10 Best Low-Level Monsters In Dungeons & Dragons

Are you tired of being held up by highwaymen for the fifth time? Why not try some of these instead?

dungeons and dragons
Wizards of the Coast

Dungeons and Dragon is one of the most famous and recognised tabletop role-playing games ever created. Its complex and free-form game type has meant that is has been played consistently for over 40 years, and has even enjoyed a modern resurgence in popularity. The stories created within can be nearly limitless, eventually your once-weakling will be foiling an evil Lich’s plans and slaying dragons. But first, you’re going to have to get some experience.

Most regular players in Dungeons and Dragons have played through the first Five levels a number of times, Slaying goblins and kobolds, then more goblins and Kobolds. It can get tiresome. Some games now miss out this point altogether and just start you at a later level.

However, you miss out so much character development and party bonding by doing this, but who wants to fight another bandit patrol. What if I said it didn’t have to be this way, that there are a number of fantastical creatures to fight with interesting abilities before you even surpass level Five. Well here are 10 of them.

10. Goblins

dungeons and dragons
Wizards of the Coast

Ok yes, I just mentioned that goblins are overdone and if you have played a game of Dungeons and Dragons then odds are you’ve killed a score of these, but have you fought them at their best? Goblins are often played as fools for comedic effect, coming at you in a small swarm or ambush and running when outnumbered, but goblins aren’t stupid.

Goblins are fantastic ambush enemies. They will find a well-travelled road where they will dig pits, lay nets and place archers in the trees. This sort of ambush, combined with a pack of wolves and a leader to support the troops, and you can knock a party down to half health before they even know what’s happened. Then just when you think you’ve got them beat, they retreat to their lair.

The lair of the goblin will be similarly trapped and full of wild beats such as wolf packs. This is a perfect way to grind down your party before they have to fight the Bugbear or Hobgoblin boss at the end, you can even throw in a Shaman for some magic damage. Just try not to let a goblin get captured, because even the threat of torture will have them singing like a canary.

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