Varying Your Villains

"As there is a use for poisons in medicine, so the world cannot move without rogues."
- Ralph Waldo Emerson

As I've been DMing my campaign, I've realized one thing: my villains and monsters tend to be from one group: fey.

I think this is because I think the Feywild is the coolest place out of all the planes.  I enjoy the fairy tale atmosphere, and hags are some of my favorite monsters (though I am trying to throw in some dragons!).  Regardless, I think it is important for DM's to throw around other different types of villains and monsters, as it adds more diversity to the adventures that you're running, and allows new things for your group.

Let's do a quick break down of the different types your villains can belong to.

Immortal

Elemental

Fey

Shadow

Abberant

I've noticed that I there are certain types that I don't use as much, and I want to fix that.  Here are some of my ideas in my upcoming games.

Immortal - In Gardmore Abbey, the party will end up fighting angels.  I also want to use more devils, especially if they journey to Bloodsand, a location in my campaign where a tiefling gang rules.

Elemental - My home campaign world has a city of the genasi, which has a portal to the Elemental Chaos.  One of my PC's happens to be a genasi who hails from the city and has made some enemies there.  Creatures pursuing him could easily be elementals, or, the heroes could simply choose to journey into the Elemental Chaos.  Another idea would be to have them fight cultists of Elder Elemental Eye.

Fey - I have so many ideas for this type.  Hags, corrupted elves, servants of the archfey, etc.  I love the Feywild and the opportunities it gives me for many of my adventures.

Shadow - I have another player who was a a Shadar-kai, so we already had a reason to venture forth into the Shadowfell.  Another reason is to hide locations of secrets there.  I have another dungeon that I've been working on called the Library of Lost Secrets.  Its location is within the Shadowfell in the upper reaches of an icy mountain.  The best part of the adventure?  Shadow yetis.  

Abberant - This is the monster type that I have used the least, or ever thought of.  I guess for me, dragons were always cooler than beholders.  However, now that I'm trying to expand my use of villains and monsters, I've found that the Kraken's Skull dungeon will work really well with abberant threats.  The Neverwinter Campaign guide had heroic level aboleths, and I happen to have a couple minis that have been sitting around.  So, as I continue to brainstorm and write ideas, the Kraken's Skull will grow into a better, fleshed out dungeon where the heroes will be able to fight these threats.

I'll continue to update the kind of monsters my players are battling, as well as the villains I've been crafting for my campaigns, as well as their motives and backgrounds.