The 14 Strongest Boss Monsters In Dungeons & Dragons, Ranked
For those who enjoy tabletop games, there's no game that is more beloved than the classic RPG Dungeons & Dragons. The ability to create characters from the ground up and have someone guide a group on an adventure of their own making is hard to top.
Of course, while D&D is about creating the adventure, there is a wide collection of monsters that the makers of the game have provided for dungeon masters to use. For the most part, these monsters are balanced and can each be used depending on circumstances. But some boss monsters in the catalog are still considered stronger than others.
Updated April 21, 2020, by Chris Birsner: Dungeons & Dragons continues to dominate the tabletop RPG world, so it's always worth looking deep into the game's Monster Manual to discover what other massive monsters a party could face. While almost every monster on this list is still a tough out, there are a few more that deserve some recognition as being among the strongest in the tabletop franchise, and dungeon masters who have run out of ideas should give them a try.
14 Flame Skull
Challenge Rating: 4
Description: A creature that may be nightmare fuel for many individuals out there, the Flame Skull is the product of dark spellcasters using the bones of dead wizards. While these creatures appear weak, they have four spells, including a fireball that they can unleash on the party that could cause massive damage.
They also have the ability to come back to life within an hour of death until it's properly buried with holy water. It can use Fire Ray twice per turn, with each ray dealing 3d6 damage. It has an armor class of 13 and around 40 hit points.
13 Gelatinous Cube
Challenge Rating: 2
Description: One may think that a cube of jelly would be easy to fight, but not so fast. The Gelatinous Cube is self-explanatory as it is a large ooze creature. Its signature move is Engulf, which means it attempts to absorb a creature so it can restrain it. If the creature fails a saving throw, the cube will overtake them and cause 6d6 damage to that creature each time its turn begins.
A creature can get out of the cube's grasp with a Strength check. This is the perfect monster for dungeon masters to use early. The Gelatinous Cube has an armor class of 6 and about 84 hit points.
12 Banshee
Challenge Rating: 4
Description: An undead evil spirit, the Banshee is a former female elf who comes out at night to haunt over living creatures that dare trespass on her territory. One of her primary actions is Wail. Under the night sky, the Banshee can unleash a scarring wail that affects all living creatures within 30 feet of her.
If the creatures fail a constitution saving throw, they immediately drop to 0 hit points. Even on a success, the creature is dealt with 3d6 psychic damage. The Banshee has an armor class of 12 and about 58 hit points.
11 Aboleth
Challenge Rating: 10
Description: Considered to be gods in the lake, the Aboleths once had control over many living creatures before the "true gods" destroyed their empire. Now, these long amphibians are looking to enact revenge.
The Aboleth has a brutal melee tentacle attack that could cause a creature to become diseased. It also can also "enslave" a creature by successfully charming it on a Wisdom saving throw. If the creature fails, the monster gains complete control of them. The Aboleth has an armor class of 17 and about 135 hit points.
10 Shadow Dragon
Challenge Rating: 13
Description: Dragons are a staple of any fantasy game, and they are a prominent part of Dungeons & Dragons. One of the toughest types of dragons to face is the Shadow Dragon. These monsters were either born in the Shadowfell or transformed after living in horrific conditions.
Either way, these creatures either become accustomed to the dark or want to spread evil energy over the Material Plane. This monster's deadly Shadow Breath could destroy the health of an entire party. Most Shadow Dragons have an armor class of 18 and about 178 hit points.
9 Beholder
Challenge Rating: 13
Description: If there is one iconic monster of the Dungeons & Dragons franchise, it is the Beholder. These many-eyed aberrations reign over other beings, viewing all creatures as lesser than them. The creature only has two attacks, bite and eye ray. However, there are 10 variants of the eye ray that can be inflicted upon creatures within 120 feet, ranging from a charm ray to a petrification ray.
Its two deadliest rays, disintegration and death ray, could end a creature's life in a single hit. The Beholder has an armor class of 18 and about 180 hit points.
8 Elder Brain
Challenge Rating: 14
Description: Nothing screams "boss" quite like the Elder Brain, which is a giant brain surrounded by black tendrils. The monster can take up to three legendary actions and it could only be used once after a creature's turn. Its most deadly action is Mind Blast, which could deal 5d10 + 5 psychic damage and leave a creature stunned for 1 minute.
The Elder Brain can also use its powers to read thoughts and manipulate minds. While its armor is only 10, it has the ability to turn any saving throw into success, even if it fails the role. It has 210 hit points.
7 Dracolich
Challenge Rating: 17
Description: Dragons are a tough task to deal with, but what if they were undead? The Dracolich is the remnants of a once-living dragon with plenty of immunities and lots of power. The monster has the ability to frighten creatures temporarily and then use Multiattack to bite them and claw them twice for a ridiculous amount of damage.
The lich also has a powerful lightning breath that can cause up to 120 points of damage. The Dracolich has an armor class of 19 and about 225 hit points.
6 Balor
Challenge Rating: 19
Description: Leaders of demonic armies, Balors are always looking to climb to the top of social hierarchy and would rule over the world if they could. They are duel-wielding creatures that will come after the party with both a flaming whip and a powerful longsword that channels the power of storms.
While it has some strong abilities, a Balor's greatest attack comes upon its death. It has Death Throes, which makes its body explode the area around it. This leads to players taking massive damage and flammable objects being burnt up. Its armor class is 19 and has about 262 hit points.
5 Pit Fiend
Challenge Rating: 20
Description: If players are looking to fight back against the evils of the Nine Hells, they will need to go through the Pit Fiend, the general of the Infernal region. These creatures are the leaders in battles to defend the archduke and archduchesses of the Nine Hells and will do anything to get what they want, including killing anyone that stands in the way.
The creature is overflowing with magic as it can cast spells while also wielding magical weapons as well. It has an armor class of 19 and around 300 hit points.
4 Empyrean
Challenge Rating: 23
Description: There is a good chance that meeting an Empyrean during a campaign won't result in a battle. However, there is such a thing as evil Empyrean who have traveled to the Lower Planes and have gotten corrupted or cursed by evil gods.
These celestial giants can affect the environment around them with their mood, so a battle with them means that they can bolster their army with nonhostile creatures or make the ground shake hard enough to knock the party down. Empyreans also have the ability to cast spells. Their armor class is 22 and they have 313 hit points.
3 Kraken
Challenge Rating: 23
Description: Returning to the seas, if there is one monster that gives anyone fears when traveling great bodies of water, it's the Kraken. This gargantuan monstrosity lives in the deep trenches of the ocean, inside caverns filled with potential treasure. These powerful beings can swallow creatures whole, causing them to be restrained and needing to fight the monster from within.
It also has the ability to conjure up a lightning storm to deal a ton of damage, even if creatures earn a successful saving throw. The Kraken has an armor class of 18 and about 472 hit points.
2 Ancient Red Dragon
Challenge Rating: 24
Description: Many of the ancient dragons in the game are among the toughest to fight and may take a long period of time to take down. Among them, the Ancient Red Dragon is one of the most conniving and evil. According to the Monster Manual, the creature is extremely vain and tends to show disdain for many other creatures around it.
The dragon's moves include a powerful fire breath that can severely damage even those who rolled a successful saving throw. Its legendary actions include a wing attack that can knock the party down. It has an armor class of 22 and about 546 hit points.
1 Tarrasque
Challenge Rating: 30
Description: The most dreaded monster on the Material Plane in D&D is none other than the ferocious Tarrasque. Another gargantuan monstrosity, these scaly bipeds stand fifty feet tall and seventy feet wide, towering almost every creature.
The monster has the usual array of melee attacks and can inflict fright upon any creature fighting it. Similar to the Kraken, it also has the ability to swallow creatures whole. All of its attacks are powerful and its defense is very high with an armor class of 25. The Tarrasque has about 676 hit points.
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