Bestiary | Rules | Creature Types

Creature Types

Creature Types

Each creature has one type, which broadly defines its abilities. Some creatures also have one or more subtypes. A creature cannot violate the rules of its subtype without a special ability or quality to explain the difference—templates can often change a creature's type drastically.

Aberration

Description:

An aberration has a bizarre anatomy, strange abilities, an alien mindset, or any combination of the three.

Traits

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

Animal

Description:

An animal is a living, nonhuman creature, usually a vertebrate with no magical abilities and no innate capacity for language or culture. Animals usually have additional information on how they can serve as companions. An animal has an Intelligence score of 1 or 2 (no creature with an Intelligence score of 3 or higher can be an animal).

Traits

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

Construct

Description:

A construct is an animated object or artificially created creature. A construct has the following traits.

Traits

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

Dragon

Description:

A dragon is a reptile-like creature, usually winged, with magical or unusual abilities.

Traits

A dragon possesses the following traits (unless otherwise noted in a creature's entry).

Fey

Description:

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

Traits

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

Humanoid

Description:

A humanoid usually has two arms, two legs, and one head, or a human-like 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 are usually Small or Medium (with the exception of giants). Every humanoid creature also has a specific subtype to match its race, such as human, dark folk, or goblinoid.

Humanoids with 1 Hit Die exchange the features of their humanoid Hit Die for the class features of a PC or NPC class. Humanoids with more than 1 Hit Die (such as giants) are the only humanoids who make use of the features of the humanoid type.

Traits

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

Magical Beast

Description:

Magical beasts are similar to animals but can have Intelligence scores higher than 2 (in which case the creature knows at least one language, but can't necessarily speak). Magical beasts usually have supernatural or extraordinary abilities, but are sometimes merely bizarre in appearance or habits.

Traits

A magical beast possesses the following traits (unless otherwise noted in a creature's entry).

Monstrous Humanoid

Description:

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

Traits

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

Ooze

Description:

An ooze is an amorphous or mutable creature, usually mindless. An ooze has the following traits.

• Mindless: No Intelligence score, and immunity to all mind-affecting effects (charms, compulsions, phantasms, patterns, and morale effects). Mindless creatures have no skills or feats. An ooze with an Intelligence score loses this trait.

Traits

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

Outsider

Description:

An outsider is at least partially composed of the essence (but not necessarily the material) of some plane other than the Material Plane. An outsider has the following traits.

Traits

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

Plant

Description:

This type comprises vegetable creatures. Note that regular plants, such as one finds growing in gardens and fields, lack Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma scores; even though plants are alive, they are objects, not creatures. A plant creature has the following traits.

Traits

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

Undead

Description:

Undead are once-living creatures animated by spiritual or supernatural forces. An undead creature has the following traits.

Traits

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

Vermin

Description:

This type includes insects, arachnids, other arthropods, worms, and similar invertebrates. Vermin have the following traits.

This type includes insects, arachnids, other arthropods, worms, and similar invertebrates. Vermin have the following features.

Traits

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

Creature SubTypes

Some creatures have one or more subtypes. Subtypes add additional abilities and qualities to a creature.

Aeon Subtype

Aeons are a race of neutral outsiders who roam the planes maintaining the balance of reality. Aeons possess the following traits.

Envisaging

Aeons communicate wordlessly, almost incomprehensibly. Caring little for the wants and desires of other creatures, they have no need to engage in exchanges of dialogue. Instead, aeons mentally scan beings for their thoughts and intentions, and then retaliate with flashes of psychic projections that emit a single concept in response to whatever the other being was thinking. The flash is usually a combination of a visual and aural stimulation, which displays how the aeon perceives future events might work out. For instance, an aeon seeking to raze a city communicates this concept to non-aeons by sending them a vivid image of the city crumbling to ash. An aeon's envisaging functions as a non-verbal form of telepathy. Aeons cannot read the thoughts of any creature immune to mind-affecting effects.

Extension of All

Through an aeon's connection to the multiverse, it gains access to strange and abstruse knowledge that filters through all existence. Much of the knowledge is timeless, comprised of events long past, present, and potentially even those yet to come. Aeons gain a racial bonus equal to half their racial Hit Dice on all Knowledge skill checks. This same connection also binds them to other aeons. As a result, they can communicate with each other freely, over great distances as if using telepathy. This ability also works across planes, albeit less effectively, allowing the communication of vague impressions or feelings, not specific details or sights. Due to the vast scope of the aeon race's multiplanar concerns, though, even the most dire reports of a single aeon rarely inspire dramatic or immediate action.

Void Form

Though aeons aren't incorporeal, their forms are only a semi-tangible manifestation of something greater. An aeon's void form grants it a deflection bonus equal to 1/4 its Hit Dice (rounded down).

Agathion Subtype

Agathions are beast-aspect outsiders native to Nirvana. They have the following traits.

Air Subtype

This subtype is usually used for outsiders with a connection to the Elemental Plane of Air. Air creatures always have fly speeds and usually have perfect maneuverability. Air creatures treat Fly as a class skill.

Angel Subtype

Angels are a race of celestials, or good outsiders, native to the good-aligned Outer Planes. An angel possesses the following traits (unless otherwise noted in a creature's entry).

Aquatic Subtype

These creatures always have swim speeds and can move in water without making Swim checks. An aquatic creature can breathe water. It cannot breathe air unless it has the amphibious special quality. Aquatic creatures always treat Swim as a class skill.

Archon Subtype

Archons are a race of celestials, or good outsiders, native to lawful good-aligned Outer Planes. An archon possesses the following traits (unless otherwise noted in a creature's entry).

Augmented Subtype

A creature receives this subtype when something (usually a template) changes 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.

Azata Subtype

Azatas are a race of celestials, or good outsiders, native to chaotic good-aligned Outer Planes. An azata possesses the following traits (unless otherwise noted in a creature's entry).

Chaotic Subtype

This subtype is usually applied to outsiders native to the chaotic-aligned Outer Planes. Most creatures that have this subtype also have chaotic alignments; however, if their alignments change, they still retain the subtype. Any effect that depends on alignment affects a creature with this subtype as if the creature had a chaotic alignment, no matter what its alignment actually is. The creature also suffers effects according to its actual alignment. A creature with the chaotic subtype overcomes damage reduction as if its natural weapons and any weapons it wields are chaotically aligned.

Cold Subtype

A creature with the cold subtype has immunity to cold and vulnerability to fire.

Daemon Subtype

Daemons are neutral evil outsiders that eat souls and thrive on disaster and ruin. They have the following traits unless otherwise noted.

Dark Folk Subtype

Dark folk are reclusive subterranean humanoids with an aversion to light.

Demon Subtype

Demons are chaotic evil outsiders from the Abyss. Demons have the following traits (unless otherwise noted in a creature's entry).

Devil Subtype

Devils are lawful evil outsiders that hail from the plane of Hell. Devils possess the following traits (unless otherwise noted in a creature's entry).

Dwarf Subtype

This subtype is applied to dwarves and creatures related to dwarves. Creatures with the dwarf subtype have darkvision 60 feet.

Earth Subtype

This subtype is usually used for outsiders with a connection to the Elemental Plane of Earth. Earth creatures usually have burrow speeds, and most earth creatures can burrow through solid rock. Earth creatures with a burrow speed possess tremorsense.

Elemental Subtype

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

Elf Subtype

This subtype is applied to elves and creatures related to elves. Creatures with the elf subtype have low-light vision.

Evil Subtype

This subtype is usually applied to outsiders native to the evil-aligned Outer Planes. Evil outsiders are also called fiends. Most creatures that have this subtype also have evil alignments; however, if their alignments change, they still retain the subtype. Any effect that depends on alignment affects a creature with this subtype as if the creature has an evil alignment, no matter what its alignment actually is. The creature also suffers effects according to its actual alignment. A creature with the evil subtype overcomes damage reduction as if its natural weapons and any weapons it wields are evil-aligned.

Loading more... (51)