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: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 13 (2d8 + 4) piercing damage.
How many hunter sharks for a fight?
A hunter shark is worth 450 XP. Using the 2024 encounter budgets (SRD 5.2), this is how many hunter 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
2nd
—
1
1
3rd
1
2
3
4th
2
3
4
5th
4
6
9
6th
5
8
12
7th
6
11
12+
8th
8
12+
12+
9th
11
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 hunter shark compares at CR 2
Against the 42 other challenge 2 monsters in the SRD 5.1, the hunter shark has more hit points than 21 of them, which makes it tougher than most at its CR. See every CR 2 monster.
Statistic
Hunter Shark
CR 2 average
Armor Class
12
13
Hit points
45
47
Best attack bonus
+6
+5
Hunter Shark 2024 stat block
The 2024 Monster Manual revised the hunter shark, and the SRD 5.2 carries the new stat block. What changed:
Speed: 0 ft., swim 40 ft. → 5 ft., swim 40 ft..
Ability scores: DEX 13 → 14.
Gone from it: Blood Frenzy.
Armor Class
12
Hit Points
45 (6d10 + 12)
Speed
5 ft., swim 40 ft.
Challenge
2 (450 XP)
STR
DEX
CON
INT
WIS
CHA
18 (+4)
14 (+2)
15 (+2)
1 (-5)
10 (+0)
4 (-3)
Senses
blindsight 60 ft., passive Perception 12
Languages
None
Traits
Water Breathing. The shark can breathe only underwater.
Actions
Bite. Melee Attack Roll: +6 (with Advantage if the target doesn’t have all its Hit Points), reach 5 ft. Hit: 14 (3d6 + 4) Piercing damage.
