Monster Types

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Monster Types

There are 13 monster types, each with unique characteristics:


Monster Type Description Strong Saves Vision Alignment Breathe? Eat? Sleep?
Aberration 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
Animal 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
Construct A construct is an animated object or artificially created creature. - Darkvision 60 ft., Low-Light 120 ft. Any (Usually Neutral) No No No
Dragon 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
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. Refl, Will Low-Light 120 ft. Any Yes Yes Yes
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. Any one (usually Reflex) - (varies) Any Yes Yes Yes
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. Fort, Refl Low-Light 120 ft. Any Yes Yes Yes
Monstrous Humanoid 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
Ooze An ooze is an amorphous or mutable creature, usually mindless. None Varies (Blindsense 60 ft., Tremorsense 60 ft.) Any (Usually Neutral) No Yes No
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. Refl, Will Darkvision 60 ft. Any Yes No1 No1
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. Fort Low-Light 120 ft. Any (Usually Neutral) Yes Yes No
Undead Undead are once-living creatures animated by spiritual or supernatural forces. Will Darkvision 60 ft. Any (Usually Evil) No Varies2 Varies3
Vermin This type includes insects, arachnids, other arthropods, worms, and similar invertebrates. Fort Darkvision 60 ft. Any (Usually Neutral) Yes Yes Yes


  • 1 - Outsiders with the Native subtype must eat and sleep.
  • 2 - Skeleton and spectral-type undead do not eat, but flesh-type (zombies, ghouls, vampires, etc.) must eat
  • 3 - Vampires must sleep. Undead who cast spells must meditate or sleep for 6 hours to recover spells.


Aberration

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.


Animal

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.


Construct

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.


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.