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 · 100ReferenceA–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.
- Amphibious
- This creature is capable of breathing both air and water.
- Antimagic
- This creature always succeeds on saves against magical effects.
- Aquatic
- This creature breathes water and cannot survive on land.
- Backstab
- This creature can backstab like a rogue, dealing the given damage.
- Barbs
- Striking this creature in melee without a reach weapon incurs given damage.
- Berserker
- This creature can go berserk once per combat, gaining an extra attack. But it must always charge.
- Blinking
- This creature can teleport the given distance as a reaction in response to being attacked.
- Bloodhound
- This creature has the scent abilities of a wolf. It is never surprised by bleeding opponents.
- Bolt
- This creature can use its attacks to hurl energy bolts: [range, hit, type, damage].
- Bonded
- This creature is immune to mind control, persuasion, and charm effects from anyone but its master.
- Boulders
- This creature can throw boulders out to the given range for the given damage.
- Breath
- This creature can exhale energy once per minute: [area, save, type, damage].
- Burrow
- This creature can tunnel through earth (not bedrock) at the given speed.
- Camouflage
- This creature can hide in any environment, and gains advantage on stealth rolls.
- Cannibal
- If this creature can eat another creature of its type for at least 1 minute, it regains all its health.
- Charger
- If it can charge at least 20 feet, the first melee attack this creature makes deals double damage.
- Charm
- This creature can attempt to charm a target as an action, causing it to feel love or friendship.
- Cleave
- If this creature reduces a target to 0 health with a melee attack it can attack an adjacent opponent for free.
- Climber
- This creature has climb speed equal to its foot speed and does not need to make climb checks.
- Crushing
- 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.
- Darkvision
- This creature can see in the dark without color out to a given range.
- Deafening
- This creature can cause deafness for the scene in nearby creatures if they fail the given save.
- Deathgaze
- Meeting this creature’s gaze forces a saving throw to avoid a given type of damage.
- Decrepit
- This creature cannot use heavy weapons and has disadvantage on might checks and fortitude saves.
- Discorporate
- This creature can discorporate as an action, occupying an area and sensing creatures as an alarm spell.
- Domination
- This creature can force a target to obey its commands: [range, difficulty, duration].
- Doppelganger
- This creature can assume the form of any humanoid creature of similar size.
- Eagleeyes
- This creature has binocular vision and gets advantage on perception checks that utilize sight.
- Echolocation
- This creature uses sound to see, out to the given range.
- Electroshock
- This creature can add the given electric damage to a successful attack once a minute.
- Empowered
- This creature’s blows deal extra energy damage of the given type and quantity.
- Enwebment
- This creature can spray webs or set web traps [area, save].
- ESP
- This creature can sense surface thoughts out to a given range on a failed will save.
- Etherealness
- This creature can become ethereal or revert to solidity as an action.
- Exploding
- This creature explodes on death, dealing the listed damage [radius, save, damage].
- Exsanguinate
- This creature’s attacks inflict blood loss damage each round unless healed.
- Fireblood
- This creature is immune to fire, and contact with its blood causes fire damage.
- Flashray
- This creature can emit a ray of light and causes blindness on a failed save [area, save, duration].
- Fleshless
- This creature has no circulatory system and is immune to poison and bleed effects.
- Fling
- This creature can throw grappled opponents a given distance for given damage.
- Flyby
- This creature can make a single attack while flying past a target at full speed.
- Flyfeet
- This creature can walk on walls or ceilings as though they were solid ground.
- Flying
- This creature has a given flight speed.
- Frenzy
- This creature will automatically go berserk if reduced to half health.
- Gangup
- This creature gains advantage on attacks against a target if an ally with this ability has attacked it this round.
- Grab
- This creature can attempt a grapple as part of a melee attack without provoking opportunity attacks.
- Hibernate
- This creature can enter suspended animation or magical slumber for indefinite periods of time.
- Immune
- This creature is immune to the listed forms of damage.
- Impressionable
- This creature has disadvantage on spirit checks and will saves.
- Infectious
- This creature’s melee attacks force a fortitude save to avoid contracting the listed disease.
- Infravision
- This creature can see heat out to the given range.
- Invisible
- This creature is permanently invisible.
- Invulnerable
- This creature can only be harmed by the listed damage types.
- Knockdown
- This creature’s melee attacks force an athletics check to avoid falling prone.
- Leadership
- This creature can use a bonus action to command an ally within 60 feet to make one immediate attack or move half its speed.
- Leaping
- This creature can jump the listed distance as a move action or bonus action.
- Levitation
- This creature floats off the ground when traveling, without need for legs.
- Lifedrain
- Melee damage inflicted by this creature can only be restored with magical healing.
- Lifesense
- This creature can detect the presence of living things at the listed range.
- Many Limbs
- Extra limbs grant extra attacks and allow equipping of extra tools.
- Martyrdom
- This creature can use a reaction to redirect an attack against an ally within 10′ to itself.
- Mesmerism
- Eye contact with this creature can force a will save to avoid incapacitation and suggestion.
- Militant
- Proficient in medium armor, shields, and martial weapons.
- Mimicry
- This creature can mimic the sounds of any creature it has ever heard.
- Mindblast
- This creature can attack minds as a standard action: [range, save, damage, effects].
- Mistform
- This creature can assume gaseous form or revert to flesh as a bonus action.
- Owlears
- This creature has the auditory ability of an owl, and gets advantage on perception checks involving hearing.
- Petrification
- This creature has an attack that forces a fortitude save to resist petrification.
- Photosensitive
- If exposed to sunlight this creature takes the listed damage and suffers disadvantage on attacks.
- Planeshift
- This creature can travel to another plane of existence as an action.
- Poison
- This creature has an attack that poisons the target: [type, save, onset, damage, effects].
- Psychic
- This creature has a list of psychic powers from the psionics page.
- Putrid
- Creatures starting their turn within melee range must make a fortitude save or be poisoned for a turn.
- Quadruped
- This creature has four legs, enhanced speed, and gets advantage on rolls to avoid knockdown.
- Reach
- This creature has extra melee reach of the listed range.
- Regenerate
- This creature regains the given health each round unless it takes certain damage.
- Rend
- If this creature hits twice in the same round it deals the extra given damage.
- Resistant
- This creature takes only half of the listed types of damage.
- Roar
- This creature has a roar that can be heard at great distances.
- Shadewalk
- This creature can teleport from one area of dim lighting to another as a bonus action.
- Shambler
- The creature is uncoordinated, with a foot speed of 20 and disadvantage on agility checks and reflex saves.
- Shapeshifter
- This creature can assume the form of any beast or humanoid of the creature’s form or smaller.
- Siegebeast
- Attacks on structures and inanimate objects from this creature deal double damage.
- Silenced
- This creature’s movements make no sound if it does not wish them to.
- Sorcery
- This creature has a number of spells, an arete score, and a mana pool.
- Soulsight
- This creature can use aura sight at will and study other creatures’ souls.
- Stealthy
- This creature has enhanced stealth ability and can hide as a bonus action.
- Stoneskin
- This creature has an advanced soak score and natural armor.
- Stunning
- This creature’s attacks force a fortitude save to avoid being stunned for 1 round.
- Tailstrike
- This creature has a dangerous tail that it can use to make bonus attacks.
- Telepathic
- This creature can communicate with any creature telepathically.
- Terrifying
- This creature is so scary it forces a morale check at the onset of combat.
- Thaumavore
- This creature’s attacks drain a given amount of mana from the target.
- Toxic
- This creature’s blood is toxic. Bite attacks against it deal the given poison damage.
- Truesight
- This creature enjoys true seeing whenever it wishes to.
- Ultravision
- This creature can see in the ultraviolet spectrum if it wishes.
- Undying
- If reduced to 0 health this creature can make a fortitude save to revive with 1 health.
- Vampiric
- This creature’s damaging attacks heal it for the same amount.
- Vulnerable
- The creature takes double damage from the listed damage type.
- Warded
- This creature gets advantage on all saves against spells and magic effects.