D&D General Favorite Underrated D&D Monsters for Low-Level Encounters

[Tonguez]

Boggles - their dimensional rifts and boggle oil switching between slippery and sticky terrain are fun

 

[Koloth]

Rust Monster. Turns the tables on those metal clad fighting tank types.

 

[Not a Decepticon]

I like Bodak and Spectator, both great to put fear back into players who made specific build that makes them feel overpowered early on, usually a high AC one.

 

[Brotton Goodfellow]

Here’s what I did to zombies, skeletons and ghouls to change it up.

ZOMBIES

AC: 8

HP: 12

Attacks

1. Grab: +3, If the zombie hits, the target is grappled. If two or more zombies grab the same target, the target is restrained.
2. Bite: +3, 1D6+3

Abilities

Swarm: If 3 or more zombies have grabbed the same target, the next attack to the target is an automatic critical.



SKELETONS

AC: 10+1D8

HP: 12

Attacks

1. Melee or Ranged (shield and spear or hunting bow) +3, 1D6+3

Abilities

Bone Brothers: If two or more skeletons use their action to create a formation, their AC becomes 20 OR each attack has advantage.



GHOULS

AC: 13

HP: 20

Attacks

1. Claws: +5, 1d10+3, DC 12 Con or target rolls a D4 (1. Left arm, 2. Right Arm, 3. Left Leg, 4. Right Leg). Whichever limb is hit, is paralyzed for an hour.
2. Bite: +5, 1D12+3

Abilities

Frenzy: If a Ghoul lands a critical hit, it has advantage on its attacks

 

[Scott Christian]

For swamps, I like the Gibbering Mouther. It can be a scary foe if you have armor wearing adventurers in a swamp.

Canyon land, I like displacer beasts. They can be deadly, so they require some plan or clever encounter skills. Plus the varied terrain of canyon lands can always make things difficult.

For crypts and graveyards, ghasts and ghouls do the trick.

And for ruins, nothing beats a good gargoyle.

 

[Clint_L]

I love the animated rug for a low level encounter, especially with new players. It's tricky to defeat it without hurting the person trapped inside, so the combat becomes kind of a puzzle, with stakes.

Perytons can be another challenge for a party that focuses on melee, as fly-by can be a real challenege to deal with.