Bat
Tiny Beast · · CR 0
- Beast
- Tiny
- Tier 1
As a tiny beast (unaligned), Bat carries CR 0. Sourced from Monster Manual (5e 2014) and Monster Manual (5.5e 2024).
Stat Block
- Challenge Rating
- 0
- Type
- Beast
- Size
- Tiny
- Alignment
- —
- Speed
- —
- Habitats
- —
- Sources
- Monster Manual (5e 2014), Monster Manual (5.5e 2024)
Ecology
Bats roost in colonies from a dozen to millions in caves, belfries, hollow trees, and ruined towers. Most species are insectivorous — a single bat eats 1,000 mosquitoes a night. Fruit-bats and nectar-bats fill warmer biomes. They navigate by Echolocation, a high-frequency squeak inaudible to most humanoids. Bats are ecologically critical pollinators and pest controllers; a ruined village tower without bats is a sign something has driven them out.
Behaviour
Skittish, social, nocturnal. Bats startle at light and noise, exploding from roosts in clouds. They communicate by chirp and scent. Despite folklore, mundane bats avoid humanoids and never feed on blood (vampire bats are a separate, smaller threat in jungles). Wizards keep them as familiars for **Echolocation reconnaissance** — sight isn't required.
Origin
Mundane bats are common across Toril, but in Forgotten Realms canon, bat-haunted ruins are nearly always sacred to Cyric or to the lich Larloch's lesser servants. Sacred bat caves of Velsharoon's worship beneath the Western Heartlands are said to mask the entrance to ancient liches' phylactery vaults. The vampire's bat-form is a legacy of Strahd-era myth.
Related Monsters
Frequently Asked Questions about Bat
- What is the challenge rating of Bat?
- Listed CR for Bat: 0. Match it to a party that matches a tier-1 group in low-stakes encounters.
- What type of creature is Bat?
- By creature type, Bat is a beast, tiny size.