Pick up aDungeons and Dragonsbestiary and you will soon find a myriad of monsters that look terrifying to even the most seasoned Dungeon Master. Some of these monsters aren’t as deadly as they appear, but others are more deadly. Some of these fearsome creatures can wipe a party without so much as batting an eye.
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Admittedly that is a bit of an overstatement, but there are some monsters who, if played right, can cause an extreme problem for even the most seasonedD&Dplayers. If you are a DM, take notes, because your party will hate these monsters if you decide to pull them out of your bag of tricks.
Updated May 1st, 2022 by Russ Boswell: Dungeons and Dragons is filled with all manner of beasts that the DM can use to truly test a party’s abilities. Although the adventure is how players make it, there can be combat scenarios that can go awry pretty quickly thanks to some of the monsters featured in the compendium and homebrewed by dastardly players. TheSibirex is capable of dishing out some serious damageand dragging players to an early grave but it’s not the only monster that’s capable of outright killing a player if it so pleases. There are a wide array of sneaky foes that will reduce a player to dust if they’re not careful. To better showcase some of these seemingly innocent creatures that are capable of destroying a player, the following list has been updated with more entries.
13Will-O'-Wisp
Some monsters aren’t necessarily dangerous in their own regard, but under certain continues they can be devastating to a party. A great example of this is the Will-O'-Wisp, a seemingly innocent and inconspicuous orb of light that doesn’t exactly seem imposing. Most players would likely scoff at the idea of facing a Will-O'-Wisp, disregarding it as an easily dispatched enemy that will add experience points to their sheets as they move on to greater dangers.
However, those that disregard the Will-O'-Wisp may soon find themselves 6 feet under. That’s because Will-O'-Wisp have the Consume Life ability. This Bonus Action works if a player manages to fall to zero HP within 5 feet of the creature. If so, that player must make a DC 10 Constitution saving throw. If they fall, they’re toast, and the Will-O'-Wisp heals a bit of its life as an extra dagger twist.
12False Hydra
DMs looking for something unique and homebrewed should check out the False Hydra and consider sliding the terrifying creature into their next game. The crafty critter has the ability to induce serious amounts of paranoia on the party thanks to its specialized ability that causes players and anyone else that sees it (or anyone that it kills) to forget about it entirely. Players will find it difficult to navigate around the False Hydra as they must constantly battle with themselves of whether or not they’ve actually seen the creature or are suffering from some fit of delusions.
It’s pretty easy for a False Hydra to devastate a player thanks to its Blind Song ability. Players that can hear the Hydra must submit to a DC15 Wisdom Saving throw in order to “see it” and keep from falling victim to its disappearing act.
11Mimic
Mimics aren’t the worst monster in the world until you realize that they can transform into literally any object. Whether that object is a door, barrel, or the most favored chest is up to the DM.
Either way, these creatures can easily kill lower level players and pose a real risk to higher-level ones. With the ability to grapple anything that unwittingly touches it and spawn a pseudopod tobludgeon playersto death with, it’s no wonder these creatures are a problem. With their adhesive trait, they can stick to just about anything which means they can be anywhere and you would never know without poking and prodding everything in the room.
10Bag Of Devouring
Anyone who looks at the Bag of Devouring and thinks that it is an item is surely mistaken. Inside this bag is, in fact, a creature that will eat anything and everything that you stick inside of it, including your precious character. When a player places their hand inside the bag, it takes this as an invitation to eat and starts to swallow.
In one turn your character is gone and the only hope they have is to succeed at aDC 15 Strengthcheck to get out. Another player on the outside can help by succeeding at a DC 20 Strength check, but if you fail, the character and everything you love is destroyed. Good luck explaining your death to anyone with pride after that.
9Intellect Devourer
The Intellect Devourer is something straight out of a nightmare. It is a brain creature with four legs that can spell doom for any party member. This is due to its ability to consume a player’s brain and replace it. It does this through the use of intelligence drain attacks that can leave the player character stunned.
Once stunned, the Intellect Devourer can use its ability body thief to take control of the player. Don’t think you are safe from the effect if you end up dying because the Intellect Devourer can take control of corpses and reanimate them.
8Specter
Most RPG fans are familiar with the idea of angry ghosts and malignant spirits. There have been a lot of fantasy games and adventure titles that have infused their worlds with malicious spirits, bent on harming the player in some way. Dungeons & Dragons has its own version of these creatures with the Specter, but those that are unprepared to face these ghastly foes may find themselves in an early grave, should the dice not roll their way.
That’s because Specters come with the Life Drain action. It’s a 3D6 Necrotic Damage attack but it’s the aftermath of the strike that gives players trouble. Once struck, players are forced to make a DC10 Constitution saving throw and succeed or they will see their maximum HP depleted by the amount of damage they take. Not only is this painful in a drawn-out fight, but if the player’s maximum HP manages to dip to zero, their character will outright die.
7Demilich
The Demilich is a fearsome example of a lich whose power has gone to its head (literally). Typically covered in jewels and gemstones that represent teeth and eyes, these skulls are more fearsome than a lich. They have more immunities than any almost any monster which makes them extremely tough to beat.
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It has life drain which can ultimately kill a party if they aren’t careful. It can be used on up to three people in a ten-foot range Each player must succeed at a DC 19 Constitution saving throw or take 6d6 necrotic damage. The Demilich also regains health equivalent to all the damage dealt as well.
6Beholder
The Beholder is one of the most recognizable monsters in all ofD&D.These tentacle-eyed monsters can be a troublesome sight for many adventurers if they aren’t prepared. These behemoths like to end a fight early and it shows when they can fire three eye beams on their turn and three more on a player’s turn.
The only relief is that the eye beams aren’t decided by the Dungeon Master. Instead, they are rolled for and if luck isn’t on your side, you can end up getting killed off very quickly. These beams caninstill fear,charm, petrify and disintegrate a Beholder’s foes and that is only some of their abilities.
5Demogorgon
That’s right, the popularStranger Thingscreature is really inD&Dand it’s not just a creature; it’s a demon lord that understands all languages and sees everything. It has immunity nonmagical attacks that deal bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage.
It can also cause images to appear and fool players along with having the ability to attack multiple times during its turn. It also has insanity gaze which players can’t even roll a save for. It wouldn’t be so bad if Demogorgon had to concentrate to use it, but it doesn’t even need to look in your direction.
4Mind Flayer
The Mind Flayeris a creature that doesn’t just eat brains but can turn them into Intellect Devourers. Let’s talk about how it kills you though. If you happen to get hit by this humanoid-alien creature, you are automatically grappled and must succeed at a DC 15 Intelligence saving throw.
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If you fail the save then you are stunned. Once this happens, the Mind Flayer uses its tentacles to invade your cranium with its extract brain ability. This move then extracts your brain which the monster then eats for a snack. It’s not the most pleasant way to go.
