One of the most iconic elements of Dungeons & Dragons is the game's massive and ever-expanding catalog of monsters that can be encountered by adventurers in their travels. While some monsters are capable of casting powerful spells and others employ underhanded tactics such as the use of disguises, others are characterized by their tenacity.
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For some, nothing is scarier than a monster that is seemingly unkillable, and D&D has such monsters in spades. So here's a look at ten of the most resilient monsters in D&D that are nearly impossible to put down for good.
Troll
Trolls are an incredibly iconic monster that has appeared in every edition of Dungeons & Dragons. With a CR of 5, Trolls are characterized by their regeneration that causes them to regain 10 HP at the beginning of each of their turns unless it has taken fire or acid damage. As this regeneration still occurs even if it has been reduced to 0 HP, without the use of fire or acid damage, it is nearly impossible to put a troll out of commission.
Bodytaker Plant
A recently added monster to D&D that appeared in Van Richten's Guide to Ravenloft, a Bodytaker Plant is a massive telepathic plant that aims to replace humanoids with identical copies it controls called podlings.
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While this plant can make for an excellent antagonist of a paranoia-driven horror adventure, even if it is found and bested in combat, it will likely return. This is because if a Bodytaker Plant is killed, it will regrow within the year unless the ground it was rooted within is poisoned or salted.
Necrichor
Like the Bodytaker Plant, the Necrichor is another difficult to keep down horror that was introduced in Van Richten's Guide to Ravenloft. Beings of living blood that are capable of puppeteering those with open wounds, Nicrichor's are nearly impossible to permanently do away with, leading many to simply attempt to seal them away. While a Nechrichor only has 67 HP, if a defeated Necrichor's remains aren't covered with holy water or kept within a blessed container, it is automatically revived in 1d10 days!
Mummy Lord
A powerful undead found within the Monster Manual, Mummy Lords are the potent superior form of a normal Mummy. Between five damage immunities, magic resistance, and a slew of deadly offensive abilities such as its Rotting Fist, overcoming a Mummy Lord in combat is no easy feat, especially if it is accompanied by additional mummies.
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However, even if a party were to make it out of an encounter victorious, the Mummy Lord will automatically regain all of its lost HP within 24 hours if its heart remains intact.
Vampire
Vampires are incredibly powerful and difficult to kill foes that can make for excellent primary antagonists for a campaign. In addition to being an incredibly flexible adversary that has access to shapeshifting, the ability to summon allies, and charming capabilities, permanently putting down a Vampire can be an arduous task. Not only do vampires have access to legendary resistances, but if it defeated outside of their resting place, they automatically transform into a cloud of mist, fleeing to said resting place. By simply spending an hour in their resting place with 0 HP, a Vampire can heal themselves and stabilize.
Lich
Liches are iconic undead spellcasters that have been part of D&D since the game's first edition. With a CR of 21, Liches can be quite terrifying in combat, having access to high-level spells like Finger of Death, Power Word Stun, and even Power Word Kill. One of the most unfortunate aspects of Liches is that they aren't glass canons, toting resilience in the form of their phylactery. Even if a Lich appears to be bested, it will return to life within ten days as long as its phylactery is still present.
Rakshasa
Rakshasa are mighty fiends with feline appearances, capable of wielding spells such as Dominate Person and Plane Shift. On top of their spellcasting, these fiends are immune to all spell effects 6th level or lower, making them an ordeal to overcome. After being killed, A Rakshasa is able to reform its body within the Nine Hells, plotting revenge against those who killed it, and often even their families and descendants.
Empyrean
The direct descendants of gods and otherworldly beings, Empyreans are celestials that, if not killed in battle, never age, rendering them effectively immortal. However, even if one of these potent celestials were to be killed in battle, the souls of fallen Empyreans are simply transported to their home planet where they bailed out and are resurrected by their parents.
Aboleth
An Aboleth is easily one of the scariest aquatic monsters that a party can encounter in D&D. Psychic beings with a CR of 10 that are able to control the minds of others, even able to alter a creature's physiology to make it only able to breathe air, an Aboleth is not a creature to take lightly. There are few ways to put down an Aboleth permanently as long as it's on the material plane, as upon dying, its soul is transported to the elemental plane of water where it regrows a new body in the following months.
Revenant
An undead that has been part of D&D since the very first edition of the game, Revenants are monsters that are characterized by their unkillable nature. Beings driven by revenge, Revenants have a similar regenerative nature to Trolls, constantly healing themselves unless they sustain fire or radiant damage. Even in the case that a party is able to destroy a Revenant's body through such precautions, the soul of the Revenant will simply possess a different corpse on the same plane of existence within 24 hours. The only surefire means of putting an end to a Revenant is by using a wish spell to force its soul into the afterlife!
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