Summary

  • It's Dungeons & Dragons, and yet, we could always use MORE dragons.
  • Malcanthet is the only Demon Prince to not get the 5e treatment. But some obyriths Demond Lords could also benefit from an update.
  • Get weird with it with baddies like Atropus, Obox-Ob, or Kyuss.

There are plenty of villains from older editions of 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Dungeons & Dragons that made it into Fifth Edition: Tiamat, Acererak, and Strahd von Zarovich are all old favorites. However, D&D has been out for almost fifty years now, and not everything from previous editions has made🍌 it to the present day.

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Most of these villains can be used as the big bads for your next campaign, but you can also position them as additional sources of intrigue or patrons for your warlocks. They also all have stat blocks from older editions, so take a look at platforms like DriveThruRPG if you're looking to 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:convert them to Fifth Edition.

8 📖 Ashardalon

Greatwyrm Of The Astral Plane

A red dragon flies over a volcanic landscape
Ashardalon by Jesper Ejsing

Sure, plenty of dragons have appeared throughout the years that Fifth Edition has been out. However, few of them have been named characters, which is a shame for a game with the word "dragons" in the title. Ashardalon is a 𓃲powerful dragon you should consider inserting into any plane-hopping campaign you run.

While most dragons are effectively immortal, a series of events leading to the loss of his heart have made Ashardalon painfu💟lly aware of the fragility of his existence. This has led him across the multiverse in pursuit of true immortality, where his antics have led to binding a balor to himself, in addition to other misadventures.

7 🐼 Ma♏lcanthet

Queen Of Succubi

malcanthet from dungeons & dragons
Art by Ted Pendergraft

It's a bit unclear as to why Malcanthet hasn't been converted to Fifth Edition, given the outsized influence she has in the Abyss. While her lore can be too spicy for some players, the same can be said of Graz'zt, who saw a Fifth Edition update. What's more likely is the fact that the lore on incubi and succubi is now more vague as to their exact origins.

Malcanthet is the queen of all succubi, ruling over this class of fiends from her home in the Abyssal realm of Shendalavri. Presumably, this would make her the queen of all incubi as well, as the two fiend types are more or less the same. Powerful, politically savvy, and not to be trifled with, she'd make for an excellent addition to Out of the Abyss or any other demon-focused campaign.

6 Atropus

The World Born Dead

atropus from dungeons & Dragons
Art via Wizards of the Coast

With all creation comes destruction, and at the dawn of existence, Atropus was spawned as a stillborn planet that acted as the afterbirth of the universe. In the present, Atropus is a cold, lifeless place filled with restless undead. It's also sentient and harbors hatred for all life, which is a pressing concern to everyone who enjoys living.

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Atropus is a wandering moon the size of a dwarf planet, so players should focus on exploring it and fighting its inhabitants rather than trying to fight Atropus directly. However, the Elder Evils supplement for 3.5 Edition included a stat block for an aspect of Atropus, and Fifth Edition's Tomb of Annihilation has stats for the Atropals, which you can use as the planet's inhabitants.

5 Obox-Ob

Prince Of Vermin

obox-ob from Dungeons & Dragons
Art by Ben Wootten

Obox-Ob is 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:an interesting demon lord in all respects. He held the title of Prince of Demons long before Demogorgon came along and stole it from him, and if you're so inclined, you could have him scheming to win it back. As an obyrith, the Prince of Vermin hails from a time when the Abyss was more primal in nature.

As the lord of all vermin, Obox-Ob rules over everything gross and creepy, as well as pestilence and disease. If you like describing disgusting things in excruciating detail, you'll feel right at home with him as your campaign's big bad. This is also a great opportunity to use swarms of creatures in combat encounters.

4 Pazuzu

Dark Angel Of The Four Winds

Pazuzu by William O'Connor
Pazuzu by William O'Connor

As one of the most powerful obyriths in the Abyss, Pazuzu, like Obox-Ob, is more primal and ancient than other demon lords. Pazuzu is also fond of offering assistance to mortals only to screw them over in the long run, which makes him a compelling patron to suggest for your warlock's player.

There's a considerable amount of lore for Pazuzu in books for older editions, especially in Second Edition and 3.5. His layer of the Abyss was the first to be discovered by explorers from the Material Plane. The realm also acts as a nexus hub to other layers of the Abyss, which is useful information for any planar traveler.

3 Dagon

Prince Of The Depths

dagon from dungeons & dragons
Art by Andrew Hou

Just like Pazuzu and Obox-Ob, Dagon is an obyrith and powerful demon lord with his ow൲n layer in the Abyss. Unlike the other two, however, Dagon enjoys a respectable amount of worship on the Material Plane, with cults dedicated to him popping up both underwater and al𝐆ong various coastlines.

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Dagon is the perfect villain for a seafaring campaign, but you can make him work for other settings if you really put in the effort. The Monster Manual is 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:full of aquatic creatures that don't typically get utilized in most D&D campaigns, so this is the perfect opportunity to put them to use.

2 Kyuss

The Worm That Walks

A Lovecraftian creature made of worms swings a mace D&D
Elder Evils by Michael Komarck

Kyuss is a Far Realm entity who once lived the illustrious life of a demigod. Now, however, Kyuss is an evil mass of sentient maggots and worms, and he continuously plots his revenge against the multiverse. When he makes himself known on the Material Plane, disgusting, maggot-ridden undea𒉰d cr🦩eatures appear in his wake.

If you're looking for a premade adventure with Kyuss as the main villain, look no further than Dungeon Magazine's 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Age of Worms module, which was created for 3.5 edition. He can also be used as a patron for your Great Old One or Undying warlocks if you've already decided on another big bad.

1 Tharizdun

The Chained God

art of Tharizdun from Dungeons & Dragons
Art by Svetoslav Petrov

Long ago, soon after the dawn of creation, thᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚe god Tharizdun grew bored with the world and sought to destroy everything. This threw a wrench into the plans of every other god in existence, so they banded together despite their differences. They managed to seal Tharizdun away into a pocket dimension where he longs for freedom.

This is by far the most threatening baddie you're likely to find in D&D lore, so it'll take a campaign that can make it all the way to level twenty to do him justice. Even then, permanently killing a greater god is beyond the scope of most adventurers' capabilities. However, defeating an aspect of him to seal him away once more is totally doable.

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