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Solar 5e: The Highest Angel and Its Slaying Bow
A solar is a CR 21 Large celestial (an angel in the 2024 rules) with AC 21, 243 hit points (297 in 2024), a 150-foot fly speed and three legendary actions. It is the strongest angel in the SRD and one of the deadliest creatures in it. Its greatsword can fly across the battlefield, its bow can kill a creature outright, and it knows when anyone lies to it. The 2024 solar adds Legendary Resistance, initiative +20 and a sword that hits for 58 damage at 120 feet, while its Slaying Bow becomes a DC 21 Dexterity save that kills any creature with 100 hit points or fewer that fails it.
Angelic Weapons.The solar's weapon attacks are magical. When the solar hits with any weapon, the weapon deals an extra 6d8 radiant damage (included in the attack).
Divine Awareness.The solar knows if it hears a lie.
Innate Spellcasting.The solar's spell casting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 25). It can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components: At will: detect evil and good, invisibility (self only) 3/day each: blade barrier, dispel evil and good, resurrection 1/day each: commune, control weather
Magic Resistance.The solar has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
Actions
Multiattack.The solar makes two greatsword attacks.
Greatsword.Melee Weapon Attack: +15 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 22 (4d6 + 8) slashing damage plus 27 (6d8) radiant damage.
Slaying Longbow.Ranged Weapon Attack: +13 to hit, range 150/600 ft., one target. Hit: 15 (2d8 + 6) piercing damage plus 27 (6d8) radiant damage. If the target is a creature that has 100 hit points or fewer, it must succeed on a DC 15 Constitution saving throw or die.
Flying Sword.The solar releases its greatsword to hover magically in an unoccupied space within 5 ft. of it. If the solar can see the sword, the solar can mentally command it as a bonus action to fly up to 50 ft. and either make one attack against a target or return to the solar's hands. If the hovering sword is targeted by any effect, the solar is considered to be holding it. The hovering sword falls if the solar dies.
Healing Touch (4/Day).The solar touches another creature. The target magically regains 40 (8d8 + 4) hit points and is freed from any curse, disease, poison, blindness, or deafness.
Legendary Actions
The solar can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options below. Only one legendary action option can be used at a time and only at the end of another creature’s turn. The solar regains spent legendary actions at the start of its turn.
Teleport.The solar magically teleports, along with any equipment it is wearing or carrying, up to 120 ft. to an unoccupied space it can see.
Searing Burst (Costs 2 Actions).The solar emits magical, divine energy. Each creature of its choice in a 10-foot radius must make a DC 23 Dexterity saving throw, taking 14 (4d6) fire damage plus 14 (4d6) radiant damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.
Blinding Gaze (Costs 3 Actions).The solar targets one creature it can see within 30 ft. of it. If the target can see it, the target must succeed on a DC 15 Constitution saving throw or be blinded until magic such as the lesser restoration spell removes the blindness.
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.
The four actions that define the 2014 solar:
•Greatsword (×2). +15, 22 slashing plus 27 (6d8) radiant per hit. Two hits average 98.
•Slaying Longbow. +13, range 150/600 feet, 15 piercing plus 27 radiant. If the target is a creature with 100 hit points or fewer, it makes a DC 15 Constitution save or dies.
•Flying Sword. As an action, the solar lets go of its greatsword, which hovers next to it. From then on, as a bonus action and as long as it can see the sword, it can send the sword up to 50 feet to make one attack, or call it back to its hands.
•Healing Touch (4/day). It touches another creature (not itself) to restore 40 (8d8 + 4) hit points, and it ends any curse, disease, poison, blindness or deafness.
It casts Blade Barrier, Dispel Evil and Good and Resurrection three times a day each, Commune and Control Weather once a day, and Invisibility (self only) at will, all with a spell save DC of 25. Its legendary actions are Teleport (120 feet), Searing Burst (2 actions: DC 23 Dex, 4d6 fire plus 4d6 radiant in 10 feet) and Blinding Gaze (3 actions: DC 15 Con or blinded until magic like Lesser Restoration ends it).
Note what the 2014 solar doesn't have: Legendary Resistance. A failed save against Banishment or a Wisdom-save control spell sticks, though Magic Resistance gives it Advantage on all of them.
The Solar in the 2024 Rules
SRD 5.2.1 keeps CR 21, 33,000 XP and AC 21, and rebuilds most of the rest.
Divine Awareness.The solar knows if it hears a lie.
Exalted Restoration.If the solar dies outside Mount Celestia, its body disappears, and it gains a new body instantly, reviving with all its Hit Points somewhere in Mount Celestia.
Legendary Resistance (4/Day).If the solar fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead.
Magic Resistance.The solar has Advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
Actions
Multiattack.The solar makes two Flying Sword attacks. It can replace one attack with a use of Slaying Bow.
Flying Sword.Melee or Ranged Attack Roll: +15, reach 10 ft. or range 120 ft. Hit: 22 (4d6 + 8) Slashing damage plus 36 (8d8) Radiant damage. Hit or Miss: The sword magically returns to the solar’s hand or hovers within 5 feet of the solar immediately after a ranged attack.
Slaying Bow.Dexterity Saving Throw: DC 21, one creature the solar can see within 600 feet. Failure: If the creature has 100 Hit Points or fewer, it dies. It otherwise takes 24 (4d8 + 6) Piercing damage plus 36 (8d8) Radiant damage.
Spellcasting.The solar casts one of the following spells, requiring no Material components and using Charisma as the spellcasting ability (spell save DC 25):
At Will: Detect Evil and Good
1/Day Each: Commune, Control Weather, Dispel Evil and Good, Resurrection
Bonus Actions
Divine Aid (3/Day).The solar casts Cure Wounds (level 2 version), Lesser Restoration, or Remove Curse, using the same spellcasting ability as Spellcasting.
Legendary Actions
Legendary Action Uses: 3. Immediately after another creature’s turn, the solar can expend a use to take one of the following actions. The solar regains all expended uses at the start of each of its turns.
Blinding Gaze.Constitution Saving Throw: DC 25, one creature the solar can see within 120 feet. Failure: The target has the Blinded condition for 1 minute. Failure or Success: The solar can’t take this action again until the start of its next turn.
Radiant Teleport.The solar teleports up to 60 feet to an unoccupied space it can see. Dexterity Saving Throw: DC 25, each creature in a 10-foot Emanation originating from the solar at its destination space. Failure: 11 (2d10) Radiant damage. Success: Half damage.
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 Solar
2024 Solar
HP
243
297
Initiative
+6 (Dex)
+20
Main attack
Greatsword ×2, reach 5 ft., 22 + 27 radiant
Flying Sword ×2, reach 10 ft. or range 120 ft., 22 + 36 radiant
Slaying attack
Longbow attack roll; ≤100 HP: DC 15 Con or die
Slaying Bow, replaces one sword attack; DC 21 Dex, 600 ft.; ≤100 HP dies, otherwise 24 + 36 radiant
Resists radiant and B/P/S from nonmagical attacks; immune necrotic, poison
Immune poison, radiant; no weapon resistance
Death
Normal
Exalted Restoration: reforms on Mount Celestia
What it means at the table:
•It always goes first. Initiative +20 means it rolls 21 to 40. The party will act after it almost every time.
•Its main attack has range now. The 2024 Flying Sword is a melee or ranged attack (120 feet) that returns to its hand. There is no setup turn, and staying out of melee doesn't protect anyone.
•The kill effect is a save, not a hit. The 2024 Slaying Bow can't miss: it is a Dexterity save, and a success means no effect at all. On a failure, anything at 100 hit points or fewer dies, and everything else takes 60 damage.
•Control spells mostly fail now. Four Legendary Resistances on top of Magic Resistance close the 2014 weakness.
How Solars Fight
The kill combo (2024). Multiattack is two Flying Sword attacks, and one can be replaced with Slaying Bow. Order matters. Hit a 150-HP fighter with the sword first: against AC 20, +15 hits on a 5 or better (80%) for 58 damage. The fighter is now at 92. Then the Slaying Bow: a +3 Dex save fails DC 21 on 17 or lower (85%), and at 92 hit points, failure means death. Characters with good Dex saves (rogues, monks) are much safer than heavily armored ones.
The kill combo (2014). The longbow is a separate action from the greatswords, so the 2014 solar can't do both in one turn. Its combo is the Flying Sword: once the sword is hovering, the solar shoots the Slaying Longbow as its action and sends the sword for a bonus-action attack. The 2014 text doesn't say whether the 100-hit-point check uses the target's hit points before or after the arrow's 42 damage, so it's a DM ruling. Decide before the session: if the check comes after the damage, a character at 142 hit points or fewer is at risk from a single arrow. The 2024 Slaying Bow has no such question, since the save replaces the damage.
Damage without tricks. Two 2024 sword attacks against AC 20 average about 93 damage a round (2 × 58 × 0.8). The 2014 greatswords average about 78 (2 × 49 × 0.8). That is before legendary actions or the 2024 Slaying Bow.
Legendary actions. In 2024, Blinding Gaze is a DC 25 Con save for 1 minute of blindness, once per round, and Radiant Teleport moves it 60 feet and burns everyone around its landing spot. Blind the caster with the highest damage, then teleport away from the melee characters. Radiant Teleport hits every creature in the emanation, so keep allies clear of its landing spot. In 2014, Teleport (1 action) repositions it out of melee, and Searing Burst damages only creatures of its choice, so the solar can use it in the middle of a melee next to its allies.
It knows when you lie. Divine Awareness tells it when anyone lies within its hearing. As an antagonist, use that: a solar can't be bluffed, which forces players into honest arguments or real fights.
Running a Solar Encounter
A solar is 33,000 XP. With the 2024 budget for four characters:
Party (4 characters)
Low / Moderate / High budget
One solar is...
Level 15
13,200 / 21,600 / 31,200
Above High
Level 17
18,000 / 28,800 / 46,800
High
Level 20
25,600 / 52,800 / 88,000
Moderate
Under the 2014 Dungeon Master's Guide guidelines (used by our encounter calculator), one solar is Hard for four level 17 characters (23,600 Hard, 35,200 Deadly) and Medium for four level 20 characters (22,800 Medium, 34,000 Hard).
Those budgets assume the party can hurt it. In 2024 it is immune to radiant and poison; in 2014 it resists radiant and bludgeoning, piercing and slashing from nonmagical attacks, and is immune to necrotic. Check what your party's damage looks like before using one.
As an ally. A solar is a deus ex machina with a stat block. It can resurrect the dead (once a day in 2024, three times in 2014), commune with its deity, and change the weather for a whole region. Bring one in to end a war, deliver a divine verdict or hand the party their final quest. Don't let it fight the party's battles: its damage makes the players spectators.
Angels together. A solar may command lesser angels in your campaign. The deva (CR 10) and planetar (CR 16) make a three-step ladder for celestial encounters across tiers.
How Players Beat a Solar
•Strip Legendary Resistance first (2024). Make it burn all four on cheaper spells before casting the one you need. Against the 2014 solar, a well-chosen save spell can work on the first try.
•Raise your Dex saves (2024). The Slaying Bow is a Dex save. Haste gives Advantage on Dexterity saves. Keep the front line above 100 hit points, because the sword hit that comes first is what pushes characters into kill range.
•Cure the blindness. Blinding Gaze ends with Lesser Restoration (a bonus action in 2024). Keep a cleric or paladin ready to undo it.
•Pick the right damage. Never radiant. In 2014, avoid necrotic and bring magic weapons. In 2024, plain weapon damage works, and fire, cold, lightning, thunder, force, acid and psychic are all fine.
•Spread out. Searing Burst (2014) and Radiant Teleport (2024) both hit a 10-foot area. Don't cluster near the solar.
•Don't lie to it. Divine Awareness detects lies. The fastest way to end a fight with a solar is often a true argument that it is acting on false information.
•Send it home.Dispel Evil and Good's Dismissal works on celestials, but the solar's Cha save is +17 (2014) or +10 (2024) with Advantage, plus Legendary Resistance in 2024.
Solar Encounter Ideas
The verdict. A solar arrives at a city that made a pact with a fiend a century ago. It intends to Control Weather until the harvest fails, then leave. The party has to prove the pact was broken, or find a way to make the city pay a price the solar will accept, before the first crop dies.
The fallen champion. The party's paladin has broken an oath. A solar appears to deliver judgment, not to start a fight. It is polite and absolutely firm. The party can fight it (they will probably lose), argue with it honestly, or find an atonement quest it will accept.
The deserter. A solar has refused its orders and is hiding on the Material Plane. Its own kind are hunting it. It asks the party for shelter, and it can't be lied to, so the party has to tell it exactly what they plan to do with it.
Frequently Asked Questions
What CR is a solar in 5e?
A solar is CR 21 (33,000 XP) in both the 2014 and 2024 rules.
How does the Slaying Longbow work?
In 2014, it is a +13 ranged attack for 15 piercing plus 27 radiant. If the target is a creature with 100 hit points or fewer, it makes a DC 15 Constitution save or dies. In 2024, Slaying Bow is a DC 21 Dexterity save within 600 feet: on a failure, a target with 100 hit points or fewer dies, and any other target takes 24 piercing plus 36 radiant.
How does the solar's Flying Sword work?
In 2014, it is an action that releases the greatsword to hover; the solar can then use a bonus action each turn to send it up to 50 feet for one attack. In 2024, Flying Sword is the solar's main attack: a melee (10 ft.) or ranged (120 ft.) attack that returns to its hand.
Does a solar have legendary resistance?
Only in the 2024 rules (4/day). The 2014 solar has Magic Resistance but no Legendary Resistance.
What is the strongest angel in 5e?
In the SRD, the solar (CR 21). The planetar is CR 16 and the deva CR 10.
Can a solar be killed?
Yes, though in 2024 Exalted Restoration reforms it on Mount Celestia if it dies anywhere else. Fights that big are worth remembering: Loreify can record the session and keep the campaign's history straight.
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.