6 Iconic D&D Monsters

Have you ever heard of Dungeons and Dragons?

D&D is a roleplaying game with a rich setting. The first edition of the game was published in 1974.

It has influenced immensely computer games, like World of Warcraft.  Several popular book series are based on D&D worlds.

Most famous series are Tracy Hickman’s and Margaret Weiss’ Dragon Lance books and R.A. Salvatore’s Forgotten Realms novels.

One of the most unique features of the game is its detailed monsters. In this post I’ll introduce 6 iconic creatures.

1. Red Dragons are the archetyphal evil dragons who breathe fire and gather huge hoards of treasure.

A great example of its species is the ancient red wyrm Klauth, the Old Snarl. He is the oldest living dragon in the world of Faerûn.

His immense size is the result of rituals powered by devouring dragon eggs and hatchlings. He views all old dragons as a threat and plots to kill them.

There’s also a dark mischievous side to him. Klauth’s practical jokes include rolling on top of armies, and toppling wizard towers with the inhabitants inside.

Rumours of his huge hoard are spreading. Soon his lair will be the target of greedy adventurers. Archmages might also declare him a major threat, and organize a Great Hunt to slay him.

2. Illithids aka Mindflayers look like humanoids with tentacled heads resembling an octopus. Their delicious diet is brains and they hunt with psionic powers attacking the targets with a mind blast.

Mindflayers reproduce like Aliens and the larvae are implanted into host’s brains.

Illithids live deep underground in vast caverns called the Underdark. These tunnels run under the whole world.

They have constant territory battles with beholders (see below) and dark elves (aka drow).

If an adventurer runs into mindflayers, they risk getting their brains eaten or becoming slaves destined as hosts for young illithids.

3. Beholders are floating monsters with a huge mouth, one big eye in its centre and smaller eyes on stalks.

Their eyes shoot powerful magical effects. The central eye casts an anti-magic zone, and the other eyes gaze out death rays and disintegration attacks.

Like illithids, the Eyes of the Deep live undergound in the Underdark. They have an extremely xenophobic culture that worships an insane goddess, the Great Mother.

4. Lichs are powerful wizards who have turned themselves into undead with powerful necromantic rituals in search of immortality.

They tie their souls into an item of their choice (called phylactery), and can’t be killed until the phylactery is destroyed.

A lich’s body shrivels into a husk until it becomes entirely skeletal.

They can create and command lesser undead creatures like skeletons and zombies.

5. Archdevil Asmodeus is the ruler of the Nine Hells of Baator.

He was once an angel leading an rebellion against the gods. As a punishment, he was banished to Baator and still bears the wounds from his fall.

The wounds seep blood daily, and the drops that touch the ground grow into powerful devils.

These Pit Fiends are mad with rage and the desire to kill. Blood from the Pit Fiends hitting the ground grows into lesser devils.

The devils of Baator are in constant conflict with the demons. Their epic clash is called the Blood War.

6. Demon Prince Orcus rules one of the 666 layers of Abyss.

He is Lord of the Undead, and his symbol is a mace with a human skull as the head.

Orcus has has goat legs and hair and the head of a ram. His great wings stir up a reeking cloud of diseased air and sores plague his body.

He hates undead and living equally, and wishes to wrest control over death from the gods.

And on to you. I’d love to hear about your favourite monsters. What creatures from mythology, books or movies scare you? Do you find some fantasy beings particularly cool?