D&D General Creatures Obscure & Underused

[Theo R Cwithin]

What are some relatively obscure monsters that have piqued your interest, but that you've never actually used/encountered?

Bonus: If you're aware of an adventure or encounter that features someone else's favorite obscure beastie, let them know.


I've got several favorites like this, but one particularly longstanding one is the odic, a poisonous, undead spirit that possesses trees & plant monsters and moves from place to place every night. (That, at least, is how it's described in the BECMI Companion Set, where I first saw it.) I'm a fan of plant monsters, so this guy always seemed like an interesting BBEG with lots of potential, but I've never really found a good opportunity to use one in play.

 

[Levistus's_Leviathan]

Cyclopes. They're great monsters, and I originally learned about them from Greek Mythology, but in D&D I have for some reason never felt compelled to put them in a campaign. Maybe it's because they're a bit lacking in flavorful lore, at least in 5e.

Morkoths. This is the opposite of Cyclopes for me. They're new to me, are cool and would be a great villain, but I have also never found a time in a campaign to add them in.

Living Spells. Fairly new creatures to 5e, only 4 official stat blocks in this edition (Three in E:RftLW, one in W: DotMM). I have even created homebrew stats for more than 12 other living versions spells, but have never found a situation in a campaign where it would fit into the story.

(I may add more later.)

 

[Eltab]

From a 3e book of Undead, a name close to Skin Kite. (Speaking from memory, so I could be wrong.)
This thingy looks like a big piece of paper (as in papyrus) blowing on a breeze. If it lands on you, it sucks your skin off. Two kites blow away from your body.

Put this in a tomb. If lots of adventurers have broken in before, there are more kites than if the tomb was mostly undisturbed. If you want to warn the PCs, they find a previous victim's body.

I want to use it, especially if the PCs for some reason (they missed something?) have to come back to the tomb later. I've never seen anything like it in any adventure.

 

[Richards]

From a 3e book of Undead, a name close to Skin Kite. (Speaking from memory, so I could be wrong.)

You are not wrong. It's the skin kite, from Libris Mortis.

Johnathan

 

[Omand]

OK, I am not quite following the rules of the thread (because I have used this creature), but phantom fungus from 3E/3.5E were definitely underused. I cannot recall seeing or hearing of them being placed in any official products, and they did not make the transition to 4E or 5E (so far).

They were/are a CR 3 plant creature as I recall, and invisible. For the low level they are encountered at they can pack quite a surprise.

The time I did use them against a group it was a challenging fight for the party, but the players enjoyed it (afterwards), and were quite spooked. All of the players had played 1E or 2E and had no clue what they were facing, as it was new for 3E.

Cheers

 

[Theo R Cwithin]

OK, I am not quite following the rules of the thread (because I have used this creature), but phantom fungus from 3E/3.5E were definitely underused. I cannot recall seeing or hearing of them being placed in any official products, and they did not make the transition to 4E or 5E (so far).

Oh yes, phantom fungus! I don't recall seeing them in any published product either; but I once used them in a short delve of my own in which they were used as beasts of burden and food for a big band of grimlock miners.


Another one of mine, (also that I first saw in BECMI Companion) is the mujina, a very strong humanoid who can project an illusory face onto its otherwise smooth featureless . It's described as a sort of warrior and infiltrator. I never figured out a good niche for this guy, though, and always ended up using some sort of shape-shifter instead.

 

[Voadam]

I cannot recall seeing or hearing of them being placed in any official products, and they did not make the transition to 4E or 5E (so far).

They were/are a CR 3 plant creature as I recall, and invisible.

You couldn't recall seeing them you say?

So the phantom fungus when you can see them:

They might have shown up in other sourcebooks:

 

[Tonguez]

Nightshades
I once had a Plague Doctor villain in league with a Nightwing who would cast its shadow over a town, but never really got the chance to use it directly.

and what is the point of the Woodwose?

and Ive always thought about using a Nuckalevee but never got the chance

 

[Voadam]

For me it would be the Wind Walker from the 1e Monster Manual.

Like the Morkoth I never really saw them after the 1e MM though they have an entry in the 4th 1e Monster card art that is not quite the air elemental image I pictured from the MM description.

 

[Blue]

I'm running an "explore the new world" campaign and in order to make it feel new to the players (D&D veterans all) as well as the characters I've been looking for little used monsters. Definitely going to be watching this thread.