History Characters / DungeonsAndDragonsCreaturesD

* AchillesHeel: They have an odd one. Anyone who witnesses a daemonlord's SummoningRitual -- a blasphemous rite involving unwilling HumanSacrifice and the willing sacrifice of several undead daemon warriors -- is able to overcome the fiend's DamageReduction and ignore its HealingFactor. For this reason, daemonlords' first action upon being summoned is to slaughter everyone around them, and they hunt down anyone who spied upon the fiend's arrival.
* MeteorSummoningAttack: Daemonlords know ''meteor swarm'', and uniquely can combine this with their [[SummonMagic ability to summon various chaos wretches]] by having their minions spawn in the impact sight.
* OurDemonsAreDifferent: They're demons from the Abyss of Krynn's cosmology, not to be confused with tanar'ri or other fiends from the Infinite Layers of the Abyss, or the yugoloths sometimes known as "daemons" from Hades and Gehenna.

* {{Sadist}}: Daemonlords relish the chance to cause pain, and make a point of going after unwounded opponents first, and inflict slow deaths upon their victims whenever possible. They're even known to create or summon minions just to have them fight each other.
* SuperScream: They can roar every few rounds, potentially defeaning those in a 60-foot cone.
* WalkingWasteland: Their very presence causes foul weather, scares away mundane animals, and makes food and drink spoil around them.

[[folder:Darkenbeast]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_darkenbeast_3e.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:3e]]

'''Classification:''' Magical Beast (3E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 4 (3E)\\

Also known as "death horrors," these flying reptilian monsters are magically created from ordinary animals.

* CannonFodder: As their entry explains, "darkenbeasts' primary combat 'ability' is enough toughness to soak up a great deal of damage that would otherwise be inflicted upon their masters." Since they're created from livestock or domestic animals, evil spellcasters have no shortage of replacements for these creatures, which fight without much sense of self-preservation.
* ForcedTransformation: These creatures are transformed from Small or Medium-sized animals with 2 Hit Dice or less, and those with an Intelligence score of 4 or lower are automatically affected with NoSavingThrow.
* SuicideAttack: Darkenbeasts can be "imprinted" with a spell during the creature's creation, which its master can trigger with an action. Said spell has a 1-in-4 chance of failure, and regardless of whether it's cast successfully, the darkenbeast carrying it bursts into purple flame, then reverts to its true form in death.
* WeakenedByTheLight: The ''create darkenbeast'' spell can only be cast in darkness, and is dispelled in daylight, reverting the affected creature to its original form. In the Realms, the people of Rashemen have the saying "Would that it rained animals!" from their wish that the Red Wizards of Thay would forget to bring their darkenbeasts back before sunrise.

* RetiredMonster: Imaskar was a godless empire that subjugated eastern Faerûn for thousands of years, before falling to a divinely-incited SlaveRevolt. A population of survivors fled deep underground to found a new homeland, protected by a Great Seal, and kept to themselves for two millennia. Now that the Great Seal has been breached, the deep Imaskari are beginning to venture out to explore the outside world, and have no interest in conquest.

* YouCantGoHomeAgain: Those who leave Deep Imaskar are unable to return, as they [[LaserGuidedAmnesia have their memory of its location wiped from their minds]], to keep it safe even if a deep Imaskari falls into the clutches of the likes of illithids.

'''Classifcation:''' Aberrant Beast (4E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 12 (drone), 15 (warrior)\\

'''Classification:''' Humanoid (3E), Immortal Humanoid (4E)\\

'''Alignment:''' TrueNeutral, Unaligned (4E)

'''Classification:''' Aberration (3E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 10 (3E)\\
'''Alignment:''' NeutralEvil

->'''Classification:''' Outsider (3E)\\

'''Alignment:''' ChaoticEvil (2E), "often" NeutralEvil (3E)

* BlackWidow: 2nd Edition states that a dune reaper matron kills males after mating, then lays her eggs in their corpse.

[[folder:Dune Winder]]
[[quoteright:325:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_dunewinder_3e.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:325:3e]]
->'''Classification:''' Magical Beast (3E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 10 (3E)\\

Desert-dwelling relatives of the remorhaz, named for their sidewinding movement and feared for "tenderizing" prey against their bristly, venomous bodies.

* BreathWeapon: Once per hour, a dune winder can breathe a line of fire.
* DefeatEqualsExplosion: If defeated, a dunewinder explodes, sending spiked flesh flying -- this damages all foes within 60 feet and potentially poisons them.
* HeWasRightThereAllAlong: Dune winders use their coloration to blend in with the sand and ambush prey. They have a respectable racial bonus to Hide checks, enhanced in sandy conditions, to offset their Huge size penalty.
* PoisonousPerson: A dune winder's spines carry a Constitution-damaging poison, which is applied to victims they enwrap and shred with their hides.
* SandWorm: They're 40-foot-long, desert-dwelling, worm-like monsters that can sense prey moving across the sand through vibrations, though they're faster winding across the surface than burrowing beneath it, and lack a [[SwallowedWhole "swallow whole"]] attack.

* GlowingEyesOfDoom: Another is how their eyes glow with an eerie red luminescence.

[[folder:Dune Stalker]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_dune_stalker_3e.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:3e]]
->'''Classification:''' Outsider (3E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 9 (3E)\\
'''Alignment:''' NeutralEvil

Hunched and gangly humanoids native to the Paraelemental Plane of Magma, sometimes summoned to the Material Plane on missions of evil.

* CraftedFromAnimals: Their bones are too strong to be worked, and their hides are too abrasive to use as leather... but make for good sandpaper.
* ExactWords: This can be the bane or boon of a dune stalker. Much like invisible stalkers, they're summoned by mortals for a general or specified mission. Since dune stalkers hate being on the Material Plane, they'll seek to fulfil the literal terms of their mission and go home as quickly as possible, regardless of whether the intended objective is complete. But sometimes, a summoner's badly-phrased instructions may mean that even if a dune stalker fulfils the intent of its mission, it's unable to meet its literal terms, trapping the creature on the Material Plane indefinitely. In such cases, the dune stalker will vent its frustration by killing anything it comes across.
* KissOfDeath: A dune stalker's most feared ability is its so-called "kiss of death," in which it presses its lips or face against a victim and emits sonic vibrations that can, on a failed save, cause a OneHitKill.
* ScarilyCompetentTracker: Dune stalkers are infamous for being able to detect any trail less than a day old, and have the Improved Tracking ability in 3rd Edition.
* TheSpeechless: Dune stalkers are smarter than the average humanoid, and can understand orders in Common or Terran, they just never attempt to communicate.
* SuperScream: They can emit a loud, rasping cough that replicates a ''shout'' spell, deafening and dealing damage to those in its cone of effect.

[[folder:Dune Winder]]
[[quoteright:325:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_dunewinder_3e.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:325:3e]]
->'''Classification:''' Magical Beast (3E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 10 (3E)\\
'''Alignment:''' Unaligned

Desert-dwelling relatives of the remorhaz, named for their sidewinding movement and feared for "tenderizing" prey against their bristly, venomous bodies.

* BreathWeapon: Once per hour, a dune winder can breathe a line of fire.
* DefeatEqualsExplosion: If defeated, a dunewinder explodes, sending spiked flesh flying -- this damages all foes within 60 feet and potentially poisons them.
* HeWasRightThereAllAlong: Dune winders use their coloration to blend in with the sand and ambush prey. They have a respectable racial bonus to Hide checks, enhanced in sandy conditions, to offset their Huge size penalty.
* PoisonousPerson: A dune winder's spines carry a Constitution-damaging poison, which is applied to victims they enwrap and shred with their hides.
* SandWorm: They're 40-foot-long, desert-dwelling, worm-like monsters that can sense prey moving across the sand through vibrations, though they're faster winding across the surface than burrowing beneath it, and lack a [[SwallowedWhole "swallow whole"]] attack.

* BeneathTheEarth: The first-generation dray eke out an existence in the fiery cavern of Kragmorta, while the second-generation dray live in the UndergroundCity of New Giustenal, beneath the blasted ruins of Dregoth's original domain.

* ForcedTransformation: Dregoth didn't give any of his people a choice in becoming dray, while any humans who make the trip to New Giustenal will be offered the opportunity to undergo the transformation... and if they decline, they'll be subjected to it anyway.

* DireBeast: The 5E ''Glory of the Giants'' supplement includes several Gargantuan creatures that are essentially dire dinosaurs infused with elemental energy. A ''Tyrannosaurus'' can swallow a human in a single bite, while a "regisaur" is so staggeringly enormous that it can swallow a ''giant'' in a single bite.

* EarthyBarefootCharacter: They're wild, fey beings who favor the wilderness, and prefer going barefoot. Duskling culture is generally more comfortable with feet than others, so they don't consider it rude to prop their feet up on things, while lovers will commonly exchange anklets and foot massages as signs of affection.

* SprintShoes: Dusklings can [[DivertingPower invest essentia]] to boost their land movement speed by five feet per point of essentia, though only if they're wearing no more than light armor and carrying a light load.

[[folder:Dust Blight]]
[[quoteright:270:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_dustblight_3e.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:270:3e]]
->'''Classification:''' Aberration (3E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 3 (3E)\\
'''Alignment:''' NeutralEvil

Stooped, bloodthirsty humanoids that can burrow through the sand with ease.

* ArchEnemy: Asherati hunt dust blights without hesitation or remorse, which along with the dust blight's ability to quickly burrow through sand has led to speculation that they're [[WasOnceAMan former asherati transformed by a deep desert curse.]]
* EvilIsVisceral: Their bodies look to be composed of ash, but have rivulets of blood flowing across them like exposed veins. Dust blights don't have an actual "drain blood" attack like vampires, but they consume the blood of living creatures to survive, otherwise they'll dry up and blow away.
* AHandfulForAnEye: Dust blights make use of the Sand Dancer feat in combat, kicking up sand with their tumbling movements to blind opponents.
* HorseOfADifferentColor: Dust blights have domesticated ashworms, and some have learned to ride the beasts.

* OurAngelsAreDifferent: For all intents and purposes, devas are angelic beings incarnated in physical, humanoid bodies.

* OneSteveLimit: Averted; these dragonet "fire drakes" are much different beasts from the wyvern-like, fire elemental drakes discussed below.

* UnexpectedlyRealisticGameplay: Fire drakes are just smart enough to realize that the updrafts generated from their breath weapon can be used to disrupt other creatures flying overhead. But their burning blood also requires a lot of oxygen, so fire drakes constantly beat their wings even when on the ground to fan themselves with air, and asphixiate in half the normal time.

->'''Classification:''' Dragon (3E, 5E)\\

Scaled, winged creatures that are majestic and mighty, intelligent and proud, famed for the magical powers at their disposal and their tendency to hoard treasure. See [[Characters/DungeonsAndDragonsDragons the Dragons subpage]] for more information about them.

->'''Classification:''' Dragon (3E)

* ShoulderSizedDragon: All but the fire drake and mole dragon are small enough to perch upon a medium-sized humanoid.

->'''Challenge Rating:''' 1 (3E)\\

Also known as "spiretop dragons" in [[TabletopGame/{{Eberron}} the city of Sharn]], these flighty and mischevious dragonets usually dwell on the coast, and are comfortable diving into the ocean and swimming after prey, or following passing ships and feeding on the disturbed fish in their wake.

Telepathic lesser dragons that look almost identical to a red dragon, but are no larger than a cat.

[[folder:Dragonborn]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_dragonborn_of_bahamut_3e.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:Dragonborn of Bahamut (3e)]]
->'''Classification:''' Humanoid (3E, 5E), Natural Humanoid (4E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 1/2 (3E), 5 (4E)\\
'''Playable:''' 3E-5E\\
'''Alignment:''' Any non-Evil (3E), Any (4E-5E)

Humanoids with draconic appearances, and some measure of their namesake's power. See [[Characters/DungeonsAndDragonsRaces the Playable Races subpage]] for more information about them.

[[folder:Dragonflesh Grafter]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_dragonflesh_grafter.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:Dragonflesh grafter, 5e]]
->'''Classification:''' Monstrosity (5E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 3 (grafter), 6 (abomination) (5E)\\
'''Alignment:''' NeutralEvil

Dragon-obsessed fleshcrafters who ingest, implant or stitch on dragon body parts in order to become more like the wyrms they revere. Those who survive their self-experimentation may ultimately turn into a dragon-like monster only barely recognizable as having once been humanoid.

* AcidAttack: A dragonflesh grafter or abomination can retch or belch a gout of caustic acid.
* ArtificialHybrid: Dragonflesh grafters collect dragon parts and incorporate them into their own bodies to emulate dragons.
* DragonHoard: As a universal effect of their experimentation, grafters become obsessed with treasure and compelled to gather any gold or gems they can, then gaze for hours on end at their hoards.
* HealingFactor: Since its body is constantly growing and changing, a dragonflesh abomination can quickly heal from its wounds.
* PoisonousPerson: Dragonflesh abominations' bodies are surrounded by a noxious miasma that can poison adjacent creatures.
* WasOnceAMan: These creatures' minds are but a shadow of their former selves, twisted by magical malevolence.

[[folder:Dragonkin]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_dragonkin_3e.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:3e]]
->'''Classification:''' Monstrous Humanoid (3E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 3 (3E)\\
'''Playable:''' 3E\\
'''Alignment:''' ChaoticEvil

Ogre-sized brutes distantly related to true dragons, and known for their love of magic items.

* AttentionDeficitOohShiny: Tribal dragonkin are easily distracted by magic items, and if they detect one will prioritize snatching it from its owner and then flying off with their prize. Cult-trained dragonkin are more focused, and will steal a magic item mid-battle if they can get away with it, but continue fighting afterward.
* BarbarianTribe: Most dragonkin live in primitive, tribal societies, taking what they want from anyone weaker than them. That said, the Cult of the Dragon is known to have taken control of some dragonkin tribes (often through gifts of enchanted trinkets), teaching them discipline and tactics that make them even more dangerous.
* DeathFromAbove: When attacking from the air, they can make raking attacks with their front and rear claws at the same time.
* DraconicHumanoid: ''[[WingedHumanoid Winged]]'' draconic humanoids, no less.
* SupernaturalSensitivity: They can ''detect magic'' at will, which they use to identify enchanted items to steal.
* TooAwesomeToUse: Tribal dragonkin have this impression of the magic items they acquire, and never use them in battle for fear of having them stolen away from them.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Dragonspawn]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_dragonspawn_abomination_3e.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:Dragonspawn abomination (3e)]]
->'''Origin:''' ''Literature/{{Dragonlance}}''\\
'''Classification:''' Dragon (3E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' Varies by base creature and dragon type (3E)\\
'''Alignment:''' Same as creator

Dragon-like creatures made by fusing a subject's essence with that of a draconian. The most stable dragonspawn are made from the likes of humans and elves, while other creatures subjected to the same hideous transformation result in misshapen mutants known as dragonspawn abominations.\\\
For other creatures sometimes called "dragonspawn," see the "Spawn of Tiamat."

* BreathWeapon: Dragonspawn gain a breath weapon based on the the species of their creator dragon.
* DefeatEqualsExplosion: When slain, dragonspawn release a small burst of elemental energy that depends upon their creator dragon's type.
* DraconicHumanoid: Most dragonspawn are, since the template can be applied to any Humanoid, Giant or Monstrous Humanoid, though since the lastmost category includes centaurs in 3rd Edition, sometimes the result can be something like the abomination pictured instead.
* {{Mutants}}: No two dragonspawn abominations look alike, as they're prone to having missing or misshapen limbs and other physical deformities. That said, they also gain useful abilities based on those mutations. Some depend upon the abomination's base stock, so a dragonspawn abomination made from a dwarf or gnome can burrow through the ground or wreck foes' weapons, while one made from a minotaur or ogre can fly into a murderous rage or trample enemies. Dragonspawn abominations also roll twice on a [[GameplayRandomization table of additional mutations]], which can be as simple as stat or skill bonuses, or grant abilities such as a HealingFactor or WeaponizedStench.
* ReforgedIntoAMinion: Dragonspawn are essentially artificial half-dragons made by the Dragon Overlords in a process involving a skull totem, an alchemical brew that includes the blood of a draconian, and something from their draconic creator -- their own blood, a drop of acidic spittle, a coal ignited by their breath weapon, etc. Most dragonspawn are [[UndyingLoyalty loyal servitors]] of their creators who forget their past lives, but a rare few retain their free will and memories.
* {{Synchronization}}: Dragonspawn's existence is intimately tied to that of the Dragon Overlord that created them. When their creator dies, dragonspawn risk being killed or going insane from the resulting backlash.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Drakkensteed]]
[[quoteright:340:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_drakkensteed_3e.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:340:3e]]
->'''Classification:''' Animal (3E), Natural Magical Beast (4E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 3 (3E), 16 (4E)\\
'''Alignment:''' Unaligned

Dragon-descended creatures that normally live in small herds far from civilization, but may rarely be tamed as mounts.

* DragonAncestry: They're "drakken," creatures with a clear draconic ancestry, but whose dragon blood has diluted to the point that they lack any of their ancestor's supernatural abilities. As such, 3rd Edition drakkensteeds are classified as animals rather than lesser dragons, though 4th Edition goes the other way and gives them some magical attacks.
* HorseOfADifferentColor: It's quite possible to tame and ride these dragonblooded equines, but drakkensteeds are notoriously skittish creatures that fly away from any humanoids, so domesticated drakkensteeds are exceedingly rare (and expensive, to the order of 15,000 gp). But some paladins do end up summoning a drakkensteed to serve as their special mount, gaining a robust and steadfastly loyal steed.
* MakeThemRot: 4th Edition introduced a "grave-born" drakkensteed variant, featuring a necrotic DeadlyGaze and BreathWeapon.
* MightyRoar: 4E drakkensteeds can daze nearby foes with a fearsome roar.
* TrampledUnderfoot: As a special attack, 3rd Edition's drakkensteeds can move at double their land speed and deal trample damage to those they move over.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Drakkoth]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_drakkoth_4e.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:4e]]
->'''Classification:''' Dragon (3E), Natural Humanoid (4E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 3 (3E), 13 (4E)\\
'''Alignment:''' NeutralEvil (3E), Unaligned (4E)

Also known as "dracotaurs," these nomadic, tribal beings aggressively defend the jungles and forests they claim as territory.

* AsskickingLeadsToLeadership: Dracotaurs respect nothing but strength and power, and their tribes are invariably led by their strongest warriors or magic-users.
* BewareMyStingerTail: A dracotaur's tail is lined with strong, sharp spikes that allow it to be swung as an effective weapon.
* FantasticRacism: Dracotaurs and centaurs despise each other, and dracotaurs cherish few foods as much as centaur flesh.
* HappinessInSlavery: They venerate and serve true dragons, and willingly give their lives for them.
* LackOfEmpathy: Dracotaurs are utterly incapable of compassion towards other beings.
* OurCentaursAreDifferent: As their nickname indicates, drakkoths have the upper body of lizardfolk and the lower body of a wingless dragon. Notably, they despise true centaurs and have this hatred fully reciprocated.
* SuperSpit: In 3E, they don't really breathe fire so much as they expectorate a glob of sticky spittle that ignites when exposed to air and deals splash damage around the impact site, though unlike alchemist's fire it doesn't continue to burn. 4E instead gives drakkoths a [[PoisonousPerson blast of venom]] for a special attack.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Dread Blossom]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_dread_blossom_swarm_3e.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:3e]]
->'''Classification:''' Plant (3E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 6 (3E)\\
'''Alignment:''' Unaligned

Beautiful red-and-black flowers from the Wilderness of the Beastlands, foolishly transplanted to the Material Plane by elves unaware of their bloodthirsty nature.

* FoulFlower: Dread blossoms are beautiful but predatory flowers that are capable of flight, and drink the blood of their victims.
* TheParalyzer: Their pollen is poisonous, forcing those within a 15-foot radius to save or become paralyzed, at which point the dread blossoms plant themselves in their victim to feed.
* TheSwarm: An individual dread blossom isn't too dangerous, but they're usually found in swarms of hundreds of flowers, wheeling about like flocks of birds when they aren't resting on their latest meal. All those razor-sharp stems are more than capable of bringing down prey that resists their paralytic pollen.
* VampiricDraining: Their stems are really six-inch-long hollow thorns, which they use to drain blood from victims, [[NonHealthDamage dealing Constitution damage.]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Dream Eater]]
->'''Origin:''' ''TabletopGame/{{Dragonlance}}''\\
'''Classification:''' Aberration (5E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 7 (5E)\\
'''Alignment:''' ChaoticEvil (5E)

* AppearanceIsInTheEyeOfTheBeholder: A dream eater twists its appearance into surreal illusions of enemies' worst fears.
* LivingDream: Dream eaters are manifestations of nightmares and subconscious terrors.
* NightmareWeaver: Dream eaters envelop their prey in a miasma of its greatest fears.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Dromite]]
[[quoteright:315:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_dromite_3e.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:315:3e]]
->'''Classification:''' Monstrous Humanoid (3E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 1/2 (3E)\\
'''Playable:''' 3E\\
'''Alignment:''' TrueNeutral

Sometimes called "bug men" by the ignorant, these small, genderless humanoids possess both insectoid features and latent psionic powers.

* BeePeople: For the most part subverted, despite their appearance. Dromite castes are based on personality, not biology, and while the Grand Queen and Elected Consort are considered leaders, they're chosen on a yearly basis from a pool of prominent residents, and their main job is to produce eggs.
* FantasticCasteSystem: Dromites are divided into four castes, based on both their temperament and [[PersonalityPowers its associated energy type.]] The Fire Caste are quick to anger as well as laughter, the Glimmer Caste are always zipping around somethere, the Ice Caste are analytical and rational, and the Voice Caste are artists who revel in song. Aside from a tendency for those of the Voice Caste to become performers, the dromite castes don't seem locked into specific societal roles, and are free to mix and mingle with one another.
* HiddenElfVillage: Dromite city-hives are built underground and kept secret from outsiders, with only a few well-hidden entrances -- and some cities are completely inaccessible without the use of psionic powers. Despite favoring hidden settlements, dromites seem driven to spend at least some time on the surface, and will often take up residence in other races' cities who accept them.
* InsectoidAliens: They have patches of chitin on their skin, a pair of small atennae, and compound eyes, though only four limbs.
* NoBiologicalSex: The vast majority of dromites are genderless beings with no sexual characteristics, with the exception of a city-hive's Grand Queen and Elected Consort.
* {{Polyamory}}: Just because they're sexless doesn't mean dromites don't form emotional attachments. Dromites who develop deep relationships with one another can join together in "life-bonds," which can be likened to marriages, except they commonly contain more than two dromites, and new members are brought into the life-bond as older ones die off.
* PsychicPowers: Dromites are latent psionicists, and can produce an ''energy ray'' at least once per day that deals cold, fire, electricity or sonic damage, as appropriate for the dromite's caste.
* SuperSenses: Their antennae give them the benefit of the Scent ability and Blind-Fight as a bonus feat.

[[folder:Drow]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_drow_group_3e.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:3e]]
->'''Classification:''' Humanoid (3E), Fey Humanoid (4E), Humanoid (5E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 1 (3E), 11 (4E), 1/4 (5E)\\
'''Playable:''' 2E-5E\\
'''Alignment:''' NeutralEvil, Evil (4E)

An estranged elven subrace that has settled the Underdark, infamous for their cruel matriarchal society, dedication to their evil spider-goddess Lolth, and their burning hatred for surface-dwelling elves. See [[Characters/DungeonsAndDragonsRaces the Playable Races subpage]] for more information about them.

!Drow Transformations
The spider-goddes Lolth is fickle and cruel, prone to suddenly "testing" her faithful and punishing those who fall short of her expectations. Such unfortunate drow can be transformed into monstrous blends of elf and arachnid.

* TheExile: Drow who are transformed for displeasing their goddess are kicked out of their community and forbidden from returning. Most survive in the wilds of the Underdark as best they can, though some haunt the fringes of drow society to pursue past vendettas.
* MakeAnExampleOfThem: While drow shun these creatures as failures, they also tolerate their presence (from a distance) as living examples of the price of failing the Spider Queen.
* WasOnceAMan: Every one of these creatures was once a normal drow, but now they're horrid hybrid creatures, some of them barely intelligent.

!!Chwidencha
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_chwidencha_3e.jpg]]

->'''Classification:''' Aberration (3E), Fey (4E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 9 (3E), 13 (4E)\\
'''Alignment:''' TrueNeutral (3E), ChaoticEvil (4E)

Also known as "spider leg horrors," these monsters are little more than skittering predators.

* AchillesHeel: Chwidenchas are vulnerable to sonic damage, and will flee from loud, high-pitched noises.
* AnArmAndALeg: A chwidencha's legs can be targeted and severed while they're grappling a victim, but the lost limbs will regenerate within a day.
* DigAttack: Chwidenchas typically hunt by burrowing beneath a layer of earth, then attacking foes they detect with their tremorsense.
* GiantSpider: They're basically a Large mass of writhing spider legs that makes it hard to see the creature's central body until it's dead.
* ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice: Anything struck by one of their spider limbs is in danger of being grappled and impaled.
* SupernaturalFearInducer: Other creatures who see a chwidencha charging or attacking have to save or become shaken.
* WallCrawl: As expected, they have a climb speed to scale sheer surfaces. That said, some Underdark denizens keep chwidenchas at the bottom of metal-lined pits for use as living garbage disposals, or to [[FedToTheBeast get rid of prisoners.]]

!!Drider
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_drider_transparent_5e.png]]

->'''Classification:''' Aberration (3E), Fey Humanoid (4E), Monstrosity (5E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 7 (3E), 14 (4E), 6 (5E)\\
'''Alignment:''' ChaoticEvil, Evil (4E)

Dark elf from the waist up and giant spider from the waist down, driders are wretched creatures who owe their miserable existence to Lolth's displeasure.

* PoisonousPerson: Their bite attacks deal [[NonHealthDamage Strength damage]] in 3rd Edition, or additional poison damage in 5th Edition.
* ReforgedIntoAMinion: Some free-thinking younger drow have broken from tradition by reasoning that a drider's transformation might be a way of castigating an individual but granting a boon to drow society as a whole -- yes, they failed one of Lolth's tests, but they gained some useful physical and magical abilities from her curse. Such drow have thus taken on driders as minions, putting them beneath true drow but above other non-drow servants. Since this is a step up from exile in the Underdark, these open-minded drow have no shortage of driders willing to work for them.
* SpiderPeople: Dark elves fused centaur-style with spiders. Why Lolth considers it a punishment to transform her people into a shape similar to her own has never been explained -- indeed, 4th Edition portrays the transformation into a drider as a sign of Lolth's ''favor'' rather than displeasure.
* WallCrawl: They unsurprisingly can imitate the ''spider climb'' spell, and also ignore any movement penalties imposed by spiderwebs.
* WeakenedByTheLight: Like normal drow, driders take penalties on rolls made in sunlight.

!!Fithrichen
[[quoteright:349:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_fithrichen_4e.png]]
[[caption-width-right:349:4e]]
->'''Classification:''' Aberration (3E), Fey Magical Beast (4E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 7 (3E), 12 (4E)\\
'''Alignment:''' ChaoticEvil

Also known simply as "shunned," these miserable creatures survive as they can in the Underdark, holding vain hope of regaining Lolth's favor.

* CastingAShadow: They can generate a cloud of magical ''darkness''.
* {{Cephalothorax}}: They're little more than tumorous, pallid heads on spider legs.
* CruelMercy: While drow will defend themselves if one of the shunned attacks them, they never actively hunt fithrichen, believing that they shouldn't interfere with Lolth's punishment.
* EnemySummoner: They can disgorge a SpiderSwarm mid-combat that then follows their orders.
* EvenTheRatsWontTouchIt: Shunned have no natural predators, since animals and vermin can sense an inherent "wrongness" to their meat.
* SuperScream: Their 3rd Edition rules let them loose a horrid wail that can sicken creatures.

!!Mithrenda
[[quoteright:349:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_mithrenda_4e.png]]
[[caption-width-right:349:4e]]
->'''Classification:''' Fey Magical Beast (4E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 11 (4E)\\
'''Alignment:''' ChaoticEvil

These mutated arachnids are cautious ambush predators, lurking in the shadows before reeling prey into range of their maws.

* ItCanThink: While mithrenda may beat chwidencha in terms of monstrous appearance, unlike the latter, mithrenda retain most of their intelligence, and can even speak.
* ProjectileWebbing: They can hurl webs to immobilize targets, and if that's not enough...
* WhatADrag: Once a target has been immobilized by a mithrenda's web, the creature can spend an action reeling them in, dealing damage in the process even before taking a bite out of them if they get close enough.

!!Scorrow
[[quoteright:349:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_scorrow_3e.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:349:3e]]
->'''Origin:''' ''TabletopGame/{{Eberron}}''\\
'''Classification:''' Aberration (3E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 7 (3E)\\
'''Alignment:''' ChaoticEvil

The drow of Eberron revere scorpions rather than spiders, and as such their drider analogues are chimeric blends of drow and giant scorpion. Unlike driders, the scorrow are a true-breeding race, and are respected by drow.
----
* BewareMyStingerTail: Being scorpion from the waist down, scorrow have a venomous stinger tail.
* BornAsAnAdult: Scorrow young hatch fully formed and are expected to travel with the colony from birth.
* ForcedTransformation: The scorrow claim that they were once the most skilled tribe of hunters among the drow of Xen'Drik, so the god Vulkoor sent a giant scorpion to their village that stung every member of it, triggering a painful transformation into the first scorrow. While they had no choice in the matter, the scorrow consider their current state a great honor, and their drow kin agree.
* ProudWarriorRaceGuy: Scorrow society revolves around the hunt, and they're only interested in {{Worthy Opponent}}s, to the extent they'll let "lesser" prey pass by and instead search for a greater challenge.
* ScorpionPeople: A scorrow has the upper body of a drow and the lower body of a giant scorpion.

[[folder:Dryad]]
[[quoteright:229:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_dryad_5e_4.png]]
[[caption-width-right:229:5e]]
->'''Classification:''' Fey (3E, 5E), Fey Humanoid (4E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 3 (3E), 9 (4E), 1 (5E)\\
'''Alignment:''' ChaoticGood (3E), Unaligned (4E), TrueNeutral (2E, 5E)

Beautiful but shy feminine nature spirits, magically bound to specific oak trees.

* CantLiveWithoutYou: Dryads in 3rd Edition will sicken and die in a matter of hours if taken more than 300 yards from their home oaks.
* CharmPerson: While there are plenty of stories about dryads growing enamored of handsome travelers, charming them, and bringing them back to their trees, dryads are just as likely to "recruit" interlopers to deal with threats like loggers.
* FriendToAllLivingThings: 3rd Edition dryads share a druid's "Wild Empathy" class feature, while in 5th Edition they can speak with plants and animals.
* GenderEqualsBreed: If a dryad conceives with a satyr, there's an even chance of the child being either a dryad or a satyr, depending on their sex.
* OurNymphsAreDifferent: Dryads resemble beautiful elven women, whose hair and skin change color with the seasons -- they both turn red and white in the fall and winter, respectively; in the spring and summer, their skin turns tan and their hair green. Since all dryads are female, they rely on other species for reproduction -- generally, a dryad will have children with either a magically enthralled human or elf, in which case the child will always be a dryad, or with a [[FaunsAndSatyrs satyr]], in which case there's an even chance of the child being either a dryad girl or a satyr boy. A young dryad will live with her mother until she reaches adulthood, at which point she will seek a tree of her own to bond to.
* {{Synchronization}}: 5th Edition notes that dryads suffer as their bound oaks take damage, and will descend into madness should their trees be destroyed.
* {{Teleportation}}: 5th Edition dryads have the ''tree stride'' ability, allowing them to step into one living tree and step out of another up to sixty feet away from the first.

!!Oaken Defender
[[quoteright:320:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_oaken_defender_3e.png]]
[[caption-width-right:320:3e]]

'''Challenge Rating:''' 12 (3E)\\
'''Alignment:''' NeutralGood

Masses of thorny, tendriled vegeation that usually lie dormant beneath a dryad's sacred grove, but will burst from the soil to defend her if she is threatened.

* BizarreAlienReproduction: When an oaken defender reaches a thousand years of age, an acorn from their dryad's tree begins incubating within a follicle inside the oaken defender, developing into a cyst that will grow and leech nutrients from its parent over the course of the next century, until a new oaken defender is born by bursting from the body of the old one, killing it. During this long process, the dryad tends to the old oaken defender, comforting it and helping it say its farewells.
* CombatTentacles: They have a total of six tentacle-like limbs, and can attack with two of them each round.
* GuardianEntity: They're such for dryads, slumbering for centuries at a time until they're needed.
* PsychicLink: Oaken defenders have an empathic link with the dryad(s) of their grove, and can sense their needs or feelings out to 900 feet. They also have the ability to find others of their kind as per the ''discern location'' spell, and will come to each other's aid if a threat is too much for a single oaken defender to handle.
* {{Treants}}: Oaken defenders are disc-like masses of spiky wood some 15 feet across, with the suggestion of an angry face covering their upper surface.
* UndergroundMonkey: Their entry suggests that other fey might have their own equivalents to oaken defenders -- an oread might have a "rocky defender" that appears as a giant gemstone, a fossergrim might have a "cascade defender," and so forth.

!!Verdant Reaver
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_verdant_reaver_3e.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:3e]]
->'''Classification:''' Plant (3E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 5 (3E)\\
'''Alignment:''' TrueNeutral

Should a dryad keep a ''charmed'' humanoid with her for long enough, it will transform into a plant creature wholly devoted to its mistress.
----
* FertileFeet: Undergrowth springs up around a verdant reaver's feet, even if it moves across bare stone, but this effect only lasts until it moves on. Mechanically, this makes the spaces immediately around a reaver count as difficult terrain, and it lets them make a "verdant rend" attack if both its slam attacks hit, as the undergrowth tears at its target for additional damage.
* HappinessInSlavery: Verdant reavers all have a need to serve a "mistress," and should their dryad be slain, they'll wander the forests in search of another female (or apparent female) to serve. If they go a year and a day without finding a new mistress, a verdant reaver will perish.
* PlantPerson: Verdant reavers are hulking plant creatures that would stand 12 to 15 feet tall if not for their hunched posture, and resemble humanoids built from fallen logs or driftwood.
* WasOnceAMan: Each verdant reaver was originally a humanoid that spent an extended period as a dryad's ''charmed'' thrall. After a year and a day of such service, the humanoid finds itself rooted to the ground, and painfully transforms into a plant creature over the course of another day -- trying to cut the victim loose kills them instantly, and unless freed by ''remove disease'' or ''remove curse'' before sundown, the creature forever forgets its past existence and becomes a verdant reaver. Evil or Neutral dryads use this process to acquire loyal servants, while Good dryads might discover it by accident, and from that point on will only create a verdant reaver to punish a thrall they think deserves such a fate.

[[folder:Duergar]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_duergar_5e.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:5e]]
->'''Classification:''' Humanoid (3E, 5E), Natural Humanoid (4E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 1 (3E, 5E), 4 (4E)\\
'''Playable:''' 2E-5E\\
'''Alignment:''' LawfulEvil

An embittered and cruel dwarven subrace that builds impregnable strongholds in the Underdark, where they toil in workshops, train for war, and plot revenge against their kin. See [[Characters/DungeonsAndDragonsRaces the Playable Races subpage]] for more information about them.

!!Steeder
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_steeder_5e.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:5e]]
->'''Classification:''' Magical Beast (3E), Monstrosity (5E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 4 (3E); 1/4 (male), 1 (female) (5E)\\
'''Alignment:''' Unaligned

Giant spiders used as steeds and beasts of burden by the duergar.

* DeadlierThanTheMale: Female steeders are bigger and nastier than their male counterparts. The duergar ride the females into battle while using the males as draft animals.
* GiantSpider: Steeders resemble spiders around the size of an ox.
* HorseOfADifferentColor: They're enormous spiders which the duergar ''kavalrachni'' ride into battle. This is a somewhat risky proposition, though, as steeders are aggressive predators and prone to turning on their riders unless very well-trained.
* PunnyName: Their name is a portmanteau of "steed" and "spider".
* WallCrawl: Steeders secrete a viscous substance from their legs and feet, which allows them to climb along walls and ceilings.

[[folder:Dune Stalker]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_dune_stalker_3e.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:3e]]
->'''Classification:''' Outsider (3E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 9 (3E)\\
'''Alignment:''' NeutralEvil

Hunched and gangly humanoids native to the Paraelemental Plane of Magma, sometimes summoned to the Material Plane on missions of evil.

* CraftedFromAnimals: Their bones are too strong to be worked, and their hides are too abrasive to use as leather... but make for good sandpaper.
* ExactWords: This can be the bane or boon of a dune stalker. Much like invisible stalkers, they're summoned by mortals for a general or specified mission. Since dune stalkers hate being on the Material Plane, they'll seek to fulfil the literal terms of their mission and go home as quickly as possible, regardless of whether the intended objective is complete. But sometimes, a summoner's badly-phrased instructions may mean that even if a dune stalker fulfils the intent of its mission, it's unable to meet its literal terms, trapping the creature on the Material Plane indefinitely. In such cases, the dune stalker will vent its frustration by killing anything it comes across.
* KissOfDeath: A dune stalker's most feared ability is its so-called "kiss of death," in which it presses its lips or face against a victim and emits sonic vibrations that can, on a failed save, cause a OneHitKill.
* ScarilyCompetentTracker: Dune stalkers are infamous for being able to detect any trail less than a day old, and have the Improved Tracking ability in 3rd Edition.
* TheSpeechless: Dune stalkers are smarter than the average humanoid, and can understand orders in Common or Terran, they just never attempt to communicate.
* SuperScream: They can emit a loud, rasping cough that replicates a ''shout'' spell, deafening and dealing damage to those in its cone of effect.

[[folder:Dune Winder]]
[[quoteright:325:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_dunewinder_3e.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:325:3e]]
->'''Classification:''' Magical Beast (3E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 10 (3E)\\
'''Alignment:''' Unaligned

Desert-dwelling relatives of the remorhaz, named for their sidewinding movement and feared for "tenderizing" prey against their bristly, venomous bodies.

* BreathWeapon: Once per hour, a dune winder can breathe a line of fire.
* DefeatEqualsExplosion: If defeated, a dunewinder explodes, sending spiked flesh flying -- this damages all foes within 60 feet and potentially poisons them.
* HeWasRightThereAllAlong: Dune winders use their coloration to blend in with the sand and ambush prey. They have a respectable racial bonus to Hide checks, enhanced in sandy conditions, to offset their Huge size penalty.
* PoisonousPerson: A dune winder's spines carry a Constitution-damaging poison, which is applied to victims they enwrap and shred with their hides.
* SandWorm: They're 40-foot-long, desert-dwelling, worm-like monsters that can sense prey moving across the sand through vibrations, though they're faster winding across the surface than burrowing beneath it, and lack a [[SwallowedWhole "swallow whole"]] attack.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Dusanu]]
[[quoteright:230:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_dusanu_2e.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:230:2e]]
->'''Origin:''' ''TabletopGame/{{Mystara}}''\\
'''Classification:''' Plant (3E), Shadow Magical Beast (4E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 2 (3E), 7 (4E)\\
'''Alignment:''' ChaoticNeutral, Unaligned (4E)

Also known as "rot fiends," these ambulatory, mold-covered skeletons are easily mistaken for undead, but are actually animated by a fungal colony.

* FesteringFungus: The real enemy here is the fungus that is [[PuppeteerParasite puppeting the skeleton]], not the bones.
* GlowingEyes: They aren't the GlowingEyelightsOfUndeath, but glowing waste fumes from the dusanu fungal colony, that happen to be escaping the skeleton's eye sockets.
* MistakenForUndead: They look like yet another variety of undead, but aren't damaged by positive energy, and their spongy, infested bones make bludgeoning weapons, the damage type most effective against skeletons, all but useless against them.
* ItCanThink: A dusanu's spores operate as a small HiveMind, which is actually as intelligent as the average human, there's just no account of successful communication with one.
* PoisonousPerson: Dusanu shed spores in combat that can infest other creatures, causing what starts as an itchy rash but will soon cause the victim's body to erupt in yellowish mold, with death soon following. Or in gameplay terms, in ''AD&D'' victims are [[AntiRegeneration unable to benefit from curative magic]] and have to make death saving throws, while in 3rd Edition victims take heavy Constitution damage.
* TheVirus: Those who succumb to a dusanu's spores will rise as a new rot fiend a few days later.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Dust Blight]]
[[quoteright:270:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_dustblight_3e.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:270:3e]]
->'''Classification:''' Aberration (3E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 3 (3E)\\
'''Alignment:''' NeutralEvil

Stooped, bloodthirsty humanoids that can burrow through the sand with ease.

* ArchEnemy: Asherati hunt dust blights without hesitation or remorse, which along with the dust blight's ability to quickly burrow through sand has led to speculation that they're [[WasOnceAMan former asherati transformed by a deep desert curse.]]
* EvilIsVisceral: Their bodies look to be composed of ash, but have rivulets of blood flowing across them like exposed veins. Dust blights don't have an actual "drain blood" attack like vampires, but they consume the blood of living creatures to survive, otherwise they'll dry up and blow away.
* AHandfulForAnEye: Dust blights make use of the Sand Dancer feat in combat, kicking up sand with their tumbling movements to blind opponents.
* HorseOfADifferentColor: Dust blights have domesticated ashworms, and some have learned to ride the beasts.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Dvati]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_dvati_3e.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:3e]]
->'''Classification:''' Humanoid (3E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 1 (3E)\\
'''Playable:''' 3E\\
'''Alignment:''' NeutralGood

A humanoid race consisting entirely of sets of identical twins, each effectively one soul in two bodies.

* CantLiveWithoutYou: Dvati lore holds that their souls burn so brightly that one body is not enough to contain them. If one dvati twin dies, the other takes unhealable ability damage from the shock and loss of the other half of their soul until either they die too or the other twin is raised/resurrected. If it's impossible for their other half to be revived, a surviving dvati twin usually chooses ritual suicide rather than waiting to wither away.
* DoppelgangerLink: In addition to their TwinTelepathy, the twins can know the health and mental state of each other by concentrating a bit. This mental link also means that some powers targeting them will affect both, notably mind-affecting and personal spells, as well as LevelDrain.
* MagicMusic: Dvati have natural song powers, notably the "echo attack": by combining their voices into one maddening cacophony, a pair of twins can confuse a creature they flank. In 3rd edition, their favored class is Bard.
* MechanicallyUnusualClass: Or Unusual Race in this case -- enough so that their entry in the ''Dragon Compendium'' comes with a warning label, since the dvati's racial mechanics are completely unprecedented. Their two separate bodies are played as a single character gaining class levels as usual, with their hit points split between the twins (outside of the Constitution bonus). Either twin can trigger a class ability, but any limited-use abilities or spells are expended from the same "pool", so dvati mages don't get double the spell slots. In the case of magic, both twins have to cast the spell at the same time for it to go off, though if one twin casts an ongoing touch spell on themself, they can shift it to the other twin as a move action. Physical effects such as petrification affect one dvati without harming the other, but if one twin falls victim to a mind-influencing effect, so does the other, and any negative levels apply to them both. And so on.
* TheNoseless: Dvati's noses are a barely protruding bump with two slits.
* SingleMindedTwins: Played with; dvati are one soul in two bodies, but dvati twins are fond of debating philosophy, with each twin taking a different viewpoint from which to question their own preconceptions and arrive at a higher truth. This skill makes dvati excellent diplomats and peacemakers, as each twin takes a different side, then finds areas of agreement to bring them together.
* ThemeTwinNaming: A pair of twins will very often adopt such names to interact with non-dvati -- Xephon and Xephat, Lia and Kira, etc. They have a tendency to forget which twin is using which name, however, and thus they will sometimes switch.
* TwinTelepathy: Each pair of dvati twins can communicate with each other telepathically over any distance, even across different planes of existence.
* TheUnpronounceable: The Dvati language requires two voices used in unison, and is more sung than spoken, dvati being natural singers. Non-dvati ''can'' learn it, but it's very difficult. As a result, the twins will use Common names to interact with other races rather than their own, unpronounceable one.
* UncannyValley: Dvati are aware that their appearance -- [[EeriePaleSkinnedBrunette chalk-white skin, dark hair,]] [[TheNoseless no real nose to speak of]], and [[MonochromaticEyes solid blue eyes]] -- tends to unnerve other races, so they often wear [[InTheHood hooded cloaks]] around strangers.
* WonderTwinPowers: Dvati have to act in unison to cast any spell, but several spells that would affect only one person can affect them both. They can also use their voices in unison to confuse a foe.

[[folder:Dwarf]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_dwarf_3e.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:Hill dwarf (3e)]]

'''Challenge Rating:''' 1/2 (3E), 4 (4E)\\
'''Playable:''' 1E-5E\\
'''Alignment:''' LawfulGood

Stout and stalwart humanoids famed for their craftsmanship and mighty mountain strongholds. See [[Characters/DungeonsAndDragonsRaces the Playable Races subpage]] for more information about them.

''[[Characters/DungeonsAndDragonsCreatures Creatures]]'': [[Characters/DungeonsAndDragonsCreaturesA A]] | [[Characters/DungeonsAndDragonsCreaturesB B]] | [[Characters/DungeonsAndDragonsCreaturesC C]] | '''D''' | [[Characters/DungeonsAndDragonsCreaturesE E]] | [[Characters/DungeonsAndDragonsCreaturesF F]] | [[Characters/DungeonsAndDragonsCreaturesG G]] | [[Characters/DungeonsAndDragonsCreaturesH H]] | [[Characters/DungeonsAndDragonsCreaturesIToL I to L]] | [[Characters/DungeonsAndDragonsCreaturesM M]] | [[Characters/DungeonsAndDragonsCreaturesNtoQ N to Q]] | [[Characters/DungeonsAndDragonsCreaturesR R]] | [[Characters/DungeonsAndDragonsCreaturesS S]] | [[Characters/DungeonsAndDragonsCreaturesT T]] | [[Characters/DungeonsAndDragonsCreaturesUToZ U to Z]] | [[Characters/DungeonsAndDragonsDragons Dragons]] | [[Characters/DungeonsAndDragonsFiends Fiends]] ([[Characters/DungeonsAndDragonsFiendsDemons Demons]] | [[Characters/DungeonsAndDragonsFiendsDevils Devils]] | [[Characters/DungeonsAndDragonsFiendsYugoloths Yugoloths]]) | [[Characters/DungeonsAndDragonsUndead Undead]] | [[Characters/DungeonsAndDragonsSettingSpecificCreatures Setting-Specific Creatures]]\\

This page covers general ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'' monsters such as can be found in the ''Monster Manual'' or in setting-agnostic books such as ''Volo's Guide to Monsters'' or ''Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes''. The creatures on this page can be found in any world of the ''D&D'' multiverse and can be encountered in just about any campaign.

For the game's iconic dragons, see ''Characters/DungeonsAndDragonsDragons''. For demons and devils, see ''Characters/DungeonsAndDragonsFiends''. For the various undead creatures, see ''Characters/DungeonsAndDragonsUndead''. For creatures found only in specific settings, see ''Characters/DungeonsAndDragonsSettingSpecificCreatures''.

[[folder:Demonthorn Mandrake]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_demonthorn_mandrake_3e.jpg]]

->'''Classification:''' Plant (3E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 5 (3E)\\

Evil, intelligent, predatory plants common across the Lower Planes, or protecting the lairs of evil cultists on the Material Plane.

* CombatTentacles: In melee, these plants make slam attacks with their bristly vines.
* FacialHorror: For a ranged attack, a demonthorn mandrake can spit a spore pod out to 30 feet, which then explodes in a 10-foot-radius burst. Any living creatures in the blast radius take damage as thorny growths burst from their faces, and then have to save or take DamageOverTime from the thorns until they're either pulled out (dealing additional damage) or cleansed with a vial of holy water.
* ItCanThink: Demonthorn mandrakes are smarter than ogres but dumber than humans, capable of following a summoner's orders, but are unable to speak themselves. As predatory plants, they don't have anything in the way of a society, either.
* MonsterLord: Somewhere in the Abyss is the Mother Seed, the largest demonthorn mandrake in the Great Wheel, whom lesser mandrakes obey without question.
* PerpetualMotionMonster: Unlike normal plants, demonthorn mandrakes don't require water or light to survive, only the flesh of their victims. If they go a month without feeding, the plants enter a state of dormancy that can last for years, until their roots detect the presence of nearby creatures via tremorsense.
* TheVirus: Should a creature succumb to a demonthorn mandrake's spores, a fully-grown plant will sprout from the corpse in a matter of hours.
* YouWillNotEvadeMe: The plants can extend their roots out to a 30 foot radius, immobilizing themselves but also potentially entangling prey. While a demonthorn mandrake's roots are extended and exposed, they emit humanlike screams.

[[folder:Derro]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_derro_5e.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:5e]]
->'''Classification:''' Monstrous Humanoid (3E), Natural Humanoid (4E), Humanoid (5E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 3 (3E), 13 (4E), 1/4 (5E)\\
'''Alignment:''' ChaoticEvil

Small, cruel, and thoroughly mad humanoids who infest certain corners of the Underdark, where their insane paranoia serves them well.

* {{Mutants}}: No two dragonspawn abominations look alike, as they're prone to having missing or misshapen limbs and other physical deformities. That said, they also gain useful abilities based on those mutations. Some depend upon the abomination's base stock, so a dragonspawn abomination made from a dwarf or gnome can burrow through the ground or wreck foes' weapons, while one made from a minotaur or ogre can fly into a murderous rage or trample enemies. Dragonspawn abominations also roll twice on a [[GameplayRandomization table of additional mutations]] such as a HealingFactor or WeaponizedStench, as well as general stat or skill bonuses.

* {{Synchronization}}: Dragonspawn's existence is intimately tied to that of the Dragon Overlord that created them. When their creator dies, dragonspawn risk being killed or going insnae from the resulting backlash.

[[folder:Drakkensteed]]
[[quoteright:340:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d&d_drakkensteed_3e.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:340:3e]]
->'''Classification:''' Animal (3E), Natural Magical Beast (4E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 3 (3E), 16 (4E)\\
'''Alignment:''' Unaligned

Dragon-descended creatures that normally live in small herds far from civilization, but may rarely be tamed as mounts.

* DragonAncestry: They're "drakken," creatures with a clear draconic ancestry, but whose dragon blood has diluted to the point that they lack any of their ancestor's supernatural abilities. As such, 3rd Edition drakkensteeds are classified as animals rather than lesser dragons, though 4th Edition goes the other way and gives them some magical attacks.
* HorseOfADifferentColor: It's quite possible to tame and ride these dragonblooded equines, but drakkensteeds are notoriously skittish creatures that fly away from any humanoids, so domesticated drakkensteeds are exceedingly rare (and expensive, to the order of 15,000 gp). But some paladins do end up summoning a drakkensteed to serve as their special mount, gaining a robust and steadfastly loyal steed.
* MakeThemRot: 4th Edition introduced a "grave-born" drakkensteed variant, featuring a necrotic DeadlyGaze and BreathWeapon.
* MightyRoar: 4E drakkensteeds can daze nearby foes with a fearsome roar.
* TrampledUnderfoot: As a special attack, 3rd Edition's drakkensteeds can move at double their land speed and deal trample damage to those they move over.

* AntiRegeneration: Wounds dealt by their jagged mouths don't heal naturally, only curative magic like ''cure wounds'' spells (or innate regeneration or fast healing) will recover it.

[[folder:Dream Eater]]
->'''Origin:''' ''TabletopGame/{{Dragonlance}}''\\
'''Classification:''' Aberration (5E)\\
'''Challenge Rating:''' 7 (5E)\\
'''Alignment:''' ChaoticEvil (5E)
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* AppearanceIsInTheEyeOfTheBeholder: A dream eater twists its appearance into surreal illusions of enemies' worst fears.
* LivingDream: Dream eaters are manifestations of nightmares and subconscious terrors.
* NightmareWeaver: Dream eaters envelop their prey in a miasma of its greatest fears.
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* ForcedTransformation: The spell to create these creatures can only be cast on Small or Medium-sized animals with 2 Hit Dice or less, and those with an Intelligence score of 4 or lower are automatically affected with NoSavingThrow.

* FaceFullOfAlienWingWong: Prior to 5th Edtiion, these plants reproduce by having their death's heads bite or [[BulletSeed spit at]] (in 3E) living creatures, implanting seeds into their flesh. Since those seeds are coated in a low-grade anesthetic, victims might not notice they've been implanted, until they start taking cumulative damage for each day the seeds have taken root. Unless magic or surgery is used to remove the seed, the victim will die and a new death's head tree will begin growing in their corpse.

* MookMaker: 5th Edition devourers were explicitly created by Orcus to spread plagues of undeath across worlds, and are able to convert imprisoned souls into zombies, ghouls or wights based upon how powerful they were in life.

These mutated archnids are cautious ambush predators, lurking in the shadows before reeling prey into range of their maws.

* FaceFullOfAlienWingWong: Prior to 5th Edtiion, these plants reproduce by having their death's heads bite (2E) or [[BulletSeed spit at]] (3E) living creatures, implanting seeds into their flesh. Since those seeds are coated in a low-grade anesthetic, victims might not notice they've been implanted, until they start taking cumulative damage for each day the seeds have taken root. Unless magic or surgery is used to remove the seed, the victim will die and a new death's head tree will begin growing in their corpse.
* FlyingFace: A death's head tree's "fruit" can detach and fly about (buoyed by foul natural gases, in 2E and 3E) to defend the tree or find new hosts, becoming an independent Undead creature. 5th Edition has several varieties of death's head available, from standard gnashing humanoid heads, to aberrant heads with a [[BrownNote "mind-bending bite"]], to heads with a [[TakenForGranite petrifying bite]]... meaning that yes, you can [[{{Expy}} recreate]] ''VideoGame/{{Castlevania}}''[='s=] infamous [[LedgeBats flying medusa heads.]]