If you are planning to run a campaign designed to absolutely creep out and scare your players but need some help picking the best monsters and creatures to accomplish that then look no further.
From eerie and spooky to downright nightmare inducing, let's have a look at a list of the best horror creatures for a horror campaign.
20. Crawling Claw
Just like Thing from Wednesday, but less helping and more killing.
As the crowd leaves after watching the man guilty of murdering hang from the town gallows, a shadowy figure emerges from beneath the platform carrying a mysterious package dripping blood. Crawling claws are the severed hands of murderers reanimated by a dark wizard or warlock through the magic of necromancy. The fresher the hand the better which is often why you’ll see a dark figure hanging around at public executions to get the freshest claws they can. This creature is not the most menacing in terms of a fight, but it serves well as a helping hand (get it?) to do the bidding of its master. And it can set the mood early on in a horror based campaign.
Scenarios
- Your party enters a seemingly abandoned home, the wood creaks as they move through its barren halls. They can hear a skittering to their left, those with low perception rolls assume it’s a rat, but if they pass your DC they’ll notice the severed hand moving quickly across the walls trying not to be seen.
- Your party enters a graveyard expecting everything to be as dead as the night, your players without darkvision stumble forward. If they fail a dexterity saving throw they fall, assuming they tripped over a stray grave marker. If your players can see in the dark they’ll notice the claw waving its fingers up at them.
- Your party has successfully snuck past all of the evil wizard’s safeguards and into his lair. Your party assumes they are safe to start searching for the scroll they need when next to one of the player characters head’s a glass shatters having been thrown against the wall by a crawling claw.
Stats
Armor Class - 12 Hit Points - 2 Speed - 20ft, Climb 20ft
STR - 13 DEX - 14 CON - 11 INT - 5 WIS - 10 CHA - 4
Damage Immunities: Poison
Condition Immunities: Charmed, Exhaustion, Poisoned
Senses: Blindsight - 30ft, Passive Perception - 10ft
Languages: Common (understands but cannot speak)
Challenge: 0 (10xp) Proficiency Bonus: +2
19. Skeleton
Never thought I’d be afraid of an old bag of bones but here we are.
Once you die your body finally gets to rest, at least until a practitioner of dark necromantic magic raises your bones back up to do its bidding. A skeleton may be raised directly by necromancy or indirectly through mass amounts of death and dark magic that may infest a skeletons final resting place. The skeleton doesn’t need food, water, air, or sleep. If separated by the person who raised them a skeleton may do more seemingly normal activities but if they take notice of a new presence their only prerogative is to attack. For low level parties skeletons can be terrifying, especially since skeletons are not usually found alone. Thankfully though as long as you have a party member that can hit with some force the encounter won’t take too long.
Scenarios
- Your party makes its way into the depths of a dungeon trying its best to stay quiet. The hear quite clattering up ahead. Your party sees a lone skeleton in guards armor shambling about.
- Deep down in a crypt your party knows it’s surrounded by dead bodies what it doesn’t expect is when they’re suddenly surrounded by skeletons brandishing maces and clubs.
- Your party may have thought that traveling via the sea was safe from the undead, it is, except for the skeleton pirate crew boarding their boat as they sleep.
Stats
Armor Class - 13 Hit Points - 13 Speed - 30ft
STR - 10 DEX - 14 CON - 15 INT - 6 WIS - 8 CHA - 5
Damage Vulnerabilities: Bludgeoning
Damage Immunities: Poison
Condition Immunities: Exhaustion, Poisoned
Senses: Darkvision - 30ft, Passive Perception - 9
Languages: All it knew in life (understands but cannot speak)
Challenge: 1/4 (50xp) Proficiency Bonus: +2
18. Will-o’-Wisp
You remember in Brave how the mom was cursed to turn into a bear? Same idea except their curses are much harder to undo.
Soft glowing orbs floating and flickering just out of view of the party. A beacon of hope in the darkness, or a signal of doom. Will-O’-Wisps are the souls of evil beings who wandered the area that they now haunt. They tend to be found more often in places great with despair like old battlefields. The Will-O’-Wisps goal is to lure your party in and drain its life force. A Will-O’-Wisp may work with other creatures known to live in the areas in which they haunt. Though this creature seems like it would be an easy thing to handle it actually is quite difficult and because of how hard it is to kill it should scare your party. And even if the Will-O’-Wisp itself doesn’t take your party out, the associates it keeps will.
Scenarios
- Your sole party member up on watch notices the soft flickering of glowing orbs at the edge of their campsite. If your awake party member chooses to go off alone the rest of the party finds them missing in the morning.
- Your party cannot stop to make camp in this swampy area of the woods, however as the night wears on your party becomes more desperate for a place to rest. In the distance a soft glow of light pops into existence, luring your party with the promise of safety.
- The party has been tasked with eliminating a hag known to haunt the woods near town. As the party sets off the sun begins to set, in the early moments of twilight your party starts to see glowing orbs seemingly leading them somewhere, but is it a trap?
Stats
Armor Class - 19 Hit Points - 22 Speed - 50ft flying
STR - 1 DEX - 28 CON - 10 INT - 13 WIS - 14 CHA - 11
Damage Resistances: Acid, Cold, Fire, Necrotic, Thunder, Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing from Non-Magical attacks
Damage Immunities: Lightning, Poison
Condition Immunities: Exhaustion, Grappled, Paralyzed, Poisoned, Prone, Restrained, Unconscious
Senses: Darkvision - 120ft, Passive Perception - 12
Languages: The ones it knew in life
Challenge: 2 (450xp) Proficiency Bonus: +2
17. Intellect Devourer
Don’t worry they only eat those with a brain.
A horrid beast, the hunting dogs of mind flayers, a brain on muscular legs and the victim of a horrific ritual to be created. The intellect devourers are the first sign a mind flayer is in the area. Mind flayers create these creatures by extracting the brains of a thrall (a thrall is an enslaved person whose sentience is suppressed by either an illithid or neogi) and putting it through a ritual where it sprouts legs. It eats the intelligence of other creatures and if it targets an incapacitated creature it can take over the body and consumes its brain once teleporting inside its mind, before using the body like a puppet. This is not a creature your party wants to run in to at anytime. Where an intellect devourer is a mind flayer is sure to follow. If your party members have an intelligence score of 3 or above then they are immediately on its radar and very little other than death will stop it.
Scenarios
- As your party makes its way further down into the underdark the sound of running water is suddenly overtaken by the sound of paws racing towards them. As the sight of a brain of legs makes its way towards your party it’s too late, they’ll need to roll initiative.
- Your party finds a hidden laboratory while searching for the main room in a castle. In the middle of the laboratory they’ll notice the horrific creation of dozens of intellect devourers.
- Your party lost track of one of its members in the underdark, after hours of searching you find them, looking in bad shape. They’re acting off and it’s not just from the injuries, something seems wrong, almost like someone’s using them as a puppet.
Stats
Armor Class - 12 Hit Points - 21 Speed - 40ft
STR - 6 DEX - 14 CON - 13 INT - 12 WIS - 11 CHA - 10
Skills: Perception +2, Stealth +4
Damage Resistances: Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing from Non-Magical Attacks
Condition Immunities: Blinded
Senses: Blindsight - 60ft, Passive Perception - 12
Languages: Deep Speech (understands but cannot speak), Telepathy - 60ft
Challenge: 2 (450xp) Proficiency Bonus: +2
16. Banshee
She takes Scream Queen to the next level.
Just as narcissus drowned as he was so in love with his reflection the banshee too was a great beauty. In life she was a beautiful elven woman and in death she keeps her looks until she attacks. The banshee is the dead spirit of an elf who used her beauty to corrupt others and control them rather than help the world. When they fail to change their ways their body begins to wither and decay until nothing is left but a vengeful spirit. The banshee can never leave from where it died, forced to live eternally in its place of death. The banshee can be a difficult task to handle, it is immune to several damage types and resistant to even more. Because both seeing and hearing the banshee can cause damage to your players being able to attack her head on can be a challenge.
Scenarios
- Your party finds a trove of beautiful trinkets and treasures in a beachside cave, thinking they have hit the jackpot your party starts to take from the pile immediately. So distracted by the beautiful items in front of them they don’t notice the floating spirit of a vengeful elf coming up behind them.
- The banshee stares down on your party from across a field eyeing them each one by one assessing them, until the come face to face with a party member in polished metal armor. Seeing the glimpse of her reflection in the armor she flies at full speed at the party screaming.
- Your party sees a hauntingly beautiful woman sobbing in the moonlight. Do they dare approach her or take the safe way around?
Stats
Armor Class - 12 Hit Points - 58 Speed - 40ft flying
STR - 1 DEX - 14 CON - 10 INT - 12 WIS - 11 CHA - 17
Saving Throws: WIS +2, CHA +5
Damage Resistances: Acid, Fire, Lightning, Thunder, Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing from Non-Magical Attacks
Damage Immunities: Cold, Necrotic, Poison
Condition Immunities: Charmed, Exhaustion, Frightened, Grappled, Paralyzed, Petrified, Poisoned, Prone, Restrained
Senses: Darkvision - 60ft, Passive Perception - 10
Languages: Common, Elvish
Challenge: 4 (1,100xp) Proficiency Bonus: +2
15. Displacer Beast
Watch your front! No, wait, behind you!
A tale as old as time, humanoids find a creature with certain traits they wish to take advantage of and they selectively breed the creature to get the perfect balance of those traits for their own purposes. These creatures look similar to a large predator cat akin to a panther however it has noticeably different features than a typical panther. These include having 6 legs and two long tentacles protruding from their back with spiked pads on the end of them. Displacer Beasts were native to the Feywild and were noticed and brought into captivity by the Unseelie Court. The court selectively bred the Displacer beasts to become elite hunters of magical prey like unicorns and pegasi. However due to the fact that the Displacer beasts have at least a bit of survival instinct still while in captivity they made their escape and began breeding freely in the wild. This brought them to the attention of the Seelie Court who attempted to drive them to the very edges of the Feywild which caused many of the Displacer beasts to cross from the Feywild into the Material plane. Because of the nature of these bears they can become particularly difficult to go up against. The main tactic the displacer beasts use is refracting light so that they appear several feet away from where they actually are. This makes correctly targeting the creature extremely difficult.
Scenarios
- While trapped in a labyrinth your party comes to a dead end where they must choose to go left or right, or they can go back. Your party looks to the left and sees a sleek black panther stalking towards them, they start stepping backwards when the person at the very back of the party gets hit, roll for initiative.
- Your party has somehow found itself in the company of a Seelie Court member and their pet blink dog. While walking the perimeter of the court gardens the blink dog suddenly growls and as they look up they see the glowing eyes of a displacer beast.
- Your party made the poor decision to split the party as they walk through the woods. High above in the trees the displacer beast waits, stalking its prey.
Stats
Armor Class - 13 Hit Points - 85 Speed - 40ft
STR - 18 DEX - 15 CON - 16 INT - 6 WIS - 12 CHA - 8
Senses: Darkvision - 60ft, Passive Perception - 11
Languages: n/a
Challenge: 3 (700xp) Proficiency Bonus: +2
14. Flameskull
What happened to the rest of Ghostrider’s body?
As it goes in Dungeons and Dragons no one truly gets to rest once they’re dead. A dark magic spellcaster can make this creature from a dead wizard’s skull. Once the ritual ends the skulls eyes glow red with life as green flames burst from around it. The Flameskull can cast any spells it knew while alive as well as a few other spells gained through its creation ritual. A Flameskull is created with a purpose, it may be to guard the creator’s laboratory or hidden treasure spot. The creature follows its directions to a tee, so their creator must be very specific in its instructions. If the Flameskull can no longer complete its task or if once destroyed and reformed the task is no longer there the Flameskull becomes independent of its creator and gains free will. A flameskull will reform after 1 hour unless the pieces are sprinkled with holy water, or dispel magic/remove curse is cast on it. All flameskulls are created to serve a purpose, and they will do anything to complete that purpose, including putting themselves in the line of fire (literally). Because the Flameskulls don’t have free will and are bound to follow their instructions they are dangerous to battle because they aren’t above blowing themselves up as well.
Scenarios
- Your party enters an ancient library to try and find a spell book with the possible answers to saving the world. Upon entering the main room your party notices the walls aglow in green light, and as they move closer the bright red eyes of a Flameskull turn and blast rays of fire at the party.
- Your party tracks their current target to their last campsite to find it appears recently abandoned in quick time. Strewn across the ground appear to be small shards of something, if your party can pass a medicine check they can identify it as bone. Just as the party plans to move on trying to find the target, the bone fragments begin to shake and come flying back together forming the Flameskull anew.
- Your party is facing off against a flameskull trying to defend a treasure as directed by its creator. If your party has prior knowledge of the flameskull they can prepare and try to counteract the coming action, if they don’t then the flameskull casting fireball centered on itself will come as a shock to them.
Stats
Armor Class - 13 Hit Points - 40 Speed - 40ft flying
STR - 1 DEX - 17 CON - 14 INT - 16 WIS - 10 CHA - 11
Skills: Arcana +5, Perception +2
Damage Resistance: Lightning, Necrotic, Piercing
Damage Immunities: Cold, Fire, Poison
Condition Immunities: Charmed, Frightened, Paralyzed, Poisoned, Prone
Senses: Darkvision - 60ft, Passive Perception - 12
Languages: Common
Challenge: 4 (1,100xp) Proficiency Bonus: +2
13. Wight
Think white walkers from Game of Thrones, but less icey.
A person whose heart is filled with evil and vanity may call out to a vile god or demon lord asking to be spared an eternal death but rather remain somewhere between the living and the dead, and in return they will wage war against the living for eternity. The wight can remember its life and does have free will but will follow the orders of its new evil master and since it doesn’t tire it can pursue its mission endlessly. Though the wights hide from the sun as they hate its light, when they come out in the dark they can absorb the life force of all living things it touches. The scariest part of going up against even one wight is if any member of the party is killed the remaining party members won’t have the chance to revive and save their friend, as anyone slain by a wight rises as a zombie under their command.
Scenarios
- Your party is facing off against Orcus down in the Underdark, they expect to have the upper hand against the demon lord but they forget how wights are created and when they find Orcus for battle they also find his army of wights.
- Your party spent all hours of the night running through the woods avoiding capture from a towns guard. By daybreak they are tired and need to rest, the party finds a cave with a small carved out tunnel system leading underground and decide it will be a safe place to rest. Little did they know it is a wight lair.
- The party enters the ruins of a military fort from years past. The war was well known to be one of the bloodiest and most vicious of all time in the realm. Searching for an artifact from that era the party is spotted by a lone wight who has been sharpening his weapons waiting for fresh meat.
Stats
Armor Class - 14 Hit Points - 45 Speed - 30ft
STR - 15 DEX - 14 CON - 16 INT - 10 WIS - 13 CHA - 15
Skills: Perception +3, Stealth +4
Damage Resistances: Necrotic, Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing from Non-Magical attacks that aren’t silver
Damage Immunities: Poison
Condition Immunities: Exhaustion, Poisoned
Senses: Darkvision - 60ft, Passive Perception - 13
Languages: The ones it knew in life
Challenge: 3 (700xp) Proficiency Bonus: +2
12. Gorgon
Bet you thought you were going to see Medusa didn’t you?
Many who hear the gorgon’s name immediately think of the image of a woman with snakes for hair and whose sight can turn a man to stone in an instant but this creature is not that. This is a mean cold hard metal covered beast intent on taking you and your party out. A gorgon can take the form of a few different animals but is most commonly seen in the form of bull. The beast appears to be made of metal but it is actually covered in armored plates, the oils of its body underneath the armor keep it loose and able to move quickly. If a gorgon stays docile and unmoving for too long its plates begin to rust. The gorgon’s signature move is to spray a toxic gas that causes its foes to become stone. And if the gorgon so chooses it can destroy the stone foes and eat the rubble as food. Parties up against this creature may need to find creative solutions in order to avoid breathing in the toxic fumes that will petrify them. This creature also has a very high armor class making it hard to hit and if you have a party of magic casters, they are in for a bad time.Scenarios
- Your party enters an old gladiator colosseum, scattered about they see fragments of statues scattered about. Have your party roll a history check and if they pass they feel a shiver of fear go down their spine. Have them roll a perception check with a low difficulty to pass and on a pass they hear metal scraping together.
- The party enters a beautiful meadow hoping to rest for the night. While setting up camp they start a fire to cook dinner. The glow attracts the attention of a gorgon roaming the nearby woods and it readies itself to charge.
- A party member has lost the rest of the group in a labyrinth and is stumbling about trying to find their way in the darkness. They walk forward until they hit a dead end wall, a very cold wall, made of metal, thats breathing?
Stats
Armor Class - 19 Hit Points - 114 Speed - 40ft
STR - 20 DEX - 11 CON - 18 INT - 2 WIS - 12 CHA - 7
Skills: Perception +4
Condition Immunities: Petrified
Senses: Darkvision - 60ft, Passive Perception - 14
Languages: n/a
Challenge: 5 (1,800xp) Proficiency Bonus: +3
11. Mimic
First rule of Dungeons and Dragons: anything can be a mimic so hit it with a stick first!
If you’ve ever seen a book or treasure chest and it has teeth or a tongue you are most likely dealing with a mimic. Mimics have the ability to shapeshift into any inanimate object down to the same texture of the real object. The only difference is the mimic lies in wait for unsuspecting adventures to wander by and touch it or brush by it enough to trigger its sense. And once it does the adventures will see a mouth full of gnashing teeth and a long tongue like appendage sticking to its prey and bringing it into its jaws for lunch. An adventuring party up against a single mimic should be able to handle it will little to no problem. The issue this creature brings to a campaign is the paranoia your players will face. Never knowing if the objects in the room are truly safe to approach.Scenarios
- Your party enters a room in a dungeon that appears to be a treasure room, they begin to celebrate excited to go through their new loot. The party notices a beautiful chest across the room surrounded by gold coins, they approach it and go to open it when the players hand nearest is snapped down on to.
- Your party is starving and is raiding an abandoned farmstead for any scraps of food or at least something edible. Located down in the cellar there appears to be salted meat and jarred produce canned for preserving. An eager party member rushes up and pulls a jar down from the shelf and as they pull it down, it grins.
- Your party was told that in the bed chamber of an ancient wizard holds a tome needed to end the evil plans of the elder dragon but they’ve been warned, the wizard has several safeguards including a hoard of mimics disguised as that tome.
Stats
Armor Class - 12 Hit Points - 58 Speed - 15ft
STR - 17 DEX - 12 CON - 15 INT - 5 WIS - 13 CHA - 8
Skills: Stealth +5
Damage Immunities: Acid
Condition Immunities: Prone
Senses: Darkvision - 60ft, Passive Perception - 11
Languages: n/a
Challenge: 2 (450xp) Proficiency Bonus: +2
10. Vampire
There is more than just Strahd in this game ya know.
Dracula, Nosferatu, Strahd, all famous vampires from different mythos and stories from around the world. Many of them share the same characteristics; they have no reflection, cant be in the sun, sleeps in a coffin, and a stake through the heart kills them. Most of this holds true for vampires in Dungeons and Dragons. Most vampires start off as a vampire spawn sired by another true vampire. The vampire drinks the blood of their victim and if the victim is fed some of the vampires blood it will begin to transform. The vampires hunger for blood but any emotions or memories they have as a human turn into an obsession, love for a woman with red hair becomes an unhealthy obsession with young women resembling that previous love. A full vampire is dangerous, not only are they a formidable foe to go toe to toe with but they also have actions that come with their lair which makes fighting them on their own turf twice as hard. Vampires also have the ability to charm humanoids in its presence so if they have set their sights on one of your party members its unlikely they’ll make it out unmarred.
Scenarios
- Your party enters a tomb hoping to gather potion ingredients the nearby town healer needs. Upon searching through coffins to find the ingredients the party comes across a run down wooden box, no name marker or indication of who it once was, as your party approaches to search it a body rises from within, with glowing red eyes and a look of hunger on its face.
- Your party has been called to a town facing a mysterious case of young women disappearing. They all are around the same age with long brown hair and freckles strewn about their face. Other than their appearance there seems to be no connections between the girls. The party is told of an old local legend of a duke who married a woman similar in description to the missing girls but that she died in childbirth. Its said that the duke went mad after this and began searching for ways to bring her back, including necromancy, but his research was wrong, rather than bringing his love back he was cursed to live forever.
- In a modern setting your party is out on Halloween night dressed in costumes hoping for once to have a peaceful evening. One of the party is dressed as Count Dracula and is making a mockery of the count. Its all fun and games until an older distinguished looking gentleman sees this and furrows his brow in anger.
Stats
Armor Class - 16 Hit Points - 144 Speed - 30ft
STR - 18 DEX - 18 CON - 18 INT - 17 WIS - 15 CHA - 18
Saving Throws: DEX +9, WIS +7, CHA +9
Skills: Perception +7, Stealth +9
Damage Resistances: Necrotic, Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing from Non-Magical attacks
Senses: Darkvision- 120ft, Passive Perception - 17
Languages: The languages it knew while alive
Challenge: 13 (10,000xp) Proficiency Bonus: +5
9. Behir
Even dragons are afraid of these guys, why aren’t you?
A reptilian scaled creature shaped like a centipede or millipede crawls through the Earth breathing lightning at its foes. Behirs were created by the storm giants to aid in their never ending war against the dragons. Though there may not be as many confrontations anymore the behirs still hold the hatred bred into them for dragons and if one comes too close to their lair they will do everything in their power to drive it off. Though your party might not be the preferred enemy of the behir they are not opposed to slaying the party and devouring them as its next meal if you enter its lair. Behirs can be a tricky fight for the unprepared who stumble onto it as lightning is not a common damage type adventures prepare to face.Scenarios
- Your party is exploring an underground cave system, they were hoping to find the entrance to a mine but instead have found themselves lost dozens of feet below ground. As they make their way through the cavern they may begin to notice claw marks and what appear to be scorches along the rocks. Have the party roll a perception check with a high pass needed and if they succeed they will notice a flash of bright blue scales skittering around behind them.
- Your party has made a deal with an ancient bronze dragon to retrieve a part of its hoard taken by the storm giants many years ago. The party is certain this will be an easy task as the storm giants left the area hundreds of years before, what the dragon failed to mention is the item is stored in the center of several behir;s lairs.
- The party notices a large blue creature appearing to be sleeping or dead in their path forward, a brave soul approaches and nudges it with its foot. Its eyes awake in a blaze as it begins rising up demanding to know who has dared disturb him as he digests his meal.
Stats
Armor Class - 17 Hit Points - 168 Speed - 50ft, Climb 40ft
STR - 23 DEX - 16 CON - 18 INT - 7 WIS - 14 CHA - 12
Skills: Perception +6, Stealth +7
Damage Immunities: Lightning
Senses: Darkvision - 90ft, Passive Perception - 16
Languages: Draconic
Challenge: 11 (7,200xp) Proficiency Bonus: +4
8. Doppelganger
As your vision slowly fades the last thing you see is your own face grinning down at you.
Everyone has been told they have a doppelganger out in the world, well if thats true then you should be scared to ever meet yours. Doppelgangers are born of humanoid women and disguised doppelganger men. The men seduce the women but leave them to raise the child alone. The child will appear to be the same race as its mother until early adolescents when its shapeshifting nature is revealed. Doppelgangers are able to read very surface level thoughts of humanoids around them in order to gain basic knowledge on their targets. Once they feel they have enough information to not be discovered they will eliminate their prey and take on their face as their own. It can be very difficult to know if your party has run in to a doppelganger as not many can see through their disguises. If one has managed to infiltrate your party then there is a chance you can save that person, but the higher likelihood is that person is no more and the doppelganger will live on as them until they become bored of it.Scenarios
- Your party wakes up in a town they were able to safely enter the night before. The townsfolk seem friendly enough but none of the party seems to understand whats being said. Several days will pass when suddenly a party member seems to understand what the townspeople are saying but has trouble speaking with the party. A careful look at the party member will show a small difference in appearance, a scar or mole missing from before.
- Your party takes on the job of a caravan escort to make some extra gold. Thinking the caravan to be made up of honest merchants, your party focuses its attention outwards, meanwhile within the carriages moving down the road a group of doppelgangers practice changing into your party and grinning.
- Your party finds a young girl wandering the woods alone seeming scared and lost. They offer to help get her to the nearest town and she makes camp with the party at night. During the second or third shift of watch the night watchman has fallen asleep. One unlucky character is woken up by the little girl saying she has to go to the bathroom and is too scared to go alone. They go with her and as they turn their back to give her privacy she injures them before assuming their shape and returning to the fire.
Stats
Armor Class - 14 Hit Points - 52 Speed - 30ft
STR - 11 DEX - 18 CON - 14 INT - 11 WIS - 12 CHA - 14
Skills: Deception +6, Insight +3
Condition Immunities: Charmed
Senses: Darkvision - 60ft, Passive Perception - 11
Languages: Common
Challenge: 3 (700xp) Proficiency Bonus: +2
7. Slaad
I thought frogs were supposed to be cute?
Long ago the Modron overlords created a gem infused with the power of law. This gem was used in the hope to absorb chaos and stop its spread to other realms. Unfortunately this gem came with a tragic side effect, the Slaadi. Because slaadi are creatures of chaos their aim is to eliminate all order, and they started with the modrons. From there they spread their chaos further out into the realms. In order to create more slaadi there are two ways it can be done, the first is when a slaad injects a humanoid with eggs that hatch from inside them. The other way is when they infect a creature with the chaos phage and they are slowly turned into a slaad. There are several colors of slaadi and each come with a different ability, the most powerful being grey and death slaads. This is not a creature your party wants to come face to face with. They can cast spells, shapeshift, and attack with their claws. If your party runs into a slaad, hopefully they have their wills in order because if they are not a high level party they have no chance of making it out alive.Scenarios
- A portal has opened up in a town a few over from the one the party is in, there is not much information coming out of the town but the little that is being shared it sounds like strange red and blue frog creatures have been appearing enmasse seemingly waiting for a command.
- The party barely escapes an encounter with a death slaad, only one party member being stabbed through their abdomen. Once the party is sure they are safe they take a moment to bandage the wound. The party healer while cleaning the wound notices a strange bubble-like texture under the skin of the wound, almost like frog eggs.
- Mid-battle with a slaad your party sees it drop, hoping they have finally brought it down to only a few hit points left. Unfortunately for them, it growls and smiles as it rises up its wounds closing as if by magic.
Stats (Death Slaad)
Armor Class - 18 Hit Points - 170 Speed - 30ft
STR - 20 DEX - 15 CON - 19 INT - 15 WIS - 10 CHA - 16
Skills: Arcana +6, Perception +8
Damage Resistances: Acid, Cold, Fire, Lightning, Thunder
Senses: Blindsight - 30ft, Darkvision - 60ft, Passive Perception - 18
Languages: Slaad, Telepathy - 60ft
Challenge: 10 (5,900xp) Proficiency Bonus: +4
6. Aboleth
It only wants to take over the world a little bit, thats not so bad.
They come from a time before the gods, the aboleths only want to control the world again after being crushed by the true gods of the mortals. They swim in the deep murky waters of the world reaching out with their minds to creatures passing through their lairs hoping to draw one in to aid in its plans.The aboleths use their telepathy to learn of a creature's greatest hopes and wishes as a way to manipulate them into doing their bidding, but be warned if you do not obey or honor it as it demands, you are likely to end up as its next meal. This creature may be a less common one for the party to face as they may not be in the water often enough, but if the party is unlucky enough to come across one of these creature’s lairs it is unlikely that they will leave with their free will intact.
Scenarios
- The party sets off across the lake in the underdark crossing to a bordering town hoping for resources to replenish their supplies. While making their way slowly across, have them roll a perception check, if they succeed they would see a strange fish, much larger than any they have seen before, and they are suddenly compelled to stop their boat.
- The party enters the elemental plane of water. While trying to make their way to some semblance of dry land they notice odd drawings strewn about on walls below the surface appearing to tell the story of a large white beast being honored and prayed to by humanoid creatures.
- Your party has taken hold of a pirate ship and they head out to the next port city. On a particularly stormy night the ship is wrecked and the party crashes into the water. As they swim to try and stay afloat have them roll a wisdom save, if they pass the DC, they continue focusing on saving themselves but if they fail they begin swimming down.
Stats
Armor Class - 17 Hit Points - 135 Speed - 10ft, Swim 40ft
STR - 21 DEX - 9 CON - 15 INT - 18 WIS - 15 CHA - 18
Saving Throws: CON +6, INT +8, WIS +6
Skills: History +12, Perception +10
Senses: Darkvision - 120ft, Passive Perception - 20
Languages: Deep Speech, Telepathy - 120ft
Challenge: 10 (5,900xp) Proficiency Bonus: +4
5. Elder Oblex
Since when is jello evil?
An elder oblex is an adult fully developed version of this slime. Mind flayers developed this creature similarly to the intellect devourers. As fully developed slimes they are able to absorb the memories and thoughts of the creatures they absorb and they have a taste for the smarter ones. Because the elder oblex can absorb all the memories of its prey it also can put out copies of those it has absorbed, these copies are perfect except for the slight smell of sulfur that follows them. Because this creature is incredibly smart and is also able to take the form of any creature it had previously absorbed it makes for a powerful enemy. Not many would be able to tell it is an oblex just because of its smell. If your party encounters one its best bet of not being its newest addition is to run as fast as they can.Scenarios
- Your party has been sent on a search and rescue mission for the mayor’s son. Given a map of the surrounding area the party decides to search an old mineshaft thinking he may have fallen in. When they approach the mine it smells of sulfur but the party pays it no mind, have them roll a perception check, if they pass they will hear the faint cries of the mayor’s son or at least someone who sounds like him.
- Before entering the underdark your party is warned about puddings, slimes, and oblexes. Much of your party thinks itself too smart to be outwitted by a slime. As they find an inn to lay their heads for the night the proud party members miss the glowing red tendril of slime dripping from the innkeeper, only noting the odd aroma of sulfur.
- As your party walks through the dungeon’s hall the person in the lead hits a tripwire opening a hidden door, your party looks down the hall and sees what appears to be an elderly man blinded by his time in the darkness. As they call out to him to follow their voices they notice a distinct squishing sound as he moves forward, followed by the stench of sulfur.
Stats
Armor Class - 16 Hit Points - 115 Speed - 20ft
STR - 15 DEX - 16 CON - 21 INT - 22 WIS - 13 CHA - 18
Saving Throws: INT +10, CHA +8
Skills: Arcana +10, Deception +8, History +10, Nature +10, Perception +5, Religion +10
Condition Immunities: Blinded, Charmed, Deafened, Exhaustion, Prone
Senses: Blindsight - 60ft, Passive Perception - 15
Languages: Common, plus 6 additional languages of DM’s choice
Challenge: 10 (5,900xp) Proficiency Bonus: +4
4. Star Spawn Mangler
If spiders and Slenderman had a baby, it’d be this guy.
There is more to this world than just the world we know. Out in the depths of space there live elder evils, ancient ones who would want nothing more than to concur the material plane. However many of these elders are unable to leave their current space and so they create star spawns. These star spawns are able to come to the material plane usually crashing on a comet. The manglers in particular are a nasty star spawn. They hide in the shadows and crawl along the walls, positioning itself to appear much smaller than it actually is. But do not underestimate them, these creatures are vicious assassins. The often stay in the shadows and when they are sure that your party cannot see them they attack. Though this creature is not the strongest foe, its ability to hide in even dim lighting makes it a dangerous creature to go up against.Scenarios
- Your party has infiltrated a local cult hideout hoping to gather information on the cult's next plans. While trying to navigate to the central holding chambers, randomly roll a number based on the number of players in the party, whichever number it lands on, that player is suddenly hit with a flurry of claw attacks seemingly from nowhere.
- Your party’s night watchman notices a shooting star one night, but something is off, it seems to be falling closer and closer to your party’s camp. They see it crash into the ground about 200 feet away and as they wake the rest of the party to investigate they see something rise up from it, with 6 arms with sharp claws gleaming in the moonlight.
Stats
Armor Class - 14 Hit Points - 71 Speed - 40ft, Climb 40ft
STR - 8 DEX - 18 CON - 12 INT - 11 WIS - 12 CHA - 7
Saving Throws: DEX +7, CON +4
Skills: Stealth +7
Damage Resistances: Cold
Damage Immunities: Psychic
Condition Immunities: Charmed, Frightened, Prone
Senses: Darkvision - 60ft, Passive Perception - 11
Languages: Deep Speech
Challenge: 5 (1,800xp) Proficiency Bonus: +3
3. Adult Dracolich
Undead? Check. Evil? Check. Dragon? Check.
Some dragons are just too in love with themselves to die once they should. These narcissistic dragons who have typically been warped by their sense of ego will do anything in order to preserve their life or at least some semblance of it.Adult dracoliches are elder dragons who rather than dying chose to transform. Through necromancy and evil rituals the adult dragon becomes undead, their scales and flesh seem to fall away leaving only an animated skeleton. However do not be deceived into thinking this can be as easily defeated as any other skeleton. Similarly to any other Lich in the ritual in order to become Undead a phylactery is created. and so long as the gem is in the same plane as the DracoLich when it is defeated it's spirit will reform. This creature combines everything difficult to beat about a regular dragon with the dangers of fighting a lich. On their own these creatures are incredibly difficult to handle, but combining them makes for an extremely challenging opponent for your party. Do not put your party up against this creature unprepared.
Scenarios
- Your party has been tasked with slaying a dragon. All of the information provided has indicated it is a blue dragon and your party takes the necessary time to prepare to battle a blue dragon. When they arrive at the dragon's keep however something is off. The air smells of death and nothing in the keep indicates that something here is living.
- Your party has heard of a dragon worshiping cult within the city walls. Their plan is to go in and eliminate this cult and any possible threat it may hold. They are able to determine the location and time of the cult’s next meeting. They just weren't expecting to be walking in to the transformation ceremony of a dracolich
- Your party feels triumphant; they believe they have defeated the DracoLich. If there is a wizard or sorcerer in the party, have them roll a history check or an arcana check. If they pass they come to the sudden realization that though they may have defeated its physical form unless they can locate and destroy the phylactery this battle is not over yet.
Stats (Adult Blue Dracolich)
Armor Class - 19 Hit Points - 225 Speed - 40ft, Burrow 30ft, Flying 80ft
STR - 25 DEX - 10 CON - 23 INT - 16 WIS - 15 CHA - 19
Saving Throws: DEX +6, CON +12, WIS +8, CHA +10
Skills: Perception +14, Stealth +6
Damage Resistances: Necrotic
Damage Immunities: Lightning, Poison
Condition Immunities: Charmed, Exhaustion, Frightened, Paralyzed, Poisoned
Senses: Blindsight - 60ft, Darkvision - 120ft Passive Perception - 24
Languages: Common, Draconic
Challenge: 17 (18,000xp) Proficiency Bonus: +6
2. Death Tyrant
Oh! This shouldn’t be too bad! Its just another skull, right?
One of the main attributes of a Beholder is they are essentially immortal. However, sometimes when they sleep their minds begin to wander and if they happen to start to think of what life after death might be like a transformation may begin to take place. Their skin begins to slough off leaving behind only a skull with a singular glowing eye in the middle and phantom tentacles surrounding it, a death tyrant. Death tyrants possess all of the abilities that they had in life however they now also have a sort of passion for the undead. They can create and control zombie armies to do their bidding. This is what the eye at the center of the skull can do once the beholder transforms into a death tyrant. Just as beholders are frightening to have in any Dungeons & Dragons campaign, a death Tyrant is particularly frightening to have in a horror themed Dungeons & Dragons campaign. Not just because it is a massive floating skull that can transform a creature into a zombie with a single look but also because it has all of the same powers and spells that a Beholder had when it was living. This makes it almost twice as dangerous than facing it's living counterpart.
Scenarios
- Your party makes its way into what they believe is an abandoned beholder's lair. The people you found in the outskirts of town said that they used to see traces of the beholder from time to time but haven't in almost a year. This brings your curious party wanting to search its laIr. When they arrive they find what appears to be a pile of rotting flesh. Hopeful that the beholder has been vanquished somehow the party begins to loot the lair. It is at this time the death tyrant returns home.
- Your party is faced with a choice: they have come across a beholder who demands a party member stay with him for all eternity as he finds them interesting or the entire party can die. The party asks if they and the beholder can have a night to sleep on the idea, and while the beholder sleeps one of your magic casters can cast dream and enter the beholder's dream and convince it to think of life after death. Once the transformation starts the party can take the opportunity to run but if they stay they face a greater danger than they were in before.
- Somehow your party has been arrested in a town where they don't speak the common language and they're unable to explain themselves or understand what they've done wrong. Have them roll a general intelligence check if any of them are proficient in religion they can roll that. If they pass they may start to notice that the townspeople seem to have bits of decay on them wounds that should have healed but instead look like they are falling apart. If one of them passed a religion check they would recognize that these are zombies created and controlled by a death tyrant.
Stats
Armor Class - 19 Hit Points - 187 Speed - 20ft flying
STR - 10 DEX - 14 CON - 14 INT - 19 WIS - 15 CHA - 19
Saving Throws: STR +5, CON +7, INT +9, WIS +7, CHA +9
Skills: Perception +12
Damage Immunities: Poison
Condition Immunities: Charmed, Exhaustion, Paralyzed, Petrified, Poisoned, Prone
Senses: Darkvision - 120ft, Passive Perception - 22
Languages: Deep Speech, Undercommon
Challenge: 14 (11,500xp) Proficiency Bonus: +5
1. Mind Flayer
Unfortunately Balder’s Gate makes these guys seem a lot more fun than they actually are.
Mind Flayers are a kind of monster no party ever wants to face. Known to the realms as slavers, tyrants, and evil masterminds. They have the face of an octopus and the ability to take over a sentient creature’s mind. Though the mind flayer may harvest a humanoid’s brain to do experiments on, they prefer to eat them, draining the minds of their memories, to them it's a delicacy. This is one of the absolutely worst creatures a party can face. They have the ability to take over the mind of any creature and force them to do their bidding and once they have you in their control there is little to no hope of a savior.
Scenarios
- Your party has been bought as mercenaries to take care of an unnamed threat a few towns over that has stopped all communication and trade. As the party enters the town they would notice the dead bodies of trolls, ogres, and grimlocks, their eyes vacant as if they no longer have a mind of their own. Have the party roll a perception check and if they pass they notice the bodies start to stir and as the cronies rise their leader, a mind flayer steps into the town center with open arms.
- Your party enters an old warehouse, they search it not finding much of anything other than barrels that appear to be filled with some sort of water with maybe fish swimming around in them. However as one of the party members reaches in to try and grab one of these fishes the party realizes too late that these are barrels full of mind flayer spawn.
- While traversing through the underdark your party is ambushed by a pack of intellect devourers, they truly expect not to wake up but as they do they look around confused, they have been brought to what seems to be a lair. Have the party roll a general intelligence check and if they pass they become frozen with fear, realizing that they have been brought to the lair of a mind flayer.
Stats
Armor Class - 15 Hit Points - 71 Speed - 30ft
STR - 11 DEX - 12 CON - 12 INT - 19 WIS - 17 CHA - 17
Saving Throws: INT +7, WIS +6, CHA +6
Skills: Arcana +7, Deception +6, Insight +6, Perception +6, Persuasion +6, Stealth +4
Senses: Darkvision - 120ft, Passive Perception - 16
Languages: Deep Speech, Undercommon, Telepathy - 120ft
Challenge: 7 (2,900xp) Proficiency Bonus: +3
