D&D monsters, in general, do a good job of advertising their threat. Some, though, can make an encounter a little more deadly than expected.
By and large, if you look at the CR of a monster, you have a good idea of how tough it is. That comes with two big caveats. The first caveat is that D&D’s CR system doesn’t work the way they think it does, and any DM’s job is balancing stuff and figuring out which CR 5 monsters actually feel like CR 5, while also honing in on how far above the PCs supposed “weight class” they can punch before encounters turn too deadly.
The second caveat is that some monsters are unexpectedly deadly. When they turn up, it’s a good sign that the stakes are about to rise. I’m making this list, not as a criticism (I personally am a sicko who likes it when there’s a risk of character death in encounters) but so that DMs know when they’re playing with knives and when they’re using a mandolin (the slicey kind).
Gibbering Mouther
First up, a surprisingly deadly monster despite being CR 2. At first glance, it’s only a single monster with a handful of hit points (52 on average). But what makes it hurt so bad is a sort of one-two punch. The first is its debilitating aura of gibbering; any creature within 20 feet of the gibbering mouther has to save or do nothing, move in a random direction, or possibly an attack an ally (instead of the mouther).
With one or two bad rolls, this can take some of the party out of comission for much longer than you’d think. And then on top of that, if this thing reduces you to 0 hit points with its bite, you die instantly, and your body is absorbed, so it takes potent magic to even begin to bring you back.
Shadow Dragon
Shadow Dragons are another surprisingly deadly monster for similar reasons. Their necrotic shadow breath is deadly to living humanoids. Any humanoid reduced to 0 hit points by its breath weapon not only immediately dies, but it then rises as a Shadow under the Shadow Dragon’s control and acts immediately after the dragon.
So a party member dies and then becomes an active threat to the rest. This can quickly turn the advantage of numbers against the party, especially since they become Shadows…
Shadow
Shadows are infamous in D&D. They’re not super deadly, but they’re just hard to kill enough that they might get lucky. When Shadows hit you with an attack your Strength score is reduced by 1d4 (in addition to whatever damage they do). If your Strength score gets reduced to 0, you immediately die and become a Shadow 1d4 hours later.
One of these isn’t super deadly, but if you start having even a couple attacking the same target, they begin to get real deadly, real quick. Especially if they get at the Wizard or the Rogue that’s decided to dump Strength.
Chasme
The Chasme is a rarer monster. These are demonic insects that weigh in at CR 6, and earn it. They are brutal, especially in numbers. For one, they have a low level drone that can incapacitate anyone unlucky enough to roll under a 12 within 30 feet of one. But what really makes them sting is their deadly necrotic proboscis attack.
It deals 10d6 + 2 damage with its attack and reduces a target’s hit point maximum by 6d6 per hit. It’s not a die instantly if reduced to 0 hit points, but it does quickly overcome a healer’s ability to keep up. Especially since that averages out to 21 hp reduced per hit.
Basilisk
And then there’s the Basilisk. These are CR 3 creatures that aren’t especially tough or damaging; but what makes them deadly is their petrifying gaze. They got a buff in 5.5E, now turning you to stone after you fail two saving throws. And unlike the similarly CR’d Cockatrice, a Basilisk’s gaze doesn’t give you the petrified condition for 24 hours, it freezes you in stone forever. Or until someone gets you a Greater Restoration, which, as a 5th level spell, might be rare indeed.
What are some of the deadliest monsters you’ve used??
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Source: Bell of Lost Souls
