Damage Types and Condition Ratings & Analysis

[Dark.Revenant]

I no-lifed my way through a database of monsters from every 5e core book and supplement, including setting-specific monsters, but not including adventure-specific monsters. I also discarded duplicates and anything that doesn't have a printed Challenge Rating. In total, I looked at 1,040 monsters that you could face at a table today.

The question: How do each of the damage types and conditions really compare to one another?

Here's what I found, and I hope this helps someone out there!


Damage Types

Force: S+

6 Resistant, 2 Immune

Not found anywhere in particular, except amethyst dragons

Physical (Magical): S

Bludgeoning: 25 Resistant, 5 Vulnerable
Piercing: 30 Resistant
Slashing: 22 Resistant, 2 Immune

Sparingly1 found on Beasts, Oozes, and Undead
Sometimes2 found on Plants

Radiant: S

16 Resistant, 9 Immune, 6 Vulnerable

Sparingly1 found on Dragons
Generally3 found on Celestials

Thunder: A+ (S+ with Elemental Adept)

35 Resistant, 6 Immune, 3 Vulnerable

Sparingly1 found on Aberrations*, Celestials, Dragons*, Elementals, Giants, and Undead*

*Particularly impacted by Elemental Adept

Psychic: A-

33 Resistant, 33 Immune, 1 Vulnerable

Sparingly1 found on Celestials, Dragons, Giants, and Undead
Sometimes2 found on Aberrations and Constructs

Acid: A- (A with Elemental Adept)

38 Resistant, 34 Immune

Sparingly1 found on Aberrations*, Dragons, Elementals*, Fiends, Monstrosities*, and Undead*
Sometimes2 found on Oozes*

*Particularly impacted by Elemental Adept

Necrotic: B

66 Resistant, 38 Immune, 2 Vulnerable

Sparingly1 found on Aberrations, Celestials, Constructs, Dragons, Fiends, Giants, and Monstrosities
Frequently4 found on Undead

Lightning: B- (A with Elemental Adept)

103 Resistant, 35 Immune

Sparingly1 found on Aberrations*, Constructs, Dragons, Elementals, Giants, and Plants
Sometimes2 found on Oozes* and Undead**
Generally3 found on Fiends***

*Particularly impacted by Elemental Adept (more asterisks = more impact)

Cold: C (A with Elemental Adept)

145 Resistant, 42 Immune, 5 Vulnerable

Sparingly1 found on Aberrations*, Constructs*, Dragons, Elementals, Fey, Giants, Monstrosities*, and Plants*
Sometimes2 found on Oozes* and Undead**
Universally5 found on Fiends*****

*Particularly impacted by Elemental Adept (more asterisks = more impact)

Fire: D+ (B with Elemental Adept)

104 Resistant, 89 Immune, 14 Vulnerable

Sparingly1 found on Aberrations*, Celestials*, Constructs, and Fey
Sometimes2 found on Dragons* and Elementals
Universally5 found on Fiends***

*Particularly impacted by Elemental Adept (more asterisks = more impact)
Note that Elemental Adept bypasses Fire resistance caused by underwater environments

Physical (Non-magical): D (still D if Adamantine, C- if Silvered, C if both Silvered and Adamantine)

Bludgeoning: 197 Resistant, 50 Immune, 5 Vulnerable
Piercing: 203 Resistant, 50 Immune
Slashing: 196 Resistant, 52 Immune
Adamantine Bludgeoning: 194 Resistant, 39 Immune, 5 Vulnerable
Adamantine Piercing: 201 Resistant, 39 Immune
Adamantine Slashing: 194 Resistant, 41 Immune
Silvered Bludgeoning: 162 Resistant, 42 Immune, 5 Vulnerable
Silvered Piercing: 168 Resistant, 42 Immune
Silvered Slashing: 160 Resistant, 44 Immune
Adamantine and Silvered Bludgeoning: 159 Resistant, 31 Immune, 5 Vulnerable
Adamantine and Silvered Piercing: 166 Resistant, 31 Immune
Adamantine and Silvered Slashing: 158 Resistant, 33 Immune

Sparingly1 found on Aberrations, Beasts, Fey, Giants, and Monstrosities
Sometimes2 found on Oozes and Plants
Generally3 found on Celestials, Constructs, Elementals, and Undead
Frequently4 found on Fiends

Adamantine typically defeats some Constructs (especially golems)
Silvered typically defeats devils and some traditional monsters (especially lycans)

Poison: F- (still F- with Poisoner)

33 Resistant, 275 Immune, 1 Vulnerable

Sparingly1 found on Aberrations*, Celestials, Dragons, Fey, Giants, Humanoids*, Monstrosities, Oozes*, and Plants
Frequently4 found on Elementals
Universally5 found on Constructs*, Fiends, and Undead

*Particularly impacted by Poisoner

Sparingly1 (5–25% of creatures) < Sometimes2 (25–45% of creatures) < Generally3 (45–65% of creatures) < Frequently4 (65–85% of creatures) < Universally5 (85–100% of creatures)

Starting with a maximum score of 1040, Resistance scores -0.5, Immunity scores -1, and Vulnerability scores +1. In theory, a score of 0 would represent a completely useless damage type (everything is immune to it), so even Poison technically scores 749.5 out of 1040; averaging together every monster, Poison is about 72% effective. For this reason, the letter grades are scored on a quasilinear grading scale that's curved such that Thunder + Elemental Adept (the best damage type) is 100% and Poison (the worst damage type) is 0%.
S+: 98.5–100%
S: 96.5–98.5%
S-: 95–96.5%
A+: 91.5–95%
A: 86–91.5%
A-: 82.5–86%
B+: 79–82.5%
B: 73.5–79%
B-: 70–73.5%
C+: 66.5–70%
C: 61–66.5%
C-: 57.5–61%
D+: 54–57.5%
D: 48.5–54%
D-: 45–48.5%
F+: 30–45%
F: 15–30%
F-: 0–15%


Conditions

Unconscious: S (A- if Sleep*)

24 Immune (43 Immune if Sleep*)
Severity 4.3 (Severity 2.2 if Sleep*)

Sparingly1 found on Constructs, Humanoids*, Oozes, and Undead
Sometimes1 found on Elementals

*Sleep: Condition ends when damaged

Petrified: A+

104 Immune
Severity 4.3

Sparingly1 found on Beasts, Giants, and Oozes
Sometimes2 found on Undead
Generally3 found on Elementals
Frequently4 found on Constructs

Stunned: A

37 Immune
Severity 3

Sparingly1 found on Beasts, Constructs, Elementals, and Undead

Paralyzed: A-

133 Immune
Severity 3.75

Sparingly1 found on Beasts, Celestials, Fiends, Giants, Oozes, and Plants
Generally3 found on Elementals and Undead
Frequently4 found on Constructs

Incapacitated: B (C- if Laughter*, B+ if Banished**)

1 Immune (240 Immune if Laughter*)
Severity 1.5 (Severity 1.65 if Laughter*, Severity 1.7 if Banished**)

Sparingly1 found on Aberrations*, Elementals*, Fiends*, and Undead*
Sometimes2 found on Monstrosities* and Plants*
Generally3 found on Constructs* and Oozes*
Universally5 found on Beasts*

*Laughter: Target is Prone and repeats save with damage, must have 5+ Int, i.e. Tasha's Hideous Laughter
**Banished: Target is banished, i.e. Banishment, Banishing Smite

Restrained: B (B- if Grappled*)

58 Immune (63 Immune if Grappled*)
Severity 1.6 (Severity 1.3 if Grappled*)

Sparingly1 found on Beasts, Constructs*, and Oozes
Sometimes2 found on Elementals and Undead*

*Grappled: Contingent on being Grappled

Blinded: B-

51 Immune
Severity 1.25

Sparingly1 found on Aberrations, Constructs, and Undead
Generally3 found on Plants
Universally5 found on Oozes

Grappled: C

60 Immune
Severity 0.8

Sparingly1 found on Beasts, Constructs, and Oozes
Sometimes2 found on Elementals and Undead

Exhaustion: C-

177 Immune
Severity 1.35 (Net), 0.8 (Level 1), 1.4 (Level 2), 3.4 (Level 3), 5.4 (Level 4), 6.2 (Level 5)

Sparingly1 found on Aberrations, Fiends, Giants, and Plants
Sometimes2 found on Elementals
Generally3 found on Celestials
Frequently4 found on Constructs and Undead
Universally5 found on Oozes

Prone: D+

97 Immune
Severity 0.6

Sparingly1 found on Aberrations, Beasts, Constructs, Dragons, and Plants
Sometimes2 found on Elementals and Undead
Universally5 found on Oozes

Frightened: D- (C- if Fear*)

252 Immune
Severity 0.85 (Severity 2 if Fear*)

Sparingly1 found on Beasts, Fey, Giants, Humanoids, and Monstrosities
Sometimes2 found on Aberrations, Dragons, Fiends, and Plants
Generally3 found on Celestials, Oozes, and Undead
Frequently4 found on Constructs

*Fear: Target must dash away, i.e. Fear, Eyebite, and Antipathy

Poisoned: F

313 Immune
Severity 0.8

Sparingly1 found on Aberrations, Celestials, Dragons, Fey, Giants, Monstrosities, and Plants
Frequently4 found on Elementals
Universally5 found on Constructs, Fiends, and Undead

Charmed: F (D if Hypnotized*, D+ if Madness**, C- if Friendly***, B- if Dominated****)

253 Immune
Severity 0.55 (Severity 1.2 if Hypnotized*, Severity 1.55 if Madness**, Severity 1.8 if Friendly***, Severity 3.4 if Dominated****)

Sparingly1 found on Aberrations, Beasts, Fey, Giants, Humanoids, Monstrosities, and Plants
Sometimes2 found on Dragons and Fiends
Generally3 found on Celestials
Frequently4 found on Constructs, Oozes, and Undead

*Hypnotized: Target is Incapacitated and can't move but the effect ends on damage, i.e. Hypnotic Pattern
**Madness: Target must use action to make one melee attack or act normally, i.e. Crown of Madness
***Friendly: Target is friendly toward you, you can't harm the target, e.g. Charm Person, Charm Monster
****Dominated: Target repeats save with damage, target must do everything you say, e.g. Dominate Beast, Dominate Person, Dominate Monster

Deafened: F

39 Immune
Severity 0.15

Sparingly1 found on Constructs and Undead
Sometimes2 found on Plants
Universally5 found on Oozes

Starting with a maximum score of 1040, Immunity scores -1 and Severity scales the score on a weighted exponential scale. In theory, a score of 0 would represent a completely useless condition (everything is immune to it), while a score of 1040 represents a condition with the highest possible severity for which nothing is immune. The letter grades are scored on a quasilinear grading scale that's curved such that Unconscious (the best condition) is 100% and Deafened (the worst condition) is 0%.
S: 90–100%
A+: 84–90%
A: 76–84%
A-: 70–76%
B+: 64–70%
B: 56–64%
B-: 50–56%
C+: 44–50%
C: 36–44%
C-: 30–36%
D+: 24–30%
D: 16–24%
D-: 10–16%
F: 0–10%


Creature Types

Aberrations

Sparingly1: Acid*, Cold*, Fire*, Lightning*, Necrotic, Physical (Non-magical), Poison*, and Thunder* | Blinded, Charmed, Exhaustion, Poisoned, and Prone
Sometimes2: Psychic | Frightened

*Particularly impacted by Elemental Adept or Poisoner

Beasts

Sparingly1: Physical (Magical) and Physical (Non-magical) | Charmed, Frightened, Grappled, Paralyzed, Petrified, Prone, Restrained, and Stunned

Swarms are the reason for these immunities/resistances

Celestials

Sparingly1: Fire*, Necrotic, Poison, Psychic, and Thunder | Paralyzed and Poisoned
Generally3: Physical (Non-magical) and Radiant | Charmed, Exhaustion, and Frightened

*Particularly impacted by Elemental Adept

Constructs

Sparingly1: Cold*, Fire, Lightning, and Necrotic | Blinded, Deafened, Grappled, Prone, Stunned, and Unconscious
Sometimes2: Psychic
Generally3: Physical (Non-magical)
Frequently4: Charmed, Exhaustion, Frightened, Paralyzed, and Petrified
Universally5: Poison* | Poisoned

*Particularly impacted by Elemental Adept or Poisoner

Dragons

Sparingly1: Acid, Cold, Lightning, Necrotic, Poison, Psychic, Radiant, and Thunder* | Poisoned and Prone
Sometimes2: Fire* | Charmed and Frightened

*Particularly impacted by Elemental Adept

Elementals

Sparingly1: Acid*, Cold, Lightning, and Thunder | Stunned
Sometimes2: Fire | Exhaustion, Grappled, Prone, Restrained, and Unconscious
Generally3: Physical (Non-magical) | Paralyzed and Petrified
Frequently4: Poison | Poisoned

*Particularly impacted by Elemental Adept

Fey

Sparingly1: Cold, Fire, Physical (Non-magical), and Poison | Charmed, Frightened, and Poisoned

Fiends

Sparingly1: Acid and Necrotic | Exhaustion and Paralyzed
Sometimes2: Charmed and Frightened
Generally3: Lightning***
Frequently4: Physical (Non-magical)
Universally5: Cold*****, Fire***, and Poison | Poisoned

*Particularly impacted by Elemental Adept (more asterisks = more impact)

Giants

Sparingly1: Cold, Lightning, Necrotic, Physical (Non-magical), Poison, Psychic, and Thunder | Charmed, Exhaustion, Frightened, Paralyzed, Petrified, and Poisoned

Humanoids

Sparingly1: Poison* | Charmed and Frightened

*Particularly impacted by Poisoner

Monstrosities

Sparingly1: Acid*, Cold*, Necrotic, Physical (Non-magical), and Poison | Charmed, Frightened, and Poisoned

*Particularly impacted by Elemental Adept

Oozes

Sparingly1: Physical (Magical) and Poison* | Grappled, Paralyzed, Petrified, Restrained, and Unconscious
Sometimes2: Acid*, Cold*, Lightning*, and Physical (Non-magical)
Generally3: Frightened
Frequently4: Charmed
Universally5: Blinded, Deafened, Exhaustion, and Prone

*Particularly impacted by Elemental Adept or Poisoner

Plants

Sparingly1: Cold*, Lightning, and Poison | Charmed, Exhaustion, Paralyzed, Poisoned, and Prone
Sometimes2: Physical (Magical) and Physical (Non-magical) | Deafened and Frightened
Generally4: Blinded

*Particularly impacted by Elemental Adept

Undead

Sparingly1: Acid*, Physical (Magical), Psychic, and Thunder* | Blinded, Deafened, Grappled, Restrained, Stunned, and Unconscious
Sometimes2: Cold** and Lightning** | Petrified and Prone
Generally3: Physical (Non-magical) | Frightened and Paralyzed
Frequently4: Necrotic | Charmed and Exhaustion
Universally5: Poison | Poisoned

*Particularly impacted by Elemental Adept (more asterisks = more impact)

[Thunderous Mojo]

That is productive for a "No Life Day"🍻

The merits of Elemental Adept: Thunder vs the merits Elemental Adept: Lightning.


There just are not that many Thunder spells
Destructive Wave is on the Paladin spell list
3rd level spells are the highest level Thunder spells for Arcane Casters.

Elemental Adept Lightning, on a Wizard can apply to Storm Sphere, and the various Prismatic spells, as well as Chain Lightning.

Thunder does have style though.

[Dark.Revenant]

That is productive for a "No Life Day"🍻
Thanks!


The merits of Elemental Adept: Thunder vs the merits Elemental Adept: Lightning.


There just are not that many Thunder spells
Destructive Wave is on the Paladin spell list
3rd level spells are the highest level Thunder spells for Arcane Casters.

Elemental Adept Lightning, on a Wizard can apply to Storm Sphere, and the various Prismatic spells, as well as Chain Lightning.

Thunder does have style though.
I wouldn’t actually recommend Elemental Adept (any element) unless the campaign heavily features Fiends or you’re an elemental mage and ran out of ASI ideas. For instance, an ice mage in Descent into Avernus will definitely get a lot of mileage out of Elemental Adept. I suppose if you want to be a fire mage in an aquatic/underwater campaign, you ought to take Elemental Adept so that you avoid being neutered, as well.

As for Lightning, eh. It’s probably better to just take Metamagic Adept on the off chance you’re dealing with a resistant/immune target. Two uses of Transmute Spell a day will generally be sufficient. That way you can also take something like Subtle Spell or Quickened Spell for some extra benefits on the side.

[Dark.Revenant]

Updated the original with stats and ratings for all the conditions, plus some common variations on those conditions.

[Snails]

That is productive for a "No Life Day"🍻

The merits of Elemental Adept: Thunder vs the merits Elemental Adept: Lightning.


There just are not that many Thunder spells
Destructive Wave is on the Paladin spell list
3rd level spells are the highest level Thunder spells for Arcane Casters.

Elemental Adept Lightning, on a Wizard can apply to Storm Sphere, and the various Prismatic spells, as well as Chain Lightning.

Thunder does have style though.

The best reason to take Elemental Adept: Thunder is because you are a Tempest Cleric (http://dnd5e.wikidot.com/cleric:tempest) who enjoys using Destructive Wrath with: upcast Thunderwave, upcast Shatter, Destructive Wave.

OTOH, what Dark.Revenant shows us is that these Thunder spells sufficiently reliable that Elemental Adept is not a big step up. Surely you will chose to boost the casting stat to 20 and pick up Resilient Con, first.

[AncientOne]

What about other way around? Say, I'm Wishing for resistance or buying Armor of Resistance. What damage type should I choose to get most out of it? For Wish it's probably bludgeoning, slashing or piercing, but which one? For armor, should I go perhaps for poison or fire, and if I have those resistances already what's next?

[Mastikator]

What about other way around? Say, I'm Wishing for resistance or buying Armor of Resistance. What damage type should I choose to get most out of it? For Wish it's probably bludgeoning, slashing or piercing, but which one? For armor, should I go perhaps for poison or fire, and if I have those resistances already what's next?

I don't have any exact data but there is a correlation between damage resistance/immunity and damage output type. Eg red dragons immune to fire also breathe fire. Fire and poison resistance are really good, as is physical resistance (but not non-magical physical).

[LudicSavant]

For armor, should I go perhaps for poison or fire, and if I have those resistances already what's next?

Poison, Fire, Psychic, and Necrotic are common monster damage types.

[Chronos]

Poison and fire are also not uncommon from non-magical and even non-monster sources. Lots of traps deal poison damage, for instance, and who hasn't adventured in a lava cavern?

[AncientOne]

That was mostly example, I was more interested about same kind of analysis that the first post had.

[Waterdeep Merch]

This is great for reference. I've done similar before for individual elements, but the sheer scale of this will help inform a lot of character building/monster designing in the future. Thanks for being so meticulous about it.

[Witty Username]

See it is stuff like this that makes it really fun to use strange and homebrew monsters (or refitting existing monsters).
Something with resistance/immunity to radiant damage will likely be noticed. Something with vulnerability to poison will be a treat.