Parleying with Monsters

Meeting a monster doesn't have to spark a fight. An offering, like food, can calm some hostile monsters, and sapient creatures often prefer to talk than to draw weapons. If the adventurers try to parley with a monster, you may improvise the encounter or use the social interaction rules in the Dungeon Master's Guide. Consider granting the characters advantage on any ability check they make to communicate with a creature if they offer something it wants. The "Monsters' Desires" section below suggest things that a creature might like, depending on its type.

Monster Research

Adventurers can research what a creature is likely to desire. The Monster Research table suggests which skills can be used to learn about a creature of a particular type. The DC for a relevant ability check equals 10 + the creature's challenge rating.

Type	Suggested Skills
Aberrations	Arcana
Beasts	Animal Handling, Nature, or Survival
Celestials	Arcana or Religion
Constructs	Arcana
Dragons	Arcana, History, or Nature
Elementals	Arcana or Nature
Fey	Arcana or Nature
Fiends	Arcana or Religion
Giants	History
Humanoids	History
Monstrosities	Nature or Survival
Oozes	Arcana or Survival
Plants	Nature or Survival
Undead	Arcana or Religion

Monsters' Desires

d4	Aberrations Desired Offering
1	The brain or other organs of a rare creature
2	Flattery and obsequiousness
3	Secrets or lore it doesn't already know
4	Accepting a strange, organic graft onto your body

d4	Beasts Desired Offering
1	Fresh meat
2	A soothing melody
3	Brightly colored beads, cloth, feathers, or string
4	An old stuffed animal or other soft trinket

d4	Celestials Desired Offering
1	The tale of a heroic figure
2	An oath to do three charitable deeds before dawn
3	The crown of a defeated tyrant
4	A holy relic or treasured family heirloom

d4	Constructs Desired Offering
1	Oil to apply to the construct's joints
2	A magic item with charges, to be used as fuel
3	A vessel infused with elemental power
4	Adamantine or mithral components

d4	Dragons Desired Offering
1	Gold or gems
2	Anything from a draconic rival's hoard
3	An antique passed down at least three generations
4	A flattering artistic depiction of the dragon

d4	Elementals Desired Offering
1	A gem worth at least 50 gp, which the creature eats
2	An exceedingly pure sample of a favored element
3	A way to return the elemental to its home plane
4	Performing a dance from the elemental's home plane

d4	Fey Desired Offering
1	The memory of your first kiss
2	The color of your eyes
3	An object of deep sentimental value to you
4	Reciting a sublime poem

d4	Fiends Desired Offering
1	Your soul
2	A desecrated holy object
3	Blood from a living or recently slain loved one
4	Breaking a sacred promise in the fiend's presence

d4	Giants Desired Offering
1	A dwarf admitting giant-craft to be superior to dwarf-craft
2	A strong working animal
3	Multiple barrels of ale
4	Treasure stolen from a rival giant

d4	Humanoids Desired Offering
1	Promising to find a lost item of great importance to their culture
2	Challenging them to a type of friendly contest, such as dancing, singing, or drinking
3	Recovering something they've lost
4	Information on a foe's secrets or weaknesses

d4	Monstrosities Desired Offering
1	Dislodging the stuck scraps of the creature's last meal
2	The creature's favorite food
3	Driving off the creature's rival
4	Making movements that mimic the monster's mating dance

d4	Oozes Desired Offering
1	A vial of putrid liquids
2	A cloth bearing a noxious odor
3	Bones or metal, which the ooze promptly absorbs
4	A gallon of any effervescent fluid

d4	Plants Desired Offering
1	A pound of mulch
2	Water from a spring infused with Feywild energy
3	Clearing invasive vegetation from the creature's territory
4	Destroying all axes and fire-making implements the party carries

d4	Undead Desired Offering
1	A vial of blood
2	A personal memento from the creature's past
3	Materials, tools, or the skills to sun-proof a crumbling mausoleum
4	Completing a task the creature was unable to finish in life