Strongest Boss Monsters In Dungeons & Dragons, Ranked

Summary

• Iconic D&D boss monsters include Gelatinous Cube, Green Hag, and Doppelganger.
• Each boss has unique abilities for challenging lower-level parties.
• Creatures like the Frost Giant and the Kraken offer diverse obstacles for adventurers.

For those who enjoy tabletop games, there’s no game that is more beloved than the classic RPG Dungeons & Dragons. The ability to create characters from the ground up and have someone guide a group on an adventure of their own making is hard to top.

Of course, while D&D is about creating an adventure, there is a wide collection of monsters that the makers of the game have provided for dungeon masters to use. For the most part, these monsters are balanced and can each be used depending on circumstances. But some boss D&D monsters in the catalog are still considered stronger than others.

Updated December 29th, 2024, by Mara Cowley: The new year is almost upon us, and with it will be some new and exciting adventures within one, or perhaps multiple, of the worlds within the D&D multiverse. While exploring the various roads, towns, and dungeons with friends, there need to be threats to create challenging and exciting encounters for the party to overcome together. Along with just general monsters to interrupt progression, players will encounter one of many DnD bosses. This article already provided plenty of examples of the strongest DnD boss monsters available to be implemented into any campaign, but a few more have been added for DM’s still on the hunt for some tough creatures to throw at their players.

36

Gelatinous Cube

Causes Devastating Damage To Those It Engulfs

• Challenge Rating: 2
• AC: 6
• HP: 84

Description: One may think that a cube of jelly would be easy to fight, but not so fast. The Gelatinous Cube is self-explanatory as it is a large ooze creature. Its signature move is Engulf, which means it attempts to absorb a creature, so it can restrain it. If the creature fails a saving throw, the cube will overtake them and cause 6d6 damage to that creature each time its turn begins.

A creature can get out of the cube’s grasp with a Strength check. This is the perfect monster for dungeon masters to use early that will still provide enough of a challenge for lower-level parties.

35

Green Hag

Disguises And Invisibility Are A Few Tricks Up The Hag’s Sleeve

• Challenge Rating: 3
• AC: 17
• HP: 82

Description: These grotesque crones can disguise themselves to beguile the party, approaching them as helpless old women or beautiful young maidens.

Hags are the ideal boss monster to throw at lower-level parties, with a challenge rating as low as 3, but there are plenty of tricks they can use to challenge the group. Invisibility, disguises, and innate spell-casting can all serve to make a low-level encounter thrilling and exciting.

34

Doppelgänger

Easily Beguiles Others With Its Mastery Over Disguises

• Challenge Rating: 3
• AC: 14
• HP: 52

Description: Doppelgängers are devious shapeshifters that take on the appearance of other humanoids, throwing off pursuit or luring victims to their doom with misdirection and disguise.

Although Doppelgängers aren’t outright the strongest monsters due to their low challenge rating, their ability to completely reshape their form to that of another can have devastating consequences. With the form of another, they can beguile others into believing they are an ally, and then kill them as they sleep, frame someone up for a crime they did not commit, and then slip the grasp of others by altering their form again.

Crafty DMs can make use of this seemingly weak enemy to sow terror and distrust among their party and get the jump on them with its affinity for surprise attacks.

33

Flame Skull

Resurrects Itself Unless Properly Buried

• Challenge Rating: 4
• AC: 13
• HP: 40

Description: A creature that may be nightmare fuel for many individuals out there, the Flame Skull is the product of dark spellcasters using the bones of dead wizards. While these creatures appear weak, they have four spells, including a fireball that they can unleash on the party that could cause massive damage.

They also have the ability to come back to life within an hour of death until it’s properly buried with holy water. It can use Fire Ray twice per turn, with each ray dealing 3d6 damage, which can be rather nasty damage for lower-level parties.

32

Banshee

Can Immediately Drop Victims To 0 HP

• Challenge Rating: 4
• AC: 12
• HP: 58

Description: An undead evil spirit, the Banshee is a former female elf who comes out at night to haunt living creatures that dare trespass on her territory. One of her primary actions is Wail. Under the night sky, the Banshee can unleash a scarring wail that affects all living creatures within 30 feet of her.

If the creatures fail a constitution saving throw, they immediately drop to 0 hit points. Even on a success, they may be sparted from death, but are still dealt 3d6 psychic damage.

31

Chimera

Each Part Of The Chimera Has Unique Attacks

• Challenge Rating: 6
• AC: 14
• HP: 114

Description: Some of the greatest monstrosities in D&D have qualities of specific animals without necessarily looking like those animals. Well, a Chimera is quite literally a goat, a lion, and a dragon fused into one, as created by the Prince of Demons.

While there isn’t one massive attack that the creature has, it combines the power of these three creatures into one difficult creature to take down. From the lion clawing to the goat ramming to the dragon’s fire breath, this monster has a plethora of choices that include these attacks alone or together.

30

Mind Flayer

Harnesses Powerful Psionic Abilities

• Challenge Rating: 7
• AC: 15
• HP: 71

Description: Mind Flayers are one of the more dreaded creatures to run into, and for good reason. It is unlikely heroes will encounter them on the surface world, but should they need to venture down to the Underdark for any reason, they are as likely to run into Mind Flayers as the other dangerous creatures that call those dark caverns home.

Their off-putting alien appearance of a face full of tentacles is a prelude to the terror of their abilities, as they have powerful psionic magic at their fingertips they can use to render their foes easy prey. The most truly horrifying thing is that they devour their victims’ brains right from their skulls while they are still alive, ensuring a painful death. Mind Flayer won’t be the easiest victory for adventurers, but meeting one doesn’t necessarily mean a death sentence either.

29

Aboleth

Its Tentacles Can Affect Creatures It Touches

• Challenge Rating: 10
• AC: 17
• HP: 135

Description: Considered to be gods of the lake, the Aboleths once had control over many living creatures before the “true gods” destroyed their empire. Now, these long amphibians are looking to enact revenge.

The Aboleth has a brutal melee tentacle attack that could cause a creature to become diseased. It also can “enslave” a creature by successfully charming it on a Wisdom saving throw. If the creature fails, the monster gains complete control of them, which could tear entire parties apart if the right player is controlled.

28

Death Slaad

Maintains Its Strength Even While Disguised

• Challenge Rating: 10
• AC: 18
• HP: 170

Description: The Slaadi are a race of creatures that live in Limbo. Generally, most types of Slaadi are chaotic neutral, but there is one type that is specifically on a mission to bring chaos and evil to all: the Death Slaad. These creatures hold lots of power over other Slaadi, building an army to ruin and destroy lives.

The monster has the ability to turn itself into a humanoid and disguise itself from others while still maintaining its overall strength. While it’s resistant to magic, it wields a greatsword that has magic within it. It also has lots of other devastating melee attacks that may force players to be more defensive.

27

Roc

A High Health Pool Makes Rocs Tough to Bring Down

• Challenge Rating: 11
• AC: 248
• HP: 15

Description: While dragons are always going to seem like the more frightening flying monsters, the Roc should not be overlooked by any means. This larger-than-life bird has a wingspan as big as a professional hockey rink, Rocs were created to take on dragons that are equal to their size.

The Roc’s attacks are a bit simplistic, as they can attack only with their beak and talons. However, its strength is its meaty hit points, which will mean many exhausting rounds until the beast topples. On top of this, it has a very strong perception, so it’s very hard to get anything past this huge creature.

26

Remorhaz

Swallowed Enemies Take Massive Amounts of Damage

• Challenge Rating: 11
• AC: 17
• HP: 195

Description: The Remorhaz’s tough leathery wings are more decorative than functional, but its insect-like head and maw full of teeth are perfect for swallowing adventurers who draw near.

This creature is more than a match for a mid-level adventuring party, even those who are now confident in their ability to overcome any threat they cross paths with. Its substantial AC and large amount of hit points mean it can withstand a lot of damage while dishing it out in kind, with the warmth of its body burning those who make contact outside of or within its stomach.

25

Behir

Its Swallow Attack Is A Death Sentence

• Challenge Rating: 11
• AC: 17
• HP: 168

Description: It’s not fun to deal with anything that has lots of legs from a sheer creepy factor, but it’s even worse when that creature can also swallow targets whole. The Behir is a cross between a crocodile and a centipede while also being a sickly blue.

When a Behir swallows a party member, that individual will be dealt massive acid damage until they have died or until enough damage is dealt to the Behir. On top of this, it has lightning breath that could deal a person up to 66 points in damage if they fail a save, making it one to keep well out of arm’s reach of, lest they want to end up as Behir food.

24

Spiderdragon

A Horrifying Combination Of Two Frightening Creatures

• Challenge Rating: 11
• AC: 17
• HP: 152

Description: Uninterested in building lairs, Spiderdragons weave powerful webs and eat an abundance of prey before losing interest in an area and moving on, even when they’re treated like beloved guests. Unlike their black dragon progenitors, spiderdragons aren’t particularly clever, though some of them understand their significance to Lolth worshipers and exploit their positions for as long as possible.

As the game is called Dungeons and Dragons, chances are players will encounter both at least once in their game. But ordinary dragons may be starting to feel a bit stale for most DMs. This is where they drop a Spiderdragon on their players, a petrifying mix of the two with a breath weapon that is the stuff of nightmares. Its sticky webs will ensure that the dragon has the upper hand, along with the heavy poison damage it can dole out.

23

Blazebear

The Players Risk Being Stunned

• Challenge Rating: 12
• AC: 14
• HP: 189

Description: On the world of Eberron, many strange, magic-warped monsters have emerged from the depths of the war-wracked Mournland. The Blazebear is one such monster, so named for its hulking, ursine figure and the glow of its eyes. This glow is magical energy that saturates the blazebear’s entire body. Swipes from a blazebear’s claws dole out painful wounds and can end spells, and its gaze can stun prey.

The stunning gaze is the most dreaded part of this bear’s arsenal. Players no doubt have rounds of fun and laughs levying this power against their DM, but now it’s their turn to have the last laugh as they now have the chance to lock players in their place, leaving them at the mercy of its wickedly painful claws. And forget about magic, it has some nasty resistances against those too.

22

Vampire

Their Self-Healing Abilities Make Vampires Hard To Kill

• Challenge Rating: 13
• AC: 16
• HP: 144

Description: A monster that exists far beyond the world of D&D, vampires are even more bloodthirsty in this game than in most of the media they show up in. Most times, vampires are hiding in large structures that are hard to navigate, but some may try to blend in while in a crowd.

Vampires can turn themselves into a bat to fly around or mist clouds to escape danger. It can also charm targets as well as summon creatures to attack. Even if it’s low on health, it can heal 20 hit points at the start of its turn, making it very hard to kill without a massive blow.

21

Shadow Dragon

The Shadow Breath Is A Deadly Weapon

• Challenge Rating: 13
• AC: 18
• HP: 178

Description: Dragons are a staple of any fantasy game, and they are a prominent part of Dungeons & Dragons. One of the toughest types of dragons to face is the Shadow Dragon. These monsters were either born in the Shadowfell or transformed after living in horrific conditions.

Either way, these creatures either become accustomed to the dark or want to spread evil energy over the Material Plane. This monster’s deadly Shadow Breath could destroy the health of an entire party.

20

Beholder

Each Eye Stalk Has A Unique Ray

• Challenge Rating: 13
• AC: 18
• HP: 180

Description: If there is one iconic monster of the Dungeons & Dragons franchise, it is the Beholder. These many-eyed aberrations reign over other beings, viewing all creatures as lesser than them. The creature only has two attacks, bite, and eye ray. However, there are 10 variants of the eye ray that can be inflicted upon creatures within 120 feet, ranging from a charm ray to a petrification ray.

The beholder has many eye stalks that can have many annoying or outright dangerous effects against the party, but there are two that do stand out from the rest. Its two deadliest rays, disintegration and death ray, could end a creature’s life in a single hit.

19

Elder Brain

Reads Thoughts And Manipulates Minds

• Challenge Rating: 14
• AC: 10
• HP: 210

Description: Nothing screams “boss” quite like the Elder Brain, which is a giant brain surrounded by black tendrils. The monster can take up to three legendary actions, and it can only be used once after a creature’s turn. Its most deadly action is Mind Blast, which could deal 5d10 + 5 psychic damage and leave a creature stunned for 1 minute.

The Elder Brain can also use its powers to read thoughts and manipulate minds. Though its low armor class may make it seem like a party could never miss, it has the ability to turn any saving throw into success, and it has plenty of hit points to ensure its longevity.

18

Deathwolf

A Wolf Imbued With “Undeadly” Powers

• Challenge Rating: 15
• AC: 15
• HP: 153

Description: A Deathwolf combines the might of a werewolf, the unholy powers of undeath, and the magic of the full moon. Deathwolves are most common on Krynn but occasionally are found in other locations where lycanthropy and necromancy are prevalent.

Wolves aren’t normally much of an issue for players, and even werewolves don’t pose an overt threat. A Deathwolf however is not to be taken lightly, as its hefty challenge rating is given for good. They have multi-attacks that deal decent amounts of damage, but not so much as Phantom Deathwolf ability, which is 6d6 dice pool per turn against frightened targets.

17

Purple Worm

Devours Anything And Everything In Its Path

• Challenge Rating: 15
• AC: 18
• HP: 247

Description: The biggest creatures are often the scariest, which is why the Purple Worm can be incredibly intimidating to take on. It typically resides in the Underdark, where it tends to tear down walls to seek out prey to consume. Unfortunately, it will likely eat anything it sees.

The worst part is that, as a tunneler, it can break through from beyond the Underdark, especially when it hears a loud enough noise that attracts it. The only good news for party members is that the worm is rather uncreative when it comes to its moves, as it will only bite or use its tail to sting players.