Dungeons and Dragons is a massive game filled with adventure, monsters, and little rules to think about. That is why we at Creature College have started writing in-depth DnD 5e guides.
Our team has over 30 years of combined experience in this little role-playing game, so we would like to think we are experts. Justin is the Dungeon Master amongst us, so he mainly writes from a DM perspective. Our other experts write from the perspective of a player or storyteller.
Our goal is to help both players and Dungeon masters get the most fun out of their game and venture beyond what the average player will see. We take deep dives into lesser-known monsters and obscure spells and use them to maximize fun and cleverness. So, without further yammering, here are the DnD guides you can find on Creature College!
Underrated DnD 5e spells Guides
These are the spells from the long history of Dungeons and Dragons we think deserve a second look. We discuss how good they are, which niches you can use them in, and how you can trick your DM and Players using them!
Create Bonfire 5e – One of the first guides we wrote was about this dangerous campfire in DnD. The Create Bonfire spell is not to be underestimated if you are fighting in a confined space and have a clear strategy up your sleeve. However, if you have no idea how you should utilize it, all you need to know is in that article!
Wall of Water 5e – If you require some extra defense against projectiles and want to stop monsters from reaching you fast, Wall of Water is going to be prime defensive magic to add to your arsenal. Did you know that freezing the water creates a spot of Ice that has its separate AC and Hitpoints? In the guide, you can read a ton of unique uses for this spell.
Feign Death 5e – When you can’t run, and you can’t win, why not just play dead? The Feign Death spell is one of the most underused and underestimated spells in Dungeons and Dragons. The sheer amount of chaos you can cause when using this spell on NPCs, other players, and even yourself is just mind-boggling.
Planar Ally 5e – You can never have enough allies. Flip the coin and pray to the gods to get a creature from another world helping you out with this amazing 5e spell. Planar Ally is one of my favorite summoning magic in D&D. However; this is not a good option for adventuring parties on a budget! This creature wants to get paid dearly!
Life Transference 5e – The best burst healing spell amongst all healing and curing magic is Life Transference. People always underestimate just how good of a spell this is to heal your party. However, if you optimize your build, pick the correct class and have some additional items and use this guide to make the most use of it, you have a trump card up your sleeves. You will have a massive advantage which your Dungeon Master is going to struggle with a ton! However, if you are a DM, there is a ton of info in there you will be able to use!
Catnap 5e – Why would anyone ever use Catnap in a DnD campaign? Well, as it turns out, there are a ton of opportunities and strategies you can use and optimize when you have this in one of your slots as a magic caster. For example, did you know it makes your short rest up to 6 times faster? Another little-known fact is that the catnap spell is a multi-target spell! This guide will teach you everything there is to know about this weird magic.
Cloudkill 5e – The fear of any cave explorer! A lich that has Cloudkill and knows how to use it. There are many misconceptions on how to use this attack, what the rules are, how you can save yourself from it, and how to dispel it. In this ultimate Cloudkill guide, we are going very in-depth. No matter if you are a player, someone who loves reading about D&D, or a DM with a sadistic side, read the article!
Animate dead 5e – If you love getting some extra bodies in your party to tank hits, distract opponents and overwhelm enemies, animate dead is the necromancy you need! Starting with a level 3 slot, you can turn a corpse or bones into a zombie or a skeleton. Every spell slot higher adds two more followers under your control. This means you can have your personal army of up to 15 undead helping you out!
Disintegrate 5e – If you want to make sure your players are not so brazen during the next session, turning them to ashes is sure to do the trick. The only way to resurrect a player hit by disintegration is by revivifying and true resurrection. Both are very high-level and/or expensive spells. The magic also has a couple of unique uses you might not have thought about. We have listed them all in a massive all you need to know guide!
Unique DnD 5e Creature Guides
Attic Whisperer 5e – Do you like to add a creepy horror twist to your next Dungeons and Dragons campaign? The Attic whisperer is a small undead resembling a kid that is sure to do the trick. In this guide, you will learn everything you should know about this monster in order to make an extra scary campaign!
Helmed Horror 5e – Talking about horror… what about flying suits of armor that have the power to tank hits and command armies? In our Helmed Horror 5e guide, we go very in-depth into how you can use these monsters as a Dungeon Master and what you should know.
Giant Four-Armed Gargoyle 5e – I love variants of common monsters that can surprise an adventuring party that is getting a little too complacent. Giant Four-Armed Gargoyles are a rare monster that you can throw at your players in the middle of a campaign as the minion of an evil Castle lord. If you have any questions on how to DM or fight this monster, our article explains it all.
Fire snake 5e – If you play a lot of Dungeons and Dragons, the first few levels can get a bit stale. Fire Snakes are an amazing way to spice things up a little. These beginner monsters are found in fires, are a pretty decent challenge, and drop the gems they collect. These serpents are a fantastic replacement for your good old goblins and kobolds!
Ice Elemental 5e – A lesser-known elemental is always a great way to bring a bit of extra flavor to a story. These ice elementals have some very fun mechanics. Besides walking, they can also climb and burrow! If you want a winter-themed storyline with some unique monsters, these are an amazing option.
Dungeons and Dragons Gameplay and Misc
Aquan language 5e – This is the language of the elemental plane of water. An ancient speech is known by monsters and creatures like aquatic elves and merfolk. This article teaches you all you should know if you want to use this in one of your games! Make sure you read our blogs on the other primordial dialects too!
Terran language 5e – Have you ever wondered what talking rocks would sound like? Then our Terran 5e language guide is what you are looking for! This is the dialect that the earth elementals and others that hail from the elemental plane of the earth speak. It sounds a bit like an earthquake mixed with the rumbling of a cave.
Ignan language 5e – The language of all those who live in the fire. From Fire Snakes to Fire Ganassi, these have the Ignan dialect as their mother tongue. This is one of the four primordial dialects and our personal favorite. It sounds a bit like hot steam escaping a teapot mixed with the crackling of burning wet wood.
Auran language 5e – Those who come from the elemental plane of the air speak the Auran dialect. The most distinguishable feature of the speech is how soft it is. Even when spoken in anger, you will never hear shouting. The sounds of this dialect are like whispers in the wind but can still make you shiver with fear!
Primordial language 5e – This is both a language family and a language. The Aquan, Terran, Ignan and Auran dialects are all part of the primordial language. If you know any of these four tongues, you will be able to understand the other three quite easily. The primordial plane no longer exists, but there are many speakers of this tongue and its sub-tongues in our world. If you want to add some worldbuilding to your D&D story, you can’t forget about information like this.
Healing Undead monsters guide – If you have read our blog, you might have noticed we are quite big fans of the undead. Therefore, keeping them ‘alive’ is pretty high on our list of priorities. In our healing undead guide, we answer all the questions you might have about this and share some of our expert tips to make sure your armies of skeletons, ghouls, and zombies stay around a little longer!
D&D Miniatures – Are you on a budget, and do you want to have some cool minis? Here I give you a ton of options! From 3D printing to paper minis, the possibilities are endless. I will teach you exactly what you need to know about this topic, and more!
Good DnD Podcasts – Are you bored with the Critical Role? Well, here are a couple of good DnD podcasts you will surely enjoy! I have put together a list of my five favorite podcasts. You might find one that you are going to love too!
There you have it! We try to add a D&D-related blog that gives you more insight into the game at least once a week. If life isn’t too busy, we might even add three or four, so keep your eye on the blog.