Before we begin, a PSA:
Hundreds of Dungeons and Dragons Dungeon Masters have been left without groups as a result of the pandemic. They are unable to find PCs or host sessions. Without this necessary enrichment, a Dungeons and Dragons DM can become lonely, withdrawn, and might even resort to making NPC after NPC to replicate the feeling of working on an in-progress campaign. If you or someone you love is a Dungeons and Dragons DM during these uncertain times, don’t let them become a statistic. Check on your DM friends today.
Thank you.
It’s been a long year.
Though I have been thoroughly unsuccessful in finding a new group and starting a campaign, I’ve decided to kill the time by working on a fantasy setting on my own. I’ve got a pantheon of custom gods and goddesses, a handful of maps, and a couple of plot threads so far. But my favorite part of the game-making process has always been dungeon building, specifically dungeon stocking. I love flipping through the monster manual, trying to find the perfect creature to hide in the dark corners of a castle, or in a cave off the shore of an island, or just in a pit thrown across the players’ path.
However, there are several monsters that I know my players can’t handle. Whether it’s because of our play tier or the size of the party, there are some creatures that I just know would be an instant TPK if I tried to use them in-game. Some of them are too powerful (what do you even do with a CR of 30?), some aren’t on theme, and some are so cool that I want to save them for exactly the right campaign. These are some Dungeons and Dragons Monsters that I’ve always wanted to use in a game.
- Aboleth
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These primordial monsters have a CR of 10. They are amphibious and look like they would fit just as well in the deep ocean as they would in the vast abyss of space. It can speak telepathically, charm PCs, and even drain the life force of a creature it has captured to restore its own HP. It would be a great BBEG for a spooky, suspense-filled, alien-themed campaign.
- Beholder
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Beholders have a CR of 13. I know. Beholders are a staple in many campaigns as mini-bosses or BBEGs, but I love these monsters for their RP potential. In the campaign I’m currently writing, I want to use my Beholder as a reluctant ally to the party instead of an outright enemy. Because these are so common, I’m hoping to put a new spin on this old favorite.
- Dracolich
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Now we’re getting to the really fun stuff. With a CR of 17, these undead dragons pack a real punch. They’d make a great BBEG on their own, or maybe a horrifying companion to an even more powerful Lich. The only problem is that you need to have a very strong party indeed if you don’t want a TPK on your hands. If I ever run a Masters-of-the-World Tier horror campaign, I’ll definitely use one of these.
- Dragon Turtle
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I just think they’re neat. These bad boys also have a CR of 17, are as big a ship, and can add some real flavor to a sea-faring adventure campaign. They can make four different attacks with a steam breath attack unique to its underwater habitat. Ironically, dragons tend to be kind of underused in D&D Campaigns, but they can be great BBEGs or random encounters depending on the play tier you’re operating on.
- Kraken
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Every DM secretly wants to use one of these. They’re big, they’re mean, and they have a CR of 23! They’re amphibious, and they ignore difficult terrain! One of these guys could follow the PCs onto land! My dream combat encounter is my PCs fighting a lava kraken on the side of a volcano while fire literally rains down on the battlefield. Wouldn’t that be sick? Obviously, this is a fantasy that is highly unlikely to be realized for me any time in the immediate future, but a DM can dream, right?
- Tarrasque
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You knew it was coming. I knew it was coming. My previous players all know I want this. Besides literally the dragon itself, these are probably the most infamous of all the D&D monsters, the one most capable of unbelievable, world-rending damage. It has a CR of 30. It’s like if a dinosaur and the billion-year expansion of the sun had a baby. Perhaps it’s awoken by a broken curse. Maybe it’s set loose by a deranged sorcerer. The possibilities are endless. But it’s huge and could take out a party of five in one round without breaking a sweat. So we have to be careful with how we set it up and how we use it once it’s free. The party has to be very strong, very experienced, and they have to know exactly what they’re going to be up against before they get there, or it’s an instant TPK. My day will come, but unfortunately, it’s not coming any time soon.
Combat is probably my favorite part of actually playing D&D, and I love creating encounters for my PCs. Nothing says D&D like long dungeon crawls, mazes and puzzles, and a giant monster at the end of the hall. Don’t be afraid to go big or go home when it comes to bosses in your game, or to write a campaign just for a chance to use your favorite creature.