To those who haven't played the game, Dungeons and Dragons may seem like a game people take seriously. It's an understandable assumption, especially when D&D players commit themselves to reading extensive manuals and filling out complex character sheets before they can even sit down and start playing the game. However, anyone who's played Dungeons and Dragons knows it's often a comedic experience.
D&D campaigns are less like Lord of the Rings and a more like being a member of an amateur improv troupe. The game's world doesn't take itself too seriously either. For every greedy dragon or evil mastermind, there's a wacky off-the-wall creature that would never exist in more self-serious fantasy works like Game of Thrones. Some creatures cause players to chuckle due to how ridiculous they are, while others are funny because they provide strong comedic potential for players and Dungeon Masters.
10 Vamsters Stun Enemies With Their Cuteness
Making a cute creature into a deadly foe is a common staple of comedic fantasy. While the killer rabbit in Monty Python and the Holy Grail is still good for a chuckle, vamsters take this trope to the next level. Vamsters are tiny vampire hamsters that fly in packs, created for D&D's fifth edition by independent creator The Fluffy Folio.
The idea of a swarm of vampire hamsters is funny enough, but the way these creatures work in the game can lead to even bigger laughs. Vamsters are so fluffy that their cuteness can charm any creature they attack, preventing their prey from mounting a defense.
9 Owlbears Sound Far Less Intimidating Than They Look
The owlbear is such a staple of Dungeons and Dragons that veteran players likely just think of them as a normal part of the game. To newer players, these giant bird-faced feather monsters often become one of the first clues that D&D has a comedic side.
As a Dungeon Master, Owlbears can be fun to play with. DMs may describe hearing loud footfalls, seeing bushes torn aside in the large creature's wake, only to have the creature give a loud hoot instead of a ferocious roar.
8 Intellect Devourers Terrify, Despite Their Strange Appearance
As an enemy in the game, intellect devourers can be pretty scary. They feed on other creatures' intelligence and can even consume a character's brain, taking over their body. Although they can pose a tremendous threat, these creatures can't help but feel a little silly.
A brain walking around on four legs is an inherently funny sight, and the artwork used in the fifth edition Monster Manual gives intellect devourers an almost dog-like pose. This leads some players to imagine them as little pets for more insidious creatures like mind-flayers, supplying the bizarre and chuckle-worthy image of a squid man tickling a brain under the chin.
7 Modrons Place An Absurd Emphasis On Order
Modrons are tiny sentient mechanical creatures who take the ideas of order and hierarchy to an absurd level. They adhere to a strict hierarchal structure in their societies, obeying any order given to them by a superior without question. Ironically, modrons can't understand the concept of other modrons who are over a level higher than them in rank.
This off-the-wall society creates interesting comedic potential in a D&D campaign. Forcing characters to deal with frustrating and unusual NPCs can get laughs out of players. Additionally, the strict modron society would make a great setting for players to navigate through bureaucracy and red tape.
6 Gelatinous Cube Proves More Dangerous Than It Looks
For players strictly viewing D&D as a game, a gelatinous cube doesn't seem funny. It's a pretty deadly enemy, adept at surprising player characters at inopportune times. However, when taking a step back from the gameplay and picturing the reality of a gelatinous cube, this threatening monster becomes a lot sillier.
These big cubes of Jello can create some funny imagery. Characters may run scared from this unthreatening-looking blob as it slowly jiggles toward them, or a big tough adventurer who thinks they're all that may find themself swiftly defeated by a gelatin cube. Any encounter that plays off the dissonance between the threat the cube poses and how mundane it looks has great comedic potential.
5 Flumphs Remain Goofy But Valued Companions
Many monsters in Dungeons and Dragons serve as obstacles players need to work around or defeat. In contrast, flumphs act as benevolent guides or companions to adventurers, always willing to do the right thing. From their silly sounding name to their cartoonish appearance, flumphs seem purposefully designed to win players over and get them to laugh.
Flumphs' eyestalks mixed with their wide goofy smiles make it easy for D&D art to cast them in a silly light. Imagining one of these floating jellyfish pulling a tendril up to its comically large mouth to gasp or turning red to show its anger are great ways to lighten the mood and keep players entertained.
4 Bullywugs Blindly Leap Into Conflict
The best way to understand bullywugs is to imagine an entire society run by Scrappy Doo. These self-proclaimed lords of the swamp are overly confident and pick fights with forces beyond their power or understanding. This often results in negative consequences for them and anyone in their vicinity.
Watching unpleasant or arrogant characters reap the consequences of poor decisions can be a very cathartic element of a story. Including some uppity bullywugs in a D&D campaign can get players to laugh and give them NPCs they'll love to hate.
3 Mimics And Death Linens Choose Unassuming Forms
Mimics can show up anywhere, disguised as nearly anything. These deadly shapeshifters keep players on their toes and can prompt a humorous moment, depending on how they appear. A great way to get a big laugh out of a mimic is to have them show up when they're least expected.
DMs get to decide how to trick their players into encountering a shapeshifting mimic. A monster related to the mimic called a death linen, for instance, often appears as pillows. The shock players will get as they lie down in a seemingly safe inn only to have their heads chomped on, can hardly be matched.
2 Spider-Horses Struggle To Be Taken Seriously
When tasked with creating a vast variety of made-up creatures, it's understandable that not all of them will become instant classics. Proving this point, the Spider-horse has become D&D's creative equivalent to Garbodor, a creature that's literally garbage come to life.
Despite the Spider-horse itself possessing a somewhat lazy design, DMs can get creative in how they use these creatures to comedic effect. The image of a giant spider rearing up on its hind legs and whinnying can become just as hilarious as it is horrifying.
1 Roving Maulers Make Little Sense
Roving maulers look like someone tried to make a ninja throwing star using nothing but lion limbs. It's a shock these impractical creatures aren't more popular amongst D&D players, given their wild design and the hilarious descriptions a DM must use to describe combating such a thing.
The idea of a starfish, lion amalgam rolling its way through the halls of a dungeon sparks a hilarious image, but players also wonder what this means for the beast itself. Is it always dizzy? How difficult is it for a roving mauler to stop right-side up in the exact spot they want to be? How does it stand up if it gets knocked on its back? Answering these questions leaves plenty of room for DMs to get creative and leave their players laughing for days to come.