D&D 5E Which monsters have the most exciting powers?

[Will Doyle]

Which monsters have the most exciting attack powers? From any edition really. I'd like to compile a list of cool monsters powers that I can draw from when customising 5th edition monsters on the fly.

For example, I recently ran a 4e adventure with a drow priestess who could transfer damage onto a nearby ally as a minor action. If the damage killed them, they exploded in a shower of deadly necrotic goo.

What are your favourites?

 

[Rhenny]

From all editions, the Beholder has always been one of the coolest monsters. The variety of eye rays including death ray, disintegration ray, telekinesis ray, paralysis ray, etc make them one of the most frightening and iconic D&D monsters.

 

[Will Doyle]

From all editions, the Beholder has always been one of the coolest monsters. The variety of eye rays including death ray, disintegration ray, telekinesis ray, paralysis ray, etc make them one of the most frightening and iconic D&D monsters.

Good call. I love the fear it invokes when the DM rolls to see which ray it's going to be. The 4th ed one was particularly cool, as it zapped a random ray at anyone who started their turn near it. 5th ed kind of carried that across with the legendary eye rays, I think.

 

[Azurewraith]

Mindflayer i mean they actually have a power that sucks out brains! Gibbering mouthers are pretty cool with their the floor is mushy aura

 

[pukunui]

[MENTION=6798581]Azurewraith[/MENTION]: My PCs faced a gibbering mouther last session. It freaked them out!

 

[jclima]

4e kobalds. The shifty ability used to frustrate the heck out of melee players.

 

[Sacrosanct]

I'm assuming you mean innate ability outside of whatever creative use the DM puts them to (I mention this because the most exciting abilities I've seen monsters have was from how the DM used them).

I'm gonna go with rot grubs. Pretty exciting when you're up against a ticking time window and have to make some serious decisions.

But really, the most exciting monsters are those you don't know anything about.

 

[Cyan Wisp]

I kind of like burrowers (e.g bulette, umber hulks, anhkhegs, xorn) . You're never quite sure where they'll emerge. Sure...ready actions are a bit of a problem, but I just like the terror they instill in players - and the extant threat of being dragged underground to suffocate!

 

[JackOfAllTirades]

Anything that can swallow someone whole really gets their attention.

 

[NotActuallyTim]

I quite like the Kraken's fling action. It gains damage based on the distance it throws stuff, or characters, and can also be taken as a legendary action.