The latest Dungeons & Dragons are more exciting than ever, as it's possible for enemies to stand up after being killed and use a whole new set of abilities against the party.
There are currently only three official Dungeons & Dragons monsters that possess the Mythic trait, and these are all high-level creatures that most players will never encounter. Another Mythic monster is planned to appear in Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden, but many impatient DMs are already preparing their own Mythic bosses to use in their own campaigns.
To this end, we have created some ideas for how Dungeons & Dragons DMs can create Mythic monsters of their own, in order to surprise players and help put the fear of TPK into them.
D&D Campaign Ideas: Alchemy Gone Wrong
The mad scientist who uses his experiments to transform into a monster is a science fiction trope, but the presence of magic potions means that it can easily be replicated in Dungeons & Dragons. There are villains in D&D who perform horrific experiments on living beings in order to learn more about the secrets of magic (like Jon Irenicus in Baldur's Gate II), and it's easy to imagine a physically weak spellcasting trying to create a potion that will give them a strong body.
Like the villains in a Resident Evil game, the Mythic trait for an alchemist villain could kick in once they're dropped to zero hit points. They are seen hurriedly drinking a strange concoction before the battle begins, and once they die, it kicks in. The frail spellcaster suddenly turns into a horrific giant, with the physical strength to tear the party into pieces.
D&D Campaign Ideas: Magic Ritual Gone Wrong
Magic rituals are already a part of Dungeons & Dragons, but there are some known only to evil spellcasters that let them spirits from beyond. In the Dungeons & Dragons, it was sometimes necessary for evil spellcasters to powerful demons, and they needed to perform a ritual to do this safely. The rituals usually involved standing in a circle of arcane runes that protected the caster from harm or kept the evil spirit contained within its boundaries.
There are some spells that can drain the life force of a caster, and this can be used as the basis for a Mythic trait. The party interrupts a magical ritual that is underway, while unaware that the protection spells are being powered by the caster. Once the caster takes enough damage, the devil or demon is free to enter the Prime Material Plane and take over the body of the one who summoned it, giving them access to its powers.
D&D Campaign Ideas: Possessed By A Spirit
It's not just fiends who love to possess mortals - undead spirits long to feel the physical sensations of the living, and there are plenty who wander the world in search of fresh bodies to claim.
An evil undead spirit who wants to possess someone could use the opposite approach of the alchemy Mythic monster. Instead of a weak spellcaster gaining physical strength, a powerful warrior can suddenly gain access to high-level magical abilities. It's possible that the evil spirit already has a body in mind and has dispatched its living servents to claim them. The party goes on a quest to save the kidnapped victim and they must fight the spirit's best soldier's in the process. Enraged at the thought of losing its new receptacle, the spirit waits for its chief lieutenant to fall in battle and possesses their corpse, in order to enter the fight and bring its spells to bear against the party.
D&D Campaign Ideas: Not Worth Taking Seriously
Not all Mythic traits have to be magical in nature. The rule can be used as a way of determining the enemy's perception of the player. One common trope in fantasy literature is the narcissistic swordsman who believes that they're the best warrior in the world, and they show disdain for lesser foes. This kind of enemy isn't going to take a foe seriously until they have proven their worth and they won't show their best moves unless they need to.
The melee combat Mythic trait is best saved for a one-on-one battle, or for situations where the rest of the party has to deal with minions. The initial stage of the fight is them toying with their opponent and testing their mettle. Once they take enough damage, their hit point score resets and they start treating the fight seriously, gaining several powerful Mythic actions in the process.
No One Who Has Seen This Form Has Lived To Tell The Tale
We asked the Mythic Odysseys of Theros if video games inspired the Mythic trait rules and they agreed that they had a part to play in their design. The villains in the Final Fantasy series love to transform into unspeakable monsters for their final battle, as it provides a visual spectacle for the player to enjoy. In Dungeons & Dragons, it's possible that the enemy has already prepared a spell or item that allows them to transform into a stronger form, but it's only saved for when it's absolutely necessary. The reason they don't use this form all of the time could be that it's too big and unwieldy for everyday life. It's also possible that they can only maintain it for a short time (but long enough for a battle), or that they lose control of their mind when it's active.
This Mythic trait can also be tied to the 's race. There are some Dungeons & Dragons with natural transformation abilities (like shifters) or the capacity to alter their physical form using items (like warforged). It's possible they have some kind of biological transformation that kicks in whenever they are in danger, causing them to gain considerable physical strength and durability for a short period of time.
D&D Campaign Ideas: Contract With The Devil
In the Dungeons & Dragons multiverse, there are nine all-powerful devils, known as the Archdevils. Devils are lawful evil fiends, which means that they're more likely to form a contract with a mortal, with an exchange of power for living sacrifices being a common transaction. A denizen of the Nine Hells can offer a lot to someone who is willing to sell their soul, including the power to smite their enemies.
A powerful cultist has likely committed enough sins to ensure that they will be sent to a terrible fate in the afterlife, so they will do whatever it takes to avoid being slain. When faced with the prospect of being killed at the hands of a party of adventurers, they could cry out the name of one of the nine Archdevils, offering the remainder of their life force and their very soul in exchange for the power to kill the enemies before them. The Archdevil agrees and gives the cultist what they want, transforming them into a form that resembles the Archdevil itself, such as the rotting slug Baalzebul or the serpentlike Mammon.
D&D Campaign Ideas: Discard Thy Flesh
Magic isn't the only supernatural gift in the Dungeons & Dragons multiverse, as there are plenty of psychics who possess abilities equal to that of clerics and wizards. Creatures like mind flayers are some of monsters of all time, as they can paralyze the party with a single thought.
A powerful psionic enemy might benefit from being slain, as they are no longer being held back by their physical form. Once their body has been destroyed, their spirit will be set loose from its cage and emerge as a being of pure psychic energy. The party then has to contend with an enemy that has no physical form and can cast some of the most dangerous spells in the game. By utilizing any or all of these ideas inspired by Mythic traits, players can create a powerful and dangerous Dungeons & Dragons campaign.
