Keen Smell. The giant has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on smell.
Innate Spellcasting. The giant's innate spellcasting ability is Charisma. It can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components:
At will: detect magic, fog cloud, light
3/day each: feather fall, fly, misty step, telekinesis
1/day each: control weather, gaseous form
Actions
Multiattack. The giant makes two morningstar attacks.
Morningstar. Melee Weapon Attack: +12 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 21 (3d8 + 8) piercing damage.
Rock. Ranged Weapon Attack: +12 to hit, range 60/240 ft., one target. Hit: 30 (4d10 + 8) bludgeoning damage.
How many cloud giants for a fight?
A cloud giant is worth 5,000 XP. Using the 2024 encounter budgets (SRD 5.2), this is how many cloud giants fit each difficulty for a party of four characters of the same level. A dash means even one would be over the budget.
Party level
Low
Moderate
High
6th
—
—
1
7th
—
1
1
8th
—
1
1
9th
1
1
2
10th
1
1
2
11th
1
2
3
12th
1
2
3
13th
2
3
4
14th
2
3
4
15th
2
4
6
16th
3
4
7
17th
3
5
9
18th
4
6
11
19th
4
8
12+
20th
5
10
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 cloud giant compares at CR 9
Against the 7 other challenge 9 monsters in the SRD 5.1, the cloud giant has more hit points than 7 of them, which makes it one of the toughest at its CR. See every CR 9 monster.
Statistic
Cloud Giant
CR 9 average
Armor Class
14
17.1
Hit points
200
150
Best attack bonus
+12
+9
Cloud Giant 2024 stat block
The 2024 Monster Manual revised the cloud giant, and the SRD 5.2 carries the new stat block. What changed:
Speed: 40 ft. → 40 ft., fly 20 ft. (hover).
New in its stat block: Thunderous Mace, Thundercloud, Spellcasting and Misty Step.
Gone from it: Keen Smell, Innate Spellcasting, Morningstar and Rock.
Armor Class
14
Hit Points
200 (16d12 + 96)
Speed
40 ft., fly 20 ft. (hover)
Challenge
9 (5,000 XP)
STR
DEX
CON
INT
WIS
CHA
27 (+8)
10 (+0)
22 (+6)
12 (+1)
16 (+3)
16 (+3)
Senses
passive Perception 21
Languages
Common, Giant
Actions
Multiattack. The giant makes two attacks, using Thunderous Mace or Thundercloud in any combination. It can replace one attack with a use of Spellcasting to cast Fog Cloud.
Thundercloud. Ranged Attack Roll: +12, range 240 ft. Hit: 18 (3d6 + 8) Thunder damage, and the target has the Incapacitated condition until the end of its next turn.
Spellcasting. The giant casts one of the following spells, requiring no Material components and using Charisma as the spellcasting ability (spell save DC 15):
At Will: Detect Magic, Fog Cloud, Light
1/Day Each: Control Weather, Gaseous Form, Telekinesis
Bonus actions
Misty Step. The giant casts the Misty Step spell, using the same spellcasting ability as Spellcasting.
