Armor Class
14
Hit Points
10
(3d4 + 3)
Speed
15 ft., fly 60 ft.
STR
6
(-2)
DEX
15
(+2)
CON
13
(+1)
INT
10
(+0)
WIS
12
(+1)
CHA
10
(+0)
Skills
Perception +5, Stealth +4
Senses
Blindsight 10 ft., Darkvision 60 ft., Passive Perception 15
Languages
Understands Common and Draconic but can’t speak
Challenge
1/4 (50 XP)
Proficiency Bonus
+2
Magic Resistance. The pseudodragon has Advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
Actions
Multiattack. The pseudodragon makes two Bite attacks.
Bite. Melee Attack Roll: +4, reach 5 ft. Hit: 4 (1d4 + 2) Piercing damage.
Sting. Constitution Saving Throw: DC 12, one creature the pseudodragon can see within 5 feet. Failure: 5 (2d4) Poison damage, and the target has the Poisoned condition for 1 hour. Failure by 5 or More: The Poisoned target also has the Unconscious condition until it takes damage or another creature takes an action to shake it awake.
So with the Sting no longer being an Attack, you don't need to use your Action and don't need Investment of the Chain Master to have your Chain Familiar Pseudodragon poison a target. I don't know if that makes it worth picking it over an Imp (Invisibility, Shapechange, more HP, resistances, ...) but it's certainly nice.
Now we can have a Familiar which can deal damage. Exciting.
Not true. Although it doesn't have an attack roll, it's still an attack. It's still a stinger. It's not some innate ability or spell, it literally shanks you with its tail.
Not true. Although it doesn't have an attack roll, it's still an attack. It's still a stinger. It's not some innate ability or spell, it literally shanks you with its tail.
Interesting thing I've noticed: They lost their limited telepathy between editions, as well as their keen senses.
This new edition uses Keywords with very explicit and well defined meanings.
Attacks require attackers to make a d20 vs the targets AC.
Abilities require the targets to make an ability save.
"Attack Notation. The entry for a monster’s attack starts by identifying whether the attack is a melee or a ranged attack and then provides the attack roll’s bonus, its reach or range, and what happens on a hit. An attack is against one target unless its entry says otherwise."
Pseudodragon can bite. Bite is a melee attack because the stat identifies it as an attack.
The sting ability states that when the pseudodragon is within 5 ft it can force a creature that it sees to make a con save. No attack roll, just an ability save.
That they're both listed under actions might be confusing you.
The IMP statblock might be helpful to illustrate how attacks and abilities are both listed under actions.
Huh, you're right. DC12 is not very much, though, so I would still take investment of the chain master to go with it so the DC becomes your spell casting DC. Still though, a pseudodragon familiar can totally sting someone on their turn. That still means no double/triple sting since the quick attack and attack-with-its-reaction options prevent the sting being selected, only attacks.
I think they actually nerfed it by making it an ability rather than an attack. Well, at least a casual pact of the chain warlock can have it sting on its turn in addition to their other options.
i'd definitely pick a quasit over this guy
Changes between the 2014 Pseudodragon and the 2024 Pseudodragon:
Armor Class: 13 (Natural Armor) → 14.
Hit Points: 7 (2d4 + 2) → 10 (3d4 + 3)
Skills: Perception +3 [Wisdom +1 + Proficiency +2] → Perception +5 [Wisdom +1 + Expertise +4]
Senses: Passive Perception 13 [18 due to +5 due to Advantage from Keen Senses] → Passive Perception 15.
Keen Senses: removed.
Limited Telepathy: removed.
Multiattack: added.
Bite: No longer a Weapon Attack.
Sting: DC 11 [8 + PB + Con/Wis] → DC 12 [8 + PB + Dex], Damage on fail 4 (1d4+2) Piercing → 5 (2d4) Poison, No longer an attack roll.
() = Officially detailed dice.
[] = Unofficial explanation of modifier values.
Thoughts:
The 2024 Pseudodragon is now marginally better in combat with higher sturdiness, and offense shifted towards its bite attack(s) while the Sting is more consistent with larger spikes in damage albeit the damage is more likely to be resisted or immuned. This is in exchange for a on-the-face-of-it bigger downscale in its overall utility with a worse overall Passive Perception and communication.
As a Warlock's Familiar, while at first glance it would appear that it's an overall worse option for combat than the other alternatives due to having its niche shifted from being a potent anti-hide spotter, to a less potent damage dealer compare to the competition, this is not entirely the case. While its effective Passive Perception is down from 18 to 15, its Blindsight can detect hiding creature due to Hiding Creatures gaining the Invisible Condition. This means a Pseudodragon's niche has mainly shifted playstyle from a passive observer to an active finder by using its Fly Speed to scout around the map + it's action to Dash or Disengage to cover more ground depending on situation. Also of note is that 15 is still high enough to qualify for the same tier of Xanathar's "Waking Someone" rules which is effectively unchanged.
I think that is a more fun rebalance although I am uncertain if the overall effectiveness is higher, lower, or about the same. I wouldn't use it's bite attack unless I knew that the average damage would make the difference in taking the target out which will rarely be the case in higher tiers of play.
Where is telephaty?! :O
The Amazon Prime delivered cheap remote controlled drone recon drone for free every 1 hour is finally gone.
Looks like you need Beast Bond spell slots expended now if you still want telepathy.
Something I would call way more consistent and balanced as a DM in terms of previously game breaking OP.