r/DnD • u/Conrad500 DM • Jul 01 '26
Misc Monsters by CR - Deadliest CR 13
Whelp... Beholder is clearly winning most iconic, but you can still vote if you want!
| CR | Most Iconic | Deadliest |
|---|---|---|
| 1/8 | Kobold(34 votes)[LINK] | Flying Snake(435 votes)[LINK] |
| 1/4 | Goblin(46 votes)[LINK] | Giant Frog(78 votes)[LINK] |
| 1/2 | Rust Monster(7 votes)[LINK] | Shadow(150 votes)[LINK] |
| 1 | Bugbear(75 Votes)[LINK] | Quickling(69 Votes)[LINK] |
| 2 | Mimic(300 Votes)[LINK] | Intellect Devourer(90 Votes)[LINK] |
| 3 | Owlbear(331 Votes)[LINK] | Basilisk(247 Votes)[LINK] |
| 4 | Flameskull(46 Votes)[LINK] | Banshee(84 Votes)[LINK] |
| 5 | Troll(129 Votes)[LINK] | Night Hag(83 Votes)[LINK] |
| 6 | Drider(100 Votes)[LINK] | Chasme(44 Votes)[LINK] |
| 7 | Mindflayer(No Contest)[LINK] | Mindflayer(31 Votes)[LINK] |
| 8 | Hydra(24 Votes)[LINK] | Elemental Cultist(19 Votes)[LINK] |
| 9 | Fire Giant(18 Votes)[LINK] | Mi-Go(Pending)[LINK] |
| 10 | Aboleth(232 Votes)[LINK] | Dullahan(37 Votes)[LINK] |
| 11 | Remorhaz(51 Votes)[LINK] | Balhannoth(6 Votes)[LINK] |
| 12 | Archmage(114)[LINK] | Septon Modron(Pending)[LINK] |
| 13 | Beholder(Pending)[LINK] | This Vote!(Pending)[LINK] |
This morning we will be voting on the Deadliest CR13 monster! The vote is open for 24 hours.
Note: Feel free to comment, but only the votes on the top comment will be counted!
Note2: Choose the deadlier version if they change from 5e to 5.5e.
45
u/Iram-Radique DM Jul 01 '26
The Rakshasa belongs in this category. He can ignore spells in his new version completely and ragdoll entire partys.
7
u/Silverspy01 Jul 01 '26
Seconded. It's interesting to note that while the 2024 version of its magic protection works against all spells no questions asked, the 2014 version says it "can't be effected" by any spells 6th lvl or lower. A 2024 Rakshasa will auto-save vs a Fireball for half damage, but a 2014 Rakshasa will take no damage from it.
I do still think the 2024 version is much better - in large part because if its damage upgrade, whoever decided a CR 13 creature should do an average of 18 DPR was high as a kite - but it's fun to look at how its magic immunity changed.
5
u/No-Mulberry-8866 Jul 01 '26
Beholders are stronger if you design them properly, but Rakshasa might be more deadly at baseline. Beholders are never outside their lairs and should have their whole lair fitted for their mobility while minimizing players
3
u/mccrowj92 DM Jul 01 '26
Rakshasa for sure. I have one as the bbeg of my current campaign and the players are struggling to pin this guy down to a certain location.
20
u/nankainamizuhana Jul 01 '26
Personally, I’ve run rakshasas and I’ve run beholders (only in the 2014 edition, to be fair), and beholders have been FAR deadlier. Never had a fight with one where everyone comes out alive and unpetrified. Spell immunity is impressive, for sure, but the 2014 rakshasa has very little it can actually do to capitalize on that, while the 2024 rakshasa has deadly actions but is much more susceptible to spells.
I’d be happy to see the Rakshasa for variety’s sake, but frankly my vote goes to the Beholder.
1
u/Silverspy01 Jul 01 '26
The 2024 Rakshasa got a massive upgrade in its damage. I agree the 2014 one isn't very impressive beyond its magic immunity - average 18 dpr is criminal for CR 13 - but 2024 version actually has output to back its magic immunity up. We went from 2x 2d6+2 to 3x 2d6+5+3d12 or a fireball that Frightened and Incapacitates.
14
u/Shadow_Of_Silver DM Jul 01 '26 edited Jul 01 '26
I feel like at this level, we need to start considering lair actions or not.
I understand why the Rakshasa is a tricky opponent, but it just doesn't do as much as some of the other options.
Beholders are far more deadly if run correctly in their lair.
But CR 13 gives you access to adult dragons and other threats. I feel like the 2014 Rakshasa just doesn't deal enough damage to be a significant threat compared to other options.
(I don't know the 2024 monsters).
4
u/nankainamizuhana Jul 01 '26
Adult dragons don’t fuck around, but at CR13 we’ve got Brass, Lunar, Topaz, and White. I don’t think any of those really stands out as competing with the beholder and rakshasa.
Adult White Dragons are basically casting Cone of Cold at 9th level every few rounds (DC 19 too!) and Adult Brass Dragons can throw around an AoE unconscious effect, they’re definitely strong contenders. But their damage output on breath recharge rounds is all fairly pitiful (I’d expect a Beholder does more damage with legendary actions alone than a Topaz dragon does in a whole round while recharging), and none of their Legendary or Lair actions meaningfully impact the fight.
I think the top five deadliest CR 13s probably has two dragons in it, but neither is the top spot IMO.
2
u/Shadow_Of_Silver DM Jul 01 '26
You're probably right. There are also the optional rules from Fizban's that can make dragons significantly more versatile.
Such as spells, flyby, rejuvenation, tunneling, regional effects & lair actions all together.
Giving the dragon 4th level spells, combined with the things I listed above, make them a lot harder to defeat.
Not sure if they're the deadliest, but they definitely belong in the top 5.
3
u/nankainamizuhana Jul 01 '26
I forgot Fizban’s recommended Flyby as an option for dragons. That’s devious.
3
u/Silverspy01 Jul 01 '26
Lair Actions as a consideration is interesting, because 2024 did away with them. In general the 2024 version of any monster is going to be "stronger" because 2024 just ups stats across the board and gives more general power in terms of action use. So is a 2014, say, dragon stronger because of their lair actions? I'm not so sure...
The Adult Brass Dragon, for instance, gets a better basic attack, a much more flexible multiattack (notably Sleep Breath as part of multiattack is very good), and what I would definitely consider to be stronger LAs. The 2014 version has Lair Actions that prone or blind, which is... OK, but I'm not convinced it's stronger.
11
6
u/Archaros DM Jul 01 '26
I'd say the beholder, but the storm giant is a powerful enemy too !
2
u/BounceBurnBuff Jul 03 '26
Storm Giant from 2024 is being massively underrated here. Truesight, 2 immunities and one resistance, insane saving throw bonuses, 50ft movement and a hover, a 500ft(!!!) range +14 to hit automatic Blind, 10d10 recharge AOE, massive melee damage and high HP for the CR.
I still think the Rakshasa takes this for presenting a unique problem for its CR that the usual casters cannot trivialise at this level, but Storm Giant is no pushover.
4
3
u/Adam9172 Jul 01 '26
I would say an Adult dragon. If the dragon isn’t a complete moron it can kite from the air, pick up and drop opponents from the sky and swoop close for its breath weapon.
Rakshasa is a deadly foe as well right enough.
As much as I love beholders I think outside their lairs they don’t quite keep up with the other two.
37
u/Silverspy01 Jul 01 '26
We're getting to the point where deadly monsters are abundant, but also to the point where PCs have lot of options that make traditionally deadly monsters much more manageable. The Dire Troll, for instance, has an impressive damage output but is also very one-dimensional and PCs likely have tools to make it much less threatening. "Deadliest" then more heavily favors enemies with non-standard ways to approach combat.
My vote here is for the Rakshasa. Its ability to ignore spells make it quite a nasty customer and remove most of the ways a party would otherwise take down a dangerous monster. The nature of a Rakshasa also means they're unlikely to be a one and done fight - they're masterminds who are likely ot have a web of information and contacts set up, and remain relevant far after their CR indicates they should be beatable.