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Monsters in Dungeons & Dragons

In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, "monsters" are generally the antagonists which players must fight and defeat to progress in the game. Since the game's first edition in 1974, a bestiary was included along other game manuals, first called Monsters & Treasure and now commonly called the Monster Manual. Described as an "essential" part of Dungeons & Dragons, the game's monsters have become notable in their own right, influencing fields such as video games and fiction, as well as popular culture.[1]

A pair of Gnolls - hyena-headed humanoids

The term monster in Dungeons & Dragons can refer to a variety of creatures, including traditional monsters such as dragons, supernatural creatures such as ghosts, and mundane or fantastic animals—in short, "an enormous heterogeneous collection of natural and monstrous foes."[2] While many monsters are adapted from pre-existing myths and legends, others have been invented specifically for the game, sometimes having characteristics specifically suited to the mechanics of the game.[2]

Origins

The sources of Dungeons & Dragons monsters are diverse, including mythology, medieval bestiaries, science-fiction, fantasy literature, and film.[1] Mauricio Rangel Jiménez goes so far to say that a basic knowledge of mythology, religion and fantasy is required to keep pace with the game.[3] In game books, monsters are typically presented with illustrations, fictional elements, and game statistics. Monsters are adapted to fit the needs of the game's writers and publishers, such as by describing combat abilities that may have been absent or only implied by an original source.

Original monsters have also been included in Dungeons & Dragons, and these are among the game's most memorable. Monsters such as the gelatinous cube have been described as "uniquely weird,"[1] inspired by unusual sources or designed to suit the particular needs of a role-playing game. The rust monster and owlbear, for instance, were based on toys purchased at a discount store.[4] The mimic disguises itself as a chest, thwarting players expecting to find treasure.[5]

Because of their broad, inclusive background, D&D monsters have been called a pastiche of sources, freely combining qualities of classical works as well as modern or wholly original creations.[2] In some cases, these borrowings have resulted in legal battles, such as when names taken from the works of J.R.R. Tolkien had to be changed due to copyright disputes (such as the balor, originally named Balrog), and fictional elements were altered to further distance D&D from Tolkien's writings.[1]

Influence and criticism

The monsters of Dungeons & Dragons have significantly influenced modern fantasy fiction, ranging from licensed fiction, such as the novels of R. A. Salvatore, Margaret Weis, and Tracy Hickman, to how monsters are portrayed in fantasy fiction generally. The scope of this influence has been compared to the works of J. R. R. Tolkien. Indeed, as Richard W. Forest notes, "it is not even clear where Tolkien pastiche leaves off and Dungeons & Dragons pastiche begins in modern genre fantasy."[1] In a 2005 interview, author China Miéville stated,

"I use AD&D-type fascination with teratology in a lot of my books, and I have the original Monster Manual, and the Monster Manual 2, and the Fiend Folio. I still collect role-playing game bestiaries, because I find that kind of fascination with the creation of the monstrous tremendously inspiring."[6]

References and homages to Dungeons & Dragons monsters can be found in works such as Adventure Time, and the game's monsters have inspired tributes that both celebrate and mock various creatures. A 2013 io9 retrospective detailed memorable monsters,[5] and in 2018 SyFy Wire published a list of "The 9 Scariest, Most Unforgettable Monsters From Dungeons & Dragons",[7] and in the same year Screen Rant published a list of the game's "10 Most Powerful (And 10 Weakest) Monsters, Ranked".[8] Other writers have highlighted the game's more odd or eccentric creations, such as in the article "Dungeons & Dragons: Celebrating 30 Years of Very Stupid Monsters",[9] Geek.com's list of "The most underrated monsters of Advanced Dungeons & Dragons",[10] The Escapist's list of "The Dumbest Dungeons & Dragons Monsters Ever (And How To Use Them)",[11] and Cracked.com's "15 Idiotic Dungeons and Dragons Monsters".[12]

The monsters of Dungeons & Dragons have received criticism from multiple sources. In addition to other game elements, the presence of magical or demonic monsters has provoked moral panics among religious conservatives.[13] The game's emphasis on slaying monsters has also elicited negative commentary. As monsters have traditionally been defined by the amount of "experience points" they award when killed, the game has been said to promote a "sociopathic" violence where the dungeon master "merely referees one imagined slaughter after another."[14] Nicholas J. Mizer, in contrast, suggested that experience through combat was an in-game variation on Thorstein Veblen's theory that application of the "predatory spirit" of humans to warfare could lead to high standing in society.[15]

Some female monsters, such as the nymph and succubus, were seen by Philip J. Clements as an instance of the sexist tropes the game draws on which presented female sexuality as inherently dangerous.[16]

Monster types

Many kinds of monsters can be classified into typologies based on their common characteristics, and various books and game guides have been produced focusing on specific kinds of monsters. For example, the publishers of the game have produced a Bestiary of Dragons and Giants, describing creatures of those distinct types with a mini-scenario for each type;[17]: 134  Night Howlers, addressing the use of lycanthropes within the game;[18] and Libris Mortis, covering the various kinds of the undead.[19] Gamer Keith Ammann, in his book, The Monsters Know What They're Doing: Combat Tactics for Dungeon Masters examines thirteen such groupings, those being "humanoids", "monstrosities", "dragons", "giants", "undead", "aberrations", "fiends", "celestials", "fey", "elementals", "constructs", "oozes and plants", and "beasts".[20] There is some flexibility within these groupings. For example, many kinds of creatures can become undead (once-living things that have died, and since been restored to a lifelike state through magic), or can be used to form magical constructs.

The 3rd edition of the game also used a broader type named "outsiders", encompassing any creature from the Outer Planes, which according to P. J. Clements often "personify some form of mortal belief or moral idea",[21] or Inner Planes.[22]

Notable monsters

TSR 2009 – Monster Manual (1977)

This was the initial monster book for the first edition of the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons game, published in 1977. Gary Gygax wrote much of the work himself, having included and expanded most of the monsters from the previous D&D supplements. Also included are monsters originally printed in The Strategic Review, as well as some originally found in early issues of The Dragon (such as the anhkheg and remorhaz), and other early game materials. This book also expanded on the original monster format, such as including the stat lines on the same page as the monsters' descriptions and introducing more stats, expanding the length of most monster descriptions, and featuring illustrations for most of the monsters.[23] The book features an alphabetical table of contents of all the monsters on pages 3–4, explanatory notes for the statistics lines on pages 5–6, descriptions of the monsters on pages 6–103, a treasure chart on page 105, and an index of major listings on pages 106–109.[23]

Creature Page Other appearances Variants Description
Beholder 10 Supplement I: Greyhawk (1974), Dragon #76 "The Ecology of the Beholder" (1983), D&D Companion Rules (1984), MC1 – Monstrous Compendium Volume One (1989), Dungeons & Dragons Rules Cyclopedia (1991), Monstrous Manual (1993), I, Tyrant (1996), Monster Manual (2000), Monster Manual v.3.5 (2003), D&D Miniatures: Deathknell set #32 (2005) Hateful, aggressive, avaricious spherical monster that is most frequently found underground  
Bulette 12 Dragon #1 (1976), Dragon #74 "The Ecology of the Bulette" (1983), MC2 – Monstrous Compendium Volume Two (1989), Monstrous Manual (1993), Monster Manual (2000), Monster Manual v.3.5 (2003), D&D Miniatures: Giants of Legend set #67 (2004) Landshark burrows underground and feeds on humans, horses, and halflings. Originally inspired by a cheap plastic toy,[1] the bulette was one of the first monsters specifically created for D&D,[24] and has been included in every edition of D&D, although various aspects of the monster have changed from edition to edition. Author Keith Ammann called bulettes "brutes tailor-made to give your players jump scares" and found its preferences and aversions for the meat of different humanoid races "ludicrous".[25] BoLS writer J.R. Zambrano found it "kind of goofy" and a "really fun monster to fight".[26] It has appeared in several other media.[27][28][29][30][31][32][33]  
Devil Don Turnbull considered the devils the most prominent among the new monsters introduced in the Monster Manual: "they are all pretty strong and compare not unfavourably in this respect with the Demons we already know".[34]  
Displacer beast 28 Supplement I: Greyhawk (1974), D&D Basic Set (1977), D&D Expert Set (1981, 1983), Dragon #109 "The Ecology of the Displacer Beast" (1986), MC 1 – Monstrous Compendium Volume One (1989), Dungeons & Dragons Rules Cyclopedia (1991), Monstrous Manual (1993), Monster Manual (2000), Monster Manual v.3.5 (2003) (also includes a Pack Lord), D&D Miniatures: Harbinger set #41 (2003), D&D Miniatures: War of the Dragon Queen set #29 (2006) (Displacer Beast Pack Lord), D&D Miniatures: Unhallowed set #37 (2007) (Displacer Beast Manhunter) Panther-like beast, that always appears to be three feet away from its actual position  
Gelatinous cube 43 Supplement I: Greyhawk (1974) Cubic scavengers, who cleanse living organism and carrion from the floor and walls of underground passageways  
Hell hound 51 Supplement I: Greyhawk (1974) Not from the material plane, breathes out scorching fire. Don Turnbull noted that the breath weapon of the "much-feared" hell hound has been altered from its previous appearance.[34]  
Ki-rin 57 Eldritch Wizardry (1976),[35] Monstrous Compendium Volume Two (1989),[36] Monstrous Manual (1993),[37] psionic variant of the ki-rin in The Complete Psionics Handbook (1991),[38] third edition Oriental Adventures (2001)[39] Race of lawful good aerial creatures that will aid humans if the need to combat evil is great
An obituary to Gary Gygax specifically highlights the Ki-rin as an example of the way in which D&D embraces world culture and folklore.[40]
 
Lich 61 Supplement I: Greyhawk (1974) Created with the use of powerful and arcane magic, formerly ultra powerful magic-users now non-human and non-living  
Mimic 70 Subterranean creatures that are able to perfectly mimic stone and wood  
Mind flayer 70 Eldritch Wizardry Evil subterranean creature that considers humanity as cattle to feed upon, draws forth brains with its tentacles  
Mummy 72 Dungeons & Dragons set (1974) Undead humans that retain a semblance of life and seek to destroy living things. Don Turnbull noted that the mummy was revised from its previous statistics, and could now cause paralysis on sight (as a result of fear).[34]  
Night hag 73 Rule the convoluted planes of Hades, form larvae (see above) from evil persons they slay, and sell to demons and devils. Don Turnbull referred to the night hag as "splendid" and notes that the illustration of the night hag is the best drawing in the book.[34]  
Otyugh 77 Weird omnivorous scavengers whose diet consists of dung, offal, and carrion, always found underground. Don Turnbull referred to the otyugh as a "most interesting creation".[34]  
Owlbear 77 Supplement I: Greyhawk (1974) Horrible creatures that inhabit tangled forest regions, attacks with great claws and snapping beak  
Rust monster 83 Supplement I: Greyhawk (1974) Subterranean inhabitants that eat ferrous metals such as iron, steel, and steel alloys[41]  
Shadow 86 Supplement I: Greyhawk (1974) Horrible undead creatures that drain strength merely by touching an opponent. Don Turnbull noted his disappointment that the shadow in the Monster Manual is of the undead class and thus subject to a cleric's turn undead ability: "I used to enjoy seeing clerics vainly trying to turn what wouldn't turn, when Shadows were first met".[34]  

TSR 2012 – Fiend Folio (1981)

The Fiend Folio: Tome of Creatures Malevolent and Benign was the second monster book for the first edition of Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, published in 1981. While the Monster Manual consisted primarily of monsters previously published in D&D books edited by Gary Gygax, the Fiend Folio consisted mostly of monsters submitted to White Dwarf's "Fiend Factory" column. Don Turnbull, later Managing Director of TSR UK, was the editor for the "Fiend Factory" column, as well as the Fiend Folio, which was billed as "the first major British contribution to the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons game system." The monsters in this book are presented in the same format as those in the previous Monster Manual work, and most featured illustrations of the monsters. Also, there are full-page black and white illustrations of various monsters throughout the book.[42] The book contains a foreword on pages 3–4, an alphabetical table of contents on page 5, explanatory notes on pages 6–7, descriptions of the monsters on pages 8–97, a treasure chart on page 99, additional tables and charts for all the monsters in both the Monster Manual and Fiend Folio on pages 100–119, an index of major listings (including the contributor for each monster) on pages 120–124, with an epilogue on page 124.[42]

Creature Page Other appearances Variants Description
Al-mi'raj 11–12 MC14 – Monstrous Compendium Fiend Folio Appendix (1992) Based on Al-mi'raj "in Islamic poetry, a yellow hare with a single black horn on its head."[43] Counted among the saddest, lamest creatures in Fiend Folio by artist Sean McCarthy, a hybrid creature with physiology resulting from maladaptation rather than evil.[44]  
Carbuncle 17–18 White Dwarf #8 (1978), Best of White Dwarf Scenarios (1980), Tome of Horrors (2002) Armadillo-like creature with a jewel in its head, counted among the saddest, lamest entries in Fiend Folio by artist Sean McCarthy, a hybrid creature with physiology resulting from maladaptation rather than evil.[44]  

TSR 2016 – Monster Manual II (1983)

Monster Manual II was the third and final monster book for the first edition of Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, published in 1983, and has the largest page count of the three. As with the Monster Manual, this book was written primarily by Gary Gygax. While this book contains a number of monsters that previously appeared in limited circulation (such as in Dragon or in adventure modules), unlike the Monster Manual and Fiend Folio a large amount of its contents was entirely new at publication. The monsters in this book are presented in the same format as the Monster Manual and Fiend Folio. The book contains a preface on page 4, a section entitled "How To Use This Book" on pages 5–7, descriptions of the monsters on pages 8–132, random encounter tables on pages 133–155, and an index of all the monsters in the Monster Manual, Fiend Folio, and Monster Manual II on pages 156–160. Unlike the previous two books, this book does not contain an alphabetical listing of the monsters in the beginning of the book.[45]

Creature Page Other appearances Variants Description
Bat, giant 14 D&D Basic Set (1981), D&D Basic Set (1983), MC1 – Monstrous Compendium Volume One (1989), Dungeons & Dragons Rules Cyclopedia (1991), Monstrous Manual (1993) The giant bat in the Fiend Folio is exactly what its name would suggest—a giant form of bat with a 6' wingspan. White Dwarf reviewer Jamie Thomson commented on the giant bat, noting that it "seems an obvious choice for D&D.[46]  
Death dog 23 White Dwarf reviewer Jamie Thomson commented on the death dog, which is "rumored to be a descendant of Cerberus".[46]  
Grue, elemental 72–74 Described are the chagrin, harginn, ildriss, and verrdig. White Dwarf reviewer Megan C. Evans referred to the grues as "a collection of terrifying beasties from the Elemental Planes".[46]  
Stegocentipede 114–115 Lawrence Schick described the stegocentipede as "a giant arthropod notable for its twin row of back plates (wow!)"[17]: 106–107   
Stench kow 115 Monstrous Manual (1993), Polyhedron #133 (December 1998), Tome of Horror (2002), pp. 243–244 from Necromancer Games Lawrence Schick described the stench kow as "a monstrous bison that smells real bad".[17]  

Fiends

Fiend is a term used in the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game to refer to any malicious otherworldly creatures within the Dungeons & Dragons universe. These include various races of demons and devils that are of an evil alignment and hail from the Lower Planes. All fiends are extraplanar outsiders.

Most common types

Demons

The most widespread race of fiends are the demons, a chaotic evil race native to the Abyss; they are rapacious, cruel and arbitrary. The dominant race of demons is the tanar'ri /təˈnɑːri/. The Abyss and its population are both theoretically infinite in size. "True" tanar'ri such as the balors (originally called Balrogs) and the six-armed serpentine mariliths push other weaker tanar'ri around and organise them into makeshift armies for battle. Demon lords and demon princes such as Orcus, Demogorgon, Juiblex, Zuggtmoy, Graz'zt,[47] and countless others rule over the demons of their individual layers of the Abyss, in as much as the chaotic demons can be ruled over.

Devils

The devils, of which the ruling type are called baatezu /bˈɑːtɛz/, are lawful evil natives of the Nine Hells of Baator; they subjugate the weak and rule tyrannically over their domains. Pit fiends are the most powerful baatezu, though even the strongest pit fiends are surpassed by the Lords of the Nine, or Archdevils, whose ranks include Baalzebul, Mephistopheles, and Asmodeus. Unlike the demons, the devils arranged themselves through a strict hierarchy. Like the demons, the devils are scheming backstabbers; while a demon only keeps its words when it is convenient for it, a devil keeps its word all too well; though being used to exploiting repressive bureaucratic machinations to the fullest, always knows all ways around the letter of a contract to begin with. The tanar'ri and the baatezu hold an eternal enmity for one another and wage the Blood War against one another.

Yugoloths

The yugoloths (called daemons in 1st edition D&D) are neutral evil natives of the Bleak Eternity of Gehenna and the Gray Wastes of Hades; they are neutral to the affairs of the other fiendish races, interfering only when they see a situation that may be profitable or a potential for the advancement of their own schemes. The yugoloths are manipulative, secretive, and mercenary by nature, often acting as soldiers for deities in their own private wars, or even at times aiding both sides of the Blood War. In 4th Edition, the yugoloths are considered to be demons, and their previously standard naming convention of "loth" is replaced by "demon" (Ex. the Mezzoloth is the 4e Mezzodemon). In fifth edition, yugoloths are listed as neutral evil fiends under their original names.

Other fiends

Demodands

The demodands are race of evil fiends that live on the plane of Carceri (Tarterus in 1st edition D&D). Demodands were introduced in the 1st edition supplement Monster Manual II, renamed as gehreleths in the 2nd edition Monstrous Compendium Outer Planes Appendix, and reintroduced as demodands in the 3rd edition sourcebook Fiend Folio. In 1st edition D&D, the three types of demodands from weakest to strongest were tarry, slime, and shaggy. In 2nd and 3rd editions, the three types are farastu, kelubar, and shator.

Hordlings

The hordlings are fiends that form the hordes of the Gray Waste of Hades. They first appeared in the 1st edition supplement Monster Manual II. Hordlings wander the Gray Waste preying upon everything they come across, even other hordlings. Hordlings vary greatly in appearance. It is said that hordlings evolved from larvae whose hatred was so unique, their souls became individual. The hordlings can be summoned using an artifact known as the Bringer of Doom, which was created around the time of the Invoked Devastation of Greyhawk. Hordlings are the most common inhabitants of the Gray Waste. They also occasionally roam the other Lower Planes as well.

Kython

The kythons (not to be confused with kytons, which are chain devils Baatezu) are distinct from the other fiends in that they did not originate on any of the lower planes. When a group of fiends (the Galchutt, from Monte Cook's Chaositech and Ptolus) were trapped on the Material Plane, they tried creating more of their own kind through magical means. The results were eyeless reptilian creatures with insectoid traits and neutral evil traits. As the kythons matured, they took on varied forms. None of them were loyal to the fiends that created them. Because kythons originated on the Material Plane instead of the Abyss (or another lower plane), they are also called earth-bound demons. Kythons are only interested in eating and breeding. They have spread rapidly across the Material Plane. The current hierarchy of kythons, from the weakest to the strongest is: broodlings, juveniles, adults, impalers, slaymasters, and slaughterkings. Eventually, with more time, kythons will grow into newer and more powerful forms. Kythons closely resemble xenomorphs. They were originally created for Monte Cook's Ptolus campaign, based on some gaming miniatures he had bought, and were added by him to the Book of Vile Darkness absent the context of the Galchutt, who did not appear until later on in Chaositech.

Cook originally planned on perhaps renaming them so their name was not quite so similar to kytons, or chain devils, as well as other episodes of Cook's Ptolus campaign to see how they were originally used.[48]

Night hags

Night hags are fiends from the Gray Wastes of Hades that traffic in the souls of mortals in 3rd edition sources. In 5th edition they come from the Feywild and are exiled to the Gray Wastes of Hades.[49]

Rakshasas

Rakshasas are fiends (often tiger-headed) that may have originated on Acheron according to 3rd edition sources. In 5th edition they originated in the Nine Hells.[50]

Slaad

In the 4th edition game, Slaadi are chaotic evil and originate out of the Elemental Chaos. This is markedly different from the portrayal of Slaadi in all prior editions of the game, when they were chaotic neutral natives of Limbo and thus not fiends.

Half-fiends and fiendish creatures

The cambions (whose name comes from a different kind of mythological, demonic creature) are simply half-fiends; hybrids of fiends and non-fiendish creatures, often humans or other humanoids. Cambions are typically created through fiends raping mortals or seducing them after shape-shifting, although some of the most depraved beings actually participate willingly. Those cambions that actually survive birth typically look like grotesque, hellish variants of their mortal progenitors, having wings, claws, fangs and often many other features that reveal their fiendish origins. Cambions are usually outcast, being feared and hated in mortal societies for their fiendish origins and being derided by pure-blooded fiends for their impure heritage. A variant of cambion called durzagon is described in Monster Manual II and is the hybrid of a devil and an unsuspecting duergar. The fiendish creatures are simply fiendish versions of other species in Dungeons & Dragons. They typically look like fearsome travesties of beings from the Material Plane. Most fiendish species are divided into a number of variants, usually in a hierarchy of increasing power and cunning.

Other fiends not associated with a specific group

  • Abominations – (Chichimec, phane, infernal, dream larva, phaethon, xixecal, hecatoncheires) – the unwanted offspring of deities.
  • Abyssal drake – the result of an ancient breeding program that combines the nastiest elements of demons, wyverns, and red dragons. From the Abyss plane.[51]
  • Achaierai – Massive evil, clever, and predatory flightless birds with a distinct taste for torture. Of the Acheron plane.[52]
  • Avari – Man-sized, batlike fiends that are the chief rivals of yugoloths for territory. They are neither as powerful or as numerous as the fiends and have lost much over time. Long ago, avari dwelt in a large central community, but their many wars shattered their unity, forcing them to live in isolated clans in desolate areas of the planes. They dwell there in dank caverns filled with bats, and inhabit similar environs when found on the Material Plane. Of the Gehenna plane.[53]
  • Ba'atun – Vicious, white-winged primate-like creatures that find death and destruction as their constant companions. Their origin is surrounded in mystery – perhaps they were demons made from snow, perhaps they are exiles from a frozen realm, or perhaps they have always been here, lurking. Their home plane is unknown.[54]
  • Barghest – Lupine fiend that resembles a goblin-wolf hybrid with terrible jaws and sharp claws, feeds on blood and souls to grow stronger. Of the Gehenna plane.[45]
  • Broodfiend – Almost headless, grotesque mix of worm, lizard, bat, and ape, created by avolakias to serve Kyuss.[55]
  • Diakk (carcene and varath) – Evil flightless birds of the Carceri plane.[45]
  • Diurge – Gray-skinned, red-eyed denizens of a nightmare realm known as Darkrealm, a nightmarishly twisted version of a Material Plane world. Diurges live to serve the evil lords of Darkrealm, but are occasionally ordered to travel to the Material Plane to spread chaos. These beings are extremely sadistic, hating everything that lives, and willing to manipulate anyone in the process of achieving their goals. They are horrible conquerors, subjugating other life forms ruthlessly, and causing pain wherever they go. Their lack of individual greed enables them to better work together towards this common goal.[56]
  • Dune stalker – Fiends summoned to Material Plane to kill targets or carry out other quests. Of the Gray Waste of Hades plane.[57]
  • Ebon aspect – An abomination to not only all that is true and just in the world, but also to the traditional faith of the worshipers of Erythnul, Hextor, and Venca. Appear in the lands haunted by the Ebon Triad.[58]
  • Hassitor – Extinct exemplar race of Acheron plane.
  • Hellchain weaver – Eight-legged mass of chains made entirely of cruel hooks, barbed chains, and jagged iron. Of the Nine Hells of Baator plane.[59]
  • Maelephant – Elephant-headed fiends originally created by powerful baatezu lords to serve as guardians, many run free since their lords were deposed.[60]
  • Mapmaker – Humanoid lizardkin with weaselish features. Of the Pandemonium plane.[61]
  • Marrashi – Disease spreader that resembles a winged gnoll.[57]
  • Nightmare (includes cauchemar and lesser) – Proud equine creatures with hearts as black and evil as the dark abysses from which they come. Of the Gray Waste plane.[52]
  • Nimicri – A unique vast creature that mimics a town that can duplicate creatures if a single drop of their blood touches it. Of the Gehenna plane.[62]
  • Shadowlands oni
  • Sugo – Flattish brown disks with suckered tentacles. Of the Acheron plane.[61]
  • Tener – Spindly, bipedal arachnoid; greed incarnate. Of the Pandemonium plane.[63]
  • Utukku – Lion-headed scaled fiends that kill all outsiders who pass through their territory, including others of their kind. Their lairs in the great ash deserts of Carceri always include impressive defenses, as each utukku must defend itself from all competitors. Utukku want no part of the intrigues of other fiends, and prey on any demons and devils they meet.[64]
  • Vaath – A creature of pure sadism that delights in both physical and emotional pain. Of the Carceri plane.[65]
  • Vaporighu – Petty, sadistic, and voracious blobs of hideous, bloated, waddling hairy flesh. Of the Gehenna plane.[57]
  • Viltch – Resembles a dirty gray, three-legged mandrill; destroys beauty and order. Of the Pandemonium plane.[66]
  • Vorr – A hateful canine of the Abyss.[60]
  • Wirchler – A disembodied mouth with two arms. Of the Gehenna plane.[61]
  • Yeth hound – Fearsome flying hounds with frightening bays. Of the Gray Waste.[45]
  • Yochlol - Arachnid handmaiden of the goddess Lolth in the forgotten realms legendarium. Sometimes appears as melted wax or a tentacled misshapen monster.

Hecatoncheires

The hecatoncheires in the game is based on the creature with the same name from Greek mythology.[8] Like their counterparts, D&D's hecatoncheires were presented as giants with one-hundred arms and fifty heads in early editions. They also had the ability to throw a whole "barrage of boulders" at their enemies.[67] In later editions their description was changed to "abominations that are formed from the fusion of one-hundred beings."[8] In another version they were reduced in power, appearing as "a mere four-armed giant".[67] They were considered among the deadliest monsters of D&D by several reviewers.[8][67][68] Marley King from ScreenRant recommended the hecatoncheires for Dungeons Masters to pit against high-level parties as a monster that is not "too cliché". He commented - aside from the monsters many attacks, and high perception - it got was given "incredible martial prowess" in the game, hearkening back to the importance of skill in battle in the culture it was taken from.[69] Nicholas Montegriffo from The Gamer called them "worthy foes for epic heroes" and found the down-scaling of offensively usable arms sad.[67]

Controversy and related changes between editions

The inclusion of demons and devils proved controversial among critics of Dungeons & Dragons.[70] TSR eliminated most references to occult symbols, demons, and devils from the second edition of the game. When the creatures were reintroduced in the Monstrous Compendium supplement MC8: The Outer Planes, the terms "baatezu", "tanar'ri", "yugoloth", and "gehreleth" were introduced and were used exclusively in place of the terms "devil", "demon", "daemon", and "demodand", respectively.[71]

Following a more relaxed attitude towards the hobby, Wizards of the Coast reinserted many of these excised references in the third edition of the game. They kept intact the terms they had been replaced with, using both when applicable to appeal both to older players and those who played in subsequent editions of the game. While the 1st edition of AD&D used the term "Daemon", all subsequent editions beginning with 2nd edition have used the term "yugoloth" for the same creatures.

Reception

Fiends were considered among the "standard repertoire of 'Monsters'" in the game by Fabian Perlini-Pfister.[72][note 1]

Blood War

The Blood War concept was introduced as part of the new background for the outer planes in 1991's Monstrous Compendium Volume Outer Planes Appendix. The conflict is depicted as a bitter war of annihilation between the baatezu race and the tanar'ri; an absolute, all encompassing, and virtually eternal struggle.[73] Trenton Webb of Arcane magazine wrote, "the fate of all the planes hangs on its outcome".[74] The Blood War was thoroughly detailed in various books throughout the Planescape setting, particularly the 1996 boxed set Hellbound: The Blood War.[71] The 4th edition of D&D's Manual of the Planes updated the Blood War into a smoldering cold war that was formerly an all-out war.[citation needed]

The Blood War has been given various causes across different game books. Fiendish Codex I: Hordes of the Abyss attributes it to an offshoot of the primordial battles between law and chaos, continued out of violent and sadistic stubbornness.[75][76] Fiendish Codex II: Tyrants of the Nine Hells depicts Asmodeus as a formerly angelic being tasked with fighting an eternal war against the demons. When he and his followers take on demonic traits to better combat their foes, these angels, now deemed devils, are either exiled to or granted (depending on perspective) their own plane, where they fight the Blood War without disturbing the primordial lords of order. This is depicted as possibly being self-serving historical revisionism.[76] The Guide to Hell instead portrays the Blood War as a distraction by Asmodeus to hide his true goal of usurping divine power and reshaping the multiverse.[77] Later official materials claim Asmodeus possesses a piece of the pure elemental chaos Tharizdun used to create the Abyss. The demons are drawn to this and seek to reclaim it.[77]

Tarrasque

The tarrasque is a gigantic lizard-like creature which exists only to eat, kill, and destroy, "the most dreaded monster native to the Prime Material plane".[78] The tarrasque was introduced in 1983 in the Monster Manual II, in the first edition of Advanced Dungeons & Dragons.[45] It is very loosely based upon the French legend of the tarasque.[43]

It is very large, 50 feet (15 meters) tall and 70 feet (21 meters) long, and has a Tyrannosaurus rex–like form, although it is much more broad and muscular, with a differently shaped head, and with larger and more developed front arms. It has brown skin, with scabs and warts and bits of encrusted dung all over it which are grey in color. Protecting its back and tail is a thick, glossy caramel-colored shell or carapace. It has spikes coming from its chin, the sides of the mouth, the underside of its neck, the elbows of its front arms, and its shell. The creature also has two horns projecting forwards from the top of its head.

The tarrasque's skin is very hard and thick, and provides excellent armor. It is immune or resistant to most offensive magic, and regenerates damage quickly.

The second edition of the game included rules for extracting treasure from the creature's carcass. In the Spelljammer series, the accessory Practical Planetology suggests the tarrasques originate from the planet Falx. Several hundred tarrasques live there,[79] where they feed upon the native Imbul, a lizard-like creature.[80] In the 4th edition of the game, the tarrasque is listed as an "abomination" and classed as a "Gargantuan elemental magical beast"—a living engine of death and destruction created by a primordial race for use as a weapon against the gods.

The tarrasque has been called "a creature that embodies wanton destruction"[81] and "singularly deadly"[82] and been compared to a kaiju.[83] It was ranked No. 2 on the list of the ten best high-level monsters in Dungeons and Dragons 4th Edition For Dummies.[81] Rob Bricken from io9 named the tarrasque as the 10th most memorable D&D monster.[84] Screen Rant compiled a list of the game's "10 Most Powerful (And 10 Weakest) Monsters, Ranked" in 2018, calling this one of the strongest, saying "There are a lot of giant monsters that roam the various Dungeons & Dragons worlds, but none is more feared than the Tarrasque. This creature is an engine of destruction and it can crush entire cities in a single rampage."[8] Backstab reviewer Michaël Croitoriu highlights the tarrasque among the monsters rated upwards from 2nd to 3rd edition, and wishes good luck to the adventurers having the temerity to attack it.[85]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Fabian Perlini-Pfister uses the word "demon" instead of fiend, but uses "Asmodeus and succubi" as examples.

References

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Further reading

monsters, dungeons, dragons, this, article, about, history, cultural, impact, monsters, dungeons, dragons, publication, history, game, details, monster, manual, this, article, multiple, issues, please, help, improve, discuss, these, issues, talk, page, learn, . This article is about the history and cultural impact of monsters in Dungeons amp Dragons For publication history and game details see Monster Manual This article has multiple issues Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page Learn how and when to remove these template messages This article is written like a manual or guidebook Please help rewrite this article from a descriptive neutral point of view and remove advice or instruction May 2020 Learn how and when to remove this template message This article describes a work or element of fiction in a primarily in universe style Please help rewrite it to explain the fiction more clearly and provide non fictional perspective June 2021 Learn how and when to remove this template message This article may contain an excessive amount of intricate detail that may interest only a particular audience Please help by spinning off or relocating any relevant information and removing excessive detail that may be against Wikipedia s inclusion policy June 2021 Learn how and when to remove this template message Learn how and when to remove this template message In the Dungeons amp Dragons fantasy role playing game monsters are generally the antagonists which players must fight and defeat to progress in the game Since the game s first edition in 1974 a bestiary was included along other game manuals first called Monsters amp Treasure and now commonly called the Monster Manual Described as an essential part of Dungeons amp Dragons the game s monsters have become notable in their own right influencing fields such as video games and fiction as well as popular culture 1 A pair of Gnolls hyena headed humanoids The term monster in Dungeons amp Dragons can refer to a variety of creatures including traditional monsters such as dragons supernatural creatures such as ghosts and mundane or fantastic animals in short an enormous heterogeneous collection of natural and monstrous foes 2 While many monsters are adapted from pre existing myths and legends others have been invented specifically for the game sometimes having characteristics specifically suited to the mechanics of the game 2 Contents 1 Origins 2 Influence and criticism 3 Monster types 4 Notable monsters 4 1 TSR 2009 Monster Manual 1977 4 2 TSR 2012 Fiend Folio 1981 4 3 TSR 2016 Monster Manual II 1983 5 Fiends 5 1 Most common types 5 1 1 Demons 5 1 2 Devils 5 1 3 Yugoloths 5 2 Other fiends 5 2 1 Demodands 5 2 2 Hordlings 5 2 3 Kython 5 2 4 Night hags 5 2 5 Rakshasas 5 2 6 Slaad 5 2 7 Half fiends and fiendish creatures 5 2 8 Other fiends not associated with a specific group 5 2 9 Hecatoncheires 5 3 Controversy and related changes between editions 5 4 Reception 5 5 Blood War 6 Tarrasque 7 See also 8 Notes 9 References 10 Further readingOrigins EditFor publication history see Monster Manual The sources of Dungeons amp Dragons monsters are diverse including mythology medieval bestiaries science fiction fantasy literature and film 1 Mauricio Rangel Jimenez goes so far to say that a basic knowledge of mythology religion and fantasy is required to keep pace with the game 3 In game books monsters are typically presented with illustrations fictional elements and game statistics Monsters are adapted to fit the needs of the game s writers and publishers such as by describing combat abilities that may have been absent or only implied by an original source Original monsters have also been included in Dungeons amp Dragons and these are among the game s most memorable Monsters such as the gelatinous cube have been described as uniquely weird 1 inspired by unusual sources or designed to suit the particular needs of a role playing game The rust monster and owlbear for instance were based on toys purchased at a discount store 4 The mimic disguises itself as a chest thwarting players expecting to find treasure 5 Because of their broad inclusive background D amp D monsters have been called a pastiche of sources freely combining qualities of classical works as well as modern or wholly original creations 2 In some cases these borrowings have resulted in legal battles such as when names taken from the works of J R R Tolkien had to be changed due to copyright disputes such as the balor originally named Balrog and fictional elements were altered to further distance D amp D from Tolkien s writings 1 Influence and criticism EditThe monsters of Dungeons amp Dragons have significantly influenced modern fantasy fiction ranging from licensed fiction such as the novels of R A Salvatore Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman to how monsters are portrayed in fantasy fiction generally The scope of this influence has been compared to the works of J R R Tolkien Indeed as Richard W Forest notes it is not even clear where Tolkien pastiche leaves off and Dungeons amp Dragons pastiche begins in modern genre fantasy 1 In a 2005 interview author China Mieville stated I use AD amp D type fascination with teratology in a lot of my books and I have the original Monster Manual and the Monster Manual 2 and the Fiend Folio I still collect role playing game bestiaries because I find that kind of fascination with the creation of the monstrous tremendously inspiring 6 References and homages to Dungeons amp Dragons monsters can be found in works such as Adventure Time and the game s monsters have inspired tributes that both celebrate and mock various creatures A 2013 io9 retrospective detailed memorable monsters 5 and in 2018 SyFy Wire published a list of The 9 Scariest Most Unforgettable Monsters From Dungeons amp Dragons 7 and in the same year Screen Rant published a list of the game s 10 Most Powerful And 10 Weakest Monsters Ranked 8 Other writers have highlighted the game s more odd or eccentric creations such as in the article Dungeons amp Dragons Celebrating 30 Years of Very Stupid Monsters 9 Geek com s list of The most underrated monsters of Advanced Dungeons amp Dragons 10 The Escapist s list of The Dumbest Dungeons amp Dragons Monsters Ever And How To Use Them 11 and Cracked com s 15 Idiotic Dungeons and Dragons Monsters 12 The monsters of Dungeons amp Dragons have received criticism from multiple sources In addition to other game elements the presence of magical or demonic monsters has provoked moral panics among religious conservatives 13 The game s emphasis on slaying monsters has also elicited negative commentary As monsters have traditionally been defined by the amount of experience points they award when killed the game has been said to promote a sociopathic violence where the dungeon master merely referees one imagined slaughter after another 14 Nicholas J Mizer in contrast suggested that experience through combat was an in game variation on Thorstein Veblen s theory that application of the predatory spirit of humans to warfare could lead to high standing in society 15 Some female monsters such as the nymph and succubus were seen by Philip J Clements as an instance of the sexist tropes the game draws on which presented female sexuality as inherently dangerous 16 Monster types EditMany kinds of monsters can be classified into typologies based on their common characteristics and various books and game guides have been produced focusing on specific kinds of monsters For example the publishers of the game have produced a Bestiary of Dragons and Giants describing creatures of those distinct types with a mini scenario for each type 17 134 Night Howlers addressing the use of lycanthropes within the game 18 and Libris Mortis covering the various kinds of the undead 19 Gamer Keith Ammann in his book The Monsters Know What They re Doing Combat Tactics for Dungeon Masters examines thirteen such groupings those being humanoids monstrosities dragons giants undead aberrations fiends celestials fey elementals constructs oozes and plants and beasts 20 There is some flexibility within these groupings For example many kinds of creatures can become undead once living things that have died and since been restored to a lifelike state through magic or can be used to form magical constructs The 3rd edition of the game also used a broader type named outsiders encompassing any creature from the Outer Planes which according to P J Clements often personify some form of mortal belief or moral idea 21 or Inner Planes 22 Notable monsters EditTSR 2009 Monster Manual 1977 Edit This was the initial monster book for the first edition of the Advanced Dungeons amp Dragons game published in 1977 Gary Gygax wrote much of the work himself having included and expanded most of the monsters from the previous D amp D supplements Also included are monsters originally printed in The Strategic Review as well as some originally found in early issues of The Dragon such as the anhkheg and remorhaz and other early game materials This book also expanded on the original monster format such as including the stat lines on the same page as the monsters descriptions and introducing more stats expanding the length of most monster descriptions and featuring illustrations for most of the monsters 23 The book features an alphabetical table of contents of all the monsters on pages 3 4 explanatory notes for the statistics lines on pages 5 6 descriptions of the monsters on pages 6 103 a treasure chart on page 105 and an index of major listings on pages 106 109 23 Creature Page Other appearances Variants DescriptionBeholder 10 Supplement I Greyhawk 1974 Dragon 76 The Ecology of the Beholder 1983 D amp D Companion Rules 1984 MC1 Monstrous Compendium Volume One 1989 Dungeons amp Dragons Rules Cyclopedia 1991 Monstrous Manual 1993 I Tyrant 1996 Monster Manual 2000 Monster Manual v 3 5 2003 D amp D Miniatures Deathknell set 32 2005 Hateful aggressive avaricious spherical monster that is most frequently found underground Bulette 12 Dragon 1 1976 Dragon 74 The Ecology of the Bulette 1983 MC2 Monstrous Compendium Volume Two 1989 Monstrous Manual 1993 Monster Manual 2000 Monster Manual v 3 5 2003 D amp D Miniatures Giants of Legend set 67 2004 Landshark burrows underground and feeds on humans horses and halflings Originally inspired by a cheap plastic toy 1 the bulette was one of the first monsters specifically created for D amp D 24 and has been included in every edition of D amp D although various aspects of the monster have changed from edition to edition Author Keith Ammann called bulettes brutes tailor made to give your players jump scares and found its preferences and aversions for the meat of different humanoid races ludicrous 25 BoLS writer J R Zambrano found it kind of goofy and a really fun monster to fight 26 It has appeared in several other media 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 Devil Don Turnbull considered the devils the most prominent among the new monsters introduced in the Monster Manual they are all pretty strong and compare not unfavourably in this respect with the Demons we already know 34 Displacer beast 28 Supplement I Greyhawk 1974 D amp D Basic Set 1977 D amp D Expert Set 1981 1983 Dragon 109 The Ecology of the Displacer Beast 1986 MC 1 Monstrous Compendium Volume One 1989 Dungeons amp Dragons Rules Cyclopedia 1991 Monstrous Manual 1993 Monster Manual 2000 Monster Manual v 3 5 2003 also includes a Pack Lord D amp D Miniatures Harbinger set 41 2003 D amp D Miniatures War of the Dragon Queen set 29 2006 Displacer Beast Pack Lord D amp D Miniatures Unhallowed set 37 2007 Displacer Beast Manhunter Panther like beast that always appears to be three feet away from its actual position Gelatinous cube 43 Supplement I Greyhawk 1974 Cubic scavengers who cleanse living organism and carrion from the floor and walls of underground passageways Hell hound 51 Supplement I Greyhawk 1974 Not from the material plane breathes out scorching fire Don Turnbull noted that the breath weapon of the much feared hell hound has been altered from its previous appearance 34 Ki rin 57 Eldritch Wizardry 1976 35 Monstrous Compendium Volume Two 1989 36 Monstrous Manual 1993 37 psionic variant of the ki rin in The Complete Psionics Handbook 1991 38 third edition Oriental Adventures 2001 39 Race of lawful good aerial creatures that will aid humans if the need to combat evil is greatAn obituary to Gary Gygax specifically highlights the Ki rin as an example of the way in which D amp D embraces world culture and folklore 40 Lich 61 Supplement I Greyhawk 1974 Created with the use of powerful and arcane magic formerly ultra powerful magic users now non human and non living Mimic 70 Subterranean creatures that are able to perfectly mimic stone and wood Mind flayer 70 Eldritch Wizardry Evil subterranean creature that considers humanity as cattle to feed upon draws forth brains with its tentacles Mummy 72 Dungeons amp Dragons set 1974 Undead humans that retain a semblance of life and seek to destroy living things Don Turnbull noted that the mummy was revised from its previous statistics and could now cause paralysis on sight as a result of fear 34 Night hag 73 Rule the convoluted planes of Hades form larvae see above from evil persons they slay and sell to demons and devils Don Turnbull referred to the night hag as splendid and notes that the illustration of the night hag is the best drawing in the book 34 Otyugh 77 Weird omnivorous scavengers whose diet consists of dung offal and carrion always found underground Don Turnbull referred to the otyugh as a most interesting creation 34 Owlbear 77 Supplement I Greyhawk 1974 Horrible creatures that inhabit tangled forest regions attacks with great claws and snapping beak Rust monster 83 Supplement I Greyhawk 1974 Subterranean inhabitants that eat ferrous metals such as iron steel and steel alloys 41 Shadow 86 Supplement I Greyhawk 1974 Horrible undead creatures that drain strength merely by touching an opponent Don Turnbull noted his disappointment that the shadow in the Monster Manual is of the undead class and thus subject to a cleric s turn undead ability I used to enjoy seeing clerics vainly trying to turn what wouldn t turn when Shadows were first met 34 TSR 2012 Fiend Folio 1981 Edit The Fiend Folio Tome of Creatures Malevolent and Benign was the second monster book for the first edition of Advanced Dungeons amp Dragons published in 1981 While the Monster Manual consisted primarily of monsters previously published in D amp D books edited by Gary Gygax the Fiend Folio consisted mostly of monsters submitted to White Dwarf s Fiend Factory column Don Turnbull later Managing Director of TSR UK was the editor for the Fiend Factory column as well as the Fiend Folio which was billed as the first major British contribution to the Advanced Dungeons amp Dragons game system The monsters in this book are presented in the same format as those in the previous Monster Manual work and most featured illustrations of the monsters Also there are full page black and white illustrations of various monsters throughout the book 42 The book contains a foreword on pages 3 4 an alphabetical table of contents on page 5 explanatory notes on pages 6 7 descriptions of the monsters on pages 8 97 a treasure chart on page 99 additional tables and charts for all the monsters in both the Monster Manual and Fiend Folio on pages 100 119 an index of major listings including the contributor for each monster on pages 120 124 with an epilogue on page 124 42 Creature Page Other appearances Variants DescriptionAl mi raj 11 12 MC14 Monstrous Compendium Fiend Folio Appendix 1992 Based on Al mi raj in Islamic poetry a yellow hare with a single black horn on its head 43 Counted among the saddest lamest creatures in Fiend Folio by artist Sean McCarthy a hybrid creature with physiology resulting from maladaptation rather than evil 44 Carbuncle 17 18 White Dwarf 8 1978 Best of White Dwarf Scenarios 1980 Tome of Horrors 2002 Armadillo like creature with a jewel in its head counted among the saddest lamest entries in Fiend Folio by artist Sean McCarthy a hybrid creature with physiology resulting from maladaptation rather than evil 44 TSR 2016 Monster Manual II 1983 Edit Monster Manual II was the third and final monster book for the first edition of Advanced Dungeons amp Dragons published in 1983 and has the largest page count of the three As with the Monster Manual this book was written primarily by Gary Gygax While this book contains a number of monsters that previously appeared in limited circulation such as in Dragon or in adventure modules unlike the Monster Manual and Fiend Folio a large amount of its contents was entirely new at publication The monsters in this book are presented in the same format as the Monster Manual and Fiend Folio The book contains a preface on page 4 a section entitled How To Use This Book on pages 5 7 descriptions of the monsters on pages 8 132 random encounter tables on pages 133 155 and an index of all the monsters in the Monster Manual Fiend Folio and Monster Manual II on pages 156 160 Unlike the previous two books this book does not contain an alphabetical listing of the monsters in the beginning of the book 45 Creature Page Other appearances Variants DescriptionBat giant 14 D amp D Basic Set 1981 D amp D Basic Set 1983 MC1 Monstrous Compendium Volume One 1989 Dungeons amp Dragons Rules Cyclopedia 1991 Monstrous Manual 1993 The giant bat in the Fiend Folio is exactly what its name would suggest a giant form of bat with a 6 wingspan White Dwarf reviewer Jamie Thomson commented on the giant bat noting that it seems an obvious choice for D amp D 46 Death dog 23 White Dwarf reviewer Jamie Thomson commented on the death dog which is rumored to be a descendant of Cerberus 46 Grue elemental 72 74 Described are the chagrin harginn ildriss and verrdig White Dwarf reviewer Megan C Evans referred to the grues as a collection of terrifying beasties from the Elemental Planes 46 Stegocentipede 114 115 Lawrence Schick described the stegocentipede as a giant arthropod notable for its twin row of back plates wow 17 106 107 Stench kow 115 Monstrous Manual 1993 Polyhedron 133 December 1998 Tome of Horror 2002 pp 243 244 from Necromancer Games Lawrence Schick described the stench kow as a monstrous bison that smells real bad 17 Fiends EditThis section s plot summary may be too long or excessively detailed Please help improve it by removing unnecessary details and making it more concise May 2020 Learn how and when to remove this template message Fiend is a term used in the Dungeons amp Dragons fantasy role playing game to refer to any malicious otherworldly creatures within the Dungeons amp Dragons universe These include various races of demons and devils that are of an evil alignment and hail from the Lower Planes All fiends are extraplanar outsiders Most common types Edit Demons Edit The most widespread race of fiends are the demons a chaotic evil race native to the Abyss they are rapacious cruel and arbitrary The dominant race of demons is the tanar ri t e ˈ n ɑːr i The Abyss and its population are both theoretically infinite in size True tanar ri such as the balors originally called Balrogs and the six armed serpentine mariliths push other weaker tanar ri around and organise them into makeshift armies for battle Demon lords and demon princes such as Orcus Demogorgon Juiblex Zuggtmoy Graz zt 47 and countless others rule over the demons of their individual layers of the Abyss in as much as the chaotic demons can be ruled over Devils Edit The devils of which the ruling type are called baatezu b eɪ ˈ ɑː t ɛ z uː are lawful evil natives of the Nine Hells of Baator they subjugate the weak and rule tyrannically over their domains Pit fiends are the most powerful baatezu though even the strongest pit fiends are surpassed by the Lords of the Nine or Archdevils whose ranks include Baalzebul Mephistopheles and Asmodeus Unlike the demons the devils arranged themselves through a strict hierarchy Like the demons the devils are scheming backstabbers while a demon only keeps its words when it is convenient for it a devil keeps its word all too well though being used to exploiting repressive bureaucratic machinations to the fullest always knows all ways around the letter of a contract to begin with The tanar ri and the baatezu hold an eternal enmity for one another and wage the Blood War against one another Yugoloths Edit The yugoloths called daemons in 1st edition D amp D are neutral evil natives of the Bleak Eternity of Gehenna and the Gray Wastes of Hades they are neutral to the affairs of the other fiendish races interfering only when they see a situation that may be profitable or a potential for the advancement of their own schemes The yugoloths are manipulative secretive and mercenary by nature often acting as soldiers for deities in their own private wars or even at times aiding both sides of the Blood War In 4th Edition the yugoloths are considered to be demons and their previously standard naming convention of loth is replaced by demon Ex the Mezzoloth is the 4e Mezzodemon In fifth edition yugoloths are listed as neutral evil fiends under their original names Other fiends Edit Demodands Edit The demodands are race of evil fiends that live on the plane of Carceri Tarterus in 1st edition D amp D Demodands were introduced in the 1st edition supplement Monster Manual II renamed as gehreleths in the 2nd edition Monstrous Compendium Outer Planes Appendix and reintroduced as demodands in the 3rd edition sourcebook Fiend Folio In 1st edition D amp D the three types of demodands from weakest to strongest were tarry slime and shaggy In 2nd and 3rd editions the three types are farastu kelubar and shator Hordlings Edit The hordlings are fiends that form the hordes of the Gray Waste of Hades They first appeared in the 1st edition supplement Monster Manual II Hordlings wander the Gray Waste preying upon everything they come across even other hordlings Hordlings vary greatly in appearance It is said that hordlings evolved from larvae whose hatred was so unique their souls became individual The hordlings can be summoned using an artifact known as the Bringer of Doom which was created around the time of the Invoked Devastation of Greyhawk Hordlings are the most common inhabitants of the Gray Waste They also occasionally roam the other Lower Planes as well Kython Edit The kythons not to be confused with kytons which are chain devils Baatezu are distinct from the other fiends in that they did not originate on any of the lower planes When a group of fiends the Galchutt from Monte Cook s Chaositech and Ptolus were trapped on the Material Plane they tried creating more of their own kind through magical means The results were eyeless reptilian creatures with insectoid traits and neutral evil traits As the kythons matured they took on varied forms None of them were loyal to the fiends that created them Because kythons originated on the Material Plane instead of the Abyss or another lower plane they are also called earth bound demons Kythons are only interested in eating and breeding They have spread rapidly across the Material Plane The current hierarchy of kythons from the weakest to the strongest is broodlings juveniles adults impalers slaymasters and slaughterkings Eventually with more time kythons will grow into newer and more powerful forms Kythons closely resemble xenomorphs They were originally created for Monte Cook s Ptolus campaign based on some gaming miniatures he had bought and were added by him to the Book of Vile Darkness absent the context of the Galchutt who did not appear until later on in Chaositech Cook originally planned on perhaps renaming them so their name was not quite so similar to kytons or chain devils as well as other episodes of Cook s Ptolus campaign to see how they were originally used 48 Night hags Edit Night hags are fiends from the Gray Wastes of Hades that traffic in the souls of mortals in 3rd edition sources In 5th edition they come from the Feywild and are exiled to the Gray Wastes of Hades 49 Rakshasas Edit Rakshasas are fiends often tiger headed that may have originated on Acheron according to 3rd edition sources In 5th edition they originated in the Nine Hells 50 Slaad Edit In the 4th edition game Slaadi are chaotic evil and originate out of the Elemental Chaos This is markedly different from the portrayal of Slaadi in all prior editions of the game when they were chaotic neutral natives of Limbo and thus not fiends Half fiends and fiendish creatures Edit The cambions whose name comes from a different kind of mythological demonic creature are simply half fiends hybrids of fiends and non fiendish creatures often humans or other humanoids Cambions are typically created through fiends raping mortals or seducing them after shape shifting although some of the most depraved beings actually participate willingly Those cambions that actually survive birth typically look like grotesque hellish variants of their mortal progenitors having wings claws fangs and often many other features that reveal their fiendish origins Cambions are usually outcast being feared and hated in mortal societies for their fiendish origins and being derided by pure blooded fiends for their impure heritage A variant of cambion called durzagon is described in Monster Manual II and is the hybrid of a devil and an unsuspecting duergar The fiendish creatures are simply fiendish versions of other species in Dungeons amp Dragons They typically look like fearsome travesties of beings from the Material Plane Most fiendish species are divided into a number of variants usually in a hierarchy of increasing power and cunning Other fiends not associated with a specific group Edit Abominations Chichimec phane infernal dream larva phaethon xixecal hecatoncheires the unwanted offspring of deities Abyssal drake the result of an ancient breeding program that combines the nastiest elements of demons wyverns and red dragons From the Abyss plane 51 Achaierai Massive evil clever and predatory flightless birds with a distinct taste for torture Of the Acheron plane 52 Avari Man sized batlike fiends that are the chief rivals of yugoloths for territory They are neither as powerful or as numerous as the fiends and have lost much over time Long ago avari dwelt in a large central community but their many wars shattered their unity forcing them to live in isolated clans in desolate areas of the planes They dwell there in dank caverns filled with bats and inhabit similar environs when found on the Material Plane Of the Gehenna plane 53 Ba atun Vicious white winged primate like creatures that find death and destruction as their constant companions Their origin is surrounded in mystery perhaps they were demons made from snow perhaps they are exiles from a frozen realm or perhaps they have always been here lurking Their home plane is unknown 54 Barghest Lupine fiend that resembles a goblin wolf hybrid with terrible jaws and sharp claws feeds on blood and souls to grow stronger Of the Gehenna plane 45 Broodfiend Almost headless grotesque mix of worm lizard bat and ape created by avolakias to serve Kyuss 55 Diakk carcene and varath Evil flightless birds of the Carceri plane 45 Diurge Gray skinned red eyed denizens of a nightmare realm known as Darkrealm a nightmarishly twisted version of a Material Plane world Diurges live to serve the evil lords of Darkrealm but are occasionally ordered to travel to the Material Plane to spread chaos These beings are extremely sadistic hating everything that lives and willing to manipulate anyone in the process of achieving their goals They are horrible conquerors subjugating other life forms ruthlessly and causing pain wherever they go Their lack of individual greed enables them to better work together towards this common goal 56 Dune stalker Fiends summoned to Material Plane to kill targets or carry out other quests Of the Gray Waste of Hades plane 57 Ebon aspect An abomination to not only all that is true and just in the world but also to the traditional faith of the worshipers of Erythnul Hextor and Venca Appear in the lands haunted by the Ebon Triad 58 Hassitor Extinct exemplar race of Acheron plane Hellchain weaver Eight legged mass of chains made entirely of cruel hooks barbed chains and jagged iron Of the Nine Hells of Baator plane 59 Maelephant Elephant headed fiends originally created by powerful baatezu lords to serve as guardians many run free since their lords were deposed 60 Mapmaker Humanoid lizardkin with weaselish features Of the Pandemonium plane 61 Marrashi Disease spreader that resembles a winged gnoll 57 Nightmare includes cauchemar and lesser Proud equine creatures with hearts as black and evil as the dark abysses from which they come Of the Gray Waste plane 52 Nimicri A unique vast creature that mimics a town that can duplicate creatures if a single drop of their blood touches it Of the Gehenna plane 62 Shadowlands oni Sugo Flattish brown disks with suckered tentacles Of the Acheron plane 61 Tener Spindly bipedal arachnoid greed incarnate Of the Pandemonium plane 63 Utukku Lion headed scaled fiends that kill all outsiders who pass through their territory including others of their kind Their lairs in the great ash deserts of Carceri always include impressive defenses as each utukku must defend itself from all competitors Utukku want no part of the intrigues of other fiends and prey on any demons and devils they meet 64 Vaath A creature of pure sadism that delights in both physical and emotional pain Of the Carceri plane 65 Vaporighu Petty sadistic and voracious blobs of hideous bloated waddling hairy flesh Of the Gehenna plane 57 Viltch Resembles a dirty gray three legged mandrill destroys beauty and order Of the Pandemonium plane 66 Vorr A hateful canine of the Abyss 60 Wirchler A disembodied mouth with two arms Of the Gehenna plane 61 Yeth hound Fearsome flying hounds with frightening bays Of the Gray Waste 45 Yochlol Arachnid handmaiden of the goddess Lolth in the forgotten realms legendarium Sometimes appears as melted wax or a tentacled misshapen monster Hecatoncheires Edit The hecatoncheires in the game is based on the creature with the same name from Greek mythology 8 Like their counterparts D amp D s hecatoncheires were presented as giants with one hundred arms and fifty heads in early editions They also had the ability to throw a whole barrage of boulders at their enemies 67 In later editions their description was changed to abominations that are formed from the fusion of one hundred beings 8 In another version they were reduced in power appearing as a mere four armed giant 67 They were considered among the deadliest monsters of D amp D by several reviewers 8 67 68 Marley King from ScreenRant recommended the hecatoncheires for Dungeons Masters to pit against high level parties as a monster that is not too cliche He commented aside from the monsters many attacks and high perception it got was given incredible martial prowess in the game hearkening back to the importance of skill in battle in the culture it was taken from 69 Nicholas Montegriffo from The Gamer called them worthy foes for epic heroes and found the down scaling of offensively usable arms sad 67 Controversy and related changes between editions Edit The inclusion of demons and devils proved controversial among critics of Dungeons amp Dragons 70 TSR eliminated most references to occult symbols demons and devils from the second edition of the game When the creatures were reintroduced in the Monstrous Compendium supplement MC8 The Outer Planes the terms baatezu tanar ri yugoloth and gehreleth were introduced and were used exclusively in place of the terms devil demon daemon and demodand respectively 71 Following a more relaxed attitude towards the hobby Wizards of the Coast reinserted many of these excised references in the third edition of the game They kept intact the terms they had been replaced with using both when applicable to appeal both to older players and those who played in subsequent editions of the game While the 1st edition of AD amp D used the term Daemon all subsequent editions beginning with 2nd edition have used the term yugoloth for the same creatures Reception Edit Fiends were considered among the standard repertoire of Monsters in the game by Fabian Perlini Pfister 72 note 1 Blood War Edit The Blood War concept was introduced as part of the new background for the outer planes in 1991 s Monstrous Compendium Volume Outer Planes Appendix The conflict is depicted as a bitter war of annihilation between the baatezu race and the tanar ri an absolute all encompassing and virtually eternal struggle 73 Trenton Webb of Arcane magazine wrote the fate of all the planes hangs on its outcome 74 The Blood War was thoroughly detailed in various books throughout the Planescape setting particularly the 1996 boxed set Hellbound The Blood War 71 The 4th edition of D amp D s Manual of the Planes updated the Blood War into a smoldering cold war that was formerly an all out war citation needed The Blood War has been given various causes across different game books Fiendish Codex I Hordes of the Abyss attributes it to an offshoot of the primordial battles between law and chaos continued out of violent and sadistic stubbornness 75 76 Fiendish Codex II Tyrants of the Nine Hells depicts Asmodeus as a formerly angelic being tasked with fighting an eternal war against the demons When he and his followers take on demonic traits to better combat their foes these angels now deemed devils are either exiled to or granted depending on perspective their own plane where they fight the Blood War without disturbing the primordial lords of order This is depicted as possibly being self serving historical revisionism 76 The Guide to Hell instead portrays the Blood War as a distraction by Asmodeus to hide his true goal of usurping divine power and reshaping the multiverse 77 Later official materials claim Asmodeus possesses a piece of the pure elemental chaos Tharizdun used to create the Abyss The demons are drawn to this and seek to reclaim it 77 Tarrasque EditThe tarrasque is a gigantic lizard like creature which exists only to eat kill and destroy the most dreaded monster native to the Prime Material plane 78 The tarrasque was introduced in 1983 in the Monster Manual II in the first edition of Advanced Dungeons amp Dragons 45 It is very loosely based upon the French legend of the tarasque 43 It is very large 50 feet 15 meters tall and 70 feet 21 meters long and has a Tyrannosaurus rex like form although it is much more broad and muscular with a differently shaped head and with larger and more developed front arms It has brown skin with scabs and warts and bits of encrusted dung all over it which are grey in color Protecting its back and tail is a thick glossy caramel colored shell or carapace It has spikes coming from its chin the sides of the mouth the underside of its neck the elbows of its front arms and its shell The creature also has two horns projecting forwards from the top of its head The tarrasque s skin is very hard and thick and provides excellent armor It is immune or resistant to most offensive magic and regenerates damage quickly The second edition of the game included rules for extracting treasure from the creature s carcass In the Spelljammer series the accessory Practical Planetology suggests the tarrasques originate from the planet Falx Several hundred tarrasques live there 79 where they feed upon the native Imbul a lizard like creature 80 In the 4th edition of the game the tarrasque is listed as an abomination and classed as a Gargantuan elemental magical beast a living engine of death and destruction created by a primordial race for use as a weapon against the gods The tarrasque has been called a creature that embodies wanton destruction 81 and singularly deadly 82 and been compared to a kaiju 83 It was ranked No 2 on the list of the ten best high level monsters in Dungeons and Dragons 4th Edition For Dummies 81 Rob Bricken from io9 named the tarrasque as the 10th most memorable D amp D monster 84 Screen Rant compiled a list of the game s 10 Most Powerful And 10 Weakest Monsters Ranked in 2018 calling this one of the strongest saying There are a lot of giant monsters that roam the various Dungeons amp Dragons worlds but none is more feared than the Tarrasque This creature is an engine of destruction and it can crush entire cities in a single rampage 8 Backstab reviewer Michael Croitoriu highlights the tarrasque among the monsters rated upwards from 2nd to 3rd edition and wishes good luck to the adventurers having the temerity to attack it 85 See also EditBestiary Dungeons amp Dragons controversies List of Advanced Dungeons amp Dragons 2nd edition monsters List of species in fantasy fictionNotes Edit Fabian Perlini Pfister uses the word demon instead of fiend but uses Asmodeus and succubi as examples References Edit a b c d e f Forest Richard W 2014 Dungeons amp Dragons Monsters in In Weinstock Jeffrey ed The Ashgate Encyclopedia of Literary and Cinematic Monsters Ashgate Publishing a b c Churlew Matthew 2006 Masters of the Wild Animals and the Environment in Dungeons amp Dragons PDF Concentric Literary and Cultural Studies 32 1 135 168 Retrieved 2019 10 03 Rangel Jimenez Mauricio 2021 Lanzando los dados aproximaciones academicas a los juegos de rol in Spanish Universidad Iberoamericana ISBN 978 607 417 763 3 Owlbears Rust Monsters and Bulettes Oh My Tony DiTerlizzi a b The 10 Most Memorable Dungeons amp Dragons Monsters io9 16 September 2013 An Interview with China Mieville Believer Magazine April 1 2005 Granshaw Lisa October 24 2018 The 9 scariest most unforgettable monsters from Dungeons amp Dragons SYFY WIRE a b c d e Baird Scott May 20 2018 Dungeons amp Dragons 10 Most Powerful And 10 Weakest Monsters Ranked ScreenRant Retrieved February 21 2022 Stupid Monsters someone was paid to make the best job ever www headinjurytheater com Archived from the original on 2013 10 28 Retrieved 2015 02 09 The most underrated monsters of Advanced Dungeons amp Dragons June 27 2016 Archived from the original on October 2 2019 Retrieved October 9 2019 The Dumbest Dungeons amp Dragons Monsters Ever And How To Use Them Tabletop The Escapist v1 escapistmagazine com 25 April 2014 Cracked com America s Only Humor Site Cracked com Cracked com Monstrous Futures Dungeons amp Dragons Harbinger of the None Generation Turns 40 Religion Dispatches September 21 2014 Erik Sofge 2008 03 10 With Dungeons amp Dragons Gary Gygax created a monster Slate com Retrieved 2019 10 03 Mizer Nicholas J 22 November 2019 Tabletop role playing games and the experience of imagined worlds Cham Switzerland p 34 ISBN 978 3 030 29127 3 OCLC 1129162802 Clements Philip J December 2019 Dungeons amp Discourse Intersectional Identities in Dungeons amp Dragons PhD Retrieved September 22 2020 a b c Schick Lawrence 1991 Heroic Worlds A History and Guide to Role Playing Games Prometheus Books ISBN 0 87975 653 5 Swan Rick April 1993 Role playing Reviews Dragon Lake Geneva Wisconsin TSR 192 86 MacKenzie Mike 2005 03 25 Review of Libris Mortis RPGnet Retrieved 2008 02 19 Keith Ammann The Monsters Know What They re Doing Combat Tactics for Dungeon Masters Simon amp Schuster 2019 p v vii Clements Philip J December 2019 Dungeons amp Discourse Intersectional Identities in Dungeons amp Dragons PhD thesis p 68 Retrieved 2020 09 22 Williams Skip Tweet Jonathan Cook Monte July 2003 Monster Manual Wizards of the Coast ISBN 0 7869 2893 X a b Gygax Gary 1977 Monster Manual Lake Geneva WI TSR Hobbies ISBN 0 935696 00 8 OCLC 4592523 Hergenrader Trent 2019 Collaborative Worldbuilding for Writers and Gamers Bloomsbury Academic ISBN 978 1 3500 1667 5 Ammann Keith 2019 The Monsters Know What They re Doing Saga Press pp 157 158 ISBN 978 1982122669 Zambrano J R 2016 12 16 D amp D Monster Spotlight Bulette belloflostsouls net Retrieved 2020 05 10 Clinton Boomer Jason Bulmahn Joshua J Frost Nicolas Logue Robert McCreary Jason Nelson Richard Pett Sean K Reynolds James L Sutter and Greg A Vaughan Dungeon Denizens Revisited Paizo 2009 Allender Jeff 1997 Advanced Dungeons amp Dragons TSR 1991 Jeff Allender s House of Checklists Retrieved 2010 10 13 Mapventures Products RPGNow com Retrieved 2010 04 20 The Oath of Kortis PDF Mapventures Archived from the original PDF on 2011 07 14 Retrieved 2010 04 20 Behind the Monsters Bulette Your Games Now Archived from the original on 2011 07 18 Retrieved 2010 04 20 Bulette Land Shark Joseph Wu Origami Inc Retrieved 2010 04 20 Tricky s Complete Walkthrough for Eye of the Beholder II The Legend of Darkmoon PC GameFAQs gamefaqs com 2007 11 25 Retrieved 2010 10 13 a b c d e f Turnbull Don August September 1978 Open Box White Dwarf 8 16 17 Gygax Gary Blume Brian 1976 Eldritch Wizardry 1 ed Lake Geneva WI TSR Cook David et al Monstrous Compendium Volume Two TSR 1989 Doug Stewart ed June 1993 Monstrous Manual TSR Inc ISBN 1 5607 6619 0 Winter Steve The Complete Psionics Handbook TSR 1991 Wyatt James Oriental Adventures Wizards of the Coast 2001 Jonathan Rubin Farewell to the Dungeon Master How D amp D creator Gary Gygax changed geekdom forever Slate March 6 2008 Gygax Gary Kuntz Rob 1975 Dungeons and Dragons Supplement I Greyhawk Lake Geneva WI TSR p 39 a b Turnbull Don 1981 Fiend Folio Lake Geneva WI TSR Hobbies ISBN 0 935696 21 0 OCLC 11291023 a b DeVarque Aardy Literary Sources of D amp D Retrieved 2020 01 07 a b McCarthy Sean 2011 11 06 Allison Tavis ed Panel Discussion D amp D in Contemporary Art New York a b c d e Gygax Gary 1983 Monster Manual II ISBN 0 7869 2873 5 a b c Thomson Jamie Dec 1981 Jan 1982 Open Box White Dwarf review Games Workshop 28 14 Colohan Daniel June 13 2021 D amp D Top 10 Demon Lords Your Party Will Fear CBR Cook Monte 2001 04 28 Ptolus Archived from the original on 2009 01 06 Retrieved 2008 10 07 Crawford Jeremy ed 2014 D amp D Monster manual Fifth ed Wizards of the Coast p 177 ISBN 978 0 7869 6561 8 Crawford Jeremy ed 2014 D amp D Monster manual Fifth ed Wizards of the Coast p 257 ISBN 978 0 7869 6561 8 Collins Andy Williams Skip Wyatt James November 2003 Draconomicon Wizards of the Coast ISBN 0 7869 2884 0 a b Monster Manual 3rd ed Wizards of the Coast 2000 Dragon Magazine 101 Creature Catalog III Random House 1985 10 01 ISBN 978 0 394 54954 5 Bambra Jim Gallagher Phil 1985 Dark Clouds Gather Wizards of the Coast ISBN 978 0 88038 236 6 Dungeon Magazine 135 June 2006 Dragon Magazine 141 The Dragon s Bestiary Nonhuman creatures January 1989 a b c Bonny Ed Williams Skip Grubb Jeff Redman Rich Winter Steve 2002 Monster Manual II 3rd ed Wizards of the Coast ISBN 978 0 7869 2873 6 OCLC 50701346 Dungeon Magazine 125 August 2005 Dragon Magazine 343 Creature Catalog V Paizo Publishing 2006 a b Cagle Eric James Wyatt 2003 Fiend Folio 3rd ed Wizards of the Coast ISBN 978 0 7869 2780 7 a b c Amory Patrick March 1981 Dragon Magazine 47 Creatures From Elsewhere Grubb Jeff Cordell Bruce R Noonan David 2001 Manual of the Planes Wizards of the Coast ISBN 978 0 7869 1850 8 Dragon Magazine 101 Creature Catalog III Mohan Kim 1984 Dragon Magazine 89 Creature Catalog I ISBN 978 0 394 54194 5 Cook Monte October 2002 Book of Vile Darkness Wizards of the Coast ISBN 0 7869 2650 3 Tsr March 1985 Dragon Magazine 94 Creature Catalog II ISBN 978 0 394 73888 8 a b c d Montegriffo Nicholas December 25 2020 Dungeons And Dragons The 15 Most Powerful Monsters From D amp D History The Gamer Retrieved February 21 2022 Kantor Jonathan H October 10 2018 13 Most Powerful D amp D Monsters And 12 Weakest ScreenRant Retrieved February 21 2022 King Marley December 1 2021 Best D amp D Monsters For High Level Parties That Aren t Too Cliche ScreenRant Retrieved February 21 2022 Appelcline Shannon September 4 2015 Orcus Demon Prince of Undeath Wizards of the Coast Retrieved April 3 2018 a b Appelcline Shannon November 17 2014 Monster Mythology Wizards of the Coast Retrieved April 3 2018 Bornet Philippe 2011 Religions in play games rituals and virtual worlds Theologischer Verlag Zurich p 282 ISBN 978 3 290 22010 5 Retrieved 5 December 2019 Brown Timothy B January 1991 The Game Wizards Dragon 165 89 Webb Trenton October 1996 Games Reviews Arcane Future Publishing 11 71 Jacobs James Erik Mona and Ed Stark Fiendish Codex I Hordes of the Abyss Wizards of the Coast 2006 a b Laws Robin D and Robert J Schwalb Fiendish Codex II Tyrants of the Nine Hells Wizards of the Coast 2006 a b Pramas Chris Guide to Hell TSR 1999 Doug Stewart ed June 1993 Monstrous Manual TSR Inc p 339 ISBN 1 5607 6619 0 Findley Nigel D Practical Planetology p 8 TSR 1991 Findley Nigel D Practical Planetology p 56 TSR 1991 a b Slavicsek Bill Baker Richard Mearls Mike January 2009 32 The Ten Best High Level Monsters Dungeons and Dragons 4th Edition For Dummies John Wiley amp Sons ISBN 9780470406397 Retrieved July 3 2012 Wischstadt Bryon April 2003 Faeries Bastion Press Inc p 119 ISBN 9781592630011 Retrieved July 3 2012 Ammann Keith 2019 The Monsters Know What They re Doing Saga Press p 221 ISBN 978 1982122669 Bricken Rob September 16 2013 The 10 Most Memorable Dungeons amp Dragons Monsters Io9 Retrieved January 20 2016 Croitoriu Michael November 2000 Monster Manual Backstab in French 24 76 Retrieved December 22 2021 Further reading EditJacobs James Erik Mona and Ed Stark Fiendish Codex I Hordes of the Abyss Wizards of the Coast 2006 Larme John Dangerous Games Censorship and Child Protection 1 2000 McComb Colin Faces of Evil The Fiends TSR 1997 ISBN 0 7869 0684 7 McComb Colin Dale Donovan and Monte Cook Planes of Conflict TSR 1995 ISBN 0 7869 0309 0 McComb Colin Dori Jean Hein and Wolfgang Baur Planes of Law TSR 1995 ISBN 0 7869 0093 8 Doug Stewart ed June 1993 Monstrous Manual TSR Inc ISBN 1 5607 6619 0 Wyatt James and Rob Heinsoo Monstrous Compendium Monsters of Faerun Wizards of the Coast 2001 Wyatt James Ari Marmell and C A Suleiman Heroes of Horror Wizards of the Coast 2005 Bryant Levi R October 2012 Substantial Powers Active Affects The Intentionality of Objects Deleuze Studies 6 4 529 543 doi 10 3366 dls 2012 0081 Retrieved February 16 2022 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Monsters in Dungeons 26 Dragons amp oldid 1136400832 Fiends, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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