Hold Monster
- Level: 5
- School: Enchantment
- Class: Bard, Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard
- Casting Time: Action
- Range: 90 feet
- Components: V, S, M (a straight piece of iron)
- Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute
Choose a creature that you can see within range. The target must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or have the Paralyzed condition for the duration. At the end of each of its turns, the target repeats the save, ending the spell on itself on a success.
Using a Higher-Level Spell Slot. You can target one additional creature for each spell slot level above 5.
Tactical Usage
High-Value Target Lockdown: Hold Monster excels at neutralizing powerful creatures that pose significant threats to the party. The Paralyzed condition not only incapacitates the target but also grants automatic critical hits on melee attacks, making it devastating against boss-level enemies.
Action Economy Control: Removing a major threat's actions entirely shifts encounter balance dramatically. Use Hold Monster to eliminate the most dangerous opponent while your party focuses fire or repositions to handle remaining threats.
Save-or-Die Pressure: Against creatures without legendary resistance, Hold Monster can effectively end encounters. The Wisdom save targeting often bypasses high AC creatures that rely on physical defenses rather than mental resilience.
Spell Combinations
Critical Hit Exploitation: Paralyzed creatures automatically suffer critical hits from melee attacks within 5 feet. Coordinate with rogues, paladins, or any high-damage melee attackers to maximize the damage potential during the paralysis.
Hold Person Upgrade: Hold Monster functions identically to Hold Person but affects any creature type rather than just humanoids. This makes it the superior choice when facing mixed creature types or when creature identification is uncertain.
Counterspell Protection: As a 5th-level spell, Hold Monster is vulnerable to Counterspell from most enemy casters. Position carefully and consider subtle spell metamagic or other protective measures when facing spellcasting enemies.
Material Component Details
Straight Iron Piece: The iron component connects to old folklore about iron's power over supernatural creatures. A nail, wire, or iron rod suffices, making this an easily acquired and maintained component.
Symbolism and Power: Iron has traditional associations with binding and constraint in magical traditions. The straight nature emphasizes rigidity and inflexibility, symbolically representing the magical paralysis imposed on the target.
Component Alternatives: Spellcasting focuses and component pouches can replace the material component, but maintaining actual iron pieces reinforces the spell's thematic connection to binding and supernatural constraint.
Creator Notes
Encounter Balance Impact: Hold Monster can trivialize encounters against single powerful creatures without legendary resistance. Consider providing backup plans, environmental hazards, or allied creatures to maintain challenge.
Legendary Resistance Interaction: Most high-CR creatures have legendary resistance, making Hold Monster less reliable against intended targets. However, burning legendary resistances is valuable even when the spell doesn't stick initially.
NPC Applications: Powerful NPCs with Hold Monster create significant challenges for player characters. The spell's level makes it available to mid-to-high level enemy spellcasters, providing serious control threats.
Environmental Interactions
Paralysis Mechanics: Paralyzed creatures cannot move, speak, or take actions, but they remain aware of their surroundings. This creates opportunities for interrogation, positioning, or other tactical advantages while the spell persists.
Falling Consequences: Flying creatures affected by Hold Monster fall immediately, potentially taking significant damage and ending up prone. Consider environmental hazards like cliffs, lava, or other dangerous terrain features.
Duration Pressure: The 1-minute duration creates time pressure for capitalizing on the paralysis. Coordinate party actions to maximize damage output or achieve objectives before the effect potentially ends.
Common Rulings & Clarifications
Automatic Critical Hits: Melee attacks against paralyzed creatures within 5 feet automatically hit and count as critical hits. This applies to all melee attacks, not just weapon attacks, including melee spell attacks.
Save Repetition: The target repeats the Wisdom save at the end of each turn, not at the beginning. This means they remain paralyzed during their turn and only potentially break free at the turn's conclusion.
Creature Type Flexibility: Unlike Hold Person, Hold Monster affects any creature capable of being paralyzed. This includes most creature types except those specifically immune to paralysis conditions.
Alternative Applications
Capture and Restraint: Hold Monster provides perfect restraint for capturing creatures alive. The paralysis prevents escape attempts while keeping the creature aware and able to be questioned or negotiated with.
Tactical Repositioning: Use the paralysis window to reposition allies, set up advantageous formations, or move the paralyzed creature itself to more favorable positions for continued combat.
Execution Setup: The automatic critical hits from paralysis make Hold Monster an excellent setup for finishing moves or coordinated burst damage to eliminate high-priority targets quickly.
Related Spells
Hold Person: The lower-level version that only affects humanoids but costs fewer spell slot levels. Use Hold Person when creature type allows and Hold Monster when broader applicability is needed.
Banishment: Alternative high-level removal spell that temporarily eliminates threats rather than paralyzing them. Choose based on whether you want to eliminate the threat or exploit the paralyzed condition.
Polymorph: Different approach to creature control that changes capabilities rather than paralyzing. Polymorph provides longer duration but allows the target to act, while Hold Monster completely incapacitates.
Scaling Analysis
Mid Levels (9-14): Hold Monster becomes available and provides excellent single-target control against creatures that lack legendary resistance. The 5th-level slot cost represents significant investment but with powerful results.
High Levels (15-20): Most major threats have legendary resistance, reducing reliability. However, the spell remains valuable for controlling secondary threats or burning legendary resistances from primary targets.
Upcast Value: Higher-level slots allow targeting multiple creatures simultaneously, making the spell more efficient in encounters with multiple high-value targets that need controlling.
Narrative Flavor
Binding Manifestation: Invisible magical chains of force wrap around the target, binding their muscles and freezing their form in place. Their eyes remain alert and aware, but their body becomes an immobile prison of paralyzed flesh.
Iron Compulsion: The iron component transforms into spectral bonds that hold the creature rigid. Metallic energy crackles around their form as supernatural constraint locks every muscle and joint in unbreakable stasis.
Awareness in Paralysis: The target remains fully conscious and aware of their predicament, able to see and hear everything around them while being completely unable to move, speak, or act. This creates a particularly unsettling experience for intelligent creatures.