D&D 5E Here's Our Favourite (and least favourite) D&D Monsters!

Last week I took a poll to determine which D&D monsters were the most loved, and which languished unliked in the back of the cupboard. The poll was limited to the D&D 5E Monster Manual, specifically the main monsters section (so not the NPCs or animals).

Aboleth from Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition, by Kim Van Deun​

Let's start with the monsters that nobody liked. Well, to be accurate, there were none that scored 0 votes, but the poor empyrean only squeezed in with a single vote. If there's any monster in need of some love, the empyrean is it. It's the least-liked monster in the Monster Manual.

Joining it at the bottom, though, are some other unpopular critters -- the magmin (spellchecker PLEASE let me type that word - even my OS doesn't like the magma .. err.. magma ... umm .. magmin!), darkmantle, sprite, satyr, quaggoth, and merrow.

The top of the chart was a little more predictable. The iconic mind flayer led the pack, followed closely by dragons and beholders. A little way behind those three, we had some other D&D staples in the form of skeletons, the lich, goblins, and the troll.

Demons are more popular than devils. Liches are loved more than vampires. Death knights are in the middle of the pack, neither loved nor disliked. The 'iconic' D&D monsters (i.e. the mind flayers and beholders, which D&D created) are very well loved.

Anyway, I should stop talking about it and just show you it. Here's the full list, in descending order.

1. Mind Flayer
2. Dragons
3. Beholders
4. Skeletons
5. Lich
6. Goblins
7. Troll
8. Demons
9. Ghouls
10. Giants
11. Owlbear
12. Ogres
13. Zombies
14. Vampires
15. Devils
16. Displacer Beast
17. Kobolds
18. Wraith
19. Rust Monster
20. Gnolls
21. Orcs
22. Elementals
23. Hags
24. Umber Hulk
25. Carrion Crawler
26. Golems
27. Wight
28. Death Knight
29. Hobgoblins
30. Lycanthropes
31. Mummies
32. Minotaur
33. Lizardfolk
34. Rakshasa
35. Bugbears
36. Bulette
37. Manticore
38. Wyvern
39. Shambling Mound
40. Yuan-Ti
41. Elves (Inc. Drow)
42. Gargoyle
43. Shadow
44. Hydra
45. Mimic
46. Oozes
47. Dracolich
48. Griffon
49. Modrons
50. Aboleth
51. Chimera
52. Flameskull
53. Hell Hound
54. Purple Worm
55. Medusa
56. Oni
57. Roper
58. Basilisk
59. Otyugh
60. Stirge
61. Intellect Devourer
62. Ankheg
63. Dinosaurs
64. Ghost
65. Hook Horror
66. Doppelganger
67. Genies
68. Harpy
69. Pseudodragon
70. Demilich
71. Drider
72. Gibbering Mouther
73. Animated Objects
74. Grell
75. Nightmare
76. Thri-Kreen
77. Banshee
78. Behir
79. Bullywug
80. Nagas
81. Revenant
82. Will-O'-Wisp
83. Dragon Turtle
84. Faerie Dragon
85. Flumph
86. Gith
87. Mephits
88. Sahuagin
89. Slaadi
90. Tarrasque
91. Treant
92. Cockatrice
93. Kuo-Toa
94. Myconids
95. Scarecrow
96. Specter
97. Sphinxes
98. Ettin
99. Nothic
100. Remorhazes
101. Succubus/Incubus
102. Water Weird
103. Gorgon
104. Roc
105. Troglodyte
106. Unicorn
107. Angels
108. Couatl
109. Kraken
110. Peryton
111. Crawling Claw
112. Helmed Horror
113. Salamanders
114. Yugoloths
115. Centaur
116. Dryad
117. Duergar
118. Grick
119. Kenku
120. Lamia
121. Shield Guardian
122. Xorn
123. Cambion
124. Cloaker
125. Cyclops
126. Fomorian
127. Gnome (Inc Svirfneblin)
128. Hippogriff
129. Invisible Stalker
130. Yetis
131. Ettercap
132. Fungi
133. Jackalwere
134. Grimlock
135. Half-Dragon
136. Homunculus
137. Azer
138. Chuul
139. Merfolk
140. Pegasus
141. Pixie
142. Aarakocra
143. Blights
144. Galeb Duhr
145. Piercer
146. Merrow
147. Quaggoth
148. Satyr
149. Sprite
150. Darkmantle
151. Magmin
152. Empyrean

 

[Omand]

News to me!

I will dig out my books and see if I can find the reference to share.

Cheers

 

[Benjamin Olson]

Kudos to Goblins, the scrappy underdog race, on making it to number six.

1. Mind Flayer
3. Beholder
50. Aboleths

What's wrong with people?! Seriously, it's the eldritch trinity!

I dig Aboleths, but since they rarely leave their pools in the deep dark places in the world they are a lot harder to drop into a campaign than the other two.

 

[Blue Orange]

It is interesting that a lot of them fall into the 'types' of humanoids or undead.

 

[GuyBoy]

Kudos to Goblins, the scrappy underdog race, on making it to number six.



I dig Aboleths, but since they rarely leave their pools in the deep dark places in the world they are a lot harder to drop into a campaign than the other two.

The Night Below adventure was the greatest use of aboleths as the main villain. Loved that campaign.

 

[Lanefan]

I have never in 39 years of playing D&D used any of those three in games I've run and have only run into #1 once as a player.

I've used Aboleths maybe four times ever - a party has to be decent-ish level to even think about dealing with one and their ecology limits them to fairly specific environments, which limits their usage a bit.

Ditto Beholders; though I have in the past built one or two adventures around them and they really do rock. They are also a bit more flexible in where they'll live than are Aboleths, which helps.

Mind Flayers are slowly emerging as a primary enemy in my current campaign so they're on heavy rotation for the time being. After this campaign I'll probably never want to see another one, the same as I am with Drow now after years of them being a primary villain in an old long-running game.

 

[Von Ether]

Indeed, I was surprised that Aboleths were so far down the list.

I'm surprised too as the Aboleth has gotten a bit of exposure as a SRD monster 3pp publishers can actually use compared to the other two. Though, my strongest memories of that is back in 3e. Perhaps 5e 3pp haven't used it as often.

Perhaps it's because most of its powers and tactics are for the final physical confrontation as compared what the creature was doing before to get the PCs attention. Its true "mastermind" power in most editions has been to allegedly use telepathy to tempt NPC with promises and lies until they get close enough to be enslaved or transformed into pawns (line of sight, 30 feet) so as to serve the masterplan. The pawns usually trick more people by bringing them near and the creature helps by casting illusions so the victim has their guard down until the last moment.

The most straightforward solution, a very long distance Charm effect, seems to be the one thing every designer has avoided. since 3e, probably out of fear of getting a party overly dominated.

In 5e, it's more roundabout and not spelled out as much. The creature has to capitalize on Probing Telepathy but it doesn't have a Deception skill (which would be an 8+ or so). And an Aboleth's telepathy is only 120 feet. A humanoid pretty much as to trip over the monster to become agent 0 in the creature's plans for upper world domination. Especially since they are out of the way places.

So in trying to keep PC from being dominated or charmed over long distance or over a long time (which admittedly is not fun and a hassle to juggle as a GM), the monster's abilities to create an NPC network gets lost in the shuffle.

Sometimes, I'd like to see small adventure paths that break out some these classic creatures. Like a 1-10 AP for an Aboleth storyline. Or beginners adventure vs a Wight (they have a 10 Int, so they are not mindless.)

 

[Morrus]

I'm surprised too as the Aboleth has gotten a bit of exposure as a SRD monster 3pp publishers can actually use compared to the other two. Though, my strongest memories of that is back in 3e. Perhaps 5e 3pp haven't used it as often.

Perhaps it's because most of its powers and tactics are for the final physical confrontation as compared what the creature was doing before to get the PCs attention. Its true "mastermind" power in most editions has been to allegedly use telepathy to tempt NPC with promises and lies until they get close enough to be enslaved or transformed into pawns (line of sight, 30 feet) so as to serve the masterplan. The pawns usually trick more people by bringing them near and the creature helps by casting illusions so the victim has their guard down until the last moment.

The most straightforward solution, a very long distance Charm effect, seems to be the one thing every designer has avoided. since 3e, probably out of fear of getting a party overly dominated.

In 5e, it's more roundabout and not spelled out as much. The creature has to capitalize on Probing Telepathy but it doesn't have a Deception skill (which would be an 8+ or so). And an Aboleth's telepathy is only 120 feet. A humanoid pretty much as to trip over the monster to become agent 0 in the creature's plans for upper world domination.

So in trying to keep PC from being dominated or charmed over long distance or over a long time (which admittedly is not fun and a hassle to juggle as a GM), the monster's abilities to create an NPC network gets lost in the shuffle.

Sometimes, I'd like to see small adventure paths that break out some these classic creatures. Like a 1-10 AP for an Aboleth storyline. Or beginners adventure vs a Wight (they have a 10 Int, so they are not mindless.)

Problem with the aboleth is it’s a fish.

 

[Von Ether]

Problem with the aboleth is it’s a fish.

Indeed, which is why in Esper Genesis, the Kreidren "swim" in space instead.

 

[Rabulias]

1. Mind Flayer
3. Beholder
50. Aboleths

What's wrong with people?! Seriously, it's the eldritch trinity!

I can't believe modrons beat out aboleths. Let that sink in. Modrons.

 

[RoughCoronet0]

The interesting thing for me is that many of the monsters I love and voted for were creatures I fell in love with after making many changes to them.

1. Aboleths - while I do still have the normal aberrant Aboleths, I’ve created Celestial and Elemental Aboleths that are more common in my world. The Elemental Aboleths have replaced the genies as the top of the elemental pecking order outside of the elder elementals and primordials. The Celestial Aboleths have a deep connection to the divine weave due to their great mother being the god that controls the divine portion of the weave of magic.

2. Devils - They are no longer backstabbing, soul corrupting, loophole exploiting creatures, but harsh but fair dark arbiters of law and civilization that act as protectors of the planes from evil forces wishing to wreck havoc. Each Devil has a total of eight variants, the standard form and seven that align with one of the seven arch-devils.

3. Displaced Beast - These creatures are connected to the Shadowfell and the goddess of darkness Volumdremaak. There are also no longer evil.

4. Driders - No longer reside in the Underdark, and they have been cured from the suffering inflicted by Lolth’s curse (though they are still spider centaurs). They have integrated themselves into surface society and are just another normal race.

5. Gnolls - My gnolls act more like the Dalish Elves for Dragon Age, nomadic hunters and gatherers with deep connections to nature and it’s magic. They have a strong reverence for Hyaenodons, who they see as first born of their late god and view as honored members of their clans. They also have a strong cultural bond with Halfling due to past events between the races.

6. Hydras - They are all Draconic offspring of the World Serpent, an Elder Primal Spirit and nature god. Lesser Hydras are still the same but greater Hydras are intelligent and imbued with primal magic.

7. Rakshasa - these Fiendish Felines have been turned into Devils, and are big players in devil politics and negotiations.

8. Sahuagin - As one of the races who’s cultures are strongly tied to my devils, they often act as powerful underwater strike forces that like to populate areas where planar tears exist and spawn out various outsiders onto the material plane.

9. Yuan-ti - The pure bloods don’t exist, and they don’t experiment on humanoids to make more of themselves. While their are standard Yuan-ti, Worldspeaker Yuan-ti who follow the primal spirits and use nature magic, and Twilight Yuan-ti that are masters of divine magic and healing.