Beauty and the Beasts
Beasts in Dungeons & Dragons are essentially creatures (or at least, variations of creatures) that are native to the real world. With this being a fantasy setting though, there is much variation with many beasts taking on giant forms for example or there being creatures that ordinarily are extinct, like dinosaurs. Generally, beasts are only as intelligent as animals so are not usually capable of more speech or intellect than equivalent, real animals could accomplish. Some beasts include panthers, bears, eagles and snakes.
Description
Beasts in D&D take on the same properties and attributes of their counterparts in the real world. Lions remain dangerous, horses make excellent mounts and snakes can be venomous. However, there can be differences, perhaps the environment is more hostile or has promoted greater evolution in the creatures there, either way, it can be common that in the worlds of D&D, that beasts have evolved beyond what is normal such a becoming giant in proportions. As a dungeon master, you may chose to give your creatures certain other attributes that match the environment or story, for example, beasts that have evolved in the underdark might have developed darkvision, some beasts might have been subjected to magical experiments or beasts from a mind flayer world might have alien attributes.
Types of Beasts
Some of the beasts indigenous to the worlds of D&D, and with their own statlines include:
- Ape
- Auroch
- Badger
- Bat
- Bear
- Boar
- Camel
- Cat
- Centipede
- Cow
- Crab
- Crocodile
- Deer
- Dinosaur
- Dolphin
- Dragonfly
- Eagle
- Electric Eel
- Elephant
- Elk
- Fire Beetle
- Fox
- Frog
- Goat
- Hare
- Horse
- Hyena
- Insects
- Lion
- Lizard
- Maggots
- Mammoth
- Octopus
- Owl
- Panther
- Pig
- Rat
- Rhinoceros
- Rothe
- Scorpion
- Seal
- Shark
- Sheep
- Snail
- Snake
- Spider
- Tiger
- Turtle
- Vulture
- Walrus
- Wasp
- Weasel
- Whale
- Wolf
You can learn more about beasts and the different types you might encounter in D&D by purchasing a copy of the Monster Manual.