King Kong: Bringing the Eighth Wonder of the World to Your D&D Campaign
So after rewatching Godzilla vs. Kong, I couldn’t help but think about how King Kong could be an awesome addition to D&D. I’ve already given the Tarrasque a kaiju-sized upgrade with Godzilla, but 
Kong deserves his own spotlight too. Sure, Kong isn’t as devastating as Godzilla, but what he lacks in raw power, he makes up for with agility, intelligence, and heart.
If you’re running a campaign where giant monsters roam or if your party needs to face a primal guardian, Kong could be the perfect “friendly” behemoth (or at least, not pure evil). Kong, with his brute strength, tactical thinking, and signature battle axe, can introduce unique challenges that go beyond just smashing and stomping. Plus, I’ll include a magical version of Kong’s iconic axe that your players can wield—because who doesn’t want to channel a bit of kaiju power?
Why Use Kong in D&D?
Kong isn’t just about brute strength. He’s a perfect mix of primal power, intelligence, and agility. In a D&D setting, he could be a protector of ancient forests, a guardian of long-lost secrets, or the ruler of a secluded island filled with dangerous monsters. Unlike Godzilla, who’s essentially a walking apocalypse, Kong feels more personal. He could be an ally or a rival, depending on how the party interacts with him.
In terms of mechanics, Kong should feel like a more balanced fight compared to Godzilla. While Godzilla is the city-leveling, “hope you brought backup” endgame boss, Kong is a force of nature that high-level parties can engage with and still feel the tension of the battle without being obliterated in one round.
Let’s break down how Kong might work in your campaign.
Kong, Titan of the Isles
Gargantuan Beast, Chaotic Good
Armor Class: 20 (Natural Armor)
Hit Points: 485 (30d20 + 150)
Speed: 50 ft., climb 50 ft., swim 40 ft.
STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA
28 (+9) | 14 (+2) | 25 (+7) | 12 (+1) | 16 (+3) | 10 (+0)
Saving Throws: Str +15, Con +13, Dex +8
Skills: Athletics +15, Perception +9
Damage Resistances: Bludgeoning, Piercing, Slashing (Nonmagical)
Condition Immunities: Charmed, Frightened
Senses: Darkvision 120 ft., Passive Perception 19
Languages: Understands Common, but doesn’t speak
Challenge: 24 (62,000 XP)
Traits
Brute Strength: Kong’s melee weapon attacks deal double damage to objects and structures.
Jungle Ambush: In forested or jungle terrain, Kong has advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks and can hide as a bonus action.
Legendary Resistance (3/Day): If Kong fails a saving throw, he can choose to succeed instead.
Titanic Leap (Recharge 5-6): Kong can leap up to 80 feet in any direction. If Kong lands on a creature, that creature must succeed on a DC 22 Dexterity saving throw or take 55 (10d10) bludgeoning damage and be knocked prone.
Tree as Club: Kong can uproot a large tree or similar object to use as a weapon. Treat this as a maul dealing 40 (8d6 + 9) bludgeoning damage.
Mountain Climber: Kong can climb vertical surfaces, including cliffs, buildings, or ships, without needing to make an ability check.
Actions
Multiattack: Kong makes three attacks: one with his bite, one with his fists, and one with his axe (if wielding it).
- Bite: Melee Weapon Attack: +15 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 38 (6d8 + 9) piercing damage.
- Fist: Melee Weapon Attack: +15 to hit, reach 15 ft., one target. Hit: 31 (4d10 + 9) bludgeoning damage.
- Axe: Melee Weapon Attack: +15 to hit, reach 15 ft., one target. Hit: 45 (6d12 + 9) slashing damage.
Thunderous Roar (Recharge 6): Kong releases a booming roar. Each creature within 60 feet must succeed on a DC 20 Constitution saving throw or take 45 (10d8) thunder damage and be stunned until the end of their next turn. On a successful save, a creature takes half damage and isn’t stunned.
Hurl (Recharge 5-6): Kong grabs a massive object or enemy and hurls it up to 60 feet. A creature must succeed on a DC 22 Dexterity saving throw or take 50 (10d10) bludgeoning damage and be knocked prone.
Legendary Actions
Kong can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options below. Only one legendary action can be used at a time, and only at the end of another creature’s turn. Kong regains spent legendary actions at the start of his turn.
- Fist Attack: Kong makes one fist attack.
- Tree Club Attack: Kong swings his club. Melee Weapon Attack: +15 to hit, reach 20 ft., one target. Hit: 40 (8d6 + 9) bludgeoning damage.
- Defensive Leap (Costs 2 Actions): Kong leaps to a new position within 60 feet, provoking no attacks of opportunity.
Using Kong in Your Game
Kong, unlike Godzilla, works great as a protector or guardian of an island or ancient site. He could be revered by locals as a godlike figure, or he might be the last of his kind, protecting something he holds dear—perhaps a lost civilization or a magical artifact.
For a campaign hook, you could have the party stumble upon an island no one knew existed, and discover Kong battling against unnatural creatures. Perhaps he’s the last line of defense between the world and something much worse, like an invasion of aberrations or fiends. The party could assist him in defending his home, or—if they’re not careful—end up on the wrong side of his fury.
Kong can also be an ally in the final act of a campaign. If the players are dealing with something like an ancient dragon or even a Tarrasque (or Godzilla, if you want to pit the two against each other), Kong could join the fight as a wild card. His intelligence and raw strength make him a formidable ally or foe, but he’s less likely to simply destroy everything in his path compared to Godzilla.
Axe of the Titan
The axe Kong uses in Godzilla vs. Kong is really the only weapons in kaiju history. In D&D, you could introduce a magical version of this weapon, allowing players to wield it—after it’s magically resized, of course!
Axe of the Titan
Weapon (greataxe), legendary (requires attunement)
This ancient greataxe was created using the spine of a primordial titan and a shard of a massive, magical crystal. It has the following properties:
- Shrinking: The axe can magically shrink to fit the size of its wielder. As an action, you can command the axe to resize itself to either its full, titanic size (for creatures of Huge size or larger) or shrink to fit the hands of Medium or smaller creatures.
- Titan’s Strength: While attuned to this weapon, your Strength score increases by 2, to a maximum of 24.
- Energy Absorption: The axe absorbs and stores elemental energy. Whenever you take fire, lightning, or radiant damage, you can use your reaction to reduce that damage by half and store the remaining energy in the axe. The axe can store up to 100 points of energy. As a bonus action, you can release the stored energy, dealing 2d10 additional damage of the absorbed type for every 25 points stored.
- Cleave: When you reduce a creature to 0 hit points with this weapon, you can make an additional melee attack against a creature within 5 feet of the original target.
Proficiency with a greataxe allows you to add your proficiency bonus to the attack roll for any attack you make with it.
Conclusion
King Kong in D&D is more than just a giant ape. He’s a tactical, agile, and powerful monster with a sense of nobility. He’s not just a threat to throw at your players—he’s a character in his own right. Whether as a guardian of a forgotten island, an ally against even more terrible foes, or a misunderstood giant seeking his place in the world, Kong brings a unique dynamic to any campaign.
Pair him with the Axe of the Titan, and you have a truly epic addition to your game. While Kong might not have the destructive scale of Godzilla, he makes up for it with his cunning and combat prowess.
Thanks for reading. Until Next Time, Stay Nerdy!
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