Swamps are a classic adventuring environment for the heroic journeys ofDungeons & Dragons.

These monsters are perfect for a D&D one-shot.

Let’s take a look at the best of them, ordered by challenge rating.

Split image screenshots of Yeth Hound, The Tarrasque, and Dragon D&D art.

Of all the available yuan-ti of the 2025 Monster Manual, the malisons are the most varied.

These toady talkers believe themselves the masters of swampy terrain despite their rather meager strength.

What they lack in individual brawn, though, they make up for in numbers.

Split images of Dungeons & Dragons monsters.

These crafty muck-dwellers rarely interact with other species due to their predisposition for cannibalism.

Lizardfolk will eat just about anything, and that very much includes people who wander into their territory.

Just like dogs, Guard Drakes are obedient to their masters.

Twig Blight, Vine Blight, and Needle Blight, from Dungeons & Dragons.

5Green Hag

The Green Hag is the stereotypicalwitch in the woodsfrom popular tales like Hansel and Gretel.

For these D&D blights, their bark is just as bad as their bite.

Catoblepas are like evil cows, created to punish anyone who ever considered cow-tipping to be an acceptable pastime.

People flee amidst water swamp

Worst of all, their mere gaze is capable of stopping your heartbeat in a second.

2Hydra

The Hydra isa famous monstrosityfrom mythical tales across all kinds of cultures.

They are also natural-born swimmers with enough instinct to make use of this advantage over land-dwelling folk.

Dungeons & Dragons image showing a swarm of stirges.

Art by John Tedrick

Dungeons & Dragons image showing two yuan-ti malisons.

Art by Brian Valenzuela

Haunting Revenant art showing a townhome with an evil face glowing from within.

Haunting Revenant by Cristi Balanescu

Dungeons & Dragons image showing four bullywugs.

Bullywugs by Warren Mahy 4th Edition D&D

Lizardfolk charges into battle with pirates elven archers behind him from Dungeons & Dragons.

Ghosts of Saltmarsh by Sidharth Chaturvedi

Blue and green reptile dogs from Dungeons & Dragons.

Guard Drake by Wizards of the Coast

The green hag art for Dungeons & Dragons.

Green Hag via Wizards of the Coast

Shambling Mound plant devours man from Dungeons & Dragons.

Shambling Mound by Wizards of the Coast

Catoblepas dinosaur cow with clubbed tail from Dungeons & Dragons.

Catoblepas via Wizards of the Coast

Dungeons & Dragons image showing a Hydra as a many headed snake.

Hydra by Wizards of the Coast

Tabletop

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