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[[Category:Epic Path]]
[[Category:Epic Path]]
[[Category:Bestiary]]
* ''Go back to the [[Epic Path]] page.''
* ''Go back to the [[Bestiary]] page.''


===Philosophy of Monsterhood===


==Monster Types==
Now, despite the name, this page is not an explanation of [[Monster Patterns and Roles]], even though it would seem like those would be 'monster types'. But in Epic Path we have defined the 'nuts and bolts' of monsterhood in great detail in the Bestiary entries, and in the various Patterns and Roles that can be applied to the base monsters to fit them to each GM's exact needs.
There are 13 monster types, each with unique characteristics:


Instead, this page is a GM-facing discussion of how monsters can be combined, and their behavior changed, to make your game world feel much more 'alive'.


{| border="1" cellpadding="5" style="text-align:center"
To try and simplify this 'philosophical' approach to running monsters, we're going to drastically simplify this whole process, to give GM's something to work with, and sort our monsters into four categories of behavior, or, Monster Types.
! Monster Type || Description || Strong Saves || Vision || Alignment || Breathe? || Eat? || Sleep?
|-
! align="left" | [[Aberration Traits|Aberration]]
| align="left" | An aberration has a bizarre anatomy, strange abilities, an alien mindset, or any combination of the three. || Will || Darkvision 60 ft. || Any || Yes || Yes || Yes
|-
! align="left" | [[Animal Traits|Animal]]
| align="left" | An animal is a living, nonhuman creature, usually a vertebrate with no magical abilities and no innate capacity for language or culture. || Fort, Refl || Low-Light 120 ft. || Neutral || Yes || Yes || Yes
|-
! align="left" | [[Construct Traits|Construct]]
| align="left" | A construct is an animated object or artificially created creature. || - || Darkvision 60 ft., Low-Light 120 ft. || Any (Usually Neutral) || No || No || No
|-
! align="left" | [[Dragon Traits|Dragon]]
| align="left" | A dragon is a reptile-like creature, usually winged, with magical or unusual abilities. || Fort, Refl, Will || Darkvision 60 ft., Low-Light 120 ft. || Any || Yes || Yes || Yes
|-
! align="left" | [[Fey Traits|Fey]]
| align="left" | A fey is a creature with supernatural abilities and connections to nature or to some other force or place. Fey are usually human-shaped. || Refl, Will || Low-Light 120 ft. || Any || Yes || Yes || Yes
|-
! align="left" | [[Humanoid Traits|Humanoid]]
| align="left" | 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, giant, goblinoid, reptilian, or tengu. || Any one (usually Reflex) || - (varies) || Any || Yes || Yes || Yes
|-
! align="left" | [[Magical Beast Traits|Magical Beast]]
| align="left" | Magical beasts are similar to animals but can have Intelligence scores higher than 2 (in which case the magical beast 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. || Fort, Refl || Low-Light 120 ft. || Any || Yes || Yes || Yes
|-
! align="left" | [[Monstrous Humanoid Traits|Monstrous Humanoid]]
| align="left" | Monstrous humanoids are similar to humanoids, but with monstrous or animalistic features. They often have magical abilities as well. || Refl, Will || Darkvision 60 ft. || Any || Yes || Yes || Yes
|-
! align="left" | [[Ooze Traits|Ooze]]
| align="left" | An ooze is an amorphous or mutable creature, usually mindless. || None || Varies (Blindsense 60 ft., Tremorsense 60 ft.) || Any (Usually Neutral) || No || Yes || No
|-
! align="left" | [[Outsider Traits|Outsider]]
| align="left" | An outsider is at least partially composed of the essence (but not necessarily the material) of some plane other than the Material Plane. Some creatures start out as some other type and become outsiders when they attain a higher (or lower) state of spiritual existence. || Refl, Will || Darkvision 60 ft. || Any || Yes || No<sup>1</sup> || No<sup>1</sup>
|-
! align="left" | [[Plant Traits|Plant]]
| align="left" | 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. || Fort || Low-Light 120 ft. || Any (Usually Neutral) || Yes || Yes || No
|-
! align="left" | [[Undead Traits|Undead]]
| align="left" | Undead are once-living creatures animated by spiritual or supernatural forces. || Will || Darkvision 60 ft. || Any (Usually Evil) || No || Varies<sup>2</sup> || Varies<sup>3</sup>
|-
! align="left" | [[Vermin Traits|Vermin]]
| align="left" | This type includes insects, arachnids, other arthropods, worms, and similar invertebrates. || Fort || Darkvision 60 ft. || Any (Usually Neutral) || Yes || Yes || Yes
|}


=====Boss Monster Type=====


* <sup>1</sup> - Outsiders with the Native subtype must eat and sleep.
A 'boss' monster is the one that is 'more important', based on your story. The Orc Chief, the Fire Giant Mayor, the Goblin Mufti, the 'boss' of a group of monsters is the one that drives the rest of monsters, and how they behave, through the story. For story purposes, enemy warlords, the Evil Sheriff, the White Wizard of the Midden Tower, the boss of a given encounter line, that is always the boss monster. Note that this type of monster frequently has a role, but not always! The 'Golden Child' of an Aranea nest might be just like any other monster, without any Role or Pattern, but in the STORY, that one monster is the boss, the one the rest of the monsters listen to.
* <sup>2</sup> - Skeleton and spectral-type undead do not eat, but flesh-type (zombies, ghouls, vampires, etc.) must eat
* <sup>3</sup> - Vampires must sleep. Undead who cast spells must meditate or sleep for 6 hours to recover spells.


=====Henchman Monster Type=====


===Aberration===
Boss monsters almost always have at least one henchman. A henchman monster is one that is absolutely, utterly loyal to the boss, both in person and for their goals. Most Henchmen are also Story monsters (see below) but not always! The loyal and powerful 'Igor', the menacing assassin in the shadows, that dire tiger pet, all those and many more can be henchmen, and they make your encounters much more 'alive' and interesting.  
An aberration has a bizarre anatomy, strange abilities, an alien mindset, or any combination of the three.
* Aberration Traits
:* Good Will Saves.
:* Darkvision 60 feet.
:* Proficient with its natural weapons. If generally humanoid in form, proficient with all simple weapons and any weapon it is described as using.
:* Proficient with whatever type of armor (light, medium, or heavy) it is described as wearing, as well as all lighter types. Aberrations not indicated as wearing armor are not proficient with armor. Aberrations are proficient with shields if they are proficient with any form of armor.
:* Aberrations breathe, eat, and sleep.


On top of that, certain Roles even have the ability to summon minion-class Henchmen, which serves as a mechanic to ensure that the players are always fighting a properly difficult fight. Those henchman rules are very simple: All fights in Epic Path should average out to one monster per player character. If you have a party of nine players, even a Threat, by themselves, isn't going to present much of a challenge, because a Threat is 'only' strong enough to challenge four players. So, in a Boss fight, a Threat will have Henchmen present to help them out. The total number of 'player equivalent' monster strength in the fight should always be roughly equal to the number of players present. So, to fight a party of nine players, a Threat Boss would have five henchmen, on average, to round them out. A Boss without a Role would need eight Henchmen to tackle a party of nine players. Indeed, for a big 'end of dungeon' or 'capstone encounter' sort of fight, a Boss might have even a few extra henchmen to make the fight more dramatic. Henchmen are how Bosses properly scale to match the players, so use them wisely!


===Animal===
====='Story' Monster Type=====
An animal is a living, nonhuman creature, usually a vertebrate with no magical abilities and no innate capacity for language or culture.
* Animal Traits
:* Good Fortitude and Reflex saves.
:* Low-light vision.
:* Alignment: Always neutral.
:* Treasure: None.
:* Proficient with its natural weapons only. A non-combative herbivore treats its natural weapons as secondary attacks. Such attacks are made with a –5 penalty on the creature's attack rolls, and the animal receives only 1/2 its Strength modifier as a damage adjustment.
:* Proficient with no armor unless trained for war. (See FAQs and Handle Animal Skill.)
:* Animals breathe, eat, and sleep.


Sometimes, the GM needs for things to happen in a certain way, or needs to impart certain information to the players, or needs a 'face monster' for the players to talk to. Such monsters talk to the players, and have interesting or important things to add to the story, but they are not the boss of anything, and do not serve as special antagonists. (Most antagonist monsters are bosses, regardless of how tough they are.) An example of a 'story' monster could be a talkative goblin that the players find stuck in a hole, who is willing to squeal about the nest of stirges if the players will get it out. Maybe an Ettin who talks to itself and whom the players can sneak up to and eavesdrop on to glean some important facts. An orc jailer who lets information slip while taunting its prisoners, that hilariously larcenous kobold, the ogre cook yelling at the norker kitchen workers, all these and more are 'story' monsters that enrich your story, but are not bosses or henchmen. Note that in most cases, story monsters are NOT [[NPC]]'s. The players are not expected to routinely kill NPC's, unless you're running a spectacularly bloody game, and most NPC's don't even have combat stats. If an NPC must be engaged in combat, the constituent monster type can be used to enable such story elements.


===Construct===
=====Mooks=====
A construct is an animated object or artificially created creature.
* Construct Traits
:* No good saving throws.
:* Most constructs are mindless and gain no skill points or feats.
:* No Constitution score. Any DCs or other statistics that rely on a Constitution score treat a construct as having a score of 10 (no bonus or penalty).
:* Low-light vision and Darkvision 60 feet.
:* Immunity to all mind-affecting effects (charms, compulsions, morale effects, patterns, and phantasms).
:* Immunity to disease, death effects, necromancy effects, paralysis, poison, sleep effects, and stunning.
:* Cannot heal damage on its own, but often can be repaired via exposure to a certain kind of effect (see the creature's description for details) or through the use of the Craft Construct feat. Constructs can also be healed through spells such as make whole. A construct with the fast healing special quality still benefits from that quality.
:* Not subject to ability damage, ability drain, fatigue, exhaustion, energy drain, or nonlethal damage.
:* Immunity to any effect that requires a Fortitude save (unless the effect also works on objects, or is harmless).
:* Not at risk of death from massive damage. Immediately destroyed when reduced to 0 hit points or less.
:* A construct cannot be raised or resurrected.
:* A construct is hard to destroy, and gains 20 bonus hit points per size category over Small.
:* Proficient with its natural weapons only, unless generally humanoid in form, in which case proficient with any weapon mentioned in its entry.
:* Proficient with no armor.
:* Constructs do not breathe, eat, or sleep.


 
Mook monsters are 'all the rest'. Mooks may seem unimportant, but they actually serve to make all combats in Epic Path full, rich, and entertaining. Mooks aren't bosses, and they don't have any story elements attached to them, but their behavior in battle can still add a lot of fun and flavor to the game. That one orc who shoves his buddy in front of him, the hungry crocodile that keeps trying death rolls, that cave troll which comes swinging into battle while brachiating from stalactites, or even the bluff courage of that group of Hobgoblins that fight to the death with noble awfulness, all these things can make 'mooks' more interesting. Plus, just because mooks rarely say much doesn't mean they're quiet!  Horrible snarls and growls, hoots and savage yells, blood-curdling war cries and howls of agony, the GM can really [https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ChewingTheScenery chew the scenery] with a group of monsters and tell stories without saying a word. A group of goblins that attack with vicious snarls feels like a very different fight from a group of norkers that whimper and cringe with every blow they receive and attack they make. Mooks and the way they fight can make every battle interesting and exciting!
===Dragon===
A dragon is a reptile-like creature, usually winged, with magical or unusual abilities.
* Dragon Traits
:* Good Fortitude, Reflex, and Will Saves.
:* Darkvision 60 feet and low-light vision.
:* Immunity to magic sleep effects and paralysis effects.
:* Proficient with its natural weapons only unless humanoid in form (or capable of assuming humanoid form), in which case proficient with all simple weapons and any weapons mentioned in its entry.
:* Proficient with no armor.
:* Dragons breathe, eat, and sleep.
 
 
===Fey===
A fey is a creature with supernatural abilities and connections to nature or to some other force or place. Fey are usually human-shaped.
* Fey Traits
:* Good Reflex and Will Saves.
:* Low-light vision.
:* Proficient with all simple weapons and any weapons mentioned in its entry.
:* Proficient with whatever type of armor (light, medium, or heavy) it is described as wearing, as well as all lighter types. Fey not indicated as wearing armor are not proficient with armor. Fey are proficient with shields if they are proficient with any form of armor.
:* Fey breathe, eat, and sleep.
 
 
===Humanoid===
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, giant, goblinoid, reptilian, or tengu.
* Humanoid Traits
:* One good save, usually Reflex.
:* Proficient with all simple weapons, or by character class.
:* Proficient with whatever type of armor (light, medium, or heavy) it is described as wearing, or by character class. If a humanoid does not have a class and wears armor, it is proficient with that type of armor and all lighter types. Humanoids not indicated as wearing armor are not proficient with armor. Humanoids are proficient with shields if they are proficient with any form of armor.
:* Humanoids breathe, eat, and sleep.
 
 
===Magical Beast===
Magical beasts are similar to animals but can have Intelligence scores higher than 2 (in which case the magical beast 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.
* Magical Beast Traits
:* Good Fortitude and Reflex saves.
:* Low-light vision.
:* Proficient with its natural weapons only.
:* Proficient with no armor.
:* Magical beasts breathe, eat, and sleep.
 
 
===Monstrous Humanoid===
Monstrous humanoids are similar to humanoids, but with monstrous or animalistic features. They often have magical abilities as well.
* Monstrous Humanoid Traits
:* Good Reflex and Will Saves
:* Darkvision 60 feet
:* Proficient with all simple weapons and any weapons mentioned in its entry.
:* Proficient with whatever type of armor (light, medium, or heavy) it is described as wearing, as well as all lighter types. Monstrous humanoids not indicated as wearing armor are not proficient with armor. Monstrous humanoids are proficient with shields if they are proficient with any form of armor.
:* Monstrous humanoids breathe, eat, and sleep.
 
 
===Ooze===
An ooze is an amorphous or mutable creature, usually mindless.
* Ooze Traits
:* No good saving throws.
:* Most oozes are mindless and have no skills or feats.
:* Mindless: No Intelligence score, and immunity to all mind-affecting effects (charms, compulsions, phantasms, patterns, and morale effects). An ooze with an Intelligence score loses this trait.
:* Blind (but have the blindsight special quality), with immunity to gaze attacks, visual effects, illusions, and other attack forms that rely on sight.
:* Immunity to poison, sleep effects, paralysis, polymorph, and stunning.
:* Some oozes have the ability to deal acid damage to objects. In such a case, the amount of damage is equal to 10 + 1/2 ooze's HD + ooze's Con modifier per full round of contact.
:* Not subject to critical hits or flanking. Does not take additional damage from precision-based attacks, and take only half damage from a rogue's sneak attack.
:* Proficient with its natural weapons only.
:* Proficient with no armor.
:* Oozes eat and breathe, but do not sleep.
 
 
===Outsider===
An outsider is at least partially composed of the essence (but not necessarily the material) of some plane other than the Material Plane. Some creatures start out as some other type and become outsiders when they attain a higher (or lower) state of spiritual existence.
* Outsider Traits
:* Two good saving throws, usually Reflex and Will.
:* Darkvision 60 feet.
:* Unlike most 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. Spells that restore souls to their bodies, such as raise dead, reincarnate, and resurrection, don't work on an outsider. It takes a different magical effect, such as limited wish, wish, miracle, or true resurrection to restore it to life. An outsider with the native subtype can be raised, reincarnated, or resurrected just as other living creatures can be.
:* Proficient with all simple and martial weapons and any weapons mentioned in its entry.
:* Proficient with whatever type of armor (light, medium, or heavy) it is described as wearing, as well as all lighter types. Outsiders not indicated as wearing armor are not proficient with armor. Outsiders are proficient with shields if they are proficient with any form of armor.
:* Outsiders breathe, but do not need to eat or sleep (although they can do so if they wish). Native outsiders breathe, eat, and sleep.
 
 
===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.
* Plant Traits
:* Good Fortitude saves.
:* Some plant creatures are mindless and gain no skill points or feats.
:* Low-light vision.
:* Immunity to all mind-affecting effects (charms, compulsions, morale effects, patterns, and phantasms).
:* Immunity to paralysis, poison, polymorph, sleep effects, and stunning.
:* Proficient with its natural weapons only.
:* Not proficient with armor.
:* Plants breathe and eat, but do not sleep.
 
 
===Undead===
Undead are once-living creatures animated by spiritual or supernatural forces.
* Undead Traits
:* Darkvision 60 feet
:* Many undead are mindless and gain no skill points or feats.
:* good Will saves
:* No Constitution score. Undead use their Charisma score in place of their Constitution score when calculating hit points, Fortitude saves, and any special ability that relies on Constitution (such as when calculating a breath weapon's DC).
:* Immunity to all mind-affecting effects (charms, compulsions, morale effects, patterns, and phantasms).
:* Immunity to death effects, disease, paralysis, poison, sleep effects, and stunning.
:* Not subject to nonlethal damage, ability drain, or energy drain. Immune to damage to its physical ability scores (Constitution, Dexterity, and Strength), as well as to exhaustion and fatigue effects.
:* Cannot heal damage on its own if it has no Intelligence score, although it can be healed. Negative energy (such as an inflict spell) can heal undead creatures. The fast healing special quality works regardless of the creature's Intelligence score.
:* Immunity to any effect that requires a Fortitude save (unless the effect also works on objects or is harmless).
:* Not at risk of death from massive damage, but is immediately destroyed when reduced to 0 hit points.
:* Not affected by raise dead and reincarnate spells or abilities. Resurrection and true resurrection can affect undead creatures. These spells usually turn undead creatures back into the living creatures they were before becoming undead.
:* Proficient with its natural weapons, all simple weapons, and any weapons mentioned in its entry.
:* Proficient with whatever type of armor (light, medium, or heavy) it is described as wearing, as well as all lighter types. Undead not indicated as wearing armor are not proficient with armor. Undead are proficient with shields if they are proficient with any form of armor.
:* Undead do not breathe, eat, or sleep.
 
 
===Vermin===
This type includes insects, arachnids, other arthropods, worms, and similar invertebrates.
* Vermin Traits
:* Darkvision 60 feet
:* Vermin are mindless and have no skills or feats
:* good Fort saves
:* Mindless: No Intelligence score, and immunity to all mind-affecting effects (charms, compulsions, morale effects, patterns, and phantasms). A vermin-like creature with an Intelligence score is usually either an animal or a magical beast, depending on its other abilities.
:* Proficient with its natural weapons only.
:* Proficient with no armor.
:* Vermin breathe, eat, and sleep.

Latest revision as of 19:16, 28 May 2021


Philosophy of Monsterhood

Now, despite the name, this page is not an explanation of Monster Patterns and Roles, even though it would seem like those would be 'monster types'. But in Epic Path we have defined the 'nuts and bolts' of monsterhood in great detail in the Bestiary entries, and in the various Patterns and Roles that can be applied to the base monsters to fit them to each GM's exact needs.

Instead, this page is a GM-facing discussion of how monsters can be combined, and their behavior changed, to make your game world feel much more 'alive'.

To try and simplify this 'philosophical' approach to running monsters, we're going to drastically simplify this whole process, to give GM's something to work with, and sort our monsters into four categories of behavior, or, Monster Types.

Boss Monster Type

A 'boss' monster is the one that is 'more important', based on your story. The Orc Chief, the Fire Giant Mayor, the Goblin Mufti, the 'boss' of a group of monsters is the one that drives the rest of monsters, and how they behave, through the story. For story purposes, enemy warlords, the Evil Sheriff, the White Wizard of the Midden Tower, the boss of a given encounter line, that is always the boss monster. Note that this type of monster frequently has a role, but not always! The 'Golden Child' of an Aranea nest might be just like any other monster, without any Role or Pattern, but in the STORY, that one monster is the boss, the one the rest of the monsters listen to.

Henchman Monster Type

Boss monsters almost always have at least one henchman. A henchman monster is one that is absolutely, utterly loyal to the boss, both in person and for their goals. Most Henchmen are also Story monsters (see below) but not always! The loyal and powerful 'Igor', the menacing assassin in the shadows, that dire tiger pet, all those and many more can be henchmen, and they make your encounters much more 'alive' and interesting.

On top of that, certain Roles even have the ability to summon minion-class Henchmen, which serves as a mechanic to ensure that the players are always fighting a properly difficult fight. Those henchman rules are very simple: All fights in Epic Path should average out to one monster per player character. If you have a party of nine players, even a Threat, by themselves, isn't going to present much of a challenge, because a Threat is 'only' strong enough to challenge four players. So, in a Boss fight, a Threat will have Henchmen present to help them out. The total number of 'player equivalent' monster strength in the fight should always be roughly equal to the number of players present. So, to fight a party of nine players, a Threat Boss would have five henchmen, on average, to round them out. A Boss without a Role would need eight Henchmen to tackle a party of nine players. Indeed, for a big 'end of dungeon' or 'capstone encounter' sort of fight, a Boss might have even a few extra henchmen to make the fight more dramatic. Henchmen are how Bosses properly scale to match the players, so use them wisely!

'Story' Monster Type

Sometimes, the GM needs for things to happen in a certain way, or needs to impart certain information to the players, or needs a 'face monster' for the players to talk to. Such monsters talk to the players, and have interesting or important things to add to the story, but they are not the boss of anything, and do not serve as special antagonists. (Most antagonist monsters are bosses, regardless of how tough they are.) An example of a 'story' monster could be a talkative goblin that the players find stuck in a hole, who is willing to squeal about the nest of stirges if the players will get it out. Maybe an Ettin who talks to itself and whom the players can sneak up to and eavesdrop on to glean some important facts. An orc jailer who lets information slip while taunting its prisoners, that hilariously larcenous kobold, the ogre cook yelling at the norker kitchen workers, all these and more are 'story' monsters that enrich your story, but are not bosses or henchmen. Note that in most cases, story monsters are NOT NPC's. The players are not expected to routinely kill NPC's, unless you're running a spectacularly bloody game, and most NPC's don't even have combat stats. If an NPC must be engaged in combat, the constituent monster type can be used to enable such story elements.

Mooks

Mook monsters are 'all the rest'. Mooks may seem unimportant, but they actually serve to make all combats in Epic Path full, rich, and entertaining. Mooks aren't bosses, and they don't have any story elements attached to them, but their behavior in battle can still add a lot of fun and flavor to the game. That one orc who shoves his buddy in front of him, the hungry crocodile that keeps trying death rolls, that cave troll which comes swinging into battle while brachiating from stalactites, or even the bluff courage of that group of Hobgoblins that fight to the death with noble awfulness, all these things can make 'mooks' more interesting. Plus, just because mooks rarely say much doesn't mean they're quiet! Horrible snarls and growls, hoots and savage yells, blood-curdling war cries and howls of agony, the GM can really chew the scenery with a group of monsters and tell stories without saying a word. A group of goblins that attack with vicious snarls feels like a very different fight from a group of norkers that whimper and cringe with every blow they receive and attack they make. Mooks and the way they fight can make every battle interesting and exciting!