D&D 5E Creatures with traits that deal damage to melee attackers

[Rya.Reisender]

In D&D 5e there are some monsters that have traits such as "Whenever this creature is hit by a melee attack, the attacker takes 1d6 damage."

This is usually because for example the creature has spikes or is particularly hot.

I was wondering how you handle killing blows on such creatures. Would you argue that when they are dead they also lose all their traits and thus the last hit doesn't deal damage back, or would you argue that on-hit events always trigger on the last hit as well (assuming they don't require a reaction)?

 

[Sorcerers Apprentice]

I rule that the counter-damage happens at the same time as the hit, so it triggers even on the killing blow.

 

[Lanefan]

I'd tend to agree that it goes off on the killing blow, but there might be exceptions depending on what the blowback damage is being caused by.

If it's an aura* e.g. heat or unholy energy or whatever then yes, that aura keeps going even as the creature dies; and for added fun I might even houserule some of those creatures to give off an extra little bit on death - say, double damage. But if it's something physical such as spikes or binding or acidic glue then maybe the killing blow doesn't trigger it; here I might give the attacker a save to avoid that last bit of blowback.

* - though I have to ask, if it's an aura then why it is only triggered on a hit rather than auto-affecting everyone within melee range each round whether they hit the creature or not?

 

[jgsugden]

For this situation, I'd ask myself why the PCs would be taking damage when hitting and whether that would make sense on the killing blow. That answer would differ by type of monster ... and if the answer was that I did not have a good gut feel for whether they should or not, I'd have the players roll a die, likely a dex save, to avoid it.

 

[Stormonu]

With it being a “reaction” after the attack that killed it, I most likely would not have it trigger.

 

[Clint_L]

It's hard for me to imagine a story situation where it wouldn't make sense for the effect to trigger on the killing blow. And it's easy for me to imagine a lot of story situations where the effect triggering on the killing blow would be extra awesome.

 

[aco175]

If it is like a beholder that gets free attacks between everyone's turn, then they do not since it is the monster controlled. Something like a giant sea urchin with the spines you need to get through to hit it still does the damage since it is a natural part of the creature. A fire aura would be the same thing unless the creature gets to choose to shoot fire at a target if it is hit, but just radiating fire if you get close of hit it, then you would still take the damage.

I have allowed a save when things blow up like a mephit. Mostly if the PC scores a crit and not just a normal hit since that is part of their schtick.

 

[Oofta]

With it being a “reaction” after the attack that killed it, I most likely would not have it trigger.

I don't remember seeing a monster where the damage requires a reaction, it just automatically happens. Example from fire elemental: "A creature that touches the elemental or hits it with a melee attack while within 5 feet of it takes 5 (1d10) fire damage."

 

[Stormonu]

I don't remember seeing a monster where the damage requires a reaction, it just automatically happens. Example from fire elemental: "A creature that touches the elemental or hits it with a melee attack while within 5 feet of it takes 5 (1d10) fire damage."

That was why I put reaction in quotes. It doesn’t use up a reaction, but it has a reaction-like trigger. “If in 5 feet, then this happens” or “player hits creature in melee and this occurs”

I’d apply it on a case-by-case basis, but if, for example, a player killed a fire elemental with their attack I’d narrate it as the flames disappating around the PC, burning out before the character was damaged.

I often do the same with spells - drop the caster and ongoing effects generally end immediately. Matches a lot of what you see in the climatic storylines in a movie - some person is on their dying breath and hero takes out the bad guy and we watch the suffering character immediately recover (Not that I always like this sort of resolution, but it fits the genre).

 

[Oofta]

That was why I put reaction in quotes. It doesn’t use up a reaction, but it has a reaction-like trigger. “If in 5 feet, then this happens” or “player hits creature in melee and this occurs”

I’d apply it on a case-by-case basis, but if, for example, a player killed a fire elemental with their attack I’d narrate it as the flames disappating around the PC, burning out before the character was damaged.

I often do the same with spells - drop the caster and ongoing effects generally end immediately. Matches a lot of what you see in the climatic storylines in a movie - some person is on their dying breath and hero takes out the bad guy and we watch the suffering character immediately recover (Not that I always like this sort of resolution, but it fits the genre).

Meanwhile I'd narrate it as "as you land the killing blow fire erupts from the wound". If I stab someone and they bleed, it's not a reaction that the target is taking, it's the interaction of my weapon and their form.