Best D&D Monsters to Use as Pokémon: Building Your Team in Dungeons & Dragons 2024
What if you could capture a Darkmantle, evolve a Modron into a stronger Construct, or eventually command a massive Tyrannosaurus Rex?
That's one of my favorite ideas behind bringing Pokémon into Dungeons & Dragons.
The 2024 Monster Manual contains hundreds of creatures with different attacks, magical abilities, defenses, and personalities. Some are incredible fighters. Others are better at protecting allies, controlling enemies, or solving problems outside combat.
I wanted to explore which monsters would make the most interesting Pokémon at different Challenge Ratings (CR), and why you might want them on your team.
CR 1/2: Choosing Your First Pokémon
Your first Pokémon doesn't need to be powerful. It needs to be interesting.
Darkmantle (Aberration) is one of my favorite starting options. It can fly, ambush enemies, and interfere with their vision. Rather than simply dealing damage, it gives you interesting ways to approach encounters.
Giant Wasp (Beast) provides flight and poison, making it a useful choice for players who prefer mobility and offensive pressure.
Modron Tridrone (Construct) is a great option for players who like unusual mechanical creatures. It also provides a natural theme for evolving into stronger Modrons.
Vine Blight (Plant) offers a different approach, using its plant-based abilities to interfere with enemy movement.
I love that these four Pokémon feel completely different, despite sharing the same Challenge Rating.
CR 1–2: Magic and Battlefield Control
This is where Pokémon selection starts getting interesting.
Dryad (CR 1, Fey) is an excellent choice for players interested in magic. Its nature spells and charm abilities make it useful beyond ordinary combat.
Giant Spider (CR 1, Beast) offers climbing, webbing, and poison. It's useful for controlling an enemy's movement while your party attacks.
Animated Armor (CR 1, Construct) offers a durable, straightforward companion for players who prefer something that can hold the front line.
Gelatinous Cube (CR 2, Ooze) is an unusual but entertaining option. Engulfing enemies and controlling confined spaces makes it a memorable Pokémon.
At these levels, I would encourage players to look beyond damage and consider what their Pokémon can contribute to exploration and teamwork.
CR 3–4: Stronger Fighters and Specialized Pokémon
Now your Pokémon can begin taking on more dangerous opponents.
Giant Scorpion (CR 3, Beast) combines grappling attacks with a poisonous sting. It's an excellent choice for players who want an aggressive Pokémon that can also restrain enemies.
Grell (CR 3, Aberration) offers flight and dangerous tentacle attacks, giving players an unusual aerial combatant.
Helmed Horror (CR 4, Construct) is one of my favorite defensive selections. Its resistances and immunities make it particularly appealing for a Trainer who likes heavily armored companions.
Black Pudding (CR 4, Ooze) introduces powerful acid attacks and equipment corrosion. Its creature-duplication abilities would need to remain restricted under the Pokémon Trainer rules.
The important change here is specialization. A Pokémon doesn't need to do everything well if it excels at one particular job.
CR 5–6: Powerful Monsters and Magical Specialists
At these Challenge Ratings, Pokémon can become serious battlefield threats.
Shambling Mound (CR 5, Plant) is a fantastic choice for players who love controlling enemies. Its tendril attacks, Engulf ability, and unusual interaction with lightning give it a distinctive fighting style.
Fire Elemental (CR 5, Elemental) is ideal for players who want an aggressive elemental Pokémon that can deal fire damage and pressure enemies through movement.
Mammoth (CR 6, Beast) is a very different choice. It emphasizes overwhelming physical power and charging into enemies.
Invisible Stalker (CR 6, Elemental) offers a more tactical approach, particularly for players who enjoy stealth and unusual positioning.
At this point, I would start thinking about how individual Pokémon complement each other rather than simply selecting whichever creature has the highest CR.
CR 7–8: Your Team Becomes Dangerous
Some of my favorite monsters become usable in this range.
Shield Guardian (CR 7, Construct) makes an excellent protective Pokémon, although its amulet-related mechanics require Dungeon Master review.
Tree Blight (CR 7, Plant) provides a massive, intimidating plant companion with strong battlefield presence.
Tyrannosaurus Rex (CR 8, Beast) is exactly what some players want: an enormous dinosaur capable of terrifying enemies through sheer physical strength.
Frost Giant (CR 8, Giant) offers another powerful option for players who enjoy imposing melee combatants.
The fun here comes from choosing between durability, battlefield control, and devastating physical attacks.
CR 9–10: Your Strongest Regular Pokémon
These are the Pokémon that can define an experienced Trainer's team.
Treant (CR 9, Plant) brings enormous physical strength and a strong nature theme. Its ability to animate additional creatures would remain restricted.
Gray Slaad (CR 9, Aberration) offers magical versatility alongside dangerous combat abilities, though some of its magic is restricted.
Clay Golem (CR 9, Construct) is a great option for players focused on powerful defensive companions.
Stone Golem (CR 10, Construct) takes that defensive idea even further, combining impressive toughness with abilities that can hinder enemies.
At this level, choosing the right Pokémon for a particular encounter may be more valuable than choosing the one that deals the most damage.
CR 12: Your Ultimate Pokémon
Finally, imagine replacing one of your companions with an extraordinary Pokémon of CR 12 or lower.
A Githzerai Psion (CR 12) offers powerful psionic abilities. An Erinyes (CR 12) provides a dangerous supernatural combatant. A Young Red Dragon (CR 10) might appeal to players who have always wanted to command a dragon.
And that's the point. Your ultimate Pokémon doesn't have to be the strongest creature available. It should fit the type of Trainer you want to become.
So, Which Pokémon Would You Choose?
My favorite part of this system is that there isn't one perfect Pokémon team.
You could collect armored Constructs, specialize in flying creatures, build a team around magic, or use enormous Beasts to overwhelm your enemies.
And some of the most useful Pokémon might be creatures you would normally ignore in a D&D encounter.
I've put together a more detailed guide covering recommended Pokémon across the different Challenge Ratings, with additional choices for each creature type.
These recommendations use 2024 monster stat blocks and are subject to the Pokémon Trainer class's capture, evolution, and ability restrictions.
If you could build a team of six monsters from the Dungeons & Dragons Monster Manual, which creatures would you choose?
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