Page 279 - Dungeon Master's Guide

The Monster Features table list \·arious features that STEP 17. SKILL BONUSES
you can plunder from the Monster j\tfanual. The table If you want a monster to be proficient in a skill, you can
notes which features increase a monster's effective give it a bonus equal to its proficiency bonus on ability
Armor Class, hit points, attack bonus. or damage output checks related to that skill. For example, a monster
for the purpose of determining its challenge rating. (The with sharp senses might have a bonus on Wisdom
features don't actually change the monster's statistics-) (Perception) checks, while a duplicitous monster might
Features that have no effect on a monster's challenge have a bonus on Charisma (Deception) checks.
rating are noted with a dash (-)- You can double the proficiency bonus to account for
When assigning special traits, actions, or reactions heightened mastery. For example, a doppelganger is
to a monster, keep in mind that not all monsters need so good at deceiving others that its bonus on Charisma
them. The more you add, the more complex (and harder (Deception) checks is equal to double its proficiency
to run) the monster becomes. bonus + its Charisma modifier.
Innate Spellcasting and Spellcasting. The impact Skill bonuses have no bearing on a monster's
that the Innate Spellcasting and Spellcasting special challenge rating.
traits have on a monster's challenge rating depends
on the spells that the monster can cast Spells that STEP 18. CONDITION IMMUNITIES
deal more damage than the monster's normal attack A monster can be immune to one or more debilitating
routine and spells that increase the monster's AC or conditions, and these immunities have no bearing on
hit points need to be accounted for when determining its challenge rating. For descriptions of the various
the monster's final challenge rating. See the "Special conditions, see appendix A of the Player's Handbook.
Traits" section in the introduction of the Monster As with damage immunities, condition immunities
Manual for more information on these two special traits. should be intuitive and logical. For example, it makes
sense that a stone golem can't be poisoned, since it's a
STEP 14. SPEED construct without a nervous system or internal organs.
Every monster has a walking speed. (Immobile
monsters have a walking speed of 0 feet) In addition to STEP 19. SENSES
its walking speed, a monster might have one or more A monster might have one or more of the following
other speeds, including a burrowing, climbing, flying, or special senses, which are described in the Monster
swimming speed. Manual: blindsight, darkvision, tremorsense, and
Flying Monster. Increase the monster's effective truesight. Whether the monster has special senses or
Armor Class by 2 (not its actual A C) if it can fly and deal not has no bearing on its challenge rating.
damage at range and if its expected challenge rating Passive Perception Score. All monsters have a
is 10 or lower (higher-level characters have a greater passive Wisdom (Perception) score, which is most
ability to deal with flying creatures). often used to determine whether a monster detects
approaching or hidden enemies. A monster's passive
STEP 15. SAVING THROW BONUSES Wisdom (Perception) score is 10 + its Wisdom modifier.
If you want a monster to be unusually resistant to If the monster has proficiency in the Perception skill, its
certain kinds of effects, you can give it a bonus to saving score is 10 +its Wisdom (Perception) bonus.
throws tied to a particular ability.
A saving throw bonus is best used to counteract a low STEP 20. LANGUAGES
ability score. For example, an undead monster with a Whether a monster can speak a language has no
low Wisdom score might need a Wisdom saving throw bearing on its challenge rating.
bonus to account for the fact that it's more difficult to A monster can master as many spoken languages as
charm, frighten, or turn than its Wisdom would indicate. you want, although few monsters know more than one
A saving throw bonus is equal to the monster's or two, and many monsters (beasts in particular) have
proficiency bonus+ the monster's relevant no spoken language whatsoever. A monster that lacks
ability modifier. the ability to speak might still understand a language.
A monster with three or more saving throw bonuses Telepathy. Whether or not a monster has telepathy
has a significant defensive advantage, so its effective AC has no bearing on its challenge rating. For more
(not its actual AC) should be raised when determining information on telepathy, see the Monster Manual.
its challenge rating. If it has three or four bonuses,
increase its effective AC by 2. If it has five or more NPC STAT BLOCKS
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bonuses, increase its effective AC by 4. Appendix B of the Monster Manual contains stat blocks
for common NPC archetypes such as bandits and
STEP 16. FINAL CHALLENGE RATING
guards, as well as tips for customizing them. Those tips
At this point, you have all the statistical information
include adding racial traits from the Player's Handbook,
you need to calculate the monster's final challenge
equipping NPCs with magic items, and swapping armor,
rating. This step is identical to step 4 under "Creating
weapons, and spells.
Quick Monster Stats." Calculate the monster's defensive
challenge rating and its offensive challenge rating, then
take the average to get its final challenge rating.

CHAPTER 9 I DUNGEON MASTER'S WORKSHOP