8. Adversaries

True20 heroes fight all sorts of adversaries. Villains are often other characters, but they may also be various sorts of monsters.

This chapter provides some sample creatures you can use as adversaries in your True20 adventures.

Narrator Characters

Adversaries are often other characters, portrayed by the Narrator, and ranging from vile master villains and their lieutenants to misunderstood anti-heroes or amoral mercenaries simply out for a tidy profit. Anyone with goals at cross-purposes to the heroes is a potential antagonist, with some more serious than others.

Narrator characters follow all the same rules as heroes, including having and using Conviction, and regaining it according to their natures. Narrator characters have roles and levels just like heroes as well. A good rule of thumb is for a major antagonist to be at least two levels greater than the highest-level hero, with lesser antagonists (lieutenants and henchmen) around the same level as the heroes, or even lower. This helps ensure the adversary is a reasonable challenge for the heroes.

Narrator characters can be any level you see fit, however. Keep in mind that even a high level character usually isn’t that much tougher than a low-level one. A high-level foe may have greater skills and resources to draw upon, but can often be taken down by the same attack that would fell a lower-level opponent, provided the characters can get past the high-level character’s defense bonus.

With major antagonists, it’s often a good idea to reserve a Conviction point or two for recovery checks, re-rolling Toughness saves, and avoiding death. If nothing else, a major antagonist can always appear to die (plunging off a cliff, lost in an explosion, etc.), only to reappear in a later adventure, having escaped certain death.

Ordinaries

While important Narrator characters and antagonists will usually belong to one of the three roles described in Chapter One, the vast majority of people in the world aren’t heroic adventurers or devious villains. They’re just ordinary people, going about their daily lives, with very little need for the skills and abilities of adventuring heroes. These characters are called ordinaries in True20.

Ordinary is essentially a fourth role, in addition to adept, expert, and warrior, but it is a role inferior to the other three in terms of abilities. Levels in ordinary grant only one thing: 4 starting skills at 1st level and 4 additional skill ranks per level. Ordinaries do not gain combat or saving throw bonuses, nor do they gain any feats (either at 1st level or as they progress in level). The only difference between a 1st-level ordinary and a 20th-level ordinary is the number and rank of the character’s skills. This is the case for most ordinary people: they learn and develop skills, but have little or no need to improve their ability to fight, avoid hazards, and so forth. If you can describe a Narrator character as an “ordinary (whatever),” odds are that character has the ordinary role.

Ordinaries also do not have or gain Conviction. They don’t have the extraordinary drive and motivation of heroes and villains. They can (and sometimes do) use extra effort, but that is all.

Of course, ordinaries can be mixed-role, as described in Chapter One. They gain all the benefits of their level in any other role(s), including Conviction. A retired soldier turned shopkeeper, for example, mightbe a 2nd-level warrior from his early military training, but a 5th-level ordinary from his years of minding the store, which developed some of his skills (like Knowledge and Sense Motive) but not his military prowess. Likewise, a wily government functionary might mix levels of expert and ordinary, just as a wise sage might mix levels of adept and ordinary; possessing some skill with the supernatural, but primarily focusing on “book knowledge.”

You can generally treat ordinaries as two levels lower than their actual level when comparing them to heroes. Ordinaries lack many of the usual benefits of their level, so they’re no match for a character of one of the other three roles at the same level.

You can use the Quick Narrator Characters guideline (see the sidebar) for ordinaries: just pick (4 + Intelligence score) skills for them and set their rank at (level +3) and you’re ready to go. For truly “ordinary” ordinaries, assume all of the character’s ability scores are +0 (strictly average).

Minions

While heroes and important Narrator characters use the rules described previously, minor characters in the story are less capable (and durable). These characters and creatures are known as minions, and follow special rules, particularly where damage is concerned.

A minion makes a Toughness save against damage normally; however, if the save fails, the minion suffers the maximum possible result for that attack. Usually this means unconsciousness for a non-lethal attack and death for a lethal attack. If the attacker wishes, the minion can suffer a lesser damage result. This means minions generally have only three damage conditions: normal, unconscious, and dead. This makes it easier for heroes to dispatch less important opponents and easier for the Narrator to keep track of them in combat.

Additionally, minions never have Conviction, even if they have levels in a heroic role. Their part in the story simply isn’t important enough.

Note that the Narrator decides which characters and creatures are minions. In some cases, whether or not opponents count as minions may depend on the importance of the scene in the story. Not all followers are minions! For example, if the heroes are valiantly fighting their way past the undead guards of a sorcerer’s citadel, then the Narrator may wish to consider those skeletons and zombies minions. On the other hand, when the heroes fight the sorcerer’s ogre lieutenant, the Narrator chooses not to treat it as a minion, even though it is a follower of another Narrator character.

While many ordinaries are also minions, that doesn’t have to be the case. Minion is a status apart from role or creature type and is assigned as the Narrator sees fit.

Creatures

Many of the adversaries that heroes face are not human at all, but various sorts of creatures. A “creature” is simply a way of referring to a character that isn’t necessarily human (or even alive, sometimes). Creatures come in many different types, and range from harmless animals to titanic monsters.

Each creature in this chapter is given in the same general format, and includes the following information: Size

While heroes come in all sizes and shapes, most are generally within the human norms of size, between four and eight feet tall or so (medium- sized). Creatures, however, can vary greatly in size, from as small as mice to as large as dinosaurs. A creature’s size affects certain traits. Modifications for size are shown on the Size table.

Combat Modifier

Larger creatures are easier to notice and hit relative to smaller ones, while smaller creatures are harder to notice and hit. Apply the combat modifier for the creature’s size to its attack rolls and Defense. These modifiers cancel out for creatures of the same size, who attack and defend normally against each other.

Grapple Modifier

Larger creatures have an advantage in trying to grapple smaller opponents. In addition to the modifier to grapple checks, a larger creature can grapple more opponents of a smaller size: double the number of opponents the creature can grapple at once per size category the attacker is larger than the defenders. So a medium attacker can grapple one medium opponent, two small opponents (one under each arm, for example), four tiny opponents, and so forth.

Stealth Modifier

Larger creatures have a harder time sneaking around, while smaller creatures have an easier time remaining unseen and unheard. Apply this modifier to Stealth checks made at this size.

Toughness Modifier

Larger creatures are tougher than smaller creatures with the same Constitution. Apply the Toughness modifier for the creature’s size category to its Toughness saving throws.

Reach

A normal (medium-sized) creature has a 5 ft. reach, which means the creature can make a melee attack at any target up to 5 ft. away. Larger

Size	Combat Modifier	Grapple Modifier	Stealth ModifierSize

Toughness Modifier

HeightWeightSpaceReachCarrying CapacityColossal–8+16–16+864-128 ft.250K- 2 mil lbs30 ft.15 ft.x16Gargantuan–4+12–12+632-64 ft.32K –250K lbs.20 ft.15 ft.x8Huge–2+8–8+416-32 ft.4K –32K lbs.15 ft.10 ft.x4Large–1+4–4+28-16 ft.500-4,000 lbs.10 ft.10 ft.x2Medium+0+0+0+04-8 ft.60-500 lbs.5 ft.5 ft.x1Small+1–4+4–12 ft.-4 ft.8-60 lbs.5 ft.5 ft.x3/4Tiny+2–8+8–21-2 ft.1-8 lbs.2.5 ft.0 ft.x1/2Diminutive+4–12+12–46 in-1 ft.0.25-1 lb.1 ft.0 ft.x1/4Fine+8–16+16–83 in-6 in.0.9-0.1 lb.6 in.0 ft.x1/8

and smaller creatures have a longer or shorter reach, as shown on the Size table. A creature with “0 ft.” reach must effectively occupy the same space as an opponent to make melee attacks.

Space

A normal (medium-sized) creature is assumed to occupy a roughly 5-ft.- by-5-ft. space. Larger and smaller creatures occupy more or less space, as shown on the Size table.

Carrying Capacity

Larger creatures can lift and carry more, while smaller creatures can lift and carry less. Larger creatures gain an increase in effective Strength for carrying capacity: +5 points (a doubling in capacity) per size category. Smaller creatures’ carrying capacities are multiplied by the value in this column. So a tiny creature with Strength +0 has a heavy load of (100 x 1/2) or 50 lbs.

Level

Creatures have levels much like heroes and other characters do. However, most creatures do not have roles or, more precisely, “creature” is their role in the story. Creature level can be treated much like role level in most ways, and is used to determine many of the creature’s capabilities, just like role level for heroes.

A creature’s level also serves as a rough guideline of what sort of challenge it should pose to the heroes. Generally, a creature the same level as the heroes should pose a reasonable challenge, while a lower- level creature is less of a threat and a higher-level creature is a more serious challenge. A creature more than two levels higher than the heroes may be too great of a challenge at the heroes’ present level.

Role

While most creatures do not have roles (apart from being creatures), some can acquire levels in one of the three heroic roles (adept, expert, warrior) or in the ordinary role. This is particularly the case for intelligent creatures and those able to learn new skills (such as well- trained animals like warhorses).

Role levels apply to creatures the same way they do to others and creatures gain the usual benefits of the role, including combat and saving throw modifiers, skills, and feats. Some capabilities may be of more or less use to certain creatures, and the Narrator decides which skills or feats, for example, a particular creature may acquire and use.

Type & Subtype

A creature’s type has a significant effect on its capabilities. Type essentially serves as the creature’s role. Note that 1st-level creatures with a heroic role determine their combat bonus, saves, skills and feats according to their heroic role alone (as heroes do). Monsters with multiple levels in any given creature type that gain levels in a heroic role do so using the rules for mixed-role heroes given in Chapter One.

Creature Types

Quick Narrator Characters

A particular trick to use when creating higher-level Narrator characters is to choose the character’s starting skills (based on role and Intelligence score), then simply increase those skills to (level +3) rank, assuming the character spent all earned skill ranks at later levels keeping the starting skills at the maximum rank. This saves time in assigning skill ranks and figuring out what the character’s proper rank in any given skill should be.

So, for example, an 11th-level expert with Int +2 has ten starting skills (8 + 2 for Int). Choose ten skills and make them all rank 14 (11 + 3 for maximum rank), assuming the expert started with those ten skills and spent his ten earned skill ranks for his ten succeeding levels to keep them at maximum rank.

A creature’s type defines it, much like a character’s role. In fact, a creature’s type determines many of its traits in the same as heroes’ roles do.

Aberration

An aberration has a bizarre anatomy, strange abilities, an alien mindset, or any combination of the three. If your creature concept is too strange to fit into another creature type, it is probably an aberration.

Features: An aberration has the following features.

• Toughness: Aberrations have a base Toughness equal to their Constitution. This value is modified by their size and armor.
• Combat: Base combat bonus of 3/4 their level (as expert).
• Saves: Good Will saves.
• Skills: Skills equal to (2 + Int, minimum 1), and the same number of skill ranks per additional level.
• Feats: Light and Heavy Armor Training, Weapon Training, and one additional feat at 1st level and an additional feat every third level. These feats may be selected from any category.

Traits: An aberration possesses the following traits (unless otherwise noted in a creature’s entry).

• Darkvision out to 60 feet.
• Training with natural weapons.
• Aberrations eat, sleep, and breathe.

Advancement: Aberrations with an Intelligence score of –3 or below advance by gaining more levels in aberration. Aberrations with an Intelligence score of –2 or above advance by character role (usually adept).

Animal

An animal is a living, nonhuman creature, usually a vertebrate with no supernatural powers and no innate capacity for language or culture.

Features: An animal has the following features (unless otherwise noted in a creature’s entry).

• Toughness: Animals have a base Toughness equal to their Constitution. This value is modified by their size and armor.
• Combat: Base combat bonus of 3/4 their level (as expert).
• Saves: Good Fortitude and Reflex saves (certain animals have different good saves).
• Skills: Skills equal to (2 + Int, minimum 1), and the same number of skill ranks per additional level.
• Feats: Animals begin with one feat at 1st level and gain an additional feat every third level. These feats may be selected from the general, warrior and expert categories.

Traits: An animal possesses the following traits (unless otherwise noted in a creature’s entry).

• Intelligence of –5 or –4 (a creature with an Intelligence score of –3 or higher cannot be an animal).
• Night Vision as a bonus feat.
• Training with natural weapons.
• A non-combative herbivore uses its natural weapons as a secondary attack. Such attacks are made with a –5 penalty on the creature’s attack rolls, and the animal receives only 1/2 its Strength as a damage adjustment.
• Animals eat, sleep, and breathe.

Advancement: Animals advance by gaining more levels in animal.

Construct

A construct is an animated object or artificially constructed creature. Constructs are built rather than being born or raised from the dead.

Features: A construct has the following features.

• Toughness: Constructs have a base Toughness of +1, modified by their size and armor.
• Combat: Base combat bonus of 3/4 their level (as expert).
• Saves: No good saving throws.
• Skills: Skills equal to (2 + Int, minimum 1), and the same number of skill ranks per additional level if the construct has an Intelligence score. However, most constructs are mindless and gain no skills.
• Feats: Most constructs are mindless and have no feats. Constructs with an Intelligence score begin with Weapon Training and one other feat at 1st level and gain an additional feat every third level. These feats may be selected from the general and warrior categories.

Traits: A construct possesses the following traits (unless otherwise noted in a creature’s entry).

• No Constitution score.
• Night Vision as a bonus feat.
• Darkvision out to 60 feet.
• Training with natural weapons.
• Immunity to all mind-influencing effects (including Heart Reading, Heart Shaping, and any supernatural powers requiring mental contact).
• Immunity to poison, sleep effects, paralysis, stunning, disease effects, and the Imbue Unlife supernatural power.
• Cannot heal damage on their own, but often can be repaired by exposing them to a certain kind of effect (see the creature’s description for details) or through the use of the Imbue Item feat. A construct with the fast healing special quality still benefits from that quality.
• Notsubjectto critical hits, non-lethal damage, ability damage, ability drain, fatigue, or exhaustion.
• Immunity to any effect requiring a Fortitude save (unless the effect also works on objects, or is harmless).
• Immediately destroyed when reduced to “dying” status on the damage track.
• Since it was never alive, a construct cannot be affected by the Imbue Life power.
• Constructs do not eat, sleep, or breathe.

Advancement: Constructs advance by gaining more levels in construct.

Dragon

A dragon is a reptilian creature, usually winged, with supernatural or unusual abilities.

Features: A dragon has the following features.

• Toughness: Dragons have a base Toughness score equal to their Constitution. This value is modified by their size and armor.
• Combat: Base combat bonus of their level (as warrior).
• Saves: Good Fortitude, Reflex, and Will saves.
• Skills: Skills equal to (6 + Int, minimum 1) and the same number of skill ranks per additional level.
• Feats: Dragons begin with one feat at 1st level and gain an additional feat every third level. These feats may be selected from any category. Dragons may choose a supernatural power in place of a feat like an adept, and treat their creature level as their adept level for using those powers.

Traits: A dragon possesses the following traits (unless otherwise noted in the description of a particular kind).

• Night Vision as a bonus feat.
• Darkvision out to 60 feet.
• Training with natural weapons.
• Immunity to supernatural sleep and paralysis effects.
• Dragons eat, sleep, and breathe.

Advancement: Dragons advance by gaining more levels in the dragon creature type.

Elemental

An elemental is a being composed of one of the four classical elements: air, earth, fire, or water.

Features: An elemental has the following features.

• Toughness: Elementals have a base Toughness equal to their Constitution. This value is modified by their size and armor.
• Combat: Base combat bonus of 3/4 their level (as expert).
• Saves: Good saves depend on the element: Fortitude (earth, water) or Reflex (air, fire).
• Skills: Skills equal to (2 + Int, minimum 1) and the same number of skill ranks per additional level.
• Feats: Weapon Training and one other feat at 1st level and gain an additional feat every third level. These feats may be selected from any category.

Traits: An elemental possesses the following traits (unless otherwise noted in a creature’s entry).

• Darkvision out to 60 feet.
• Training with natural weapons.
• Immunity to poison, sleep effects, paralysis, and stunning.
• Not subject to critical hits.
• Unlike most other living creatures, an elemental does not have a dual nature—its soul and body form one unit. When an elemental is slain, no soul is set loose. Supernatural powers that restore souls to their bodies or restore life to the dead (such as Imbue Life) don’t work on elementals.
• Elementals do not eat, sleep, or breathe.

Advancement: Elementals with an Intelligence score of –2 or below advance by gaining more levels in the elemental type. Elementals with an Intelligence score of –1 or above advance by character role (usually adept).

Fey

A fey is a creature with supernatural abilities and connections to nature or to a similar force or a magical place. Fey are usually somewhat human-shaped.

Features: A fey has the following features.

• Toughness: Fey have a base Toughness equal to their Constitution. This value is modified by their size and armor.
• Combat: Base combat bonus of 1/2 their level (as adept).
• Saves: Good Reflex and Will saves.
• Skills: Skills equal to (6 + Int, minimum 1) and the same number of skill ranks per additional level.
• Feats: Light and Heavy Armor Training, Weapon Training, and one other feat at 1st level and gain an additional feat every third level. These feats may be selected from any category.

Traits: A fey possesses the following traits (unless otherwise noted in a creature’s entry).

• Night Vision as a bonus feat.
• Training with natural weapons.
• Fey eat, sleep, and breathe.

Advancement: Fey advance by character role.

Humanoid

A humanoid usually has two arms, two legs, and one head, or a humanlike torso, arms, and a head. Humanoids have few or no supernatural or extraordinary abilities, but most can speak and usually have well-developed societies. They usually are small or medium size, unless they belong to the giant subtype (which is at least large size). Every humanoid creature also has a subtype, based on its race (dwarf, elf, giant, gnome, goblin, halfling, human, orc, etc.).

Humanoids with only one level exchange the features of their humanoid level for the features of a heroic role. Humanoids of this sort are presented in this chapter as 1st-level warriors.

Humanoids with more than one racial level are the only humanoids that make use of the features of the humanoid type.

Features: A humanoid has the following features (unless otherwise noted in a creature’s entry).

• Toughness: Humanoids have a base Toughness equal to their Constitution. This value is modified by their size and armor.
• Combat: Base combat bonus of 3/4 their level (as expert), or by character role.
• Saves: Good Reflex saves (usually; a humanoid’s good save varies), or by character role.
• Skills: Skills equal to (2 + Int, minimum 1), and the same number of skill ranks per additional level, or by character role.
• Feats: Light and Heavy Armor Training, Weapon Training, and one other feat at 1st level and gain an additional feat every third level, or by character role. These feats may be selected from any category.

Traits: A humanoid possesses the following traits (unless otherwise noted in a creature’s entry).

• Training with natural weapons.
• Humanoids breathe, eat, and sleep.

Advancement: Humanoids advance by character role.

Monstrous Humanoid

Monstrous humanoids are similar to humanoids, but with monstrous or animalistic features. They often have supernatural abilities as well.

Features: A monstrous humanoid has the following features.

• Toughness: Monstrous humanoids have a base Toughness equal to their Constitution. This value is modified by their size and armor.
• Combat: Base combat bonus of their level (as warrior).
• Saves: Good Reflex and Will saves.
• Skills: Skills equal to (2 + Int, minimum 1), and the same number of skill ranks per additional level.
• Feats: Light and Heavy Armor Training, Weapon Training, and one other feat at 1st level and gain an additional feat every third level. These feats may be selected from any category.

Traits: A monstrous humanoid possesses the following traits (unless noted otherwise in a creature’s entry).

• Darkvision out to 60 feet.
• Training with natural weapons.
• Monstrous humanoids eat, sleep, and breathe.

Advancement: Monstrous humanoids advance by character role.

Ooze

An ooze is an amorphous or mutable creature, usually mindless.

Features: An ooze has the following features.

• Toughness: Oozes have a base Toughness equal to their Constitution +1. This value is modified by their size.
• Combat: Base combat bonus of 3/4 their level (as expert).
• Saves: No good saving throws.
• Skills: Skills equal to (2 + Int, minimum 1), and the same number of skill ranks per additional level, if the ooze has an Intelligence score. However, most oozes are mindless and gain no skills.
• Feats: Most oozes are mindless and have no feats. Oozes with an Intelligence score begin with one feat at 1st level and gain an additional feat every third level. These feats may be selected from the general category.

Traits: An ooze possesses the following traits (unless otherwise noted in a creature’s entry).

• Mindless: No Intelligencescore, andimmunityto allmind-influencing effects (including Heart Reading, Heart Shaping, and any power requiring mental contact).
• Blind (buthave the blindsightspecial quality), with immunity to gaze attacks, visual effects, illusions, and other attack forms that rely on sight.
• Training with natural weapons.
• Immunity to poison, sleep effects, paralysis, stunning, and the Flesh Shaping power.
• Some oozes have the ability to deal acid damage to objects. In such a case, the amount of damage is equal to the ooze’s Constitution score per full round of contact.
• Not subject to critical hits.
• Oozes eat and breathe, but do not sleep.

Advancement: Oozes advance by gaining levels in the ooze creature type.

Outsider

An outsider is at least partially composed of the essence (but not necessarily the material) of some other plane of existence. Some creatures start out as some other type and become outsiders when they attain a higher (or lower) state of spiritual existence. Outsiders include such otherworldly creatures as angels, demons and devils.

Features: An outsider has the following features.

• Toughness: Outsiders have a base Toughness equal to their Constitution. This value is modified by their size and armor.
• Combat: Base combat bonus of their level (as warrior).
• Saves: Good Fortitude, Reflex, and Will saves.
• Skills: Skills equal to (6 + Int, minimum 1) and the same number of skill ranks per additional level.
• Feats: Light and Heavy Armor Training, Weapon Training, and one other feat at 1st level and gain an additional feat every third level. These feats may be selected from any category.

Traits: An outsider possesses the following traits (unless otherwise noted in a creature’s entry).

• Darkvision out to 60 feet.
• Training with natural weapons.
• Unlike most other living creatures, an outsider does not have a dual nature—its soul and body form one unit. When an outsider is slain, no soul is set loose. Supernatural powers that restore souls to their bodies (such as Imbue Life) don’t work on an outsider. An outsider with the native subtype can be affected by Imbue Life just as other living creatures can be.
• Outsiders breathe, but do not need to eat or sleep (although they can if they wish). Native outsiders breathe, eat, and sleep.

Advancement: Outsiders with an Intelligence score of –2 or below advance by gaining levels in outsider. Outsiders with an Intelligence score of –1 or above advance by character role.

Plant

This type comprises vegetable creatures. Note that regular plants, such as one finds growing in gardens and fields, lack Wisdom and Charisma scores and are not creatures, but objects, even though they are alive.

Features: A plant creature has the following features.

• Toughness: Plants have a base Toughness equal to their Constitution. This value is modified by their size and armor.
• Combat: Base combat bonus of 3/4 their level (as expert).
• Saves: Good Fortitude saves.
• Skills: Skills equal to (2 + Int, minimum 1) and the same number of skill ranks per additional level, if the plant creature has an Intelligence score. However, some plant creatures are mindless and gain no skills.
• Feats: Some plants are mindless and have no feats. Plants with an Intelligence score begin with one feat at 1st level and gain an additional feat every third level. These feats may be selected from the general category.

Traits: A plant creature possesses the following traits (unless otherwise noted in a creature’s entry).

• Night Vision as a bonus feat.
• Training with natural weapons.
• Immunity to all mind-influencing effects (including Heart Reading, Heart Shaping, and any power requiring mental contact).
• Immunity to poison, sleep effects, paralysis, stunning, and the Flesh Shaping power. Plant creatures are, however, affected by the Plant Shaping power.
• Not subject to critical hits.
• Plants breathe and eat, but do not sleep.

Advancement: Plants with an Intelligence score of –2 or below advance by gaining levels in the plant creature type. Plants with an Intelligence score of –1 or above advance by character role.

Supernatural Beast

Supernatural beasts are similar to animals but can have Intelligence scores higher than –4. Supernatural beasts usually have supernatural abilities, but sometimes are merely bizarre in appearance or habits and have supernatural origins (such as the bear-shark).

Features: A supernatural beast has the following features.

• Toughness: Supernatural beasts have a base Toughness equal to their Constitution. This value is modified by their size and armor.
• Combat: Base combat bonus of their level (as warrior).
• Saves: Good Fortitude and Reflex saves.
• Skills: Skills equal to (2 + Int, minimum 1) and the same number of skill ranks per additional level.
• Feats: Supernatural beasts begin with one feat at 1st level and gain an additional feat every third level. These feats may be selected from any category.

Traits: A supernatural beast possesses the following traits (unless otherwise noted in a creature’s entry).

• Darkvision out to 60 feet and night vision.
• Proficient with its natural weapons.
• Supernatural beasts eat, sleep, and breathe.

Advancement: Supernatural beasts advance by gaining levels in the supernatural beast creature type.

Undead

Undead are once-living creatures animated by spiritual or supernatural forces, such as the Imbue Unlife power.

Features: An undead creature has the following features.

• Toughness: Undead have a base Toughness of +0 modified by their size and armor. They also gain a Toughness bonus equal to 1/2 their level (rounded down).
• Combat: Base combat bonus of 1/2 their level (as adept).
• Saves: Good Will saves.
• Skills: Skills equal to (4 + Int, minimum 1) and the same number of skill ranks per additional level, if the undead creature has an Intelligence score. However, many undead are mindless and gain no skills.
• Feats: Some undead are mindless and have no feats. Undead with an Intelligence score begin with Light and Heavy Armor Training, Weapon Training and one other feat at 1st level and gain an additional feat every third level. These feats may be selected from any category. In addition, skeletal undead gain Improved Initiative and zombie-like undead gain Tough as a bonus feat regardless of their Intelligence score.

Traits: An undead creature possesses the following traits (unless otherwise noted in a creature’s entry).

• No Constitution score.
• Darkvision out to 60 feet.
• Training with natural weapons.
• Immunity to all mind-influencing effects (including Heart Reading, Heart Shaping, and any power requiring mental contact).
• Immunity to poison, sleep effects, paralysis, stunning, disease, and death effects.
• Not subject to critical hits, non-lethal damage, or ability drain. Immune to damage to its physical ability scores (Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution), as well as to fatigue and exhaustion effects.
• Cannot heal damage on its own if it has no Intelligence score, although it can be healed. The fast healing special quality works regardless of the creature’s Intelligence score.
• The Harm power heals undead creatures (treat this situation as if the Cure power were being used on a living creature).
• The Cure power damages undead creatures as if it were Harm used on a living creature.
• Immunity to any effect requiring a Fortitude save (unless the effect also works on objects or is harmless).
• When reduced to “dying” on the damage track, it is immediately destroyed.
• Not affected by the Imbue Life supernatural power.
• Undead do not breathe, eat, or sleep.

Advancement: Undead with an Intelligence score of –2 or less advance by gaining levels in the undead creature type. Undead with an Intelligence of –1 or greater advance by role.

Vermin

This type includes insects, arachnids, other arthropods, worms, and similar invertebrates.

Features: Vermin have the following features.

• Toughness: Vermin have a base Toughness equal to their Constitution. This value is modified by their size and armor.
• Combat: Base combat bonus of 3/4 their level (as expert).
• Saves: Good Fortitude saves.
• Skills: Skills equal to (2 + Int, minimum 1) and the same number of skill ranks per additional level, if the vermin has an Intelligence score. However, most vermin are mindless and gain no skills.
• Feats: Most vermin are mindless and have no feats. Vermin with an Intelligence score begin with one feat at 1st level and gain an additional feat every third level. These feats may be selected from the general, warrior and expert categories.

Traits: Vermin possess the following traits (unless otherwise noted in a creature’s entry).

• Mindless: No Intelligencescore, andimmunityto allmind-influencing effects (including Heart Reading, Heart Shaping, and any power requiring mental contact).
• Darkvision out to 60 feet.
• Proficient with their natural weapons.
• Vermin breathe, eat, and sleep.

Advancement: Vermin advance by gaining levels in the vermin creature type.

Creature Subtypes

Subtypes are descriptors added on to a creature type in parentheses. Not all creatures have a subtype, while others have multiple subtypes. Some creature types such as humanoid and outsider always have at least one subtype.

Air

This subtype usually is used for elementals and outsiders. Air creatures always have fly speeds and usually have perfect maneuverability.

Aquatic

These creatures always have swim speeds and thus can move in water without making Swim checks. An aquatic creature can breathe underwater. It cannot also breathe air unless it has the amphibious quality.

Cold

A creature with the cold subtype has immunity to cold. It has vulnerability to fire, which means it takes half again as much (+50%) damage as normal from fire.

Earth

This subtype usually is used for elementals and outsiders. Earth creatures usually have burrow speeds, and most earth creatures can burrow through solid rock.

Fire

A creature with the fire subtype has immunity to fire and heat. It has vulnerability to cold, which means it takes half again as much (+50%) damage as normal from cold.

Giant

A giant is a humanoid-shaped creature of great strength, usually of at least Large size. Giants tend to have good Fortitude saves rather than good Reflex saves like most other humanoids. Giants also tend to have night vision.

Incorporeal

An incorporeal creature has no physical body. Only other incorporeal creatures, supernatural weapons (or creatures that strike as supernatural weapons), and powers can harm it. It is immune to all mundane attack forms. Even when hit by powers or supernatural weapons, it has a 50% chance to ignore any damage from a corporeal source.

An incorporeal creature has no natural armor bonus but has a bonus to its Defense equal to its Charisma score (always at least +1, even if the creature’s Charisma score is +0 or less).

An incorporeal creature can pass through solid objects. An incorporeal creature’s attacks likewise pass through (ignore) natural armor, armor, and shields. Incorporeal creatures pass through and operate in water as easily as they do in air. Incorporeal creatures cannot fall or take falling damage. Incorporeal creatures cannot make trip or grapple attacks, nor can they be tripped or grappled. In fact, they cannot take any physical action that would move or manipulate an opponent or its equipment, nor are they subject to such actions. Incorporeal creatures have no weight and do not set off traps triggered by weight.

An incorporeal creature moves silently and cannot be heard if it doesn’t wish to be. Non-visual senses, such as scent and blindsight, are either ineffective or only partly effective with regard to incorporeal creatures. Incorporeal creatures have an innate sense of direction and can move at full speed even when they cannot see.

Native

A subtype applied only to outsiders. These creatures have mortal ancestors or a strong connection to the Material Plane and can be raised from the dead by the Imbue Life supernatural power just as other living creatures can be. Creatures with this subtype are native to the Material Plane (hence the subtype’s name). Unlike true outsiders, native outsiders need to eat and sleep.

Reptilian

These creatures are scaly and usually cold-blooded. The reptilian subtype is only used to describe a set of humanoid races, not animals and monsters that are truly reptiles.

Shapechanger

A shapechanger has the supernatural ability to assume one or more alternate forms. Many supernatural effects allow some kind of shape shifting, and not every creature that can change shape has the shapechanger subtype.

Swarm

A swarm is a collection of fine, diminutive, or tiny creatures that acts as a single creature. A swarm has the characteristics of its type, except as noted here. A swarm has a single level and Toughness save, a single initiative modifier, a single speed, and a single Defense bonus. A swarm makes saving throws as a single creature. A single swarm occupies a circle (if it is made up of non-flying creatures) or a sphere (of flying creatures) 10 feet in diameter, but its reach is 0 feet, like its component creatures. In order to attack, it surrounds an opponent. It can occupy the same space as a creature of any size, since it crawls all over its prey. A swarm can move through an area occupied by enemies and vice versa without impediment. A swarm can move through cracks or holes large enough for its component creatures.

A swarm of tiny creatures consists of 300 non-flying creatures or 1,000 flying creatures. A swarm of diminutive creatures consists of 1,500 non-flying creatures or 5,000 flying creatures. A swarm of fine creatures break up, though damage taken until that point does not affect its ability to attack or resist attack. Swarms are never staggered. Also, they cannot be tripped, grappled, or rushed, and they cannot grapple an opponent.

A swarm is immune to any power or effect that targets a specific number of creatures (including single-target supernatural powers), with the exception of mind-influencing effects if the swarm has an Intelligence score and a hive mind. A swarm takes half again as much damage (+50%) from powers or effects that affect an area, including widened powers.

Swarms made up of diminutive or fine creatures are susceptible to high winds such as created by the Wind Shaping power. For purposes of determining the effects of wind on a swarm, treat the swarm as a creature of the same size as its constituent creatures. A swarm rendered unconscious by non-lethal damage becomes disorganized and dispersed, and does not reform until it makes a successful recovery roll.

consists of 10,000 creatures, whether they are flying or not. Swarms of non-flying creatures include many more creatures than could normally fit in a 10-foot square based on their normal space, because creatures in a swarm are packed tightly together and generally crawl over each other and their prey when moving or attacking. Larger swarms are represented by multiples of single swarms. The area occupied by a large swarm is completely shapeable, though the swarm usually remains in contiguous areas.

Traits: A swarm has no clear front or back and no discernable anatomy, so it is not subject to critical hits. A swarm made up of tiny creatures takes half damage from slashing and piercing weapons. A swarm composed of fine or diminutive creatures is immune to weapon damage. Reducing a swarm to “dying” status on the damage track causes it to

Swarm Attack: Creatures with the swarm subtype don’t make standard melee attacks. Instead, they deal automatic damage to any creature whose space they occupy at the end of their move, with no attack roll needed. Swarm attacks are not subject to a miss chance for concealment or cover. A swarm’s statistics block has “swarm” in the Combat entry, with no attack bonus given. The amount of damage a swarm deals is based on its level, as shown on the table that follows.

A swarm’s attacks are not supernatural, unless the swarm’s description states otherwise. Damage reduction sufficient to reduce a swarm attack’s damage below 0, being incorporeal, and other special abilities can give a creature immunity (or at least resistance) to damage from a swarm. Some swarms also have acid, poison, blood drain, or other special attacks in addition to normal damage.

Swarm Level	Swarm Base Damage
1–5	+2
6–10	+4
11–15	+6
16–20	+8
21 or more	+10

Fly

A creature with a fly speed can move through the air at the indicated speed if carrying no more than a light load. (Note that medium armor does not necessarily constitute a medium load.) All fly speeds include a parenthetical note indicating maneuverability, as follows:

Perfect: The creature can perform almost any aerial maneuver it wishes.

Good: The creature is very agile in the air (like a housefly or a hummingbird), but cannot change direction as readily as those with perfect maneuverability.

Average: The creature can fly as adroitly as a small bird.

Poor: The creature flies as well as a very large bird.

Clumsy: The creature can barely maneuver at all.

Distraction

Any living creature vulnerable to a swarm’s damage that begins its turn surrounded by a swarm is nauseated for 1 round; a Fortitude save (Difficulty 10 + 1/2 swarm’s level + swarm’s Constitution score) negates the effect. Using or concentrating on supernatural powers within the area of a swarm requires a Concentration check (Difficulty 25). Using skills that involve patience and concentration requires a Difficulty 20 Concentration check.

Vice

A subtype usually applied only to outsiders native to the vice-aligned planes of existence. Outsiders with the vice subtype are also called fiends. Creatures with this subtype act in accordance with the vice aspect of their nature. A creature with the vice subtype overcomes damage reduction as if its natural weapons and any weapons it wields were vice-aligned.

Virtue

A subtype usually applied only to outsiders native to the virtue-aligned planes of existence. Creatures with this subtype act in accordance with the virtue aspect of their nature. A creature with the virtue subtype overcomes damage reduction as if its natural weapons and any weapons it wields were virtue-aligned.

Water

This subtype usually is used for elementals and outsiders. Creatures with the water subtype always have swim speeds and can move in water without making Swim checks. A water creature can breathe underwater and usually can breathe air as well.

Movement

A creature’s movement speed is the amount of distance it can cover in one move action. If a creature wears armor that reduces its speed, this is indicated along with a note specifying the armor type; the creature’s base unarmored speed follows.

If the creature has other modes of movement, these are given after the main entry. Unless noted otherwise, such modes of movement are natural, not powers.

Burrow

The creature can tunnel through dirt but not through rock, unless the descriptive text says otherwise.

Climb

A creature with a climb speed has a +8 bonus on Climb checks. The creature must make a Climb check to climb any wall or slope with a Difficulty greater than 0, but it can always take 10, even if rushed or threatened while climbing. The creature climbs at the given speed. If it attempts an accelerated climb, it moves at double the given climb speed (or its normal land speed, whichever is less) and makes a single Climb check at a –5 penalty. Creatures cannot move all out while climbing. The creature retains its dodge bonus (if any) while climbing, and opponents get no special bonus on their attack rolls against a climbing creature.

Flying creatures can make dive attacks. A dive attack works like a charge, but the diving creature must move a minimum of 30 feet. Creatures can move all out while flying, provided they fly in a relatively straight line.

Swim

A creature with a swim speed can move through water at the given speed without making Swim checks. It gains a +8 bonus on any Swim check to perform some special action or avoid a hazard. The creature can always take 10, even if distracted or endangered when swimming. Creatures can move all out while swimming, provided they swim in a straight line.

Abilities

Creatures have the same ability scores as heroes: Strength (Str), Dexterity (Dex), Constitution (Con), Intelligence (Int), Wisdom (Wis), and Charisma (Cha), although some creatures lack certain ability scores. See Nonexistent Ability Scores in Chapter One for more information.

Strength

Quadrupeds can carry heavier loads than bipedal creatures. Rather than using the carrying capacity multipliers in the Size table, quadrupeds use the following multipliers: Colossal x24, Gargantuan x12, Huge x6, Large x3, Medium x1-1/2, Small x1, Tiny x3/4, Diminutive x1/2, and Fine x1/4.

Intelligence

A creature can speak all the languages mentioned in its descriptive text. Any creature with an Intelligence score of –3 or higher understands at least one language.

Skills

This section lists the creature’s skills along with skill modifiers, including adjustments for ability scores and any bonuses from feats or other traits.

Feats

Prerequisite: Special attack.

Ability Focus (General)

This section lists any feats the creature may have. Creatures may choose from the following feats in addition to those given in Chapter Three, provided the creature meets the feat’s prerequisites.

Choose one of the creature’s special attacks. Add +2 to the Difficulty for all saving throws against the special attack on which the creature focuses.

Prerequisites: Str +7, size Large or larger.

Awesome Blow (Warrior)

A creature can gain this feat multiple times. Its effects do not stack. Each time the creature takes the feat it applies to a different special attack.

Prerequisites: Two or more natural weapons.

Double Strike (General)

As a standard action, the creature may choose to subtract 4 from its melee attack roll and deliver an awesome blow. If the creature hits a corporeal opponent smaller than itself with an awesome blow, its opponent must succeed on a Reflex save (Difficulty 10 + 1/2 the creature’s level + its Strength score) or be knocked 10 feet in a direction of the attacking creature’s choice and fall prone. If an obstacle prevents the completion of the opponent’s move, the opponent and the obstacle each take +2 damage, and the opponent stops in the space adjacent to the obstacle.

Prerequisite: Fly speed.

Hover (General)

The creature gains the benefits of Two-Weapon Fighting with its natural weapons (see the Two-Weapon Fighting feat in Chapter Three).

When flying, the creature can halt its forward motion and hover in place as a move action. It can then fly in any direction, including straight down or straight up, at half speed, regardless of its maneuverability.

If a creature begins its turn hovering, it can hover in place for the turn. A hovering creature cannot make wing attacks, but it can attack with all other limbs and appendages it could use in an attack. The creature can instead use a breath weapon or a supernatural power instead of making physical attacks, if it could normally do so.

If a creature of Large size or larger hovers within 20 feet of the ground in an area with lots of loose debris, the draft from its wings creates a hemispherical cloud with a radius of 60 feet. The winds so generated can snuff torches, small campfires, exposed lanterns, and other small, open flames of non-supernatural origin. Clear vision within the cloud is limited to 10 feet. Creatures have concealment at 15 to 20 feet (20% miss chance). At 25 feet or more, creatures have total concealment (50% miss chance, and opponents cannot use sight to locate the creature).

Those caught in the cloud must succeed on a Concentration check (Difficulty 10 + 1/2 creature’s level) to use supernatural powers.

Without this feat, a creature must keep moving while flying unless it has perfect maneuverability.

Snatch (General)

Prerequisite(s): Size Huge or larger.

The creature can choose to start a grapple when it hits with a claw or bite attack, as though it had the Improved Grab feat. If the creature gets a hold on a creature three or more sizes smaller, it squeezes each round for automatic bite or claw damage. A snatched opponent held in the creature’s mouth is not allowed a Reflex save against the creature’s breath weapon, if it has one.

The creature can drop a creature it has snatched as a free action or use a standard action to fling it aside. A flung creature travels up to 30 feet, and takes +2 damage per 10 feet traveled. If the creature flings a snatched opponent while flying, the opponent takes this amount or the appropriate falling damage, whichever is greater.

Wingover (General)

Prerequisite(s): Fly speed.

A flying creature with this feat can change direction quickly once each round as a free action. This feat allows it to turn up to 180 degrees regardless of its maneuverability, in addition to any other turns it is normally allowed. A creature cannot gain altitude during a round when it executes a wingover, but it can dive. The change of direction consumes 10 feet of flying movement.

Traits

Creatures often have various special traits listed in their statistics and described here.

Ability Score Loss

Some attacks reduce the opponent’s score in one or more abilities. This loss can be temporary (ability damage) or permanent (ability drain).

Ability Damage: This attack damages an opponent’s ability score. The creature’s descriptive text gives the ability and the amount of damage. If an attack that causes ability damage scores a critical hit, it deals twice the indicated amount of damage. Ability damage returns at the rate of 1 point per day for each affected ability.Ability Drain: This effect permanently reduces an opponent’s ability score. The creature’s descriptive text gives the ability and the amount drained. If an attack that causes ability drain scores a critical hit, it drains twice the indicated amount. Unless otherwise specified in the creature’s description, a draining creature gains an extra recovery check with a +5 bonus whenever it drains an ability score, no matter how many points it drains.

Some ability drain attacks allow a Fortitude save (Difficulty 10 + 1/2 creature’s level + creature’s Charisma score). If no saving throw is mentioned, none is allowed.

Alternate Form

A creature with this trait has the ability to assume one or more specific alternate forms. Assuming an alternate form results in the following changes to the creature:

• The creature retains the type and subtype of its original form. It gains the size of its new form.
• The creature loses the physical traits of its original form and gains the physical traits of its new form.
• The creature retains the special traits of its original form. It does not gain any special traits of its new form.
• The creature retains the supernatural powers and attacks of its old form (except for breath weapons and gaze attacks). It does not gain the supernatural powers, special abilities or supernatural attacks of its new form.
• The creature gains the physical ability scores (Str, Dex, Con) of its new form. It retains the mental ability scores (Int, Wis, Cha) of its original form.
• The creature retains its save bonuses, although its save modifiers may change due to a change in ability scores.
• The creature is effectively disguised as a creature of its new form, and it gains a +10 bonus on Disguise checks if it uses this ability to create a disguise.

Amphibious

An amphibious creature is naturally aquatic but can also survive indefinitely on land. It can breathe both air and water without difficulty.

Blindsense

Using non-visual senses, such as acute smell or hearing, a creature with blindsense notices things it cannot see. The creature usually does not need to make Notice checks to pinpoint the location of a creature within range of its blindsense ability, provided the creature does not have total cover. Any opponent the creature cannot see normally still has total concealment, and the creature still has the normal miss chance when attacking foes that have concealment. Visibility still affects the movement of a creature with blindsense. A creature with blindsense is still denied its dodge bonus to Defense against attacks from creatures it cannot see.

Blindsight

Using non-visual senses, such as sensitivity to vibrations, scent, acute hearing, or echolocation, the creature maneuvers and fights as well as a sighted creature. Invisibility and darkness are irrelevant to such a creature. The ability’s range is specified in the text. The creature does not need to make Notice checks against creatures within range of its blindsight ability; it detects them automatically.

Breath Weapon

A breath weapon attack usually deals damage and is often based on some type of energy.

Such breath weapons allow a Reflex save for half damage (Difficulty 10 + 1/2 creature’s level + creature’s Constitution score). A creature is immune to its own breath weapon unless otherwise noted. Some breath weapons allow a Fortitude save or a Will save instead of a Reflex save.

Change Shape

A creature with this special quality has the ability to assume the appearance of a specific creature or type of creature (usually a humanoid) while retaining most of its own physical qualities. A creature cannot change shape to a form more than one size category smaller or larger than its original form. Changing shape results in the following changes to the creature:

• The creature retains the type and subtype of its original form. It gains the size of its new form.
• The creature loses the natural weapons, movement modes, and extraordinary special attacks of its original form.
• The creature gains the natural weapons, movement modes, and non-supernatural special attacks of its new form.
• The creature retains all other special attacks and qualities of its original form, except for breath weapons and gaze attacks.
• The creature retains the ability scores of its original form.
• The creature retains its original saving throws.
• The creature retains any supernatural powers it had in its original form.
• The creature is effectively disguised as a creature of its new form, and gains a +10 bonus on Disguise checks if it uses this ability to create a disguise.

Constrict

The creature crushes the opponent, dealing bludgeoning damage, after making a successful grapple check. The amount of damage is given in the creature’s entry. If the creature also has the Improved Grab feat, it deals constriction damage in addition to damage dealt by the attack used to grab.

Damage Reduction

The creature receives a bonus to its Toughness saving throws against certain attacks. The creature takes normal damage from energy attacks (acid, cold, electricity, fire, and sonic), powers, and supernatural special abilities.

The entry indicates the bonus and the type of attack that negates the ability. A supernatural weapon automatically negates any damage reduction negated by a mundane weapon type. For example, skeletons have damage reduction +2/bludgeoning. This means they get a +2 bonus to their Toughness saves, unless hit by a bludgeoning weapon. They also lose their +2 bonus if hit by a supernatural weapon.

For purposes of harming other creatures with damage reduction, a creature’s natural weapons count as the type that ignores its own damage reduction. For example, a vampire has damage reduction +4/ silver and supernatural. This means a vampire can bypass the damage reduction of other creatures that are vulnerable to silver or supernatural weapons, including other vampires.

Darkvision

The creature can see in total darkness, out to the specified range (usually 60 feet). Darkvision is black-and-white only, but is otherwise like normal sight.

Dependent

The creature needs a particular substance to survive, much like humans need food, water, and air. When denied what it needs, the creature suffers the effects of starvation, dehydration, or suffocation (see Chapter Six), depending on how dependent it is on the substance.

Disease

When heroes come into contact with a disease, they must make a Fortitude saving throw against a Difficulty of 10 + the disease’s virulence rank to avoid becoming infected. The method of infection depends on the disease. Some are airborne, while others require physical contact.

If a hero becomes infected, there is a period of anywhere from a few hours to a week or more during which the disease lies dormant. Then the disease takes effect. The initial effect is typically a point or two of ability damage (usually Strength or Constitution or perhaps a point of each).

After that, the victim makes another Fortitude save against the same Difficulty each day to fight off the disease. If that save fails, the character suffers the disease’s effects again. If it succeeds, there is no effect that day. Two successful Fortitude saves in a row indicate the character has fought off the disease. Some diseases may have additional effects, such as fatigue, nausea, or even rendering the hero staggered or disabled while fighting off the disease.

Fast Healing

The creature makes recovery checks at an exceptional rate, perhaps as often as once per round. Fast healing stops working when a creature is dead. Except for its speed, fast healing works just like natural healing, and doesn’t provide any benefit against attacks that don’t deal damage. It also doesn’t allow a creature to regrow or reattach severed body parts.

Fear

Fear attacks can have various effects.

Fear Aura

The use of this ability is a free action. The aura can freeze an opponent or function like the fear effect of the Heart Shaping power. Other effects are possible. A fear aura is an area effect. The descriptive text gives the size and kind of area.Fear Cones and Rays: These effects usually work like the fear effect of the Heart Shaping power.

 

If a fear effect allows a saving throw, it is a Will save (Difficulty 10 + 1/2 creature’s level + creature’s Charisma score). All fear attacks are mind-influencing effects.

Flight

A creature with this ability can cease or resume flight as a free action. If the ability is supernatural, it becomes ineffective under conditions that negate the use of supernatural powers, and the creature loses its ability to fly for as long as the negating effect or conditions persist.

Frightful Presence

This special quality makes a creature’s very presence unsettling. It takes effect automatically when the creature performs some sort of dramatic action (such as charging, attacking, or snarling). Opponents within range who witness the action may become frightened or shaken. Actions required to trigger the ability are given in the creature’s descriptive text. This ability affects only opponents lower in level than the creature. An affected opponent can resist the effects with a successful Will save (Difficulty 10 + 1/2 creature’s level + creature’s Charisma score). An opponent that succeeds on the saving throw is immune to that same creature’s frightful presence for 24 hours. On a failed save, the effect lasts for two rounds for each point the save failed. Frightful presence is a mind-influencing effect.

Gaze

A gaze attack takes effect when opponents look at the creature’s eyes. The attack can have almost any sort of effect: petrification, death, charm, and so on. The typical range is 30 feet, but check the creature’s entry for details. The type of saving throw for a gaze attack varies, but it is usually a Will or Fortitude save (Difficulty 10 + 1/2 creature’s level + creature’s Charisma score). A successful saving throw negates the effect.

A monster’s gaze attack is described in abbreviated form in its description. Each opponent within range of a gaze attack must attempt a saving throw each round at the beginning of his or her turn in the initiative order. Only looking directly at a creature with a gaze attack leaves an opponent vulnerable. Opponents can avoid the need to make the saving throw by not looking at the creature, in one of two ways.

Averting Eyes

The opponent avoids looking at the creature’s face, instead looking at its body, watching its shadow, tracking it in a reflective surface, and so on. Each round, the opponent has a 50% chance (1-10 on a d20) to not need to make a saving throw against the gaze attack. The creature with the gaze attack, however, gains concealment against that opponent.Wearing a Blindfold: The opponent cannot see the creature at all (also possible to achieve by turning one’s back on the creature or shutting one’s eyes). The creature with the gaze attack gains total concealment against the opponent.

A creature with a gaze attack can actively gaze as an attack action by choosing a target within range. That opponent must attempt a saving throw but can try to avoid the creature’s gaze as described previously. Thus, it is possible for an opponent to save against a creature’s gaze twice during the same round, once before the opponent’s action and once during the creature’s turn.

Gaze attacks can affect incorporeal opponents. A creature is immune to gaze attacks of others of its kind unless otherwise noted.

Allies of a creature with a gaze attack might be affected. All the creature’s allies are considered to be averting their eyes from the creature with the gaze attack, and have a 50% chance to not need to make a saving throw against the gaze attack each round. The creature also can veil its eyes, thus negating its gaze ability.

Immunity

The creature is completely immune to some effect, suffering no harm or other effect from it. Essentially, the creature always succeeds on its saving throws against that effect, regardless of the Difficulty. So a creature immune to cold never suffers damage from cold, for example.

Light Sensitivity

Abrupt exposure to bright light (natural or supernatural light equal to full daylight) blinds the creature for a round. On subsequent rounds, the creature is dazzled (–1 on attack rolls, Notice checks, and Search checks) while operating in bright light.

Mimicry

The creature can imitate sounds and voices, giving it a +20 bonus on Bluff and Perform checks to fool others into believing its mimicry is real.

Ray

This form of special attack works like a ranged attack. Hitting with a ray attack requires a successful ranged attack roll, ignoring any defense bonus granted by a shield. Ray attacks have no range increment. The creature’s descriptive text specifies the maximum range, effects, and any applicable saving throw.

Paralysis

Regeneration

This special attack renders the victim immobile. Paralyzed creatures cannot move, speak, or take any physical actions. The creature is rooted to the spot, frozen and helpless. Paralysis works on the body, and a character can usually resist it with a Fortitude saving throw (the Difficulty is 10 + 1/2 creature level + key ability score.). A paralysis effect does not allow a new save each round. A winged creature flying in the air at the time that it is paralyzed cannot flap its wings and falls. A swimmer can’t swim and may drown.

Petrification

A petrification attack turns a creature permanently to stone if they fail their saving throw. The saving throw is usually a Fortitude save (Difficulty of 10 + 1/2 the creature’s level + the creature’s Constitution). The exact details and difficulty for the saving throw are given in the creature’s description. A petrification effect may be reversed with a Difficulty 25 Earth Shaping check followed by a Difficulty 25 Flesh Shaping check.

Poison

Poison attacks deal initial damage—such as temporary ability damage or some other effect—to the victim on a failed Fortitude save. Unless otherwise noted, another saving throw is required 1 minute later (regardless of the first save’s result) to avoid secondary damage. The Fortitude save against poison has a Difficulty equal to 10 + half the creature’s level + the creature’s Constitution score. A successful save negates the damage.

Pounce

When a creature with this special attack makes a charge, it can attack with both claws and its bite all in the same round, like a use of the Two- Weapon Fighting feat (see Chapter Three).

Powerful Charge

When a creature with this special attack makes a charge, its attack deals extra damage in addition to the normal benefits and hazards of a charge. The amount of damage from the attack is given in the creature’s description.

Powers

The creature can use various supernatural powers, much like an adept. Unless specified otherwise in its statistics, a creature uses powers like an adept of its level with the normal effects and fatigue (if the power is fatiguing).

Rake

A creature with this special attack gains an extra natural attack when it grapples its foe, usually due to claws or similar weaponry. Normally, a monster can attack with only one of its natural weapons while grappling, but a monster with the rake ability usually gains an additional rake attack it can use only against a grappled foe. Rake attacks are not subject to the usual –4 penalty for attacking with a natural weapon in a grapple.

A monster with the rake ability must begin its turn grappling to use its rake—it can’t begin a grapple and rake in the same turn.

A creature with this ability is difficult to kill. Damage dealt to the creature is treated as non-lethal damage. The creature automatically gains an extra recovery check each round, with the bonus given in the entry. Certain attack forms, typically fire and acid, deal lethal damage to the creature, which doesn’t go away. The creature’s descriptive text describes the details. A regenerating creature that has been rendered unconscious through non-lethal damage can be killed with a coup de grace. The attack cannot be of a type that automatically converts to non-lethal damage.

Attack forms that don’t deal physical damage (such as ability damage or ability drain) ignore regeneration. Regeneration also does not heal damage caused by starvation, thirst, or suffocation. Regenerating creatures can regrow lost portions of their bodies and can reattach severed limbs or body parts; details are in the creature’s descriptive text. Severed parts that are not reattached wither and die normally.

A creature must have a Constitution score to have regeneration.

Resistance to Energy

The creature has a bonus to Toughness saving throws against damage of the given energy type (acid, cold, electricity, fire, or sonic) each time the creature is subjected to such damage. The entry indicates the bonus and type of damage affected.

Scent

This ability allows the creature to detect approaching enemies, sniff out hidden foes, and track by sense of smell. Creatures with the scent ability can identify familiar odors, just as humans do familiar sights.

The creature can detect opponents within 30 feet by sense of smell. If the opponent is upwind, the range increases to 60 feet; if downwind, it drops to 15 feet. Strong scents can be detected at twice these ranges. Overpowering scents can be detected at triple normal range.

When a creature detects a scent, the exact location is not revealed—only its presence somewhere within range. The creature can take a move or standard action to note the direction of the scent. If it moves within 5 feet of the source, the creature can pinpoint that source.

A creature with the scent ability can follow tracks by smell, making a Survival check to find or follow a track. The typical Difficulty for a fresh trail is 10 (no matter what kind of surface holds the scent). This Difficulty increases or decreases depending on the strength of the quarry’s odor, the number of creatures being tracked, and the age of the trail. For each hour that the trail is cold, the Difficulty increases by

2. The ability otherwise follows the rules for the Track feat. Creatures tracking by scent ignore the effects of surface conditions and poor visibility.

Sensitivity

The creature is sensitive to a certain substance and must make a Fortitude save (Difficulty 15) when coming in contact with it to avoid suffering a level of fatigue. The creature must repeat the save attempt every 10 minutes it remains in contact with the substance.

Supernatural Immunity

A creature with supernatural immunity avoids the effects of supernatural powers and supernatural abilities used directly on it. This works exactly like supernatural resistance, except that it cannot be overcome. Sometimes supernatural immunity is conditional or applies to only supernatural powers of a certain kind or adept level.

Supernatural Resistance

A creature with supernatural resistance can avoid the effects of supernatural powers and supernatural abilities used directly on it. To determine if a supernatural power or ability works against a creature with supernatural resistance, the user must make an adept level check (1d20 + adept level). If the result equals or exceeds the creature’s supernatural resistance, the power works normally, although the creature is still allowed a saving throw.

Summon

A creature with the summon ability can summon other creatures of its kind, but it usually has only a limited chance of success (as specified in the creature’s entry). Roll a d20: On a failure, no creature answers the summons. Summoned creatures return whence they came after one hour. A creature that has just been summoned cannot use its own summon ability for 1 hour. Most creatures with the ability to summon do not use it lightly, since it leaves them beholden to the summoned creature. In general, they use it only when necessary to save themselves.

Swallow Whole

If a creature with this special attack begins its turn with an opponent held in its mouth (see the Improved Grab feat), it can attempt a new grapple check (as though attempting to pin the opponent). If it succeeds, it swallows its prey, and the opponent takes bite damage. Unless otherwise noted, the opponent can be up to one size category smaller than the creature. Being swallowed has various consequences, depending on the creature doing the swallowing. A swallowed creature is considered grappled, while the creature that did the swallowing is not.

A swallowed creature can try to cut its way free with any light slashing or piercing weapon by inflicting “wounded” status or worse on the damage track to the swallowing creature, or it can just try to escape the grapple. The defense bonus of the interior of the creature is +0 unless otherwise noted, and modifiers for size or Dexterity do not apply. The Toughness save of the interior of a creature that swallows whole is normally only its Constitution score, with no modifiers for size. If the swallowed creature escapes the grapple, success puts it back in the attacker’s mouth, where it may be bitten or swallowed again.

Trample

As a full-round action, a creature with this special attack can move up to twice its speed and literally run over any opponents at least one size category smaller than itself. The creature merely has to move over the opponents in its path.

A trample attack deals bludgeoning damage (the creature’s slam damage + 1.5 times its Strength score). The creature’s descriptive text gives the exact amount.

Trampled opponents can attempt Reflex saves to take half damage. This is considered an area attack for purposes of Evasion and similar traits.

The save Difficulty against a creature’s trample attack is 10 + 1/2 creature’s level + creature’s Strength score. A trampling creature can only deal trampling damage to each target once per round, no matter how many times its movement takes it over a target creature.

Tremorsense

A creature with tremorsense is sensitive to vibrations in the ground and can automatically pinpoint the location of anything that is in contact with the ground. Aquatic creatures with tremorsense can also sense the location of creatures moving through water. The ability’s range is specified in the creature’s descriptive text.

Vulnerability to Energy

Some creatures have vulnerability to a certain kind of energy effect (typically either cold or fire). Such a creature takes half again as much (+50%) damage as normal from the effect, regardless of whether a saving throw is allowed, or if the save is a success or failure.

Combat

This section lists the creature’s combat, damage, Defense, and initiative bonuses, modified by the creature’s other traits, as appropriate.

Saving Throws

The creature’s Toughness, Fortitude, Reflex, and Will saving throws are listed here. The modifiers take into account all of the creature’s other traits. Any unaccounted for Toughness bonus a monster may have can be considered a natural armor bonus.

Conviction

Creatures generally have no Conviction points, but can gain Conviction by taking levels in a heroic role, in which case the creature acquires the same Conviction as a hero of that level. This is ignored if the Narrator has determined that a particular creature is a minion, since minions don’t have Conviction (see Minions at the start of this chapter).

Reputation

A creature usually has a Reputation bonus of +0 but may increase the bonus by taking levels in a heroic role. The Narrator may decide certain creatures have a higher Reputation bonus, as suits the story.

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TRUE20 EXTRAS

Introduction

From Grendel and Tiamat to acid-spitting aliens, adventure stories are often defined by the creatures heroes fight and overcome. True20 Adventure Roleplaying provides Narrators with a small selection of fantastic creatures, focusing primarily on the use of other characters as antagonists. But some adventures call for creatures, and this site provides them in droves.

The True20 Bestiary is a collection of creatures and fantastic foes for use with True20 Adventure Roleplaying. Many of these creatures will be familiar to long-time gamers, others are completely new. They range in power from little more than annoyances to earth-shaking threats suitable for epic tales, all at your disposal.

How to Use This Site

The True20 Bestiary is meant as a reference book and resource primarily for Narrators of True20 games. It takes a great deal of the work out of coming up with antagonists for your own adventures: simply look through the pages of this site to find the creature(s) you want for your own story. They’re complete and ready to use. The creatures’ descriptions are purposefully short to keep the creatures generic and so a Narrator can more easily fit them into the campaign setting.

All skill ranks and calculations for attacks, Defenses and saving throws are provided to make modifying creatures easier for experienced and inexperienced Narrators alike.

New Narrators may wish to focus on the True20 Bestiary as a resource for quick opponents at first, using each creature’s level as an approximate indicator of the sort of challenge it offers to a group of heroes. Even limiting yourself to this, you’ll get a lot of mileage out of the True20 Bestiary.

When you’re more comfortable running the game and using the creatures from this site, you may want to play around with the material given in Chapter Three, applying templates to existing creatures to create new variations and letting you see how to modify them. Want to make a zombie creature? Just apply the “zombie” template to any existing living creature and you’ve got a zombie version ready to use. The templates open up new options for customizing creatures for your games.

Next you can use the guidelines in Appendix C to convert creatures from other sources to True20, giving you new antagonists and challenges to use. This shows you more of how True20 creatures are constructed and how their traits work.

Finally, when you feel sufficiently familiar with creature traits and how they’re put together, you can use the guidelines in Chapter One to make entirely new creatures, as simply as working through the creation checklist and following the steps to make them yourself. The True20 Bestiary gives you all the tools you need to create an unlimited range of foes to populate your adventures and to give your players’ heroes all the challenge they’ll ever need.

There are plenty of ‘monster books’ on the market that can give you a collection of useful pregenerated creatures to place in your campaign world. Yet no collection can be as vast or as interesting as your own imagination. Whether you are using a published campaign setting, or using a world of your own design, you can embellish your setting with your own inventive creatures. This chapter sets forth some guidelines for you to create your own creatures for the True20 Adventure Roleplaying game in an easy to use step-by-step format.

Step One: Creature Concept

First off you want to have a good idea of the type of creature you want to create, and the roles it could play in a True20 game. This kind of brainstorming helps you keep focused while creating the creature’s statistics. Begin by asking yourself questions to develop your creature concept. Is it a despicable monstrosity that can only be dealt with through combat? Is it a friendly creature with a mischievous and unintentionally dangerous sense of humor? Is it something that might aid the heroes—for a price? Where do these creatures live, and what is their family structure? What does the creature look like and what kind of unusual abilities does it have? If you are short on ideas you can always draw inspiration from mythology or books and films.

Once you have a good idea of what you want the creature to look like and what kinds of things it can do, you are going to want to come up with a name for it. If you are at a loss for ideas, descriptive names such as the “acid embalmer” or “jade eviscerator” are always a good bet, particularly if the name can summarize your creature concept in a few words. Take your time naming your creations. While the name may not seem like a critical part of creating a creature, few will take a creature seriously if it has a silly name, no matter what its other qualities are.

Step two: Set the Size

Based on your concept, how big is this creature? You are now going to place your creature in a “size category” that describes its largest dimension whether it is width, length or height. The size categories and their game effects are summarized in the Game Effects of Creature Size table.

Size affects your creature’s game statistics greatly. Smaller creatures tend to be weaker and less sturdy but more agile. Larger creatures tent to have great strength and durability but lack finesse. Generally speaking, larger creatures tend to be more powerful than smaller ones, though exceptions to this rule abound. For more information on the effects of size on a creature’s statistics refer to Chapter Eight of the True20 Adventure Roleplaying book.

Step Three: Set the Level

When creating a hero you need to know what level he is in order to determine his combat bonus, feats, skill ranks and saving throws. The same holds true for when you are making a creature. The creature’s level will also give you a rough indication of what level of characters for which the creature should be a challenging encounter. Some creatures have a level of 0, meaning that alone they are not much of a challenge even for beginning characters to deal with. A 1st level creature would be a tough challenge for a group of low level characters. Levels above 20 should be reserved for only the most horrifying and powerful creatures.

To scale the creature to be a challenge to the heroes in your campaign, put its level one or even two higher than the average level of the heroes.

If you are having trouble picking a level for your creature, you can look through the creatures listed to get an idea for what level at which you want to set your creature.

Use the Creature Level-Dependent Benefits table, below, to determine your creature’s combat bonus, base saves, maximum skill ranks and number of feats.

Step Four: Pick a Type and Subtypes

A creature type is the broad archetype that is used to categorize creatures in True20. Creature types are listed below in alphabetical order. A creature type essentially serves as the creature’s role—like a heroic role the creature type determines a creature’s skill ranks, feats, combat bonus and saving throws. Creatures receive fewer feats than heroes, and in many cases fewer skill ranks. This is balanced by the fact that creatures do not follow most of the other rules by which heroes must abide. They have no maximum on abilities, they can have several bonus feats and supernatural powers and they may have bonuses to one or more skills.

Unique creatures may also have levels in a heroic role (adept, expert or warrior) in addition to their creature levels. Note that 1st level creatures with a heroic role determine their combat bonus, saves, skills and feats according to their heroic role alone (as heroes do). Creatures with multiple levels in any given creature type who gain levels in a heroic role do so using the rules for mixed-role heroes.

Core Creature Types

There are fourteen common creature types, each with inherent strengths and weaknesses. The core creature types are:

Aberration, Animal, Construct, Dragon, Elemental, Fey, Humanoid, Monstrous Humanoid, Ooze, Outsider, Plant, Supernatural Beast, Undead and Vermin.

Fantasy and Horror Genre Creature Types: All creature types are appropriate for the fantasy and horror genres.

Science-Fiction Genre Creature Types: Aberration, Animal, Construct, Humanoid, Ooze and Plant creature types are most appropriate for the science-fiction genre.

Game Effects of Creature Size

Size	Combat Modifier	Grapple Modifier	Stealth Modifier	Toughness Modifier	Height	Weight	Space	Reach	Carrying Capacity
Colossal	–8	+16	–16	+8	64-128 ft.	250K-2 mil lbs.	30 ft.	15 ft.	x16
Gargantuan	–4	+12	–12	+6	32-64 ft.	32K –250K lbs.	20 ft.	15 ft.	x8
Huge	–2	+8	–8	+4	16-32 ft.	4K –32K lbs.	15 ft.	10 ft.	x4
Large	–1	+4	–4	+2	8-16 ft.	500-4,000 lbs.	10 ft.	10 ft.	x2
Medium	+0	+0	+0	+0	4-8 ft.	60-500 lbs.	5 ft.	5 ft.	x1
Small	+1	–4	+4	–1	2 ft.-4 ft.	8-60 lbs.	5 ft.	5 ft.	x3/4
Tiny	+2	–8	+8	–2	1-2 ft.	1-8 lbs.	2.5 ft.	0 ft.	x1/2
Diminutive	+4	–12	+12	–4 6 in-1 ft.	0.25-1 lb.	1 ft.	0 ft.	x1/4
Fine	+8	–16	+16	–8	3 in-6 in.	0.9-0.1 lb.	6 in.	0 ft.	x1/8

Creature Level-Dependent Benefits

Level	Combat Modifier	Level x1	Combat Modifier	Level x3/4	Combat Modifier	Level x1/2	Good Saves	Normal Saves	Maximum Skill Ranks	Feats
1st	+1	+0	+0	+2	+0	4	1
2nd	+2	+1	+1	+3	+0	5
3rd	+3	+2	+1	+3	+1	6	2
4th	+4	+3	+2	+4	+1	7
5th	+5	+3	+2	+4	+1	8
6th	+6	+4	+3	+5	+2	9	3
7th	+7	+5	+3	+5	+2	10
8th	+8	+6	+4	+6	+2	11
9th	+9	+6	+4	+6	+3	12	4
10th	+10	+7	+5	+7	+3	13
11th	+11	+8	+5	+7	+3	14
12th	+12	+9	+6	+8	+4	15	5
13th	+13	+9	+6	+8	+4	16
14th	+14	+10	+7	+9	+4	17
15th	+15	+11	+7	+9	+5	18	6
16th	+16	+12	+8	+10	+5	19
17th	+17	+12	+8	+10	+5	20
18th	+18	+13	+9	+11	+6	21	7
19th	+19	+14	+9	+11	+6	22
20th	+20	+15	+10	+12	+6	23

Aberration

An aberration has a bizarre anatomy, strange abilities, an alien mindset or any combination of the three. If your creature concept is too strange to fit into another creature type it is probably an aberration.

• Fantasy and Horror: An aberration is an unnatural creature. It is a sanity-shattering, alien and perhaps supernatural entity that defies the laws of physics and logic.
• Science-Fiction: An aberration is an abomination from the furthest reaches of space, an organism so strange as to defy scientific categorization. The aberration type is perhaps best put to use in the science-fiction horror and science-fantasy subgenres, since the creatures native to alien worlds, regardless of how bizarre they may appear to human eyes, are still natural for their world and would not necessarily count as aberrations.

Features

An aberration has the following features:

• Toughness: Aberrations have a base toughness equal to their Constitution. This value is modified by their size and armor.
• Combat: Base combat bonus equal to 3/4 their level.
• Saving Throws: Good Will saves, normal Fortitude and Reflex saves.
• Skills: At 1st level aberrations receive a number of skills equal to (2 + Int, minimum 1) at 4 ranks each, and (2 + Int) skill rank per additional level.
• Feats: Aberrations begin with one feat at 1st level and an additional feat every third level. These feats may be selected from any category. Aberrations also receive Heavy and Light Armor Training and Firearms Training or Weapon Training as bonus feats (these feats are only provided in the stat block if the creature is likely to make use of them). Aberrations may choose a supernatural power in place of a feat like an adept, and treat their creature level as their adept level for using those powers.

An aberration with adept levels uses only its creature levels to determine its adept level for any power it received as a bonus feat.

Traits: An aberration possesses the following traits (unless otherwise noted in a creature’s entry).

• Darkvision out to 60 feet.
• Proficiency with natural weapons.
• Aberrations eat, sleep and breathe.

Advancement: Aberrations with an Intelligence of –3 or below advance by gaining more levels in aberration. Aberrations with an Intelligence of –2 or above advance by heroic role (usually adept).

Animal

An animal is a living, nonhuman creature, with no supernatural powers and no innate capacity for language or culture.

• Fantasy and Horror: An animal is a natural creature, like a mammal, fish, bird or reptile, with no strange or unusual abilities beyond what it needs to survive. A mythical creature such as the roc can be an animal if it has no supernatural abilities.
• Science-Fiction: An animal is the natural inhabitant of the world on which it developed. Alien animals can have so-called “supernatural” abilities if they can be explained through scientific processes. For example, a fiery breath weapon could be generated by sacs in the creature’s mouth that collect and focus organic gasses that ignite on contact with air. A fear aura could be pheromone-based, and so on.

Features

An animal has the following features (unless otherwise noted in a creature’s entry).

• Toughness: Animals have a base toughness equal to their Constitution. This value is modified by their size and armor.
• Combat: Base combat bonus equal to 3/4 their level.
• Saving Throws: Good Fortitude and Reflex saves, normal Will save. Certain animals may have different good and normal saves.
• Skills: At 1st level animals receive a number of skills equal to (2 + Int, minimum 1) at 4 ranks each, and (2 + Int) skill rank per additional level.
• Feats: Animals begin with one feat at 1st level and gain an additional feat every third level. These feats may be selected from the general, martial and expert categories. All animals gain Night Vision as a bonus feat.

Traits: An animal possesses the following traits (unless otherwise noted in a creature’s entry).

• Intelligence of –5 or –4 (a creature with an Intelligence of –3 or higher cannot be an animal).
• Proficiency with natural weapons.
• A non-combative herbivore uses its natural weapons as a secondary attack. Such attacks are made with a –5 penalty on the creature’s attack rolls, and the animal receives only 1/2 its Strength as a damage adjustment.
• Animals eat, sleep and breathe.

Advancement: Animals advance by gaining more levels in animal.

Construct

A construct is an animated object or artificially constructed creature.

• Fantasy and Horror: Constructs are objects or statues that have been brought to some semblance of life through supernatural means.
• Science-Fiction: A construct is an automaton such as a robot or android.

A construct with the sub-sentient, sentient or supersentient subtype is artificially intelligent. Constructs might also be robots in the fantasy or horror genres, depending on the technological development of the setting.

Features

A construct has the following features:

• Toughness: Constructs have a base toughness of +1 modified by their size and armor.
• Combat: Base combat bonus equal to 3/4 their level.
• Saving Throws: No good saving throws.
• Skills: Most constructs are mindless and gain no skills. At 1st level intelligent constructs receive a number of skills equal to (2 + Int, minimum 1) at 4 ranks each, and (2 + Int) skill rank per additional level.
• Feats: Most constructs are mindless and have no feats. Constructs with an Intelligence begin with one feat at 1st level and gain an additional feat every third level. These feats may be selected from the general and martial categories. All constructs gain Night Vision as a bonus feat regardless of their Intelligence. Constructs also receive Firearms

Training or Weapon Training as a bonus feat (this feat is only provided in the stat block if the creature is likely to make use of it).

Traits: A construct possesses the following traits (unless otherwise noted in a creature’s entry).

• No Constitution.
• Darkvision out to 60 feet.
• Proficiency with natural weapons.
• Immunity to all mind-influencing effects (including Heart Reading, Heart Shaping, and any supernatural powers requiring mental contact).
• Immunity to poison, sleep effects, paralysis, stunning, and disease effects or the Imbue Unlife supernatural power.
• Cannot heal damage on their own. A construct with the fast healing special quality still benefits from that quality. Supernatural constructs can usually be repaired by exposing them to a certain kind of effect (see the creature’s description for details) or through the use of the Imbue Item feat. Robotic constructs can be repaired; repairing a robot requires the Craft (robotics) skill (Difficulty 15 for “hurt”, 20 for “wounded”, 25 for “disabled”).
• A mindless construct’s creator (or owner) can command it if the construct is within 60 feet and can see and hear its creator. If not commanded, a mindless construct usually follows its last instruction to the best of its ability, though if attacked it returns the attack. The creator can give the construct a simple command to govern its actions in his or her absence. The construct’s creator can order the construct to obey the commands of another person (who might in turn place the construct under someone else’s control, and so on), but the construct’s creator can always resume control over his creation by commanding the construct to obey him alone.
• Not subject to critical hits, non-lethal damage, ability damage, ability drain, fatigue or exhaustion.
• Immunity to any effect requiring a Fortitude save (unless the effect also works on objects, or is harmless).
• Immediately destroyed when reduced to “dying” condition on the damage track.

Genres

Fantasy

The fantasy genre is the classic “swords and sorcery” setting and is one of the most popular and widely-accepted genres for adventure roleplaying.

This genre is characterized by a technologically medieval world with magic, elves, dwarves, humans, dragons and dungeons.

Horror

The horror genre is usually set in modern day Earth, with the Victorian and Edwardian Eras (1837-1915) and the Jazz and Depression (1920-1940) Eras being particularly popular. This genre is characterized by brave investigators tracking down and trying to eliminate supernatural threats.

Science-Fiction

The science-fiction genre is usually set in the near- or far-future of our own universe. Some science may be ignored for the sake of interstellar travel and alien life forms, but in general settings in this genre follow physical laws and there is no “magic” except for psychic abilities. This genre is characterized by starships, space battles, advanced technology and alien creatures.

• Science-Fantasy: The science-fantasy subgenre is usually set in a world of fantasy that also developed technology or on Earth in a time analogous to our modern day or the near- or far-future in which supernatural forces have always been present or which have somehow returned. This subgenre is characterized by magic, elves, dwarves, humans, dragons and dungeons—but with cybernetics, submachine guns and motorcycles, too.
• Science-Fiction Horror: The science-fiction horror subgenre is usually set in the present day or the near- or far-future of our own universe.

Despite the setting being grounded in real-world science, sometimes natural laws break down and something unnatural slips through. Most sci-fi horror is found in movies with the “we should not meddle with nature” message. The sci-fi horror subgenre includes the popular modernera cannibal zombie movies as well as the classic “giant bug” movies of the 1950s and 1960s.

Building Fantasy Constructs

Creation rules for fantasy constructs are best left up to the Narrator so they can be tailored and balanced to the campaign setting. A Narrator can make the details of designing and building a construct as complex as the campaign setting requires. At its simplest, however, building a construct in a fantasy setting has only three requirements: price, construction and supernatural feats and powers.

• The suggested purchase Difficulty for the raw materials to make a construct is 20 + the construct’s level, plus an extra amount if the construct uses rare or precious materials.
• The construct’s body must be built through the use of a Craft skill, with a suggested Difficulty of at least 25.
• The adept creating a construct should have the Imbue Item feat plus any supernatural powers that are appropriate to the traits of the construct. A Narrator may want to also include a minimum adept level requirement as well.
• Since it was never alive, a construct cannot be affected by the Imbue Life power.
• Constructs do not eat, sleep or breathe.

Advancement: Constructs advance by gaining more levels in construct.

Dragon

A dragon is a reptilian creature, usually winged, with supernatural abilities.

• Fantasy and Horror: Dragons are creatures born of the raw forces of the universe. They are supernatural, reptilian beings of great power.
• Science-Fiction: Because their existence assumes the presence of supernatural forces, dragons are most appropriate for the fantasy and horror genres or the science-fantasy and science-fiction horror subgenres. A dragon-like alien creature is best modeled as an animal with some suitable subtypes.

Features

A dragon has the following features:

• Toughness: Dragons have a base Toughness equal to their Constitution. This value is modified by their size and armor.
• Combat: Base combat bonus equal their level.
• Saving Throws: Good Fortitude, Reflex and Will saves.
• Skills: At 1st level dragons receive a number of skills equal to (6 + Int, minimum 1) at 4 ranks each, and (6 + Int) skill rank per additional level.
• Feats: Dragons begin with one feat at 1st level and gain an additional feat every third level. These feats may be selected from any category. All dragons gain Night Vision as a bonus feat. Dragons may choose a supernatural power in place of a feat like an adept, and treat their creature level as their adept level for using those powers. A dragon with adept levels uses only its creature levels to determine its adept level for any power it received as a bonus feat.

Traits: A dragon possesses the following traits (unless otherwise noted in the description of a particular kind).

• Darkvision out to 60 feet.
• Proficiency with natural weapons.
• Immunity to supernatural sleep and paralysis effects.
• Dragons eat, sleep and breathe.

Advancement: Dragons advance by gaining more levels in dragon.

Elemental

An elemental is a being composed of one of the four classical elements: air, earth, fire or water. Other elements may exist in the campaign setting and therefore corresponding types of elementals may exist as well.

• Fantasy and Horror: Elementals are supernatural creatures are made of the raw stuff of nature itself.
• Science-Fiction: Because their existence assumes the presence of supernatural forces, elementals are most appropriate for the fantasy and horror genres or the science-fantasy and science-fiction horror subgenres.

Features

An elemental has the following features:

• Toughness: Elementals have a base toughness equal to their Constitution. This value is modified by their size and armor.
• Combat: Base combat bonus equal to 3/4 their level.
• Saving Throws: Good saves depend on the element: Fortitude (earth, water) or Reflex (air, fire).
• Skills: At 1st level elementals receive a number of skills equal to (2 + Int, minimum 1) at 4 ranks each, and (2 + Int) skill rank per additional level.
• Feats: Elementals begin with one feat at 1st level and gain an additional feat every third level. These feats may be selected from any category. Elementals also receive Firearms Training or Weapon Training as a bonus feat (this feat is only provided in the stat block if the creature is likely to make use of it). Elementals may choose a supernatural power in place of a feat like an adept, and treat their creature level as their adept level for using those powers. An elemental with adept levels uses only its creature levels to determine its adept level for any power it received as a bonus feat.

Traits: An elemental possesses the following traits (unless otherwise noted in a creature’s entry).

• Darkvision out to 60 feet.
• Proficiency with natural weapons.
• Immunity to poison, sleep effects, paralysis and stunning.
• Not subject to critical hits.
• Unlike most other living creatures, an elemental does not have a dual nature—its soul and body form one unit. When an elemental is slain, no soul is set loose. Supernatural powers that restore souls to their bodies or restore life to the dead don’t work on elementals.
• Elementals do not eat, sleep or breathe.

Advancement: Elementals with an Intelligence of –2 or below advance by gaining more levels in elemental. Elementals with an Intelligence of –1 or above advance by heroic role (usually adept).

Fey

A fey is a creature with supernatural abilities and connections to nature or to a similar force or a magical place. Fey are usually somewhat humanshaped.

• Fantasy and Horror: Fey creatures are supernatural, sometimes capricious creatures that are close to nature.
• Science-Fiction: Because their existence assumes the presence of supernatural forces, fey are most appropriate for the fantasy and horror genres or the science-fantasy and science-fiction horror subgenres.

Features

A fey has the following features:

• Toughness: Fey have a base toughness equal to their Constitution. This value is modified by their size and armor.
• Combat: Base combat bonus equal to 1/2 their level.
• Saving Throws: Good Reflex and Will saves.
• Skills: At 1st level fey receive a number of skills equal to (6 + Int, minimum 1) at 4 ranks each, and (6 + Int) skill rank per additional level.
• Feats: Fey begin with one feat at 1st level and gain an additional feat every third level. These feats may be selected from any category.

All fey gain Night Vision as a bonus feat. Fey also receive Heavy and Light Armor Training and Firearms Training or Weapon Training as bonus feats (these feats are only provided in the stat block if the creature is likely to make use of them). Fey may choose a supernatural power in place of a feat like an adept, and treat their creature level as their adept level for using those powers. A fey with adept levels uses only its creature levels to determine its adept level for any power it received as a bonus feat.

Traits: A fey possesses the following traits (unless otherwise noted in a creature’s entry).

• Proficiency with natural weapons.
• Fey eat, sleep, and breathe.

Advancement: Fey advance by heroic role.

Humanoid/Prime Sentient

Humanoids have few or no innate supernatural abilities, but most can speak and usually have well-developed societies. They usually are Small or Medium. Every humanoid creature also has a subtype, based on its background.

Humanoids with only one level exchange the features of their humanoid level for the features of a heroic role. Humanoids of this sort are presented as 1st-level warriors. Humanoids with more than one racial level are the only humanoids that make use of the features of the humanoid type.

• Fantasy and Horror: A humanoid usually has two arms, two legs, and one head, or a humanlike torso, arms, and a head. Fantasy and horror humanoid subtypes include dwarf, elf, giant, gnome, goblin, halfling, human, and orc.
• Science-Fiction: In the science-fiction genre the humanoid type is renamed the prime sentient type and is defined somewhat differently. The creature does not necessarily have to be ‘humanoid’ in shape, and may have one or more of the traits of another creature type (for example, the prime sentient of an arboreal world could be plant-like, and therefore could have some plant traits). Every prime sentient must have the sub-sentient, sentient or supersentient subtype. In the science-fiction genre a prime sentient should only have supernatural abilities if they can be explained through scientific processes.

Features

A humanoid has the following features (unless otherwise noted in a creature’s entry).

• Toughness: Humanoids have a base toughness equal to their Constitution. This value is modified by their size and armor.
• Combat: Base combat bonus equal to 3/4 their level, or by heroic role.
• Saving Throws: Good Reflex saves, or by heroic role. A humanoid with more than one creature level may have different good and normal saves.
• Skills: At 1st level humanoids receive a number of skills equal to (2 + Int, minimum 1) at 4 ranks each, and (2 + Int) skill rank per additional level, or by heroic role.
• Feats: By heroic role. Humanoids with more than one creature level begin with one feat at 1st level and gain an additional feat every third level, or by heroic role. Humanoids with more than one creature level may select feats from any category. Humanoids also receive Heavy and Light Armor Training and Firearms Training or Weapon Training as bonus feats (these feats are only provided in the stat block if the creature is likely to make use of them). Humanoids may choose a supernatural power in place of a feat like an adept, and treat their creature level as their adept level for using those powers. A humanoid with adept levels uses only its creature levels to determine its adept level for any power it received as a bonus feat.

Traits: A humanoid possesses the following traits (unless otherwise noted in a creature’s entry).

• Proficiency with natural weapons.
• Humanoids breathe, eat and sleep.

Advancement: Humanoids advance by heroic role.

Monstrous Humanoid

Monstrous humanoids are similar to humanoids, but with monstrous or animalistic features. They often have innate supernatural abilities as well.

• Fantasy and Horror: Monstrous humanoids are half-animal or, as the name implies, monstrous creatures with a more or less humanoid shape.
• Science-Fiction: The monstrous humanoid type is generally not used in the science-fiction genre, since alien creatures are natural to their home planets and are only “monstrous” to human perceptions.

Strange alien creatures are better modeled using the humanoid (i.e. prime sentient) type with a few appropriate subtypes.

If there is a monstrous humanoid that you’d like to use as a prime sentient, you can “convert” it by simply swapping “prime sentient” in place of “monstrous humanoid” on its Type line and changing its combat bonus to its level x 3/4. Since the basics of those creature types are otherwise the same, your alien’s skills, feats, traits and saves do not change despite the change in type.

Features

A monstrous humanoid has the following features:

• Toughness: Monstrous humanoids have a base toughness equal to their Constitution. This value is modified by their size and armor.
• Combat: Base combat bonus equal to their level.
• Saving Throws: Good Reflex and Will saves.
• Skills: At 1st level monstrous humanoids receive a number of skills equal to (2 + Int, minimum 1) at 4 ranks each, and (2 + Int) skill rank per additional level.
• Feats: Monstrous Humanoids begin with one feat at 1st level and gain an additional feat every third level. These feats may be selected from any category. Monstrous humanoids also receive Heavy and Light Armor Training and Firearms Training or Weapon Training as bonus feats (these feats are only provided in the stat block if the creature is likely to make use of them). Monstrous humanoids may choose a supernatural power in place of a feat like an adept, and treat their creature level as their adept level for using those powers.

A monstrous humanoid with adept levels uses only its creature levels to determine its adept level for any power it received as a bonus feat.

Traits: A monstrous humanoid possesses the following traits (unless noted otherwise in a creature’s entry).

• Darkvision out to 60 feet.
• Proficiency with natural weapons.
• Monstrous humanoids eat, sleep and breathe.

Advancement: Monstrous humanoids advance by heroic role.

Ooze/Amoeboid

An ooze is an amorphous or mutable creature, usually mindless.

• Fantasy and Horror: An ooze is a blob-like creature of unknown origin.

Oozes are difficult to destroy and consume everything in their path.

• Science-Fiction: The ooze type is called the amoeboid type in the sciencefiction genre. An amoeboid is an amorphous single- or multi-cellular creature, and is usually mindless. They feed by surrounding and engulfing organic matter, and breaking it down using organelles that produce digestive enzymes.

 

Features

An ooze has the following features:

• Toughness: Oozes have a base toughness equal to their Constitution +1. This value is modified by their size. Oozes almost never have natural or manufactured armor.
• Combat: Base combat bonus equal to 3/4 their level.
• Saving Throws: No good saving throws.
• Skills: Most oozes are mindless and gain no skills. At 1st level intelligent oozes receive a number of skills equal to (2 + Int, minimum 1) at 4 ranks each, and (2 + Int) skill rank per additional level.
• Feats: Most oozes are mindless and have no feats. Oozes with an Intelligence begin with one feat at 1st level and gain an additional feat every third level. These feats may only be selected from the general category.

Traits: An ooze possesses the following traits (unless otherwise noted in a creature’s entry).

• Mindless: No Intelligence, and immunity to all mind-influencing effects (including Heart Reading, Heart Shaping, and any power requiring mental contact).
• Blind (but have the blindsight special quality), with immunity to gaze attacks, visual effects, illusions, and other attack forms that rely on sight.
• Proficiency with natural weapons.
• Immunity to poison, sleep effects, paralysis, stunning and the Flesh Shaping power.
• Some oozes have the ability to deal acid damage to objects. In such a case, the amount of damage is equal to the ooze’s Constitution per full round of contact.
• Not subject to critical hits.
• Oozes eat and breathe, but do not sleep.

Advancement: Oozes advance by gaining levels in ooze.

Outsider

An outsider is at least partially composed of the essence (but not necessarily the material) of some other plane of existence.

• Fantasy and Horror: Outsiders are powerful spirit beings, and include such otherworldly creatures as angels and demons. Some creatures start out as some other type and become outsiders when they attain a higher (or lower) state of spiritual existence.
• Science-Fiction: Because their existence assumes the presence of supernatural forces, outsiders are most appropriate for the fantasy and horror genres or the science-fantasy and science-fiction horror subgenres. A bizarre creature from another dimension is best modeled using one of the other science-fiction appropriate creature types with the extradimensional subtype.

The outsider type is called the extradimensional type in the sciencefantasy and science-fiction horror subgenres. Extradimensionals are bizarre creatures that originate from some other dimension in the time-space continuum or from an alternate reality. Extradimensionals often defy all the precepts of scientific knowledge, and appear to be biologically impossible as they developed in dimensions that have different natural laws from our own.

Features

An outsider has the following features:

• Toughness: Outsiders have a base toughness equal to their Constitution. This value is modified by their size and armor.
• Combat: Base combat bonus equal to their level.
• Saving Throws: Good Fortitude, Reflex and Will saves.
• Skills: At 1st level outsiders receive a number of skills equal to (6 + Int, minimum 1) at 4 ranks each, and (6 + Int) skill rank per additional level.
• Feats: Outsiders begin with one feat at 1st level and gain an additional feat every third level. These feats may be selected from any category. Outsiders also receive Improved Strike, Heavy and Light Armor Training, Firearms Training or Weapon Training as bonus feats (these feats are only provided in the stat block if the creature is likely to make use of them). Outsiders may choose a supernatural power in place of a feat like an adept, and treat their creature level as their adept level for using those powers. An outsider with adept levels uses only its creature levels to determine its adept level for any power it received as a bonus feat.

Traits: An outsider possesses the following traits (unless otherwise noted in a creature’s entry).

• Darkvision out to 60 feet.
• Proficiency with natural weapons.
• Unlike most other living creatures, an outsider does not have a dual nature—its soul and body form one unit. When an outsider is slain, no soul is set loose. Supernatural powers that restore souls to their bodies (such as Imbue Life) don’t work on an outsider.
• An outsider with the native subtype can be affected by Imbue Life just as other living creatures can be.
• Outsiders breathe, but do not need to eat or sleep (although they can if they wish). Native outsiders breathe, eat and sleep.

Advancement: Outsiders with an Intelligence of –2 or below advance by gaining levels in outsider. Outsiders with an Intelligence of –1 or above advance by heroic role.

Plant/Autotroph

This type comprises vegetable creatures and other types of organisms that can manufacture their own nutrients. Note that regular plants, such as one finds growing in gardens and fields, lack Wisdom and Charisma and are not creatures but objects, even though they are alive.

• Fantasy and Horror: Plant creatures are flora that have been animated through some supernatural means. They have the intelligence and mobility of animals or even humanoids.
• Science-Fiction: The plant type is called the autotroph type in the science-fiction genre. An autotroph is an organism capable of synthesizing its own food from inorganic substances, using light and/ or chemical energy. An autotroph usually has the chemoautotroph, photoautotroph or photoheterotroph subtype.

Features

A plant creature has the following features:

• Toughness: Plants have a base toughness equal to their Constitution. This value is modified by their size and armor.
• Combat: Base combat bonus equal to 3/4 their level.
• Saving Throws: Good Fortitude saves.
• Skills: Some plant creatures are mindless and gain no skills. At 1st level intelligent plants receive a number of skills equal to (2 + Int, minimum 1) at 4 ranks each, and (2 + Int) skill rank per additional level.
• Feats: Some plants are mindless and have no feats. Plants with an Intelligence begin with one feat at 1st level and gain an additional feat every third level. These feats may only be selected from the general category. Most plants gain Night Vision as a bonus feat regardless of their Intelligence.

Traits: A plant creature possesses the following traits (unless otherwise noted in a creature’s entry).

• Proficiency with natural weapons.
• Immunity to all mind-influencing effects (including Heart Reading, Heart Shaping, and any power requiring mental contact).
• Immunity to poison, sleep effects, paralysis, stunning and the Flesh Shaping power. Plant creatures are, however, affected by the Plant Shaping power.
• Not subject to critical hits.
• Plants breathe and eat, but do not sleep.

Advancement: Plants with an Intelligence of –2 or below advance by gaining levels in plant. Plants with an Intelligence of –1 or above advance by heroic role.

Supernatural Beast

Supernatural beasts are similar to animals but can have Intelligences higher than –4. Supernatural beasts usually have supernatural abilities, but sometimes are merely bizarre in appearance or habits and have supernatural origins.

• Fantasy and Horror: A supernatural beast is a creature that is not humanoid but which does not fit into any other creature type and is not bizarre enough to be an aberration. This is a broad category that contains fantastic creatures of myth and legend as well as supernatural versions of normal animals.
• Science-Fiction: The supernatural beast type is generally not used in the science-fiction genre, since alien creatures are natural to their home planets and are only “supernatural” to human perceptions.

Strange alien creatures are better modeled using the animal type with a few appropriate subtypes. This creature type should only be used in the science-fantasy and science-fiction horror subgenres to model alien creatures that are truly supernatural in origin.

If there is a supernatural beast that you’d like to use as an alien animal, you can “convert” it by simply swapping “animal” in place of “supernatural beast” on its Type line and changing its combat bonus to its level x 3/4. Since the basics of those creature types are otherwise the same, your alien’s skills, feats, traits and saves do not change despite the change in type.

Features

A supernatural beast has the following features:

• Toughness: Supernatural beasts have a base toughness equal to their Constitution. This value is modified by their size and armor.
• Combat: Base combat bonus equal to their level.
• Saving Throws: Good Fortitude and Reflex saves.
• Skills: At 1st level supernatural beasts receive a number of skills equal to (2 + Int, minimum 1) at 4 ranks each, and (2 + Int) skill rank per additional level.

Pathogen (Hazard)

Pathogens are microscopic entities that invade an organism, altering its internal environment in some way that is often detrimental. Pathogens may be living organisms such as protozoa or bacteria, or they can be mere shells of protein housing genetic information such as viruses. Due to their microscopic size, most pathogens are impossible to physically interact with without very specialized tools, and cannot be affected by conventional weapons. Thus pathogens are treated as “hazards” rather than creatures, and follow the rules fore disease in the True20 Adventure Roleplaying book.

• Feats: Supernatural beasts begin with one feat at 1st level and gain an additional feat every third level. These feats may be selected from any category. Supernatural beasts may choose a supernatural power in place of a feat like an adept, and treat their creature level as their adept level for using those powers.

All supernatural beasts gain Night Vision as a bonus feat. A supernatural beast with adept levels uses only its creature levels to determine its adept level for any power it received as a bonus feat.

Traits: A supernatural beast possesses the following traits (unless otherwise noted in a creature’s entry).

• Darkvision out to 60 feet.
• Proficient with its natural weapons.
• Supernatural beasts eat, sleep and breathe.

Advancement: Supernatural beasts advance by gaining levels in supernatural beast.

Undead

Undead are once-living creatures animated by spiritual or supernatural forces, such as the Imbue Unlife power.

• Fantasy and Horror: An undead creature was once living but has magically transcended death as a walking corpse or ghostly spirit.
• Science-Fiction: Because their existence assumes the presence of supernatural forces, undead are most appropriate for the fantasy and horror genres or the science-fantasy and science-fiction horror subgenres.

Features

An undead creature has the following features:

• Toughness: Undead have a base toughness of +0 modified by their size and armor. They also gain a toughness bonus equal to 1/2 their level (rounded down).
• Combat: Base combat bonus equal to 1/2 their level.
• Saving Throws: Good Will saves.
• Skills: Many undead are mindless and gain no skills. At 1st level intelligent undead receive a number of skills equal to (6 + Int, minimum 1) at 4 ranks each, and (6 + Int) skill rank per additional level, or by heroic role.
• Feats: Some undead are mindless and have no feats. Skeletal undead gain Improved Initiative and zombie-like undead gain Tough as a bonus feat regardless of their Intelligence. An undead with an Intelligence begins with one feat at 1st level and gain an additional feat every third level. These feats may be selected from any category. Undead also receive Heavy and Light Armor Training and Firearms Training or Weapon Training as bonus feats (these feats are only provided in the stat block if the creature is likely to make use of them). Undead may choose a supernatural power in place of a feat like an adept, and treat their creature level as their adept level for using those powers.

An undead with adept levels uses only its creature levels to determine its adept level for any power it received as a bonus feat.

Traits: An undead creature possesses the following traits (unless otherwise noted in a creature’s entry).

• No Constitution.
• Darkvision out to 60 feet.
• Proficiency with natural weapons.
• Immunity to all mind-influencing effects (including Heart Reading, Heart Shaping, and any power requiring mental contact).
• Immunity to poison, sleep effects, paralysis, stunning, disease and death effects.
• Not subject to critical hits, non-lethal damage or ability drain.
• Immune to damage to its physical abilities (Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution), as well as to fatigue and exhaustion effects.
• Cannot heal damage on its own if it has no Intelligence, although it can be healed. The fast healing special quality works regardless of the creature’s Intelligence.
• The Harm power heals undead creatures (treat this situation as if the Cure power were being used on a living creature).
• The Cure power damages undead creatures as if it were Harm used on a living creature.
• Immunity to any effect requiring a Fortitude save (unless the effect also works on objects or is harmless).
• When reduced to “dying” condition on the damage track, it is immediately destroyed.
• Not affected by the Imbue Life supernatural power.
• Undead do not breathe, eat, or sleep.

Advancement: Undead with an Intelligence of –2 or less advance by gaining levels in undead. Undead with an Intelligence of –1 or greater advance by heroic role.

Vermin

This type includes insects, arachnids, other arthropods, worms and similar invertebrates.

• Fantasy and Horror: Vermin are otherwise normal insects and spiders that have grown to unnatural size through supernatural or scientific influence.
• Science-Fiction: The vermin type is most appropriate for the fantasy and horror genres, or the science-fantasy and science-fiction horror subgenres. Earth vermin are mindless, and the laws of physics do not permit them to get any larger than they are. Things may have developed differently on alien worlds, however, so “giant bug” type creatures are possible elsewhere. Since the vermin type is so specific and the science-fiction subtypes allow for greater customization, insectoid alien creatures are better modeled using the animal creature type with the arthropod subtype.

If there is a vermin that you’d like to use as an alien insectoid creature, you can “convert” it by simply swapping “animal” in place “vermin” on its Type line and adding the arthropod subtype.

Since the basics of those creature types are otherwise the same, your alien’s combat bonus, skills, feats, traits and saves do not change despite the change in type.

Features

Vermin have the following features:

• Toughness: Vermin have a base toughness equal to their Constitution. This value is modified by their size and armor.
• Combat: Base combat bonus of 3/4 their level.
• Saving Throws: Good Fortitude saves.
• Skills: Skills equal to (2 + Int, minimum 1) and the same number of skill ranks per additional level, if the vermin has an Intelligence. However, most vermin are mindless and gain no skills.
• Feats: Most vermin are mindless and have no feats. Vermin with an Intelligence begin with one feat at 1st level and gain an additional feat every third level. These feats may be selected from the general, martial and expert categories.

Traits: Vermin possess the following traits (unless otherwise noted in a creature’s entry).

• Mindless: No Intelligence, and immunity to all mind-influencing effects (including Heart Reading, Heart Shaping, and any power requiring mental contact).
• Darkvision out to 60 feet.
• Proficient with their natural weapons.
• Vermin breathe, eat and sleep.

Advancement: Vermin advance by gaining levels in vermin.

Subtypes

Subtypes are descriptors that are added on to a creature type in parentheses, and further describe what the creature is. Not all creatures need to have a subtype, while others may have multiple subtypes. Some creature types such as humanoids and outsiders always have at least one subtype.

General Subtypes

The following creature subtypes are general and can be applied to creatures of any genre.

Aquatic

These creatures always have swim speeds and thus can move in water without making Swim checks. An aquatic creature can breathe underwater. It cannot also breathe air unless it has the amphibious quality.

Augmented

A creature receives this subtype whenever something happens to change its original type. Some creatures (those with an inherited template) are born with this subtype; others acquire it when they take on an acquired template. The augmented subtype is always paired with the creature’s original type. A creature with the augmented subtype usually has the traits of its current type, but the features of its original type.

Cold/Arctic

A creature with the cold or arctic subtype has immunity to cold. It has vulnerability to fire, which means it takes half again as much (+50%) damage as normal from fire.

Extraplanar

The extraplanar subtype is applied to any creature when it is on a plane other than its native plane. A creature that travels the planes can gain or lose this subtype as it goes from plane to plane.

Creature entries assume that encounters with creatures take place on the Material Plane, and every creature whose native plane is not the Material Plane has the extraplanar subtype (but would not have it when on its home plane). Every extraplanar creature has a home plane mentioned in its description. Creatures not labeled as extraplanar are natives of the Material Plane, and gain the extraplanar subtype if they leave the Material Plane. No creature has the extraplanar subtype when it is on a transitive plane, such as the Astral Plane, the Ethereal Plane and the Plane of Shadow.

Fire/Volcanic

A creature with the fire or volcanic subtype has immunity to fire and heat. It has vulnerability to cold, which means it takes half again as much (+50%) damage as normal from cold.

Native

The native subtype is applied only to outsiders. These creatures have mortal ancestors or a strong connection to the Material Plane and can be raised from the dead by the Imbue Life supernatural power just as other living creatures can be. Creatures with this subtype are native to the Material Plane (hence the subtype’s name). Unlike true outsiders, native outsiders need to eat and sleep.

Reptilian

These creatures are scaly and usually cold-blooded. The reptilian subtype is only used to describe humanoids, not animals and creatures that are truly reptiles.

Swarm

A swarm is a collection of Fine, Diminutive, or Tiny creatures that acts as a single creature. A swarm has the characteristics of its type, except as noted here. A swarm has a single level and Toughness save, a single initiative modifier, a single speed and a single defense bonus. A swarm makes saving throws as a single creature. A single swarm occupies a circle (if it is made up of non-flying creatures) or a sphere (of flying creatures) 10 feet in diameter, but its reach is 0 feet, like its component creatures. In order to attack, it surrounds an opponent. It can occupy the same space as a creature of any size, since it crawls all over its prey. A swarm can move through an area occupied by enemies and vice versa without impediment.

A swarm can move through cracks or holes large enough for its component creatures.

A swarm of tiny creatures consists of 300 non-flying creatures or 1,000 flying creatures. A swarm of diminutive creatures consists of 1,500 non-flying creatures or 5,000 flying creatures. A swarm of fine creatures consists of 10,000 creatures, whether they are flying or not. Swarms of non-flying creatures include many more creatures than could normally fit in a 10-foot square based on their normal space, because creatures in a swarm are packed tightly together and generally crawl over each other and their prey when moving or attacking. Larger swarms are represented by multiples of single swarms. The area occupied by a large swarm is completely shapeable, though the swarm usually remains in contiguous squares.

Traits: A swarm has no clear front or back and no discernable anatomy, so it is not subject to critical hits. A swarm made up of Tiny creatures takes half damage from slashing and piercing weapons. A swarm composed of Fine or Diminutive creatures is immune to weapon damage. Reducing a swarm to “dying” condition on the damage track causes it to break up, though damage taken until that point does not affect its ability to attack or resist attack.

Swarms are never staggered. Also, they cannot be tripped, grappled or rushed, and they cannot grapple an opponent.

A swarm is immune to any power or effect that targets a specific number of creatures (including single-target supernatural powers) with the exception of mind-influencing effects if the swarm has an Intelligence and a hive mind. A swarm takes half again as much damage (+50%) from powers or effects that affect an area, including Widened powers.

Swarms made up of Diminutive or Fine creatures are susceptible to high winds such as created by the Wind Shaping power. For purposes of determining the effects of wind on a swarm, treat the swarm as a creature of the same size as its constituent creatures. A swarm rendered unconscious by non-lethal damage becomes disorganized and dispersed, and does not reform until it makes a successful recovery roll.

• Swarm Attack: Creatures with the swarm subtype don’t make standard melee attacks. Instead, they deal automatic damage to any creature whose space they occupy at the end of their move, with no attack roll needed. Swarm attacks are not subject to a miss chance for concealment or cover. A swarm’s stat block has “swarm” in the Combat entry, with no attack bonus given. The amount of damage a swarm deals is based on its level, as shown below.

Swarm Level	Swarm Base Damage
1-5	+2
6-10	+4
11-15	+6
16-20	+8
21 or more	+10

A swarm’s attacks are not supernatural, unless the swarm’s description states otherwise. Damage reduction sufficient to reduce a swarm attack’s damage below 0, being incorporeal and other special abilities can give a creature immunity (or at least resistance) to damage from a swarm. Some swarms also have acid, poison, blood drain or other special attacks in addition to normal damage.

Distraction: Any living creature vulnerable to a swarm’s damage that begins its turn surrounded by a swarm is nauseated for 1 round; a Fortitude save (Difficulty 10 + 1/2 swarm’s level + swarm’s Constitution) negates the effect. Using or concentrating on supernatural powers within the area of a swarm requires a successful Difficulty 25 Concentration check. Using skills that involve patience and concentration requires a Difficulty 20 Concentration check.

Fantasy and Horror Subtypes

The following subtypes are most appropriate for the fantasy and horror genres and the science-fantasy and science-fiction horror subgenres.

Air

This subtype usually is used for elementals and outsiders. Air creatures always have fly speeds and usually have perfect maneuverability.

Earth

This subtype usually is used for elementals and outsiders. Earth creatures usually have burrow speeds, and most earth creatures can burrow through solid rock.

Giant

A giant is a humanoid-shaped creature of great strength, usually of at least Large size. Giants tend to have good Fortitude saves rather than good Reflex saves like most other humanoids. Giants also tend to gain Night Vision as a bonus feat.

Goblinoid

“Goblinoid” is just one example of a racial subtype. Goblinoids are stealthy humanoids who live by hunting and raiding and who all speak Goblin.

Incorporeal

An incorporeal creature has no physical body. Only other incorporeal creatures, supernatural weapons (or creatures that strike as supernatural weapons), and powers can harm it. It is immune to all mundane attack forms. Even when hit by powers or supernatural weapons, it has a 50% chance (11 or higher on d20) to ignore any damage from a corporeal source.

An incorporeal creature has no natural armor bonus but has a bonus to its defense equal to its Charisma (always at least +1, even if the creature’s Charisma is +0 or less).

An incorporeal creature can pass through solid objects. An incorporeal creature’s attacks likewise pass through (ignore) natural and manufactured armor and shields. Incorporeal creatures pass through and operate in water as easily as they do in air. Incorporeal creatures cannot fall or take falling damage. Incorporeal creatures cannot make trip or grapple attacks, nor can they be tripped or grappled. In fact, they cannot take any physical action that would move or manipulate an opponent or its equipment, nor are they subject to such actions. Incorporeal creatures have no weight and do not set off traps triggered by weight.

An incorporeal creature moves silently and cannot be heard if it doesn’t wish to be. Non-visual senses, such as scent and blindsight, are either ineffective or only partly effective with regard to incorporeal creatures.

Incorporeal creatures have an innate sense of direction and can move at full speed even when they cannot see.

Shapechanger

A shapechanger has the supernatural ability to assume one or more alternate forms. Many supernatural effects allow some kind of shape shifting, and not every creature that can change shape has the shapechanger subtype.

Vice

The vice subtype is usually applied only to outsiders native to the vice-aligned planes of existence. Creatures with this subtype act in accordance with the vice aspect of their nature. A creature with the vice subtype overcomes damage reduction as if its natural weapons and any weapons it wields were vice-aligned.

Virtue

The virtue subtype is usually applied only to outsiders native to the virtue-aligned planes of existence. Creatures with this subtype act in accordance with the virtue aspect of their nature. A creature with the virtue subtype overcomes damage reduction as if its natural weapons and any weapons it wields were virtue-aligned.

Water

This subtype usually is used for elementals and outsiders. Creatures with the water subtype always have swim speeds and can move in water without making Swim checks. A water creature can breathe underwater and usually can breathe air as well.

Science-Fiction Subtypes

The following subtypes are most appropriate for the science-fiction genre. The science-fiction subtypes further define the creature more or less on its ecological niche. The assumption is that even organisms living on different planets share similar traits based on their strategy for feeding and survival.

Aerial

This subtype usually is used for organisms that are adapted to moving through the atmosphere of their home planet. Aerial creatures always have fly speeds though their maneuverability may vary. Aerial creatures gain a +2 racial bonus to initiative.

Android

Androids are robotic constructs that closely mimic a human or other living organism (often resembling the same species as the android’s creator). This subtype can only be applied to constructs. Unlike most other constructs, androids are subject to critical hits since they contain delicate circuitry and gears that can easily be damaged. Unless otherwise stated, an observer must succeed on a Difficulty 25 Notice or a Difficulty 20 Knowledge (technology) check to detect that a creature is actually an android.

Arboreal

This subtype is used for creatures that have evolved to move by swinging or jumping from one piece of vegetation to another without touching the ground. Arboreal creatures always have a climb speed, and thus can move through such dense vegetation without making jump, climb or balance checks. They also gain a +8 racial bonus on Acrobatics and Climb checks. They can always choose to take 10 on Climb checks, even if rushed or threatened. Some arboreal creatures may use their Dexterity modifier instead of their Strength modifier for Climb checks.

Arthropod

An arthropod has an external skeleton, either a chitinous exoskeleton like an insect or crustacean, or a series of interlocking plates comprised of some organic mineral. A creature with the arthropod subtype as a natural armor bonus of at least +1. Arthropods also usually have darkvision out to 60 ft., and some other sense-oriented trait such as tremorsense or blindsense.

Artificial

This subtype is applied to artificial organic life-forms. These would include living organisms that where created through scientific methods rather than born such as replicants and clones. Artificial creatures are genetically engineered, grown in a laboratory, and do not have biological parents.

Chemoautotroph

Chemoautotrophs use energy derived from inorganic molecules such as ammonia (NH3) or hydrogen sulfide (H2S) to drive their own nutrient production. Chemoautotrophs are extremophiles and can adapt to in incredibly harsh conditions. Chemoautotrophs breathe components of their native atmosphere and “eat” nutrients found in the soil or rotting organic matter, but do not sleep.

Cybernetic

This subtype is applied to any living organism that has undergone cybersurgery to either replace or enhance any part of its body with cybernetic, bionic or mechanical parts. Each time a cybernetic creature reaches “wounded” or worse condition on the damage track, a random piece of its cybergear ceases to function. A character must succeed on a Difficulty 30 Craft (cybergear) skill check to repair each damaged piece of cybergear.

Decomposer

A decomposer is a plant-like organism (such as a bacterium or fungus) that grows on and breaks down dead organic matter, causing it to rot and decay. Many decomposers lack Wisdom and Charisma (see Nonabilities) and are not creatures, but objects, even though they are alive. Most creatures with the decomposer subtype are autotrophs.

Detritivore

Detritivores are organisms that graze on decomposing organic matter, gaining nourishment from both the decomposing matter and the microbes that grow on it.

Endotherm

These creatures are “cold-blooded” and cannot regulate their own internal temperature. When an endotherm is exposed to temperatures significantly colder than its native climate they become slowed, and are only able to take a single standard or move action until they enter a warmer area. Endotherms suffer a –5 penalty on all saving throws related to resisting the effects of cold temperatures.

Extratemporal

A subtype applied to any creature when it has traveled to an alternate timeline other than its native timeline. A creature that travels through time can gain or lose this subtype as it goes from timeline to alternate timeline. Every extratemporal creature should have a native timeline mentioned in its description. Creatures not labeled as extratemporal are natives of the timeline they are currently occupying, and they gain the extratemporal subtype if they leave that timeline. No creature has the extratemporal subtype when it is traveling between timelines.

Filter Feeder

Filter feeders are organisms that graze on particulate matter that is suspended in a liquid. They do this by sifting through large volumes of liquid to filter out and consume any organic particles.

Hematophage

A hematophage is a “blood-feeder”. This subtype includes any creature that feeds by extracting a blood-like liquid from another organism.

This can include things like blood, sap or cerebrospinal fluid. Most hematophages have a bite attack that deals Constitution damage.

Herbivore

Herbivores subsist by consuming photoautotrophs (plant life) local to their environment. Non-intelligent herbivores usually amass in great herds for safety in numbers. Any natural attacks they have evolved are probably used for defense or to vie for territory or mating rights.

Most herbivores are only aggressive when they feel threatened. Some also get very aggressive during their mating season. Herbivores eat, sleep and breathe.

Herd

A creature with the herd subtype belongs to a group of creatures that travel, graze and raise their young as a group. Herd animals are usually herbivores, though other creatures may also live in herds. Herd animals have an Intelligence of –5 or more, and have a highly developed system of communication within the herd. Herd animals gain Tough as a bonus feat.

Lithivore

Lithivores are silicone-based organisms that are capable of consuming inorganic material such as sand and rocks. They are much denser than carbon-based organisms, and are usually capable of surviving in a broader range of environments. A lithivore gets a bonus to Toughness equal to one and a half times its Constitution. Lithivores have immunity to poison, sleep effects, paralysis, radiation and stunning. Lithivores eat and breathe, but do not require sleep.

Mutant

Apply this subtype to any creature that has been genetically altered in a significant way through exposure to radiation, genetic engineering or contact with mutagenic substances. This alteration often gives them a number of special abilities and flaws. Mutants can gain access to certain supernatural feats.

Omnivore

An omnivore is capable of subsisting on the flesh of other animals, by scavenging or by consuming local autotrophs. The diet and hunting tactics of an omnivore are the most diverse of all creatures.

Parasitoid

A parasitoid is a creature that lays its eggs inside of another creature, often paralyzing or killing the host in the process. The immature creatures feed off the host until they have grown to the adult stage and become independent free-living organisms in search of host to lay their own eggs inside of. Parasitoids have the Implant ability.

Implant: When a parasitoid damages a creature with one of its natural attacks, it can lay an egg inside the creature. The young larva emerges from the egg about 5 days later, literally devouring the host from inside. The host takes 1 point of Constitution damage per day for three days, at which point a fully grown adult parasitoid creature emerges, dealing an additional 2 points of Constitution damage to the host. A successful use of the Cure Disease supernatural power rids a victim of the egg, as does a Difficulty 25 Medicine check. If the check fails, the healer can try again, but each attempt (successful or not) deals +2 damage to the patient.

Photoautotroph

Photoautotrophs are photosynthetic organisms, such as plants and algae, that use light energy (usually from the nearest star) to produce their own nutrients. This type comprises most vegetable creatures.

Examples of photoautotrophs on Earth are photosynthetic plants such as trees and flowers. Photoautotrophs have immunity to poison, sleep effects, paralysis and stunning. Photoautotrophs breathe components of their native atmosphere and absorb light, water or nutrients, but do not usually sleep. If a photoautotroph is denied a light source, it begins to suffer the effects of starvation until it can once again absorb light.

Photoheterotroph

Photoheterotrophs are plant-like organisms that are capable of harnessing light energy like photoautotrophs, but they need to acquire their carbon or other key nutrients like nitrates and phosphates by consuming organic matter (such as other organisms). Examples of photoheterotrophs on Earth are “carnivorous” plants such as the Venus flytrap and the sundew. Photoheterotrophs have immunity to poison, sleep effects, paralysis and stunning. Photoheterotrophs breathe and eat, but do not sleep.

Predator

A predator subsists on consuming the flesh of other animals. Predators must hunt down and consume prey to survive, and thus are highly evolved killing machines. Any natural attacks they have evolved are probably used for hunting as well as defense or to vie for territory or mating rights. Predators eat, sleep and breathe.

Psionic

A creature with the psionic subtype has developed supernatural mental abilities, and gains access to supernatural feats.

Scavenger

Scavengers survive by eating whatever food is available. They steal meat from carnivores, or consume leftover rotting organic matter. Many scavengers are also opportunists that are quick to eat the defenseless young or eggs of another organism if they are edible and left unguarded.

Scavengers eat, sleep and breathe.

Sentient

A creature with this subtype is self-aware and often capable of abstract thought. Sentient creatures have an Intelligence of –2 to +8. Sentient creatures possess at least one highly developed language and their own complex culture. Sentient creatures advance by heroic role.

Sub-Sentient

A creature with this subtype is bordering on being self-aware. Subsentient creatures have an Intelligence of –3. They are capable of developing a rudimentary form of language and culture. In a sciencefiction setting, certain animals such as apes and porpoises may be classified as sub-sentient.

Subterranean

A creature with the subterranean subtype is adapted to life underground. Subterranean creatures gain either tremorsense out to 60 ft. or darkvision out to 90 ft. Many subterranean creatures also have a burrowing speed. Subterranean creatures also gain a +2 bonus to Search checks to notice unusual stonework.

Supersentient

A creature with this subtype has transcended mere self awareness.

Supersentient creatures have an Intelligence of +9 or higher.

Supersentient creatures have abilities beyond the comprehension of lesser life-forms. Supersentient creatures can take 10 on all Notice, Search and Sense Motive checks. Supersentient creatures often have the psionic subtype and thereby gain access to supernatural powers.

Supersentient creatures advance by heroic role.

Symbiont

A symbiont is a creature that has evolved to survive by latching onto another creature, either externally or internally. Without its host a symbiont cannot survive for long. Each symbiont provides its host with a combination of benefits and hindrances and often feeds off of the host organism itself. Certain symbionts may have an accompanying acquired template which alters their host in some significant way. Symbionts can often exert limited control over their host’s behavior. This ability operates as if they had the Suggestion supernatural power with Wisdom as the key ability. Symbionts eat and breathe, but generally do not need to sleep.

Vacuum

A creature with the vacuum subtype has evolved to withstand the rigors of being able to survive in the vacuum of space or a similar environment that contains a virtual absence of matter. These creatures suffer no penalties under zero gravity conditions. Should a creature with the vacuum subtype ever find itself in an environment under high pressure, all the detrimental effects of high pressure are doubled.

Vacuum creatures generally have darkvision out to 90 ft.

Step Five: Pick Abilities

When choosing the abilities for a creature you don’t need to follow the six point rule heroes use. Likewise you don’t need to obey the +5 maximum for starting human characters. Instead, you should set the abilities to whatever seems appropriate for your creature concept. It can be useful to refer to existing True20 creatures to gauge how high (or low) your new creature’s abilities should be. Large or powerful creatures usually have a high Strength and Constitution, whereas smaller creatures have a lower Strength but a high Dexterity. Also refer to the creature’s type for hints. For example, animals always have an Intelligence of –5 or –4. Undead and constructs always lack a Constitution. Constructs, oozes, plants and undead are often mindless and thus have no Intelligence. Incorporeal creatures have no Strength.

Non-abilities

Some creatures lack certain abilities. These creatures do not have an ability of –5, the lowest possible for other creatures—they lack the ability altogether. The modifier for a nonability is +0. Other effects of nonabilities are detailed below.

Strength

Any creature that can physically manipulate other objects has a Strength of at least –5. A creature with no Strength can’t exert force, usually because it has no physical body or because it doesn’t move. The creature automatically fails Strength checks.

Dexterity

Any creature that can move has a Dexterity of at least –5. A creature with no Dexterity can’t move. If it can perform actions (such as using supernatural powers), it applies its Intelligence to initiative checks instead of Dexterity. The creature automatically fails Reflex saves and Dexterity checks. Constitution

Any living creature has a Constitution of at least –5. A creature with no Constitution has no body or no metabolism. It is immune to any effect that requires a Fortitude save unless the effect works on objects or is harmless. The creature is also immune to ability damage and ability drain, and automatically fails Constitution checks. A creature with no Constitution cannot tire and thus can run indefinitely without tiring (unless the creature’s description says it cannot run).

Intelligence

Any creature that can think, learn or remember has an Intelligence of at least –5. A creature with no Intelligence is mindless, an automaton operating on simple instincts or programmed instructions. It has immunity to mind-affecting effects (Heart Reading, Heart Shaping, Illusion, Mind Reading, Mind Shaping and Mind Touch supernatural powers) and automatically fails Intelligence checks. Mindless creatures do not gain feats or skills, although they may have bonus feats or racial skill bonuses.

Wisdom

Any creature that can perceive its environment in any fashion has a Wisdom of at least –5. Anything with no Wisdom is an object, not a creature. Anything without a Wisdom also has no Charisma.

Charisma

Any creature capable of telling the difference between itself and things that are not itself has a Charisma of at least –5. Anything with no Charisma is an object, not a creature. Anything without a Charisma also has no Wisdom.

Step Six: Choose Speed and Forms of Locomotion

Does your creature simply move along the ground, or can it fly, glide, burrow, swim or swing from tree to tree with any degree of competency? Is it faster, slower or about the same speed as a typical human (speed 30 ft.)? Compare your creature to similar existing True20 creatures to gauge what its movement should be. Movement rates are almost always a multiple of ten, and rarely lower than 5 ft.

Movement Modes

Creatures may have modes of movement other than walking and running. These are natural, not supernatural, unless specifically noted in a creature description.

Burrow

A creature with a burrow speed can tunnel through dirt, but not through rock unless the descriptive text says otherwise. Creatures cannot charge or run while burrowing. Most burrowing creatures do not leave behind tunnels other creatures can use (either because the material they tunnel through fills in behind them or because they do not actually dislocate any material when burrowing); see the individual creature descriptions for details.

If an adept uses the Earth Shaping supernatural power on an area containing a burrowing creature, the creature must make a Fortitude save equal to the save Difficulty of the adept’s powers. If the creature fails the save, it is flung away 10 feet per point by which it failed the save. It must also make a Difficulty 15 Fortitude save or be stunned for 1 round.

Climb

A creature with a climb speed has a +8 racial bonus on all Climb checks.

The creature must succeed on a Climb check to climb any wall or slope with a Difficulty of more than 0, but it always can choose to take 10 even if rushed or threatened while climbing. The creature climbs at the given speed while climbing. If it chooses an accelerated climb it moves at double the given climb speed (or its base land speed, whichever is lower) and makes a single Climb check at a –5 penalty. Creatures cannot run while climbing. A creature retains its Dexterity bonus to defense (if any) while climbing, and opponents get no special bonus on their attacks against a climbing creature.

Fly

A creature with a fly speed can move through the air at the indicated speed if carrying no more than a light load. (Note that medium armor does not necessarily constitute a medium load.) All fly speeds include a parenthetical note indicating maneuverability, as follows: —Perfect: The creature can perform almost any aerial maneuver it wishes.

It moves through the air as well as a human moves over smooth ground.

• Good: The creature is very agile in the air (like a housefly or a hummingbird), but cannot change direction as readily as those with perfect maneuverability.
• Average: The creature can fly as adroitly as a small bird.
• Poor: The creature flies as well as a very large bird.
• Clumsy: The creature can barely maneuver at all.

A creature that flies can make dive attacks. A dive attack works just like a charge, but the diving creature must move a minimum of 30 feet and descend at least 10 feet. It can make only claw or talon attacks, but these deal double damage. A creature can use the run action while flying, provided it flies in a straight line.

Swim

A creature with a swim speed can move through water at its swim speed without making Swim checks. It has a +8 racial bonus on any Swim check to perform some special action or avoid a hazard. The creature can always choose to take 10 on a Swim check, even if distracted or endangered. The creature can use the run action while swimming, provided it swims in a straight line.

Step Seven: Determine Armor Bonus and defenses

How much protection does this creature have? In True20, armor adds a bonus to a creature’s Toughness save. If your creature is wearing armor, simply refer to the Armor section in Chapter Five of the True20 Adventure Roleplaying book. If your creature has natural armor of some variety (such as heavy fur, scales, a shell, an exoskeleton, or very thick skin), use the given armor types and existing True20 creatures with similar coverings as a reference. Natural armor bonuses almost never exceed +10 and rarely exceed +5 except for the most powerful creatures.

Also consider if your creature has any more unusual defenses such as invisibility, a noxious stench, the ability to bend light around it or an incorporeal body.

Step Eight: Pick Attack Forms

How does your creature defend itself in a fight? Possible attack forms include weapons, claws, bites, gore attacks (indicating the use of horns or spines), slam attacks (indicating the use of a bludgeoning appendage), gaze attacks, breath weapons, rays and other special attacks.

A creature’s base combat bonus is determined by its type and level; refer to the Creature Level-Dependent Benefits table.

Any special attacks that allow a saving throw have a Difficulty equal to 10 + 1/2 the creature’s level + relevant ability. For example an 8th level giant poisonous snake with +3 Constitution would have poison with a save Difficulty of 17 (10 + 4 [half its level of 8] + 3 Con).

Saving throws versus the creature’s supernatural powers are calculated as if it had adept levels equal to its creature levels (that is, 10 + 1/2 the creature’s level [rounded up] + key ability). A creature with adept levels uses only its creature levels to determine its adept level for any power it received as a bonus feat.

Natural Weapons

Natural weapons are weapons that are physically a part of a creature.

The number of attacks a creature can make with its natural weapons depends on the type of the attack—generally, a creature can make one bite attack, one claw attack, one tentacle attack, one gore attack, one sting attack, or one slam attack per round. Some creatures make use of the Double Strike feat to use two claw or slam attacks in the same round.

Unless otherwise noted, a natural weapon threatens a critical hit on a natural attack roll of 20. Natural weapons have types just as other weapons do. The most common are summarized below.

Bite

The creature attacks with its mouth, dealing piercing, slashing, and bludgeoning damage.

Claw or Talon

The creature rips with a sharp appendage, dealing piercing and slashing damage.

Gore

The creature spears the opponent with an antler, horn or similar appendage, dealing piercing damage.

Slap or Slam

The creature batters opponents with a tail, paw, limb or its body, dealing bludgeoning damage.

Sting

The creature stabs with a stinger, dealing piercing damage. Sting attacks usually deal damage from poison in addition to normal damage.

Tentacle

The creature flails at opponents with a powerful tentacle, dealing bludgeoning (and sometimes slashing) damage.

Manufactured Weapons

Some creatures employ manufactured weapons when they attack.

Creatures that use swords, bows, spears, and the like follow the same rules as characters, including those for Two-Weapon Fighting. This category of weapons also includes “found items” such as rocks and logs that a creature wields in combat—in essence, any weapon that is not intrinsic to the creature.

The amount of damage inflicted depends on the type of weapon, and can be found in the Weapons section of Chapter Five of the True20 Adventure Roleplaying book and in Appendix A of this site.

Supernatural Manufactured Weapons

On rare occasions, high level creatures may have access to supernatural weapons, which are manufactured weapons that have been enhanced through supernatural means. Supernatural weapons usually provide a numerical bonus to hit and to damage. Some supernatural weapons have other special abilities, which should be described on an individual basis.

Supernatural weapons are also able to bypass the damage reduction of certain creatures (see Damage Reduction in step 12) and damage incorporeal creatures.

Step Nine: Set Damage Values For Attack Forms

Approximate your creature’s damage based on its size, the relative size and type of the weapon it’s using. For example, a Medium creature with a claw attack might have a damage rating approximately equal to a knife (+1 damage) before any Strength bonuses or penalties are applied. If the creature’s claws are disproportionately large, then they may do damage equivalent to that of short swords (+2 damage) before Strength is factored in.

Step Ten: Choose Skills

Choose a number of skills for your creature based on how many skill ranks it is allotted by its type and Intelligence. Additional skill ranks may be purchased with the Skill Training feat, and existing skills may be made more potent with feats like Skill Focus. A creature’s maximum number of ranks for any one skill is equal to its level +3, just like that of a hero; refer to the Creature Level-Dependent Benefits table. Your creature may also have racial bonuses to certain skills that for which it has a natural aptitude. Such racial bonuses usually range between +1 (for a minor natural inclination) and +8 (for a skill that the creature was born to use).

If the creature is wearing any armor it incurs a penalty to the Acrobatics, Climb, Escape Artist, Jump, Sleight of Hand, Stealth and Swim skills.

The size of these penalties depends on the type of armor worn, and can be found in the Armor section of Chapter Five of the True20 Adventure Roleplaying book.

Step Eleven: Choose Feats

Choose a number of feats for your creature based on its level. Remember that unlike heroes, creatures do not get a feat for every level. Instead, creatures get a selection of bonus feats, one feat at 1st level, and one feat every third level (3rd, 6th, 9th, etc.). Refer to the Creature Level-Dependent Benefits table to see how many feats your creature has.

Additional feats may be granted as bonus feats if they are abilities your creature should have naturally without having to learn anything.

The following feats are available to creatures, but not typically to heroes due to the nature of their prerequisites.

Ability Focus (General)

Prerequisite(s): Special attack.

Choose one of the creature’s special attacks. Add +2 to the Difficulty for all saving throws against the special attack on which the creature focuses.

A creature can gain this feat multiple times. Its effects do not stack. Each time the creature takes the feat it applies to a different special attack.

Awesome Blow (Martial)

Prerequisite(s): Str +7, size Large or larger.

As a standard action, the creature may choose to subtract 4 from its melee attack roll and deliver an awesome blow. If the creature hits a corporeal opponent smaller than itself with an awesome blow, its opponent must succeed on a Reflex save (Difficulty 10 + 1/2 the creature’s level + its Strength) or be knocked 10 feet in a direction of the attacking creature’s choice and fall prone. The attacking creature can only push the opponent in a straight line, and the opponent can’t move closer to the attacking creature than the square it started in. If an obstacle prevents the completion of the opponent’s move, the opponent and the obstacle each take +2 damage, and the opponent stops in the space adjacent to the obstacle.

Double Strike (General)

Prerequisite(s): Two or more natural weapons.

The creature gains the benefits of Two-Weapon Fighting with its natural weapons (see the description of Two-Weapon Fighting in Chapter

Six of the True20 Adventure Roleplaying book).

Hover (General)

Prerequisite(s): Fly speed.

When flying, the creature can halt its forward motion and hover in place as a move action. It can then fly in any direction, including straight down or straight up, at half speed, regardless of its maneuverability.

If a creature begins its turn hovering, it can hover in place for the turn.

A hovering creature cannot make wing attacks, but it can attack with all other limbs and appendages it could use in an attack. The creature can instead use a breath weapon or use a supernatural power instead of making physical attacks, if it could normally do so.

If a creature of Large size or larger hovers within 20 feet of the ground in an area with lots of loose debris, the draft from its wings creates a hemispherical cloud with a radius of 60 feet. The winds so generated can snuff torches, small campfires, exposed lanterns and other small, open flames of non-supernatural origin. Clear vision within the cloud is limited to 10 feet. Creatures have concealment at 15 to 20 feet (20% miss chance [17 or higher on d20]). At 25 feet or more, creatures have total concealment (50% miss chance [11 or higher on d20], and opponents cannot use sight to locate the creature).

Those caught in the cloud must succeed on a Concentration check (Difficulty 10 + 1/2 creature’s level) to use supernatural powers.

Without this feat, a creature must keep moving while flying unless it has perfect maneuverability.

Snatch (General)

Prerequisite(s): Size Huge or larger.

The creature can choose to start a grapple when it hits with a claw or bite attack, as though it had the Improved Grab feat. If the creature gets a hold on a creature three or more sizes smaller, it squeezes each round for automatic bite or claw damage. A snatched opponent held in the creature’s mouth is not allowed a Reflex save against the creature’s breath weapon, if it has one.

The creature can drop a creature it has snatched as a free action or use a standard action to fling it aside. A flung creature travels up to 30 feet, and takes +2 damage per 10 feet traveled. If the creature flings a snatched opponent while flying, the opponent takes this amount or the appropriate falling damage, whichever is greater.

Wingover (General)

Prerequisite(s): Fly speed.

A flying creature with this feat can change direction quickly once each round as a free action. This feat allows it to turn up to 180 degrees regardless of its maneuverability in addition to any other turns it is normally allowed. A creature cannot gain altitude during a round when it executes a wingover, but it can dive. The change of direction consumes 10 feet of flying movement.

Step Twelve: Creature Traits

Now pick any special traits you may want your creature to have. Below you will find a list of some of the most common creature traits, but feel free to make up your own if none of the following match your creature concept.

Ability Loss

Some attacks reduce one or more of the opponent’s abilities. This loss can be temporary (ability damage) or permanent (ability drain).

Ability Damage

This attack damages an opponent’s ability. The creature’s descriptive text gives the ability and the amount of damage.

If an attack that causes ability damage scores a critical hit, it deals twice the indicated amount of damage. Ability damage returns at the rate of 1 point per day for each affected ability.

Ability Drain

This effect permanently reduces an opponent’s ability.

The creature’s descriptive text gives the ability and the amount drained. If an attack that causes ability drain scores a critical hit, it drains twice the indicated amount. Unless otherwise specified in the creature’s description, a draining creature gains an extra recovery check with a +5 bonus whenever it drains an ability no matter how many points it drains.

Some ability drain attacks allow a Fortitude save (Difficulty 10 + 1/2 creature’s level + creature’s Charisma). If no saving throw is mentioned, none is allowed.

Alternate Form

A creature with this trait has the ability to assume one or more specific alternate forms. Assuming an alternate form results in the following changes to the creature:

• The creature retains the type and subtype of its original form. It gains the size of its new form.
• The creature loses the natural weapons, natural armor, movement modes and extraordinary special attacks of its original form.
• The creature gains the natural weapons, natural armor, movement modes and non-supernatural special attacks of its new form.
• The creature retains the traits of its original form. It does not gain any traits of its new form.
• The creature retains the supernatural powers and attacks of its old form (except for breath weapons and gaze attacks). It does not gain the supernatural powers, special abilities or supernatural attacks of its new form.
• The creature gains the physical abilities (Str, Dex, Con) of its new form. It retains the mental abilities (Int, Wis, Cha) of its original form.
• The creature retains its save bonuses, although its save modifiers may change due to a change in abilities.
• The creature is effectively disguised as a creature of its new form, and it gains a +10 bonus on Disguise checks if it uses this ability to create a disguise.

Amphibious

An amphibious creature is naturally aquatic but can also survive indefinitely on land. It can breathe both air and water without difficulty.

Blindsense

Using non-visual senses, such as acute smell or hearing, a creature with blindsense notices things it cannot see. The creature usually does not need to make Notice checks to pinpoint the location of a creature within range of its blindsense ability, provided the creature does not have total cover. Any opponent the creature cannot see normally still has total concealment, and the creature still has the normal miss chance when attacking foes that have concealment. Visibility still affects the movement of a creature with blindsense. A creature with blindsense is still denied its dodge bonus to defense against attacks from creatures it cannot see.

Blindsight

Using non-visual senses, such as sensitivity to vibrations, scent, acute hearing or echolocation, the creature maneuvers and fights as well as a sighted creature. Invisibility and darkness are irrelevant to such a creature. The ability’s range is specified in the text. The creature does not need to make Notice checks against creatures within range of its blindsight ability; it detects them automatically.

Breath Weapon A breath weapon attack usually deals damage and is often based on some type of energy or element.

Such breath weapons allow a Reflex save for half damage (Difficulty 10 + 1/2 creature’s level + creature’s Constitution). A creature is immune to its own breath weapon unless otherwise noted. Some breath weapons allow a Fortitude save or a Will save to avoid instead of a Reflex save.

Change Shape

A creature with this special quality has the ability to assume the appearance of a specific creature or type of creature (usually a humanoid) while retaining most of its own physical qualities. A creature cannot change shape to a form more than one size category smaller or larger than its original form. Changing shape results in the following changes to the creature:

• The creature retains the type and subtype of its original form. It gains the size of its new form.
• The creature loses the natural weapons, movement modes and nonsupernatural special attacks of its original form.
• The creature gains the natural weapons, movement modes and nonsupernatural special attacks of its new form.
• The creature retains all other special attacks and qualities of its original form, except for breath weapons and gaze attacks.
• The creature retains the abilities of its original form.
• The creature retains its original saving throws.
• The creature retains any supernatural powers it had in its original form.
• The creature is effectively disguised as a creature of its new form, and gains a +10 bonus on Disguise checks if it uses this ability to create a disguise.

Constrict

The creature crushes the opponent, dealing bludgeoning damage, after making a successful grapple check. The amount of damage is given in the creature’s entry. If the creature also has the Improved Grab feat, it deals constriction damage in addition to damage dealt by the attack used to grab.

Create Spawn

This trait is usually only assigned to undead. A victim killed by the natural weapons of a creature with the create spawn trait becomes a creature of that type within a certain time period. A spawn is under the command of the creature that created it and remains enslaved until its master’s destruction or until released by the master. At any given time the master may have enslaved spawn totaling no more than twice its own level; any spawn exceeding this limit are created as free-willed creatures. An enslaved spawn may create and enslave spawn of its own, so the original master can control a large number of lesser creatures in this fashion. A master creature may voluntarily free an enslaved spawn in order to enslave new spawn, but once freed, a creature cannot be enslaved again.

Damage Reduction

The creature receives a bonus to its Toughness saving throws against certain attacks. The creature takes normal damage from energy attacks (acid, cold, electricity, fire, and sonic), powers, and supernatural special abilities.

The entry indicates the bonus and the type of attack that negates the ability. A supernatural weapon automatically negates any damage reduction negated by a mundane weapon type. For example, skeletons have damage reduction +2/bludgeoning. This means they get a +2 bonus to their Toughness saves, unless hit by a bludgeoning weapon. They also lose their +2 bonus if hit by a supernatural weapon.

For purposes of harming other creatures with damage reduction, a creature’s natural weapons count as the type that ignores its own damage reduction. For example, a vampire has damage reduction +4/ silver and supernatural. This means a vampire can bypass the damage reduction of other creatures that are vulnerable to silver or supernatural weapons, including other vampires.

Darkvision

The creature can see in total darkness, out to the specified range (usually 60 feet). Darkvision is black-and-white only, but is otherwise like normal sight.

Death Attacks

In most cases, a death attack allows the victim a Fortitude save to avoid the affect, but if the save fails, the character dies instantly. Tick off the “dead” condition on the damage track. Imbue Life doesn’t work on someone killed by a death attack. Death attacks slay instantly. A victim cannot be made stable and thereby kept alive.

Dependent

The creature needs a particular substance to survive, much like humans need food, water and air. When denied what it needs, the creature suffers the effects of starvation, dehydration or suffocation (see the Hazards and the Environment section of Chapter Six of the True20 Adventure Roleplaying book) depending on how dependent it is on the substance.

Disease

When characters come into contact with a disease, they must succeed on a Fortitude saving throw against a Difficulty of 10 + the disease’s virulence rank to avoid becoming infected. The method of infection depends on the disease. Some are airborne, while others require physical contact.

If a character becomes infected, there is a period of anywhere from a few hours to a week or more during which the disease lies dormant. Then the disease takes effect. The initial effect is typically a point or two of ability damage (usually Strength or Constitution or perhaps a point of each).

After that, the character makes another Fortitude save against the same Difficulty each day to fight off the disease. If that save fails, the character suffers the disease’s effects again. If it succeeds, there is no effect that day. Two successful Fortitude saves in a row indicate the character has fought off the disease. Some diseases may have additional effects, such as fatigue, nausea or even rendering the character staggered or disabled while fighting off the disease.

Engulf

The creature can attempt to engulf an opponent as a standard action simply by walking straight into it. It can usually only attempt to engulf creatures at least one size category smaller than itself. It cannot make any other attacks during a round in which it engulfs. Targets being engulfed must succeed on a Reflex save or be engulfed; on a success, they are pushed back or aside (opponent’s choice) as the creature moves forward. Engulfed creatures are considered to be grappled and trapped within the creature’s body and may also be subject to additional attacks from the engulfing creature. The save Difficulty is usually Strength-based.

Etherealness

Certain creatures can exist on the Ethereal Plane. While on the Ethereal Plane, a creature is called ethereal. Unlike incorporeal creatures, ethereal creatures are not present on the Material Plane. Ethereal creatures are invisible, inaudible, insubstantial and scentless to creatures on the Material Plane. Even most supernatural attacks have no effect on them.

Since ethereal creatures are not materially present, Notice checks, Scent, Blind-Fight and blindsight don’t help locate them. The True Visions supernatural power reveals ethereal creatures.

An ethereal creature can see and hear into the Material Plane in a 60-foot radius, though material objects still block sight and sound. (An ethereal creature can’t see through a material wall, for instance.) An ethereal creature inside an object on the Material Plane cannot see. An ethereal creature can’t affect the Material Plane, not even with supernatural powers or abilities. An ethereal creature, however, interacts with other ethereal creatures and objects the way material creatures interact with material creatures and objects. Gaze effects extend from the Material Plane to the Ethereal Plane, but none of these effects extend from the Ethereal Plane to the Material Plane. Ethereal creatures move in any direction (including up or down) at will. They do not need to walk on the ground, and material objects don’t block their passage. Ethereal creatures pass through and operate in water as easily as air. Ethereal creatures do not fall or take falling damage.

Fast Healing

The creature makes recovery checks at an exceptional rate, perhaps as often as once a minute (10 rounds). Fast healing stops working when a creature is dead. Except for its speed, fast healing works just like natural healing, and doesn’t provide any benefit against attacks that don’t deal damage. It also doesn’t allow a creature to regrow or reattach severed body parts.

Fear

Fear attacks can have various effects.

Fear Aura: The use of this ability is a free action. The aura can freeze an opponent with fear or function like the fear effect of the Heart Shaping power. Other effects are possible. A fear aura is an area effect. The descriptive text gives the size and kind of area.

Fear Cones and Rays: These effects usually work like the fear effect of the Heart Shaping power.

If a fear effect allows a saving throw, it is a Will save (Difficulty 10 + 1/2 creature’s level + creature’s Charisma). All fear attacks are mindinfluencing effects.

Flight

A creature with this ability can cease or resume flight as a free action. If the ability is supernatural, it becomes ineffective under conditions that negate the use of supernatural powers, and the creature loses its ability to fly for as long as the negating effect or conditions persist.

Frightful Presence

This special quality makes a creature’s very presence unsettling. It takes effect automatically when the creature performs some sort of dramatic action (such as charging, attacking, or snarling). Opponents within range who witness the action may become frightened or shaken. Actions required to trigger the ability are given in the creature’s descriptive text.

The range is usually 30 feet, and the duration is usually 17 rounds. This ability affects only opponents lower in level than the creature. An affected opponent can resist the effects with a successful Will save (Difficulty 10 + 1/2 creature’s level + creature’s Charisma). An opponent that succeeds on the saving throw is immune to that same creature’s frightful presence for 24 hours. Frightful presence is a mind-influencing effect.

Gaseous Form

Some creatures have the supernatural ability to take the form of a cloud of vapor or gas; others may permanently exist in this state (like air elementals).

A gaseous creature can move about and do the things that a cloud of gas can conceivably do, such as flow through the crack under a door.

It can’t, however, pass through solid matter or into areas that are airtight.

They are not ethereal or incorporeal and cannot pass through solid objects. A creature in gaseous form must spend a full round action to flow through an opening more than three size categories smaller than it. A gaseous creature cannot attack physically and cannot use supernatural powers unless being gaseous is their natural state of existence. All other creatures lose their supernatural abilities (except for the supernatural ability to assume gaseous form, of course) when they assume gaseous form.

Creatures in gaseous form have damage reduction 4/supernatural.

Supernatural powers affect them normally. Creatures in gaseous form lose all benefit of material armor (including natural armor), though size, Dexterity and armor bonuses from force effects still apply.

Gaseous creatures do not need to breathe and are immune to attacks involving breathing (troglodyte stench, poison gas, and the like).

Gaseous creatures can’t enter water or other liquid. They are affected by winds or other forms of moving air to the extent that the wind pushes them in the direction the wind is moving. However, even the strongest wind can’t disperse or damage a creature in gaseous form.

Discerning a creature in gaseous form from natural mist requires a Difficulty 15 Notice check. Creatures in gaseous form attempting to hide in an area with mist, smoke or other gas gain a +20 bonus on Stealth checks.

Gaze

A gaze attack takes effect when opponents look at the creature’s eyes. The attack can have almost any sort of effect: petrification, death, charm, and so on. The typical range is 30 feet, but check the creature’s entry for details. The type of saving throw for a gaze attack varies, but it is usually a Will or Fortitude save (Difficulty 10 + 1/2 creature’s level + creature’s Charisma). A successful saving throw negates the effect.

A creature’s gaze attack is described in abbreviated form in its description. Each opponent within range of a gaze attack must attempt a saving throw each round at the beginning of his or her turn in the initiative order. Only looking directly at a creature with a gaze attack leaves an opponent vulnerable. Opponents can avoid the need to make the saving throw by not looking at the creature, in one of two ways.

• Averting Eyes: The opponent avoids looking at the creature’s face, instead looking at its body, watching its shadow, tracking it in a reflective surface, and so on. Each round, the opponent has a 50% chance (11 or higher d20) to not need to make a saving throw against the gaze attack. The creature with the gaze attack, however, gains concealment against that opponent.
• Wearing a Blindfold: The opponent cannot see the creature at all (also possible to achieve by turning one’s back on the creature or shutting one’s eyes). The creature with the gaze attack gains total concealment against the opponent.

A creature with a gaze attack can actively gaze as an attack action by choosing a target within range. That opponent must attempt a saving throw but can try to avoid the creature’s gaze as described previously.

Thus, it is possible for an opponent to save against a creature’s gaze twice during the same round, once before the opponent’s action and once during the creature’s turn.

Gaze attacks can affect ethereal opponents. A creature is immune to gaze attacks of others of its kind unless otherwise noted.

Allies of a creature with a gaze attack might be affected. All the creature’s allies are considered to be averting their eyes from the creature with the gaze attack, and have a 50% chance (11 or higher on d20) to not need to make a saving throw against the gaze attack each round. The creature also can veil its eyes, thus negating its gaze ability.

Immunity

The creature is completely immune to some effect, suffering no harm or other effect from it. Essentially, the creature always succeeds on its saving throws against that effect, regardless of the Difficulty.

So a creature immune to cold never suffers damage from cold, for example.

Invisibility

Some creatures can become invisible by using the Light Shaping power, while others may have the innate supernatural ability to become invisible. Invisibility makes a creature undetectable by vision, including darkvision. A creature can generally notice the presence of an active invisible creature by sight within 30 feet with a Difficulty 20 Notice check. The observer gets a hunch that “something’s there” but can’t see it or target it accurately with an attack. A creature who is holding still is very hard to notice by sight or hearing (Notice Difficulty 30). An inanimate object, an un-living creature holding still, or a completely immobile creature is even harder to detect (Notice Difficulty 40). A creature can use hearing to find an invisible creature, and can make a Notice check for this purpose as a free action on its turn each round.

A Notice check result at least equal to the invisible creature’s Stealth check result reveals its presence but not its location. A successful check lets a character hear an invisible creature “over there somewhere”.

The invisible creature still benefits from total concealment (50% miss chance). It’s practically impossible to pinpoint the location of an invisible creature by any conventional senses; only a Notice check that beats the Difficulty by 20 pinpoints the invisible creature’s exact location.

Notice Check Difficulties to Detect Invisible Creatures

Invisible Creature Is…	Difficulty
In combat or speaking	0
Moving at half speed	Stealth check result
Moving at full speed	Stealth check result –4
Running or charging	Stealth check result –20
Some distance away	+1 per 10 feet
Behind an obstacle (door)	+5
Behind an obstacle (stone wall)	+15

A creature can flail about with its weapons to find an invisible creature.

If an invisible target is within the creature’s reach, there is a 50% miss chance on the attack. If successful, the groping character has successfully pinpointed the invisible creature’s current location. (If the invisible creature moves, its location, obviously, is once again unknown.) If an invisible creature strikes a character, the character struck still knows the location of the creature that struck him (until, of course, the invisible creature moves). The only exception is if the invisible creature has a reach greater than 5 feet. In this case, the struck character knows the general location of the creature but has not pinpointed the exact location. Unless stated otherwise, an invisible creature becomes visible once it attacks.

If a character tries to attack an invisible creature whose location he has pinpointed, he attacks normally, but the invisible creature still benefits from full concealment (and thus a 50% miss chance). A particularly large and slow creature might get a smaller miss chance.

If a character tries to attack an invisible creature whose location he has not pinpointed, have the player choose the space where the character will direct the attack. If the invisible creature is there, conduct the attack normally. If the enemy’s not there, roll the miss chance as if it were there, don’t let the player see the result, and tell him that the character has missed. That way the player doesn’t know whether the attack missed because the enemy’s not there or because you successfully rolled the miss chance.

If an invisible character picks up a visible object, the object remains visible.

One could coat an invisible object with flour to at least keep track of its position (until the flour fell off or blew away). An invisible creature can pick up a small visible item and hide it on his person (tucked in a pocket or behind a cloak) and render it effectively invisible.

Invisible creatures leave tracks. They can be tracked normally. Footprints in sand, mud or other soft surfaces can give enemies clues to an invisible creature’s location. An invisible creature in the water displaces water, revealing its location. The invisible creature, however, is still hard to see and benefits from concealment. A creature with the scent ability can detect an invisible creature as it would a visible one.

A creature with the Blind-Fight feat has a better chance to hit an invisible creature. Roll the miss chance twice, and he misses only if both rolls indicate a miss. (Alternatively, make one 25% miss chance roll rather than two 50% miss chance rolls.) A creature with blindsight can attack (and otherwise interact with) creatures regardless of invisibility.

Light Sensitivity

Abrupt exposure to bright light (natural or supernatural light equal to full daylight) blinds the creature for round. On subsequent rounds, the creature is dazzled (–1 on attack rolls, sight-based Notice checks, and Search checks) while operating in bright light.

Liquid Form

Some creatures have the supernatural ability to take the form of a pool of liquid; others may permanently exist in this state (like water elementals). Liquid creatures can enter liquids, but they cannot fly.

They must flow across a solid surface or through liquid. This ability is in all other ways identical to the gaseous form ability.

Mimicry

The creature can imitate sounds and voices, giving it a +20 bonus on Bluff and Perform checks to fool others into believing its mimicry is real.

Paralysis

This special attack renders the character immobile. Paralyzed creatures cannot move, speak or take any physical actions. If the attack causes a natural paralytic state, the affected creature falls prone and drops all held items. Otherwise the creature is rooted to the spot, frozen as if petrified. A paralyzed creature is helpless.

Paralysis works on the body, and the character can usually resist it with a Fortitude saving throw (the Difficulty is given in the creature’s description). A paralysis effect does not allow a new save each round. A winged creature flying in the air at the time that it is paralyzed cannot flap its wings and falls. A swimmer can’t swim and may drown.

Persistent Wound

The damage the creature deals with one of its attacks causes a wound that does not heal naturally and resists the Cure supernatural power.

An opponent injured by the creature suffers additional damage each round. The amount of damage is usually +1 or +2, and is stated in the creature’s stat block. The continuing damage can be stopped by a Medicine check or a successful use of the Cure supernatural power, but this does not close the wound. An opponent with a persistent wound remains at the highest wound level inflicted by the creature and does not get recovery checks until an adept uses the Cure supernatural power on him. The adept must succeed on an adept level check or the power has no effect on the victim. The check Difficulties for the Medicine check and the adept level check are Constitution-based.

Petrification

A petrification attack turns a creature permanently to stone (or some other mineral) if it fails its saving throw. The saving throw is usually a Fortitude save (Difficulty of 10 + 1/2 the creature’s level + the creature’s Constitution). The exact details and difficulty for the saving throw are given in the creature’s description. A petrification effect may be reversed with a Difficulty 25 Earth Shaping check followed by a Difficulty 25 Flesh Shaping check.

Poison

Poison attacks deal initial damage—such as temporary ability damage or some other effect—to the character on a failed Fortitude save. Unless otherwise noted, another saving throw is required 1 minute later (regardless of the first save’s result) to avoid secondary damage. The Fortitude save against poison has a Difficulty equal to 10 + 1/2 the creature’s level + the creature’s Constitution. A successful save negates the damage.

Pounce

When a creature with this special attack makes a charge, it can attack with both claws and its bite all in the same round, like a use of the Two-Weapon Fighting feat (see the description of Two-Weapon Fighting in Chapter Six of the True20 Adventure Roleplaying book).

Powerful Charge

When a creature with this special attack makes a charge, its attack deals extra damage in addition to the normal benefits and hazards of a charge. The amount of damage from the attack is given in the creature’s description.

Powers

The creature can use various supernatural powers. Unless specified otherwise, a creature uses powers like an adept of its creature level with the normal effects and fatigue (if the power is fatiguing).

Rake

A creature with this special attack gains an extra natural attack when it grapples its foe. Normally, a creature can attack with only one of its natural weapons while grappling, but a creature with the rake ability gains an additional rake attack it can use only against a grappled foe.

Rake attacks use the creature’s claw attack bonus to hit, and add only half the creature’s Strength to its base claw damage. Rake attacks are not subject to the usual ?4 penalty for attacking with a natural weapon in a grapple. A creature with the rake ability must begin its turn grappling to use its rake—it can’t begin a grapple and rake in the same turn.

Ray

This form of special attack works like a ranged attack. Hitting with a ray attack requires a successful ranged attack roll, ignoring any defense bonus granted by a shield. Ray attacks have no range increment. The creature’s descriptive text specifies the maximum range, effects, and any applicable saving throw.

Regeneration

A creature with this ability is difficult to kill. Damage dealt to the creature is treated as non-lethal damage. The creature automatically gains an extra recovery check each round, with the bonus given in the entry. Certain attack forms, typically fire and acid, deal lethal damage to the creature, which doesn’t go away. The creature’s descriptive text describes the details. A regenerating creature that has been rendered unconscious through non-lethal damage can be killed with a coup de grace. The attack cannot be of a type that automatically converts to non-lethal damage.

Attack forms that don’t deal physical damage (such as ability damage or ability drain) ignore regeneration. Regeneration also does not heal damage caused by starvation, thirst or suffocation. Regenerating creatures can regrow lost portions of their bodies and can reattach severed limbs or body parts; details are in the creature’s descriptive text. Severed parts that are not reattached wither and die normally.

A creature must have a Constitution to have regeneration.

Resistance to Energy

The creature has a bonus to Toughness saving throws against damage of the given energy type (acid, cold, electricity, fire, or sonic) each time the creature is subjected to such damage. The entry indicates the bonus and type of damage affected.

Scent

This ability allows the creature to detect approaching enemies, sniff out hidden foes, and track by sense of smell. Creatures with the scent ability can identify familiar odors, just as humans do familiar sights.

The creature can detect opponents within 30 feet by sense of smell. If the opponent is upwind, the range increases to 60 feet; if downwind, it drops to 15 feet. Strong scents can be detected at twice the ranges noted above. Overpowering scents can be detected at triple normal range.

When a creature detects a scent, the exact location is not revealed—only its presence somewhere within range. The creature can take a move or standard action to note the direction of the scent. If it moves within 5 feet of the source, the creature can pinpoint that source.

A creature with the scent ability can follow tracks by smell, making a Wisdom check to find or follow a track. The typical Difficulty for a fresh trail is 10 (no matter what kind of surface holds the scent). This Difficulty increases or decreases depending on the Strength of the quarry’s odor, the number of creatures being tracked, and the age of the trail. For each hour that the trail is cold, the Difficulty increases by 2. The ability otherwise follows the rules for the Track feat. Creatures tracking by scent ignore the effects of surface conditions and poor visibility.

Sensitivity

The creature is sensitive to a certain substance and must succeed on a Difficulty 15 Fortitude save when coming in contact with it to avoid suffering a level of fatigue. The creature must repeat the save attempt every 10 minutes it remains in contact with the substance.

Sonic Attacks

Unless otherwise noted, a sonic attack covers an area of effect and can even affect opponents around corners. The range of the spread is measured from the creature using the sonic attack. Once a sonic attack has taken effect, deafening the subject or stopping its ears does not end the effect. Stopping one’s ears ahead of time allows opponents to avoid having to make saving throws against mind-affecting sonic attacks, but not other kinds of sonic attacks (such as those that deal damage).

Stopping one’s ears is a full-round action and requires wax or other soundproof material to stuff into the ears.

Supernatural Immunity

A creature with supernatural immunity avoids the effects of supernatural powers and supernatural abilities used directly on it. This works exactly like supernatural resistance, except that it cannot be overcome. Sometimes supernatural immunity is conditional or applies to only supernatural powers of a certain kind or adept level.

Supernatural Resistance

A creature with can avoid the effects of supernatural powers and supernatural abilities used directly on it. To determine if a supernatural power or ability works against a creature with supernatural resistance, the user must make an adept level check (1d20 + adept level). If the result equals or exceeds the creature’s supernatural resistance, the power works normally, although the creature is still allowed a saving throw.

Summon

A creature with the summon ability can summon other creatures of its kind, but it usually has only a limited chance of success (as specified in the creature’s entry). Roll a d20: On a failure, no creature answers the summons. Summoned creatures return whence they came after one hour. A creature that has just been summoned cannot use its own summon ability for 1 hour. Most creatures with the ability to summon do not use it lightly, since it leaves them beholden to the summoned creature. In general, they use it only when necessary to save themselves.

Swallow Whole

If a creature with this special attack begins its turn with an opponent held in its mouth (see the Improved Grab feat in Chapter Three of the True20 Adventure Roleplaying book), it can attempt a new grapple check (as though attempting to pin the opponent). If it succeeds, it swallows its prey, and the opponent takes bite damage. Unless otherwise noted, the opponent can be up to one size category smaller than the creature.

Being swallowed has various consequences, depending on the creature doing the swallowing. A swallowed creature is considered grappled, while the creature that did the swallowing is not. A swallowed creature takes bludgeoning damage and acid damage every round it spends inside the swallowing creature. The bludgeoning damage is equal to the swallowing creature’s Strength x 1.5, and the acid damage is equal to the swallowing creature’s Constitution. A swallowed creature can try to cut its way free with a light slashing or piercing weapon by bringing the swallowing creature’s gizzard to “wounded” or worse condition on the damage track, or it can just try to escape the grapple. The Toughness save of the interior of a creature that swallows whole is normally half its natural armor bonus plus its Constitution and bonuses from the Tough feat (if any), with no modifiers for size. Since a swallowed creature is surrounded on all sides by the swallowing creature’s gizzard, it does not have to roll to hit the gizzard—just make a Toughness save for the gizzard when the swallowed creature attacks it. Once the creature exits, muscular action closes the hole; another swallowed opponent must cut its own way out.

If the swallowed creature escapes the grapple, success puts it back in the attacker’s mouth, where it may be bitten or swallowed again.

Tentacles

Some creatures have tentacles. A tentacle can be severed by a successful sunder attack with a slashing weapon (see Sundering in Chapter Six of the True20 Adventure Roleplaying book). An opponent can strike at a tentacle from any position in which he could strike at the creature itself, because the tentacles writhe and whip about in combat. An opponent can ready an action to attempt to sunder a tentacle when the creature attacks him. A tentacle counts as a held object with a size usually one or two size categories smaller than the creature itself. A tentacle has a Toughness save usually equal to 1/2 the Toughness save of the creature (twice its Toughness if its Toughness is a negative number, i.e. a creature with a –1 Toughness save has tentacles with a Toughness of –2). Reducing a tentacle to “disabled” or worse condition on the damage track effectively severs it. Losing a tentacle forces the creature to make a Toughness save as if it had taken damage equal to the Toughness save of the tentacle. (For example, a giant squid has a Toughness save of +7, so its Tentacles have a Toughness of +3. When an opponent hits a tentacle with a sunder attempt the tentacle gets its own Toughness save against the damage. If the tentacle is severed the giant squid must then make a Toughness save as if it had taken +3 damage.)

A tentacle regrows in 15 days unless stated otherwise.

A Narrator can use the rules for sundering tentacles to allow heroes to sever the limbs of other creatures as well. These rules should only be applied to creatures that would not sustain significant injury at the loss of a limb, however. A hero could try to lop off the legs of a giant spider, or disable the wings of a flying opponent in order to ground it, but he should not be able to sunder humanoid’s arm or leg.

Trample

As a full-round action, a creature with this special attack can move up to twice its speed and literally run over any opponents at least one size category smaller than itself. The creature merely has to move over the opponents in its path.

A trample attack deals bludgeoning damage (usually the creature’s slam damage + 1.5 times its Strength). The creature’s descriptive text gives the exact amount.

Trampled opponents can attempt Reflex saves to take half damage. The save Difficulty against a creature’s trample attack is 10 + 1/2 creature’s level + creature’s Strength. A trampling creature can only deal trampling damage to each target once per round no matter how many times its movement takes it over a target creature.

Tremorsense

A creature with tremorsense is sensitive to vibrations in the ground and can automatically pinpoint the location of anything that is in contact with the ground. Aquatic creatures with tremorsense can also sense the location of creatures moving through water. The ability’s range is specified in the creature’s descriptive text.

Vulnerable to Energy

Some creatures have vulnerability to a certain kind of energy effect (typically either cold or fire). Such a creature takes half again as much (+50%) damage as normal from the effect, regardless of whether a saving throw is allowed, or if the save is a success or failure.

Step Thirteen: Crunch Numbers and Fill in the Stat Block

The “statistics block” (stat block for short) is the portion of a creature’s description that contains basic game information on the creature. Fill out the creature’s stat block, calculating total save bonuses, initiative bonus, total skill bonuses etc. just like you would while making a hero.

Name

This is the name by which the creature is generally known. The descriptive text may provide other names.

Type

This part of the stat block contains the creature’s level and creature type. A creature’s type can determine how supernatural powers affects a creature. Type determines certain features, such as base combat bonus, base saving throw bonuses, and number of skills.

Size

This line describes the creature’s size. A size modifier applies to the creature’s combat bonus and Toughness saves as well as to certain skills.

A creature’s size also determines how far it can reach to make a melee attack and how much space it occupies in a fight.

Speed

This line gives the creature’s tactical speed on land (the amount of distance it can cover in one move action). If the creature has other modes of movement, these are given after (or in place of) the land speed. Unless noted otherwise, modes of movement are natural (not supernatural).

Abilities

This line lists the creature’s abilities, in the customary order: Strength (Str), Dexterity (Dex), Constitution (Con), Intelligence (Int), Wisdom (Wis), Charisma (Cha).

Strength

Quadrupeds can carry heavier loads than bipeds can. Any creature with four or more motive limbs can carry a load as a quadruped, even if it does not necessarily use all the limbs at once.

Intelligence

A creature can speak all the languages mentioned in its description, plus one additional language per point of Intelligence bonus. Any creature with an Intelligence of –3 or higher understands at least one language (Common, unless noted otherwise). See the Sample Fantasy Creature Languages sidebar.

Non-Abilities

Some creatures lack certain abilities. These creatures do not have an ability of –5, they lack the ability altogether. The modifier for a nonability is +0.

Sample Fantasy Creature Languages

Language	Typical Speakers
Aquan	Water-based creatures
Auran	Air-based creatures
Celestial	Virtue-aligned outsiders, celestials
Common	Humans, halflings, half-elves, half-orcs
Draconic	Kobolds, troglodytes, lizardfolk, dragons
Dwarven	Dwarves
Elven	Elves
Fiendish	Vice-aligned outsiders, fiends
Giant	Ogres, giants
Gnome	Gnomes
Goblin	Goblins, hobgoblins, bugbears
Gnoll	Gnolls
Halfling	Halflings
Ignan	Fire-based creatures
Orc	Orcs
Sylvan	Fey, dryads, brownies, leprechauns
Terran	Xorns and other earth-based creatures
Undercommon	Subterranean creatures, dark elves

Natural Tendencies

Some creatures simply aren’t made for certain types of physical activity.

If it seems clear that a particular creature simply is not made for a particular physical activity, that creature takes a –8 penalty on skill checks that defy its natural tendencies. In extreme circumstances the creature fails the check automatically.

Skills

This line gives the creature’s skills, along with each skill’s ranks and modifier (including adjustments for abilities, armor check penalties, and any bonuses from feats or racial traits). A creature’s type and Intelligence determine the number of skills it has. The Skills section of the creature’s description recaps racial bonuses and other adjustments to skill modifiers for the sake of clarity; these bonuses are already included and need not be added to the listed skill modifiers. An asterisk (*) beside the relevant skill and in the Skills section of the descriptive text indicates a conditional adjustment, one that applies only in certain situations.

Feats

This line gives the creature’s feats. A creature cannot have a feat unless it meets the requirements for the feat. Sometimes a creature has one or more bonus feats, marked with a superscript B (B). Creatures do not have to meet the requirement of any feat designated as a bonus feat. If you wish to customize the creature with different feats, you shouldn’t reassign its bonus feats since they indicate natural abilities that all creatures of that type possess.

Traits

Many creatures have unusual abilities. Traits may include special attacks, special defenses, vulnerabilities and other special abilities that are not regular modes of attack.

When a trait allows a saving throw, the kind of save and the save Difficulty is noted in the descriptive text. Most saving throws against special attacks have Difficulties calculated as follows: 10 + 1/2 the attacker’s level + the relevant ability. The save Difficulty is given in the creature’s description along with the ability on which the Difficulty is based.

Combat

This line shows the attack options that the creature makes with an attack action, bonus to hit and the damage rating for each attack, the creature’s defense bonus and its initiative bonus. The options provide the attack bonus and the weapon used (natural or manufactured). The attack bonus given includes modifications for size and Dexterity. If the creature has several different weapons at its disposal, the alternatives are shown, with each different attack separated by the word “or”. The damage that each attack deals is noted after the word “damage”. The creature’s defense bonus and initiative bonus are listed after the attack options.

Saving Throws

This line gives the creature’s Toughness, Fortitude, Reflex, and Will save modifiers.

Step Fourteen: Creature Description

During the course of creature creation your concept of what the critter is may have shifted or become more detailed. Now its time to describe it in a way that others will be able to understand what it is, what it looks like, how it behaves, and how to use it in a game. Be sure you have fleshed out any special abilities your creature has, and the game mechanics involved.

Also give some consideration to the types of adventure hooks that the creature may be involved in, and make some notes on the creature’s diet, habitat, activity cycle and ecology.

Modifying Creatures

The creature stat blocks presented in the True20 Bestiary are complete and contain all of the information needed to use a creature effectively in your game. It is possible to change certain aspects of a creature, however, from its level to its skills and feats and even its size.

There are many reasons for modifying a creature. Intelligent creatures are free to choose their own paths in the world. They may have different interests that carry them in directions different from their kin. Other creatures might have alternate abilities thanks to their environment— an aquatic species of giant spider would have the Swim skill, for example.

You can also modify a creature to challenge the heroes (and the players!) in different ways. Heroes who have encountered many trolls and set them all ablaze will be rightly challenged by a troll with warrior levels wearing fire-resistant armor.

There are many methods available to you if you want modify a creature.

• Intelligent creatures (Intelligence –3 or greater) can gain levels in a heroic role, using the rules for mixed-role heroes. This increases the creature’s combat bonus, saves, skill ranks, number of feats, conviction and reputation as detailed in the description of heroic roles in Chapter One of the True20 Adventure Roleplaying book.
• Non-intelligent creatures can gain levels in their creature type. This increases the creature’s combat bonus, saves, skill ranks and number of feats as detailed in the description of the creature’s type in Chapter One of this site.
• You can increase or decrease the size of a creature. A change in size affects a creature’s Strength, Dexterity, Constitution and natural armor bonus as shown on the “Size Adjustments to Physical Abilities and Natural Armor” table. An increase or decrease in size may also raise or lower the creature’s level, usually no more than 1 or 2 levels per size category. Remember that a change in level changes the creature’s skill ranks, combat bonus and saves, and may change its number of feats (see the Creature Level-Dependent Benefits table). A creature’s size gives bonuses or penalties to combat, Stealth checks and Toughness (see the Game Effects of Creature Size table).

Repeat the adjustment if the creature moves up or down more than one size category. When making a creature smaller, the bonuses and penalties are reversed. A change in size also affects the damage of a creature’s natural weapons: +1 per size level increase, and –1 per size level decrease.

For example, a Small creature made Large gains +6 to Strength, –2 to Dexterity, +3 to Constitution, a +1 to its natural armor bonus, a –2 penalty to combat, –8 penalty to Stealth and a +3 bonus to Toughness.

It does an extra +2 damage with its attacks from the two-category increase in size, in addition to any extra damage from its increased Strength. It gains 2 or 4 levels creature in its creature type.

• You can change the creature’s abilities. Changing abilities may have some collateral effects such as increasing or decreasing saving throws, number of skill ranks, and combat ability. (Also remember that an animal becomes a supernatural beast if its Intelligence is increased to –3 or better).
• You can rearrange the creature’s skill ranks to put more or less emphasis on certain skills, or to acquire different skills.
• You can swap out a feat for any other feat available to a creature of that type.
• You can give the creature different traits from the list of traits back in Step 12 of this section, either swapping out traits it normally has or just adding new ones.
• You can add a template (see Chapter Three). Most templates make significant changes to a creature’s type and abilities.
• You can do any combination of these things to a creature to really change things around. A single rat is hardly a threat to your heroes, but imagine their surprise when they encounter a Huge intelligent fiendish rat with adept levels!

Size Adjustments to Physical Abilities and Natural Armor

Old Size New Size Str Dex Con Natural Armor Combat Stealth Toughness
Fine	Diminutive	—	–1	—	—	–1	–4	+1
Diminutive	Tiny	+1	–1	—	—	–1	–4	+1
Tiny	Small	+1	–1	—	—	–1	–4	+1
Small	Medium	+1	–1	+1	—	–1	–4	+1
Medium	Large	+1	–1	+2	+1	–1	–4	+2
Large	Huge	+1	–1	+2	+2	–1	–4	+2
Huge	Gargantuan	+4	—	+2	+2	–1	–4	+2
Gargantuan	Colossal	+4	—	+2	+3	–1	–4	+2