Everything you need to know about monstrosities in DnD 5e
What are monstrosities?
Monstrosities in Dungeons & Dragons are creatures that are monstrous in nature. They are frightening, dangerous and usually savage. Truth be told, many of the creature types in D&D 5e might be considered monsters like dragons, aberrations or undead making monstrosities a bit of a catch all for “everything else monstrous”.
Much of what makes a creature a monstrosity though, seems to come from their origin. They can be created in a wide array of ways whether by an experiment gone wrong, a curse, some unholy punishment from the gods or simply a freak of nature. They are however, distinct from creatures created in other ways or with other distinctive features, such as undead, created from necromantic magic, aberrations that come from alien realms or oozes that are just… slimey!
Monstrosities do not belong to the natural order of things and it is generally advised to steer well clear of such creatures. Typically, a monstrosity seeks prey upon lesser creatures (and sometimes, even bigger creatures). They are deadly predators of the highest order and should be taken seriously.
Types of Monstrosities
Ankheg
CR 2
A huge insectoid creature that burrows underground.
Astral Dreadnought
CR 21
Huge, armoured creatures that travel the astral planes.
Banderhobb
CR 5
Monsters formed of shadow and flesh that steal their victims away.
Basilisk
CR 3
Eight-legged reptiles that can petrify with their stare and can poison their victims.
Behir
CR 11
Twelve-legged creature with a serpent’s body and electrical breath.
Bulette
CR 5
Burrowing creatures, also known as land sharks.
Carrion Crawler
CR 2
Insectoid creatures that generally prey on dead bodies but will also attack the living too.
Catoblepas
CR 5
Buffalo looking creatures that also have features of a warthog that reek of death and live in swamps.
Cave Fisher
CR 1
Lobster looking creatures that ambush their prey underground and capture them using sticky filament.
Centaur
CR 2
Part humanoid, part equine, Centaurs have a similar temperament to that of most humanoids.
Chimera
CR 6
Large creatures formed from a mix of dragons, lions and goats with a head for each of its aspects.
Chitine
CR 1/2
Bipedal, spider-like creatures with four arms.
Choldrith
CR 3
The priests and leaders of the chitine.
Cockatrice
CR 1/2
A two-legged, lizard, bat and bird hybrid. Despite their seemingly weak capabilities, these creatures are capable of turning flesh to stone.
Darkmantle
CR 1/2
Octopus-like creatures that live in subterranean areas and disguise themselves as stalagtites.
Death Dog
CR 1
An ugly, two-headed hound that desires humanoid flesh.
Deep Scion
CR 3
The result of humanoids that have had their lives spared by an evil aquatic creature, only to be transformed into these shape hanging servants.
Displacer Beast
CR 3
Many-tailed panthers with a magical ability to make themselves appear in a place where they are not.
Doppleganger
CR 3
Bipedal creatures with the ability to change their appearance.
Drider
CR 6
Drow and spider hybrids that have undergone a horrendous ritual to be joined together.
Ettercap
CR 2
Bestial spider-like creatures found throughout Faerun.
Froghemoth
CR 10
Amphibious creatures with a frog-like appearance and tentacles, they’re roughly the size of an elephant.
Girallon
CR 4
Four-armed apes that are incredibly strong, savage and territorial.
Gorgon
CR 5
Highly aggressive bull creatures that attack on sight.
Gray Render
CR 12
Large, bulky predators found in swamps.
Grick
CR 2
Large worm-like creatures with a beak surrounded by four tentacles.
Griffon
CR 2
Intelligent beasts with the appearance of an eagle and a lion.
Harpy
CR 1
Aggressive creatures with a humanoid upper half, wings and the lower body of a reptile.
Hippogriff
CR 1
Less intelligent than griffons and with the body of a horse rather than a lion.
Hook Horror
CR 3
Large, bipedal creatures with a beak and sharp hooks for hands.
Hydra
CR 8
Many-headed reptiles with an appearance similar to a wingless dragon.
Kraken
CR 23
A gigantic, amphibious creature with a huge tentacles and a mouth of many teeth.
Kruthik
CR 2
A six-limbed alien-looking insectoid with a tough carapace of natural plated-armour.
Lamia
CR 4
Cruel, seductive creatures with the upper half of a woman and the lower half of a lion.
Leucrotta
CR 1
Ugly, dog-like creatures with a cruel intellect and torturous habits.
Manticore
CR 3
A vicious creature with the body of a lion, dragon wings and a humanoid face.
Meazel
CR 1
Violent, reclusive creatures that respond to being disturbed by killing or cursing the trespasser.
Medusa
CR 6
A serpentine humanoid with many snake heads that can turn a person to stone.
Merrow
CR 2
Monstrous looking merfolk that live under the sea.
Mimic
CR 2
A creature that can mimic the appearance of mundane objects as a form of capturing its prey.
Minotaur
CR 3
A large humanoid with a bull’s head.
Naga
Intelligent snake-like immortals.
Owlbear
CR 3
A large bear-like creature with the face of an owl.
Peryton
CR 2
A cross between a large eagle and a stag with a demonic looking face.
Purple Worm
CR 15
A deadly and gigantic earthworm of purple skin.
Remorhaz
CR 11
A worm like creature with many spiked legs and blue skin.
Roc
CR 11
Massive birds of prey capable of even carrying something the size of an elephant.
Roper
CR 5
Tentacled creatures of the underdark that seek to ambush unsuspecting victims.
Rust Monster
CR 1/2
Creatures capable of corroding metal.
Shadow Mastiff
CR 2
Hounds shrouded in shadow and darkness.
Skulk
CR 1/2
A worm like creature with many spiked legs and blue skin.
Sphinx
Intelligent, cunning, winged lion-like creatures.
Subraces: Androsphinx and Gynosphinx
Sorrowsworn
Creatures native to the Shadowfell that embody different forms of despair, invoking those feelings and feeding upon them.
Steeder
CR 1/4
Giant spider-like creatures with a spiked carapace.
Tarrasque
CR 30
A gargantuan creature and the most terrifying known to man that slumbers in the core of the world.
Tlincalli
CR 5
Creatures with a humanoid upper body and a scorpion lower half.
Umber Hulk
CR 5
Large, four-eyed creatures with large claws and insect-like features.
Worg
CR 1/2
A large, evil wolf-like predator.
Xvart
CR 1/8
A worm like creature with many spiked legs and blue skin.
Yeti
Large, humanoids with thick fur and sharp claws.
Yuan-Ti
Once humans, the Yuan-Ti transformed themselves into snake-like beings centuries ago. They are intelligent, deceptive and power-hungry.
Subraces: Abomination, Anathema, Broodguard, Malison, Mind Whisperer, Nightmare Speaker, Pit Master
Using monstrosities in your campaign
Monstrosities generally aren’t the brightest of creatures. They tend to be fairly instinctive, often operating on baser forms of intellect such as the desire to eat (normally meat). Because of this, they make reliable combat encounters. Sometimes you don’t want the party to negotiate around a problem, instead, you simply want them involved in a fight.
Monstrosities can easily be used as guardians of certain areas or territory. They can also be trained by more intelligent creatures much like a guard dog, allowing you to have them fight alongside humanoids and other creatures.
There are some exceptions here though. Yuan-Ti for example are both intelligent and cunning. They work well as part of a cult, assassin’s or spies.
Baldur’s gate 3 has also taught us that speak with animals allows for all sorts of interesting and unique missions. Consider taking inspiration with creatures that have desires or can be fooled. A mother owlbear that’s lost her young, a roc with an injured wing or a misunderstood yeti are all great ways to invert expectations for monstrosities.
Tere is also the absolute king of creatures in the gargantuan tarrasque! It’s the most powerful monster in the game with a challenge rating of 30 (higher than some minor deities). They make an excellent fight for high level parties. Or consider chucking one at a low level party and have them race away while faster creatures try to knock them off chariots like I did once.