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Dungeons & Dragons is crammed with numerous monsters {that a} Dungeon Master can embody in a given marketing campaign. More monsters are added in nearly each new D&D setting, giving DMs much more choices to throw at their gamers. The monsters included in a marketing campaign assist set the tone and may work to determine a selected location with the world. Some monsters may be discovered nearly anyplace, however others are extraordinarily specialised for sure environments.
Aquatic monsters are among the many most specialised, as they characteristic distinctive motion modes and utterly alien physiologies. Most participant characters might be out of their aspect, actually, when combating underwater. Using the big variety of sea monsters 5e D&D has to supply is a good way to maintain them on their toes.
Updated August 24, 2022 by Declan Lowthian: While it may be enjoyable to check absolutely the strongest creatures haunting the pages of the Monster Manual, these creatures see a lot much less play than their mid-level compatriates. This replace contains among the extra rank-and-file monsters DMs can use to fill the depths of their marketing campaign’s oceans.
15 Skum
Challenge Rating 5, Ghosts of Saltmarsh pg. 254
Presented within the Ghosts of Saltmarsh module, skum are horrible creatures corrupted by the affect of one other highly effective aquatic creature, usually an aboleth. They are pretty easy brutes, however they’ve a number of extra alien skills that assist set them other than normal melee monsters.
A skum’s psychic corruption has left them proof against each the frightened and charmed circumstances, masking a standard weak spot for brute enemies with low Wisdom and Intelligence scores. Additionally, they’ve a robust Mind-Breaking Touch energy that inflicts large psychic harm and imposes drawback on Wisdom saving throws, good for combining with one other, extra highly effective psychic creature.
14 Kraken Priest
Challenge Rating 5, Monsters of the Multiverse pg. 167
These highly effective spellcasters have devoted themselves to the service of a kraken in hopes of currying favor and siphoning some quantity of energy off within the course of. Kraken monks achieve a swim pace and resistance to nonmagical bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing harm, making them powerful opponents to land hits on.
A kraken priest’s connection to their grasp grants them some innate spellcasting, together with Evard’s Black Tentacles, Control Water, Water Walk, and even the power to solid Command at will. Introducing a kraken priest right into a D&D marketing campaign is a good way to foreshadow an much more highly effective looming menace.
13 The Maw Of Sekolah
Challenge Rating 7, Ghosts of Saltmarsh pg. 244
Another highly effective aquatic creature from the Ghosts of Saltmarsh e book, the Maw of Sekholah is a gigantic, two-headed shark summoned by sahuagin cultists in rituals to their darkish shark god Sekolah. The maw of Sekolah is simply problem ranking 7, however it boasts two Legendary Resistances every day, in addition to a handful of legendary actions.
With these, the Maw can transfer as much as its 50-foot pace after one other character’s flip, try and odor out its prey with a Perception verify, and even assault each creature inside 60 ft of it with gnashing shark mouths. This large shark is ideal to harry any unlucky adventurers who discover themselves all of a sudden thrown overboard.
12 Aboleth
Challenge Rating 10, Monster Manual pg. 13
Reminiscent of the terrors of the deep discovered within the work of H.P. Lovecraft, Aboleths are psychic beings that reside within the depths of historical seas and lakes. A fixture of D&D for the reason that recreation’s first version, aboleths are historical beings that use their psychic skills to enslave different creatures.
Aboleths harbor an historical resentment towards the gods, making them the right foes for a celebration with a religious cleric or paladin amongst its ranks. Their capacity to enslave different creatures implies that an aboleth could be discovered combating alongside any variety of different, disparate creatures. This may help make sure that combating an aboleth’s thralls is at all times a shock.
11 Marid
Challenge Rating 11, Monster Manual pg. 146
D&D genies are available in quite a few varieties that correspond to air, earth, hearth, and water. Marids, tied to the Elemental Plane of Water, are historically chaotic impartial beings which will or might not be antagonistic in direction of the participant characters.
However, if angered, they’re extraordinarily highly effective enemies. They have entry to potent spells like Conjure Elemental, Invisibility, Plane Shift, and typically even Wish. Their tridents alone can be utilized to devastating impact in melee, making these creatures equally highly effective potential associates or foes.
10 Morkoth
Challenge Rating 11, Monsters of the Multiverse pg. 186
Appearing first in Volo’s Guide to Monsters, morkoths are large, squidlike creatures that may be discovered inside flooded lairs on secluded islands. Similarly to an aboleth, a morkoth can manipulate the minds of adventurers and wields hypnosis as certainly one of its main weapons.
Morkoths are ordinary hoarders, they usually suffuse their lairs with highly effective magic that permits them to trace down objects, trigger creatures to lose observe of their possessions, and even make water breathable and clear as air. Venturing to a morkoth’s lair is the right hook for a D&D occasion voyaging the excessive seas.
9 Wastrilith
Challenge Rating 13, Monsters of the Multiverse pg. 258
Appearing in Modenkainen’s Tome of Foes, a wastrilith is an extremely potent amphibious demon identified to deprave water with its very presence. Water a wastrilith is available in contact with instantly turns into corrupted, turning extremely poisonous and murky.
A wastrilith is made much more harmful when accompanied by different demons, as whereas this corrupted water could also be toxic to gamers, it’s able to therapeutic demons when consumed. While many coastal adventures will focus on a tentacled aberration, a wastrilith could make for a superb change of tempo.
8 Storm Giant Quintessent
Challenge Rating 16, Monsters of the Multiverse pg. 235
While the amphibious storm giants are already highly effective in their very own proper, the storm big quintessent is an immensely highly effective being with a problem ranking of 16. Completely in sync with the weather and nature, a storm big quintessent is able to changing into one with pure disasters themselves, corresponding to a harsh blizzard or storm.
When it involves fight, a storm big quintessent can assault with its Lightning Sword twice every flip, dealing an astonishing 9d6+9 lightning harm on every hit. Additionally, this creature can also be able to utilizing its legendary actions to displace different creatures with a gust or assault from afar with lightning bolts.
7 Dragon Turtle
Challenge Rating 17, Monster Manual pg. 119
One creature that adventurers will have to be looking out for when touring throughout the ocean are dragon turtles. While not fairly as harmful as historical dragons, these sea monsters tote a staggering 341 hit factors and have an Armor Class of 20, making them fairly the trouble to place down.
In addition to with the ability to dish out three assaults on every of its turns, a dragon turtle can expel a lethal blast of steam that offers a whopping 15d6 harm to something unlucky sufficient to get in its method. Defending a coastal city from a dragon turtle assault could possibly be a complete journey in and of itself.
6 Olhydra
Challenge Rating 18, Princes of the Apocalypse pg. 218
Also often called the Crushing Wave, the Dark Tide, or the Well of Endless Anguish, Olhydra is the Elemental Princess of Evil Water, certainly one of D&D‘s 4 evil elemental princes. Though she is most probably to be encountered by way of her cultists, who embody pirates, sailors, and all method of misplaced souls, she is a pressure to be reckoned with on her personal.
Olhydra can solid Wall of Ice at will, along with with the ability to conjure water elementals to help her in her struggle. Anywhere she makes her lair turns into infused together with her energy, permitting her to suck creatures down into murky tide swimming pools or lock the world in a dense, freezing fog.
5 Leviathan
Challenge Rating 20, Monsters of the Multivere pg. 171
One of essentially the most highly effective foes that may be encountered beneath the waves is the leviathan. With a problem ranking of 20 and entry to highly effective Legendary Resistances that enable it to mechanically succeed on as much as three saving throws in fight, this monster is a menace. The scariest instrument at a leviathan’s disposal is its capacity to create tidal waves. These waves are up 250 ft lengthy, as much as 250 ft excessive, and as much as 50 ft thick, requiring anybody caught in its space to roll a Srength saving throw. Targets who fail these rolls undergo 5d10 bludgeoning harm, whereas gamers who handed nonetheless struggling half as a lot. This could be scary in its personal proper, however the wave additionally stays current, dwindling in measurement over time however persevering with to deal harm to gamers.
4 Elder Tempest
Challenge Rating 23, Monsters of the Multiverse pg. 121
An Elder Tempest is among the most harmful elemental threats that may be encountered in a D&D marketing campaign. At an immense 23 problem ranking, an Elder Tempest has a blisteringly quick fly pace of 120 ft.
With terrifying legendary actions like Lightning Strike and Screaming Gale, an elder tempest can assault as much as 4 occasions each spherical. The very presence of this being dissipates all flame and fog and causes all ranged assault rolls to be made at drawback, nearly inflicting a regional impact with out really having that attribute.
3 Kraken
Challenge Rating 23, Monster Manual 197
Few aquatic monsters are as iconic in fantasy as krakens. Like the elder tempest, krakens possess a startlingly excessive problem ranking of 23. Dealing harm to a kraken may be an endeavor in itself, as they’re proof against bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing harm from nonmagical assaults.
A kraken’s offensive capabilities are simply as spectacular, as they assault as much as 3 times a flip for enormous harm. As if this wasn’t sufficient, they’re able to summoning lighting storms and creating toxic ink clouds as legendary actions.
2 Ancient Gold Dragon
Challenge Rating 24, Monster Manual 113
Ancient gold dragons should not simply one of many deadliest aquatic monsters in D&D, however are one of the highly effective creatures in the whole recreation. In addition to with the ability to shapeshift, the Ancient gold dragon has an AC of twenty-two and has a catastrophic breath assault that offers an amazing 13d10 hearth harm.
Luckily for gamers, gold dragons are historically reclusive, good-aligned beings which can be extra inclined to assist gamers fairly than assault them. While a gold dragon, with its highly effective hearth breath, won’t look like a sea monster, 5e makes these creatures highly effective swimmers equally at residence on land or beneath the waves.
1 Demogorgon
Challenge Rating 26, Monsters of the Multiverse pg. 90
One of essentially the most iconic creatures in D&D can also be one of the highly effective sea monsters 5e brings to the desk. Demogorgon, the Prince of Demons, the Master of the Spiraling Depths, resembles an enormous, two-headed ape with tentacled limbs.
Though he would not have the aquatic trait, Demogorgon does have a 50-foot swim pace and is kind of at residence deep within the waters of his demonic lair. At an astounding 26 problem ranking, Demogorgon is an especially powerful struggle even for characters on the apex of their adventuring profession, and this struggle would solely change into tougher a mile or extra underwater.
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