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Spirit Naga 5e: The Serpent Wizard That Won't Stay Dead
A spirit naga is a CR 8 Large serpent spellcaster that comes back to life 1d6 days after it dies, and only a Wish spell can stop that. The 2014 version has AC 15, 75 hit points, a 10-foot-reach bite that adds 7d8 poison on a failed save, and a 10th-level wizard's slots for Lightning Bolt, Hold Person, Blight and Dominate Person. The 2024 version is a Fiend with AC 17 and 135 hit points that makes three attacks a turn, mixing its bite with a 60-foot Necrotic Ray, and casts a much shorter spell list.
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Spirit Naga Stat Block (2014)
This is the SRD 5.1 spirit naga, a chaotic evil Monstrosity.
Spirit Naga
Large monstrosity, chaotic evil
Armor Class 15 (natural armor)
Hit Points 75 (10d10+20)
Speed 40 ft.
STR
18 (+4)
DEX
17 (+3)
CON
14 (+2)
INT
16 (+3)
WIS
15 (+2)
CHA
16 (+3)
Saving Throws DEX +6, CON +5, WIS +5, CHA +6
Damage Immunities poison
Condition Immunities Charmed, Poisoned
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 12
Languages Abyssal, Common
Challenge 8 (XP 3,900; PB +3)
Traits
Rejuvenation.If it dies, the naga returns to life in 1d6 days and regains all its hit points. Only a wish spell can prevent this trait from functioning.
Spellcasting.The naga is a 10th-level spellcaster. Its spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 14, +6 to hit with spell attacks), and it needs only verbal components to cast its spells. It has the following wizard spells prepared:
Cantrips (at will): mage hand, minor illusion, ray of frost
3rd level (3 slots): lightning bolt, water breathing
4th level (3 slots): blight, dimension door
5th level (2 slots): dominate person
Actions
Bite.Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 10 ft., one creature. Hit: 7 (1d6 + 4) piercing damage, and the target must make a DC 13 Constitution saving throw, taking 31 (7d8) poison damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.
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 2014 spirit naga is a caster first. It has one attack, the bite, and no Multiattack, so on most turns it casts a spell instead. Its spellcasting ability is Intelligence (DC 14, +6 to hit), and it needs only verbal components.
What its slots buy it in a fight:
•Lightning Bolt (three 3rd-level slots): 8d6, average 28, in a 100-foot line, Dexterity save for half. Cast from a 4th-level slot it's 9d6.
•Hold Person (2nd level): cast from a 4th-level slot it targets three Humanoids.
•Blight (4th level): 8d8 necrotic, average 36, against one target, Constitution save for half.
•Dominate Person (5th level, two slots): turns the party's fighter into its bodyguard.
The bite has 10-foot reach and hits at +7 for 7 piercing, then the target makes a DC 13 Constitution save against 31 (7d8) poison damage, half on a success. Against AC 16 and Con +2, that averages about 18 damage a turn.
75 hit points is fragile for CR 8. A focused level 7 party can deal that in a round or two. The spirit naga survives on positioning and Rejuvenation, not toughness.
The Spirit Naga in the 2024 Rules
The 2024 spirit naga (SRD 5.2.1) keeps CR 8 (3,900 XP), the same ability scores and saving throws, and changes nearly everything else.
Spirit Naga
Large Fiend, Chaotic Evil
Armor Class 17
Initiative +3 (13)
Hit Points 135 (18d10 + 36)
Speed 40 ft.
STR
18 (+4)save +4
DEX
17 (+3)save +6
CON
14 (+2)save +5
INT
16 (+3)save +3
WIS
15 (+2)save +5
CHA
16 (+3)save +6
Immunities poison; Charmed; Poisoned
Senses Darkvision 60 ft.; Passive Perception 12
Languages Abyssal, Common
Challenge 8 (XP 3,900; PB +3)
Traits
Fiendish Restoration.If it dies, the naga returns to life in 1d6 days and regains all its Hit Points. Only a Wish spell can prevent this trait from functioning.
Actions
Multiattack.The naga makes three attacks, using Bite or Necrotic Ray in any combination.
Bite.Melee Attack Roll: +7, reach 10 ft. Hit: 7 (1d6 + 4) Piercing damage plus 14 (4d6) Poison damage.
Necrotic Ray.Ranged Attack Roll: +6, range 60 ft. Hit: 21 (6d6) Necrotic damage.
Spellcasting.The naga casts one of the following spells, requiring no Somatic or Material components and using Intelligence as the spellcasting ability (spell save DC 14):
At Will: Detect Magic, Mage Hand, Minor Illusion, Water Breathing
2/Day Each: Detect Thoughts, Dimension Door, Hold Person (level 3 version), Lightning Bolt (level 4 version)
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 Spirit Naga
2024 Spirit Naga
Creature type
Monstrosity
Fiend
AC / HP
15 / 75
17 / 135
Attacks per turn
One bite, or one spell
Three attacks (Bite or Necrotic Ray), or one spell
Bite
7 piercing + DC 13 Con save vs 31 poison (half on success)
7 piercing + 14 poison, no save
Ranged attack
Ray of Frost cantrip
Necrotic Ray, +6, 60 ft., 21 necrotic
Spells
Full slots: 13 spells, cantrips to 5th level
At will: Detect Magic, Mage Hand, Minor Illusion, Water Breathing. 2/day each: Detect Thoughts, Dimension Door, Hold Person (level 3), Lightning Bolt (level 4)
Return from death
Rejuvenation: 1d6 days, only Wish prevents it
Fiendish Restoration: same rule
It hits harder without its best spells. Three Necrotic Rays against AC 16 (+6 hits 55%) average about 35 damage a turn, and three bites (+7, 60%) average about 38. That's double the 2014 bite. In exchange, Blight, Dominate Person, Charm Person and Sleep are gone.
Hold Person (level 3 version) targets two Humanoids. Lightning Bolt (level 4 version) deals 9d6, average 31.5.
It's a Fiend now.Dispel Evil and Good gives it Disadvantage on attack rolls against the caster. In 2014 it's a Monstrosity, and that spell doesn't affect it.
How Spirit Nagas Fight
Use reach and range. Its bite reaches 10 feet. A spirit naga coiled behind a pillar can bite a character who steps around the corner while staying out of reach of most melee weapons.
2014: one big spell a turn. A good order: Hold Person from a 4th-level slot on the three front-liners, then Lightning Bolt down the line, then bite whatever is paralyzed. Paralyzed creatures fail Dexterity saves automatically, so a held fighter takes full Lightning Bolt damage.
2024: rays from the dark. Necrotic Ray has 60-foot range and the naga has darkvision. Three rays a turn into the party's light, from a ledge or across water, while the party looks for it. Lightning Bolt twice a day for the big moments.
Keep captives underwater. Water Breathing is on its list (at will in 2024). A spirit naga can keep prisoners alive in a flooded cellar that the party has to dive into, one held breath at a time.
Leave and come back. Dimension Door gets it out of a losing fight. If the party does kill it, it returns in 1d6 days. The SRD doesn't say where it reappears; DM ruling, not rules text: put it back in its lair, so the party learns the hard way that the fight isn't over.
Running a Spirit Naga Encounter
A spirit naga is worth 3,900 XP. For four characters:
Ghouls are CR 1 (200 XP) and doppelgangers CR 3 (700 XP) in both editions. The 2014 labels use the 2014 Dungeon Master's Guide thresholds and group multiplier, the same math as our encounter difficulty calculator.
A 2014 spirit naga alone has too few hit points to last. Give it minions to hide behind, or a lair that makes the party come to it.
How Players Beat Spirit Nagas
•Stop the voice. It casts with verbal components only. A Silence spell around it shuts off every spell it has, in both editions. Counterspell works too.
•Spread out, then close in. Lightning Bolt is a 100-foot line, so a party standing in a row takes it three or four times over. Keep ranged characters apart and get melee characters next to it, where 75 hit points (2014) go fast.
•Use the weak saves. Strength (+4) and Intelligence (+3) are its only saves without proficiency.
•Don't bring poison. It's immune to poison damage and to the Charmed and Poisoned conditions.
•Plan for the return. Only Wish stops it from coming back. Without Wish, the party's options are story options: move what it guards, collapse its lair, or be ready in 1d6 days.
•2024: Dispel Evil and Good. As a Fiend it attacks the caster with Disadvantage for up to a minute.
Spirit Naga Encounter Ideas
The flooded library. A spirit naga guards a drowned archive and casts Water Breathing on scholars who pay for access. One of them didn't come back. The party has to negotiate, or fight it in a room where every bookshelf is cover and the naga can see in the dark water.
Third time back. The party killed a spirit naga three weeks ago. Since then, two farms near its old ruin have emptied. Its Rejuvenation has already brought it back, and it's angry. The party needs Wish, which none of them can cast, or a way to make the naga leave.
The voice in the well. A village well has started to speak, offering answers to anyone who lowers a gift. The 2014 naga below uses Detect Thoughts to learn secrets and Minor Illusion to put on a show. When someone climbs down, Hold Person and the bite do the rest.
Frequently Asked Questions
What CR is a spirit naga in 5e?
A spirit naga is CR 8 (3,900 XP) in both editions. It has AC 15 and 75 hit points in 2014, and AC 17 and 135 hit points in 2024.
How do you permanently kill a spirit naga?
Only a Wish spell can stop it from returning to life. Without Wish, a slain spirit naga comes back in 1d6 days with all its hit points. This is Rejuvenation in 2014 and Fiendish Restoration in 2024; the rule is the same.
What spells does a spirit naga have?
The 2014 spirit naga casts as a 10th-level wizard: mage hand, minor illusion, ray of frost, charm person, detect magic, sleep, detect thoughts, hold person, lightning bolt, water breathing, blight, dimension door and dominate person. The 2024 version casts Detect Magic, Mage Hand, Minor Illusion and Water Breathing at will, and Detect Thoughts, Dimension Door, Hold Person and Lightning Bolt twice a day each.
Is a spirit naga a Fiend?
In the 2024 rules, yes: it's a Large Fiend. In the 2014 rules it's a Large Monstrosity. Both are chaotic evil.
What's the difference between a spirit naga and a guardian naga?
The spirit naga is chaotic evil, casts with Intelligence and returns from death unless stopped by Wish. The guardian naga is lawful good, CR 10, casts divine spells with Wisdom, and in 2024 can be stopped from returning with Dispel Evil and Good cast on its remains.
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.