Summary
Jungles offer a fun and unique biome for players to explore in anyDungeons & Dragonscampaign. But, for any Dungeon Master, you might be wondering how to distinguish this environment from a forest or other grassland setting. The answer is to use unique monsters during encounters that feel tailor-made for the jungle setting.
This list has a handful of great options to use in a jungle for your Dungeons & Dragons campaign. These monsters range from being good for both high and low-level adventuring parties, so check out the Challenge Rating for each to see what works best for your party.
5
CR
1/8
A classic Venomous Snake makes for a great addition to any jungle-themed campaign. Venemous Snakes are ideal forsuper low-level parties, perhaps even just as a one-off random encounter rather than a full-fledged, climactic battle.
However, you can also take a handful of Venomous Snakes and usemob-encounter rulesto run a larger-scale battle for higher-level parties. There’s nothing wrong with living out a full Indiana Jones nightmare by dropping your party into a cave full of poisonous snakes.
85
For a slightly more advanced bestial encounter, look no further than the Giant Crocodile (not to be confused with a Giant Alligator). This beast has a lot of added bonuses that can make it more difficult for low-level parties, such as multiattack and grapple abilities. Plus, it has a decently hefty HP pool if you don’t have a huge party.
Similar to Venomous Snakes, you can also add multiple crocs to your encounter for a harder challenge. You can also use the Crocodile’s natural stealth-like abilities to turn this encounter into a surprise midway through an exploration session.
13
1/2
Gas Spore Fungi aren’t necessarily sentient creatures that pose a serious threat, but these nifty plants can make for a fun random encounter as your party treks through the densest part of the jungle. As the party approaches these plant-like creatures, you can make them appear non-threatening, or like they blend in with the foliage.
Then, have them explode with their death burst ability should the party attack and reduce them to zero HP. This ability lets the Fungi emit toxic gas from their bodies, poisoning creatures around them.
125
7
Yuan-Tiare snake-like beings that can even become a playable species in some modules. However, for the purposes of this list, we’re just focusing on the Yuan-Ti Abomination variant, which resembles a large snake with human-like arms.
These creatures make for a great mid-level encounter, as they have magic resistance and are immune to poison. However, they can cast some spells and inflict poison on others, making them nearly lethal to squishier heroes. They can also shape-shift, which makes for fun flavor.
97
6
Jungles are always filled with ancient ruins, teeming with creatures and life, or sometimes, undead. Ghast Gravecallers like to hang out around ruins, cemeteries, and other sites of decay. Place one ofthese undead creaturesin your dungeon map for a series of jungle ruins for some added fun for your party.
The Ghast Gravecaller has a series of multiattacks at its disposal, as well as its ability to release a stench emanation that can poison assailants. Plus, its terrifying visage can inflict the Fear condition on unsuspecting adventurers.
82
3
Hags are classic Dungeons & Dragons monsters, and make for great combatand roleplay encounters. While Green Hags are more typically found in forests, you can also place one in a jungle, as they primarily feed off of foliage of any kind.
One Green Hag is great for a low-level adventuring party, but for higher tiers of play, consider putting together a coven of Green Hags, which grants the Hags access to higher-level spellcasting. Or, remove the combat element altogether, and have the Green Hag bargain with the party for magical items.
135
8
Cults and cultists can be found in any biome, including jungles. To flavor this creature to a jungle biome, have the Elemental Cultists exclusively use Thunder or Acid damage against players, recreating a sense of humidity and poison so often found in jungle environments.
If your current campaign needs a central antagonist, consider using a jungle-based cult, full of Elemental Cultists, as your central big bad. Hunting down the epicenter of the cult through a vast jungle is sure to prove for a climactic battle.
136
Tomb of Annihilation, which takes place in a jungle-like environment, is famous for featuring dinosaur-focused combat and races. There’s no reason you may’t incorporate some dinos into your jungle setting as well, just to give the biome some extra fantasy flavor.
The T-Rex is a formidable opponent thanks to its hefty HP and multiattack. The only downside to this creature is that it doesn’t have much in the way of magic or even resistance, meaning higher-level parties will take it down pretty quickly.
19
Swarms are a great way to shake up combat in any Dungeons & Dragons campaign, and what better type of swarm is there than a Swarm of Insects for a jungle. You can also flavor this Swarm how you like, either making the Swarm a group of crawling insects or flying insects, whatever suits your mood.
Use Swarms of Insects to lead players in another direction, throw them off track, or as a random encounter. You can also homebrew this creature to include poisonous qualities as well, making the encounter at least a bit harder.
Vine Blights are a great, classic first monster for players to contest against, especially if they’re new to the game in general. They’re not all that challenging to fight against, but they have just enough flavor to make the encounter interesting, given their Constricting Vine abilities.
Plus, Vine Blights can cast Entangle, which can be a great introduction to spell saves, and conditions for new players. And of course, vines are a staple of any jungle, meaning these creatures can surprise your party by suddenly animating to life.
