Monster

A creature, natural or supernatural, that is generally feared, and/or generally unwelcome. Monsters may be (but tend not to be) humanoids. They are often powerful combatants. Some have spells or spell-like abilities. Monsters generally pose a threat to travelers, hamlets, thorpes, and towns. Adventurers are sometimes hired to slay monsters that have become problematic. A monster may also be slain in order to use one or more of its parts for spell components or to catalyze certain rituals. Monsters can be NPCs; however, most NPCs are not monsters.

An example of a very powerful surface monster is the Dragon Turtle. A similarly powerful monster in the Underdark is the Ulitharid.