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Rat King

Medium · Monstrosity · CR 5 · Chaotic Evil

Source. Tome of Beasts 1 (2023 Edition)

14 (natural armor)

76 (9d8 + 36)

Ability Scores

Core attributes and their modifiers.

STR

-2

DEX

CON

INT

WIS

CHA

Overview

Category Monsters

Size Medium

Type Monstrosity

Alignment Chaotic Evil

XP 1800

Initiative Bonus +3

Movement

Walk 20 ft (6.1 m)

Swim 10 ft (3 m)

Climb 10 ft (3 m)

Burrow 30 ft (9.1 m)

Crawl 10 ft (3 m)

Senses

Darkvision 60 ft (18.3 m)

Passive Perception 12

Skills

Stealth +6

Languages

Common, Thieves' Cant

Resistances & Immunities

Damage Immunities

poison

Damage Resistances

bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks

Condition Immunities

charmed, frightened, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, prone, stunned

Traits

Keen Smell

The rat king has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on smell.

Plague of Ill Omen

The rat king radiates a magical aura of misfortune. A creature that starts its turn within 15 feet of the rat king must succeed on a DC 14 Charisma saving throw or have disadvantage on attack rolls and saving throws until the start of its next turn.

Actions

Bite

+6 to hit, reach 5 ft (1.5 m). Hit: 2d6+3 plus 2d6 poison damage.

Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 10 (2d6 + 3) piercing damage plus 7 (2d6) poison damage. If the target is a creature, it must succeed on a DC 14 Constitution saving throw or suffer one level of exhaustion and become infected with a disease. Until the disease is cured, at the end of each long rest, the creature must repeat the saving throw. On a failure, the creature suffers another level of exhaustion. The exhaustion lasts until the creature finishes a long rest after the disease is cured. A creature that succeeds on two saving throws recovers from the disease.

Call Rats

1/day

The rat king magically calls 2d4 rats, 1d4 giant rats, or 1 swarm of rats. The rats arrive in 1d4 rounds, acting as allies of the rat king and obeying its spoken commands. The rats remain for 1 hour, until the rat king dies, or until the rat king dismisses them as a bonus action.

Multiattack

The rat king makes two Bite attacks.

Reactions

Absorption

When a friendly rat, giant rat, or swarm of rats starts its turn within 5 feet of the rat king, the rat king can absorb it. If the rat king does so, the target dies, and the rat king gains temporary hp equal to the target's remaining hp.

About Rat King

Rat King is a medium monstrosity with a Challenge Rating of 5. It has a chaotic evil alignment.

In combat, this creature maintains an Armor Class of 14 and possesses 76 hit points (derived from 9d8 + 36).

Rat King has communication capabilities including Common, Thieves' Cant. This allows it to interact verbally with various creatures and characters.

GM Tips: Using Rat King

1 tips available

When using Rat King in your D&D 5e campaign, consider these tactical approaches:

Burrowing Tactics: This creature can burrow at 30 ft. It can ambush from underground or escape combat by digging. Use 'Earthbind' or create difficult terrain to limit burrowing. Consider fighting in areas without soft ground.

Player Guide: Facing Rat King

1 strategies available

When your party encounters this creature, keep these strategies in mind:

Burrowing Defense: This creature can burrow at 30 ft! It can ambush from underground. Use 'Earthbind', create difficult terrain, or fight on hard surfaces. 'Stone Shape' can seal burrows.

Encounter Building Calculator

Standard Party Encounter (4-5 characters):

This creature is a medium encounter for a party of 4 characters of level 5.

Solo Encounter:

A single character of level 7 (up to level 20) can face this creature in a medium to hard encounter.

Experience Point Thresholds:

Medium: 3,000 XP
Hard: 4,500 XP
Deadly: 6,000 XP

Based on D&D 5e Dungeon Master's Guide encounter building guidelines. CR roughly equals party level for medium encounters.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the challenge rating of Rat King?: Rat King has a Challenge Rating of 5, making it appropriate for parties of level 5.0.
What type of creature is Rat King?: Rat King is a Medium Monstrosity, which affects how certain spells and abilities interact with it.
What languages does Rat King speak?: Rat King can communicate in Common, Thieves' Cant.