D&D: Five Creepy Aberrations for When Things Get Eldritch
Sometimes you just need a monster that is slimy, gross, and eldritch. Because what else are your cultists gonna summon?
What is it about D&D and the idea of “eldritch monsters” that fits so perfectly? Is it because some of D&D’s original inspiration was stories like Conan the Barbarian? Conan famously faced all sorts of horrific monsters. Lovecraftian threats were no match for Conan’s mighty thews.
There’s something incredibly satisfying about fighting eldritch horrors from beyond the stars. So whether you’re fighting at low levels or high, here are five creepy aberrations for when things get eldritch.
Star Spawn Seer
Star Spawn are the quintessential eldritch foes. They come in a variety of horrific shapes and represent a threat from the Far Realm. The Star Spawn Seer is particularly devastating, as they manipulate realities and comets and can move through creatures and damage them. If you’ve never had the occasion to fight one, you’re missing out.
A Star Spawn Seer is a perfect climactic encounter for any session where the party is above level 6.
Chuul
Chuul are big crab/lobster monsters that make powerful pincer attacks backed up by paralytic tentacles. They’re straightforward. They’re tough, and they can swim as fast as anyone. When you need an eldritch brute? Call a Chuul.
Kalaraq Quori
One of the rarer aberrations out there. Kalaraq quori are the most powerful of the quori — alien entities who live in Eberron’s plane of dreams and nightmares. Each Kalaraq is a threat unto itself.
Known as Eyebinders because they can steal souls and imprison them in the swarm of eyes that surround them, Kalaraq are terrifying foes. At CR 19, they can take on powerful opponents. Their abilities allow them to possess foes, deal psychic damage, and blind nearby creatures, as well as cursing them to eventually die and become thralls in the quori’s command.
Perfectly eldritch boss monster for the capstone of an adventure.
Dolgaunt
Dolgaunts, on the other hand, are perfect eldritch minions. These are corrupted hobgoblins, who have been reshaped by the quori. But even if you’re not using them, a dolgaunt is perfect as an eldritch fight.
Their tentacle attacks can grapple creatures in place, while they wail on opponents with unarmed strikes. Once they have creatures grappled, they can drain vitality in lieu of making tentacle attacks, so they can be surprisingly resilient.
Dyrrn
Dyrrn is one of the great Daelkyr of Eberron. Dyrrn is an alien being known better as the Corruptor, the Stealer of Thoughts, or the Slithering Lord. That last part is how you know Dyrrn is Eldritch.
Dyrrn’s corrupting influence can be felt from afar. And from Dyrrn, descend all Mind Flayers and their ilk. Even just trying to read Dyrrn’s thoughts causes a creature to save or be stunned. Even trying to deal psychic damage to Dyrrn runs that risk.
But Dyrrn does more than that, Dyrrn has that most Eldritch of qualities, tentacles. Which in this case deal slashing damage, grapple creatures, and stuns them. Dyrrn can also corrupt a target, warping their flesh in alien ways which gives them disadvantage on attacks, damages them, and halves their speed while impeding spellcasting.
Dyrrn is less an enemy and more a force of nature to contend with. But their influence and abilities can inspire a whole campaign.
Happy Adventuring!
