The flyby trait allows a creature to leave a creatures reach without provoking opportunity attacks. There are a number of ways you can use this ability to make combat more interesting. Here’s the text from the owl stat block:

I asked Bing Image Creator to draw me a picture of a person trying to hit a hummingbird with a baseball bat. No, I don’t know why I did that.

Flyby. The owl doesn’t provoke opportunity attacks when it flies out of an enemy’s reach.

D&D5e Basic Rules

This article was originally published in January 2024, and is now be republished with new monsters added to the Dungeons and Dragons cannon.

Using Flbyby

Flyby has a couple of uses. It is useful for mounts, allowing the rider to move in and out of reach without fear. It makes owls useful as familiars. They can deliver touch spells and flee to safety. It is used to devastating effect by phoenixes. These creatures deal damage when they enter another creature’s space. The flyby ability lets them fly through multiple foes in a single turn without risking a bunch of attacks.

Flyby can be especially devastating when the players don’t have a means of flying. It allows the creature to attack and then return to a safe distance. Most dragons take a huge risk getting into melee range with players. A solar dragon with flyby can spend the time it takes to recharge its breath weapon swooping past its enemies for melee attacks.

Creatures With Flyby:

CreatureCreature TypeChallenge RatingSource
Adult Solar DragonDragon14Boo’s Astral Menagerie
Aerosaur (Large)Beast2Plane Shift: Ixalan
Aerosaur (Small)Beast1/4Plane Shift: Ixalan
AlaFey8Tome of Beasts 1 2023
AmphiptereBeast3Tome of Beasts 1 2023
Ancient Solar DragonDragon21Boo’s Astral Menagerie
Animated BroomConstruct1/4Candlekeep Mysteries 
Arclight PhoenixElemental12Guildmasters’ Guide to Ravnica
AridniFey5Tome of Beasts 1 2023
Ashari SkydancerHumanoid (Any)5Tal Dorei Campaign Setting Reborn
Avoral GuardinalCelestial9Morte’s Planar Parade
Battleforce AngelCelestial5Guildmasters’ Guide to Ravnica
Beast of the SkyBeastUnknownTasha’s Cauldron of Everything
BeliFey2Tome of Beasts 1 2023
Bestial SpiritBeastUnknownTasha’s Cauldron of Everything
BuccaFey1/2Tome of Beasts 1 2023
Clockwork ObserverConstruct0Keys from the Golden Vault
Cloud Giant of Evil AirGiant12Bigby Presents: Glory of the Giants
Cradle of the Cloud ScionElemental26Bigby Presents: Glory of the Giants
Deathpact AngelCelestial14Guildmasters’ Guide to Ravnica
Dragon Army DragonnelDragon3Dragonlance: Shadow of the Dragon Queen
DragonnelDragon2Fizban’s Treasury of Dragons
Drake (Small)Beast1/4Plane Shift: Kaladesh or Plane Shift: Zendikar
Elder TempestElemental23Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse
Expeditious MessengerConstruct1/8Eberron: Rising from the Last War
Faerie BorrowerFey1/2Monstrous Compendium Vol. Four: Eldraine Creatures
Firemane AngelCelestial12Guildmasters’ Guide to Ravnica
Flying SnakeBeast1/8Monster Manual
Giant OwlBeast1/4Monster Manual
GloamwingUndead8Guildmasters’ Guide to Ravnica
KnifewingBeast1/8Lairs of Etharis
KongamatoBeast6Tome of Beasts 1 2023
MephistophelesFiend (Devil)27Minsc and Boo’s Journal of Villainy and Chains of Asmodeus
Monstrous PerytonMonstrosity11Ghosts of Saltmarsh
Murder CometElemental5Boo’s Astral Menagerie
OwlBeast0Monster Manual
PerytonMonstrosity2Monster Manual
PhoenixElemental16Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse
PteranodonBeast1/4Monster Manual
QuetzalcoatlusBeast (Dinosaur)2Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse
Quicksilver Siege OrbConstruct5Tome of Beasts 1 2023
Reduced-Threat PerytonMonstrosity2Tales from the Yawning Portal
Scion of MemnorGiant (Titan)26Bigby Presents: Glory of the Giants
Scion of StronmausGiant (Titan)27Bigby Presents: Glory of the Giants
Skeletal Giant OwlUndead1/4Infernal Machine Rebuild
Sky DrakeDragon4Lairs of Etharis
Solar Dragon WyrmlingDragon3Boo’s Astral Menagerie
Space GuppyBeast0Boo’s Astral Menagerie
Space MollymawkBeast0Boo’s Astral Menagerie
Spined DevilFiend (Devil)2Monster Manual
Star LancerCelestial2Monstrous Compendium Vol. 1: Spelljammer Creatures
StryxMonstrosity1/8Tome of Beasts 1 2023
SunbirdMonstrosity13Plane Shift: Ixalan
Thopter (Owl)Construct0Plane Shift: Kaladesh
UraeusCelestial2Tome of Beasts 1 2023
Wasteland DragonnelDragon3Dragonlance: Shadow of the Dragon Queen
Young Solar DragonDragon9Boo’s Astral Menagerie

Yeah those are some great monsters, but what’s better than monsters that can swallow a player whole?

Categories: Ability Check

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