Creating a Monster Stat Block; Monster Features

Source: Dungeon Master’s Guide p. 275

Monster Features

Name	Example Monster	Effect on Challenge Rating
Aggressive	Orc	Increase the monster’s effective per-round damage output by 2.
Ambusher	Doppelganger	Increase the monster’s effective attack bonus by 1.
Amorphous	Black pudding	—
Amphibious	Kuo-toa	—
Angelic Weapons	Deva	Increase the monster’s effective per-round damage by the amount noted in the trait.
Antimagic Susceptibility	Flying sword	—
Avoidance	Demilich	Increase the monster’s effective AC by 1.
Blind Senses	Grimlock	—
Blood Frenzy	Sahuagin	Increase the monster’s effective attack bonus by 4.
Breath Weapon	Ancient black dragon	For the purpose of determining effective damage output, assume the breath weapon hits two targets, and that each target fails its saving throw.
Brute	Bugbear	Increase the monster’s effective per-round damage by the amount noted in the trait.
Chameleon Skin	Troglodyte	—
Change Shape	Ancient brass dragon	—
Charge	Centaur	Increase the monster’s damage on one attack by the amount noted in the trait.
Charm	Vampire	—
Constrict	Constrictor snake	Increase the monster’s effective AC by 1.
Damage Absorption	Flesh golem	—
Damage Transfer	Cloaker	Double the monster’s effective hit points. Add one-third of the monster’s hit points to its per-round damage.
Death Burst	Magmin	Increase the monster’s effective damage output for 1 round by the amount noted in the trait, and assume it affects two creatures.
Devil Sight	Barbed devil	—
Dive	Aarakocra	Increase the monster’s effective damage on one attack by the amount noted in the trait.
Echolocation	Hook horror	—
Elemental Body	Azer	Increase the monster’s effective per-round damage by the amount noted in the trait.
Enlarge	Duergar	Increase the monster’s effective per-round damage by the amount noted in the trait.
Etherealness	Night hag	—
False Appearance	Gargoyle	—
Fey Ancestry	Drow	—
Fiendish Blessing	Cambion	Apply the monster’s Charisma modifier to its actual AC.
Flyby	Peryton	—
Frightful Presence	Ancient black dragon	Increase the monster’s effective hit points by 25% if the monster is meant to face characters of 10th level or lower.
Grappler	Mimic	—
Hold Breath	Lizardfolk	—
Horrifying Visage	Banshee	See Frightful Presence.
Illumination	Flameskull	—
Illusory Appearance	Green hag	—
Immutable Form	Iron golem	—
Incorporeal Movement	Ghost	—
Innate Spellcasting	Djinni	See step 13 under “Creating a Monster Stat Block.”
Inscrutable	Androsphinx	—
Invisibility	Imp	—
Keen Senses	Hell hound	—
Labyrinthine Recall	Minotaur	—
Leadership	Hobgoblin captain	—
Legendary Resistance	Ancient black dragon	Each per-day use of this trait increases the monster’s effective hit points based on the expected challenge rating: 1-4, 10 hp: 5-10, 20 hp: 11 or higher, 30 hp.
Life Drain	Wight	—
Light Sensitivity	Shadow demon	—
Magic Resistance	Balor	Increase the monster’s effective AC by 2.
Magic Weapons	Balor	—
Martial Advantage	Hobgoblin	Increase the effective damage of one attack per round by the amount gained from this trait.
Mimicry	Kenku	—
Nimble Escape	Goblin	Increase the monster’s effective AC and effective attack bonus by 4 (assuming the monster hides every round).
Otherworldly Perception	Kuo-toa	—
Pack Tactics	Kobold	Increase the monster’s effective attack bonus by 1.
Parry	Hobgoblin warlord	Increase the monster’s effective AC by 1.
Possession	Ghost	Double the monster’s effective hit points.
Pounce	Tiger	Increase the monster’s effective damage for 1 round by the amount it deals with the bonus action gained from this trait.
Psychic Defense	Githzerai monk	Apply the monster’s Wisdom modifier to its actual AC if the monster isn’t wearing armor or wielding a shield.
Rampage	Gnoll	Increase the monster’s effective per-round damage by 2.
Reactive	Marilith	—
Read Thoughts	Doppelganger	—
Reckless	Minotaur	—
Redirect Attack	Goblin boss	—
Reel	Roper	—
Regeneration	Troll	Increase the monster’s effective hit points by 3 × the number of hit points the monster regenerates each round.
Rejuvenation	Lich	—
Relentless	Wereboar	Increase the monster’s effective hit points based on the expected challenge rating: 1-4, 7 hp: 5-10, 14 hp: 11-16, 21 hp: 17 or higher, 28 hp.
Shadow Stealth	Shadow demon	Increase the monster’s effective AC by 4.
Shapechanger	Wererat	—
Siege Monster	Earth elemental	—
Slippery	Kuo-toa	—
Spellcasting	Lich	See step 13 under “Creating a Monster Stat Block.”
Spider Climb	Ettercap	—
Standing Leap	Bullywug	—
Steadfast	Bearded devil	—
Stench	Troglodyte	Increase the monster’s effective AC by 1.
Sunlight Sensitivity	Kobold	—
Superior Invisibility	Faerie dragon	Increase the monster’s effective AC by 2.
Sure-Footed	Dao	—
Surprise Attack	Bugbear	Increase the monster’s effective damage for 1 round by the amount noted in the trait.
Swallow	Behir	Assume the monster swallows one creature and deals 2 rounds of acid damage to it.
Teleport	Balor	—
Terrain Camouflage	Bullywug	—
Tunneler	Umber hulk	—
Turn Immunity	Revenant	—
Turn Resistance	Lich	—
Two Heads	Ettin	—
Undead Fortitude	Zombie	Increase the monster’s effective hit points based on the expected challenge rating: 1-4, 7 hp: 5-10, 14 hp: 11-16, 21 hp: 17 or higher, 28 hp.
Web	Giant spider	Increase the monster’s effective AC by 1.
Web Sense	Giant spider	—
Web Walker	Giant spider	—
Wounded Fury	Quaggoth	Increase the monster’s damage for 1 round by the amount noted in the trait.
^monster-features