Creature | Other appearances | Variants | Description |
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Aboleth | | | Psionic fish-like amphibian found in underwater lakes and rivers capable of enslaving other creatures. SyFy Wire contributor Lisa Granshaw included them in her 2018 list of "The 9 Scariest, Most Unforgettable Monsters From Dungeons & Dragons" due to their impressive abilities and vengefulness. [4] |
Achaierai | Fiend Folio (1981) | | Large, flightless bird. Evil and intelligent, it originates from the plane of Acheron. CJ Miozzi included the achaierai on The Escapist's list of "The Dumbest Dungeons & Dragons Monsters Ever (And How To Use Them)". [5] |
Allip | | | Undead spirit of someone driven to madness and suicide. Looks as it did in life, but with features distorted by madness. |
Animated object | | | Mundane object animated by magic. |
Ankheg | | | Large, burrowing creature with mandibles and a chitinous shell capable of spitting acid. |
Aranea | | | Intelligent giant spider capable of changing forms and of utilizing sorcerous magic. |
Arrowhawk | | | Bird-like creature from the Elemental Plane of Air. |
Assassin vine | | | Plant that strangles passers-by. |
Athach | | | Very large and strong biped with a third arm on its chest. |
Azer | Monster Manual II (1983) | | Flaming dwarf from the Elemental Plane of Fire. |
Barghest | Monster Manual II (1983) | | Lawful evil outsider that changes from the form of a large goblin to that of a wolf. |
Basilisk | | | Reptilian monster that petrifies opponents with a gaze. Based on the creature from medieval bestiaries. [6] In the original Monster Manual it is described as a reptilian monster whose gaze can turn creatures to stone. [7] AD&D's basilisk was also adapted into the Magic: The Gathering trading card game, with a depiction taken from the Monster Manual being used in a prototype version. [8] : 247 |
Behir | | | 40-foot-long (12 m), snake-like monster with very hard scales capable of shooting lightning from its mouth. |
Beholder | Monster Manual I (1977) | | Floating orb with a single eye in its center, a large mouth and ten smaller eyes on stalks capable of several magical effects. A large orb dominated by a central eye and a large toothy maw, with 10 smaller eyes on stalks sprouting from the top of the orb; the large eye negates all magic and the smaller eyes cause a variety of magical effects. A "creature that looks at you and is destroying you by the power of its magical eyes". [9] A terrible beast, but depicted as "a cuddly rosy ball with too many eyes". [10] Designed to counter magic-using characters while being a formidable opponent for a whole party due to its versatility. [6] Considered one of "the game's signature monsters" by Philip J. Clements. [11] : 133 A "classic", [12] "iconic", as well as "one of the most feared and fearsome monsters of the game", present through all editions. [8] : 5, 40–41, 65 |
Belker | Planescape Monstrous Compendium III (1998) | | Evil air elemental that resemble a demon in the form of smoke. |
Blink dog | | | Intelligent, lawful good canine with the ability to teleport. |
Bodak | | | Undead creature created when someone is destroyed by the touch of absolute evil. |
Bugbear | | | Large, aggressive, hairy cousin of the goblin, [13] for the most part presented as inherently evil before the 5th edition of the game, [14] |
Bulette | | | 20-foot-long (6.1 m) quadrupedal predator known as a "landshark" covered in bluish plates and scales. Also called land shark, inspired by a plastic toy from Hong Kong. [6] In his 2019 book The Monsters Know What They're Doing, author Keith Ammann called bulettes "brutes tailor-made to give your players jump scares" and found its preferences and aversions for the meat of different humanoid races "ludicrous". [15] : 157–158 |
Carrion crawler | | | Subterranean scavenger able to paralyze opponents with its tentacles. |
Celestial | | | Any one of a number of creatures from a plane of good. Lantern archon, hound archon, avoral (guardinal), ghaele (eladrin), trumpet archon, astral deva, planetar and solar listed. Celestials from the Outer Planes, "charming creatures protecting the universe against evil". [16] The solar is a very powerful winged angelic humanoids, and Backstab reviewer Michaël Croitoriu thought them truly interesting for powergamers when made available as player characters. [1] |
Centaur | | | Reclusive creature from woodland with the body and legs of a horse attached to the torso and upper body of a humanoid. Based on the creature from Greek mythology. [6] [17] [18] |
Chaos beast | | | Monster from a chaotic plane with an ever-changing form and the ability to turn other creatures to formless goo. |
Chimera | | | Monster with the hindquarters of a goat, forequarters of a lion, wings of a dragon and heads of all three. The chimera is based on the chimera of Greek mythology as found in the Iliad by Homer, [19] [20] "stronger than a centaur but weaker than a sphinx". [18] Present in the game since the earliest edition. [8] : 45 |
Choker | | | Subterranean predatory aberration of a humanoid shape with long limbs that grabs and strangles prey. |
Chuul | | | Amphibious aberration that appears to be a cross between a crustacean, an insect and a snake. |
Cloaker | | | Intelligent creature of chaotic neutral alignment resembling a black cloak. An original creation for the game's artificial underground environment, this monster was designed as a trap for unwary player characters; it looks like a living cloak with teeth. [6] |
Cockatrice | | | Cross between a lizard, cockerel and bat able to turn flesh to stone. Based on the creature from medieval bestiaries. [6] |
Couatl | | | Lawful good, highly intelligent creature resembling a winged snake. Worshipped in regions it inhabits. Based on the creature from Mesoamerican religion. [21] |
Darkmantle | | | Cave dwelling creature that resembles a stalagmite when at rest. Able to create magical darkness, it defeats enemies by engulfing and constricting them. |
Delver | | | Aberration that lives deep underground and feeds on rock. |
Demon | | | Any one of many types of chaotic evil outsiders from the plane of the Abyss. Includes the sub-type of tanar'ri demons. Tanar'ri were renamed from demons in response to moral panic, [22] : 83–84 [23] many were based on figures from Christian demonology. [24] Considered among the "standard repertoire of "Monsters"" by Fabian Perlini-Pfister. [17] In a review of Planescape Monstrous Compendium Appendix II for Arcane magazine, the reviewer cites the culture of the tanar'ri as helping "give the Planes a solid base of peoples". [25] |
Destrachan | | | |
Devil | | | Don Turnbull considered the devils the most prominent among the new monsters introduced in the Monster Manual : "they are all pretty strong and compare not unfavourably in this respect with the Demons we already know". [26] Renamed from devils in response to moral panic. [22] : 83–84 [23] Many were based on figures from Christian demonology. [24] |
Devourer | | | Very large undead creature found on the Astral and Ethereal planes. Appears to be a large skeleton with strands of flesh and a tiny figure trapped in the ribcage. A giant skeleton that is holding a small figure prisoner in their ribcage, this creature is highlighted by reviewer Kaneda for characters to steer away from. [27] |
Digester | | | Fast moving creature resembling a predatory dinosaur that can spit acid. |
Dinosaur | | | Any of several real-world dinosaurs. Listed are deinonychus, elasmosaurus, megaraptor, triceratops and tyrannosaurus. Considered among the "standard repertoire of "Monsters"", [17] and among the 12 most underrated monsters, "a creature as large and fearsome as a dragon but without all the hype". [28] |
Dire animal | | | Larger and more aggressive versions of an ordinary animal. Listed animals are rat, weasel, badger, bat, ape, wolverine, wolf, boar, lion, bear, tiger and shark. |
Displacer beast | | | Savage yet stealthy predator resembling a puma with six legs and tentacles growing from its shoulders. A magical creature resembling a puma with a tentacle growing from each shoulder, it hates all forms of life, and always appears 3 feet from its actual position. Based on the alien Coeurl from the short story Black Destroyer by A. E. van Vogt. [6] [8] : 71 David M. Ewalt, in his book Of Dice and Men, discussed several monsters appearing in the original Monster Manual, describing displacer beasts as looking like "pumas with thorn-covered tentacles growing out of their shoulders". [29] Rob Bricken from io9 named the displacer beast as the 2nd most memorable D&D monster. [30] |
Doppelganger | | | A humanoid shape-changer race infiltrating society for its own convenience |
Dragon | | | Any of five chromatic (evil) or five metallic (good) intelligent winged lizards that grow to be very large and powerful. Powerful and intelligent, usually winged reptiles with magical abilities and breath weapon. [31] The different subraces, distinguished by their colouring, vary in power. [32] The dragon has been referred to as the "iconic creature for D&D adventurers to conquer". [33] : 34 [34] The third edition presentation aimed to give the dragons a believable anatomy while still linking to the original artwork of Dave Sutherland, and give the different races distinct wings and facial features. This incarnation was then considered the ""definitive" representation of these monsters" for the game. [8] : 315 |
Dragon turtle | | | A type of steam-breathing dragon with the shell of a giant turtle. Lives primarily in the open seas. Present in the game since its inception. [8] : 26 |
Dragonne | | | A relatively small, leonine-like dragon type. Its breath weapon (contrary to traditional dragons) is its loud roar. Present "in every edition of the game", James Wyatt stated it was "probably the oldest manifestation in the game of the idea of a half-dragon". Renamed to liondrake in 5th edition. [35] |
Drider | | | A drow mage or cleric outcast transformed into a hideous centauroid spider-creature by the power of the goddess Lolth. |
Dryad | | | A human-like female tree spirit. Based on the dryad from classical sources. [6] The dryad appears as a player character class in Tall Tales of the Wee Folk in the "DM's booklet" (1989). [36] : 146 |
Dwarf | | | Based on Tolkien's version of the dwarf. [37] [11] : 78 Often depicted as "short, stout, and fond of ale", "bearded masters of metalworking" and "predisposed towards a "good" moral alignment", "tend to embody an extreme vision of masculinity". [11] : 58, 67, 78, 165 |
Elemental | | | Powerful creatures in the game; [38] a characteristic of the air elemental is the ability of rapid movement. [29] : 141 |
Elf | | | Based on Tolkien's version of the elf, [37] "quick but fragile", with senses surpassing a human's, often depicted as "effeminate" and "predisposed towards a "good" moral alignment". [11] : 14, 26, 68 Half-elves are "loosely based off of Elrond Half-elven". [39] |
Ethereal filcher | | | |
Ethereal marauder | | | |
Ettercap | | | A goblinoid creature with poisonous fangs and a certain affinity with spiders, particularly giant ones. |
Ettin | | | A double-headed giant-like creature distantly related to orcs. |
Formian | | | |
Frost worm | | | |
Fungus | | | Described are the shrieker and violet fungus. Author Ben Woodard called D&D's fungi horrific in their variety, not only due to their poisonous nature but their creepy ability to move. [40] Scott Baird from Screen Rant ranked the man-sized shrieker among the weakest monsters in the game, at "the bottom of the mushroom monster food chain": They "can be used as cheap alarm systems for Underdark societies, but they possess no combat abilities of their own. The only thing a shrieker can do is shriek". [41] |
Gargoyle | | | AD&D's gargoyle was adapted into the Magic: The Gathering trading card game, with a depiction taken from the Monster Manual being used in a prototype version. [8] : 247 |
Genie | | | Based on notions from Middle Eastern culture, [42] genies in the game are powerful elemental spirits from the Inner Planes, each of the four classical elements having its own subspecies of genie: djinn for air, dao for earth, efreet for fire. The djinn and efreet have namesakes from Arabic folklore also associated with air and fire, respectively. The dao were newly invented for the game altogether to fill the gap for the remaining element. [15] : 485–493 A depiction of an "evil [...] efreet" already appeared in the original Dungeons & Dragons (1974) edition, another "enormous, devilish red" one was the main feature of the cover of the 1st edition Dungeon Master's Guide . Within the game's cosmology they were based on the Plane of Fire, centered around the "fabled City of Brass". [8] : 20–21, 85, 87, 244–245 |
Ghoul | | | Undead with "terrible claws". [29] : 175 AD&D's ghouls were also adapted into the Magic: The Gathering trading card game, with a depiction taken from the Monster Manual being used in a prototype version. [8] : 247 |
Giant | | | Overlarge powerful humanoids with a self-involved social focus, [15] : 8 usually presented as the "bad guys". [1] Based on mythological figures and Tolkien, their stone-throwing ability indicates their creative roots in wargaming. [19] [6] |
Giant eagle | | | |
Giant owl | | | |
Gibbering mouther | | | A creature with many eyes and mouths. Witwer et al. found Erol Otus' early depiction "perversely beautiful", the artist's surrealist style very suited for this bizarre monster. [8] : 94–97 |
Girallon | 3.5 edition revised Monster Manual (2003), fourth edition Monster Manual (2010) [43] | | An eight-foot tall gorilla with four arms and white fur
|
Gnoll | | | Richard W. Forest assumed them to be inspired from but not resembling the gnoles conceived by Lord Dunsany, [6] while Gary Gygax himself stated that although Dunsany's "gnole" is close", he came up with the name as "a cross between a gnome and a troll", and the description was his original creation. He wanted to create a humanoid opponent in the game to fit in between the hobgoblin and bugbear in power. [44] Gnolls were considered one of the "five main "humanoid" races" in AD&D by Paul Karczag and Lawrence Schick. [36] : 92 |
Gnome | | | Player character race "often stereotyped as buffoons, illusionists, mad inventors, and many characters play them as intentionally "wacky" or anachronistic"; often conforms to the trickster archetype. "predisposed towards a "good" moral alignment". [11] : 23, 31, 67 |
Goblin | | | Based primarily on the goblins portrayed in J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-Earth. [45] Considered one of the "five main "humanoid" races" in AD&D by Paul Karczag and Lawrence Schick. [36] : 92 Presented as "evil" and "predisposed towards a society of brutal regimes where the strongest rule" in the game. [11] : 48, 66, 134 Suitable opponent for characters of lowest level. [46] |
Golem | | | Divided into several types: flesh, clay, stone, and iron golem. The clay golem is based on the golem of Medieval Jewish folklore, though changed from "a cherished defender to an unthinking hulk" [47] [19] while the flesh golem is related to Frankenstein's monster as Universal's 1931 film, seen in e.g. being empowered by electricity. [6] All golems are inspired by Gothic fiction more generally; a typical denizen of the Ravenloft setting, [21] and "classic" monster of the game. [12] The influence of Dungeons & Dragons has led to the inclusion of golems in other tabletop role-playing as well as in video games. [48] |
Gorgon | | | "iron plated bull", based on early modern bestiaries, with only the name being derived from the Classical counterpart. [18] [19] |
Gray render | The gray render appeared in the third edition Monster Manual (2000), [49] and in the 3.5 revised Monster Manual (2003). [50] The gray render appeared in the fourth edition Monster Manual 2 (2009). [51] | | A gray render is a big, bulky, bulbous creature which stands 9 feet tall, despite a hunched posture, and 4 feet wide and long. It has a short tail, and a bullet-shaped head with six small, yellow eyes. |
Grick | | | |
Griffon | | | Originally based on the creature from Persian mythology. [21] |
Grimlock | | | A blind, savage humanoid cave-dwelling race |
Hag | | | Divided into several types: sea hag, annis, and green hag. Immortal wicked and ugly powerful females with magical abilities for deception. Based on the pervasive figure from folklore, with "different interpretations of the monster around the world" being worked into different variants in the game, allowing each "a little more personality". [52] In the view of Stag and Trammel, hags in D&D represent misogynistic and ageist tendencies in their authors. [53] [54] SyFy Wire in 2018 called it one of "The 9 Scariest, Most Unforgettable Monsters From Dungeons & Dragons", saying that "There are endless horrific possibilities when it comes to hags." [55] |
Halfling | | | Based on and renamed from the hobbit in J.R.R. Tolkien's works. [6] [22] : 27 The hobbit first appeared as a player character class in the original 1974 edition of Dungeons & Dragons. [56] : 62 Later the game began using the name "halfling" as an alternative to "hobbit" for legal reasons. [57] The "halfling" appeared as a player character race in the original Player's Handbook (1978). [36] : 84–85 |
Harpy | | | Based on the creature from Greek mythology. [17] Witwer et al. viewed its artistic rendering in 5th edition as "redesigned from prior editions to entice more Dungeon Master use." [8] : 402–403 |
Hell hound | | | |
Hippogriff | | | Originally based on the creature from Persian mythology [21] the adapted hippogriff "was among the earliest fantasy beasts introduced into the Dungeons & Dragons universe": [58] An artistic representation drawing inspiration from real eagles and horses was used for the cover of the third booklet of the original Dungeons & Dragons (1974) edition and became one of "the game's earliest ambassadors" through use of that cover in advertisements. [8] : 20–21, 27, 39 Gary Gygax used a story in which he received a letter asking how many eggs a Hippogriff could lay as an example of the encyclopedic knowledge which fans expected him to have over every detail of gameplay. [59] |
Hobgoblin | | | Muscular humanoids somewhat taller than humans with reddish skin and canine teeth. [29] : 215 Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse gave them a new background as a species originating in and expelled from the Feywild, while also presenting hobgoblins societies with different characteristics on different worlds, but all centered around forming close-knit groups. [60] |
Homunculus | | | |
Howler | | | |
Hydra | | | May possess anything between five and twelve heads. Based on the creature from classical sources, [6] [20] with Heracles' famed method of slaying it adapted into a vulnerability against fire, but not with the less well-known poisonous bite, showing how the game mostly focusses on the well-known traits of mythological creatures. [18] Present in the game since its inception. [8] : 26 AD&D's hydra was also adapted into the Magic: The Gathering trading card game, with a depiction taken from the Monster Manual being used in a prototype version. [8] : 247 |
Invisible stalker | | | |
Kobold | | | "[S]hort subterranean lizard-men", [29] : 66 considered one of the "five main "humanoid" races" in AD&D by Paul Karczag and Lawrence Schick, [36] : 92 and ranked among the weakest monsters in the game by Scott Baird from Screen Rant . [41] |
Kraken | | | |
Krenshar | | | |
Kuo-toa | | | "evil fish-men" [36] : 89 |
Lamia | | | |
Lammasu | | | |
Lillend | | | |
Lizardfolk | | | Lizardfolk are primitive reptilian humanoids typically standing from six to seven feet tall. A player character race in some settings. [61] [62] Reviewer Chris Gigoux described them by saying "Lizard Men aren't bad, [...] they're just a simple folks, struggling to survive." [63] In 2020, Comic Book Resources counted the lizardfolk as # 1 on the list of "10 Powerful Monster Species That You Should Play As", stating that "Along with the ability to manufacture their own weapons from the natural environment around them, they provide an excellent role-playing experience and have some pretty awesome tricks up their sleeve." [64] An image of a lizard man by Greg Bell functioned as the logo in the early phase of TSR Hobbies, [8] : 42–43, 47, 81 while "the bloodied bodies of lizard men" overcome by a group of adventurers featured on the cover of the 1st edition Player's Handbook , considered "arguably the most iconic piece of art in all of RPGdom" by Reactor magazine commentator Saladin Ahmed. [65] |
Locathah | | | |
Magmin | | | |
Manticore | | | Based on its mythological counterpart, including the barbed tail, the manticore appeared in the game from its earliest edition. [58] : 44 [66] : 268 |
Medusa | | | Based on the creature from classical sources [6] [17] but translated into species of monsters [13] [20] originated from "humans seeking eternal youth". [18] Reviewer Allan Rausch found their portrayal as "a woman with snakes for hair" up to 2nd edition less compelling than their less human-like depiction in 3rd edition. [67] Part of the game from its very beginning, a medusa was already depicted in the playtest material from 1973 for the original edition. [8] : 21 |
Mephit | | | Described are the air mephit, dust mephit, earth mephit, fire mephit, ice mephit, magma mephit, ooze mephit, salt mephit, steam mephit, and water mephit. First published in White Dwarf #13 (June/July 1979) under the names of fire imp, molten imp, smoke imp and steam imp, respectively (not including ice and mist mephits), originally submitted by M. Stollery. [68] These "imps" were voted among the top ten monsters from the magazine's "Fiend Factory" column in 1980. [69] |
Merfolk | | | |
Mimic | | | An original creation for the game's artificial underground environment, this "iconic monster" looks like a treasure chest and is designed as a trap for unwary player characters. [6] |
Mind flayer | | | "Squid-headed humanoids", considered one of "the game's signature monsters" by Philip J. Clements. [11] : 133 Reviewer Julien Blondel described them as vile brain-eating creatures full of psionic energy. He found them delightful creatures for a sadistic Dungeon Master to use, and a useful bridge between classic game worlds and the planes, as illithids abound in both. [70] |
Minotaur | | | Based on the creature from Greek mythology, [6] [17] [18] [71] but translated from a singular creature into a species. [20] In 2021, Comic Book Resources counted the minotaur as one of the "7 Underused Monster Races in Dungeons & Dragons", stating that "far from just brutal monsters. Many are lawful by nature, which means, surprisingly, Minotaurs make for some good Paladins. They also, obviously, make for some good Barbarians, Monks and Fighters. There's a lot of potential with Minotaurs. People hate and fear them, but you might be able to play that to your advantage...or fight against the stereotypes." [72] The minotaur was among the monsters featured as trading cards on the back of Amurol Products candy figure boxes. AD&D's minotaurs were also adapted into the Magic: The Gathering trading card game, with a depiction taked from the Monster Manual being used in a prototype version. [8] : 161, 163, 247 |
Mohrg | | | |
Mummy | | | Powerful undead usually from desert areas, wrapped in bandages. Based on the creature from Gothic fiction and appearances in more contemporary entertainment, a typical denizen of the Ravenloft setting. [21] [52] In his review of the Monster Manual in the British magazine White Dwarf #8 (August/September 1978), Don Turnbull noted that the mummy was revised from its previous statistics, and could now cause paralysis on sight (as a result of fear). [26] |
Naga | | | Described are the water naga, spirit naga, dark naga, and guardian naga. Snake-like magical creatures with humanoid head. Based on the nāga from Indian mythology. [17] |
Night hag | | | Powerful hag from Hades, propagating evil by creating larvae. [53] Don Turnbull referred to the night hag as "splendid" and notes that the illustration of the night hag is the best drawing in the book. [26] It has been described as comparable to the Alp of folklore, although "considered a more Judeo-Christian demonic influence". [56] : 33 |
Nightmare | | | |
Nightshade | | | Described are the nightwing, nightwalker, and nightcrawler |
Nymph | | | Based on the nymph from Greek mythology, [6] [17] also an instance of the sexist tropes the game draws on which presented female sexuality as inherently dangerous. [11] : 94 Appeared in the movie Futurama: Bender's Game . [73] |
Ogre | | | Described are the ogre and ogre mage. Large, powerful humanoid creatures, with slightly below average intelligence. [15] : 249, 257 [74] Typical bad guys in the game, [1] who can be used to teach "players about fighting big, powerful, stupid monsters, which is an iconic D&D experience". [75] : 356 |
Ooze | | | Described are the gray ooze, gelatinous cube, ochre jelly, and black pudding. "D&D's large variety of monstrous oozes and slimes took their original inspiration from Irvin S. Yeathworth Jr's The Blob " movie. In the artificial dungeon environment of the game, they function as a "clean up crew". The gelatinous cube, "a living mound of gelatinous jelly", [29] : 138 was considered especially suited for that role, as it fit exactly in the standard grid for tactical combat. Considered an "iconic monster". [6] Ian Livingstone considered the ochre jelly one of the game's more "exotic and strange creatures". [76] SyFy Wire contributor Lisa Granshaw counted oozes among "The 9 Scariest, Most Unforgettable Monsters From Dungeons & Dragons" and found them "extremely disturbing because everything may seem fine one minute and then the next you're on the way to death." [4] D&D's slimes have served as inspiration for appearances of this kind of monster in many video games. [77] |
Orc | | | Directly adapted from the orc in J.R.R. Tolkien's works. [6] Considered one of the "five main "humanoid" races" in AD&D by Paul Karczag and Lawrence Schick. [36] : 92 Presented as "evil" and "savage raiders" in the game. [11] : 48, 95 |
Otyugh | | | Also known as gulguthra. [78] Game designer Don Turnbull rated the otyugh as a "most interesting creation". [26] |
Owlbear | | | Newly created for the game early on inspired by a Hong Kong–made plastic toy, [79] [8] : 66 the owlbear was well-received as a useful and memorable monster. [30] [80] [81] |
Pegasus | | | Taken from greek mythology, an example of the diverse cultures amalgamated into D&D. [18] [82] Part of the game from its very beginning, a pegasus was already depicted in the playtest material from 1973 for the original edition. [8] : 21 |
Phantom fungus | | | |
Phase spider | | | Arachnid as big as a medium-large dog that can shift between dimensions and bite with fangs of deadly poison. [33] : 148–149 |
Phasm | | | |
Planetouched | | | Described are the aasimar and tiefling. Descendants of a union between a human and a demon or devil; popular as player characters, as they allow for "identity tourism" of a racial outsider. [11] : 35 Johnny L. Wilson called tieflings "the paranoid, loner obverse" of halflings, who "believe that life is out to get them". In the game they are "suited to be great thieves" and "point persons" due to favourable saving throw bonuses. [83] Aasimar are Humanoids "descended from ethereal beings" [84] from the Outer Planes, "charming creatures protecting the universe against evil". [16] A.V. Club reviewer Nick Wanserski found them an interesting player character race "for the chance to be unequivocally good in a way that's difficult to embody in real life". [84] |
Pseudodragon | | | "a miniature dragon that also has a tail stinger" [31] Reviewer Philippe Tessier found it "very nice" and interesting when made available as a familiar. [12] |
Purple worm | | | The "dread purple worm" attacks with both ends, [66] : 268 maw and stinger. This "iconic monster" and original creation of Dungeons & Dragons is present all editions of the game. [8] : 26, 28–29 |
Rakshasa | | | Based on the creature from Hindu mythology. [21] Humanoid fiends with tigerlike-features, Reactor magazine commentator Saladin Ahmed rated them as "ultimate badass monsters". He found a depiction sitting with pipe and smoking-jacket fitting on second thought, as the creature is so powerful it has no need to prove its dangerousness. [85] |
Rast | | | |
Ravid | | | |
Remorhaz | | | |
Roc | | | An enormous bird, based on a mythological creature probably of Persian origin, known from Sindbad the Sailor . [19] |
Roper | | | A dangerous inhabitant of the Underdark [86] with "murderous behavior". [87] One of the original creations for the game, Witwer et al. rated them among the "iconic D&D monsters". [8] : 39, 45 |
Rust monster | | | An original invention for the game and its artificial underground world, the appearance of the rust monster was inspired by a plastic toy from Hong Kong. [88] It was ranked among the most memorable as well as obnoxious creatures in the game, terrifying to certain characters and their players not due to their ability to fight but to destroy their items. [6] [30] [89] [8] [29] Chris Sims of the on-line magazine Comics Alliance referred to the rust monster as "the most feared D&D monster". [90] |
Sahuagin | | | |
Salamander | | | Described are the flamebrother, average salamander, and noble salamander |
Satyr | | | Based on the satyr from classical sources. [6] |
Sea lion | | | |
Shadow | | | In his review of the Monster Manual in the British magazine White Dwarf #8 (August/September 1978), Don Turnbull noted his disappointment that the shadow is of the undead class and thus subject to a cleric's turn undead ability. Turnbull commented, "I used to enjoy seeing clerics vainly trying to turn what wouldn't turn, when Shadows were first met". [26] Rob Bricken of io9 identified the shadow as one of "The 12 Most Obnoxious Dungeons & Dragons Monsters". [89] |
Shadow mastiff | | | |
Shambling mound | | | Ben Woodard considered its ability to move "the base creepiness of the creep". [40] |
Shield guardian | | | |
Shocker lizard | | | |
Skeleton | | | Described are the tiny, small, medium-size, large, huge, gargantuan, and colossal skeleton. Skeleton of a deceased creature animated as an undead. The skeleton was ranked second among the ten best low-level monsters by the authors of Dungeons & Dragons For Dummies: "introduces players to the special advantages and weaknesses of undead monsters". They also thank Ray Harryhausen for people knowing what fighting skeletons ought to look like. [75] Screen Rant ranked the tiny skeleton one of the weakest D&D creatures, saying "[skeletons] go all the way down to Tiny-sized creatures, which means that it is possible for your party of adventurers to fight a group of skeletons that are the same size as action figures." [41] |
Skum | | | |
Slaad | | | Described are the red slaad, blue slaad, green slaad, gray slaad, and death slaad. Ed Greenwood considered the slaadi "worthy additions to any campaign". [91] GameSpy author Allan Rausch described the slaadi as "remorseless reptilian killing machines", but "For many years, slaad were a joke -- because of their artwork", which showed them as "six-foot tall carnivorous frogs". With the Planescape setting they "were reinterpreted artistically to be less frog-like and much more fearsome". [67] Shannon Applecline considered the githzerai one of the game's especially notable monsters. [22] : 38 |
Spectre | | | Inspired by Gothic fiction, a typical denizen of the Ravenloft setting. [21] |
Sphinx | | | Described are the androsphinx, criosphinx, gynosphinx, and hieracosphinx. Based on Egyptian and Classical mythology, an example of the diverse cultures amalgamated into D&D. [18] [82] |
Spider eater | | | |
Sprite | | | Described are the grig, nixie, and pixie |
Stirge | | | Flying and blood-sucking creatures. [13] "[P]esky" because while small they are dangerous to characters as a swarm. Present in the game since its earliest edition. [8] : 44 |
Tarrasque | | | Ranked among the strongest monsters in the game by Scott Baird from Screen Rant , "the ultimate challenge for many players". [41] Rob Bricken from io9 named the tarrasque as the 10th most memorable D&D monster. [30] The tarrasque appeared on the 2018 Screen Rant top list at No. 5 on " Dungeons & Dragons: The 20 Most Powerful Creatures, Ranked", and Scott Baird highlighted that "The tarrasque is currently the most powerful creature in the 5th edition of Dungeons & Dragons, where it is matched only by Tiamat in terms of its combat prowess." [92] |
Tendriculos | | | |
Thoqqua | | | |
Titan | | | Based on the powerful beings from Greek mythology. [17] Ranked among the strongest creatures in the game by Scott Baird from Screen Rant , as they "stand above giants and possess even more power in terms of their physical and magical capabilities". [41] Backstab reviewer Michaël Croitoriu thought them truly interesting for powergamers when made available as player characters. [1] |
Tojanida | | | Described are the juvenile, adult, and elder tojanida |
Treant | | | Based on the Ent by J. R. R. Tolkien, [6] [22] : 27 and renamed due to copyright reasons. [8] : 71 |
Triton | | | An aquatic race [93] based on the merman in Greek mythology. [19] |
Troglodyte | | | Based on the stock character of the primitive caveman, Gary Gygax portrayed the troglodyte in the game as more monstrous, with chaotic and evil behaviour, offensive smell and lizard-like characteristics. [94] The troglodyte was among the monsters featured as trading cards on the back of Amurol Products candy figure boxes. [8] : 161, 163 |
Troll | | | Tall green-skinned [95] evil gaunt humanoids. A characteristic denizen of AD&D worlds. [42] Their appearance and powerful regenerative ability is taken from Three Hearts and Three Lions by Poul Anderson rather than from their mythological or Tolkienesque counterparts. [6] [19] Considered one of the "five main "humanoid" races" in AD&D by Paul Karczag and Lawrence Schick. [36] : 92 |
Umber hulk | | | Present in the game since the earliest edition. [8] : 45 |
Unicorn | | | Based on the creature from medieval bestiaries. [6] [21] The Dungeons & Dragons animated series featured Uni the unicorn as a well-received "mascot" and "cute animal sidekick". [96] |
Vampire spawn | | | |
Vargouille | | | |
Wight | | | Thin humanoid undead. [97] Directly adapted from the barrow-wight in Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings , [6] [22] : 27 while the concept is inspired Icelandic sagas. [98] Rob Bricken of io9 identified the wight as one of "The 12 Most Obnoxious Dungeons & Dragons Monsters". [89] |
Will-o'-wisp | | | |
Winter wolf | | | |
Worg | | | Worgs are giant wolves inspired by the wargs in the works of J.R.R. Tolkien; the name was changed for legal reasons, while both the word and concept ultimately go back to Old Norse idea of varg , which can refer to wolves in their violent aspect. [98] |
Wraith | | | Inspired by and renamed from the Nazgul from J.R.R. Tolkien's legendarium, [39] as well as by Gothic fiction, a typical denizen of the Ravenloft setting. [21] |
Wyvern | | | Its tail is equipped with a poisonous tail stinger. [31] |
Xill | | | |
Xorn | | | Described are the minor xorn, average xorn, and elder xorn |
Yeth hound | | | |
Yrthak | | | |
Yuan-ti | | | Described are the pureblood, halfblood, and abomination yuan-ti. A species of "cult-like snake people" [99] and among "D&D's most popular and iconic monsters". [100] The original yuan-ti castes were the abominations, the halfbreeds, and the purebloods, which first appeared in the module Dwellers of the Forbidden City (1981), [101] [102] [103] In the adventure, the characters are hired to find an object taken to a lost oriental-style city, which has been taken over by a cult of snake-worshipers, the yuan-ti, and their servants, the mongrelmen and tasloi. [36] : 101 The types have been summarized by A.V. Club as "a human-eating snake, or human-snake hybrid eater of humans and snakes, or other human-snake hybrids." [84] Snakes and snake-worship used in fiction have been criticized as characteristic of Orientalism. [104] The publication history, digital and print, of yuan-ti falls into this pattern as they serve as uncomplicated antagonists in "exotic" settings. [15] [105] [106] Graeme Barber, a game designer noted for his critique of racism in Dungeons & Dragons, [107] used yuan-ti in his contribution to the book Candlekeep Mysteries. Controversy arose after Wizards of the Coast, according to Barber, altered his depiction of yuan-ti. [108] Summarizing his critique of the simplistic portrayal, Barber wrote, "Yuan-ti are evil because evil." [109] Keith Ammann, in his 2019 book The Monsters Know What They're Doing , commented of the yuan-ti purebloods that "Yuan-ti have had hundreds of generations to live and adapt on their own, so they'll have the same self-preservation instinct as any evolved species." [15] TheGamer.com in April 2021 listed the yuan-ti pureblood as #2 on their list of "10 Most Underrated Races That Are Better Than You Think". [110] CBR.com listed the yuan-ti pure blood as #5 on their list of "Top 10 Playable Species In D&D". [111] |
Zombie | | | Described are the tiny, small, medium-size, large, huge, gargantuan, and colossal zombie. Based on the zombie from folklore as well as more contemporary entertainment. [52] |
Ape | | | |
Baboon | | | |
Badger | | | |
Bat | | | |
Bear, black | | | |
Bear, brown | | | |
Bear, polar | | | |
Bison | | | |
Boar | | | |
Camel | | | |
Cat | | | |
Cheetah | | | |
Crocodile | | | Described are the crocodile and giant crocodile |
Dog | | | |
Dog, riding | | | |
Donkey | | | |
Eagle | | | |
Elephant | | | |
Hawk | | | |
Horse | | | Described are the heavy horse, heavy warhorse, light horse, and light warhorse |
Leopard | | | |
Lion | | | |
Lizard | | | Described are the lizard and giant lizard |
Monkey | | | |
Mule | | | |
Octopus | | | Described are the octopus and giant octopus |
Owl | | | |
Pony | | | Described are the pony and warpony |
Porpoise | | | |
Rat | | | Example of a monster posing little threat to the characters in the game, [29] : 22 suitable for play at lowest level. [46] |
Raven | | | |
Rhinoceros | | | |
Shark | | | Described are the medium-size, large, and huge shark |
Snake | | | Described are the constrictor, giant constrictor, tiny viper, medium-size viper, large viper, and huge viper |
Squid | | | Described are the squid and giant squid |
Tiger | | | |
Toad | | | |
Weasel | | | |
Whale | | | Described are the baleen whale, cachalot whale, and orca whale |
Wolf | | | |
Wolverine | | | |
Giant ant | | | Described are the worker giant ant, soldier giant ant, and queen giant ant |
Giant bee | | | |
Giant beetle | | | Described are the giant bombardier beetle, giant fire beetle, and giant stag beetle |
Giant praying mantis | | | |
Giant wasp | | | |
Monstrous centipede | | | Described are the tiny, small, medium-size, large, huge, gargantuan, and colossal monstrous centipede. Giant centipedes are "low-level monsters", one-foot long red many-legged creatures. [29] : 212–213 |
Monstrous scorpion | | | Described are the tiny, small, medium-size, large, huge, gargantuan, and colossal monstrous scorpion. Scorpions have the distinction of having been the very first combat encounter in the first playtest, run by Gary Gygax, of the original version of the game. [29] : 65–66 Scorpion the size of a horse, its stinger carries a deadly poison. [33] : 148–149 |
Monstrous spider | | | Described are the tiny, small, medium-size, large, huge, gargantuan, and colossal monstrous spider |
Celestial creatures | | | Template; [3] sample celestial creature is a celestial lion |
Fiendish creatures | | | Template; [3] sample fiendish creature is a dire rat |
Ghost | | | Template; sample ghost is a 5th-level human fighter. Inspired by Gothic fiction, a typical denizen of the Ravenloft setting. [21] |
Half-celestial | | | Template; sample half-celestial is a unicorn |
Half-dragon | | | Template; sample half-dragon is an ogre |
Half-fiend | | | Template; sample half-fiend is a medusa |
Lich | | | Template; [3] sample lich is an 11th-level human wizard. Emaciated [12] undead spellcaster, [112] a "classic" monster of the game. [12] |
Lycanthrope | | | Template; [3] described are the werebear, wereboar, wererat, weretiger, and werewolf. Afflicted shapechangers, whose condition could be transmitted like a disease; [113] some available as player character races. Depiction of the werewolf is related to those in 1930s and 1940s Hollywood movies like The Wolf Man . [6] Ranked sixth among the ten best low-level monsters by the authors of Dungeons & Dragons For Dummies: "a classic monster", interesting due to shapechanging because "players can never be entirely sure whether that surly villager might indeed be the great black wolf who attacked their characters out in the forest." [75] The presence of lycanthropes in the gaming system is one of the elements that has led Christian fundamentalists to condemn Dungeons & Dragons and to associate it with the occult. [114] Screen Rant has described the operation of lycanthropy in the game as an aspect that "makes no sense" because it is often a positive development for a character. "It is possible for a character to be infected with lycanthropy in Dungeons & Dragons and it comes highly recommended, as the benefits outweigh the negatives". It notes that "[i]n exchange for learning how to control your condition, you gain Damage Reduction, +2 to your Wisdom stat, the Scent ability, Low-Light Vision, a new Hit Dice, the Iron Will feat, and the ability to transform into a more powerful form". [115] An illustration in one edition of the Monster Manual implied that the beast in Disney's Beauty and the Beast was a lycanthrope, with a creature having a resemblance to the Beast attacking a human resembling that film's antagonist, Gaston. [116] Present in the game since its inception, an image of a werewolf's face by Gygax' childhood friend Tom Keogh was "[a]lmost certainly the oldest piece of art" in the original D&D. [8] : 26–27 |
Vampire | | | Template; [3] sample creature is a fifth-level human fighter. Depiction is related to those in 1930s and 1940s Hollywood Dracula movies, [6] as well as folklore [52] and Gothic fiction; a typical denizen of the Ravenloft setting, [21] [42] and "classic" monster of the game. [12] |