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07 - Bosses and Minions

When creating a boss battle, thinking about which bosses pair well with which minions can be a great starting point. You can use the table below to match up minions and bosses in a number of classic adventure environments.

Boss CR Boss Environments Minions
1 Goblin boss Caves, mountains Goblins, worgs
2 Bandit captain Cities, sewers, ruins Bandits, spies, thugs, berserkers, gladiators
2 Cult fanatic Cities, ruins Cultists, bandits, thugs, dretches
2 Ettercap Caves, ruins Giant spiders
2 Ghast Ruins, crypts, cities, sewers Ghouls, zombies
2 Gnoll pack lord Plains, caves, ruins Gnolls, hyenas
2 Ogre Ruins, caves Orcs, goblins
2 Sea hag Coves, swamps, grottos Giant constrictor snakes, crocodiles
3 Bugbear chief Keeps, fortresses, ruins, caves Bugbears, goblins, worgs
3 Green hag Forests, swamps Bullywugs, giant toads, giant constrictor snakes, imps, quasits
3 Winter wolf Frozen mountains, frozen ruins Dire wolves, ice mephits
4 Banshee Ruins, crypts Specters, skeletons
4 Bone naga Ruins, crypts Skeletons, specters, wights
4 Ettin Mountains, ruins, caves Ogres, orcs
4 Lamia Ruins, towers, caves Jackalweres
4 Lizard king/queen Swamps, sunken grottos Lizardfolk shamans, lizardfolk, monitor lizards
5 Hill giant Mountains, ruins, caves Ogres, orcs, bugbears, goblins, cave bears
5 Night hag Ruins, crypts, Lower Planes Hell hounds, quasits, manes, shadow demons
5 Sahuagin baron Coves, grottos, underwater ruins Sahuagin priestesses, sahuagin, reef sharks, giant octopuses, krakens
5 Wraith Ruins, crypts Flameskulls, specters, wights
6 Hobgoblin warlord Ruins, keeps, fortresses Hobgoblin captains, hobgoblins, bugbears, goblins, worgs
6 Mage Towers, cities Animated armor, imps, acolytes, flesh golems, veterans
6 Medusa Ruins, caves Basilisks, giant constrictor snakes, death dogs
7 Oni Ruins, caves, cities Hobgoblins, orcs
8 Frost giant Frozen mountains, frozen ruins Yetis, young white dragons, polar bears, winter wolves
9 Fire giant Volcanoes, caverns Hell hounds, young red dragons, salamanders, azers, fire mephits
9 Glabrezu Lower Planes, ruins, towers Barlguras, chasmes
10 Aboleth Caverns, coves, lakes Chuuls, cult fanatics, hydras, NPCs (enthralled), sea hags
11 Efreeti Ruins, volcanoes, cities, deserts Fire elementals, salamanders, fire snakes
11 Horned devil Lower Planes, ruins, towers Barbed devils, bearded devils, spined devils
12 Archmage Towers, cities Animated armor, imps, cambions, demons (any), elementals, golems
13 Adult white dragon Frozen mountains, frozen ruins Yetis
13 Vampire Ruins, crypts Vampire spawn, giant bats, dire wolves, specters, wights
14 Adult black dragon Swamps, sunken grottos Giant crocodiles, trolls, bullywugs, lizardfolk, kuo-toa
15 Adult green dragon Forests, ruins, caverns Treants, elves
15 Mummy lord Ruins, crypts Mummies, skeletons, wights, cult fanatics
16 Adult blue dragon Deserts, ruins, towers Air elementals, mages
16 Marilith Lower Planes, ruins, towers Hezrous, vrocks
17 Adult red dragon Mountains, volcanoes, ruins, caverns Fire elementals, kobolds
17 Death knight Crypts, ruins, Lower Planes Wights, wraiths, liches, flameskulls, nightmares, revenants
19 Balor Lower planes, ruins Mariliths, glabrezus, goristros, cambions, cult fanatics
20 Ancient white dragon Frozen mountains, frozen ruins Abominable yetis
20 Pit fiend Lower planes, ruins, towers Horned devils, bone devils, erinyes
21 Ancient black dragon Swamps, sunken grottos Giant crocodiles, trolls, bullywugs, lizardfolk
21 Lich Ruins, towers, crypts, caves Death knights, iron golems, wraiths, mages
22 Ancient green dragon Forests, ruins, caverns Treants, elves
23 Ancient blue dragon Deserts, ruins, towers Air elementals, mages
24 Ancient red dragon Mountains, volcanoes, ruins, caverns Fire giants, fire elementals, kobolds