Enjoy this review of the Top 10 Halloween Monsters! These are the classics that you see represented in the form of Halloween Costumes, Artwork and Horror Movies. For each Monster we will Discuss WHY do We Fear Them? WHY Would our Character Fear them in D&D and we will give a Quest Idea for each monster.
Top 10 Halloween Monsters – Why We Fear them in D&D
This article will explore the scientific names of the Phobias or fears of the monsters listed. A few reasons why we fear these monsters in real life and why our D&D characters may be terrified of them. I’ll also include movie references and quest or one shot ideas so you can use these D&D Halloween Monsters in your game. Enjoy this in video format or scroll down to continue reading the article. Hope you enjoy this D&D Halloween countdown of the Top 10 Monsters and Why we Fear them!
Top 10 D&D Halloween Monsters
Honorable Mention:
Flesh Golem & Mad Alchemist (Frankenstein)
Whether being smashed by a raging giant fresh back from the dead or becoming part of a mad scientists experiments. Being a lab rat is not what the characters are wanting, for sure.
Why do we Fear them? Necrophobia – Fear of Dead Things
Possible Quest ideas include:
- The PCs are hired by a Mad Alchemist to dig up a body for the brain of an important town figure.
- The PCs are put into a pit and left to fight to the death versus his creation.
- The PCs brain are put into the body of another monster.
#10 – Aliens (Mind Flayers)
Why do we fear Aliens? Astrophobia – Fear of Outer Space – Aliens
Possible Fear: Brains being scrambled. Mind Control. Memories Erased… Abducted and experimented on. Parasites living in body… Probes.
Perhaps one of the scariest monsters in D&D for fear of having their brains sucked out of their heads.
Our PCs have been abducted and awaken on a strange bed. They have developed some psychic powers and can communicate with each other telepathically. Then, they make their escape… but, are they? Or, are they the lab rats for a few curious Mind Flayers who are studying them?
Or, perhaps the Mind Flayers try to control them?
#9 – Scarecrows
Why do we fear Scarecrows? Formidophobia – The Fear of inanimate objects that come to life. They are non-human, but look real.
Pumpkin head or sack head, Scarecrows are in abundance in Scarecrow Mansion. Nothing says Halloween like a straw monster with a jack o lantern for a head.
#8 Werewolves
Lupophobia is the fea of Wolves/Werewolves
Werewolves are faster and stronger and have resistances. Being tracked down and ripped apart by the savage, blood thirsty lycanthrope is a healthy fear… Of course, living through an attack to become a monster in our own right could even be worse. Beware the Full Moon.
An idea for a one-shot lycanthrope adventure: Characters are helping the city investigate deaths. Later it is revealed that one (or more) of the PCs are werewolves… but are they truly the guilty? Arrested but killings continue? perhaps another twist involving more lycanthropes! Maybe they are a good lycanthrope feeding on rats and small animals.
#7 – Vampires
Sanguivoriphobia is the Fear of Blood Eaters such as Vampires. We are no match for their charm and strength if they decide that we are their next meal. A fear of vampires is a fear of the supernatural.
Story or adventure ideas for Vampires. The LOST BOYS movie is a great plot line for a vampire story. One of the PCs family members is becoming a vampire must find and destroy the head vampire.
#6 – Dolls or Puppets
Dolls and Puppets that look too real. Our fear that at any minute they will spin their head, stare at us, and laugh. They are small agile and want to kill us, for no reason other than their evil nature.
Why do we fear dolls? Pediophobia is the fear of Non-human objects with a human-like face. The face is not quite right and we develop this unsettling sense that something is wrong. This is an effect known as UNCANNY VALLEY.
For the creepy of the creepy, the classic horror flick Child’s Play is a perfect example.
#5 – Clowns
We fear clowns for the same reason we fear Dolls, Puppets, and Scarecrows, the uncanny valley effect has our brain trying to make sense of a face that isn’t quite right. Why are they always smiling and staring at me! The fear of clowns is known as Coulrophobia.
The movie IT comes immediately to mind when thinking of horror shows that focus on clowns. A quest idea for clowns in Dungeons & Dragons™ could be:
A string of local nobles have been murdered. The PCs are hired to find the killer. They track down an insane Guild Artisan that dresses in clown clothes, shoes and make up. And then enter, its insane maze of mentally torturing traps, puzzles, and illusions.
Also, be sure to include red balloons for those that may have watched the movie “IT”.
#4 – Skeletons
Interesting enough, the fear of skeletons is known as Skelephobia. Ostiophobia, the fear of bones, can also play a part. Today, skeletons are commercialized to the point where our fear of them has waned, but given the right atmosphere, they can still provide a fear of malice, a disturbing evil grin, and a reminder of our own mortality.
In D&D, Skeletons attack without mercy and are not limited to humanoid form. An evil skeleton of a minotaur or a dragon could provide an interesting encounter. Or, how about hordes of skeletons in a relentless attack? You can find more about that in my D&D Puzzle Book – Journal of Puzzle Encounters with the entry entitled “Bone Bash”.
#3 – Witches – Hags
Wiccaphobia is the fear of witchcraft. In today’s world we do not fear spells and witches as much as we used to, in fact, we are more infatuated with such ideals. Some of the reasons we could fear their magic and manipulation, however, could be the idea that they can put us in a trance or make us do things we do not want to do. They bring about curses, plagues and bad luck. They represent evil.
In D&D, witches are represented by different types of Hags. The hag is a classic D&D monster that is manipulative and outright dangerous. They try to convince characters to do their bidding and manipulate them into trading their innocence and securities for promises they offer.
#2 – Zombies
Kinemortophobia is the fear of the moving dead. Zombies. We have a strange fear of the dead coming back to life. How do you kill what is already dead? This fear brings about anxiety of being eaten alive or even worse, being infected the disease and slowly transform to undead. Many movies and pop culture feature zombies as end of the world type scenarios. Look no further than the Walking Dead series or the movie Zombieland.
The good thing about zombies is that they are slow and easy to hit, these flesh-craving undead make for a great introduction to low level characters in D&D. In D&D zombies have an ability called Undead Fortitude. This feature allows Zombies to make a Constitution saving throw if they are about to be destroyed. On a success, they are reduced to 1 HP instead. So they look to be dead, but they get up to continue the fight.
A D&D quest idea could include a true Night of the Living Dead scenario. The characters arrive in town and investigate a graveyard. There are maniacs everywhere and within hours the townsfolk become zombies and hunt down the PCs! If you run this in a one shot, be sure any character bit experiences the fever, disease, and then death, and then undeath, if they take too long!
#1 Ghosts
The #1 D&D Halloween Monster are Ghosts. The fear of ghosts is known as Phasmophobia. We fear ghosts because there is little known about life after death. Haunts can be among us and we wouldn’t even know it or they could materialize in front of our eyes bringing about instant panic.
Ghosts can potentially be malevolent towards people and extremely dangerous. They can materialize out of anywhere, so the fact that they may be watching us at all times without us even knowing, is disturbing. In a D&D game, ghosts could follow a party with only subtle hints they are there. They could appear in a mirror, provide shock scares or even possess an unsuspecting victim.
Halloween is a perfect time of year to run adventures in haunted mansions or have parts of the adventure be haunted. One of the movies I always found eerie was the plot of the movie “The Others”. In this movie the PCs are hired to try and contact the ghosts living in an Inn or mansion. However, when the clues start to add up, the players will realize that their characters are the Ghosts!
What do you think of my Top 10 D&D Halloween Monsters? Do you agree with my list? Be sure to watch the video for more information and leave a comment with your picks for the Top 10 Scariest Halloween Monsters for Dungeons and Dragons™
On to the Next!
—wallyd
