Creature Overview

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Content, and is licensed for public use under the terms of the Open Game
License v1.0a.

=== CREATURE
OVERVIEW ===

Creature Description

Each creature is organized in
the same general format, as described in the following text. Much of the
information on a creature is condensed into a creature statistics block, the
contents of which are explained below.

Challenge Rating (CR)

A creature’s Challenge Rating
provides a rough measure of the creature’s toughness in a combat situation. As
a rule of thumb, four heroes of a level equal to the creature’s Challenge
Rating should exhaust roughly one-quarter of their resources battling it. But
situations may arise where a creature’s Challenge Rating does not accurately
reflect the difficulty of the challenge.

## Size

A creature falls into one of
nine size categories. The size categories are briefly described in Table:
Creature Sizes. Each size category includes a size modifier that applies to the
creature’s Defense and attack rolls; a modifier that applies to grapple checks;
and a modifier that applies to Hide checks. These modifiers have been figured
into the statistics for the creatures described here.

## Type

A creature’s type determines
many of its characteristics and abilities: physical ability scores, Hit Die
type, base attack bonus, saving throw bonuses, skill points, feats, and special
qualities. Mental ability scores (Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma) can vary
widely among creatures of a type; unless a type description specifies a
particular score for one of these abilities, the GM will assign values as he or
she deems appropriate.

Hit Dice (HD) and Hit Points (hp)

A creature’s type and size
determine its Hit Dice. A creature’s Hit Dice is equivalent to its level for
determining how various FX abilities affect the creature, its rate of natural
healing, and its maximum ranks in a skill.

A creature’s Hit Dice and
Constitution modifier determine its hit points. A creature’s entry gives the
creature’s average hit points.

Massive Damage Threshold (Mas)

When a creature takes damage
from a single attack equal to or greater than its current Constitution, it must
succeed on a Fortitude save (DC 15) or immediately drop to –1 hit points. If
the damage would reduce the creature to –1 hit points or fewer anyway, the
massive damage threshold does not apply, and the creature does not need to make
a Fortitude save.

Constructs, elementals,
oozes, plants, and undead ignore the effects of massive damage and do not have
massive damage thresholds. Vermin gain a +5 species bonus on their Fortitude
saves to avoid falling to –1 hit points.

Initiative (Init)

The creature’s modifier on
initiative checks is usually equal to its Dexterity modifier, although the
Improved Initiative feat provides an additional +4 bonus.

Speed (Spd)

A creature’s tactical speed
on land is the amount of distance it can cover in one move action. If the
creature wears armor that reduces its speed, this fact is given along with a
parenthetical note indicating 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, modes of movement are natural (not magical).

Burrow: The creature can
tunnel through dirt, but not through rock unless the descriptive text says
otherwise. Creatures cannot run while burrowing.

Climb: A creature with a
climb speed has the Climb skill at no cost and gains a +8 species bonus on
Climb checks. The creature must make a Climb check to climb any wall or slope
with a DC greater 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 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 use the run action while
climbing. The creature retains its Dexterity bonus to Defense (if any) while
climbing, and opponents get no special bonus on their attack rolls against the
climbing creature.

Fly: The creature can fly at
the given speed if carrying no more than a medium load. All fly speeds include
a parenthetical note indicating maneuverability:

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

Good: The creature is agile in the air, but cannot change
direction as readily as one 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 fly at all.

Creatures that fly can make
dive attacks. A dive attack works just like a charge, but the diving creature
must move a minimum of 30 feet. It can make only claw attacks, but these deal
double damage. Creatures can use the run action while flying, provided they fly
in a 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 species bonus on any Swim check to perform some special action or
avoid a hazard. The creature always can choose to take 10, even if distracted
or endangered when swimming. Creatures can use the run action while swimming,
provided they swim in a straight line.

## Defense

A creature’s Defense includes
a parenthetical mention of the modifiers contributing to it. The creature’s
“touch” Defense (discounting natural armor and other armor modifiers) and
“flat-footed” Defense (discounting Dexterity bonus and class bonus, if any) are
provided as well.

Base Attack Bonus (BAB)

A creature’s base attack
bonus does not include any modifiers. It is used to calculate a creature’s
grapple modifier as well as the maximum bonus on damage rolls for a creature
using the Power Attack feat. A creature’s base attack bonus is derived by
cross-referencing the creature’s Hit Dice and type on Table: Creature Saves and
Base Attack Bonuses.

Grapple Modifier (Grap)

Whenever a creature makes an
opposed grapple check, apply this modifier to its d20 roll. The total modifier
on grapple checks is determined as follows: base attack bonus + Strength
modifier + grapple modifier. The grapple modifiers for creatures of various
sizes are given in Table: Creature Sizes.

Primary Attack (Atk)

If a creature moves more than
5 feet in the same round it attacks, it makes only a single attack using its
primary attack bonus. This bonus includes modifications for size and Strength
(for melee attacks) or Dexterity (for ranged attacks). A creature with the
Weapon Finesse feat can use its Dexterity modifier on its primary attack. The
damage and primary weapon type are noted in parentheses.

A creature’s primary attack
damage includes its full Strength modifier (1.5 times its Strength bonus if it
is the creature’s sole attack).

Use the creature’s primary
attack bonus whenever the creature makes an attack of opportunity.

Creatures can attack with
natural weapons, manufactured weapons, or sometimes both.

## Natural Weapons

Natural weapons include
teeth, claws, horns, and the like. The number of attacks along with the weapon,
attack bonus, and form of attack (melee or ranged) are provided in a creature’s
entry. Unless noted otherwise, natural weapons threaten critical hits on a
natural attack roll of 20.

If any attacks also cause
some special effect other than damage, that information is given along with the
damage. Unless noted otherwise, creatures deal double damage on critical hits.

Natural weapons have types
just as other weapons do. The most common types are summarized below.

Bite: The creature attacks
with its mouth, dealing piercing damage.

Claw or Rake: The creature
rips with a sharp appendage, dealing 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 an appendage, dealing bludgeoning damage.

Sting: The creature stabs
with a stinger, dealing piercing dam­age. Stings are usually poisoned.

## Manufactured Weapons

Creatures that use
manufactured weapons follow the same rules as characters, including those for
multiple attacks and two-weapon fighting penalties.

Full Attack (Full Atk)

A creature that takes no more
than a 5-foot step during its turn can make a full attack using all of its
natural weapons. A creature’s full attack includes both its primary attack and
its secondary attacks (if any).

The primary attack bonus
includes modifications for size and Strength (for melee attacks) or Dexterity
(for ranged attacks). A creature with the Weapon Finesse feat can use its
Dexterity modifier on melee attacks. A creature’s primary attack damage
includes its full Strength modifier (1.5 times its Strength bonus if it is the
creature’s sole attack or if the creature is wielding a two-handed melee
weapon).

The remaining weapons are
secondary attacks and take a –5 penalty on attack rolls. Creatures with the
Multiattack feat (see Feats, below) take only a –2 penalty on secondary
attacks. Secondary attacks add only one-half the creature’s Strength bonus to
the damage.

Creatures that do not
normally carry ranged weapons are still given a ranged attack bonus for
situations in which they might be throwing objects at a target.

Fighting Space (FS)

Fighting space approximates
the amount of space a creature needs to move and fight effectively, and how
much space it occupies on a grid of 5-foot-by-5-foot squares. Table: Creature
Sizes gives the fighting space for creatures of any given size, although
variations and exceptions are possible.

## Reach

A creature’s reach is the
distance at which it can strike targets with its natural weapons without needing
to adjust its position on the grid. A creature using its natural weapons
threatens all squares within its reach. When measuring diagonally, every second
square counts as two squares. Table: Creature Sizes provides the typical reach
for creatures of any given size. The GM may adjust the values in the table by
–5 feet or +5 feet for creatures that have less than normal or greater than
normal reach. Unlike the wielder of a reach weapon, a creature with greater
than normal reach (more than 5 feet) can still strike creatures next to it. A
creature with greater than normal reach usually gets an attack of opportunity
against a character if the character approaches it, because the character
enters a square it threatens before he or she can attack it. (This does not
apply if the character takes a 5-foot step.) Large or larger creatures with
reach weapons can strike targets out to double their reach but can’t strike at
targets within their normal reach or less.

A creature with a 0-foot
reach must move into the fighting space of its target to attack it, provoking
an attack of opportunity from the target as the creature enters the target’s
fighting space and threatened area. Also, creatures with 0-foot reach do not
threaten the squares around them.

Special Qualities (SQ)

Many creatures have unusual
abilities.  A special quality can be
extraordinary (Ex), spell-like (Sp), or supernatural (Su).

Extraordinary: Extraordinary
abilities are nonmagical and are not subject to anything that disrupts magic.
Using an extraordinary ability is a free action unless noted otherwise.

Spell-Like: Spell-like
abilities are magical and work just like spells, though they have no verbal,
somatic, material, focus, or XP components. They are subject to spell
resistance.

Spell-like abilities usually
have a limit on the number of times they can be used. A spell-like ability that
can be used “at will” has no use limit. Using a spell-like ability is an attack
action unless noted otherwise, and doing so while threatened provokes attacks
of opportunity. A spell-like ability can be disrupted just as a spell can be.

For creatures with spell-like
abilities, a designated caster level serves to define how difficult it is to
dispel their spell-like effects and to define any level-dependent variable the
abilities might have. The creature’s caster level never affects which
spell-like abilities the creature has; sometimes the given caster level is
lower than the level a spellcasting character would need to cast the spell of
the same name.

The saving throw (if any) for
a spell-like ability is 10 + the level of the spell the ability resembles or
duplicates + the creature’s Charisma modifier.

Supernatural: Supernatural
abilities are magical but are not subject to spell resistance. Using a supernatural
ability is an attack action unless noted otherwise. Supernatural abilities may
have a use limit or be usable at will, just like spell-like abilities. However,
supernatural abilities do not provoke attacks of opportunity and never require
Concentration checks.

Allegiances (AL)

This entry lists the
creature’s most likely allegiances, in order from most important to least
important. Fantastic creatures often have allegiances to a moral or ethical
philosophy as well as allegiances to masters, groups, organizations, owners, or
creators.

Saves (SV)

A creature’s Fortitude,
Reflex, and Will saving throw modifiers take into account the creature’s type,
ability score modifiers, feats, and any special qualities.

Action Points (AP)

Creatures have no action points.
However, creatures can gain action points by taking levels in a heroic
character class. Every time a creature picks up a heroic class level, it gains
a number of action points equal to 5 + one-half its heroic character level (not
counting the creature’s starting Hit Dice). Like most heroic characters,
however, creatures with heroic class levels will have spent a certain number of
action points in the course of their “heroic” careers.

Assume that a creature has a
number of action points remaining equal to one-half of its heroic class levels.

Reputation (Rep)

A creature has a Reputation
bonus of +0 but may increase the bonus by taking levels in a character class.

## Abilities

Creatures have the same six
ability scores as characters: Strength (Str), Dexterity (Dex), Constitution
(Con), Intelligence (Int), Wisdom (Wis), Charisma (Cha). Exceptions are noted
below.

Strength: Quadrupeds can
carry heavier loads than bipedal characters. See Carrying Capacity.

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.

Nonabilities: Some creatures
lack certain ability scores. These creatures do not have an ability score of
0—they lack the ability altogether. The modifier for a nonability is +0. Other
effects of nonabilities are as follows.

Strength: Any creature that can physically manipulate other
objects has at least 1 point of Strength. A creature with no Strength score
can’t exert force, usually because it has no physical body or because it is
immobile. The creature automatically fails Strength checks. If the creature can
attack, it applies its Dexterity modifier to its base attack bonus instead of a
Strength modifier.

Dexterity:
Any creature that can move has at
least 1 point of ­Dexterity. A creature with no Dexterity score can’t move. If
it can act (such as by casting spells), the creature applies its Intelligence
modifier instead of its Dexterity modifier to initiative checks. The creature fails
all Reflex saves and Dexterity checks.

Constitution: Any living creature has at least 1 point of ­Constitution.
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, ability drain, and
energy drain, and it always fails Constitution checks.

Intelligence:
Any creature that can think,
learn, or remember has at least 1 point of Intelligence. A creature with no
Intelligence score is an automaton, operating on simple instincts or programmed
instructions. It is immune to all mind-affecting effects and automatically
fails Intelligence checks.

Wisdom:
Any creature that can perceive its
environment in any fashion has at least 1 point of Wisdom. Anything with no
Wisdom score is an object, not a creature. Anything without a Wisdom score also
has no Charisma score.

Charisma:
Any creature capable of telling
the difference between itself and things that are not itself has at least 1
point of Charisma. Anything with no Charisma score is an object, not a
creature. Anything without a Charisma score also has no Wisdom score.

## Skills

This section lists
alphabetically all the creature’s skills by name along with skill modifiers
that include adjustments for ability scores and any bonuses from feats or
species abilities (unless otherwise noted in the descriptive text). All listed
skills were purchased as class skills unless the creature acquires a character
class (see Advancement, below).

Automatic Languages: Some
creatures read, write, or speak unique languages that heroes don’t know
anything about. The GM determines whether a hero is capable of learning one of
these unique languages and the method by which that language can be learned.

## Feats

This section lists
alphabetically all the creature’s feats.

Most creatures use the same
feats that are available to characters, but some have access to the Multiattack
feat (described below).

#### Multiattack

The creature is adept at
using all its natural weapons at once.

**Prerequisite:** Three or more natural weapons.

**Benefit:** The creature’s secondary attacks with natural weapons
take only a –2 penalty.

**Normal:** Without this feat, the creature’s secondary natural
attacks take a –5 penalty.

## Advancement

The GM can improve a creature
by increasing its Hit Dice. The Advancement entry indicates the increased Hit
Dice (and often size) of the creature or indicates that the creature can
advance by character class.

#### Increasing Hit Dice

As a creature gains Hit Dice,
many of its game statistics change.

**Size:** Adding Hit Dice to a creature can also increase its
size. An increase in size affects a creature’s Defense, attack rolls, and
grapple checks, as shown on Table: Creature Sizes, as well as physical ability
scores and damage, as shown in the descriptions of the creature types.

**Defense:** An increase in size affects a creature’s Defense, as
shown on Table: Creature Sizes. An increase in size might also improve a
creature’s natural armor bonus to Defense, as shown on Table: Adjustments to
Physical Abilities and Natural Armor. Note that a natural armor bonus stacks
with an equipment bonus from armor.

**Attack Bonus:** Table: Creature Saves and Base Attack Bonuses shows
how a creature’s base attack bonus improves as it gains Hit Dice. A change in
the creature’s size also modifies its attack rolls, as shown on Table: Creature
Sizes. Both values must be counted when recalculating a creature’s attack
bonus.

**Grapple Modifier:** An increase in size affects a creature’s grapple
modifier, as shown on Table: Creature Sizes.

Damage: An increase in size
also increases the amount of damage a creature deals with its natural weapons.

**Saving Throws:** Table: Creature Saves and Base At­tack Bonuses shows
how a creature’s saving throw bonuses improve as it gains Hit Dice.

**Ability Scores:** An increase in size affects a creature’s Strength,
Dexterity, and Constitution, as shown on Table: Adjustments to Physical
Abilities and Natural Armor.

**Skills and Feats:** As shown on Table: Bonus Skill Points and Feats by
Creature Type, a creature may gain additional skill points and feats depending
on its type.

## Acquiring a Character Class

A creature that acquires a
character class follows the rules for multiclass characters. The creature’s
character level equals its Hit Dice plus the number of character class levels
it has. Creatures with 1 or fewer Hit Dice count only their character class
levels.

**Size:** Adding character classes to a creature never affects
its size.

**Skills:** Creatures that take levels of a character class do not
gain as many skill points as a human character of the same class. Creatures get
4 fewer skill points at 1st level than a human character and 1 fewer skill
point each level thereafter; see Table: Skill Points per Class Level for
Nonhumans.

**Feats:** Creatures with 1 or fewer Hit Dice that acquire
character class levels advance as human characters do, but they gain only one
bonus feat at 1st level instead of two.

**Talents and Abilities**

Creatures that advance by
character class gain special talents and abilities, which are noted here.