10 Spooky Monster Villains for your October Games
It’s October and we are fully immersed in the spooky time of the year! In celebration, I am dedicating the rest of the blog posts in October to everything that is ooky, cooky, or downright spooky. Legend says that All Hallows’ Eve is when the barriers between the realms are the thinnest, or when the dead walk the earth once more. I am not sure if I believe either of these are true, but I am certain that this time of year is a great opportunity to pit your players against the spooky scary types of creatures in theme with the season. Before you run these creatures, be sure to have safety tools in place to help navigate scary situations. Check out my blog about why consent in horror is important. With that said, Content Warning: I will be covering content that includes common phobias and fears as we cover some unique monsters you can throw at your party this October.
In our previous blog post we discussed several monsters for your characters to contend with this Halloween. This blog suggests some monsters you could use as main villains in your spooky game, either as an overarching nemesis or an end-of-dungeon boss.
10. Flesh Golem - A twisted horrifying amalgamation of corpses, science, arcane, and a spark of life. Inspired by Frankenstein’s monster from classical fiction, the flesh golem is an example of science freed from the shackles of ethics, morality, and conscience. Truly a terrifying sight to behold and a very tough combatant to deal with, the flesh golem is a great spooky monster for your players to contend with. This could come in the form of a recently completed magnum opus or a monster set loose upon an unsuspecting countryside.
9. Necromancer - Many of the monsters we featured in last week’s blog were undead monstrosities and each of them are scary, spooky, and terrifying for different reasons. Perhaps more unsettling are those who summon and command these terrifying monstrosities. Necromancy has long been considered taboo and is usually associated with evil. Desecrating the bodies of the dead, animating them using foul magics, and bending them to their will takes a toll on these dark practitioners. Necromancers are often devoid of emotion or empathy, making them terrifying villains to face. That and they are often surrounded by a horde of undead minions.
8. Hag - Wretched beings who revel in the despair of their victims before consuming them or using their organs to create magical items. These powerful fey are twisted and evil and many of them are able to disguise their appearance in order to lure unwitting adventurers to their doom. Some are even able to snatch the very soul from a dying creature and trap it. These vile creatures are even more deadly when found in groups known as covens, where they work together to brew potions and weave their vile magic. Hags are a great villain as with fey, not everything is as it appears.
7. Beholder - Eye see you! The Beholder is a terrifying abomination composed of eyes and is even featured on the cover art of the 5th edition Monster Manual! These powerful monsters are able to shut down enemy spellcasters with an antimagic central eye and have ten unique eye rays that can charm, levitate, petrify, kill or even disintegrate heroes. It is also one of the most iconic monsters in Dungeons & Dragons! If you want a memorable aberration to scare your players, the Beholder is a fantastic choice.
6. Aboleth - Ancient, primordial, aquatic beings that predate even the gods themselves, Aboleths dream of overthrowing the reign of the gods and rebuilding their empire by enslaving all surface-dwelling folk. Their plans stretch across the eons and their thoughts are utterly alien. Aboleths are psychic, allowing them to probe the minds of their victims to know their secrets and desires, and ultimately enslave them. Aboleths are also covered in a sticky mucus that allows them to inflict a potent disease upon their victim, transforming them into a translucent slimy creature that struggles to exist anywhere outside of water. If you want something slimy, psychic, and ultimately eldritch in nature, Aboleths are a gross monster to fight!
5. Death Knight - Skeletal, malevolent warriors who were once champions of good that betrayed their oaths and can no longer find peace in death, Death Knights are among the most dangerous monsters players can face. There is something extra scary knowing that behind the armored visage is the restless spirit of a fallen champion who will find no peace and cause only suffering. These undead horrors can be found leading vast armies of undead creatures bent on slaughtering the living to swell their endless ranks.
4. Lich - If the Death Knight is the martial representative of sentient undead, the lich is its arcane counterpart. Like the aforementioned necromancer, liches delve deep into the dark magics to seek immortality and trap their mortal soul within an arcane object known as a phylactery. But even this dark act is not without cost as they must feed their phylactery the souls of others to maintain their immortality. Liches are among the most powerful casters and often can be found in ancient tombs where they continue their arcane study centuries after their natural death. Liches are a cautionary tale for all those who would seek immortality at any cost.
3. Dracolich - Dragons are scary. Liches are scary. But why not both? A colossal skeletal monstrosity, Dracoliches combine the best of both worlds and these rotting skeletal predators are notoriously hard to kill and can be deadly for your party. Though they retain nearly none of their flesh, Dracoliches lose none of their intelligence or their power. These fearsome foes are often found in lairs long believed to be abandoned, guarding their treasure hoards for eternity. For me, Dracoliches are a great villain as they combine the creepiness of the undead with the raw power of a dragon. This is one spooky villain your players will not soon forget.
2. Mind Flayers - Mind Flayers, or Ilithids, as they are often called, are an eldrich terror from beyond our realm. They are utterly alien, devoid of emotion, and enjoy devouring our juicy succulent brains. . . which they prefer to consume while their prey is still alive. . .eww! Illithids are not only known for their horrifying dietary method, but also for their equally horrifying method of reproduction. Illithids infect their host with an Illithid tadpole, which then consumes the brain and transforms the host into a new Illithid, killing the host. Illithids also share a hivemind with a giant brainlike creature known as the Elder Brain which directs the concerted efforts of the Illithid colony. Illithids are a great monster to use if you have some eldritch thoughts on the brain.
1. Vampires - It is no secret that vampires are among my favorite monsters of all time and that Curse of Strahd is my favorite 5e module published to date. What do I like so much about vampires? I think they are terrifying. Everything about the vampire is designed to lure you in: the charm, the seduction, the noble visage. Before you know it, their fangs find your neck and then darkness. Because beneath the calm welcoming face and behind those come-hither eyes is a dangerous predator that wants nothing more than to tear you to ribbons and drain your life away. They are a perfect marriage of sophistication and savagery who are ultimately irredemable due to their murderous nature. If you want my pick for a Halloween villain this season, vampires are on brand and very scary.
There you have it, folks. 10 spooky villains to use. Which are you most excited to use? Join us next week as we tackle another spooky topic!
Take Heart!
Karington Hess
Game Master and Founder of Open Heart Games
