Insanely dangerous things you can throw at low level players fairly

[clockworkjoe]

What sort of things have you DMs thrown at players that were way too tough for them to defeat in straight combat but still expected them to overcome somehow?

My best example is a rakasha. All you need is a good shot with a crossbow and a level 1 cleric.

But how bout you?

 

[Shadowdancer]

Hydras. With their reach and multiple heads, even the weakest hydra is a challenge for a low-level party. If you start throwing in some of the exotic hydras -- regenerating heads, breath weapons -- they become very deadly to low-level groups unless you have a lot of spells and ranged weapons available.

 

[the Jester]

Well, we just fought a poisonous toad in an Oriental Adventures game... poison, damage unconsciousness/3d6 con. Ouch! It killed someone, too...

I like to throw gargoyles at parties without magic weapons.

 

[Ysgarran]

Wererats can be really annoying but within the capability of low-level characters...

 

[Schmoe]

Trolls can be easily defeated with a Clue Bat

 

[ForceUser]

Stirges!

Stirges are amazingly effective. And they're scalable; more members or higher levels? More stirges! The players will groan and curse you as they remove points of Consitution from their character sheets

 

[Rune]

A forest-fire.

 

[ForceUser]

Wow, Rune. That's really thinking outside of the box

 

[dave_o]

Death!

That's only because Rune tried to burn party members alive. (BTW Rune, I'm from Frankfort, KY )

 

[Lazybones]

A stone golem in a room that has only small exits (or is otherwise constrained from leaving the room to chase fleeing adventurers).