Hold Monster — Complete D&D 5e Spell Guide

Table of Contents

• •Quick Answer
• •Overview
• •Stat Block
• •When NOT to Use This
• •Spell Slot Efficiency
• •Pro Tips
• •Common Mistakes to Avoid
• •Usage Tips
• •Rules Notes
• •Synergies
• •Anti-Patterns
• •Tactical Modules
• •Countermeasures
• •Hold Monster in the 2024 Rules
• •Frequently Asked Questions

Quick Answer

Hold Monster is a 5th-level enchantment spell for Bards, Sorcerers, Warlocks, and Wizards. Pick a creature you can see within 90 feet. It makes a Wisdom save or is paralyzed for up to 1 minute (concentration), and it repeats the save at the end of each of its turns. In the 2014 rules it has no effect on undead. The 2024 version drops that exception.

Overview

Hold Monster is Hold Person without the creature-type filter. Hold Person only takes humanoids. Hold Monster takes giants, dragons, beasts, monstrosities, fiends and almost anything else, from 90 feet instead of 60. You pay for that with a 5th-level slot, so full casters get it at character level 9.

The payoff is the same as Hold Person. A paralyzed creature is incapacitated, can't move or speak, and automatically fails Strength and Dexterity saves. Attack rolls against it have advantage, and any hit from an attacker within 5 feet is a critical hit.

Three things blunt it. Golems, most elementals and many undead are immune to the paralyzed condition. Bosses with Legendary Resistance can choose to succeed. And the target saves again at the end of each of its turns, so plan for one or two rounds of crits, not a full minute.

Stat Block

When NOT to Use This

• •The target is undead and you play the 2014 rules. The spell says it has no effect on undead.
• •The target is immune to the paralyzed condition. Check the stat block. The iron golem, the fire elemental, the lich and the mummy lord all list it.
• •The target still has Legendary Resistance uses left and you have nothing cheaper to spend them on.
• •The target is a humanoid. Hold Person does the same job from a 2nd-level slot.
• •Nobody on your side can reach the target before its next turn.

Spell Slot Efficiency

When worth the slot: A giant, monstrosity or young dragon with a Wisdom save of +1 or less, with two melee allies standing next to it.

When NOT worth the slot: Golems, elementals, 2014 undead, and legendary creatures early in the fight.

Upcasting

Each slot level above 5th adds one more target. A 6th-level slot holds two creatures, a 7th holds three, an 8th holds four and a 9th holds five. In the 2014 rules the targets must be within 30 feet of each other when you target them. Each target saves on its own and breaks free on its own.

Pro Tips

Tip #1: Look at the save, not the challenge rating.

Why it works: Big brutes often have poor Wisdom. A hill giant and a troll both have Wisdom 9 (a -1 save) and no Legendary Resistance. A CR 5 hill giant fails far more often than a CR 2 priest with Wisdom 16.

This avoids the mistake of: Saving the spell for the scariest creature on the field, which usually has the best saves.

Tip #2: Spend Legendary Resistance with cheaper effects first.

Why it works: Legendary Resistance turns a failed save into a success a few times per day. Each use spent on a 2nd- or 3rd-level effect is one fewer use left when Hold Monster lands.

This avoids the mistake of: Opening a dragon fight with your best 5th-level spell and watching the dragon shrug it off for free.

Tip #3: Cast it right before your melee allies act.

Why it works: The target saves again at the end of its own turn. Every ally whose turn falls between yours and the target's attacks a paralyzed creature with advantage and automatic crits from 5 feet.

This avoids the mistake of: Casting it when the target acts right after you and shakes it off before anyone swings.

Tip #4: Knock flying monsters out of the sky.

Why it works: A flying creature that can't move falls unless it can hover. A paralyzed wyvern at 60 feet drops and takes 6d6 bludgeoning damage (average 21) on landing, then lies on the ground where your melee allies can reach it.

This avoids the mistake of: Letting a flying monster stay out of reach while your fighters stand around.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Casting it on undead in the 2014 rules

Why it's bad: The 2014 text says the spell has no effect on undead. A vampire or a wight simply isn't held.

Do this instead: Use a different control spell. In the 2024 rules the undead exception is gone, so check which edition your table uses.

Forgetting condition immunities

Why it's bad: A creature immune to the paralyzed condition can't be paralyzed, whatever it rolls. Golems, the shield guardian, fire and air elementals, ghosts and wraiths all list it.

Do this instead: Read the condition immunities line before you cast.

Thinking damage breaks the hold

Why it's bad: Nothing in the spell ends it when the target takes damage. It ends on a successful end-of-turn save, when your concentration ends, or after 1 minute.

Do this instead: Hit the target as hard as possible. Guard your own concentration instead.

Thinking ranged attacks auto-crit

Why it's bad: The automatic critical hit needs the attacker within 5 feet. Archers and spell attacks from range get advantage only.

Do this instead: Move melee attackers in. Ranged allies still benefit from advantage.

Usage Tips

• •Worked example: A 9th-level wizard with 18 Intelligence has a spell save DC of 16 (8 + 4 proficiency + 4 Intelligence). A hill giant (Wisdom save -1) succeeds only on a 17 or higher, so it fails 80% of the time. The same 80% applies to every end-of-turn save it makes.
• •Against a dragon: A 2014 young red dragon has a Wisdom save of +4. Against DC 16 it fails on 11 or lower, which is 55%. An adult red dragon has +7 and fails on 8 or lower (40%), but it can use Legendary Resistance three times per day to succeed anyway.
• •What a crit is worth: A fighter's greatsword deals 2d6 + 4, an average of 11. On a crit it deals 4d6 + 4, an average of 18. A fighter with three attacks who hits a held giant three times adds about 21 damage over the same attacks without the hold.
• •See the paralyzed condition guide for the full effect list.
• •Roll crit damage with the dice roller, or compare totals in the damage calculator.
• •Related guides: Hold Person for humanoids at 2nd level, Banishment for removing a target, Polymorph for turning it into something harmless, and Dominate Monster for full control at 8th level. Browse the full spell guide index.

Rules Notes

• •You choose one creature you can see within 90 feet.
• •On a failed Wisdom save, it is paralyzed for the duration.
• •At the end of each of its turns, it repeats the save. A success ends the spell on that creature.
• •2014 only: the spell has no effect on undead.
• •Paralyzed (2014): incapacitated, can't move or speak, automatically fails Strength and Dexterity saves, attack rolls against it have advantage, and hits from within 5 feet are critical hits.
• •Each slot level above 5th adds one target. In the 2014 rules, the targets must be within 30 feet of each other.
• •Twinned Spell works on it at 5th level, because the spell targets one creature at that level. In the 2014 rules it costs 5 sorcery points.
• •The 2014 SRD warlock invocation Chains of Carceri (15th level, Pact of the Chain) casts Hold Monster at will against a celestial, fiend or elemental, with no spell slot or material component. You can't use it on the same creature again until you finish a long rest.

Synergies

• •Paladins and rogues: Divine Smite and Sneak Attack dice double on a crit. Advantage also turns on Sneak Attack.
• •Disintegrate, Fireball and other Dexterity-save spells: A paralyzed creature fails Dexterity saves automatically, so the full damage lands.
• •Bane first: An ally's Bane subtracts 1d4 from the target's saves, which helps both the first save and every repeat save.

Anti-Patterns

• •Casting it on a creature you haven't checked for paralysis immunity.
• •Opening with it against a dragon that still has three Legendary Resistance uses.
• •Upcasting for extra targets that stand more than 30 feet apart (2014).

Tactical Modules

• •Giant lock: Hold the hill giant right before the fighter and paladin act.
• •Pair control: Cast it at 6th level on two ogres or two trolls within 30 feet of each other.
• •Grounding: Paralyze a flying monster to drop it next to your melee line.

Countermeasures

• •Threat: The target has Legendary Resistance. Response: Force cheaper saves first. Fallback: Switch to damage or a spell with an effect on a successful save.
• •Threat: The target has Magic Resistance (advantage on saves against spells), like a pit fiend or a balor. Response: Expect it to fail far less often. Fallback: Use Bane or pick another target.
• •Threat: An enemy uses Hold Monster on your ally. Response: Dispel Magic at 5th level or higher ends it automatically. Fallback: A lower slot needs a DC 15 spellcasting ability check.

Hold Monster in the 2024 Rules

The 2024 Player's Handbook keeps Hold Monster as a level 5 enchantment spell for Bards, Sorcerers, Warlocks and Wizards. The range (90 feet), casting time, concentration, Wisdom save and end-of-turn repeat save are all the same. The material component is now "a straight piece of iron."

Two changes in the spell text matter. The line "This spell has no effect on undead" is gone, so a 2024 Hold Monster can paralyze a vampire, a zombie or a wight. Undead with paralysis immunity, such as the lich, mummy and ghost, are still immune. The extra targets from a higher-level slot also no longer need to be within 30 feet of each other.

The surrounding rules changed too. The 2024 Paralyzed condition sets Speed to 0 and includes the Incapacitated condition, which also blocks Bonus Actions and breaks the target's own Concentration. The 2024 Twinned Spell costs 1 Sorcery Point and raises the spell's effective level by 1, which adds one target. Chains of Carceri does not appear in the 2024 SRD.

In the 2024 SRD, adult and ancient silver dragons cast Hold Monster at will, and the pit fiend can swap a Fireball for a level 7 Hold Monster. (The 2014 pit fiend casts it 3/day.)

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Hold Monster do in 5e?

It makes one creature within 90 feet roll a Wisdom save. On a failure the creature is paralyzed for up to 1 minute while you concentrate. It repeats the save at the end of each of its turns and breaks free on a success.

Does Hold Monster work on undead?

Not in the 2014 rules. The spell text says it has no effect on undead. The 2024 version removes that line, so undead are valid targets unless their stat block lists immunity to the paralyzed condition.

What is the difference between Hold Person and Hold Monster?

Hold Person is 2nd level, has a 60-foot range and only works on humanoids. Hold Monster is 5th level, has a 90-foot range and works on any creature, except undead in the 2014 rules. Both use a Wisdom save, both paralyze, and both allow a new save at the end of each of the target's turns.

Do attacks against a held monster automatically crit?

Yes, when the attack hits and the attacker is within 5 feet. Attacks from farther away still have advantage but are normal hits.

Does damage end Hold Monster?

No. The spell ends on a successful end-of-turn save, when your concentration ends, or after 1 minute. Damage to the held creature doesn't end it.

How many creatures can Hold Monster affect?

One at 5th level, plus one for each slot level above 5th, up to five with a 9th-level slot. In the 2014 rules all targets must be within 30 feet of each other.

Does Legendary Resistance beat Hold Monster?

It can. A creature with Legendary Resistance can choose to succeed on a failed save, usually three times per day. It can do that on the first save or on any repeat save.

Is Hold Monster good in 5e?

Yes, against big creatures with weak Wisdom saves when melee allies can reach them. It is a poor pick against golems, most elementals, 2014 undead and legendary creatures with resistances left.

Citations: SRD 5.1 (2014 rules), SRD 5.2.1 (2024 rules)

Includes material from the System Reference Document 5.1 and 5.2.1 by Wizards of the Coast LLC, licensed under CC BY 4.0.