Blood Frenzy. The shark has advantage on melee attack rolls against any creature that doesn't have all its hit points.
Water Breathing. The shark can breathe only underwater.
Actions
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 22 (3d10 + 6) piercing damage.
How many giant sharks for a fight?
A giant shark is worth 1,800 XP. Using the 2024 encounter budgets (SRD 5.2), this is how many giant sharks 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
4th
—
—
1
5th
1
1
2
6th
1
2
3
7th
1
2
3
8th
2
3
4
9th
2
4
5
10th
3
5
6
11th
4
6
9
12th
4
8
10
13th
5
9
12
14th
6
10
12+
15th
7
12
12+
16th
8
12+
12+
17th
10
12+
12+
18th
11
12+
12+
19th
12
12+
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 giant shark compares at CR 5
Against the 26 other challenge 5 monsters in the SRD 5.1, the giant shark has more hit points than 21 of them, which makes it one of the toughest at its CR. See every CR 5 monster.
Statistic
Giant Shark
CR 5 average
Armor Class
13
14.6
Hit points
126
101
Best attack bonus
+9
+7
Giant Shark 2024 stat block
The 2024 Monster Manual revised the giant shark, and the SRD 5.2 carries the new stat block. What changed:
Hit points: 126 → 92.
Speed: 0 ft., swim 50 ft. → 5 ft., swim 60 ft..
New in its stat block: Multiattack.
Gone from it: Blood Frenzy.
Armor Class
13
Hit Points
92 (8d12 + 40)
Speed
5 ft., swim 60 ft.
Challenge
5 (1,800 XP)
STR
DEX
CON
INT
WIS
CHA
23 (+6)
11 (+0)
21 (+5)
1 (-5)
10 (+0)
5 (-3)
Senses
blindsight 60 ft., passive Perception 13
Languages
None
Traits
Water Breathing. The shark can breathe only underwater.
Actions
Multiattack. The shark makes two Bite attacks.
Bite. Melee Attack Roll: +9 (with Advantage if the target doesn’t have all its Hit Points), reach 5 ft. Hit: 22 (3d10 + 6) Piercing damage.
