Action Points
Certain creatures can become elite, gaining unique powers and abilities that others can't. These unique powers and abilities are fueled by a resource called Action Points.
Using Points
A creature can only use 1 Action Point per turn, unless the ability specifies otherwise. For example, a dragon could expend 1 Action Point on its turn to immediately recharge its breath weapon at any point in its turn, but it can't then expend a second point to make an additional attack. It could, however, spend 1 Action Point on a wizard's turn when it is forced to make a saving throw, choosing either to add its proficiency bonus to the roll or gain advantage on the saving throw (but not both).
Limited Number
A creature has a number of Action Points equal to half its CR (rounded down). A creature regains all expended Action Points after it finishes a short or long rest.
Action Points at 0 HP
If a creature would be reduced to 0 hit points, while it has any number of Action Points remaining, it is immediately reduced to 1 hit point and loses 1 Action Point. Each time this feature is used after the first, the number of Action Points required increases by 1. A creature can not be reduced to 0 hit points while it still has Action Points, unless the cost to remain at 1 hit point exceeds its available supply of Action Points, at which point, it loses all of its remaining Action Points and falls to 0 hit points.
These points are automatically spent. When the creature finishes a short or long rest, the cost resets to 1.
Challenge Rating
A creature with Action Points increases its CR by 1 if it has 3 or more points.
Legendary Resistance
If a creature has Legendary Resistance, Action Points replace that feature.
Generic Actions
The following actions are available to all creatures that can use Action Points. It activates all of the following effects by expending 1 Action Point and it can only use one of these options once per turn, unless it specifies otherwise.
- If the creature fails a save, it can reroll the saving throw. It makes this choice after it knows the results of the saving throw, but before any effects are applied.
- Before the creature rolls an ability check, attack roll, or saving throw, it can add its Proficiency Bonus to the result. If the creature is already proficient in the ability check, attack roll, or saving throw, it can expend 2 Action Points to double its Proficiency Bonus for the roll.
- The creature makes one extra melee or ranged attack.
- The creature casts a spell that requires an Action to cast as a Bonus Action. It costs a number of Action Points equal to the spell's level, divided by 3 (rounded up).
- If a creature has a special ability with Recharge X-Y, and it did not recharge, it immediately recharges.
- The creature regains an expended spell slot. It costs a number of Action Points equal to the spell's level, divided by 3 (rounded up).
Skill Actions
The following actions are only available to creatures that are proficient with a skill. These actions follow the normal rules.
- Any Skill If a creature attempts an ability check with a skill it is proficient in, it can forgo rolling a d20 to automatically get a 15 on the die.
- Acrobatics The creature ignores nonmagical difficult terrain until the end of its turn.
- Animal Handling Beasts have disadvantage on attack rolls against the creature until the start of its next turn.
- Arcana The creature automatically identifies spells cast until the start of its next turn or the creature automatically identifies if a creature is an aberration, construct, monstrosity, or ooze if magic isn't used to conceal it.
- Athletics The creature gains a Climb or Swim speed equal to its normal speed until the end of its turn.
- Deception The creature gains a +5 bonus to tell a lie or hide spoken words, like the verbal components of a spell.
- History The creature gains a +5 bonus to recall information until the start of its next turn.
- Insight The creature gains a +5 bonus to its passive Insight until the start of its next turn.
- Intimidation As a bonus action, all creatures within sight of the creature, with a lower Charisma score than the creature's, are immediately Frightened of it until the start of its next turn.
- Investigation The creature gains a +5 bonus to its passive Investigation until the start of its next turn.
- Medicine As a bonus action, the creature can roll 1 hit die and regain hit points.
- Nature The creature automatically identifies if a creature is a beast, dragon, elemental, fey, giant, humanoid, or plant if magic isn't used to conceal it.
- Perception The creature gains a +5 bonus to its passive Perception until the start of its next turn.
- Performance As a bonus action, all creatures within sight of the creature, with a lower Charisma score than the creature's, are immediately Incapacitated by it until the start of its next turn or if it performs a hostile action before then.
- Persuasion As a bonus action, all creatures who can hear the creature, with a lower Charisma score than the creature's, are immediately Charmed by it until the start of its next turn or if it performs a hostile action before then.
- Religion The creature automatically identifies if a creature is a celestial, fiend, or undead if magic isn't used to conceal it.
- Sleight of Hand The creature gains a +5 bonus to hide an interaction with its hands, like the material or somatic components of a spell or drawing a weapon.
- Stealth The creature can Hide in plain sight, without cover or being heavily obscured.
- Survival The creature gains a +5 bonus to find tracks and can use its passive Survival to find hidden creatures until the start of its next turn.
Unique Actions
Some creatures will have their own unique actions and abilities that only they can use with their Action Points. Examples are provided.
Ankheg (Action Point)
Large Monstrosity, Unaligned
- Armor Class 14 (Natural Armor), 11 while Prone
- Hit Points 39 (6d10 + 6)
- Speed 30 ft., burrow 10 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 17 (+3) 11 (+0) 13 (+1) 1 (-5) 13 (+1) 6 (-2)
- Senses Darkvision 60 ft., Tremorsense 60 ft., passive Perception 11
- Languages --
- Challenge 2 (450 XP) Proficiency Bonus +2
Actions
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 10 (2d6 + 3) slashing damage plus 3 (1d6) acid damage. If the target is a Large or smaller creature, it is grappled (escape DC 13). Until this grapple ends, the ankheg can bite only the grappled creature and has advantage on attack rolls to do so.
Acid Spray (Recharge 6). The ankheg spits acid in a line that is 30 feet long and 5 feet wide, provided that it has no creature grappled. Each creature in that line must make a DC 13 Dexterity saving throw, taking 10 (3d6) acid damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.
Action Points
The ankheg has 1 Action Point. In addition to the normal actions, it also can use the abilities below.
Bite of Prey. If the ankheg reduces a creature to 0 hit points, it regains 1 Action Point.
Bulette (Action Point)
Large Monstrosity, Unaligned
- Armor Class 17 (Natural Armor)
- Hit Points 94 (9d10 + 45)
- Speed 40 ft., burrow 40 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 19 (+4) 11 (+0) 21 (+5) 2 (-4) 10 (+0) 5 (-3)
- Skills Perception +6
- Senses Darkvision 60 ft., Tremorsense 60 ft., Passive Perception 16
- Languages --
- Challenge 5 (1,800 XP) Proficiency Bonus +3
Standing Leap. The bulette's long jump is up to 30 feet and its high jump is up to 15 feet, with or without a running start.
Actions
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 30 (4d12 + 4) piercing damage.
Deadly Leap. If the bulette jumps at least 15 feet as part of its movement, it can then use this action to land on its feet in a space that contains one or more other creatures. Each of those creatures must succeed on a DC 16 Strength or Dexterity saving throw (target's choice) or be knocked prone and take 14 (3d6 + 4) bludgeoning damage plus 14 (3d6 + 4) slashing damage. On a successful save, the creature takes only half the damage, isn't knocked prone, and is pushed 5 feet out of the bulette's space into an unoccupied space of the creature's choice. If no unoccupied space is within range, the creature instead falls prone in the bulette's space.
Action Points
The bulette has 2 Action Points. In addition to the normal actions, it also can use the abilities below.
Fast Burrow. At the end of another creature's turn, the bulette can burrow up to its speed. This movement does not provoke attacks of opportunity.
Hydra (Action Point)
Huge Monstrosity, Unaligned
- Armor Class 15 (Natural Armor)
- Hit Points 172 (15d12 + 75)
- Speed 30 ft., swim 30 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 20 (+5) 12 (+1) 20 (+5) 2 (-4) 10 (+0) 7 (-2)
- Skills Perception +8
- Senses Darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 18
- Languages --
- Challenge 9 (5,000 XP) Proficiency Bonus +4
Hold Breath. The hydra can hold its breath for 1 hour.
Multiple Heads. The hydra has five heads. While it has more than one head, the hydra has advantage on saving throws against being blinded, charmed, deafened, frightened, stunned, and knocked unconscious.
Whenever the hydra takes 25 or more damage in a single turn, one of its heads dies. If all its heads die, the hydra dies.
At the end of its turn, it grows two heads for each of its heads that died since its last turn, unless it has taken fire damage since its last turn. The hydra regains 10 hit points for each head regrown in this way.
Reactive Heads. For each head the hydra has beyond one, it gets an extra reaction that can be used only for opportunity attacks.
Wakeful. While the hydra sleeps, at least one of its heads is awake.
Actions
Multiattack. The hydra makes as many bite attacks as it has heads.
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 10 (1d10 + 5) piercing damage.
Action Points
The hydra has 4 Action Points. In addition to the normal actions, it also can use the ability below.
Force Growth. As a reaction, when a head is killed, it can immediately grow two heads to replace the dead one, regaining 20 hit points, unless it has taken fire damage since its last turn.
Remorhaz (Act. Point)
Huge Monstrosity, Unaligned
- Armor Class 17 (Natural Armor)
- Hit Points 195 (17d12 + 85)
- Speed 30 ft., burrow 20 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 24 (+7) 13 (+1) 21 (+5) 4 (-3) 10 (+0) 5 (-3)
- Damage Immunities Cold, Fire
- Senses Darkvision 60 ft., Tremorsense 60 ft., passive Perception 10
- Languages --
- Challenge 12 (8,400 XP) Proficiency Bonus +4
Heated Body. A creature that touches the remorhaz or hits it with a melee attack while within 5 feet of it takes 10 (3d6) fire damage.
Actions
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +11 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 40 (6d10 + 7) piercing damage plus 10 (3d6) fire damage. If the target is a creature, it is grappled (escape DC 17). Until this grapple ends, the target is restrained, and the remorhaz can't bite another target.
Swallow. The remorhaz makes one bite attack against a Medium or smaller creature it is grappling. If the attack hits, that creature takes the bite's damage and is swallowed, and the grapple ends. While swallowed, the creature is blinded and restrained, it has total cover against attacks and other effects outside the remorhaz, and it takes 21 (6d6) acid damage at the start of each of the remorhaz's turns.
If the remorhaz takes 30 damage or more on a single turn from a creature inside it, the remorhaz must succeed on a DC 15 Constitution saving throw at the end of that turn or regurgitate all swallowed creatures, which fall prone in a space within 10 feet of the remorhaz. If the remorhaz dies, a swallowed creature is no longer restrained by it and can escape from the corpse using 15 feet of movement, exiting prone.
Action Points
The hydra has 5 Action Points. In addition to the normal actions, it also can use the ability below.
Fast Feeding. As a bonus action, the remorhaz uses its Swallow.
Internal Combustion. As a bonus action, the remorhaz burns hotter and deals 14 (4d6) with its heated body until the start of its next turn.
Adult Red Dragon (Action Point)
Huge Dragon, Chaotic Evil
- Armor Class 19 (natural armor)
- Hit Points 256 (19d12 + 133)
- Speed 40 ft., climb 40 ft., fly 80 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 27 (+8) 10 (+0) 25 (+7) 16 (+3) 13 (+1) 21 (+5)
- Saving Throws Dex +6, Con +13, Wis +7, Cha +11
- Skills Perception +13, Stealth +6
- Damage Immunities Fire
- Senses Blindsight 60 ft., Darkvision 120 ft., Passive Perception 23
- Languages Common, Draconic
- Challenge 18 (20,000 XP) Proficiency Bonus +6
Actions
Multiattack. The dragon can use its Frightful Presence. It then makes three attacks: one with its bite and two with its claws.
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +14 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 19 (2d10 + 8) piercing damage plus 7 (2d6) fire damage.
Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +14 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 15 (2d6 + 8) slashing damage.
Tail. Melee Weapon Attack: +14 to hit, reach 15 ft., one target. Hit: 17 (2d8 + 8) bludgeoning damage.
Frightful Presence. Each creature of the dragon's choice that is within 120 feet of the dragon and aware of it must succeed on a DC 19 Wisdom saving throw or become frightened for 1 minute. A creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. If a creature's saving throw is successful or the effect ends for it, the creature is immune to the dragon's Frightful Presence for the next 24 hours.
Fire Breath (Recharge 5–6). The dragon exhales fire in a 60-foot cone. Each creature in that area must make a DC 21 Dexterity saving throw, taking 63 (18d6) fire damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.
Action Points
The dragon has 8 Action Points. In addition to the normal actions, it also can use the abilities below.
Bite of Fire. As an action, the dragon makes a Bite attack and then immediately uses its Fire Breath, if it is recharged. If the Bite was a hit, the target of that attack has disadvantage on their saving throw.
Terrible Presence. As a bonus action, all creatures who were immune to the dragon's Frightful Presence are no longer immune.
Legendary Actions
The dragon can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options below. Only one legendary action option can be used at a time and only at the end of another creature's turn. The dragon regains spent legendary actions at the start of its turn.
Detect. The dragon makes a Wisdom (Perception) check.
Tail Attack. The dragon makes a tail attack.
Wing Attack (Costs 2 Actions). The dragon beats its wings. Each creature within 10 feet of the dragon must succeed on a DC 22 Dexterity saving throw or take 15 (2d6 + 8) bludgeoning damage and be knocked prone. The dragon can then fly up to half its flying speed.