDSIGHT

A monster with blindsight can perceive its s urroundings
without relying on s ight, w ithi n a speci fic radius .
Creatures without eyes, s uch as grim locks and gray
oozes, typically have this s pecial sense, as do creatures
w ith echolocation or heightened senses, s uch as bats
a nd true dragons.
If a monster is natura lly blind, it has a parenthetical
note to this effect, indicati ng that the radius of its
blinds ight defines the maximum range of its perception.

8

ARMOR, WEAPON, AND TOOL PROFICIENCIES

Assume that a creature is proficient with its armor, weapons,
and tools. If you swap them out, you decide whether the
creature is proficient with its new equipment.
For example, a hill giant typically wears hide armor and
wields a greatclub. You could equip a hill giant with chain
mail and a greataxe instead, and assume the giant is
proficient with both, one or the other, or neither.
See the Player's Handbook for rules on using armor or
weapons without proficiency.

Navigation menu