Dungeons & Dragons: 8 Unusual Fey To Shock Your Players With (2024)

wouldn't be the same game without the catalog of classic monsters it has. Whether that's a Mind Flayer, a Beholder, or something a little more unexpected, there is no shortage of awe-inspiring beasties to unleash on your players and their hopefully heroic characters.

When it comes to Fey creatures, however, there are only so many fairies and dryads you can throw at your players before even these enchanting entities lose their luster and fail to get a big reaction. That's why we have a list for you of more unusual Fey enemies that your players won't be expecting, adding an extra dash of Fey wonder and mischief to your games.

8 Blink Dog

Release The Hounds

The Blink Dog is an often-forgotten D&D classic, originating all the way back in the first edition of the game. At first glance, you might mistake it for a regular hound, but they are indeed Fey creatures. Intelligent, able to speak their own language, and capable of teleportation, they have a lot going for them.

Not everyone feels great about fighting something that resembles man's best friend, so be sure to lean on the idea that it only resembles a dog and is, in fact, something else. Alternatively, use the typically good-aligned nature of a Blink Dog, along with their intelligence, to help your players find a peaceful solution to the problem of these pooches.

7 Boggle

Slippery Foes

Boggles like to hide under beds or in closets, waiting for the opportunity to cause some mayhem. That makes them a perfect low-level encounter for your players since they can pop up almost anywhere. At first, these Small-sized Fey may seem like an easy win, but your players will be quickly surprised.

They naturally secrete an oil that is either sticky or slippery, at the discretion of the Boggle, and can also make Aperture Science style portals from one point to another. This opens up a Boggle encounter to quickly become one that descends into chaos, and that can be when D&D shines.

6 Coral

For The Kids

Coral may look like an odd monster mash-up, but she's part of the Misplaced Monsters collection, a project where children's drawings are turned into D&D creatures by professional artists and game designers.

All proceeds go directly to charity, so it's the best thing you can invest in when it comes to D&D. She also has a fairly robust stat block and a CR of 9, so don't assume she's a joke. Your players won't expect this magical marvel or the wonderful story behind it.

5 Deadbark Dryad

Breaking Bad Bark

An encounter with a Dryad who wants to stop adventurers trampling through nature carelessly is a classic, but that also means it's predictable. Instead, consider the Deadbark Dryad, a Dryad that has already failed to protect the wilderness it calls home.

Their domain becomes corrupted and they grow resentful of healthy life, unleashing their hatred on anyone who crosses into their domain. The best monsters have a story baked into them, and the Deadbark Dryad is a prime example.

4 Giant Goose

A Big Honker

See Also

Fairy Tail: Dungeons Review | RPGFan

If a monster that will shock your players is what you want, one that they'll never stop talking about, you can't do much better than the Giant Goose. It's such a zany choice that they'll probably remember it more clearly than some boss fights.

Although an obvious companion for a giant, the Giant Goose is actually a Fey creature. They're no slouch in combat, with an alarming Thunderous Honk ability. A Giant Goose encounter comes with rewards, too. Their golden eggs can contain magical items.

3 Madcap

Mad Hatters

Redcaps are a kind of murderous Fey who dip their hats in the blood of their victims, soaking them red to earn their name. A Madcap, on the other hand, is a Redcap who soaks their hat not in human blood but the ichor of fiends.

This drives them towards irrational hatred, mad at an otherwise unremarkable thing like the color blue. Although statistically the same as Redcaps, Madcaps have lore that states they burst into flame when they die. Give them a low DC fiery blast on death for 1d4 damage, and watch your players scramble to disengage.

2 Meenlock

Good In A Pinch

When you think Fey, you probably think of creatures of impossible beauty, mischievous whimsy, or perhaps even sinister artistry. A yellow humanoid bug crustacean is almost certainly not the first thing that comes to mind, and yet, there's the Meenlock.

Small telepathic creatures with the ability to teleport, a Meenlock is spawned by fear in the Feywild and seeks only to destroy all that is good and beautiful. If your players are used to the prettier sorts of Fey, then a group of Meenlocks is a great way to catch them off guard.

1 Yarnspinner

Weave A New Tale

Giant spiders are a classic enemy in both TTRPGs and video games, to the bane of arachnophobes everywhere. If you want to subvert that trope, Yarnspinner is here to answer the call, a benevolent giant spider who will possibly endear himself to your players.

Yarnspinner may appear to be a giant spider, but he's really just a Fey in that shape who loves nothing more than stories. He'll gladly aid an adventuring party if it means watching their story play out or hearing about their past exploits.