D&D 5E Funny Solo Boss Creature for 1st Level?

[Staccat0]

Without boring everyone with the backstory, I'm looking for a nice solo boss fight for my 1st lvl PCs.

Here is the thing... The fight is on a ship, and (again for boring reasons that I will spare you of) I'm looking for a unexpected creature to find on a boat. Like a bear or something. Thoughts? Suggestions? I figured peple would have fun with this.

Hopefully it would be an okay challenge to 5 1st level PCs.

 

[The Crimson Binome]

Is it an airship? You could use a giant octopus, since that is something which would be hard to push overboard.

 

[Staccat0]

Haha, thats the right idea! No, it's a regular boat. My setting is sort of low-ish fantasy.

 

[Mishihari Lord]

Funny and unexpected? Hmmm ... I don't have the rulebooks available, so this is really off the top of my head and these may not be level-appropriate. You can always adjust though.
1) A Spanish inquisitor (because no one expects that)
2) A giant space hamster
3) a gelatinous cube
4) a fire elemental - win in 5 rounds or the ship burns and everyone falls in the water
5) a sentient locust colony - a longer time limit than the elemental, but harder to get at as important parts of the colony are in the hull
6) a flying gorilla, sent by a witch with a grudge
7) a were-pig - I'd guess your PCs won't want this type of lycanthropy

 

[Cernor]

A Gibbering Mouther. Because you can challenge and terrify your PCs at the same time!

 

[Roger]

Swarm of Flying Quippers

Dryad, bound improbably to the mast. Maybe make her the figurehead.



Cheers,
Roger

 

[WayneW]

Mimic Crow's Nest?

 

[iserith]

An ankylosaurus (MM, page 79) that is held below under the sleep-inducing effects of a narcotic plant while being transported to a remote island preserve. Only, the ship's store of this plant has run out and the dinosaur is waking up none too happy.

While this is a deadly challenge for 1st-level PCs, the beast is not necessarily interested in killing people except in its own defense. It is, however, prone to taking out its anger on the ship itself. Give it the Siege Monster trait so that it does double damage to objects. It brings its massive tail club to bear on masts, bulkheads, and the like. Each round it's not attacking a creature that has attacked it, it's doing damage to the ship. After a certain amount of damage (DMG, page 119), the ship founders and begins to sink. If it kills a certain amount of crew, this also creates complications.

The challenge for the PCs is to prevent the beast from destroying the ship. Extra experience (and other awards from a grateful captain) if the characters can do it without killing the ankylosaurus which is quite valuable.

 

[Katmandoo122]

Dread Pirate Roberts. If you want more of a creature, there's of course the ROUS. But if you think the Princess Bride is too cheesie, then how about wood golem named the Poop Deck? Take a wood golem and customize it to your needs. Wait, was that supposed to be LESS cheesie?

 

[The Grassy Gnoll]

A roper who's somehow been enslaved and each rope is pulling on an oar? A beholder trapped in a periscope giving it that classic cartoon eye look?