D&D 5E Creature attacks, magical or non-magical

[Yardiff]

Besides the creatures attacks description in its stat block, is there somewhere that lists whether a creatures attacks are considered magical says for the proposes of bypassing Heavy Armor Mastery's 3 damage reduction.

 

[aco175]

I'll cut off some others by saying in your game you can have whichever creatures you want bypass whatever you want. This may not help you so much. I thought if a creature had DR to non-magical weapons that it could hit like it has magical weapons. Most likely this is a house rule though.

I think that the feat DR has no get-around. The PC that takes it gives up something else for this power. It comes up in fights at the expense of the other 2 pillars of play.

 

[dave2008]

Besides the creatures attacks description in its stat block, is there somewhere that lists whether a creatures attacks are considered magical says for the proposes of bypassing Heavy Armor Mastery's 3 damage reduction.

No, whether a monster's attacks are considered magical or not is listed in the traits section (before the actions) of the stat block. That is the only place as far as I know.

However, there is a strange lack of creature's with this feature, which leads strange situations like werewolves being immune to attacks from other werewolves. But fortunately it is easy to add.

 

[Celebrim]

Generally speaking, the rule in past editions was that the creatures attacks were considered magical weapons of sufficient puissance to overcome its own damage resistance. In 1e AD&D there was also a table by HD for what damage resistance that a creature could automatically overcome based on the size and strength implied by its HD.

 

[Yardiff]

So 5e doesnt have anything that talk about whether a creatures attacks are considered magical? I've seen on some of the fiend stat blocks (traits section) where it mentions that the weapons used by the fiends are considered magical, but haven't seen anything about claws or such lists as magical. I haven't looked through that much of the MM though.

 

[mortwatcher]

Unless it's stated on the monster block, it does not have magical attacks.

 

[MarkB]

So 5e doesnt have anything that talk about whether a creatures attacks are considered magical? I've seen on some of the fiend stat blocks (traits section) where it mentions that the weapons used by the fiends are considered magical, but haven't seen anything about claws or such lists as magical. I haven't looked through that much of the MM though.

It's not that it doesn't talk about it - if a creature's attacks are considered magical, it'll say so. It's just that most of them aren't.

 

[Swarmkeeper]

Example from the Unicorn in the MM:
[SECTION]
Magic Weapons. The unicorn's weapon attacks are magical.

[TABLE="class: stats monster"]
[TR]
[TD="class: mon__stat-header-underline, colspan: 6"]Actions
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="class: action"]
[TD="class: mon__sect-row-inner, colspan: 6"]Multiattack. The unicorn makes two attacks: one with its hooves and one with its horn.

Hooves. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 11 (2d6 + 4) bludgeoning damage.

Horn. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 8 (1d8 + 4) piercing damage.[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]
[/SECTION]
Hooves and Horn are considered weapons for the purposes of the "Magic Weapons" trait.


Keep in mind that any creature that can wield a weapon can be given a +1 dagger or whatever to make it's attacks magical. Don't want the PCs to get hold of those? It might be that the goblin guards all have +1 goblinoid shortswords which only act magical when attuned by a goblinoid. Or a beast might have a magical collar that grants magical properties to its attacks, but loses its powers when removed from said beast. Etc.


FWIW, here's the complete (I think) list of official WotC monsters (with type, CR, and source) that possess this "Magic Weapons" trait:

Stone Giant Statue Construct 0 SKT
Merrenoloth Fiend (yugoloth) 3 MTF
Couatl Celestial 4 MM
Nimblewright Construct 4 WDH
Flesh Golem Construct 5 MM
Mezzoloth Fiend (yugoloth) 5 MM
Reduced-Threat Flesh Golem Construct 5 TftYP
Tomb Guardian Construct 5 ToA
Unicorn Celestial 5 MM
Spiked Tomb Guardian Construct 6 ToA
White Abishai Fiend (devil) 6 MTF
Air Elemental Myrmidon Elemental 7 MTF
Armanite Fiend (demon) 7 MTF
Black Abishai Fiend (devil) 7 MTF
Dhergoloth Fiend (yugoloth) 7 MTF
Earth Elemental Myrmidon Elemental 7 MTF
Fire Elemental Myrmidon Elemental 7 MTF
Oni Giant 7 MM
Water Elemental Myrmidon Elemental 7 MTF
Canoloth Fiend (yugoloth) 8 MTF
Clay Golem Construct 9 MM
Gray Slaad Aberration (shapechanger) 9 MM
Hydroloth Fiend (yugoloth) 9 MTF
Nycaloth Fiend (yugoloth) 9 MM
Reduced-Threat Clay Golem Construct 9 TftYP
Amber Golem Construct 10 CoS
Crystal Golem Construct 10 WDMM
Death Slaad Aberration (shapechanger) 10 MM
Huge Stone Golem Construct 10 SKT
Reduced-Threat Stone Golem Construct 10 TftYP
Statue of Vergadain Construct 10 WDMM
Stone Dragon Statue Construct 10 TftYP
Stone Golem Construct 10 MM
Stonecloak Construct 10 WDMM
Animated Statue of Lolth Construct 11 WDMM
Gynosphinx Monstrosity 11 MM
Sphinx of Judgment Monstrosity 11 GGR
Yagnoloth Fiend (yugoloth) 11 MTF
Arcanaloth Fiend (yugoloth) 12 MM
Ki-rin Celestial 12 VGM
Mad Golem Construct 12 WDMM
Oinoloth Fiend (yugoloth) 12 MTF
Ultroloth Fiend (yugoloth) 13 MM
Green Abishai Fiend (devil) 15 MTF
Nabassu Fiend (demon) 15 MTF
Iron Golem Construct 16 MM
Marilith Fiend (demon) 16 MM
Steel Predator Construct 16 MTF
Titivilus Fiend (devil) 16 MTF
Androsphinx Monstrosity 17 MM
Blue Abishai Fiend (devil) 17 MTF
Bael Fiend (devil) 19 MTF
Balor Fiend (demon) 19 MM
Red Abishai Fiend (devil) 19 MTF
Pit Fiend Fiend (devil) 20 MM
Astral Dreadnought Monstrosity (titan) 21 MTF
Hutijin Fiend (devil) 21 MTF
Moloch Fiend (devil) 21 MTF
Molydeus Fiend (demon) 21 MTF
Geryon Fiend (devil) 22 MTF
Zaratan Elemental 22 MTF
Baphomet Fiend (demon) 23 MTF
Empyrean Celestial (titan) 23 MM
Fraz-Urb'luu Fiend (demon) 23 MTF
Juiblex Fiend (demon) 23 MTF
Zuggtmoy Fiend (demon) 23 MTF
Graz'zt Fiend (demon, shapechanger) 24 MTF
Yeenoghu Fiend (demon) 24 MTF
Demogorgon Fiend (demon) 26 MTF
Orcus Fiend (demon) 26 MTF
Zariel Fiend (devil) 26 MTF
Tiamat Fiend 30 RoT

 

[Yardiff]

Ok thanks for all the feedback.

 

[TarionzCousin]

... strange situations like werewolves being immune to attacks from other werewolves.

That's so werewolves can mate with other werewolves without dying.