The best frog monsters for Dungeons and Dragons 5e are:
- Bullywug
- Froghemoth
- Giant Frog
- Hezrou
- Slaadi
- Troglodyte
Frog monsters can be found across many different Dungeons and Dragons 5e environments and pose a unique threat to the party. From poisonous skin and gas to sticky, grappling tongues and oversized gullets, these amphibious ambushers can add a challenging encounter in swamps, forests and elemental planes. They range in size and shape from small humanoids to colossal monstrosities.
Before we jump in, you can try some of these frog monsters in the jungles of my premade pirate adventure, Dead Man’s Tale. Click here or below for more information.
Bullywug
Bullywugs are small frog-like humanoids that inhabit swamps, marshes and watery caves. A constant need to stay moist, as aquatic frogs tend to have, keeps them from venturing too far from a water source. You could think of them as equivalent to a goblin. They aren’t significant threats on their own but tend to ambush in groups and use guerilla tactics.
Key features of this monster are:
- HP equals 11 and AC is 15 (with a shield)
- ¼ Challenge rating
- Amphibious: they can breathe water and air
- Speaks with frogs and toads
- Swamp Camouflage: bullywugs have advantage on Stealth checks in swamp
- Standing Leap: bullywug long jump is up to 20 feet; standing jump up to 10 feet
As far as combat goes, bullywugs are versatile and surprisingly savage. They use a Multiattack feature that allows them to attack twice, one with a bite and the other a spear. The Bite attack has a +3 to hit and hits for 1d4 +1. The spear can be thrown for 1d6 +1 damage, which would likely negate a close-up bite attack. However, with 2 hands the damage is 1d8 +1.
In a campaign, these monsters can be used as crafty troublemakers or ambush enemies. A unique ambush they could pull off is to hide beneath the surface of pond water in wait. On the surface, they aren’t the most menacing creature to run across. However, their ambush tactics and numbers can make a fool of those who underestimate them.
Froghemoth
Like a behemoth, but a three-eyed tentacle frog.
This amphibious creature is roughly the size of an elephant, lurking beneath still waters to ambush its prey. A stout, froglike body sprouts tentacles from its body and three eyes on top of its head. It uses these eyes to gain a solid perception bonus. As if the tentacles weren’t bad enough, its tongue has a grappling end that lurches players into its mouth. Characters can literally be swallowed whole by this thing.
Apparently, these monsters come from another dimension. They live to feed and grow, an ultimate invasive species from another world. In fact, bullywugs find them to be worthy of worship. Often, they’ll lure a froghemoth into their burrows and feed them.
Features of the creature:
- HP is 184 and AC is 14 (natural armor)
- 10 Challenge rating
- Damage resistance to fire and lightning
- Darkvision 60 feet, passive perception 19
- Amphibious: can breathe water or air
Although it has damage resistance to lightning, it has another weakness to shock damage. Shock Susceptibility is an effect that creates a number of issues for this guy. Its speed is halved, it takes a -2 to AC and Dexterity saving throws, it can’t use reactions or Multiattack and it can’t use a bonus action. You know, in case you were wondering what its weakness was.
Froghemoth’s Attacks
These attacks are gnarly. As I mentioned, it can use Multiattack with its 4 tentacles or tongue and its bite.
The tentacles deal 3d8 + 6 bludgeoning damage with a +10 to hit. Each of the 4 can grapple against a Dexterity check of 16. Obviously, while the player is grappled, the froghemoth can’t use that appendage.
Its bite deals 3d10 +6 piercing and swallows the victim. A swallowed player can’t hear or see, is restrained and takes 10 acid damage at the beginning of every turn. Fortunately, if the froghemoth takes 20 damage in one turn from the creature inside it, it must make a 20 Constitution saving throw or barf you back up. It can swallow up to 2 people, so hopefully they can muster up some damage before being digested.
The tongue is like any frog’s tongue, except terrifying. It has a 20-foot reach and grabs against a DC 18 Strength saving throw. On a fail, the grappling tongue pulls its prey within 5 feet of the monster. As a bonus action, it can make a bite attack, potentially swallowing you whole.
Giant Frog
Potentially a pet for beast master rangers, this monster is as it seems… a giant frog.
Well, not froghemoth giant, more like bear giant—but that’s still a big frog. With stealth, the swallow enemy feature, and an impressive standing leap, these creatures make interesting encounters in swamps, forests, and rivers.
A few things to know:
- HP 18 and AC 11 (natural)
- ¼ Challenge rating
- Amphibious: can breathe air and water
- Standing leap: its long jump is 20 feet and high jump 10 feet
Like the froghemoth, the giant frog can bite and swallow foes (although these foes must be small). Unfortunately, it doesn’t have the grappling tongue with reach. So, if you’re looking for a cool pet, it’s still cool, only without the tongue. The frog’s bite has a grappling feature, though—just at closer range.
The bite deals 1d6 +1 piercing damage and the target is grappled. Until the bite ends, the target is restrained, and the frog can’t bite another creature.
Swallow inflicts damage as well, restraining the victim while it does. At the beginning of each turn, it deals 2d4 acid damage.
Hezrou
Not your ordinary frog monster, these monsters technically fall into the demon category. However, their general frog-like appearance and poisonous stench place them on my list.
These menacing hulks have spiky horns growing from their backs, standing upright like a werewolf. I’m not even sure they have necks—just muscles and a giant mouth with sharp rows of teeth. This isn’t a monster for beginners.
- HP 136 AC 16 (natural armor)
- Saving throws: Str +7, Con +8, Wis +4
- Damage resistances: cold, fire, lightning; bludgeoning, piercing and slashing from nonmagical attacks
- Damage immunity: Poison
- Dark vision of 120 feet, passive perception 11
- Challenge 8 (3,900 XP)
- Magic Resistance: advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects
The hezrou demon is often used in infernal armies as a first line of attack, a hoard of stink berserkers. Their stench ability forces any creature within 10 feet of the hezrou to succeed on a DC 14 Constitution saving thro or be poisoned until the start of the next turn.
On top of this stench, they have a multiattack feature with their claws and teeth. Bite has a +7 to hit with 2d10 piercing damage. Claw has a +7 to hit as well, dealing 2d6 slashing damage.
Slaadi
And now we have interdimensional toad-like species—the residents of the Ever-Changing Chaos of Limbo.
In this strange dimension, pieces of forest, meadow, castle ruins and isolated islands drift through a strange storm of fire, water, earth and wind. The inhabitants of these islands are known as the slaadi and come in varying forms: red, blue, green and grey. The basic form of this monster is similar to the hezrou (maybe there’s a lore connection?). However, other than the skin color, the different slaad types are built for certain roles.
All the slaadi have magic resistance, giving them advantage on saving throws against magic. Also, they can regenerate—giving them 10 HP at the beginning of its turn if it has at least 1.
The Slaad Subtypes
The red slaad appear to be at the bottom of the totem pole. They’re still quite horrifying. Similar to a xenomorph from Alien, they can plant eggs inside of a player character host. When the tadpole hatches inside of the person, it eats its way out.
- AC 14, HP 93
- Multiattack: Claw, Bite
- Bite: +6 to hit, reach 5 feet, 2d4 + 3 piercing
- Claw: +6 to hit, 1d8 +3 piercing, DC 14 Constitution or get pregnant with tadpole
Blue slaadi are hulking brutes with bone-like claws jutting from their hands like Wolverine. Often hunched over like a gorilla, these bad boys crank up the intimidation factor. Once again, this is a slaad that can infect a player with an alien parasite. This infection is called chaos phage, and it eventually transforms its victim into a slaad. Wizards could even be turned to green slaadi.
- AC 15, HP 123
- Multiattack: Claw, Bite
- Bite: +8 to hit, 2d6 piercing damage
- Claw: +8 to hit, 2d6 +5 damage. Must succeed a DC 15 Constitution save or catch chaos phage
As you might have guessed, the green slaad are the spellcasters. Short, fat and ugly, they are the most toad-like by far. However, they come with the added ability to shapeshift, so be suspicious of strange new NPCs. Their innate spellcasting gives them the spells detect magic, detect thoughts, mage hand, fear, invisibility and fireball (once a day).
- AC 16, HP 127
- Multiattack: (3) bite, claw, staff, alterative hurl flame twice
- Bite: +7 to hit, 2d6 +4 piercing
- Claw (Slaad form only): +7 to hit, 1d6 +4
- Staff: +7 to hit, 2d6 bludgeoning damage
- Hurl Flame: +4 to hit, 60 ft range, 3d6 fire damage. Ignites things.
The Gray Slaadi
The gray slaadi are much different than their more colorful cousins. You can think of these as a different type of red slaad, a servant to the dark and gnarly death slaad. These shape-changers are often used to run errands in the material plane. Gray slaad will disguise themselves as human, wielding a sword or some weapon.
- AC 18, HP 127
- Innate magic like green slaad, but with tongues, fly and plane shift
- Multiattack: (3) claws, bite, greatsword
- Bite: +7 to hit, 1d10 +3
- Claws: +7 to hit, 2d6 +3
- Greatsword: +7 to hit, 2d6 +3 slashing
Finally, the masters of the gray slaadi, the death slaadi are at the top of this food chain. If slaadi were creatures of the elements, the death slaadi’s element is evil. These are the ring leaders that send a hoard of red and blue saadi to invade and infect other dimensions. Built like the menacing blue saadi, these dark grey creatures have more pronounced body spikes. In some ways, they closely resemble the hezrou.
- AC 18, HP 170
- Innate magic: detect magic, detect thoughts, invisibility, mage hand, major image, (2/day) fear, fireball, fly, tongues, (1/day) cloudkill, plane shift
- Magic weapons: weapon attacks count as magical
- Multiattack: (3) bite, claws, greatsword
- Bite: +9 to hit, 1d8 +5 piercing damage + 2d6 necrotic damage
- Claws: +9 to hit, 1d10 +5 slashing damage + 2d6 necrotic damage
- Greatsword: +9 to hit, 2d6 +5 slashing damage plus 2d6 necrotic damage
Troglodyte
Rounding out the upright frog humanoids, the troglodyte brings more of a primordial, Underdark flavor to the list. These prehistoric-looking lizard-toad folk stalk cavernous areas in constant search for prey. Chaotic evil in nature, they show no mercy to those they capture and bring back to feast upon. With a charcoal gray skin, long, taloned fingers, and the ability to release a poisonous stench, these toad monsters are savage.
- AC 11, HP 13
- Chameleon Skin: roll with advantage on Stealth checks
- Stench: Any creature that starts its turn within 5 feet of the troglodyte must make a DC 12 Constitution saving throw or be poisoned.
- Sunlight Sensitivity: while in sunlight, troglodyte has disadvantage on attack rolls and Wisdom checks that rely on sight.
- Multiattack: (3) bite, claws
- Bite: +4 to hit, 1d4 + 2 piercing damage
- Claw: +4 to hit, 1d4 +2 slashing damage.
Feeling froggy? Check out more articles on running a game.