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Flying Sword 5e: Stats, Tactics and the Dispel Magic Trick
A flying sword is a CR 1/4 Small construct: an animated longsword with AC 17, 17 hit points, a 50-foot fly speed with hover, and blindsight 60 feet. It attacks once a turn for 5 (1d8 + 1) slashing damage at +3. Its high AC is the problem for low-level parties, and its weakness in the 2014 rules is Antimagic Susceptibility: Dispel Magic can knock it unconscious for a minute. The 2024 rules rename it the Animated Flying Sword, give it 14 hit points and a better attack, and remove both that weakness and its False Appearance.
Senses blindsight 60 ft. (blind beyond this radius), passive Perception 7
Languages —
Challenge 1/4 (XP 50; PB +2)
Traits
Antimagic Susceptibility.The sword is incapacitated while in the area of an antimagic field. If targeted by dispel magic, the sword must succeed on a Constitution saving throw against the caster's spell save DC or fall unconscious for 1 minute.
False Appearance.While the sword remains motionless and isn't flying, it is indistinguishable from a normal sword.
Actions
Longsword.Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d8 + 1) slashing damage.
Stat block from the SRD 5.1 (2014 rules) by Wizards of the Coast, licensed under CC-BY-4.0. Check an encounter with this monster in the encounter calculator.
Two traits make the 2014 sword more than a floating weapon:
•Antimagic Susceptibility. Inside an Antimagic Field the sword is Incapacitated. If it is targeted by Dispel Magic, it makes a Constitution saving throw against the caster's spell save DC or falls unconscious for 1 minute. Its Constitution modifier is +0.
•False Appearance. While it stays motionless and isn't flying, it's indistinguishable from a normal sword. Hang it on a wall rack or leave it on a table.
Its walking speed is 0. It moves only by flying, and its blindsight means it is blind beyond 60 feet.
Stat block from the SRD 5.2.1 (2024 rules) by Wizards of the Coast, licensed under CC-BY-4.0. Check an encounter with this monster in the encounter calculator.
2014 Flying Sword
2024 Animated Flying Sword
HP
17 (5d6)
14 (4d6)
Speed
0 ft., fly 50 ft. (hover)
5 ft., fly 50 ft. (hover)
Attack
Longsword +3, 5 (1d8 + 1)
Slash +4, 6 (1d8 + 2)
Antimagic Susceptibility
Yes
Removed
False Appearance
Yes
Removed
Condition immunities
Includes Blinded
Drops Blinded, adds Exhaustion
The 2024 block has no traits at all. Dispel Magic in 2024 ends spells on a target, and the 2024 sword has no spell on it to end, so by the text the spell does nothing to it. DM ruling, not rules text: if your story says a specific ongoing spell keeps the sword animated, Dispel Magic can end that spell (automatically at level 3 or lower, otherwise with a spellcasting ability check against DC 10 + the spell's level), and the animation ends with it. Note that the SRD's Animate Objects spell doesn't produce this stat block; its objects use their own statistics.
How Flying Swords Fight
Small damage, hard to hit. Against AC 16, the 2014 sword hits on a 13 or better (40%) for 2 expected damage a round; the 2024 sword hits on a 12 (45%) for about 2.7. A level 1 character with +5 to hit needs a 12 against AC 17, so the party hits it 45% of the time too. Three swords make a long, grinding fight.
Use the air. With a 50-foot fly speed and hover, a sword flies over pits, up stairwells and across chasms. It goes straight for the back line and stays out of reach of anyone who can't fly.
Ignore darkness and invisibility. Blindsight 60 feet means darkness, fog and the Invisible condition don't hide a character within 60 feet. A dark armory is the sword's home ground.
Ambush from the wall (2014). A rack of eight swords where two are flying swords is an old trick that still works. With False Appearance, the party can't tell them apart by looking. They give themselves away only when they move.
Guard, don't chase. DM ruling, not rules text: with Intelligence 1, give each sword one simple standing order, such as guard this door or attack anyone without the house signet. A clear order also gives clever players a way around the fight.
How Many Flying Swords for Your Party?
A flying sword is worth 50 XP. Check the 2014 Dungeon Master's Guide numbers in our encounter calculator.
Flying swords, animated armor and a rug of smothering are the classic haunted-manor trio. The armor holds the door, the rug grapples whoever stands on it, and the swords pick off the casters.
How Players Beat Flying Swords
•Dispel Magic (2014). Against a DC 13 caster, the sword fails its Constitution save 60% of the time and falls unconscious for a minute. Melee attacks within 5 feet of an Unconscious creature are critical hits on a hit.
•Saving throw spells. AC 17 is its strength; its saves are not, apart from Dexterity (+4). Shatter is ideal: a construct (in 2014, a creature made of metal) has Disadvantage on the Constitution save, so it fails a DC 13 save about 84% of the time and takes 3d8 thunder.
•Magic Missile.Magic Missile ignores AC. Three darts (10.5 average) take a 2024 sword to 3 or 4 hit points.
•Don't waste these. It is immune to poison and psychic damage and to the Charmed, Frightened, Paralyzed, Petrified and Poisoned conditions. Hold Person can't target a construct, and both versions of Sleep fail: the 2014 spell skips creatures immune to being charmed, and in 2024 a creature immune to Exhaustion automatically succeeds on the save.
•Grab it. It isn't immune to Grappled or Restrained. A grappled sword's Speed is 0, so it can't fly away from the party.
Flying Sword Encounter Ideas
The trophy hall. A retired knight's hall displays twenty swords. Three are flying swords ordered to defend the knight's portrait. Taking the portrait down triggers them, and the party learns why when they find the letter hidden behind it.
The fencing hall. A fencing school's practice room has one flying sword that duels anyone who steps onto the marked floor. Beating it alone is the school's entrance test. The rest of the racked blades aren't animated, but the party won't know that.
The wizard's escort. A mage's apprentice travels with two flying swords hovering at her shoulders. They protect her, not her master's tower, and she might trade them for safe passage.
Frequently Asked Questions
What CR is a flying sword?
A flying sword is CR 1/4 (50 XP) in both editions. The 2014 version has AC 17 and 17 hit points; the 2024 Animated Flying Sword has AC 17 and 14 hit points.
Does Dispel Magic work on a flying sword?
In the 2014 rules, yes: a flying sword targeted by Dispel Magic makes a Constitution save against the caster's spell save DC or falls unconscious for 1 minute. The 2024 Animated Flying Sword has no such trait.
What happens to a flying sword in an antimagic field?
The 2014 flying sword is Incapacitated while in the area of an Antimagic Field. The 2024 stat block doesn't address it.
Can a flying sword be grappled?
Yes. It is not immune to the Grappled condition in either edition. A grappled sword's speed becomes 0.
Stat blocks: System Reference Document 5.1 (2014) and 5.2.1 (2024), Wizards of the Coast, CC-BY-4.0. Tactics, encounter math and ideas are Loreify's own.
This page includes material from the System Reference Document 5.1 and 5.2.1 by Wizards of the Coast LLC, available under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Loreify is not affiliated with Wizards of the Coast.