Damage Transfer. While attached to a creature, the cloaker takes only half the damage dealt to it (rounded down), and that creature takes the other half.
False Appearance. While the cloaker remains motionless without its underside exposed, it is indistinguishable from a dark leather cloak.
Light Sensitivity. While in bright light, the cloaker has disadvantage on attack rolls and Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight.
Multiattack. The cloaker makes two attacks: one with its bite and one with its tail.
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 10 (2d6 + 3) piercing damage, and if the target is Large or smaller, the cloaker attaches to it. If the cloaker has advantage against the target, the cloaker attaches to the target's head, and the target is blinded and unable to breathe while the cloaker is attached. While attached, the cloaker can make this attack only against the target and has advantage on the attack roll. The cloaker can detach itself by spending 5 feet of its movement. A creature, including the target, can take its action to detach the cloaker by succeeding on a DC 16 Strength check.
Tail. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 10 ft., one creature. Hit: 7 (1d8 + 3) slashing damage.
Moan. Each creature within 60 feet of the cloaker that can hear its moan and that isn't an aberration must succeed on a DC 13 Wisdom saving throw or become frightened until the end of the cloaker's next turn. If a creature's saving throw is successful, the creature is immune to the cloaker's moan for the next 24 hours.
Phantasms (Recharges after a Short or Long Rest). The cloaker magically creates three illusory duplicates of itself if it isn't in bright light. The duplicates move with it and mimic its actions, shifting position so as to make it impossible to track which cloaker is the real one. If the cloaker is ever in an area of bright light, the duplicates disappear.
Whenever any creature targets the cloaker with an attack or a harmful spell while a duplicate remains, that creature rolls randomly to determine whether it targets the cloaker or one of the duplicates. A creature is unaffected by this magical effect if it can't see or if it relies on senses other than sight.
A duplicate has the cloaker's AC and uses its saving throws. If an attack hits a duplicate, or if a duplicate fails a saving throw against an effect that deals damage, the duplicate disappears.
You call this resisting a bite? we call this a difficulty tweak!
I'm guessing you didn't play it to its fullest potential but, depending on the size of the party, a single cloaker would have a hard time due to actions per turn.
Assuming 5-6 players in your party and all of them at level 4 that 5-6 attacks against a single target per round. Your toughest player would have about 40hp but also probably higher strength as well +3 unless they boosted it at level 4 instead of taking a feat. Your caster has 24-30 hp and pretty low strength at -1 typically.
Round 1: cloaker Flys down and attaches to the head of your caster and hit them with a tail attack. The caster is now blinded and suffocating and down to 10hp. Depending on the marching order the martials might not even notice due to the stealth bonus of the creature if the caster was walking behind the party, but let's say they do notice. The barbarian rages and smacks the creature to get it off. There is nothing that would indicate that half the damage went to the caster because they are still suffocating and can't speak or make noise. Now the caster is at 5hp. Next attack drops the caster but the cloaker holds on still. At this point the players try to pull it off and succeed
Round 2: the party is one man down and the cloaker is still at 50+hp. The cloaker slips away into the darkness and readies an action to attack anyone the tries to help the incapacitated player.
I'm not saying the party shouldn't have been able to defeat it but at level 4 it should have been a significant threat.
I would definitely play this creatures as a creature of opportunity. As the party rounds a corner last player is attacked with advantage from a stealthed cloaker and cloaker bite hits and attaches. Have the party roll perception against stealth and if they don't see it they keep walking. Next round the PC attacked rolls a Str check and and rest of the party rolls perception without you revealing what is happening. All PCs are rolling checks but they don't know why, even the attacked PC doesn't know what's going on which would represent the suffocating, blinded conditions affecting them.
I expected Law Brutality honestly...
The Cloaker; also known as the beta Aboleth.
Ya know, I've been thinking about doing an underwater campaign mostly focused around these, Chuuls, and Aboleths. I also happen to like Aberrations lol.
Nightmare fuel
"Now go to the forums and cry like the little ***** you are!" -Cloaker from payday 2
is that thing from Minecraft or what
Literally Minecraft phantom.
Also, is it holding spikes in its hands?
Why do I have to fight two of these
Ha Minecraft.