D&D 5E 5E Books With the Best High Level Monsters

[Reynard]

What 5E books, WotC or 3PP, have the most well designed, fun to use high level (CR 20+) monsters? I am preparing a set of high level 5E 2024 convention "lair assault" games and am looking for inspiration for the fallen gods and demons the PCs will be hunting down.

Thanks.

 

[Sacrosanct]

I've got these from Twilight Fables, and while I'm sure anyone should take my endorsement of my own stuff with a grain of salt, I have heard nothing but positive feedback on them.

 

[Reynard]

I've got these from Twilight Fables, and while I'm sure anyone should take my endorsement of my own stuff with a grain of salt, I have heard nothing but positive feedback on them.

View attachment 398147

Oooh, Fenrir...

 

[KYRON45]

If the only books ever published ever were monster books...I'd be ok with that.
I miss the old monster ecologies from the magazines and wherever they else they were from.

 

[Reynard]

I figured I would give this a little bumpity bump before it disappeared off the front page forever.

 

[Swarmkeeper]

IME, the Kobold Press books have more challenging monsters overall with some fun abilities not found in WotC publications. Check out the three Tomes of Beasts and the Creature Codex for inspiration. Each book has at least 10 monsters of CR 20+ and each has a helpful appendix listing all monsters by challenge rating to make them easy to find.

 

[Reynard]

IME, the Kobold Press books have more challenging monsters overall with some fun abilities not found in WotC publications. Check out the three Tomes of Beasts and the Creature Codex for inspiration. Each book has at least 10 monsters of CR 20+ and each has a helpful appendix listing all monsters by challenge rating to make them easy to find.

I have the original Tome of Beasts. I know they updated it recently. I am curious if anyone knows whether the update is worth it (as in, were there useful and significant changes).

 

[dave2008]

Anything with mythic monsters in it:
Theros
Fizban's
Bigby's (not really mythic monsters but the giant scions are really two stat blocks for 1 monster)

Of those I actually think the Theros monsters are more interesting design than the great wyrms in Fizban's

LevelUp has "elite" monsters which are renamed mythic monsters, so the LevelUp Monster Menagerie has several too. Their great wyrms are definitely better than those from Fizban's

Also, the 2024 MM has some interesting non-mythic high CR monsters.

Finally, I have 87 CR 20+ monsters over at my 5e Updates: Monstrous Compendium, here are links to the CR 20+ monsters:

Spoiler: High CR Monsters

CR 20:
Ancient Green Dragon Zombie (Legendary, undead)
Beholder Hive Mother (Legendary, aberration)
Blue Dragon, Elder (Legendary, dragon)
Chichimec (standard, monstrosity)
Colossal Stone Juggernaut (standard, construct)
Eclavdra (standard, humanoid)
Green Dragon, Elder (Legendary, dragon)
Merlin (standard, humanoid)
Nightwalker (standard, undead)
Phane (standard)
Pit Fiend General (Champion, fiend)
Red Dragon, Elder (Legendary, dragon)
Rog (standard, undead) by @pitofdespairx_x (w/ revisions by Dave2008)

CR 21:
Adamantine Golem (Champion, construct)
Anaxim (standard, construct)
Astral Dreadnought, Venerable (Elite Legendary, monstrosity)
Colossal Stone Juggernaut (standard, construct)
Dragon Turtle, Elder (standard, dragon)
Elminster (standard, humanoid)
LeShay (standard, fey)
Molydeus Enforcer (standard, fiend)
Regisaur (standard, monstrosity)

CR 22:
The Dodkong (standard, undead)
Red Dragon, Elder (Legendary, dragon)
Solar Commander (Legendary, celestial)
White Dragon, Ancient (Legendary, dragon)
Zaratan, Primal Earth Elemental (Elite Legendary, elemental)

CR 23:
Black Dragon, Ancient (Legendary, dragon)
Infernal (standard, fiend)
Moloch (Elite Legendary, fiend)
Vrock Chaos Squadron (Legendary, fiend)
Worm that Walks (Legendary, undead)


CR 24:
Atropal, Greater(Legendary, undead)
Bel (Elite Legendary, fiend)
Belial (Elite Legendary, fiend)
Dispater (Elite Legendary, fiend)
Fierna (Elite Legendary, fiend)
Green Dragon, Ancient (Legendary, dragon)
Iggwilv, the Witch Queen (standard, humanoid)
Mammon (Elite Legendary, fiend)
Rajara (Mythic, dragon) by Just Passing Through
Zariel (Elite Legendary, fiend)

CR 25:
Acererak (Mythic, undead)
Blue Dragon, Ancient (Legendary, dragon)
Dragon Turtle, Venerable (standard, dragon)
Dream Larva (Legendary, monstrosity)
Geryon (Elite Legendary, fiend)
Levistus (Elite Legendary, fiend)
CR 26:
Glasya (Elite Legendary, fiend)
Malcanthet (Mythic, fiend)
Red Dragon, Ancient (Legendary, dragon)
Seraphim (Elite Legendary, celestial)
Vecna the Archlich (standard, undead)
White Dragon, Wyrm (Legendary, dragon)
White Dragon, Great Wyrm (Elite Legendary, dragon)

CR 27:
Baalzebul (Elite Legendary, fiend)
Black Dragon, Wyrm (Legendary, dragon)
Black Dragon, Great Wyrm (Elite Legendary, dragon)
Empyrean (Legendary, celestial)
Hezrou Horde (Legendary, fiend)
Kord (Legendary, avatar)
Time Dragon, Ancient
Warforged Juggernaut (Elite Legendary, construct)

CR 28:
Demogorgon (Elite Legendary, fiend)
Green Dragon, Wyrm (Legendary, dragon)
Green Dragon, Great Wyrm (Elite Legendary, dragon)
Mephistopheles (Elite Legendary, fiend)
Myrkul (Elite, avatar / undead)
Zakum (Legendary, monstrosity)

CR 29:
Asmodeus (Elite Legendary, fiend)
Blue Dragon, Wyrm (Legendary, dragon)
Blue Dragon, Great Wyrm (Elite Legendary, dragon)
Dragotha (Mythic, undead)
Genius Loci (Legendary, ooze)
Gigante (Elite Legendary, giant)

CR 30:
Desert Leviathan (Mythic, monstrosity)
Godzilla (Mythic-10, dragon)
Godzilla Earth (Mythic-32, dragon)
Lady of Pain (Mythic-16, Avatar)
Phaethon (Legendary, elemental)
Red Dragon, Wyrm (Legendary, dragon)
Red Dragon, Great Wyrm (Elite Legendary, dragon)
Takhisis, dragon queen avatar (Elite Legendary, avatar)
Tarrasque, Primordial (Elite, monstrosity)

CR 32:
Bahamut, avatar (Elite Legendary, avatar)
Hecatoncheires (Elite Legendary, giant)
Tiamat, avatar (Elite Legendary, avatar)

 

[Reynard]

Anything with mythic monsters in it:
Theros
Fizban's
Bigby's (not really mythic monsters but the giant scions are really two stat blocks for 1 monster)

Of those I actually think the Theros monsters are more interesting design than the great wyrms in Fizban's

LevelUp has "elite" monsters which are renamed mythic monsters, so the LevelUp Monster Menagerie has several too. Their great wyrms are definitely better than those from Fizban's

Also, the 2024 MM has some interesting non-mythic high CR monsters.

Finally, I have 87 CR 20+ monsters over at my 5e Updates: Monstrous Compendium, here are links to the CR 20+ monsters:

Spoiler: High CR Monsters

CR 20:
Ancient Green Dragon Zombie (Legendary, undead)
Beholder Hive Mother (Legendary, aberration)
Blue Dragon, Elder (Legendary, dragon)
Chichimec (standard, monstrosity)
Colossal Stone Juggernaut (standard, construct)
Eclavdra (standard, humanoid)
Green Dragon, Elder (Legendary, dragon)
Merlin (standard, humanoid)
Nightwalker (standard, undead)
Phane (standard)
Pit Fiend General (Champion, fiend)
Red Dragon, Elder (Legendary, dragon)
Rog (standard, undead) by @pitofdespairx_x (w/ revisions by Dave2008)

CR 21:
Adamantine Golem (Champion, construct)
Anaxim (standard, construct)
Astral Dreadnought, Venerable (Elite Legendary, monstrosity)
Colossal Stone Juggernaut (standard, construct)
Dragon Turtle, Elder (standard, dragon)
Elminster (standard, humanoid)
LeShay (standard, fey)
Molydeus Enforcer (standard, fiend)
Regisaur (standard, monstrosity)

CR 22:
The Dodkong (standard, undead)
Red Dragon, Elder (Legendary, dragon)
Solar Commander (Legendary, celestial)
White Dragon, Ancient (Legendary, dragon)
Zaratan, Primal Earth Elemental (Elite Legendary, elemental)

CR 23:
Black Dragon, Ancient (Legendary, dragon)
Infernal (standard, fiend)
Moloch (Elite Legendary, fiend)
Vrock Chaos Squadron (Legendary, fiend)
Worm that Walks (Legendary, undead)


CR 24:
Atropal, Greater(Legendary, undead)
Bel (Elite Legendary, fiend)
Belial (Elite Legendary, fiend)
Dispater (Elite Legendary, fiend)
Fierna (Elite Legendary, fiend)
Green Dragon, Ancient (Legendary, dragon)
Iggwilv, the Witch Queen (standard, humanoid)
Mammon (Elite Legendary, fiend)
Rajara (Mythic, dragon) by Just Passing Through
Zariel (Elite Legendary, fiend)

CR 25:
Acererak (Mythic, undead)
Blue Dragon, Ancient (Legendary, dragon)
Dragon Turtle, Venerable (standard, dragon)
Dream Larva (Legendary, monstrosity)
Geryon (Elite Legendary, fiend)
Levistus (Elite Legendary, fiend)
CR 26:
Glasya (Elite Legendary, fiend)
Malcanthet (Mythic, fiend)
Red Dragon, Ancient (Legendary, dragon)
Seraphim (Elite Legendary, celestial)
Vecna the Archlich (standard, undead)
White Dragon, Wyrm (Legendary, dragon)
White Dragon, Great Wyrm (Elite Legendary, dragon)

CR 27:
Baalzebul (Elite Legendary, fiend)
Black Dragon, Wyrm (Legendary, dragon)
Black Dragon, Great Wyrm (Elite Legendary, dragon)
Empyrean (Legendary, celestial)
Hezrou Horde (Legendary, fiend)
Kord (Legendary, avatar)
Time Dragon, Ancient
Warforged Juggernaut (Elite Legendary, construct)

CR 28:
Demogorgon (Elite Legendary, fiend)
Green Dragon, Wyrm (Legendary, dragon)
Green Dragon, Great Wyrm (Elite Legendary, dragon)
Mephistopheles (Elite Legendary, fiend)
Myrkul (Elite, avatar / undead)
Zakum (Legendary, monstrosity)

CR 29:
Asmodeus (Elite Legendary, fiend)
Blue Dragon, Wyrm (Legendary, dragon)
Blue Dragon, Great Wyrm (Elite Legendary, dragon)
Dragotha (Mythic, undead)
Genius Loci (Legendary, ooze)
Gigante (Elite Legendary, giant)

CR 30:
Desert Leviathan (Mythic, monstrosity)
Godzilla (Mythic-10, dragon)
Godzilla Earth (Mythic-32, dragon)
Lady of Pain (Mythic-16, Avatar)
Phaethon (Legendary, elemental)
Red Dragon, Wyrm (Legendary, dragon)
Red Dragon, Great Wyrm (Elite Legendary, dragon)
Takhisis, dragon queen avatar (Elite Legendary, avatar)
Tarrasque, Primordial (Elite, monstrosity)

CR 32:
Bahamut, avatar (Elite Legendary, avatar)
Hecatoncheires (Elite Legendary, giant)
Tiamat, avatar (Elite Legendary, avatar)

Thanks @dave2008