Ravenloft: The Horrors Within is arguably the most expansive dive into horror ever released as an official Dungeons & Dragons sourcebook. The tome, which releases June 16th, expands upon Ravenloft lore with new details on its Domains of Dread and the Dark Lords that rule over them. It also adds 7 horror subclasses, 2 of which are brand new to D&D 5e. But for the DM prepping to terrify their players with some unsettling battles ahead, the bestiary also offers up an impressive list of new creatures to unleash.
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The Ravenloft: The Horrors Within bestiary features stat blocks for 50 horror-themed monsters. The list is a mix of returning monsters from Van Richten’s Guide, updated to the new 2024 rules, and brand-new monsters to surprise your players with. There’s nothing wrong with a good old Bodytaker Podling or Brain in a Jar, but for the purpose of this list, we’re focusing on Ravenloft monsters not previously seen in Van Richten’s Guide. So, here are 5 new, terrifying monsters, ranked from least to most likely to cause a TPK.
5) Waxwork
Challenge Rating: 3
With a CR rating of 3, this is supposedly the least formidable new monster on our list. But conceptually, it’s pretty darn creepy. The Waxwork is a medium or small construct crafted to resemble a humanoid… and determined to kill and replace said creature. These duplicates will stop at nothing to destroy the “imposter” that shares their appearance, though a rare few try to lead normal lives.
For a CR 3 creature, the Waxwork is a pretty tough oppnent. Its immune to a whole host of conditions and resistant to all your main damage types. I can easily see a DM getting creative with these monsters to truly terrifying results. Imagine a party stumbling upon murderous copies of themselves hellbent on replacing the true heroes? It’s scary good stuff.
4) Nightgaunt
Challenge Rating: 8
If there’s one thing that creeps me out immediately, its a monster without a face. And the Nightgaunt is dubbed the “faceless fearmonger.” It is a Gargoyle-like aberration that aunts the skies, stealing its victims away in the night and dropping them to their death. As a CR 8 creature, the Nightgaunt’s stat block is no joke. But it’s the image of its head splitting apart to reveal “an otherwordly glow deep within” that will haunt me forever.
The Nightgaunt’s preferred method of killing victims already makes it a tricky opponent for the party without feather fall or flight speeds to aid them. This flying creature also avoids Opportunity attacks and its Tickle Bonous Action can leave its foes Incapacitated. Oh, nd did I mention its claws deal Poison damage? Yeah, no thank you to coming up against one of these terrors.
3) Mordenheim’s Monster
Challenge Rating: 12
Dr. Viktra Mordenheim is one of the formidable new Dark Lords in The Horrors Within. And these monsters are her abandoned creations, constructs that have developed minds of their own. They are scary strong, with attacks taht deal somoe terrifying damage and the ability to move much more quickly than you’d think a reanimated corpse could. Oh, and they’re Frankeinstein’s monster-esque compiilation of body parts, so looking at them is scary enough on its own right.
These CR 12 creatures are Neutral, and they won’t always be immediate foes to the party. Some of them simply want to try and reclaim the lives they vaugely remember from before. But cross them and you’re in for a tough battle with a creature that pcks in multiple immunities and resistances. Oh, and certain damage types will heal this creature and make it faster, to boot. The story and combat potential alike make Mordenheim’s Monster one of the most compelling new stat blocks from The Horrors Within.
2) Elder Thing
Challenge Rating: 14
Elder things are tentacled aliens that have been around fr eons, spending that time gathering secrets and colozing entire worlds. Much like the terrifying, classic Mind Flayer, these creatures use their tentacles to inflict pyschic horrors. They can charm creatures into a false sense of security or implact deadly spores that turn magic into a self-inflicted wound. In other words, a big yikes of a creature.
With a 14 CR, the Elder Thing is a formidable opponent. It is resistant to most damage types and immune to a handful more, with advantage on saving throws against any magical effects you throw at it. Oh, and if it manages to Charm a character, it can deal even more damage with its psychic powers. And let’s not even talk about the Eldritch Magic it wields. Of all the new monsters in this bestiary, the Elder Thing is among the most dreadful. And it’s pretty creepy to look at, too.
1) Yithian
Challenge Rating: 15
Between the worm-like body and horrifying bulbous face, the image of the Yithian alone sends a chill down my spine. Much like their eternal foes, the Elder Things, Yithians travel the cosmos in search of secrets tey can hoard. And they gain this knowledge by just casually, sometimes permanently, swapping minds with creatures. This leaves the victim trapped within the yithian’s horrifying body. Big no thank you from me.
With a 15 Challenge Rating, the Yithian is one of the beefiest stat blocks in The Horrors Within, Dark Lords aside. It has advantage against any spells or magical effects cast on it, and its mind is an unredable enigma. Oh, and did I mention it has pincers along with its worm-like head? Yeah. Those deliver terrifying multi-attacks along with the creature’s Psychic damage and Eldritch Magic abilities. And the Mind Swap is a truly terrifying possibility that could allow a DM to turn the players in the party against one another, with dreadfully horrible implications.
Which of these monsters are you most excited to deploy against your players, DMs? Which do you most fear meeting at the table? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!
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