Summary
There are plenty of villains from older editions ofDungeons & Dragonsthat 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.
Most of these villains can be used as the big bads for your next campaign, but you may 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 toconvert them to Fifth Edition.
8Ashardalon
Greatwyrm Of The Astral Plane
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 powerful 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 painfully 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.
7Malcanthet
Queen Of Succubi
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.
6Atropus
The World Born Dead
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.
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.
5Obox-Ob
Prince Of Vermin
Obox-Ob isan interesting demon lordin 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.
4Pazuzu
Dark Angel Of The Four Winds
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.
3Dagon
Prince Of The Depths
Just like Pazuzu and Obox-Ob, Dagon is an obyrith and powerful demon lord with his own 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 along various coastlines.
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 isfull of aquatic creaturesthat don’t typically get utilized in most D&D campaigns, so this is the perfect opportunity to put them to use.
2Kyuss
The Worm That Walks
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 undead creatures appear in his wake.
If you’re looking for a premade adventure with Kyuss as the main villain, look no further than Dungeon Magazine’sAge of Wormsmodule, 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.
1Tharizdun
The Chained God
Long ago, soon after the dawn of creation, the 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.
