- Armor Class
- 19 (natural armor)
- Hit Points
- 262 (21d12+126)
- Speed
- 40 ft., fly 80 ft.
- Challenge
- 19 (22,000 XP)
- Proficiency bonus
- +6
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|
| 26 (+8) | 15 (+2) | 22 (+6) | 20 (+5) | 16 (+3) | 22 (+6) |
- Saving throws
- Str +14, Con +12, Wis +9, Cha +12
- Damage resistances
- cold, lightning, bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks
- Damage immunities
- fire, poison
- Senses
- truesight 120 ft., passive Perception 13
- Languages
- Abyssal, telepathy 120 ft.
Traits
Death Throes. When the balor dies, it explodes, and each creature within 30 feet of it must make a DC 20 Dexterity saving throw, taking 70 (20d6) fire damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. The explosion ignites flammable objects in that area that aren't being worn or carried, and it destroys the balor's weapons.
Fire Aura. At the start of each of the balor's turns, each creature within 5 feet of it takes 10 (3d6) fire damage, and flammable objects in the aura that aren't being worn or carried ignite. A creature that touches the balor or hits it with a melee attack while within 5 feet of it takes 10 (3d6) fire damage.
Magic Resistance. The balor has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
Magic Weapons. The balor's weapon attacks are magical.
Actions
Multiattack. The balor makes two attacks: one with its longsword and one with its whip.
Longsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +14 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 21 (3d8 + 8) slashing damage plus 13 (3d8) lightning damage. If the balor scores a critical hit, it rolls damage dice three times, instead of twice.
Whip. Melee Weapon Attack: +14 to hit, reach 30 ft., one target. Hit: 15 (2d6 + 8) slashing damage plus 10 (3d6) fire damage, and the target must succeed on a DC 20 Strength saving throw or be pulled up to 25 feet toward the balor.
Teleport. The balor magically teleports, along with any equipment it is wearing or carrying, up to 120 feet to an unoccupied space it can see.
How balors fight
A balor is a CR 19 demon lord’s general: Huge, 262 hit points, AC 19, a flying speed of 80 feet and truesight to 120 feet. Each turn it attacks with its longsword (3d8 + 8 slashing plus 3d8 lightning, and its critical hits roll the dice three times) and its whip, which reaches 30 feet, deals 2d6 + 8 slashing plus 3d6 fire, and pulls the target up to 25 feet toward the balor unless it makes a DC 20 Strength save.
Standing next to it hurts. Its Fire Aura deals 3d6 fire to every creature within 5 feet at the start of the balor’s turns, and again to anyone who touches it or hits it in melee from within 5 feet. When it dies, it explodes: DC 20 Dexterity save or take 20d6 fire damage (70 on average) within 30 feet, half on a success. It can also teleport 120 feet as an action, and it has Magic Resistance.
Common questions
How big is a balor’s death explosion?
Every creature within 30 feet makes a DC 20 Dexterity save, taking 20d6 fire damage (70 on average) on a failure or half on a success. It also destroys the balor’s weapons, so you can’t loot its sword.
How does the balor’s whip work?
It’s a melee attack with 30-foot reach. On a hit, the target takes 2d6 + 8 slashing plus 3d6 fire, and must succeed on a DC 20 Strength save or be pulled up to 25 feet toward the balor, often into its Fire Aura.
Do silvered weapons work on a balor?
No, only magic ones. It resists bludgeoning, piercing and slashing from all nonmagical weapons, and is immune to fire and poison.
How hard is a balor fight?
CR 19, worth 22,000 XP. For four characters, the Dungeon Master’s Guide’s encounter math makes it Deadly at 13th level and below, Hard from 14th to 16th, Medium from 17th to 19th and Easy at 20th.
Does a balor die for good?
In the Monster Manual’s lore, a demon killed outside the Abyss reforms there. The 2024 balor writes it into the stat block: it gets a new body in the Abyss unless it dies there. The 2024 version also adds Legendary Resistance and has 287 hit points.
A balor is worth 22,000 XP. Using the 2024 encounter budgets (SRD 5.2), this is how many balors fit each difficulty for a party of four characters of the same level. A dash means even one would be over the budget.
Budgets add up every monster’s XP, so you can swap some for other creatures of the same total. Try other party sizes and mixes in the encounter calculator.
Balor 2024 stat block
The 2024 Monster Manual revised the balor, and the SRD 5.2 carries the new stat block. What changed:
- Hit points: 262 → 287.
- New in its stat block: Legendary Resistance, Flame Whip and Lightning Blade.
- Gone from it: Magic Weapons, Longsword and Whip.
- Armor Class
- 19
- Hit Points
- 287 (23d12 + 138)
- Speed
- 40 ft., fly 80 ft.
- Challenge
- 19 (22,000 XP)
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|
| 26 (+8) | 15 (+2) | 22 (+6) | 20 (+5) | 16 (+3) | 22 (+6) |
- Damage resistances
- cold, lightning
- Damage immunities
- fire, poison
- Senses
- truesight 120 ft., passive Perception 19
- Languages
- Abyssal; telepathy 120 ft.
Traits
Death Throes. The balor explodes when it dies. Dexterity Saving Throw: DC 20, each creature in a 30-foot Emanation originating from the balor. Failure: 31 (9d6) Fire damage plus 31 (9d6) Force damage. Success: Half damage. Failure or Success: If the balor dies outside the Abyss, it gains a new body instantly, reviving with all its Hit Points somewhere in the Abyss.
Fire Aura. At the end of each of the balor’s turns, each creature in a 5-foot Emanation originating from the balor takes 13 (3d8) Fire damage.
Legendary Resistance (3/Day). If the balor fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead.
Magic Resistance. The balor has Advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
Actions
Multiattack. The balor makes one Flame Whip attack and one Lightning Blade attack.
Flame Whip. Melee Attack Roll: +14, reach 30 ft. Hit: 18 (3d6 + 8) Force damage plus 17 (5d6) Fire damage. If the target is a Huge or smaller creature, the balor pulls the target up to 25 feet straight toward itself, and the target has the Prone condition.
Lightning Blade. Melee Attack Roll: +14, reach 10 ft. Hit: 21 (3d8 + 8) Force damage plus 22 (4d10) Lightning damage, and the target can’t take Reactions until the start of the balor’s next turn.
Bonus actions
Teleport. The balor teleports itself or a willing demon within 10 feet of itself up to 60 feet to an unoccupied space the balor can see.
