I cannot find an answer to this elsewhere in the forums, and a Google search didn't help me either. I do have the Adult Sapphire Dragon sourcebook purchased through D&D Beyond.
Everywhere I look, be it here, or other online resources, I see the Adult Sapphire Dragon as having 207 hit points, but the parenthetical makes no sense to me (18d12 + 60). Basically, everything I know about how the Monster Manual works (the mechanics of how the stat blocks are generated), basically state that huge monsters (the case here) have d12 hit die so on average 6.5 hit points per die. The Monster Manual also applies the standard ability score modifiers of the Player's Handbook, so for an Adult Sapphire Dragon, with CON 21, the modifier is +5.
Basically, in order to reach 207 hit points, the parenthetical should be 18d12 + 90 : 18 * 6.5 + 90 = 207. (Edit: I originally wrote 18*5.5 at this spot, which itself is a typo as 6.5 is the correct average as stated in previous paragraph.)
Now one of two things is happening with the hit points as written in the original source--"hit points 207 (18d12 + 60)":
It is indeed intended to be 18d12 + 60, as a new -- and as of yet -- undocumented mechanic introduced with Gem Dragons for 5e, but why do the hit points still average out to 207?
It is not intended since +60 divided by 18 hit die is not a whole number corresponding to a constitution modifier; however, +60/12 is equal to the constitution modifier of +5 for CON 21.
Basically, I suspect it is the second bullet that happened, and thus the +60 is a "typo" and the hit points should read "207 (18d12 + 90)". However, I could be wrong, and some mechanic that escapes me is at play here.
Hello,
I cannot find an answer to this elsewhere in the forums, and a Google search didn't help me either. I do have the Adult Sapphire Dragon sourcebook purchased through D&D Beyond.
Everywhere I look, be it here, or other online resources, I see the Adult Sapphire Dragon as having 207 hit points, but the parenthetical makes no sense to me (18d12 + 60). Basically, everything I know about how the Monster Manual works (the mechanics of how the stat blocks are generated), basically state that huge monsters (the case here) have d12 hit die so on average 6.5 hit points per die. The Monster Manual also applies the standard ability score modifiers of the Player's Handbook, so for an Adult Sapphire Dragon, with CON 21, the modifier is +5.
Basically, in order to reach 207 hit points, the parenthetical should be 18d12 + 90 : 18 * 6.5 + 90 = 207. (Edit: I originally wrote 18*5.5 at this spot, which itself is a typo as 6.5 is the correct average as stated in previous paragraph.)
Now one of two things is happening with the hit points as written in the original source--"hit points 207 (18d12 + 60)":
Basically, I suspect it is the second bullet that happened, and thus the +60 is a "typo" and the hit points should read "207 (18d12 + 90)". However, I could be wrong, and some mechanic that escapes me is at play here.
Any ideas?
Best,
My bet is 95% in favor of a typo. Someone multiplied the die value, rather than the Hit Dice when filling out the statblock.
Thanks! it is the most likely scenario indeed.