Medium or small humanoid, neutral · CR 4 · new in the 2024 rules (SRD 5.2)
Armor Class
16 (chain mail)
Hit Points
82 (11d8 + 33)
Speed
30 ft.
Challenge
4 (1,100 XP)
STR
DEX
CON
INT
WIS
CHA
17 (+3)
14 (+2)
16 (+3)
11 (+0)
10 (+0)
11 (+0)
Senses
passive Perception 10
Languages
Common plus one other language
Gear
Chain Mail, Heavy Crossbow, Warhammer
Traits
Pack Tactics. The tough has Advantage on an attack roll against a creature if at least one of the tough’s allies is within 5 feet of the creature and the ally doesn’t have the Incapacitated condition.
Actions
Multiattack. The tough makes two attacks, using Warhammer or Heavy Crossbow in any combination.
Warhammer. Melee Attack Roll: +5, reach 5 ft. Hit: 12 (2d8 + 3) Bludgeoning damage. If the target is a Large or smaller creature, the tough pushes the target up to 10 feet straight away from itself.
Heavy Crossbow. Ranged Attack Roll: +4, range 100/400 ft. Hit: 13 (2d10 + 2) Piercing damage.
The tough boss isn’t in the 2014 SRD 5.1; this is its stat block from the SRD 5.2. For the 2014 version of its kin, see the Thug.
How many tough bosses for a fight?
A tough boss is worth 1,100 XP. Using the 2024 encounter budgets (SRD 5.2), this is how many tough bosses 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
3rd
—
—
1
4th
—
1
1
5th
1
2
4
6th
2
3
5
7th
2
4
6
8th
3
6
7
9th
4
7
9
10th
5
8
11
11th
6
10
12+
12th
8
12+
12+
13th
9
12+
12+
14th
10
12+
12+
15th
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 tough boss compares at CR 4
Against the 15 other challenge 4 monsters in the SRD 5.1, the tough boss has more hit points than 7 of them, which makes it a little frailer than most at its CR. See every CR 4 monster.
