I had my DMG and MM returned to me (so all is right in my life, again) last night. It seemed the only logical thing to do was spend the majority of my evening parceling through the tomes on my couch.

While rifling through the pages of the Monster Manual, in particular, I reminisced on my first time going through the book, thinking of all the neat things I thought would intrigue and challenge my party of new adventurers.

My friends are as much fantasy nerds as they are gamers, so there are sure to be some classics in this list. Though, I hope something catches your interest enough to be used in a session soon.

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Let’s get to it. At the end of each section you’ll see a citation to the page in the Monster Manual you can find it on.

Honorable Mentions

Goblins

Definitely in the “classics” category. Not much needs to be said on this bunch. Many DM’s and adventurers have had close calls when dealing with a group of gobbies, and an entire story arc can easily be written around them. (165)

Giant Spider

Another classic. Tiny spiders are scary, so, naturally, make them bigger. These enemies are fun to throw at a party for narrative reasons: they can use their climbing ability and webs to manipulate the environment in their favor.

The setting for a fight against one, or some, of these, should also create a more dynamic and memorable encounter. Think of Frodo and Sam against Shelob; two low level adventurers wearing their regular Shire garb going up against a legendary beast in its lair, luckily with a couple clutch magic items to lend assistance. (328)

Noble

I think I put this in here more for the roleplay/plot potential. What are the repercussions to killing a Lord or Lady? Not only that, but nobles make interesting encounters because of their wealth. They should have access to decent arms, guards, perhaps even training. Plus, everyone likes showing it to the ones that look down their noses at the rest of society. (348)

The List For Real

10. Animated Armor

Have you ever been inside the Durst’s Death House? Did you get out? While this specific moving suit of plate armor is a beefed up version of the normal stat block, the OG is already a formidable foe. With an incredibly high AC, the bounded accuracy of 5e’s system will not favor the party. A +3 to your attack skill and a +2 proficiency bonus, you have to roll a 14 or higher to hit, that’s only a 35% chance. They are immune to a number of conditions and can have the jump on a party because of their false appearance ability. They are a “trick monster,” as well, and can be easily subdued once you figure out the gimmick. (19)

9. Stirge

An example of a monster that can be killed pretty easily, but can also do the inverse if you don’t do so right away. These are described as “a cross between a large bat and a giant mosquito.” Not only are they pack monsters, once they hit you once with their blood drain attack, they will continue to auto hit until dealing 10 damage- more than enough to significantly weaken or kill a low-level PC. I continue to throw these into below-ground adventures to add mobs and vary enemy types even at the third tier of play. (284)

8. Rust Monster

These use a much different type of gimmick, which falls in the realm of long-lasting effects that will debilitate the most important items an adventurer keeps (literally) on them: their gear. They smell you out and break down your weapons and armor. A+B= They get more dangerous the longer the fight goes on. (262)

7. Shadow

As you might imagine, doing damage to this type of enemy may prove difficult. They have a slew of resistances and immunities, they are amorphous, have next level stealth, and they hit twofold. They don’t just deal damage- they also sap your strength. Three good rolls with that d4 can outright kill a character, no Death Saves allowed. And if that happens, as it very well could, the corpse then rises as a new shadow in up to four hours. (269)

6. Ghoul

What sets a ghoul apart from other undead is their paralytic claws. While a DC10 Constitution save has roughly the same probability as flipping a coin, you get the save at the end of your turn, which provides room for another attack to get in, and become paralyzed again. Remember, paralyzed is a rough condition to have. Attack rolls against the target have advantage, hits auto crit if they are within 5ft, they cannot speak or cry for help, and they auto fail Strength and Dex saves. Ghouls can effectively lock a character out of a fight. Try them out next time instead skeletons or zombies. (148)

5. Dryad

I had to include something fey on this list. Dryads hold a mythos around them as guardians of nature and sacred protectors of trees, and if provoked, they will defend their territories fiercely. They have the highest Charisma on the list, and have some magic at their disposal, and more notably magic resistance. In the environment you are most likely to find them in, they can teleport up to 60ft with Tree Stride, meaning they can get away or close a gap quickly. Finally, their most powerful ability is their Fey Charm — which has some fun narrative capabilities. (121)

4. Yuan-Ti

It would be a mistake to generalize this species as power obsessed and devoid of emotion. While they may have higher HP than most on this list (40/9d8) along with advantage on saves against magical effects, these serpentine humanoids fill up the dredges of Yuan-Ti society. They can pass as humans, and they often do, wearing cowls and robes to hide their features. Creeping into towns and cities they do reconnaissance, taking people to sacrifice, sell, or gain something. Anything. While their other stats may not be great — they only have a +3 to hit with weapon attacks — they can make two attacks a turn and they’re durable enough to get in a few hits. Anyone who has played low level DnD knows that’s more than enough, sometimes. (310)

3. Gray Ooze

An iconic monster with a number of skills that make it fun for both DM’s and players. Fittingly, a gray ooze can almost be described as an amalgamation of many monsters on this list. With sub-par stats they rely on their stealth and ability to move just about anywhere as their prime predatory traits. They will weaken your gear like a rust monster, and hit pretty hard when they do thanks to their added 2d6 acid damage. My favourite way to use an ooze is having them fall from the roof of a dungeon SHLOP right on top of a character, who is now trapped within. (243)

2. Piercer

Did I just mention things falling from the roof of a dungeon? The larval form of a Roper (an extremely fun monster by the way), that’s this monter’s only move. Hiding as stalactites these monsters gather in clusters or colonies to make their fell swoops more successful. They drop from above, dealing 1d6 damage per 10ft up to a maximum of 6d6. I love the idea of having a number of them unbeknownst to the party who are having an epic battle in a large underground sepulcher. They have finished the battle, tired and hurt, searching the room for riches when… (252)

1. Giant Wasp

Ok, number one is an enemy I have never used in a game, but you can be sure I’m going to. It is a medium sized beast, meaning it’s about the same size as most PC’s, if not larger. Give it 50ft of flying movement and a sting you can’t outrun that, if failed, will normally knock down most second level party members, just imagine the vibrations this thing’s wings would give off. Even if stabilized, this monster’s venom continues to poison you even after you’re healed. Oh, and you’re paralyzed, sorry. At CR ½, two would be truly terrifying to put in front of a group of new adventurers. (329)

Final Comments:

These monsters don’t need to be as-written. Make adjustments. Tweak things. There are reasons the game designers provide more than one number for a monster’s Hit Points.

Maybe the goblin warchief is a shaman with spellcasting capabilities. If the monster has the magic item the party is searching for: let them use it on the party, let them see what it can do first hand from the opposite side. Or, make an “Ancient” version of the thing. Be flexible and creative and it will allow you to make a more enjoyable experience for you and your players.

Rolls decide your fates in early levels of DnD. “Bad luck,” which may or may not exist from your player perspective, can allow a TPK to happen. You can spend hours making a detailed backstory and writing out your first character sheet (a task that is not only time-consuming but intimate) only to have you and your friends wiped out by the goblin ambush. That’s your DM’s call, and should be discussed before a game or campaign starts.

Not everyone wants to have the fear of death present 24/7 in their game, white others may see it as the only way to play.