Multiattack. The chimera makes three attacks: one with its bite, one with its horns, and one with its claws. When its fire breath is available, it can use the breath in place of its bite or horns.
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 11 (2d6 + 4) piercing damage.
Horns. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 10 (1d12 + 4) bludgeoning damage.
Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 11 (2d6 + 4) slashing damage.
Fire Breath (Recharge 5–6). The dragon head exhales fire in a 15-foot cone. Each creature in that area must make a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw, taking 31 (7d8) fire damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.
Description
A chimera is a vile combination of goat, lion, and dragon, and features the heads of all three of those creatures. It likes to swoop down from the sky and engulf prey with its fiery breath before landing to attack.
so this is what my warlock pledged her soul to...
Who would win, a chimera or manticore?
If it’s part red dragon why doesn’t it have atleast resistance to fire (as opposed to a full dragons immunity)?
Probably because the dragon part doesn’t cover much. It is only a head and wings of a dragon. Not a body. Wouldn’t make much sense, besides for on the head and wings.
Yes.
How come all two headed creatures get cool traits related to having that many heads, such as advantage against various conditions, but chimeras with their 3 heads don't get anything? This has got to be an oversight due to how unpopular the chimera is
The difference between multi-headed creatures' abilities tells you how to play them differently. Chimeras do have expertise in Perception. And unlike hydras, which have expendable heads, a chimera's Multiattack doesn't get any weaker during a battle, presumably because it doesn't lead with its chins. Maybe that reflects how the chimera's heads are all highly integrated with each other: if the three creatures all contribute equally to its personality, perhaps its brains/nervous system are much more connected than those of, say, an ettin. An ettin has completely separate personalities in each of its heads, hence each head is operating independently, which is why one can sleep while the other is awake and why they have advantage on Perception checks—each of them is perceiving independently, so they get two chances at it—but can never roll as high on Perception as a chimera.
Unfortunately for the dragon part of the chimera, its overall Intelligence and Charisma is dragged down by being integrated so fully with a lion and goat. It can still understand Draconic but can't speak. It has the darkvision granted by a dragon's eyes, but not the blindsight that requires a dragon's full faculties. In the chimera's Multiattack, the fire breath can be used in place of either the bite or the horns, indicating that this creature will use the horns on its dragon head similarly to how a goat would.
That all tells you how you should play a chimera differently from other multi-headed creatures. A chimera doesn't have three separate personalities that can ever disagree with each other, it has one hybrid character dragged down to a near-bestial common denominator. It can use all its biological weaponry (fire breath and biting and ramming and clawing, all while flying) in a highly coordinated way. It cares about all of its heads, so it's not going to heedlessly throw them at an enemy in a way that would give it extra opportunity attacks like a hydra, but also means it won't lose those heads when it takes damage.
in the monstrus manual it says when the mortals summoned the demigorgon in the world it combined all the weak creatures it saw and the chimera was created
I’m pretty sure the creator ran out of ideas and made this horrid beast/monster/monstrosity
I'm gonna make my players fight this and tell them its ManBearPig
My favorite monster, but its implementation in D&D irks me.
Despite the dragon head, it's only as intelligent as a regular lion.
It doesn't really offer that much to work with...partly why the Chimera encounter on Critical Role ended up being pretty forgettable.
As THE NAMESAKE of a full monster category, it really deserves better.
Centaur, Minotaur, Gryphon, Owlbear, all chimeras.
I'd definitely include them in campaigns, and never run the base stat block.
I tamed one
for some reason I feel like chimeras are from chinesse culture
it's usually not good for a fire breather to not have fire resistance
Currently working on a set of magic items based off this.
You mean the Greeks?
I’ve heard from a DM who played in 2nd edition that there used to be variations in the chimera that worked this way. So yes, you could. Even then, just because there isn’t precedent for it doesn’t mean it can’t be done.
Greek, actually. It’s the progeny of Typhon and Echidna. Its siblings include Cerberus, Hydra, and the Nemean Lion. Although the Greek version depicts it without a dragon head, instead giving it a serpent tail. The goat head is also usually depicted halfway down its back rather than coming from right next to the lion head.
I think they had that set up in 3.5 ed.