Setting up encounters for a new Dungeons & Dragons campaign can be challenging when your group is just starting out and the characters are still at a low level. Introducing combat during these early stages helps novice players become familiar with the game mechanics, as they won’t yet have many abilities to deal with. Although combats at low levels might feel frustrating due to limited options, it’s an excellent opportunity to make the enemies interesting and set the tone for the rest of the campaign, preparing your party for future challenges.
In many D&D games, certain common enemies have gained meme status due to their frequent appearance. But contrary to what you may think, there’s a wide variety of monsters and creatures suitable for early-game campaigns. The recurring use of these popular choices is often justified by their effectiveness in creating engaging gameplay experiences.
Without further ado, let me propose ten simple adversaries for your party to engage in combat during your upcoming Dungeons & Dragons campaign.
Rats
Rats serve as a common, entry-level adversary in many games. They don’t inflict heavy damage, and they can easily be defeated, which makes them ideal for beginner parties around Levels 1-2. The number of rats can be altered to elevate the challenge level of an encounter. Even though they might seem weak, a group of these creatures can pose a threat, and if the battle isn’t going well but you don’t want to wipe out the party, the remaining rats can scurry away. This simplicity makes them adaptable, which is ideal for introducing combat mechanics to novice players, offering a low-risk experience for new parties, and allowing players to practice their class abilities.
Wererats
Wererats offer an engaging variation when introducing a campaign with rodent encounters. Moreover, these were-creatures are often underestimated in role-playing games, providing a suitable challenge for low-level parties but offering a greater difficulty compared to regular rats. They retain a relatively low level of challenge and, due to their instinct to retreat, combat can be swiftly concluded if the situation turns unfavorable and you wish to preserve the party’s lives. Additionally, adding an element of surprise, you may conceal wererats among ordinary rats, only revealing their hybrid form as an unexpected phase two in the battle.
Scarecrows
Scarecrows serve as an engaging choice for combats during the harvest season or when passing through a rural area with numerous fields. They offer a unique thematic touch, but their weakness lies in their construction – being made of straw and animated by spirits. This means conventional attacks like hacking and slashing won’t be effective. If your party doesn’t have a fire-based attack, defeating these scarecrows could prove challenging. Additionally, to keep the party on edge, you can mix harmless and hostile scarecrows in the encounters.
Wolves
Wolves possess lower armor values and fewer hit points, but they’re often encountered in groups, and they’re swift. Being in packs allows them to utilize Pack Tactics, boosting their attack effectiveness when another wolf is within a specific range. Similar to rats, the challenge level can be altered by adjusting the size of the wolf pack. Including wolves in combat encourages your party to think carefully about their battle positions to deny these predators an advantage, which can serve as a valuable lesson for novice players.
Ghosts
In the game of Dungeons and Dragons, ghosts can appear in various shapes, making them an entertaining and adaptable adversary for your campaign. They are capable of passing through people and objects, inflicting necrotic damage, terrifying opponents, moving between the Material and Ethereal Planes, and even taking control of your characters. Furthermore, they possess numerous immunities and resistances that make them challenging to overcome. Initially, their stats may seem straightforward, but defeating a ghost can be quite difficult, particularly if you lack magical weapons or a means to free players who have been possessed.
Animated Furniture
In a playful twist, animated furniture could offer the most entertaining and adaptable challenge. The nature of the animate furniture greatly influences its perceived danger in a party setting. For instance, an animated knight’s armor, equipped with weapons and protective gear, significantly increases the combat difficulty due to its aggressive nature. However, an animated chair, while still potentially dangerous by attempting to crush or poke you, is less intimidating compared to the armed knight.
These types of enemies can add a touch of chaos and excitement when pitted against a party. They are particularly suitable for lower levels since they aren’t lethally dangerous but can certainly leave the combatants somewhat bruised.
Carrion Crawlers
Carrion Crawlers possess substantial health and are capable of inflicting poison, yet their armor class isn’t particularly robust, and they’re restricted to melee attacks. What sets them apart, however, is their ability to climb walls and ceilings, making them ideal for ambushing in dimly lit areas. Since these creatures also have Darkvision, they may hold an advantage over parties without this ability, potentially leading to a disadvantageous combat situation. It’s essential to consider your party’s positioning and skills when encountering these creepy crawlers, as engaging in combat might not always be the most strategic choice in a campaign. This creature type can help establish the tone early on by emphasizing the importance of careful planning and strategy.
Gray Ooze
Gray goops are primarily encountered in the Underdark, yet an adventuring group may find themselves encompassed by them without initially realizing it. They don’t possess substantial health points, physical power, or a high armor class, but their immunities and resistances compensate for these weaknesses to make them a suitable opponent for a novice party. If stationary, they resemble damp stones or slick puddles. In your specific setting, gray goops could serve as an effective means of surprising the party, causing unease until they transition to a new environment.
Ochre Jelly
Ochre gooey creatures make for an intriguingly spooky and frustrating challenge for players. They’re capable of slipping beneath doors and clinging upside down on ceilings, making it possible for combat to begin with jellies dropping onto the party. To add to their irritation factor, they can divide into multiple jellies when subjected to lightning or slashing attacks. Fortunately, they lack a robust armor class and strong physical attributes, rendering them manageable for low-level parties. Yet, they often catch players off guard, allowing you to leverage the element of surprise in your favor.
Kobolds
Kobolds are frequently employed as common low-level adversaries, and it’s no surprise why. Unlike simple creatures such as rats, they possess a degree of intelligence, allowing novice players to face enemies capable of strategic thinking early on in the game. Moreover, kobolds have magical abilities, providing an opportunity to present an initial encounter that involves magic as a potential danger, yet remains manageable for parties with limited combat experience or progression milestones. Despite their reputation as comic relief in fantasy lore, the recurring use of creatures like kobolds and goblins at the start of campaigns is justified due to their versatility.
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2025-03-07 04:48