There are plenty of ways to set up a Dungeons & Dragons campaign, but one of the first things you may use to hone your ideas is the setting itself. There are plenty of different settings you can send your players out into in the fantasy genre, but the high fantasy setting is one your players will arguably be more familiar with.

Grand armies, a fight between good and evil, and sometimes a bit of political turmoil, high fantasy is the go-to fantasy for most classic fantasy stories. If you want to try your hand at high fantasy, you'll need some monsters for your players to face, and there are none better than these.

Dragon

In A Dungeon Maybe?

Black Dragon Lair by Matt Stikker

It's in the name for a reason, and a high fantasy campaign is exactly what the creators of D&D had in mind, so why not go ahead and use a dragon?

They're probably best used for high-level encounters, and more often than that just boss fights in general. Really any dragon will do, but with the concept of good and evil as a main theme, you may want to consider what kind of dragon would be necessarily evil in your campaign. Also consider how intelligent you want to run your dragons. Is it a bloodthirsty predator? Or more akin to a scaly wizard?

Lich

Ancient Evil

Ancient Lich by Viko Menezes

One of the big draws of high fantasy is the theme of the forces of good overcoming evil, and it doesn't get more evil than a lich. This is another great enemy for bosses or at least high-level encounters.

Liches have some impressive and absolutely cruel spells at their disposal, so keep in mind the power dynamic there. It can be a great idea to have multiple quests, and even personal quests, to catch up and finally be equal in power to such a deadly figure. Just make sure you do a lore-dive on what makes a lich what they are too.

Also, consider that it isn't just humanoids that can turn into liches.

Duergar

From Deep Below

Duergar Smiths via Wizards of the Coast

A little bit more revamped in their approach nowadays, duergar are pretty much dwarves warped by the underdark and similar underground homes.

Their lore has been expanded a bit since their first appearance, but there's nothing wrong with adding them on as an inherently evil version of the average dwarf once again. They're a bit smarter than your average fodder enemy, and with some inherently interesting skills too. Plus, throwing them into an underground encounter will make your players feel like the odd ones out as far as home field advantage goes.

Lycanthropes

By The Light Of The Moon

Jackalwere by Iise Gort

A creeper enemy than most. If you want to throw your players a curveball, then lycanthropes are a great way to approach an encounter.

They aren't the usual high fantasy enemy, but they have enough of a connection to the old fantasy and fairy tales that it will still make sense. There are plenty of different variants and optional rules to playing lycanthropes, so don't be afraid to branch out and see which best fits your idea of the theme.

Goblins

A Classic

Art by Taras Susak

A D&D enemy that's been around from the very beginning. Goblins, as well as duergar, have had a bit of a rebranding, now with more lore, varied cultures, and not an inherently evil background. Though, you can still readily use them as an enemy as needed. They are a solid group of enemies, and a good challenge at low level.

At medium to higher level, all you need is some magical abilities and a bugbear or hobgoblin to spice up the encounter. Just be sure you aren't overusing such a classic D&D enemy.

Fiends

Hellish Rebukes

Pit Fiend by Eric Belisle

A D&D enemy that is sure to be easy to tie-in to any campaign, fiends (and devils as well) are both enemies with a great amount of lore to them. This lore connects them to evil plains that sometimes send their denizens off to invade other realms.

There's also a wide variety of different fiends to use, and of varying power levels too. Their inherent magic gives them an edge that your party won't soon forget as well. This is a great choice regardless of your party makeup, and can even be a repeating type of encounter.

Warlocks

Otherworldly Power

"Dragonborn Warlock," art directed by Josh Herman in D&D 2025 PHB.

Many DMs overlook the classic player classes as options for enemies too. A twist of what your party may consider a warlock is, warlocks make for powerful enemies for their connection to powerful otherworldly beings.

A single high-powered warlock is enough to challenge the party, but add some friends and it's quite an encounter. There is also a surprising amount of customization you can do with this single enemy, from spells, to deity, to attack style. The hard part is figuring out why they're after your party.

Bandits

The DMs Go-To

Bandits by Katerina Ladon

Seen in nearly all D&D adventures at least once, bandits, either one or a clan, can be a great way to challenge your party when you need a quick combat encounter.

Making sure you don't use these enemies too often is the key to keeping them fresh. You can also modify them as needed, from number, to magical weapons and spell abilities, and even species. Remember, not every bandit will be a human with a sword. But they do make for an encounter with a simple lead-up.

Beholders

It's In The Eye

Beholder by Eric Belisle

Some of the earliest art you can find in D&D is of beholders, and there is a reason for that. They're unique, startling, and deadly. A single beholder can turn a party to rubble. Not to mention, as the DM, you can pair them with other unfriendly monsters to increase their damage capabilities.

Now, with the various types of beholders, you can really mix and match them as needed, but they won't take kindly to anyone they run across, so writing them in to your high fantasy campaign won't be hard at all.

Yuan-Ti

Violent & Venomous

Art by Brian Valenzuela

An often-forgotten enemy that had its moments in earlier pre-made adventures. Yuan-ti is the collective name for the snake-like humanoids that are found in D&D.

Depending on what book you are looking at, they're evil-aligned, but either way, you can easily run a mean-looking group of them. Normal yuan-ti are a challenge, but throw in a pureblood or some other variants, and you can easily make an encounter for the highest level of party. Their mysterious lore also makes them good for a main enemy for your campaign too.

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Dungeons & Dragons

8.4/10 Original Release Date 1974 Player Count 2+ Age Recommendation 12+ (though younger can play and enjoy) Length per Game From 60 minutes to hours on end. Franchise Name Dungeons & Dragons Publishing Co Wizards of the Coast Brand Dungeons & Dragons Expand Collapse