Frog 5e: Stats, Toad Familiars and the Polymorph Frog

A frog is a CR 0 Tiny beast with AC 11, 1 hit point, 20 feet of walking and swimming speed, and a Standing Leap of 10 feet long or 5 feet high with no run-up. The 2014 frog (SRD 5.1) has no attack at all and is worth 0 XP; the SRD says its statistics also represent a toad. The 2024 frog gets a +3 bite for 1 piercing damage and is worth 10 XP. Players care about it for two reasons: it's a Find Familiar form, and it's the classic thing to turn an enemy into with Polymorph.

Table of Contents

• •Frog Stat Block (2014)
• •The Frog in the 2024 Rules
• •Polymorph: Turning Someone Into a Frog
• •The Frog or Toad Familiar
• •How a Frog Fights
• •Running Frogs in an Encounter
• •How to Beat a Frog (and Break the Spell)
• •Frog Encounter Ideas
• •Frequently Asked Questions

Frog Stat Block (2014)

The 2014 frog has no actions at all. Its challenge line reads "0 (0 XP)"; the sea horse is the only other 2014 SRD creature worth nothing, while other CR 0 beasts are worth 10 XP. Amphibious lets it breathe air and water, and Standing Leap gives it a 10-foot long jump and 5-foot high jump whether or not it gets a running start.

The Frog in the 2024 Rules

The only changes: the 2024 frog has a Bite (+3 to hit, 1 piercing damage), and it's worth 10 XP like other CR 0 beasts. AC, hit points, speeds, senses, skills and both traits are identical.

Polymorph: Turning Someone Into a Frog

The 4th-level spell turns a creature into a Beast with a CR no higher than the target's CR or level. A frog is CR 0, so any target qualifies. An unwilling target makes a Wisdom saving throw. What happens next depends on the edition.

In both editions, Polymorph is concentration for up to an hour, and one point of damage to the frog ends the effect. The tactic is to turn the dangerous enemy into a frog and then leave it alone: kill everything else first, and have someone stand on guard so nobody hits it by accident. A frog has Stealth +3 and will try to hop away; a 20-foot speed means it doesn't get far.

Shapechangers are immune under the 2014 text. The 2024 text has no shapechanger clause.

The Frog or Toad Familiar

Find Familiar lists "frog (toad)" in 2014 and "Frog" in 2024. The familiar can't attack, so the 2024 bite doesn't matter here.

What it's good at:

• •Breathing anywhere. Amphibious lets it stay on land or underwater indefinitely, which only the crab also manages among the 2014 spell's forms. The octopus is a better swimmer but can only breathe water.
• •Getting over things. A 5-foot high jump clears a tabletop, a windowsill or a low wall in one hop.
• •Darkvision 30 feet helps in a sewer or a cave pool.
• •Being ignored. Nobody looks twice at a frog by a well or in a garden pond.

It's slow (20 feet) and has 1 hit point. For land scouting a cat or weasel is better; for anything with water in it, the frog is the safe pick.

Wild Shape. The frog has a swim speed, so a 2014 druid can't use it until level 4. In 2024 only flying forms wait until level 8, so the frog is available at level 2.

How a Frog Fights

It doesn't. A 2014 frog has no attack; a 2024 frog bites for 1 damage. A wild frog hops into the water when anything approaches. As a DM, use frogs as sound and set dressing: a pond that goes silent tells a careful party that something big just moved.

Running Frogs in an Encounter

Frogs aren't worth building a fight around. The 2014 frog is 0 XP and the 2024 frog is 10. Our encounter calculator counts any CR 0 creature as 10 XP, which matches the 2024 frog.

If you want a frog fight, use the giant frog (CR 1/4, 50 XP), which bites, grapples and swallows Small targets. For a bigger amphibian, the giant toad (CR 1, 200 XP) swallows Medium creatures. A swamp encounter for four level 2 characters at 2024 Moderate difficulty (600 XP) could be one giant toad and eight giant frogs, with ordinary frogs going quiet a round before they attack.

How to Beat a Frog (and Break the Spell)

Most "frog" problems at the table are a party member who got polymorphed.

• •Damage it once. One point of damage ends Polymorph in 2024 (the temporary hit point is gone) and in 2014 (the frog drops to 0 HP and the creature reverts with its old hit points). A friendly slap with an unarmed strike does it; just don't overdo it, since damage beyond that point reaches the creature's real hit points in both editions.
• •Break the caster's concentration. Polymorph needs concentration, so damaging the enemy caster forces a Constitution save to keep it.
• •Keep the frog safe. If you're the one who cast the spell on an enemy, protect the frog from your own party. A stray Thunderwave ends your best spell of the day.

Frog Encounter Ideas

The cursed heir. A frog in the castle well can't talk, but it hops toward anyone wearing the royal colors. It's the baron's heir, polymorphed by a court wizard to keep her out of the council vote that starts in half an hour. The wizard is concentrating from a tower room. Break the concentration before the vote, and the heir gets her say.

The witch's chorus. Every frog in a bog falls silent at once whenever the green hag's servants pass. A party that notices the pattern gets a free warning.

The toad familiar. A rival apprentice keeps a toad on her shoulder that seems to understand everything. It's her familiar, and it reports what it heard at the party's table to her telepathically.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does a frog have an attack in 5e?

Not in the 2014 rules, where the frog has no actions and is worth 0 XP. The 2024 frog has a bite: +3 to hit, 1 piercing damage, and it's worth 10 XP.

What happens when you polymorph someone into a frog?

They take the frog's stat block, can't speak or cast spells, and the spell lasts up to an hour with concentration. In 2014 they have the frog's 1 hit point; in 2024 they keep their own hit points and gain 1 temporary hit point. Either way, one point of damage ends it.

Can a toad be a familiar?

Yes. The 2014 Find Familiar list says "frog (toad)", and the frog stat block also represents a toad. The 2024 list includes the frog.

How far can a frog jump in 5e?

Its Standing Leap lets it long jump 10 feet and high jump 5 feet, with or without a running start, in both editions.

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.