Monster Traits
A reference catalog of the special qualities, senses, and combat tricks attached to creatures in the bestiary — the shorthand by which every stat block earns its menace.
Traits · 118ReferenceA–W
Each stat block in the bestiary lists a handful of named traits. Those traits are defined here. Where a trait calls for bracketed values — such as [range, save, damage] — the creature’s entry supplies the specifics. Traits without parameters apply as written.
Conventions
- Bracketed values
- Filled in by the creature’s stat block.
- Saves
- Fortitude, Reflex, or Will — listed by initial.
- Senses
- Darkvision, Infravision, Truesight, etc. give a range.
- Energy types
- Fire, cold, electric, sonic, force, necrotic, psychic, radiant.
- Action economy
- Standard action, bonus action, reaction, or per-minute use.
- Stacking
- A creature may have many traits; each resolves independently.
Striking or touching this creature forces an Athletics check against its maneuver DC or the attacker's weapon or limb becomes stuck.
The creature has no rigid skeleton; it is immune to critical hits, flanking, and can squeeze through apertures as narrow as 1 inch.
This creature is capable of breathing both air and water.
This creature always succeeds on saves against magical effects.
This creature breathes water and cannot survive on land.
This creature can backstab like a rogue, dealing the given damage.
Striking this creature in melee without a reach weapon incurs given damage.
This creature can go berserk once per combat, gaining an extra attack. But it must always charge.
This creature can teleport the given distance as a reaction in response to being attacked.
This creature has the scent abilities of a wolf. It is never surprised by bleeding opponents.
Gain advantage on Perception checks to detect bleeding, wounded, or dying targets within 300 feet.
This creature can use its attacks to hurl energy bolts: [range, hit, type, damage].
This creature is immune to mind control, persuasion, and charm effects from anyone but its master.
This creature can throw boulders out to the given range for the given damage.
Immune to knockdown, shove, and forced movement while standing on solid ground.
This creature can exhale energy once per minute: [area, save, type, damage].
This creature can tunnel through earth (not bedrock) at the given speed.
This creature can hide in any environment, and gains advantage on stealth rolls.
If this creature can eat another creature of its type for at least 1 minute, it regains all its health.
If it can charge at least 20 feet, the first melee attack this creature makes deals double damage.
This creature can attempt to charm a target as an action, causing it to feel love or friendship.
If this creature reduces a target to 0 health with a melee attack it can attack an adjacent opponent for free.
This creature has climb speed equal to its foot speed and does not need to make climb checks.
The creature leaps or drops onto smaller prone targets, dealing 1d10 crushing damage per size difference + Might, pinning them.
This creature’s attacks can initiate a grapple in addition to dealing damage. Every round on the creature’s turn it deals melee damage until the target escapes. This usually means constriction or a lockable jaw.
This creature can see in the dark without color out to a given range.
This creature can cause deafness for the scene in nearby creatures if they fail the given save.
Meeting this creature’s gaze forces a saving throw to avoid a given type of damage.
This creature cannot use heavy weapons and has disadvantage on might checks and fortitude saves.
This creature can discorporate as an action, occupying an area and sensing creatures as an alarm spell.
This creature can force a target to obey its commands: [range, difficulty, duration].
This creature can assume the form of any humanoid creature of similar size.
This creature has binocular vision and gets advantage on perception checks that utilize sight.
This creature uses sound to see, out to the given range.
This creature can add the given electric damage to a successful attack once a minute.
This creature’s blows deal extra energy damage of the given type and quantity.
This creature can spray webs or set web traps [area, save].
This creature can sense surface thoughts out to a given range on a failed will save.
This creature can become ethereal or revert to solidity as an action.
This creature explodes on death, dealing the listed damage [radius, save, damage].
This creature’s attacks inflict blood loss damage each round unless healed.
Foot or running speed exceeds standard humanoid baselines by +10 feet or more.
Can Dash as a bonus action when moving directly toward an enemy.
This creature is immune to fire, and contact with its blood causes fire damage.
This creature can emit a ray of light and causes blindness on a failed save [area, save, duration].
This creature has no circulatory system and is immune to poison and bleed effects.
This creature can throw grappled opponents a given distance for given damage.
This creature can make a single attack while flying past a target at full speed.
This creature can walk on walls or ceilings as though they were solid ground.
This creature has a given flight speed.
This creature will automatically go berserk if reduced to half health.
Deprecated alias for Pack Predator; use Pack Predator instead.
This creature can attempt a grapple as part of a melee attack without provoking opportunity attacks.
Melee or missile hit impales target; target cannot move further away until it spends an action to pull the barb free, taking 1d6 rending damage.
This creature can enter suspended animation or magical slumber for indefinite periods of time.
This creature is immune to the listed forms of damage.
This creature has disadvantage on spirit checks and will saves.
This creature’s melee attacks force a fortitude save to avoid contracting the listed disease.
This creature can see heat out to the given range.
This creature is permanently invisible.
This creature can only be harmed by the listed damage types.
This creature’s melee attacks force an athletics check to avoid falling prone.
This creature can use a bonus action to command an ally within 60 feet to make one immediate attack or move half its speed.
This creature can jump the listed distance as a move action or bonus action.
This creature floats off the ground when traveling, without need for legs.
Melee damage inflicted by this creature can only be restored with magical healing.
This creature can detect the presence of living things at the listed range.
Melee hit initiates a grapple. Target takes automatic weapon damage at the start of its turn until it escapes.
Extra limbs grant extra attacks and allow equipping of extra tools.
This creature can use a reaction to redirect an attack against an ally within 10′ to itself.
Eye contact with this creature can force a will save to avoid incapacitation and suggestion.
Proficient in medium armor, shields, and martial weapons.
This creature can mimic the sounds of any creature it has ever heard.
This creature can attack minds as a standard action: [range, save, damage, effects].
Immune to charm, fear, morale checks, and psychic damage.
This creature can assume gaseous form or revert to flesh as a bonus action.
This creature has the auditory ability of an owl, and gets advantage on perception checks involving hearing.
Gains advantage on melee attacks against a target if an ally is adjacent to that target.
This creature has an attack that forces a fortitude save to resist petrification.
If exposed to sunlight this creature takes the listed damage and suffers disadvantage on attacks.
This creature can travel to another plane of existence as an action.
This creature has an attack that poisons the target: [type, save, onset, damage, effects].
Takes double damage from braced spears, pikes, and polearms on charge attacks.
This creature has a list of psychic powers from the psionics page.
Creatures starting their turn within melee range must make a fortitude save or be poisoned for a turn.
This creature has four legs, enhanced speed, and gets advantage on rolls to avoid knockdown.
This creature has extra melee reach of the listed range.
This creature regains the given health each round unless it takes certain damage.
When reduced to 0 Health, make one immediate final melee attack as a reaction before collapsing.
If this creature hits twice in the same round it deals the extra given damage.
This creature takes only half of the listed types of damage.
This creature has a roar that can be heard at great distances.
This creature can teleport from one area of dim lighting to another as a bonus action.
The creature is uncoordinated, with a foot speed of 20 and disadvantage on agility checks and reflex saves.
This creature can assume the form of any beast or humanoid of the creature’s form or smaller.
Immune to mundane missile weapons (slings, bows, javelins) with Penetration less than 2.
Attacks on structures and inanimate objects from this creature deal double damage.
This creature’s movements make no sound if it does not wish them to.
This creature has a number of spells, an arete score, and a mana pool.
This creature can use aura sight at will and study other creatures’ souls.
This creature has enhanced stealth ability and can hide as a bonus action.
This creature has an advanced soak score and natural armor.
This creature’s attacks force a fortitude save to avoid being stunned for 1 round.
On a successful attack against a grappled, smaller opponent, swallows the target; swallowed targets take ongoing acid and crushing damage each round until freed.
Enhances one melee attack to deal +1d10 crushing damage per size category difference and forces an Athletics/Acrobatics check or the target falls prone.
This creature has a dangerous tail that it can use to make bonus attacks.
This creature can communicate with any creature telepathically.
This creature is so scary it forces a morale check at the onset of combat.
This creature’s attacks drain a given amount of mana from the target.
This creature’s blood is toxic. Bite attacks against it deal the given poison damage.
Bonus action attack against a prone target at least two size categories smaller, dealing 1d10 crushing damage per size difference + Might.
This creature enjoys true seeing whenever it wishes to.
This creature can see in the ultraviolet spectrum if it wishes.
If reduced to 0 health this creature can make a fortitude save to revive with 1 health.
This creature’s damaging attacks heal it for the same amount.
The creature takes double damage from the listed damage type.
This creature gets advantage on all saves against spells and magic effects.
Unholy presence raises local environmental stress or Veil degradation by +1 each round.