Strangest, oddest thing to throw at a Level 3 Party?

[MarkVIIIMarc]

Title says most of it. What is the strangest, oddest thing to throw at a four person level three party? They'll probably be spending most of the session in an elven town, a river front, and a human/frontier town. The countryside is largely grassland.

A Cult Fanatic with a Gargoyle "assistant" is what I have come up with so far with the idea of the cult fanatic luring them into an area where the gargoyle can attack. I'd like something off the rails weird. Help!

[prototype00]

Flail Snail.

Flumph riding a flail snail.

[Kane0]

Let's see what I have lined up for my next session...

Gremlins (goblins, but get an attack/damage/AC boost at night)
Malison (Evil Fey that can Hex)
Corpse Spider (can Feign Death and appear humanoid when doing so)
Lesser Rotslime (Ooze with undead traits and HP drain)

On the tougher end of the spectrum I came up with:
Battlebriar (animated mass of thorns that inflicts damage when attacked and when grappling)
Bloodroot Swarm (swarm of plant creatures that fly into creatures by the spiky root to feed off their blood)
Feral Howler (Catlike beast with stunning howl)
Orcwort (plant creature with a depressing aura that spawns minions from its fruit)

Many of the names are lifted from previous Monster Manuals, I just gave them stats and a special ability or two each to give them some uniqueness

Edit: Though I do remember one DM throwing an Awakened Girallon spellcaster at us, that definitely qualifies as odd.

[OracularPoet]

Speaking of Critical Role (like the thread currently dominating the forum), I can’t help but think of the episode where they were a bunch of flying cows chasing after a roc or something.

[Notafish]

My DM just had us go into a living dungeon - essentially a mountain with a digestive tract. The boss was a hag, but the other encounters were more organic (tentacles/cilii that grapple you if you stand too close to the wall; reskinned oozes patrolling the premises). I don't know if that is useful, but it's the weirdest setting I've been in as a player.

[Notafish]

Other thoughts:
Horror: wolves or kobold stat blocks, described as wraithlike forms. Pack Tactics manifests as the PCs' skin mutating (blistering, changing color, growing fur, whatever) whenever more than one draws near.

Comedy: A squad of "ogres" that are actually groups of three halflings in trenchcoats.

Other: The plains appears to be growing scarecrows. Every day another sprouts. When the party draws close, they begin to move. (Gargoyles are my false appeance enemy of choice near stonework or caves. For a false appearance enemy near plains, scarecrows seem apropos. If you'd rather do a water encounter, a living river (water weird) might be entertaining.)

[Quoz]

A crazy gnome tinkerer. doesn't even have to be evil, just send the party to send him a delivery or something. But they have to deliver it to him and only him, or no big payoff. Then just make crazy, off-the-wall traps and puzzles. Even better if the gnome is talking to them through some sort of magical intercom.

"Just come up the stairs, turn three quarters widdershins, and knock four times on the not-leftmost portcullis"

Trap - spring loaded crocodile

"oh, sorry. I meant five knocks"

Opening the door startles a goat in a lab coat, which knocks several fish bowls of exotic oozes off a shelf

"Don't mind the mess. Poor Hubert. So hard to find a good lab assistant when they keep turning into equines."

You can drag this on for as long as you like.

[CTurbo]

I put my level 3 group up against a single Rakshasa. They had no magical weapons at the time and had absolutely no way of hurting it lol

Of course that was intentional. They ended up having to complete a couple of missions for it.

[Arkhios]

Half-Dragon* Gibbering Mouther would be really weird, imho. (*of any variety you like)

As is, adding a Half-Dragon Template on a Gibbering Mouther wouldn't change the CR, so it would remain 2, which is an easy encounter for a party of four 3rd-level characters.

If you want a medium encounter, add 6 Cultists.

If you want the encounter to be hard, add 1 Cult Fanatic instead of 6 Cultists.

Maybe the cultists have been driven mad by the gibbering mouther, and are now trying to lure unsuspecting travelers to their "Master's" lair.

[MrStabby]

Three awakened tulips

Two dire camels

And a partridge in a pear tree.

[ErHo]

Vampiric dolphins

Undead giant slug

[nickl_2000]

Dire Wiener Dog (Dire Dachshund)

2 feet tall, but 25 feet long.

[DireSickFish]

Nilbog's can give a party fits.

I'm a fan of throwing comically ineffective enemies at the party. Bandits that are just 2 guys you could kill with a sword. A wizard in a "wizard tower" (more like a tree fort) that has no spells, drinking his "potions" are a much more hazardous activity.

[CTurbo]

I threw my party up against an Adult White Dragon when they were at level 4


of course I had an Adult Silver Dragon come save them as they were obviously not going to win that one on their own. lol

[opaopajr]

A frightened looking Pit Fiend coming among them and asking for their help to act normal, not attract attention, and play along with its Disguised Self for awhile. :smalleek: And just when they are recovering from shock, have it say thanks and leave them... with a gift. :smalltongue: It's even better when the gift is just a plain purse of money. :smallcool: Mwa ha ha ha!

And it doesn't have to mean a thing they could hope to figure out. Like any time soon, or ever. Doubt and fear is a fun thing to poke players with once in a while. :smallamused:

[ImproperJustice]

An insane and cursed Fighter/Cleric of the Dance domain.

He wields a large hammer, uses a bonus action to sideways shuffle, and his large genie like animated pants roll their own initiative as they seek to grapple and pull the PCs into themselves.

Be sure to blast music from MC Hammer, and make frequent song references as part of his attacks.

Notables include: “Stop, Hammer Time” and “We got to pray just to make it today”.


If you feel he may not be enough. He can have backup from his Arctic Druid buddy, Vanilla Ice or the vile Rogue Enchanters the Backstreet Boys.

[JellyPooga]

An insane and cursed Fighter/Cleric of the Dance domain.

He wields a large hammer, uses a bonus action to sideways shuffle, and his large genie like animated pants roll their own initiative as they seek to grapple and pull the PCs into themselves.

Be sure to blast music from MC Hammer, and make frequent song references as part of his attacks.

Notables include: “Stop, Hammer Time” and “We got to pray just to make it today”.


If you feel he may not be enough. He can have backup from his Arctic Druid buddy, Vanilla Ice or the vile Rogue Enchanters the Backstreet Boys.

Don't forget their Fey Pact Warlock friend; Rick of Astley. He's fond of glamours and charms and ain't never gonna give you up...

[QuickLyRaiNbow]

http://aiweirdness.com/post/172170729017/dungeons-and-dragons-creatures-generated-by

Perhaps they could encounter a Kick Spirit or a Desert Beeple. For a more challenging encounter, a vampire bear supported by two or more durp snakes. They could also encounter a recurring NPC like Will O'Dragon.

[Dudewithknives]

At level 3 my group got attacked by a "Squirrel Swarm" and their female human Druid...

[Wryte]

At 3rd level I threw a gargoyle standing opposite a mimic in a narrow hallway at my party.

At 4th level I threw a demilich at them.

[ImproperJustice]

Don't forget their Fey Pact Warlock friend; Rick of Astley. He's fond of glamours and charms and ain't never gonna give you up...

Yes!
He compels others to dance in a horrible and uncoordinated fashion. This spell is super dangerous as it has the chance to go viral and affect millions.

I also forgot to mention that Vanilla has no abilities of his own, but can copy (or dupe) the attacks of the PCs.

[Kane0]

Random creature generator! (https://pokemon.alexonsager.net)