Cloaker icon: a dark cloak spread like wings
Icon by Lorc, CC BY 3.0

Cloaker 5e stat block

Large aberration, chaotic neutral · CR 8 · 2024 stat block below

Armor Class
14 (natural armor)
Hit Points
78 (12d10+12)
Speed
10 ft., fly 40 ft.
Challenge
8 (3,900 XP)
Proficiency bonus
+3
STRDEXCONINTWISCHA
17 (+3)15 (+2)12 (+1)13 (+1)12 (+1)14 (+2)
Skills
Stealth +5
Senses
darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 11
Languages
Deep Speech, Undercommon

Traits

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.

Actions

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.

How many cloakers for a fight?

A cloaker is worth 3,900 XP. Using the 2024 encounter budgets (SRD 5.2), this is how many cloakers fit each difficulty for a party of four characters of the same level. A dash means even one would be over the budget.

Party levelLowModerateHigh
5th——1
6th—11
7th—11
8th112
9th122
10th123
11th124
12th234
13th245
14th256
15th358
16th3610
17th4712
18th5812+
19th51012+
20th612+12+

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.

How the cloaker compares at CR 8

Against the 9 other challenge 8 monsters in the SRD 5.1, the cloaker has more hit points than 1 of them, which makes it one of the frailest at its CR. See every CR 8 monster.

StatisticCloakerCR 8 average
Armor Class1415.7
Hit points78122
Best attack bonus+6+8

Cloaker 2024 stat block

The 2024 Monster Manual revised the cloaker, and the SRD 5.2 carries the new stat block. What changed:

Armor Class
14
Hit Points
91 (14d10 + 14)
Speed
10 ft., fly 40 ft.
Challenge
8 (3,900 XP)
STRDEXCONINTWISCHA
17 (+3)15 (+2)12 (+1)13 (+1)14 (+2)7 (-2)
Condition immunities
Frightened
Senses
darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 12
Languages
Deep Speech, Undercommon

Traits

Light Sensitivity. While in Bright Light, the cloaker has Disadvantage on attack rolls.

Actions

Multiattack. The cloaker makes one Attach attack and two Tail attacks.

Attach. Melee Attack Roll: +6, reach 5 ft. Hit: 13 (3d6 + 3) Piercing damage. If the target is a Large or smaller creature, the cloaker attaches to it. While the cloaker is attached, the target has the Blinded condition, and the cloaker can’t make Attach attacks against other targets. In addition, the cloaker halves the damage it takes (round down), and the target takes the same amount of damage. The cloaker can detach itself by spending 5 feet of movement. The target or a creature within 5 feet of it can take an action to try to detach the cloaker, doing so by succeeding on a DC 14 Strength (Athletics) check.

Tail. Melee Attack Roll: +6, reach 10 ft. Hit: 8 (1d10 + 3) Slashing damage.

Bonus actions

Moan. Wisdom Saving Throw: DC 13, each creature in a 60-foot Emanation originating from the cloaker. Failure: The target has the Frightened condition until the end of the cloaker’s next turn. Success: The target is immune to this cloaker’s Moan for the next 24 hours.

Phantasms (Recharge after a Short or Long Rest). The cloaker casts the Mirror Image spell, requiring no spell components and using Wisdom as the spellcasting ability. The spell ends early if the cloaker starts or ends its turn in Bright Light.

Similar monsters

Browse: all CR 8 monsters · aberrations · every monster