Dungeons & Dragons has got many classic and recognizable monsters, some of which have been missing from recent editions of the game. From mind flayers and owlbears to gelatinous cubes and mimics, Dungeon Masters can challenge their players with a wide variety of dangerous foes. However, not all classic monsters have been brought back to DnD fifth edition. With a new DnD update, One DnD, currently in testing, it is time for some of tabletop's most iconic monsters to return.
DnD has been around since the 70s, which means there are decades of fantastic and fearsome creatures to choose from. Some of the most well-known enemies in DnD that players love to kill have their roots in earlier editions. Whether DMs want something a little weird or utterly terrifying, here are a few classic DnD monsters that need to make a comeback.
Hive Mothers Are A Horrific Variant Of D&D's Beholder
Beholders are one of the most iconic DnD monsters. With their round, bulbous bodies, numerous eye stalks, and that single glaring eye, beholders are terrifying on their own. Even if a person doesn’t play, they will probably know that what they are looking at links to the game.
However, there is an even more frightening version of the well-known aberration, which even other beholders fear. The hive mother is a rare version of the already impressive DnD classic beholder found in second and third edition DnD. One of the scariest things about hive mothers was their ability to dominate and control other beholders, including the tiny unintelligent gazers and the undead death tyrants. Hive mothers were naturally resistant to magic and could generate a 240-foot antimagic cone. With a challenge rating of 16, these massive evil creatures were more than a match for any adventuring party.
5.5e Could Bring Back The Most Disgusting Type of Golem
Brain golems are a variation of golem, and are just as disgusting as they sound. These eight-foot-tall hulking constructs were made entirely out of brain matter, with the head being a small bud from an elder brain. With no mouths, they could only communicate telepathically, usually with mind flayers, who would give the orders making the brain golems tough fantasy minions within the tabletop RPG.
Brain golems appeared in second and third edition DnD with a challenge rating of 10. In combat, they would mind blast their enemies or slam their massive arms down to batter players. Like all constructs, brain golems were made, with the elder brain sprouting up to three gross brain golems at a time.
The Rarest Dragon Needs To Return in D&D 5.5e
Dragons are synonymous with DnD, and fifth edition has included many chromatic and metallic variations of the huge magical creatures. However, while other metallic dragons have made an appearance in 5e, the strongest is strangely absent. The platinum dragon is considered the rarest of all metallic dragons, with one of the best-known DnD deities of the Forgotten Realms, Bahamut, being depicted as one.
Platinum dragons featured in first and second edition DnD are always good aligned. Massive, even by dragon standards, they are described in the first edition Monster Manual as having genius intelligence and are listed as being able to use any spells first through seventh level and cast 21 spells per day. The platinum dragon also had three breath weapons: a cone of cold damage, a cloud of vapor, or sonic vibrations that disintegrated targets. Clearly, it is best to avoid getting on the wrong side of a platinum dragon.
Weresharks Are Still Missing From Current D&D
Finally, a DnD monster, which is also playable, that needs to make a comeback is the wereshark, a rare form of lycanthrope in DnD. These large enemies go back to first edition but were last seen in third edition with a challenge rating of four. Other types of lycanthropes have already appeared in fifth edition, such as the weretiger, wereboar, and wererat, but the wereshark is still missing.
Weresharks were cruel and nasty, especially in their shark form, with them always being neutral evil-aligned. While still formidable land enemies, they were strongest in the water. With the ability to communicate with other sharks such as dire sharks, and their speed in the water, it was best to try to fight them on dry land. As One DnD, or 5.5e, continues to playtest new aspects of the game, DMs and players alike will be hoping for some callbacks to earlier Dungeons & Dragons editions, especially when it comes to monsters and enemies.
