Keyword Abilities
A creature with All-Around Vision sees in all directions at once. It cannot be flanked. Amazing Initiative grants a bonus on initiative checks equal to Mythic Rank (this bonus is already included in the creature’s stat block). As a free action on its turn, it can expend one use of Mythic Power as an extraordinary ability to take an additional standard action during that turn. This additional standard action can’t be used to cast a spell. It can’t gain an extra action in this way more than once per round. An Amorphous creature has a body that is malleable and shapeless. It is immune to precision damage (like sneak attacks) and critical hits. Creatures with the Amphibious special quality have the aquatic subtype, but they can survive indefinitely on land. When a creature with Attach hits with the indicated attack it latches on to its target. The creature is grappled, but the target is not. The target can attack or grapple the creature as normal, or it can break the attachment with a successful grapple or Escape Artist check. A righteous aura surrounds archons that fight or get angry. Any hostile creature within a 20-foot radius must succeed on a Will save to resist its effects. Those who fail take a –2 penalty on attacks, AC, and saves for 24 hours or until they successfully hit the archon that generated the aura. A creature that has resisted or broken the effect cannot be affected again by the same archon’s aura for 24 hours. The save DC varies with the type of archon, is Charisma-based, and includes a +2 racial bonus. A creature with the Bleed ability causes wounds that continue to , inflicting additional damage each round at the start of the affected creature’s turn. The amount of damage each round is determined in the creature’s entry.
A creature that is taking bleed damage takes the listed amount of damage at the beginning of its turn. If bleed damage is expressed as a die roll the damage is rerolled for each round. Bleeding can be stopped by a DC 15 Heal check or through the application of any spell that cures hit point damage (even if the bleed is ability damage). Some bleed effects cause ability damage or even ability drain. Bleed effects do not stack with each other unless they deal different kinds of damage. When two or more bleed effects deal the same kind of damage, take the worse effect. In this case, ability drain is worse than ability damage. Using nonvisual senses, such as acute smell or hearing, a creature with Blindsense notices things it cannot see. The creature usually does not need to make Perception checks to pinpoint the location of a creature within range of its blindsense ability, provided that it has line of effect to that creature. Any opponent the creature cannot see still has total concealment against the creature with blindsense, 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 Dexterity bonus to Armor Class against attacks from creatures it cannot see. Using nonvisual senses, such as sensitivity to vibrations, keen smell, acute hearing, or echolocation, a creature with Blindsight maneuvers and fights as well as a sighted creature. Invisibility, darkness, and most kinds of concealment are irrelevant, though the creature must have line of effect to a creature or object to discern that creature or object. The ability’s range is specified in the creature’s descriptive text. The creature usually does not need to make Perception checks to notice creatures within range of its blindsight ability. Unless noted otherwise, blindsight is continuous, and the creature need do nothing to use it. Some forms of blindsight, however, must be triggered as a free action. If so, this is noted in the creature’s description. If a creature must trigger its blindsight ability, the creature gains the benefits of blindsight only during its turn. Once per round, when a creature with Block Attack is hit by a melee or ranged attack, it can attempt a melee attack using its highest attack bonus. If this result exceeds the result from the attack against it, the creature is unaffected by the attack (as if the attack had missed). Blood Drain allows a creature to automatically drain blood at the end of its turn if grappling a foe, inflicting Constitution damage. When a creature with Blood Rage takes damage in combat, on its next turn it can fly into a rage as a free action. It gains +2 Constitution and +2 Strength, but takes a –2 penalty to its AC. The rage lasts as long as the battle or 1 minute, whichever is shorter. It cannot end its rage voluntarily. Breath Weapon allows the creature to exhale a cone, line, or cloud of energy or other magical effect. A breath weapon attack usually deals damage and is often based on some type of energy. Breath weapons allow a Reflex save for half damage (DC 10 + 1/2 breathing creature’s racial HD + Con modifier; the exact DC is given in the creature’s descriptive text). 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. Each breath weapon also includes notes on how often it can be used, even if this number is limited in times per day. A creature with Burn deals fire damage in addition to damage dealt on a successful hit in melee. Those affected by the burn ability must also succeed on a Reflex save or catch fire, taking the listed damage for an additional 1d4 rounds at the start of its turn (DC 10 + 1/2 burning creature’s racial HD + burning creature’s Con modifier). A burning creature can attempt a new save as a full-round action. Dropping and rolling on the ground grants a +4 bonus on this save. Creatures that hit a burning creature with natural weapons or unarmed attacks take fire damage as though hit by the burning creature and must make a Reflex save to avoid catching on fire. 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). Capsize allows a creature to attempt to capsize a boat or a ship by ramming it as a charge attack and making a combat maneuver check. The DC of this check is 25, or the result of the captain’s Profession (sailor) check, whichever is higher. For each size category the ship is larger than the creature attempting to capsize it, the creature attempting to capsize the ship takes a cumulative –10 penalty on its combat maneuver check. A creature with Change Shape can assume the appearance of a specific creature or type of creature (usually a humanoid), but retains 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. This ability functions as a polymorph spell, the type of which is listed in the creature’s description, but the creature does not adjust its ability scores (although it gains any other abilities of the creature it mimics). Unless otherwise stated, it can remain in an alternate form indefinitely. Some creatures, such as lycanthropes, can transform into unique forms with special modifiers and abilities. These creatures do adjust their ability scores, as noted in their descriptions. A creature with Channel Resistance adds the bonus listed to saves made to resist the effects of channel energy, including effects that rely on the use of channel energy (such as the Command Undead feat). A creature with a Climb speed has a +8 racial bonus on all Climb checks. The creature must make a Climb check to climb any wall or slope with a DC higher than 0, but it can always choose to take 10, even if rushed or threatened while climbing. If a creature with a climb speed chooses an accelerated climb, it moves at double its climb speed (or at it's land speed, whichever is slower) and makes a single Climb check at a -5 penalty. Such a creature retains its Dexterity bonus to Armor Class (if any) while climbing, and opponents get no special bonus to their attacks against it. It cannot, however, use the run action while climbing. A creature with Compression can move through an area as small as one-quarter its space without squeezing or one-eighth its space when squeezing. A creature with Constrict deals bludgeoning damage by crushing its opponent whenever it makes a successful check (including the initial check to establish the grapple). It still receives any other benefits of a successful check, including dealing additional damage. The amount of damage is given in the creature’s entry and is typically equal to the amount of damage caused by the creature’s melee attack. This is an extraordinary ability.
A grappled creature is restrained by a creature, trap, or effect. Grappled creatures cannot move and take a –4 penalty to Dexterity. A grappled creature takes a –2 penalty on all attack rolls and combat maneuver checks, except those made to grapple or escape a grapple. In addition, grappled creatures can take no action that requires two hands to perform. A grappled character who attempts to cast a spell or use a spell-like ability must make a concentration check (DC 10 + grappler’s CMB + spell level), or lose the spell. Grappled creatures cannot make attacks of opportunity.
A grappled creature cannot use Stealth to hide from the creature grappling it, even if a special ability, such as hide in plain sight, would normally allow it to do so. If a grappled creature becomes invisible, through a spell or other ability, it gains a +2 circumstance bonus on its CMD to avoid being grappled, but receives no other benefit. A flying or jumping Huge or larger dragon can land on foes as a standard action, using its whole body to Crush them. Crush attacks are effective only against opponents three or more size categories smaller than the dragon. A crush attack affects as many creatures as fit in the dragon’s space. Creatures in the affected area must succeed on a Reflex save (DC equal to that of the dragon’s breath weapon) or be pinned, automatically taking bludgeoning damage during the next round unless the dragon moves off them. If the dragon chooses to maintain the pin, it must succeed at a combat maneuver check as normal. Pinned foes take damage from the crush each round if they don’t escape. A crush attack deals the indicated damage plus 1-1/2 times the dragon’s Strength bonus. Curses are magic afflictions can have a wide variety of effects, from a simple penalty to certain checks to transforming the victim into a toad. Some even cause the afflicted to slowly rot away, leaving nothing behind but dust. Unlike other afflictions, most curses cannot be cured through a number of successful saving throws. Curses can be cured through magic, however, usually via spells such as remove curse and break enchantment. While some curses cause a progressive deterioration, others inflict a static penalty from the moment they are contracted, neither fading over time nor growing worse. In addition, there are a number of magic items that act like curses.
While each affliction has a different effect, they all function using the same basic system. All afflictions grant a saving throw when they are contracted. If successful, the creature does not suffer from the affliction and does not need to make any further rolls. If the saving throw is a failure, the creature falls victim to the affliction and must deal with its effects.
Afflictions require a creature to make a saving throw after a period of time to avoid taking certain penalties. With most afflictions, if a number of saving throws are made consecutively, the affliction is removed and no further saves are necessary. Some afflictions, usually supernatural ones, cannot be cured through saving throws alone and require the aid of powerful magic to remove.
Name This is the name of the affliction.
Type This is the type of the affliction, such as curse, disease, or poison. It might also include the means by which it is contracted, such as contact, ingestion, inhalation, injury, spell, or trap.
Save This gives the type of save necessary to avoid contracting the affliction, as well as the DC of that save. Unless otherwise noted, this is also the save to avoid the affliction’s effects once it is contracted, as well as the DC of any caster level checks needed to end the affliction through magic, such as remove curse or neutralize poison.
Onset Some afflictions have a variable amount of time before they set in. Creatures that come in contact with an affliction with an onset time must make a saving throw immediately. Success means that the affliction is avoided and no further saving throws must be made. Failure means that the creature has contracted the affliction and must begin making additional saves after the onset period has elapsed. The affliction’s effect does not occur until after the onset period has elapsed and then only if further saving throws are failed.
Frequency This is how often the periodic saving throw must be attempted after the affliction has been contracted (after the onset time, if the affliction has any). While some afflictions last until they are cured, others end prematurely, even if the character is not cured through other means. If an affliction ends after a set amount of time, it will be noted in the frequency. For example, a disease with a frequency of “1/day” lasts until cured, but a poison with a frequency of “1/round for 6 rounds” ends after 6 rounds have passed.
Afflictions without a frequency occur only once, immediately upon contraction (or after the onset time if one is listed).
Effect This is the effect that the character suffers each time if he fails his saving throw against the affliction. Most afflictions cause ability damage or hit point damage. These effects are cumulative, but they can be cured normally. Other afflictions cause the creature to take penalties or other effects. These effects are sometimes cumulative, with the rest only affecting the creature if it failed its most recent save. Some afflictions have different effects after the first save is failed. These afflictions have an initial effect, which occurs when the first save is failed, and a secondary effect, when additional saves are failed, as noted in the text. Hit point and ability score damage caused by an affliction cannot be healed naturally while the affliction persists.
Cure This tells you how the affliction is cured. Commonly, this is a number of saving throws that must be made consecutively. Even if the affliction has a limited frequency, it might be cured prematurely if enough saving throws are made. Hit point damage and ability score damage is not removed when an affliction is cured. Such damage must be healed normally. Afflictions without a cure entry can only be cured through powerful spells, such as neutralize poison and remove curse. No matter how many saving throws are made, these afflictions continue to affect the target.
Example Valeros has been exposed to the red ache disease. He failed a DC 15 Fortitude save to avoid contracting it, so after the onset period of 1d3 days has passed, he must make another DC 15 Fortitude save to avoid taking 1d6 points of Strength damage. From this point onward, he must make a DC 15 Fortitude save each day (according to the disease’s frequency) to avoid further Strength damage. If, on two consecutive days, he makes his Fortitude saves, he is cured of the disease and any damage it caused begins to heal as normal. A natural lycanthrope’s bite attack in animal or hybrid form infects a humnoid target with lycanthropy (Fortitude DC 15 negates). If the victim’s size is not within one size category of the lycanthrope’s size, this ability has no effect. A creature with DR ignores damage from most weapons and natural attacks. Wounds heal immediately, or the weapon bounces off harmlessly (in either case, the opponent knows the attack was ineffective). The creature takes normal damage from energy attacks (even nonmagical ones), spells, spell-like abilities, and supernatural abilities. A certain kind of weapon can sometimes damage the creature normally, as noted below.
The entry indicates the amount of damage ignored and the type of weapon that negates the ability.
Some monsters are vulnerable to piercing, bludgeoning, or slashing damage. Others are vulnerable to certain materials, such as adamantine, alchemical silver, or cold-forged iron. Attacks from weapons that are not of the correct type or made of the correct material have their damage reduced, although a high enhancement bonus can overcome some forms of damage reduction.
Some monsters are vulnerable to magic weapons. Any weapon with at least a +1 magical enhancement bonus on attack and damage rolls overcomes the damage reduction of these monsters. Such creatures’ natural weapons (but not their attacks with weapons) are treated as magic weapons for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.
A few very powerful monsters are vulnerable only to epic weapons—that is, magic weapons with at least a +6 enhancement bonus. Such creatures’ natural weapons are also treated as epic weapons for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.
Some monsters are vulnerable to good-, evil-, chaotically, or lawfully aligned weapons. When a cleric or inquisitor casts align weapon, affected weapons might gain one or more of these properties, and certain magic weapons have these properties as well. A creature with an alignment subtype (chaotic, evil, good, or lawful) can overcome this type of damage reduction with its natural weapons and weapons it wields as if the weapons or natural weapons had an alignment (or alignments) that matched the subtype(s) of the creature.
When a damage reduction entry has a — after the slash, no weapon negates the damage reduction.
A few creatures are harmed by more than one kind of weapon. A weapon that inflicts damage of either type overcomes this damage reduction.
A few other creatures require combinations of different types of attacks to overcome their damage reduction, and a weapon must be both types to overcome this type of damage reduction. A weapon that is only one type is still subject to damage reduction. Darkvision is the ability to see with no light source at all, out to a range specified. Darkvision is black-and-white only (colors cannot be discerned). It does not allow creatures to see anything that they could not see otherwise—invisible objects are still invisible, and illusions are still visible as what they seem to be. Likewise, darkvision subjects a creature to gaze attacks normally. The presence of light does not spoil darkvision. From a widespread plague to the bite of a dire rat, Disease is a serious threat to common folk and adventurers alike. Diseases rarely have a limited frequency, but most have a lengthy onset time. This onset time can also be variable. Most diseases can be cured by a number of consecutive saving throws or by spells such as remove disease.
While each affliction has a different effect, they all function using the same basic system. All afflictions grant a saving throw when they are contracted. If successful, the creature does not suffer from the affliction and does not need to make any further rolls. If the saving throw is a failure, the creature falls victim to the affliction and must deal with its effects.
Afflictions require a creature to make a saving throw after a period of time to avoid taking certain penalties. With most afflictions, if a number of saving throws are made consecutively, the affliction is removed and no further saves are necessary. Some afflictions, usually supernatural ones, cannot be cured through saving throws alone and require the aid of powerful magic to remove.
Name This is the name of the affliction.
Type This is the type of the affliction, such as curse, disease, or poison. It might also include the means by which it is contracted, such as contact, ingestion, inhalation, injury, spell, or trap.
Save This gives the type of save necessary to avoid contracting the affliction, as well as the DC of that save. Unless otherwise noted, this is also the save to avoid the affliction’s effects once it is contracted, as well as the DC of any caster level checks needed to end the affliction through magic, such as remove curse or neutralize poison.
Onset Some afflictions have a variable amount of time before they set in. Creatures that come in contact with an affliction with an onset time must make a saving throw immediately. Success means that the affliction is avoided and no further saving throws must be made. Failure means that the creature has contracted the affliction and must begin making additional saves after the onset period has elapsed. The affliction’s effect does not occur until after the onset period has elapsed and then only if further saving throws are failed.
Frequency This is how often the periodic saving throw must be attempted after the affliction has been contracted (after the onset time, if the affliction has any). While some afflictions last until they are cured, others end prematurely, even if the character is not cured through other means. If an affliction ends after a set amount of time, it will be noted in the frequency. For example, a disease with a frequency of “1/day” lasts until cured, but a poison with a frequency of “1/round for 6 rounds” ends after 6 rounds have passed.
Afflictions without a frequency occur only once, immediately upon contraction (or after the onset time if one is listed).
Effect This is the effect that the character suffers each time if he fails his saving throw against the affliction. Most afflictions cause ability damage or hit point damage. These effects are cumulative, but they can be cured normally. Other afflictions cause the creature to take penalties or other effects. These effects are sometimes cumulative, with the rest only affecting the creature if it failed its most recent save. Some afflictions have different effects after the first save is failed. These afflictions have an initial effect, which occurs when the first save is failed, and a secondary effect, when additional saves are failed, as noted in the text. Hit point and ability score damage caused by an affliction cannot be healed naturally while the affliction persists.
Cure This tells you how the affliction is cured. Commonly, this is a number of saving throws that must be made consecutively. Even if the affliction has a limited frequency, it might be cured prematurely if enough saving throws are made. Hit point damage and ability score damage is not removed when an affliction is cured. Such damage must be healed normally. Afflictions without a cure entry can only be cured through powerful spells, such as neutralize poison and remove curse. No matter how many saving throws are made, these afflictions continue to affect the target.
Example Valeros has been exposed to the red ache disease. He failed a DC 15 Fortitude save to avoid contracting it, so after the onset period of 1d3 days has passed, he must make another DC 15 Fortitude save to avoid taking 1d6 points of Strength damage. From this point onward, he must make a DC 15 Fortitude save each day (according to the disease’s frequency) to avoid further Strength damage. If, on two consecutive days, he makes his Fortitude saves, he is cured of the disease and any damage it caused begins to heal as normal. As a free action, a creature with Display of Strength can expend one use of mythic power to attempt a feat of Strength, gaining a +20 circumstance bonus on one Strength-based skill check or Strength ability check. Alternatively, the creature can use this ability to apply a +20 circumstance bonus to its Strength score for a number of hours equal to its mythic rank for the purpose of determining its carrying capacity. A creature with Distraction can nauseate the creatures that it damages. Any living creature that takes damage from a creature with the distraction ability is nauseated for 1 round; a Fortitude save (DC 10 + 1/2 creature’s HD + creature’s Con modifier) negates the effect. Dragons have darkvision 120 ft. and blindsense 60 ft. They see four times as well as a human in dim light and twice as well in normal light. A creature with Dual Initiative gets two turns each round, one on its initiative count and another on its initiative count – 20. For example, if the monster’s initiative is 23, for its first turn it could make a full attack (and take a 5 foot step) at initiative 23, and for its second turn at initiative 3 it could take a move action and cast a spell. This allows the monster to perform two actions per round that normally take an entire round, such as using a summon monster spell. For the purposes of spells and effects that have a duration of a round or longer or trigger at the beginning of the creature’s round or the start of its turn (such as saving throws against ongoing effects or taking bleed damage), only the creature’s first turn each round counts toward such durations. When a creature with Earth Glide burrows, it can pass through stone, dirt, or almost any other sort of earth except metal as easily as a fish swims through water. If protected against fire damage, it can even glide through lava. Its burrowing leaves behind no tunnel or hole, nor does it create any ripple or other sign of its presence. A move earth spell cast on an area containing the burrowing creature flings it back 30 feet, stunning it for 1 round unless it succeeds on a DC 15 Fortitude save. A creature with an Emotion Aura surrounds itself with an area of swirling, chaotic emotions. These emotions make it difficult for spellcasters to cast spells with the emotion component. Living creatures within 30 feet must succeed at a concentration check (DC = 10 + 1/2 the HD of the creature with an emotion aura + that creature’s Charisma modifier) to cast a spell with an emotion component. Failing this check causes the spell to be lost with no effect. In addition, any spellcaster casting spells with the emotion or fear descriptor on targets inside this aura must succeed at this check or the spell fails to affect targets within the aura (although others outside the area are affected as normal). Creatures with this ability are immune to its effects and can cast spells normally. Energy Drain saps a living opponent’s vital energy and happens automatically when a melee or ranged attack hits. Each successful energy drain bestows one or more negative levels (the creature’s description specifies how many) with no saving throw. If an attack that includes an energy drain scores a critical hit, it bestows twice the listed number of negative levels. Unless otherwise specified in the creature’s description, a draining creature gains 5 temporary hit points for each negative level it bestows on an opponent. These temporary hit points last for a maximum of 1 hour. Negative levels remain until 24 hours have passed or until they are removed with a spell such as restoration. If a negative level is not removed before 24 hours have passed, the affected creature must attempt a Fortitude save (DC 10 + 1/2 the draining creature’s racial HD + the draining creature’s Cha modifier; the exact DC is given in the creature’s descriptive text). On a success, the negative level goes away with no harm to the creature. On a failure, the negative level becomes permanent. A separate saving throw is required for each negative level. A creature with Resistance ignores some damage of a certain type per attack, but it does not have total immunity. Each resistance ability is defined by what damage type it resists and how many points of damage are resisted. It doesn’t matter whether the damage has a mundane or magical source. When resistance completely negates the damage from an attack, the attack does not disrupt spellcasting. This resistance does not stack with the resistance that a spell might provide. Engulf allows a creature to engulf other creatures in its path as part of a standard action. It cannot make other attacks during a round in which it engulfs. The creature merely has to move over its opponents, affecting as many as it can cover. Targeted creatures can make attacks of opportunity against the creature, but if they do so, they are not entitled to a saving throw against the engulf attack. Those who do not attempt attacks of opportunity can attempt a Reflex save to avoid being engulfed—on a success, they are pushed back or aside (target’s choice) as the creature moves forward. Engulfed opponents gain the condition, are in danger of , are trapped within the creature’s body until they are no longer pinned, and may be subject to other special attacks from the creature. The save DC is Strength-based.
A pinned creature is tightly bound and can take few actions. A pinned creature cannot move and is denied its Dexterity bonus. A pinned character also takes an additional –4 penalty to his Armor Class. A pinned creature is limited in the actions that it can take. A pinned creature can always attempt to free itself, usually through a combat maneuver check or Escape Artist check. A pinned creature can take verbal and mental actions, but cannot cast any spells that require a somatic or material component. A pinned character who attempts to cast a spell or use a spell-like ability must make a concentration check (DC 10 + grappler’s CMB + spell level) or lose the spell. Pinned is a more severe version of , and their effects do not stack.
A grappled creature is restrained by a creature, trap, or effect. Grappled creatures cannot move and take a –4 penalty to Dexterity. A grappled creature takes a –2 penalty on all attack rolls and combat maneuver checks, except those made to grapple or escape a grapple. In addition, grappled creatures can take no action that requires two hands to perform. A grappled character who attempts to cast a spell or use a spell-like ability must make a concentration check (DC 10 + grappler’s CMB + spell level), or lose the spell. Grappled creatures cannot make attacks of opportunity.
A grappled creature cannot use Stealth to hide from the creature grappling it, even if a special ability, such as hide in plain sight, would normally allow it to do so. If a grappled creature becomes invisible, through a spell or other ability, it gains a +2 circumstance bonus on its CMD to avoid being grappled, but receives no other benefit.
A character who has no air to breathe can hold her breath for 2 rounds per point of Constitution. If a character takes a standard or full-round action, the remaining duration that the character can hold her breath is reduced by 1 round. After this period of time, the character must make a DC 10 Constitution check in order to continue holding her breath. The check must be repeated each round, with the DC increasing by +1 for each previous success. When the character fails one of these Constitution checks, she begins to suffocate. In the first round, she falls (0 hit points). In the following round, she drops to –1 hit points and is dying. In the third round, she suffocates and dies.
Unconscious creatures are knocked out and . Unconsciousness can result from having negative hit points (but not more than the creature’s Constitution score), or from nonlethal damage in excess of current hit points.
A helpless character is paralyzed, held, bound, sleeping, unconscious, or otherwise completely at an opponent’s mercy. A helpless target is treated as having a Dexterity of 0 (–5 modifier). Melee attacks against a helpless target get a +4 bonus (equivalent to attacking a prone target). Ranged attacks get no special bonus against helpless targets. Rogues can sneak attack helpless targets.
As a full-round action, an enemy can use a melee weapon to deliver a coup de grace to a helpless foe. An enemy can also use a bow or crossbow, provided he is adjacent to the target. The attacker automatically hits and scores a critical hit. (A rogue also gets his sneak attack damage bonus against a helpless foe when delivering a coup de grace.) If the defender survives, he must make a Fortitude save (DC 10 + damage dealt) or die. Delivering a coup de grace provokes attacks of opportunity.
Creatures that are immune to critical hits do not take critical damage, nor do they need to make Fortitude saves to avoid being killed by a coup de grace. A creature with Entrap has an ability that restricts another creature’s movement, usually with a physical attack such as ice, mud, lava, or webs. The target of an entrap attack must make a Fortitude save or become for the listed duration. If a target is already entangled by this ability, a second entrap attack means the target must make a Fortitude save or become for the listed duration. The save DCs are Constitution-based. A target made helpless by this ability is conscious but can take no physical actions (except attempting to break free) until the entrapping material is removed. The target can use spells with only verbal components or spell-like abilities if it can make a DC 20 concentration check. An entangled creature can make a Strength check (at the same DC as the entrap saving throw DC) as a full-round action to break free; the DC for a helpless creature is +5 greater than the saving throw DC. Destroying the entrapping material frees the creature.
The character is ensnared. Being entangled impedes movement, but does not entirely prevent it unless the bonds are anchored to an immobile object or tethered by an opposing force. An entangled creature moves at half speed, cannot run or charge, and takes a –2 penalty on all attack rolls and a –4 penalty to Dexterity. An entangled character who attempts to cast a spell must make a concentration check (DC 15 + spell level) or lose the spell.
A helpless character is paralyzed, held, bound, sleeping, unconscious, or otherwise completely at an opponent’s mercy. A helpless target is treated as having a Dexterity of 0 (–5 modifier). Melee attacks against a helpless target get a +4 bonus (equivalent to attacking a prone target). Ranged attacks get no special bonus against helpless targets. Rogues can sneak attack helpless targets.
As a full-round action, an enemy can use a melee weapon to deliver a coup de grace to a helpless foe. An enemy can also use a bow or crossbow, provided he is adjacent to the target. The attacker automatically hits and scores a critical hit. (A rogue also gets his sneak attack damage bonus against a helpless foe when delivering a coup de grace.) If the defender survives, he must make a Fortitude save (DC 10 + damage dealt) or die. Delivering a coup de grace provokes attacks of opportunity.
Creatures that are immune to critical hits do not take critical damage, nor do they need to make Fortitude saves to avoid being killed by a coup de grace. A creature with Fast Healing regains hit points swiftly, usually 1 or more per round, as given in the creature’s entry. Except as noted below, fast healing is just like natural healing. Fast healing does not restore hit points lost from starvation, suffocation, or thirst, nor does it allow a creature to regrow lost body parts. Unless otherwise stated, it does not allow lost body parts to be reattached. Fast healing continues to function (even at negative hit points) until a creature dies, at which point the effects of fast healing end immediately. A creature with Fast Swallow can use its swallow whole ability as a free action at any time during its turn, not just at the start of its turn. A creature’s Fear Aura functions like a supernatural version of the fear spell, causing subjects to become (or if they succeed in a saving throw). If the fear effect allows a saving throw, it is a Will save (DC = 10 + 1/2 the fearsome creature’s racial HD + that creature’s Charisma modifier; the exact DC is given in the creature’s descriptive text). This is a mind-affecting fear effect.
A panicked creature must drop anything it holds and flee at top speed from the source of its fear, as well as any other dangers it encounters, along a random path. It can’t take any other actions. In addition, the creature takes a –2 penalty on all saving throws, skill checks, and ability checks. If cornered, a panicked creature and does not attack, typically using the total defense action in combat. A panicked creature can use special abilities, including spells, to flee; indeed, the creature must use such means if they are the only way to escape. Panicked is a more extreme state of fear than or .
The character is frozen in fear and can take no actions. A cowering character takes a –2 penalty to Armor Class and loses their Dexterity bonus (if any).
A shaken character takes a –2 penalty on attack rolls, saving throws, skill checks, and ability checks.
A frightened creature flees from the source of its fear as best it can. If unable to flee, it may fight. A frightened creature takes a –2 penalty on all attack rolls, saving throws, skill checks, and ability checks. A frightened creature can use special abilities, including spells, to flee; indeed, the creature must use such means if they are the only way to escape. Frightened is like shaken, except that the creature must flee if possible.
A shaken character takes a –2 penalty on attack rolls, saving throws, skill checks, and ability checks. Fear Cone usually works like the fear spell, causing subjects to become (or if they succeed in a saving throw). If it allows a saving throw, it is a Will save (DC 10 + 1/2 fearsome creature’s racial HD + creature’s Cha modifier; the exact DC is given in the creature’s descriptive text). This is a mind-affecting fear effect.
A panicked creature must drop anything it holds and flee at top speed from the source of its fear, as well as any other dangers it encounters, along a random path. It can’t take any other actions. In addition, the creature takes a –2 penalty on all saving throws, skill checks, and ability checks. If cornered, a panicked creature and does not attack, typically using the total defense action in combat. A panicked creature can use special abilities, including spells, to flee; indeed, the creature must use such means if they are the only way to escape. Panicked is a more extreme state of fear than or .
The character is frozen in fear and can take no actions. A cowering character takes a –2 penalty to Armor Class and loses their Dexterity bonus (if any).
A shaken character takes a –2 penalty on attack rolls, saving throws, skill checks, and ability checks.
A frightened creature flees from the source of its fear as best it can. If unable to flee, it may fight. A frightened creature takes a –2 penalty on all attack rolls, saving throws, skill checks, and ability checks. A frightened creature can use special abilities, including spells, to flee; indeed, the creature must use such means if they are the only way to escape. Frightened is like shaken, except that the creature must flee if possible.
A shaken character takes a –2 penalty on attack rolls, saving throws, skill checks, and ability checks. Fear Ray usually works like the fear spell, causing subjects to become (or if they succeed in a saving throw). If it allows a saving throw, it is a Will save (DC 10 + 1/2 fearsome creature’s racial HD + creature’s Cha modifier; the exact DC is given in the creature’s descriptive text). This is a mind-affecting fear effect.
A panicked creature must drop anything it holds and flee at top speed from the source of its fear, as well as any other dangers it encounters, along a random path. It can’t take any other actions. In addition, the creature takes a –2 penalty on all saving throws, skill checks, and ability checks. If cornered, a panicked creature and does not attack, typically using the total defense action in combat. A panicked creature can use special abilities, including spells, to flee; indeed, the creature must use such means if they are the only way to escape. Panicked is a more extreme state of fear than or .
The character is frozen in fear and can take no actions. A cowering character takes a –2 penalty to Armor Class and loses their Dexterity bonus (if any).
A shaken character takes a –2 penalty on attack rolls, saving throws, skill checks, and ability checks.
A frightened creature flees from the source of its fear as best it can. If unable to flee, it may fight. A frightened creature takes a –2 penalty on all attack rolls, saving throws, skill checks, and ability checks. A frightened creature can use special abilities, including spells, to flee; indeed, the creature must use such means if they are the only way to escape. Frightened is like shaken, except that the creature must flee if possible.
A shaken character takes a –2 penalty on attack rolls, saving throws, skill checks, and ability checks. A creature with Ferocity remains conscious and can continue fighting even if its hit point total is below 0. The creature is still and loses 1 hit point each round. A creature with ferocity still dies when its hit point total reaches a negative amount equal to its Constitution score.
A staggered creature may take a single move action or standard action each round (but not both, nor can it take full-round actions). A staggered creature can still take free, swift, and immediate actions. A creature with nonlethal damage exactly equal to its current hit points gains the staggered condition. A creature with a Fly speed can cease or resume flight as a free action on their turn. If the creature has wings, its flight is an extraordinary ability. Otherwise, it is spell-like or supernatural, and it is ineffectve in an antimagic field; the creature loses its ability to fly for as long as the antimagic effect persists.
Without making a check, a flying creature can remain flying at the end of its turn so long as it moves a distance greater than half its speed. It can also turn up to 45 degrees during its turn by sacrificing 5 feet of movement, can rise at half speed at an angle of 45 degrees (ignoring the penalty for diagonal movement), and can descend at any angle at normal speed. At the beginning of its turn a flying creature can move in a different direction than they did previously without needing a Fly check.
A creature with a natural fly speed receives a bonus (or penalty) on Fly skill checks depending on its maneuverability:
• Clumsy –8
• Poor –4
• Average +0
• Good +4
• Perfect +8
Creatures without a maneuverability rating are assumed to have average maneuverability and take no penalty on Fly checks. These modifiers are already included in the creature’s statblock. A creature with Fortification has a 50% chance to treat any critical hit or sneak attack as a normal hit, as if wearing moderate fortification armor. A creature with Freeze can hold itself so still it appears to be an inanimate object of the appropriate shape (a statue, patch of fungus, and so on). The creature can take 20 on its Stealth check to hide in plain sight as this kind of inanimate object. Frightful Presence makes a creature’s very presence unsettling to foes. Activating this ability is a free action that is usually part of an attack or charge. This ability can only be used once per turn. Opponents within range who witness the action may become , or . Unless specified otherwise the range is 30 feet and the duration is 5d6 rounds. This ability affects only opponents with fewer Hit Dice than the creature has. An opponent can resist the effects with a successful Will save (DC 10 + 1/2 the frightful creature’s racial HD + the frightful creature’s Cha modifier; the exact DC is given in the creature’s descriptive text). An opponent that succeeds on the saving throw is immune to further effects from that same creature’s frightful presence for 24 hours. On a failed save, the opponent is , or if it is already shaken. A frightened opponent who fails their save becomes instead, and any creature with 4 Hit Dice or fewer automatically becomes panicked on any failed save. Frightful presence is a mind-affecting fear effect.
A shaken character takes a –2 penalty on attack rolls, saving throws, skill checks, and ability checks.
A frightened creature flees from the source of its fear as best it can. If unable to flee, it may fight. A frightened creature takes a –2 penalty on all attack rolls, saving throws, skill checks, and ability checks. A frightened creature can use special abilities, including spells, to flee; indeed, the creature must use such means if they are the only way to escape. Frightened is like shaken, except that the creature must flee if possible.
A panicked creature must drop anything it holds and flee at top speed from the source of its fear, as well as any other dangers it encounters, along a random path. It can’t take any other actions. In addition, the creature takes a –2 penalty on all saving throws, skill checks, and ability checks. If cornered, a panicked creature and does not attack, typically using the total defense action in combat. A panicked creature can use special abilities, including spells, to flee; indeed, the creature must use such means if they are the only way to escape. Panicked is a more extreme state of fear than shaken or frightened.
The character is frozen in fear and can take no actions. A cowering character takes a –2 penalty to Armor Class and loses their Dexterity bonus (if any). A Gaze attack takes effect automatically when foes look at the attacking creature’s eyes. The typical range is 30 feet, but check the creature’s entry for details. A successful saving throw negates the effect. 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, etc. Each round, the opponent has a 50% chance to avoid having to make a saving throw against the gaze attack. The creature with the gaze attack, however, gains concealment (20% miss chance) against that opponent.
Wearing a Blindfold: The foe 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 (50% miss chance) against the opponent.
A creature with a gaze attack can also actively gaze as an attack action by choosing a target within range. That opponent must attempt a saving throw but can try to avoid this as described above. 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 to not need to make a saving throw against the gaze attack each round. The creature can also veil its eyes, thus negating its gaze ability. When a creature with Grab hits with the indicated attack it deals normal damage and attempts to start a as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. The creature has the option to conduct the grapple normally, or simply use the part of its body it used in the grab to hold the opponent. If it chooses to do the latter, it takes a –20 penalty on its CMB check to make and maintain the grapple, but does not gain the grappled condition itself. A successful hold does not deal any extra damage unless the creature also has the constrict special attack. If the creature does not constrict, each successful grapple check it makes during successive rounds automatically deals the damage indicated for the attack that established the hold. Otherwise, it deals constriction damage as well (the amount is given in the creature’s descriptive text).
Creatures with the grab special attack receive a +4 bonus on combat maneuver checks made to start and maintain a grapple.
Unless otherwise noted, grab can only be used against targets of a size equal to or smaller than the creature with this ability. If the creature can use grab on creatures of other sizes, it is noted in the creature’s Special Attacks line.
A grappled creature is restrained by a creature, trap, or effect. Grappled creatures cannot move and take a –4 penalty to Dexterity. A grappled creature takes a –2 penalty on all attack rolls and combat maneuver checks, except those made to grapple or escape a grapple. In addition, grappled creatures can take no action that requires two hands to perform. A grappled character who attempts to cast a spell or use a spell-like ability must make a concentration check (DC 10 + grappler’s CMB + spell level), or lose the spell. Grappled creatures cannot make attacks of opportunity.
A grappled creature cannot use Stealth to hide from the creature grappling it, even if a special ability, such as hide in plain sight, would normally allow it to do so. If a grappled creature becomes invisible, through a spell or other ability, it gains a +2 circumstance bonus on its CMD to avoid being grappled, but receives no other benefit. Greensight allows a creature to see through thick plant matter as though it were transparent. Leaves, vines, greenery, and undergrowth offer no concealment to the monster’s sight, though solid wood still blocks its line of sight. This is a supernatural ability. A creature with Hardness resists damage like an object composed of a similar material. Each object has Hardness—a number that represents how well it resists damage. When such a creature is damaged, subtract its hardness from the damage. Only damage in excess of its hardness is deducted from the object’s hit points.
Certain attacks are especially successful against some creatures with hardness. In such cases, attacks deal double their normal damage and may ignore the object’s hardness. This is an extraordinary ability. A creature with the Heat ability generates so much heat that its mere touch deals the additional fire damage listed. The creature’s metallic melee weapons also conduct this heat and deal the additional damage. Hold Breath allows a creature to hold its breath for a number of minutes equal to 6 times its Constitution score before it risks drowning. Specific creatures may be allotted more or less time - if this is the case, the amount of time they can hold their breath is listed in their entry. A creature with Immunities takes no damage from listed sources. Immunities can also apply to afflictions, conditions, spells (based on school, level, or save type), and other effects. A creature that is immune does not suffer from these effects, or any secondary effects that are triggered due to an immune effect. A creature with Improved Uncanny Dodge can react to danger before their senses would normally allow them to do so. They cannot be caught , nor do they lose their Dexterity bonus to AC if the attacker is invisible. They still lose their Dexterity bonus to AC if immobilized, or if an opponent successfully uses the feint action against them.
A creature with the Improved Uncanny Dodge extraordinary ability cannot be flanked. This defense denies a character the ability to sneak attack the creature by flanking it, unless the attacker has at least four more levels in classes that grant uncanny dodge than the target does.
A creature that has not yet acted during a combat is flat-footed, unable to react normally to the situation. A flat-footed creature cannot take immediate actions and loses their Dexterity bonus to AC and CMD (if any). The creature cannot make attacks of opportunity unless they have the Combat Reflexes feat or Uncanny Dodge class ability. An Incorporeal creature has no physical body. It can be harmed only by other incorporeal creatures, magic weapons or creatures that strike as magic weapons, spells, spell-like abilities, or supernatural abilities. It is immune to all nonmagical attack forms. Even when hit by spells or magic weapons, it takes only half damage from a corporeal source. Although it is not a magical attack, holy water can affect incorporeal undead. Corporeal spells and effects that do not cause damage only have a 50% chance of affecting an incorporeal creature (except for channel energy). Force spells and effects, such as from a magic missile, affect an incorporeal creature normally.
An incorporeal creature has no natural armor bonus, but it has a deflection bonus equal to its Charisma bonus (always at least +1, even if the creature’s Charisma score does not normally provide a bonus).
An incorporeal creature can enter or pass through solid objects, but must remain adjacent to the object’s exterior, and so cannot pass entirely through an object whose space is larger than its own. It can sense the presence of creatures or objects within a square adjacent to its current location, but enemies have total concealment (50% miss chance) from an incorporeal creature that is inside an object. In order to see beyond the object it is in and attack normally, the incorporeal creature must emerge. An incorporeal creature inside an object has total cover, but when it attacks a creature outside the object it only has cover, so a creature outside with a readied action could strike at it as it attacks. An incorporeal creature cannot pass through a force effect.
An incorporeal creature’s attacks pass through (ignore) natural armor, armor, and shields, although deflection bonuses and force effects (such as mage armor) work normally against it. Incorporeal creatures pass through and operate in water as easily as they do in air. Incorporeal creatures can’t fall or take falling damage. They can’t perform trip or grapple combat maneuvers, nor can they be tripped or grappled. In fact, they can’t take any physical actions 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 that are triggered by weight.
An incorporeal creature moves silently and cannot be heard with Perception checks if it doesn’t wish to be. It has no Strength score, so its Dexterity modifier applies to its melee attacks, ranged attacks, and CMB. Nonvisual senses, such as blindsight and scent, 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. Jet allows a creature to swim backward as a full-round action at its Jet speed. It must move in a straight line while jetting, and does not provoke attacks of opportunity when it does so. A creature with Keen Scent can notice other creatures by scent in a 180-foot radius underwater and can detect blood in the water at ranges of up to a mile. Using nonvisual senses, a creature with Lifesense notices and locates living creatures within 60 feet. Invisibility, darkness, and most kinds of concealment are irrelevant, though the monster must have line of effect to a living creature to discern that creature. The monster usually does not need to make Perception checks to notice creatures within range of its lifesense ability. Lingering Breath allows the creature to expend one use of mythic power as a free action when it uses its breath weapon to make the area radiate energy damage (of the same type as the breath weapon) for 1 round per mythic rank. Any creature in, entering, or passing through the breath weapon’s area during this duration takes damage according to the creature’s size. This ability has no effect on breath weapons that do not deal energy damage. Creatures with Light Blindness are for 1 round if exposed to bright light, such as sunlight or the daylight spell. Such creatures are as long as they remain in areas of bright light.
A blind creature cannot see. It takes a –2 penalty to Armor Class, loses its Dexterity bonus to AC (if any), and takes a –4 penalty on most Strength– and Dexterity-based skill checks and on opposed Perception skill checks. All checks and activities that rely on vision (such as reading and Perception checks based on sight) automatically fail. All opponents are considered to have total concealment (50% miss chance) against the blinded character. Blind creatures must make a DC 10 Acrobatics skill check to move faster than half speed. Creatures that fail this check fall prone. Characters who remain blinded for a long time grow accustomed to these drawbacks and can overcome some of them.
The creature is unable to see well because of over-stimulation of the eyes. A dazzled creature takes a –1 penalty on attack rolls and sight-based Perception checks. Creatures with Light Sensitivity are in areas of bright sunlight or within the radius of a daylight spell (they take a –1 penalty on attack rolls and sight-based Perception checks).
The creature is unable to see well because of over-stimulation of the eyes. A dazzled creature takes a –1 penalty on attack rolls and sight-based Perception checks. A creature with Low-Light Vision can see twice as far as a human in starlight, moonlight, torchlight, and similar conditions of dim light. It retains the ability to distinguish color and detail under these conditions. This is an extraordinary ability. In any form, natural lycanthropes can communicate and empathize with animals related to their animal form. They can use Diplomacy to alter such an animal’s attitude, and when so doing gain a +4 racial bonus on the check. Afflicted lycanthropes only gain this ability in animal or hybrid form. Mental Static Aura creates a field around the creature that makes concentrating difficult. Living creatures within 30 feet must succeed at a concentration check (DC = 10 + 1/2 the HD of the creature with this aura + that creature’s Charisma modifier) to cast a spell with a thought component. Failing this check causes the spell to be lost with no effect. In addition, all spellcasters must attempt this check at the start of their turns if they are concentrating on an active spell or effect. Failing it means that they cease concentrating on the spell or effect. Creatures with this ability are immune to its effects and can cast spells normally. A creature with Mistsight can see through fog, mist, and murky water as if they were perfectly clear, ignoring the miss chance for these obstructions, up to its normal range of vision. A creature with Multiweapon Mastery never takes penalties on its attack rolls when fighting with multiple weapons. If a creature with Mythic Immortality is killed, it returns to life 24 hours later, regardless of the condition of its body or the means by which it was killed. When it returns to life, it isn’t treated as if it had rested, and doesn’t regain the use of abilities that recharge with rest until it next rests. This ability doesn’t apply if it is killed by a coup de grace or critical hit performed by either a Mythic creature (or creature of even greater power) or a Non-Mythic creature wielding a weapon capable of bypassing epic damage reduction. If the creature is Mythic Rank 10, it cannot be killed at all except by a coup de grace or critical hit made with an artifact. This is a supernatural ability. Up to three times per day, when a creature with Mythic Magic casts a spell, it can cast the Mythic version instead (as with all Mythic Spells, the creature must expend Mythic Power to cast a Mythic spell in this way). A Mythic monster can draw upon a wellspring of power to accomplish amazing deeds and cheat fate. Each day, it can expend a number of uses of Mythic Power equal to its Mythic Rank. This amount is its maximum amount of Mythic Power. If an ability allows it to regain Mythic Power, it can never gain more than this amount. The monster automatically has the Surge ability, and can use this Mythic Power to activate it. It may have other abilities that rely on Mythic Power. Natural Invisibility is constant—the creature remains at all times, even when attacking. As this ability is inherent, it is not subject to the invisibility purge spell.
Invisible creatures are visually undetectable. An invisible creature gains a +2 bonus on attack rolls against sighted opponents, and ignores its opponents’ Dexterity bonuses to AC (if any).
The ability to move about unseen is not foolproof. While they can’t be seen, invisible creatures can be heard, smelled, or felt. Invisibility makes a creature undetectable by vision, including darkvision.
Invisibility does not, by itself, make a creature immune to critical hits, but it does make the creature immune to extra damage from being a ranger’s favored enemy and from sneak attacks.
A creature can generally notice the presence of an active invisible creature within 30 feet with a DC 20 Perception check. The observer gains a hunch that “something’s there” but can’t see it or target it accurately with an attack. It’s practically impossible (+20 DC) to pinpoint an invisible creature’s location with a Perception check. Even once a character has pinpointed the square that contains an invisible creature, the creature still benefits from total concealment (50% miss chance). There are a number of modifiers that can be applied to this DC if the invisible creature is moving or engaged in a noisy activity.
• In combat or speaking –20
• Moving at half speed –5
• Moving at full speed –10
• Running or charging –20
• Not moving +20
• Using Stealth Stealth check +20
• Some distance away +1 per 10 feet
• Behind an obstacle (door) +5
• Behind an obstacle (stone wall) +15
A creature can grope about to find an invisible creature. A character can make a touch attack with his hands or a weapon into two adjacent 5-foot squares using a standard action. If an invisible target is in the designated area, there is a 50% miss chance on the touch attack. If successful, the groping character deals no damage but 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 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.
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 invisible 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 and tell him that the character has missed, regardless of the result. 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. 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. One could coat an invisible object with flour to at least keep track of its position (until the flour falls off or blows away).
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 (20% miss chance).
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.
An invisible burning torch still gives off light, as does an invisible object with a light or similar spell cast upon it.
Ethereal creatures are invisible. Since ethereal creatures are not materially present, Perception checks, scent, Blind-Fight, and blindsight don’t help locate them. Incorporeal creatures are often invisible. Scent, Blind-Fight, and blindsight don’t help creatures find or attack invisible, incorporeal creatures, but Perception checks can help.
Invisible creatures cannot use gaze attacks.
Invisibility does not thwart divination spells.
Since some creatures can detect or even see invisible creatures, it is helpful to be able to hide even when invisible. A creature with Negative Energy Affinity is alive but is healed by negative energy and harmed by positive energy, as if it were an undead creature. A creature with No Breath does not breathe, and is immune to effects that require breathing (such as inhaled poison). This does not give immunity to cloud or gas attacks that do not require breathing. Paralysis renders the victim immobile. subjects cannot move, speak, or take any physical actions (they can still take purely mental actions, such as the use of a SLA). They are rooted to the spot, frozen and helpless, having effective Dexterity and Strength scores of 0. Paralysis works on the body, and a character can usually resist it with a Fortitude saving throw (DC 10 + 1/2 the paralyzing creature’s racial HD + the paralyzing creature’s Con modifier; the DC is given in the creature’s description). Unlike hold person and similar effects, a paralysis effect does not allow a new save each round. The duration of the paralysis varies and is included in the creature’s description.
A paralyzed character is frozen in place and unable to move or act. A paralyzed character has effective Dexterity and Strength scores of 0 and is , but can take purely mental actions (such as the use of a SLA). A winged creature flying in the air at the time that it becomes paralyzed cannot flap its wings and falls. A paralyzed swimmer can’t swim and may drown. A creature can move through a space occupied by a paralyzed creature—ally or not. Each square occupied by a paralyzed creature, however, counts as 2 squares to move through.
A helpless character is paralyzed, held, bound, sleeping, unconscious, or otherwise completely at an opponent’s mercy. A helpless target is treated as having a Dexterity of 0 (–5 modifier). Melee attacks against a helpless target get a +4 bonus (equivalent to attacking a prone target). Ranged attacks get no special bonus against helpless targets. Rogues can sneak attack helpless targets.
As a full-round action, an enemy can use a melee weapon to deliver a coup de grace to a helpless foe. An enemy can also use a bow or crossbow, provided he is adjacent to the target. The attacker automatically hits and scores a critical hit. (A rogue also gets his sneak attack damage bonus against a helpless foe when delivering a coup de grace.) If the defender survives, he must make a Fortitude save (DC 10 + damage dealt) or die. Delivering a coup de grace provokes attacks of opportunity.
Creatures that are immune to critical hits do not take critical damage, nor do they need to make Fortitude saves to avoid being killed by a coup de grace. All plants within a 1-mile radius of a creature with Plantbringer grow at double their normal rate and don’t suffer from any diseases or maladies. Allied plant creatures within 30 feet of the creature gain fast healing equal to the creature’s mythic rank. If the creature uses plant shape or wild shape to take the form of a plant, it gains this fast healing in plant form. No other affliction is so prevalent as Poison. From the fangs of a viper to the ichor-stained assassin’s blade, poison is a constant threat. Poisons can be cured by successful saving throws and spells such as neutralize poison.
Contact poisons are contracted the moment someone touches the poison with his bare skin. Such poisons can be used as injury poisons.
Contact poisons usually have an onset time of 1 minute and a frequency of 1 minute.
Ingested poisons are contracted when a creature eats or drinks the poison. Ingested poisons usually have an onset time of 10 minutes and a frequency of 1 minute.
Injury poisons are primarily contracted through the attacks of certain creatures and through weapons coated in the toxin. Injury poisons do not usually have an onset time and have a frequency of 1 round.
Inhaled poisons are contracted the moment a creature enters an area containing such poisons. Most inhaled poisons fill a volume equal to a 10-foot cube per dose. Creatures can attempt to hold their breaths while inside to avoid inhaling the toxin. Creatures holding their breaths receive a 50% chance of not having to make a Fortitude save each round. Note that a character that would normally suffocate while attempting to hold its breath instead begins to breathe normally again.
Unlike other afflictions, multiple doses of the same poison stack. Poisons delivered by injury and contact cannot inflict more than one dose of poison at a time, but inhaled and ingested poisons can inflict multiple doses at once. Each additional dose extends the total duration of the poison (as noted under frequency) by half its total duration. In addition, each dose of poison increases the DC to resist the poison by +2. This increase is cumulative. Multiple doses do not alter the cure conditions of the poison, and meeting these conditions ends the affliction for all the doses. For example, a character is bit three times in the same round by a trio of Medium monstrous spiders, injecting him with three doses of Medium spider venom. The unfortunate character must make a DC 18 Fortitude save for the next 8 rounds. Fortunately, just one successful save cures the character of all three doses of the poison.
Applying poison to a weapon or single piece of ammunition is a standard action. Whenever a character applies or readies a poison for use there is a 5% chance that he exposes himself to the poison and must save against the poison as normal. This does not consume the dose of poison. Whenever a character attacks with a poisoned weapon, if the attack roll results in a natural 1, he exposes himself to the poison. This poison is consumed when the weapon strikes a creature or is touched by the wielder. Characters with the poison use class feature do not risk accidentally poisoning themselves.
Poisons can be made using Craft (alchemy). The DC to make a poison is equal to its Fortitude save DC. Rolling a natural 1 on a Craft skill check while making a poison exposes the crafter to the poison. Crafters with the poison use class feature do not risk poisoning themselves when using Craft to make poison.
While each affliction has a different effect, they all function using the same basic system. All afflictions grant a saving throw when they are contracted. If successful, the creature does not suffer from the affliction and does not need to make any further rolls. If the saving throw is a failure, the creature falls victim to the affliction and must deal with its effects.
Afflictions require a creature to make a saving throw after a period of time to avoid taking certain penalties. With most afflictions, if a number of saving throws are made consecutively, the affliction is removed and no further saves are necessary. Some afflictions, usually supernatural ones, cannot be cured through saving throws alone and require the aid of powerful magic to remove.
Name This is the name of the affliction.
Type This is the type of the affliction, such as curse, disease, or poison. It might also include the means by which it is contracted, such as contact, ingestion, inhalation, injury, spell, or trap.
Save This gives the type of save necessary to avoid contracting the affliction, as well as the DC of that save. Unless otherwise noted, this is also the save to avoid the affliction’s effects once it is contracted, as well as the DC of any caster level checks needed to end the affliction through magic, such as remove curse or neutralize poison.
Onset Some afflictions have a variable amount of time before they set in. Creatures that come in contact with an affliction with an onset time must make a saving throw immediately. Success means that the affliction is avoided and no further saving throws must be made. Failure means that the creature has contracted the affliction and must begin making additional saves after the onset period has elapsed. The affliction’s effect does not occur until after the onset period has elapsed and then only if further saving throws are failed.
Frequency This is how often the periodic saving throw must be attempted after the affliction has been contracted (after the onset time, if the affliction has any). While some afflictions last until they are cured, others end prematurely, even if the character is not cured through other means. If an affliction ends after a set amount of time, it will be noted in the frequency. For example, a disease with a frequency of “1/day” lasts until cured, but a poison with a frequency of “1/round for 6 rounds” ends after 6 rounds have passed.
Afflictions without a frequency occur only once, immediately upon contraction (or after the onset time if one is listed).
Effect This is the effect that the character suffers each time if he fails his saving throw against the affliction. Most afflictions cause ability damage or hit point damage. These effects are cumulative, but they can be cured normally. Other afflictions cause the creature to take penalties or other effects. These effects are sometimes cumulative, with the rest only affecting the creature if it failed its most recent save. Some afflictions have different effects after the first save is failed. These afflictions have an initial effect, which occurs when the first save is failed, and a secondary effect, when additional saves are failed, as noted in the text. Hit point and ability score damage caused by an affliction cannot be healed naturally while the affliction persists.
Cure This tells you how the affliction is cured. Commonly, this is a number of saving throws that must be made consecutively. Even if the affliction has a limited frequency, it might be cured prematurely if enough saving throws are made. Hit point damage and ability score damage is not removed when an affliction is cured. Such damage must be healed normally. Afflictions without a cure entry can only be cured through powerful spells, such as neutralize poison and remove curse. No matter how many saving throws are made, these afflictions continue to affect the target.
Example Valeros has been exposed to the red ache disease. He failed a DC 15 Fortitude save to avoid contracting it, so after the onset period of 1d3 days has passed, he must make another DC 15 Fortitude save to avoid taking 1d6 points of Strength damage. From this point onward, he must make a DC 15 Fortitude save each day (according to the disease’s frequency) to avoid further Strength damage. If, on two consecutive days, he makes his Fortitude saves, he is cured of the disease and any damage it caused begins to heal as normal. Any creature that confirms a critical hit against a creature with Poisonous Blood with a piercing or slashing melee weapon is sprayed with its poison and must roll a saving throw to resist. (Melee weapons with reach don’t endanger their users in this way.) The type of poison depends on the monster. Unless otherwise stated, this poison uses the poison’s normal DC, though some monsters might have a poison DC that’s Constitution-based. When a creature with Pounce makes a charge, it can make a full attack with any weapons it has (including rake attacks if the creature also has the rake ability). It maintains this ability even when subject to the slow spell, and the full attack on a pounce still receives the extra attack from haste. The specified attack adds 1-1/2 times the creature’s Strength bonus to damage instead of its normal Strength bonus or half its Strength bonus. Powerful Charge causes a creature to deal extra damage with its attack when it charges, in addition to the normal benefits and hazards of a charge. The attack and the damage from the attack are given in the creature’s description. Against attacks made or effects created by evil creatures, Protective Aura provides a +4 deflection bonus to AC and a +4 resistance bonus on saving throws to anyone within 20 feet of the angel. Otherwise, it functions as a magic circle against evil effect and a lesser globe of invulnerability, both with a radius of 20 feet (caster level equals angel’s HD). The defensive benefits from the circle are not included in an angel’s stat block. A creature with Psychic Magic can use the power of its mind to cast certain spells. Each spell cast using psychic magic consumes an amount of psychic energy. The creature has a maximum amount of psychic energy (PE) per day that refreshes after a night’s rest. A creature with this ability can cast any of the spells listed in this entry as long as it has enough psychic energy remaining to pay the spell’s PE cost. The DC for any of these spells is equal to 10 + the amount of psychic energy used to cast the spell + the creature’s Charisma or Intelligence modifier (whichever is higher). Creatures that gain access to undercast spells via this ability can cast an undercast version of the spell by spending 1 PE fewer for each level lower that the spell is cast. A psychic magic spell with a PE cost of 0 can be cast any number of times, and can be cast even if the creature has 0 PE remaining. The psychic magic granted by this ability has the same thought and emotion components as psychic spells. The monster can apply metamagic feats to these spells by spending an amount of additional PE equal to the level increase of the metamagic feat and by increasing the casting time as normal for spontaneously casting a metamagic spell. Because this ability grants psychic spellcasting, it also allows the creature to use occult skill unlocks. A creature with Psychic Resilience gains a +4 bonus on saving throws against all psychic spells. A creature with Pull can choose to make a free combat maneuver check with a successful attack. If successful, this check pulls a creature closer. The distance pulled is set by this ability. The type of attack that causes the pull and the distance pulled are included in the creature’s description. This ability only works on creatures of a size equal to or smaller than the pulling creature. Creatures pulled in this way do not provoke attacks of opportunity and stop if the pull would move them into a solid object or creature. A creature with Push can choose to make a free combat maneuver check with a certain successful attack (often a slam attack). If successful, this check pushes a creature directly away as with a bull rush, but the distance moved is set by this ability. The type of attack that causes the push and the distance pushed are included in the creature’s description. This ability only works on creatures of a size equal to or Smaller than the pushing creature. Creatures pushed in this way do not provoke attacks of opportunity and stop if the push would move them into a solid object or creature. A creature with Rake gains extra natural attacks under certain conditions, typically when it its foe. In addition to the options available to all grapplers, a monster with the rake ability gains two free claw attacks that it can use only against a grappled foe. The bonus and damage caused by these attacks is included in the creature’s description. A monster with the rake ability must begin its turn already grappling to use its rake—it can’t begin a grapple and rake in the same turn.
A grappled creature is restrained by a creature, trap, or effect. Grappled creatures cannot move and take a –4 penalty to Dexterity. A grappled creature takes a –2 penalty on all attack rolls and combat maneuver checks, except those made to grapple or escape a grapple. In addition, grappled creatures can take no action that requires two hands to perform. A grappled character who attempts to cast a spell or use a spell-like ability must make a concentration check (DC 10 + grappler’s CMB + spell level), or lose the spell. Grappled creatures cannot make attacks of opportunity.
A grappled creature cannot use Stealth to hide from the creature grappling it, even if a special ability, such as hide in plain sight, would normally allow it to do so. If a grappled creature becomes invisible, through a spell or other ability, it gains a +2 circumstance bonus on its CMD to avoid being grappled, but receives no other benefit. A creature with Recuperation is restored to full hit points after 8 hours of rest so long as it isn’t dead. In addition, by expending one use of mythic power and resting for 1 hour, it regains a number of hit points equal to half its full hit points (up to a maximum of its full hit points) and regain the use of any class features that are limited to a certain number of uses per day (such as barbarian rage, bardic performance, spells per day, and so on). This rest is treated as 8 hours of sleep for such abilities. This rest doesn’t refresh uses of mythic power or any mythic abilities that are limited to a number of times per day. Regeneration makes a creature difficult to kill. Creatures with Regeneration heal damage at a fixed rate but they cannot die as long as their regeneration is still functioning (although creatures with regeneration still fall unconscious when their hit points are below 0). Regeneration does not restore hit points lost from starvation, suffocation, or thirst. Certain attack forms cause a creature’s regeneration to stop functioning on the round following the attack. During this round, the creature does not heal any damage and can die normally. The creature’s descriptive text describes the types of damage that cause the regeneration to cease functioning.
Attack forms that don’t deal hit point damage are not healed by regeneration. Regenerating creatures can regrow lost portions of their bodies and can reattach severed limbs or body parts if they are brought together within 1 hour of severing. Severed parts that are not reattached wither and die normally.
A creature must have a Constitution score to have the regeneration ability. If it hits with two or more natural attacks in 1 round, a creature with Rend causes tremendous damage by latching onto the opponent’s body and tearing flesh. This automatically deals the listed additional damage, but no more than once per round. The type of attacks that must hit and the additional damage are included in the creature’s description. A creature with Resistance ignores some damage of a certain type per attack, but it does not have total immunity. Each resistance ability is defined by what damage type it resists and how many points of damage are resisted. It doesn’t matter whether the damage has a mundane or magical source. When resistance completely negates the damage from an attack, the attack does not disrupt spellcasting. This resistance does not stack with the resistance that a spell might provide. A creature with Rock Catching can catch Small, Medium, or Large rocks (or projectiles of similar shape). Once per round, a creature that would normally be hit by a rock can make a Reflex save to catch it as a free action. The DC is 15 for a Small rock, 20 for a Medium one, and 25 for a Large one. (If the projectile provides a magical bonus on attack rolls, the DC increases by that amount.) The creature must be aware of the attack in order to make a rock catching attempt. A creature with Rock Throwing is an accomplished rock thrower and has a +1 racial bonus on attack rolls with thrown rocks. It can hurl rocks up to two categories smaller than its size; for example, a Large hill giant can hurl Small rocks. A “rock” is any large, bulky, and relatively regularly shaped object made of any material with a hardness of at least 5 (equal to wood). The creature can hurl the rock up to five range increments. The size of the range increment varies with the creature. Damage from a thrown rock is generally twice the creature’s base slam damage plus 1-1/2 times its Strength bonus. Scent allows a creature to detect approaching enemies, sniff out hidden foes, and track by sense of smell. Creatures with Scent 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, such as smoke or rotting garbage, can be detected at twice the ranges noted above. Overpowering scents, such as skunk musk or troglodyte stench, can be detected at triple normal range.
When a creature detects a scent, the exact location of the source is not revealed—only its presence somewhere within range. The creature can take a move action to note the direction of the scent. When the creature is within 5 feet of the source, it pinpoints the source’s location. This does not allow the creature to ignore any miss chance for concealment that would otherwise apply.
A creature with the scent ability can follow tracks by smell, making a Wisdom (or Survival) check to find or follow a track. The typical DC for a fresh trail is 10 (no matter what kind of surface holds the scent). This DC increases or decreases depending on how strong the quarry’s odor is, the number of creatures, and the age of the trail. For each hour that the trail is cold, the DC increases by 2. The ability otherwise follows the rules for the Survival skill. Creatures tracking by scent ignore the effects of surface conditions and poor visibility. Whenever a creature with Second Save fails a saving throw against an effect with a duration greater than 1 round, it can keep trying to shake off the effect. At the start of its turn, if it’s still affected, it can attempt the save one more time as a free action. If this save succeeds, the effect affects the creature as if it had succeeded at its initial saving throw. If the effect already allows another saving throw on a later turn to break the effect (such as for hold monster), this ability is in addition to the extra saving throw from the effect. A creature with See in Darkness can see perfectly in darkness of any kind, including that created by deeper darkness. If the opponent of a creature with Smother is holding its breath, this creature can reduce the time until the target has to attempt checks. As a free action, the creature can attempt a grapple combat maneuver against the opponent. If it succeeds, the opponent reduces the remaining duration it can hold its breath by 1d6 rounds. A character who has no air to breathe can hold her breath for 2 rounds per point of Constitution. If a character takes a standard or full-round action, the remaining duration that the character can hold her breath is reduced by 1 round. After this period of time, the character must make a DC 10 Constitution check in order to continue holding her breath. The check must be repeated each round, with the DC increasing by +1 for each previous success. When the character fails one of these Constitution checks, she begins to suffocate. In the first round, she falls (0 hit points). In the following round, she drops to –1 hit points and is dying. In the third round, she suffocates and dies.
Unconscious creatures are knocked out and . Unconsciousness can result from having negative hit points (but not more than the creature’s Constitution score), or from nonlethal damage in excess of current hit points.
A helpless character is paralyzed, held, bound, sleeping, unconscious, or otherwise completely at an opponent’s mercy. A helpless target is treated as having a Dexterity of 0 (–5 modifier). Melee attacks against a helpless target get a +4 bonus (equivalent to attacking a prone target). Ranged attacks get no special bonus against helpless targets. Rogues can sneak attack helpless targets.
As a full-round action, an enemy can use a melee weapon to deliver a coup de grace to a helpless foe. An enemy can also use a bow or crossbow, provided he is adjacent to the target. The attacker automatically hits and scores a critical hit. (A rogue also gets his sneak attack damage bonus against a helpless foe when delivering a coup de grace.) If the defender survives, he must make a Fortitude save (DC 10 + damage dealt) or die. Delivering a coup de grace provokes attacks of opportunity.
Creatures that are immune to critical hits do not take critical damage, nor do they need to make Fortitude saves to avoid being killed by a coup de grace. A creature with Sound Mimicry perfectly imitates certain sounds or even specific voices. The creature makes a Bluff check opposed by the listener’s Sense Motive check to recognize the mimicry, although if the listener isn’t familiar with the person or type of creatures mimicked, it takes a –8 penalty on its Sense Motive check. The creature has a +8 racial bonus on its Bluff check to mimic sounds (including accents and speech patterns, if a voice mimic) it has listened to for at least 10 minutes. The creature cannot duplicate the effects of magical abilities (such as bardic performance or a harpy’s captivating song), though it may be able to mimic the sound of those abilities. This ability does not allow the creature to speak or understand languages it doesn’t know. A creature with Spell Resistance can avoid the effects of spells and spell-like abilities that directly affect it. To determine if a spell or spell-like ability works against a creature with spell resistance, the caster must make a caster level check (1d20 + caster level). If the result equals or exceeds the creature’s spell resistance, the spell works normally, although the creature is still allowed a saving throw. A creature with Split divides into two identical copies of itself if subject to certain attacks or effects. Each copy has half the original’s current hit points (rounded down). A creature reduced below the listed hit points cannot be further split and can be killed normally. A creature with Stench secretes an oily chemical that other creatures find offensive. All living creatures (except those with the stench special ability) within 30 feet must succeed at a Fortitude save or be (DC = 10 + 1/2 the racial HD of the creature with stench + that creature’s Constitution modifier; the exact DC is given in the creature’s descriptive text). The duration of the sickened condition is given in the creature’s descriptive text. Creatures that successfully save cannot be affected by the same creature’s stench for 24 hours. A delay poison or neutralize poison spell removes the effect from the sickened creature. Creatures with immunity to poison are unaffected, and creatures resistant to poison receive their normal bonus on their saving throws.
A sickened character takes a –2 penalty on all attack rolls, weapon damage rolls, saving throws, skill checks, and ability checks. An opponent by a creature with Strangle cannot speak or cast spells with verbal components.
A grappled creature is restrained by a creature, trap, or effect. Grappled creatures cannot move and take a –4 penalty to Dexterity. A grappled creature takes a –2 penalty on all attack rolls and combat maneuver checks, except those made to grapple or escape a grapple. In addition, grappled creatures can take no action that requires two hands to perform. A grappled character who attempts to cast a spell or use a spell-like ability must make a concentration check (DC 10 + grappler’s CMB + spell level), or lose the spell. Grappled creatures cannot make attacks of opportunity.
A grappled creature cannot use Stealth to hide from the creature grappling it, even if a special ability, such as hide in plain sight, would normally allow it to do so. If a grappled creature becomes invisible, through a spell or other ability, it gains a +2 circumstance bonus on its CMD to avoid being grappled, but receives no other benefit. A creature with the Summon ability can summon other specific creatures of its kind much as though casting a summon monster spell, but it usually has only a limited chance of success (as specified in the creature’s entry). Roll d%: On a failure, no creature answers the summons. Summoned creatures automatically return whence they came after 1 hour. A creature summoned in this way cannot use any spells or spell-like abilities that require material components costing more than 1 gp unless those components are supplied, nor can it use its own summon ability for 1 hour. An appropriate spell level is given for each summoning ability for purposes of Will saves, caster level checks, and concentration checks. No experience points are awarded for defeating summoned monsters. If a creature with Sunlight Powerlessness is in sunlight (but not in an area of daylight or similar spells, unless specified in its entry), it cannot attack and is .
A staggered creature may take a single move action or standard action each round (but not both, nor can it take full-round actions). A staggered creature can still take free, swift, and immediate actions. A creature with nonlethal damage exactly equal to its current hit points gains the staggered condition. A creature with Surge can call upon its Mythic Power to overcome difficult challenges. It can expend one use of Mythic Power to increase any d20 roll it just made by rolling a die and adding it to the result. Using this ability is an immediate action taken after the original roll is made and the results are revealed. The bonus die depends on the creature’s Mythic Rank. The monster can use this ability even if it’s mindless or of animal-level intelligence. If a creature with Swallow Whole begins its turn with an opponent grappled in its mouth (see ), it can attempt a new combat maneuver 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 swallowing creature. Being swallowed causes a creature to take damage each round. The amount and type of damage varies and is given in the creature’s statistics. A swallowed creature keeps the grappled condition, while the creature that did the swallowing does not. A swallowed creature can try to cut its way free with any light slashing or piercing weapon (the amount of cutting damage required to get free is equal to 1/10 the creature’s total hit points), or it can just try to escape the grapple. The Armor Class of the interior of a creature that swallows whole is normally 10 + 1/2 its natural armor bonus, with no modifiers for size or Dexterity. If a swallowed creature cuts its way out, the swallowing creature cannot use swallow whole again until the damage is healed. If the swallowed creature escapes the grapple, success puts it back in the attacker’s mouth, where it may be bitten or swallowed again.
If this creature hits with the indicated attack it deals normal damage and attempts to start a as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. The creature has the option to conduct the grapple normally, or simply use the part of its body it used in the grab to hold the opponent. If it chooses to do the latter, it takes a –20 penalty on its CMB check to make and maintain the grapple, but does not gain the grappled condition itself. A successful hold does not deal any extra damage unless the creature also has the constrict special attack. If the creature does not constrict, each successful grapple check it makes during successive rounds automatically deals the damage indicated for the attack that established the hold. Otherwise, it deals constriction damage as well (the amount is given in the creature’s descriptive text).
Creatures with the grab special attack receive a +4 bonus on combat maneuver checks made to start and maintain a grapple.
Unless otherwise noted, grab can only be used against targets of a size equal to or smaller than the creature with this ability. If the creature can use grab on creatures of other sizes, it is noted in the creature’s Special Attacks line.
A grappled creature is restrained by a creature, trap, or effect. Grappled creatures cannot move and take a –4 penalty to Dexterity. A grappled creature takes a –2 penalty on all attack rolls and combat maneuver checks, except those made to grapple or escape a grapple. In addition, grappled creatures can take no action that requires two hands to perform. A grappled character who attempts to cast a spell or use a spell-like ability must make a concentration check (DC 10 + grappler’s CMB + spell level), or lose the spell. Grappled creatures cannot make attacks of opportunity.
A grappled creature cannot use Stealth to hide from the creature grappling it, even if a special ability, such as hide in plain sight, would normally allow it to do so. If a grappled creature becomes invisible, through a spell or other ability, it gains a +2 circumstance bonus on its CMD to avoid being grappled, but receives no other benefit. 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 attacks are nonmagical, unless the swarm’s description states otherwise. Damage reduction sufficient to reduce a swarm attack’s damage to 0, being incorporeal, or other special abilities usually give a creature immunity (or at least resistance) to damage from a swarm. Some swarms also have acid, blood drain, poison, or other special attacks in addition to normal damage.
Swarms do not threaten creatures, and do not make attacks of opportunity with their swarm attack. However, they distract foes whose squares they occupy. A creature with a Swim speed can move through water at its indicated speed without making Swim checks. It gains a +8 racial bonus on any Swim check to perform a special action or avoid a hazard. The creature can always choose to take 10 on a Swim check, even if distracted or endangered when swimming. Such a creature can use the run action while swimming, provided that it swims in a straight line. Tail Sweep allows a Gargantuan or larger dragon to sweep with its tail as a standard action. The sweep affects a half-circle with a radius of 30 feet (or 40 feet for a Colossal dragon), extending from an intersection on the edge of the dragon’s space in any direction. Creatures within the swept area are affected if they are four or more size categories smaller than the dragon. A tail sweep automatically deals the indicated damage plus 1-1/2 times the dragon’s Strength bonus (round down). Affected creatures can attempt Reflex saves to take half damage (DC equal to that of the dragon’s breath weapon). A creature with Telepathy can mentally communicate with any other creature within a certain range (specified in the creature’s entry, usually 100 feet) that has a language. It is possible to address multiple creatures at once telepathically, although maintaining a telepathic conversation with more than one creature at a time is just as difficult as simultaneously speaking and listening to multiple people at the same time. Using nonvisual senses, a creature with Thoughtsense automatically detects and locates conscious creatures within the specified range. Invisibility, darkness, and most kinds of concealment are irrelevant, though the monster must have line of effect to a thinking creature to discern that creature. The monster usually does not need to make Perception checks to notice creatures within range of its thoughtsense ability.
Thoughtsense can distinguish between sentient (Intelligence 3 or greater) and non-sentient (Intelligence 1–2) creatures, but otherwise provides no information about the creatures it detects.
Nondetection, mind blank, and similar effects can block thoughtsense. As a full-round action, a creature with Trample can attempt to overrun any creature that is at least one size category smaller than itself. This works just like the overrun combat maneuver, but the trampling creature does not need to make a check, it merely has to move over opponents in its path. Targets of a trample take an amount of damage equal to the trampling creature’s slam damage + 1-1/2 times its Str modifier. Targets of a trample can make an attack of opportunity, but at a –4 penalty. If targets forgo an attack of opportunity, they can attempt to avoid the trampling creature and receive a Reflex save to take half damage. The save DC against a creature’s trample attack is 10 + 1/2 creature’s HD + creature’s Str modifier (the exact DC is given in the creature’s descriptive text). 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. 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. This does not allow the creature to ignore any miss chance for concealment that would otherwise apply. A creature with Trip can attempt to trip its opponent as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity if it hits with the specified attack. If the attempt fails, the creature is not tripped in return. A creature with Truespeech can speak with any creature that has a language, as though using a tongues spell (caster level equal to creature’s Hit Dice). This ability is always active. A creature with Uncanny Dodge can react to danger before their senses would normally allow them to do so. They cannot be caught , nor do they lose their Dexterity bonus to AC if the attacker is invisible. They still lose their Dexterity bonus to AC if immobilized, or if an opponent successfully uses the feint action against them.
A creature that has not yet acted during a combat is flat-footed, unable to react normally to the situation. A flat-footed creature cannot take immediate actions and loses their Dexterity bonus to AC and CMD (if any). The creature cannot make attacks of opportunity unless they have the Combat Reflexes feat or Uncanny Dodge class ability. A creature with Undersized Weapons ability uses manufactured weapons as if it were one size category Smaller than the creature’s actual size. Animals do not willingly approach within the listed range of a creature with the Unnatural Aura unless the animal’s master makes a DC 25 Handle Animal, Ride, or wild empathy check. A creature with Unstoppable can expend one use of Mythic Power as a free action to immediately end any one of the following conditions currently affecting it: bleed, blind, confused, cowering, dazed, dazzled, deafened, entangled, exhausted, fascinated, fatigued, frightened, nauseated, panicked, paralyzed, shaken, sickened, staggered, or stunned. All other conditions and effects remain, even those resulting from the same spell or effect that caused the selected condition. It can use this ability at the start of its turn even if a condition would prevent it from acting. A creature with Vulnerabilities takes half again as much damage (+50%) from a specific energy type, regardless of whether a saving throw is allowed or if the save is a success or failure. Creatures with a vulnerability that is not an energy type instead take a –4 penalty on saves against spells and effects that cause or use the listed vulnerability (such as spells with the light descriptor). Some creatures might suffer additional effects, as noted in their descriptions. A creature with Water Breathing can breathe underwater indefinitely. It can freely use any breath weapon, spells, or other abilities while submerged. A creature with Water Dependency can survive out of water for 1 minute per point of Constitution. Beyond this limit, this creature runs the risk of suffocation, as if it were drowning. A creature with Web can use webs to support themselves and up to one additional creature of the same size. In addition, such creatures can throw a web up to eight times per day. This is similar to an attack with a net but has a maximum range of 50 feet, with a range increment of 10 feet, and is effective against targets up to one size category larger than the web spinner. An creature can escape with a successful Escape Artist check or burst the web with a Strength check. Both are standard actions with a DC equal to 10 + 1/2 the creature’s HD + the creature’s Con modifier. Attempts to burst a web by those caught in it take a –4 penalty.
The character is ensnared. Being entangled impedes movement, but does not entirely prevent it unless the bonds are anchored to an immobile object or tethered by an opposing force. An entangled creature moves at half speed, cannot run or charge, and takes a –2 penalty on all attack rolls and a –4 penalty to Dexterity. An entangled character who attempts to cast a spell must make a concentration check (DC 15 + spell level) or lose the spell.
Web spinners can create sheets of sticky webbing up to three times their size. They usually position these sheets to snare flying creatures but can also try to trap prey on the ground. Approaching creatures must succeed on a DC 20 Perception check to notice a web; otherwise they stumble into it and become trapped as though by a successful web attack. Attempts to escape or burst the webbing gain a +5 bonus if the trapped creature has something to walk on or grab while pulling free. Each 5-foot-square section of web has a number of hit points equal to the Hit Dice of the creature that created it and DR 5/—.
A creature can move across its own web at its climb speed and can pinpoint the location of any creature touching its web. A creature with Whirlwind can transform into a Whirlwind and remain in that form for up to 1 round for every 2 HD it has. If it has a fly speed, it can continue to fly at that same speed while in whirlwind form; otherwise it gains a fly speed equal to its base land speed (average maneuverability) while in whirlwind form.
The whirlwind is always 5 feet wide at its base, but its height and width at the top vary from creature to creature (minimum 10 feet high). A whirlwind’s width at its peak is always equal to half of its height. The creature controls the exact height, but it must be at least 10 feet high.
The whirlwind form does not provoke attacks of opportunity, even if the creature enters the space another creature occupies. Another creature might be caught in the whirlwind if it touches or enters the whirlwind, or if the whirlwind moves into or through the creature’s space. A creature in whirlwind form cannot make its normal attacks and does not threaten the area around it.
Creatures one or more size categories smaller than the whirlwind might take damage when caught in the whirlwind (generally damage equal to the monster’s slam attack for a creature of its size) and may be lifted into the air. An affected creature must succeed on a Reflex save (DC 10 + half monster’s HD + the monster’s Strength modifier) when it comes into contact with the whirlwind or take damage as if it were hit by the whirlwind creature’s slam attack. It must also succeed on a second Reflex save or be picked up bodily and held suspended in the powerful winds, automatically taking the indicated damage each round. A creature that can fly is allowed a Reflex save each round to escape the whirlwind. The creature still takes damage but can leave if the save is successful.
Creatures trapped in the whirlwind cannot move except to go where the whirlwind carries them or to escape the whirlwind. Trapped creatures can otherwise act normally, but must succeed on a concentration check (DC 15 + spell level) to cast a spell. Creatures caught in the whirlwind take a –4 penalty to Dexterity and a –2 penalty on attack rolls. The whirlwind can have only as many creatures trapped inside at one time as will fit inside the whirlwind’s volume. The whirlwind can eject any carried creatures whenever it wishes as a free action, depositing them in its space.
If the whirlwind’s base touches the ground, it creates a swirling cloud of debris. This cloud is centered on the creature and has a diameter equal to half the whirlwind’s height. The cloud obscures all vision, including darkvision, beyond 5 feet. Creatures 5 feet away have concealment, while those farther away have total concealment. Those caught in the cloud of debris must succeed on a concentration check (DC 15 + spell level) to cast a spell.
Conditions
A creature that is taking bleed damage takes the listed amount of damage at the beginning of its turn. If bleed damage is expressed as a die roll the damage is rerolled for each round. Bleeding can be stopped by a DC 15 Heal check or through the application of any spell that cures hit point damage (even if the bleed is ability damage). Some bleed effects cause ability damage or even ability drain. Bleed effects do not stack with each other unless they deal different kinds of damage. When two or more bleed effects deal the same kind of damage, take the worse effect. In this case, ability drain is worse than ability damage. A blind creature cannot see. It takes a –2 penalty to Armor Class, loses its Dexterity bonus to AC (if any), and takes a –4 penalty on most Strength– and Dexterity-based skill checks and on opposed Perception skill checks. All checks and activities that rely on vision (such as reading and Perception checks based on sight) automatically fail. All opponents are considered to have total concealment (50% miss chance) against the blinded character. Blind creatures must make a DC 10 Acrobatics skill check to move faster than half speed. Creatures that fail this check fall prone. Characters who remain blinded for a long time grow accustomed to these drawbacks and can overcome some of them. A confused creature is mentally befuddled and cannot act normally. A confused creature cannot tell the difference between ally and foe, treating all creatures as enemies. Allies wishing to cast a beneficial spell that requires a touch on a confused creature must succeed on a melee touch attack. If a confused creature is attacked, it retaliates by attacking the creature that last attacked it until that creature is dead or out of sight.
If the confused creature is not retaliating, roll on the following table at the beginning of each confused subject’s turn each round to see what the subject does in that round:
• 01–25 Act normally.
• 26–50 Do nothing but babble incoherently.
• 51–75 Deal 1d8 points of damage + Str modifier to self with item in hand.
• 76–100 Attack nearest creature (excluding subject’s own familiar).
A confused creature who can’t carry out the indicated action does nothing but babble incoherently. Attackers are not at any special advantage when attacking a confused creature. Any confused creature who is attacked automatically attacks its attackers on its next turn, as long as it is still confused when its turn comes. Note that a confused creature will not make attacks of opportunity against anything that it is not already devoted to attacking (either because of its most recent action or because it is retaliating).
(Note: The italicized text is unofficial but added to provide additional clarity.) The character is frozen in fear and can take no actions. A cowering character takes a –2 penalty to Armor Class and loses their Dexterity bonus (if any). The creature is unable to act normally. A dazed creature can take no actions, but has no penalty to AC. A dazed condition typically lasts 1 round. The creature is unable to see well because of over-stimulation of the eyes. A dazzled creature takes a –1 penalty on attack rolls and sight-based Perception checks. A deafened character cannot hear. He takes a –4 penalty on initiative checks, automatically fails Perception checks based on sound, takes a –4 penalty on opposed Perception checks, and has a 20% chance of spell failure when casting spells with verbal components. Characters who remain deafened for a long time grow accustomed to these drawbacks and can overcome some of them. A character with 0 hit points, or one who has negative hit points but has become and conscious, is disabled. A disabled character may take a single move action or standard action each round (but not both, nor can he take full-round actions, but he can still take swift, immediate, and free actions). He moves at half speed. Taking move actions doesn’t risk further injury, but performing any standard action (or any other action the GM deems strenuous, including some free actions such as casting a Quicken Spell spell) deals 1 point of damage after the completion of the act. Unless the action increased the disabled character’s hit points, he is now in negative hit points and dying.
A disabled character with negative hit points recovers hit points naturally if he is being helped. Otherwise, each day he can attempt a DC 10 Constitution check after resting for 8 hours, to begin recovering hit points naturally. The character takes a penalty on this roll equal to his negative hit point total. Failing this check causes the character to lose 1 hit point, but this does not cause the character to become unconscious. Once a character makes this check, he continues to heal naturally and is no longer in danger of losing hit points naturally.
A character who was dying but who has stopped losing hit points each round and still has negative hit points is stable. The character is no longer dying, but is still . If the character has become stable because of aid from another character (such as a Heal check or magical healing), then the character no longer loses hit points. The character can make a DC 10 Constitution check each hour to become conscious and disabled (even though his hit points are still negative). The character takes a penalty on this roll equal to his negative hit point total.
If a character has become stable on his own and hasn’t had help, he is still at risk of losing hit points. Each hour he can make a Constitution check to become stable (as a character that has received aid), but each failed check causes him to lose 1 hit point.
Unconscious creatures are knocked out and . Unconsciousness can result from having negative hit points (but not more than the creature’s Constitution score), or from nonlethal damage in excess of current hit points.
A helpless character is paralyzed, held, bound, sleeping, unconscious, or otherwise completely at an opponent’s mercy. A helpless target is treated as having a Dexterity of 0 (–5 modifier). Melee attacks against a helpless target get a +4 bonus (equivalent to attacking a prone target). Ranged attacks get no special bonus against helpless targets. Rogues can sneak attack helpless targets.
As a full-round action, an enemy can use a melee weapon to deliver a coup de grace to a helpless foe. An enemy can also use a bow or crossbow, provided he is adjacent to the target. The attacker automatically hits and scores a critical hit. (A rogue also gets his sneak attack damage bonus against a helpless foe when delivering a coup de grace.) If the defender survives, he must make a Fortitude save (DC 10 + damage dealt) or die. Delivering a coup de grace provokes attacks of opportunity.
Creatures that are immune to critical hits do not take critical damage, nor do they need to make Fortitude saves to avoid being killed by a coup de grace. A dying creature is and near death. Creatures that have negative hit points and have not stabilized are dying. A dying creature can take no actions. On the character’s next turn, after being reduced to negative hit points (but not dead), and on all subsequent turns, the character must make a DC 10 Constitution check to become stable. The character takes a penalty on this roll equal to his negative hit point total. A character that is stable does not need to make this check. A natural 20 on this check is an automatic success. If the character fails this check, he loses 1 hit point. If a dying creature has an amount of negative hit points equal to its Constitution score, it dies.
Unconscious creatures are knocked out and . Unconsciousness can result from having negative hit points (but not more than the creature’s Constitution score), or from nonlethal damage in excess of current hit points.
A helpless character is paralyzed, held, bound, sleeping, unconscious, or otherwise completely at an opponent’s mercy. A helpless target is treated as having a Dexterity of 0 (–5 modifier). Melee attacks against a helpless target get a +4 bonus (equivalent to attacking a prone target). Ranged attacks get no special bonus against helpless targets. Rogues can sneak attack helpless targets.
As a full-round action, an enemy can use a melee weapon to deliver a coup de grace to a helpless foe. An enemy can also use a bow or crossbow, provided he is adjacent to the target. The attacker automatically hits and scores a critical hit. (A rogue also gets his sneak attack damage bonus against a helpless foe when delivering a coup de grace.) If the defender survives, he must make a Fortitude save (DC 10 + damage dealt) or die. Delivering a coup de grace provokes attacks of opportunity.
Creatures that are immune to critical hits do not take critical damage, nor do they need to make Fortitude saves to avoid being killed by a coup de grace. The character is ensnared. Being entangled impedes movement, but does not entirely prevent it unless the bonds are anchored to an immobile object or tethered by an opposing force. An entangled creature moves at half speed, cannot run or charge, and takes a –2 penalty on all attack rolls and a –4 penalty to Dexterity. An entangled character who attempts to cast a spell must make a concentration check (DC 15 + spell level) or lose the spell. An exhausted character moves at half speed, cannot run or charge, and takes a –6 penalty to Strength and Dexterity. After 1 hour of complete rest, an exhausted character becomes . A fatigued character becomes exhausted by doing something else that would normally cause fatigue.
A fatigued character can neither run nor charge and takes a –2 penalty to Strength and Dexterity. Doing anything that would normally cause fatigue causes the fatigued character to become exhausted. After 8 hours of complete rest, fatigued characters are no longer fatigued. A fascinated creature is entranced by a supernatural or spell effect. The creature stands or sits quietly, taking no actions other than to pay attention to the fascinating effect, for as long as the effect lasts. It takes a –4 penalty on skill checks made as reactions, such as Perception checks. Any potential threat, such as a hostile creature approaching, allows the fascinated creature a new saving throw against the fascinating effect. Any obvious threat, such as someone drawing a weapon, casting a spell, or aiming a ranged weapon at the fascinated creature, automatically breaks the effect. A fascinated creature’s ally may shake it free of the spell as a standard action. A fatigued character can neither run nor charge and takes a –2 penalty to Strength and Dexterity. Doing anything that would normally cause fatigue causes the fatigued character to become . After 8 hours of complete rest, fatigued characters are no longer fatigued.
An exhausted character moves at half speed, cannot run or charge, and takes a –6 penalty to Strength and Dexterity. After 1 hour of complete rest, an exhausted character becomes fatigued. A fatigued character becomes exhausted by doing something else that would normally cause fatigue. A creature that has not yet acted during a combat is flat-footed, unable to react normally to the situation. A flat-footed creature cannot take immediate actions and loses their Dexterity bonus to AC and CMD (if any). The creature cannot make attacks of opportunity unless they have the Combat Reflexes feat or Uncanny Dodge class ability. A frightened creature flees from the source of its fear as best it can. If unable to flee, it may fight. A frightened creature takes a –2 penalty on all attack rolls, saving throws, skill checks, and ability checks. A frightened creature can use special abilities, including spells, to flee; indeed, the creature must use such means if they are the only way to escape. Frightened is like , except that the creature must flee if possible. is a more extreme state of fear.
A shaken character takes a –2 penalty on attack rolls, saving throws, skill checks, and ability checks. Shaken is a less severe state of fear than frightened or panicked.
A panicked creature must drop anything it holds and flee at top speed from the source of its fear, as well as any other dangers it encounters, along a random path. It can’t take any other actions. In addition, the creature takes a –2 penalty on all saving throws, skill checks, and ability checks. If cornered, a panicked creature and does not attack, typically using the total defense action in combat. A panicked creature can use special abilities, including spells, to flee; indeed, the creature must use such means if they are the only way to escape. Panicked is a more extreme state of fear than shaken or frightened.
The character is frozen in fear and can take no actions. A cowering character takes a –2 penalty to Armor Class and loses their Dexterity bonus (if any). A grappled creature is restrained by a creature, trap, or effect. Grappled creatures cannot move and take a –4 penalty to Dexterity. A grappled creature takes a –2 penalty on all attack rolls and combat maneuver checks, except those made to grapple or escape a grapple. In addition, grappled creatures can take no action that requires two hands to perform. A grappled character who attempts to cast a spell or use a spell-like ability must make a concentration check (DC 10 + grappler’s CMB + spell level), or lose the spell. Grappled creatures cannot make attacks of opportunity.
A grappled creature cannot use Stealth to hide from the creature grappling it, even if a special ability, such as hide in plain sight, would normally allow it to do so. If a grappled creature becomes invisible, through a spell or other ability, it gains a +2 circumstance bonus on its CMD to avoid being grappled, but receives no other benefit. A helpless character is paralyzed, held, bound, sleeping, unconscious, or otherwise completely at an opponent’s mercy. A helpless target is treated as having a Dexterity of 0 (–5 modifier). Melee attacks against a helpless target get a +4 bonus (equivalent to attacking a prone target). Ranged attacks get no special bonus against helpless targets. Rogues can sneak attack helpless targets.
As a full-round action, an enemy can use a melee weapon to deliver a coup de grace to a helpless foe. An enemy can also use a bow or crossbow, provided he is adjacent to the target. The attacker automatically hits and scores a critical hit. (A rogue also gets his sneak attack damage bonus against a helpless foe when delivering a coup de grace.) If the defender survives, he must make a Fortitude save (DC 10 + damage dealt) or die. Delivering a coup de grace provokes attacks of opportunity.
Creatures that are immune to critical hits do not take critical damage, nor do they need to make Fortitude saves to avoid being killed by a coup de grace. Invisible creatures are visually undetectable. An invisible creature gains a +2 bonus on attack rolls against sighted opponents, and ignores its opponents’ Dexterity bonuses to AC (if any).
The ability to move about unseen is not foolproof. While they can’t be seen, invisible creatures can be heard, smelled, or felt. Invisibility makes a creature undetectable by vision, including darkvision.
Invisibility does not, by itself, make a creature immune to critical hits, but it does make the creature immune to extra damage from being a ranger’s favored enemy and from sneak attacks.
A creature can generally notice the presence of an active invisible creature within 30 feet with a DC 20 Perception check. The observer gains a hunch that “something’s there” but can’t see it or target it accurately with an attack. It’s practically impossible (+20 DC) to pinpoint an invisible creature’s location with a Perception check. Even once a character has pinpointed the square that contains an invisible creature, the creature still benefits from total concealment (50% miss chance). There are a number of modifiers that can be applied to this DC if the invisible creature is moving or engaged in a noisy activity.
• In combat or speaking –20
• Moving at half speed –5
• Moving at full speed –10
• Running or charging –20
• Not moving +20
• Using Stealth Stealth check +20
• Some distance away +1 per 10 feet
• Behind an obstacle (door) +5
• Behind an obstacle (stone wall) +15
A creature can grope about to find an invisible creature. A character can make a touch attack with his hands or a weapon into two adjacent 5-foot squares using a standard action. If an invisible target is in the designated area, there is a 50% miss chance on the touch attack. If successful, the groping character deals no damage but 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 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.
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 invisible 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 and tell him that the character has missed, regardless of the result. 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. 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. One could coat an invisible object with flour to at least keep track of its position (until the flour falls off or blows away).
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 (20% miss chance).
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.
An invisible burning torch still gives off light, as does an invisible object with a light or similar spell cast upon it.
Ethereal creatures are invisible. Since ethereal creatures are not materially present, Perception checks, scent, Blind-Fight, and blindsight don’t help locate them. Incorporeal creatures are often invisible. Scent, Blind-Fight, and blindsight don’t help creatures find or attack invisible, incorporeal creatures, but Perception checks can help.
Invisible creatures cannot use gaze attacks.
Invisibility does not thwart divination spells.
Since some creatures can detect or even see invisible creatures, it is helpful to be able to hide even when invisible. Creatures with the nauseated condition experience stomach distress. Nauseated creatures are unable to attack, cast spells, concentrate on spells, or do anything else requiring attention. The only action such a character can take is a single move action per turn. A panicked creature must drop anything it holds and flee at top speed from the source of its fear, as well as any other dangers it encounters, along a random path. It can’t take any other actions. In addition, the creature takes a –2 penalty on all saving throws, skill checks, and ability checks. If cornered, a panicked creature and does not attack, typically using the total defense action in combat. A panicked creature can use special abilities, including spells, to flee; indeed, the creature must use such means if they are the only way to escape. Panicked is a more extreme state of fear than or .
The character is frozen in fear and can take no actions. A cowering character takes a –2 penalty to Armor Class and loses their Dexterity bonus (if any).
A shaken character takes a –2 penalty on attack rolls, saving throws, skill checks, and ability checks. Shaken is a less severe state of fear than frightened or panicked.
A frightened creature flees from the source of its fear as best it can. If unable to flee, it may fight. A frightened creature takes a –2 penalty on all attack rolls, saving throws, skill checks, and ability checks. A frightened creature can use special abilities, including spells, to flee; indeed, the creature must use such means if they are the only way to escape. Frightened is like shaken, except that the creature must flee if possible. Panicked is a more extreme state of fear. A paralyzed character is frozen in place and unable to move or act. A paralyzed character has effective Dexterity and Strength scores of 0 and is , but can take purely mental actions (such as the use of a SLA). A winged creature flying in the air at the time that it becomes paralyzed cannot flap its wings and falls. A paralyzed swimmer can’t swim and may drown. A creature can move through a space occupied by a paralyzed creature—ally or not. Each square occupied by a paralyzed creature, however, counts as 2 squares to move through.
A helpless character is paralyzed, held, bound, sleeping, unconscious, or otherwise completely at an opponent’s mercy. A helpless target is treated as having a Dexterity of 0 (–5 modifier). Melee attacks against a helpless target get a +4 bonus (equivalent to attacking a prone target). Ranged attacks get no special bonus against helpless targets. Rogues can sneak attack helpless targets.
As a full-round action, an enemy can use a melee weapon to deliver a coup de grace to a helpless foe. An enemy can also use a bow or crossbow, provided he is adjacent to the target. The attacker automatically hits and scores a critical hit. (A rogue also gets his sneak attack damage bonus against a helpless foe when delivering a coup de grace.) If the defender survives, he must make a Fortitude save (DC 10 + damage dealt) or die. Delivering a coup de grace provokes attacks of opportunity.
Creatures that are immune to critical hits do not take critical damage, nor do they need to make Fortitude saves to avoid being killed by a coup de grace. A petrified character has been turned to stone and is considered . If a petrified character cracks or breaks, but the broken pieces are joined with the body as he returns to flesh, he is unharmed. If the character’s petrified body is incomplete when it returns to flesh, the body is likewise incomplete and there is some amount of permanent hit point loss and/or debilitation.
Unconscious creatures are knocked out and . Unconsciousness can result from having negative hit points (but not more than the creature’s Constitution score), or from nonlethal damage in excess of current hit points.
A helpless character is paralyzed, held, bound, sleeping, unconscious, or otherwise completely at an opponent’s mercy. A helpless target is treated as having a Dexterity of 0 (–5 modifier). Melee attacks against a helpless target get a +4 bonus (equivalent to attacking a prone target). Ranged attacks get no special bonus against helpless targets. Rogues can sneak attack helpless targets.
As a full-round action, an enemy can use a melee weapon to deliver a coup de grace to a helpless foe. An enemy can also use a bow or crossbow, provided he is adjacent to the target. The attacker automatically hits and scores a critical hit. (A rogue also gets his sneak attack damage bonus against a helpless foe when delivering a coup de grace.) If the defender survives, he must make a Fortitude save (DC 10 + damage dealt) or die. Delivering a coup de grace provokes attacks of opportunity.
Creatures that are immune to critical hits do not take critical damage, nor do they need to make Fortitude saves to avoid being killed by a coup de grace. A pinned creature is tightly bound and can take few actions. A pinned creature cannot move and is denied its Dexterity bonus. A pinned character also takes an additional –4 penalty to his Armor Class. A pinned creature is limited in the actions that it can take. A pinned creature can always attempt to free itself, usually through a combat maneuver check or Escape Artist check. A pinned creature can take verbal and mental actions, but cannot cast any spells that require a somatic or material component. A pinned character who attempts to cast a spell or use a spell-like ability must make a concentration check (DC 10 + grappler’s CMB + spell level) or lose the spell. Pinned is a more severe version of , and their effects do not stack.
A grappled creature is restrained by a creature, trap, or effect. Grappled creatures cannot move and take a –4 penalty to Dexterity. A grappled creature takes a –2 penalty on all attack rolls and combat maneuver checks, except those made to grapple or escape a grapple. In addition, grappled creatures can take no action that requires two hands to perform. A grappled character who attempts to cast a spell or use a spell-like ability must make a concentration check (DC 10 + grappler’s CMB + spell level), or lose the spell. Grappled creatures cannot make attacks of opportunity.
A grappled creature cannot use Stealth to hide from the creature grappling it, even if a special ability, such as hide in plain sight, would normally allow it to do so. If a grappled creature becomes invisible, through a spell or other ability, it gains a +2 circumstance bonus on its CMD to avoid being grappled, but receives no other benefit. The character is lying on the ground. A prone attacker has a –4 penalty on melee attack rolls and cannot use a ranged weapon (except for a crossbow). A prone defender gains a +4 bonus to Armor Class against ranged attacks, but takes a –4 penalty to AC against melee attacks. Standing up is a move-equivalent action that provokes an attack of opportunity. A shaken character takes a –2 penalty on attack rolls, saving throws, skill checks, and ability checks. Shaken is a less severe state of fear than or .
A frightened creature flees from the source of its fear as best it can. If unable to flee, it may fight. A frightened creature takes a –2 penalty on all attack rolls, saving throws, skill checks, and ability checks. A frightened creature can use special abilities, including spells, to flee; indeed, the creature must use such means if they are the only way to escape. Frightened is like shaken, except that the creature must flee if possible. Panicked is a more extreme state of fear.
A panicked creature must drop anything it holds and flee at top speed from the source of its fear, as well as any other dangers it encounters, along a random path. It can’t take any other actions. In addition, the creature takes a –2 penalty on all saving throws, skill checks, and ability checks. If cornered, a panicked creature and does not attack, typically using the total defense action in combat. A panicked creature can use special abilities, including spells, to flee; indeed, the creature must use such means if they are the only way to escape. Panicked is a more extreme state of fear than shaken or frightened.
The character is frozen in fear and can take no actions. A cowering character takes a –2 penalty to Armor Class and loses their Dexterity bonus (if any). A sickened character takes a –2 penalty on all attack rolls, weapon damage rolls, saving throws, skill checks, and ability checks. A character who was dying but who has stopped losing hit points each round and still has negative hit points is stable. The character is no longer dying, but is still . If the character has become stable because of aid from another character (such as a Heal check or magical healing), then the character no longer loses hit points. The character can make a DC 10 Constitution check each hour to become conscious and disabled (even though his hit points are still negative). The character takes a penalty on this roll equal to his negative hit point total.
If a character has become stable on his own and hasn’t had help, he is still at risk of losing hit points. Each hour he can make a Constitution check to become stable (as a character that has received aid), but each failed check causes him to lose 1 hit point.
Unconscious creatures are knocked out and . Unconsciousness can result from having negative hit points (but not more than the creature’s Constitution score), or from nonlethal damage in excess of current hit points.
A helpless character is paralyzed, held, bound, sleeping, unconscious, or otherwise completely at an opponent’s mercy. A helpless target is treated as having a Dexterity of 0 (–5 modifier). Melee attacks against a helpless target get a +4 bonus (equivalent to attacking a prone target). Ranged attacks get no special bonus against helpless targets. Rogues can sneak attack helpless targets.
As a full-round action, an enemy can use a melee weapon to deliver a coup de grace to a helpless foe. An enemy can also use a bow or crossbow, provided he is adjacent to the target. The attacker automatically hits and scores a critical hit. (A rogue also gets his sneak attack damage bonus against a helpless foe when delivering a coup de grace.) If the defender survives, he must make a Fortitude save (DC 10 + damage dealt) or die. Delivering a coup de grace provokes attacks of opportunity.
Creatures that are immune to critical hits do not take critical damage, nor do they need to make Fortitude saves to avoid being killed by a coup de grace. A staggered creature may take a single move action or standard action each round (but not both, nor can it take full-round actions). A staggered creature can still take free, swift, and immediate actions. A creature with nonlethal damage exactly equal to its current hit points gains the staggered condition. A stunned creature drops everything held, can’t take actions, takes a –2 penalty to AC, and loses its Dexterity bonus to AC (if any). Attackers receive a +4 bonus on attack rolls to perform combat maneuvers against a stunned opponent. Unconscious creatures are knocked out and . Unconsciousness can result from having negative hit points (but not more than the creature’s Constitution score), or from nonlethal damage in excess of current hit points.
A helpless character is paralyzed, held, bound, sleeping, unconscious, or otherwise completely at an opponent’s mercy. A helpless target is treated as having a Dexterity of 0 (–5 modifier). Melee attacks against a helpless target get a +4 bonus (equivalent to attacking a prone target). Ranged attacks get no special bonus against helpless targets. Rogues can sneak attack helpless targets.
As a full-round action, an enemy can use a melee weapon to deliver a coup de grace to a helpless foe. An enemy can also use a bow or crossbow, provided he is adjacent to the target. The attacker automatically hits and scores a critical hit. (A rogue also gets his sneak attack damage bonus against a helpless foe when delivering a coup de grace.) If the defender survives, he must make a Fortitude save (DC 10 + damage dealt) or die. Delivering a coup de grace provokes attacks of opportunity.
Creatures that are immune to critical hits do not take critical damage, nor do they need to make Fortitude saves to avoid being killed by a coup de grace.
Rules Reference
Some attacks or special abilities cause ability damage or drain, or apply an ability penalty. While ability damage can be healed naturally, ability drain is permanent and can be restored only through magic.
Ability damage does not actually reduce an ability, but it does apply a penalty to the skills and statistics that are based on that ability. For every 2 points of ability damage taken to a single ability, apply a –1 penalty to skills and statistics listed with the relevant ability. If the amount of ability damage taken equals or exceeds the ability score, the creature immediately falls unconscious until the damage is less than the ability score. The only exception to this is the Constitution score. If the damage to Constitution is equal to or greater than the Constitution score, the creature dies. Unless otherwise noted, damage to ability scores heals naturally at the rate of 1 per day to each ability score that has been damaged. Ability damage can be healed through the use of spells, such as lesser restoration.
Ability drain actually reduces the relevant ability score. Modify all skills and statistics related to that ability. This might cause a creature to lose skill points, hit points, and other bonuses. Ability drain can be healed through the use of spells such as restoration.
Some spells and abilities cause an ability penalty for a limited amount of time. While in effect, these penalties function just like ability damage, but they cannot cause a creature to fall unconscious or die. In essence, penalties cannot decrease an ability score to less than 1.
Strength Damage to the Strength score causes penalties on Strength-based skill checks, melee attack rolls, and weapon damage rolls (if they rely on Strength). The penalty also applies to Combat Maneuver Bonus (for Small or larger creatures) and Combat Maneuver Defense.
Dexterity Damage to the Dexterity score causes penalties on Dexterity-based skill checks, ranged attack rolls, initiative checks, and Reflex saving throws. The penalty also applies to Armor Class, Combat Maneuver Bonus (for Tiny or smaller creatures), and to Combat Maneuver Defense.
Constitution Damage to the Constitution score causes penalties on Fortitude saving throws. In addition, multiply total Hit Dice by this penalty and subtract that amount from the current and total hit points. Lost hit points are restored when the Constitution damage is healed.
Intelligence Damage to the Intelligence score causes penalties on Intelligence-based skill checks. This penalty also applies to any spell DCs based on Intelligence.
Wisdom Damage to the Wisdom score causes penalties on Wisdom-based skill checks and Will saving throws. This penalty also applies to any spell DCs based on Wisdom.
Charisma Damage to the Charisma score causes penalties on Charisma-based skill checks. This penalty also applies to any spell DCs based off Charisma and the DC to resist channeled energy. A spell’s power often depends on its caster level, which for most spellcasting characters is equal to the class level in the class used to cast the spell. You can cast a spell at a lower caster level than normal, but the caster level you choose must be high enough for you to cast the spell in question, and all level-dependent features must be based on the same caster level. In the event that a class feature or other special ability provides an adjustment to your caster level, that adjustment applies not only to effects based on caster level (such as range, duration, and damage dealt), but also to your caster level check to overcome your target’s spell resistance and to the caster level used in dispel checks (both the dispel check and the DC of the check).
You cannot take 10 or take 20 on caster level checks. When performing a combat maneuver, you must use an action appropriate to the maneuver you are attempting to perform. While many combat maneuvers can be performed as part of an attack action, full-attack action, or attack of opportunity (in place of a melee attack), others require a specific action. Unless otherwise noted, performing a combat maneuver provokes an attack of opportunity from the target of the maneuver. If you are hit by the target, you take the damage normally and apply that amount as a penalty to the attack roll to perform the maneuver. If your target is immobilized, unconscious, or otherwise incapacitated, your maneuver automatically succeeds (treat as if you rolled a natural 20 on the attack roll). If your target is stunned, you receive a +4 bonus on your attack roll to perform a combat maneuver against it.
When you attempt to perform a combat maneuver, make an attack roll and add your CMB in place of your normal attack bonus. Add any bonuses you currently have on attack rolls due to spells, feats, and other effects. These bonuses must be applicable to the weapon or attack used to perform the maneuver. The DC of this maneuver is your target’s Combat Maneuver Defense. Combat maneuvers are attack rolls, so you must roll for concealment and take any other penalties that would normally apply to an attack roll.
If your attack roll equals or exceeds the CMD of the target, your maneuver is a success and has the listed effect. Some maneuvers, such as bull rush, have varying levels of success depending on how much your attack roll exceeds the target’s CMD. Rolling a natural 20 while attempting a combat maneuver is always a success (except when attempting to escape from bonds), while rolling a natural 1 is always a failure. It requires concentration to cast a spell or use a spell-like ability. If you can’t concentrate, you can’t cast a spell. If you start casting a spell but something interferes with your concentration, you must make a concentration check or lose the spell. When you make a concentration check, you roll d20 and add your caster level and primary casting stat modifier (usually determined by character class or defined in the creature's entry). The check’s DC depends on what is threatening your concentration. If you fail the check, the spell fizzles with no effect but still counts as having been cast for the purposes of prepared spells or spells per day. You cannot take 10 or take 20 on a concentration check.
Injury If you take damage while trying to cast a spell, you must make a concentration check with a DC equal to 10 + the damage taken + the level of the spell you’re casting. If you fail the check, you lose the spell without effect. The interrupting event strikes during spellcasting if it comes between the time you started and the time you complete a spell (for a spell with a casting time of 1 full round or more) or if it comes in response to your casting the spell (such as an attack of opportunity provoked by the spell or a contingent attack, such as a readied action).
Continuous Damage If you are taking continuous damage, such as from an acid arrow or by standing in a lake of lava, half the damage is considered to take place while you are casting a spell. You must make a concentration check with a DC equal to 10 + 1/2 the damage that the continuous source last dealt + the level of the spell you’re casting. If the last damage dealt was the last damage that the effect could deal, then the damage is over and does not distract you.
Spell If you are affected by a spell while attempting to cast a spell of your own, you must make a concentration check or lose the spell you are casting. If the spell affecting you deals damage, the DC is 10 + the damage taken + the level of the spell you’re casting. If the spell interferes with you or distracts you in some other way, the DC is the spell’s saving throw DC + the level of the spell you’re casting. For a spell with no saving throw, it’s the DC that the spell’s saving throw would have if a save were allowed (10 + spell level + caster’s ability score).
Grappled or Pinned Casting a spell while you have the grappled or pinned condition is difficult and requires a concentration check (DC 10 + the grappler’s CMB + the level of the spell you’re casting). Pinned creatures can only cast spells that do not have somatic components.
Vigorous Motion If you are riding on a moving mount, taking a bouncy ride in a wagon, on a small boat in rough water, belowdecks in a storm-tossed ship, or simply being jostled in a similar fashion, you must make a concentration check (DC 10 + the level of the spell you’re casting) or lose the spell.
Violent Motion If you are on a galloping horse, taking a very rough ride in a wagon, on a small boat in rapids or in a storm, on deck in a storm-tossed ship, or being pitched roughly about in a similar fashion, you must make a concentration check (DC 15 + the level of the spell you’re casting) or lose the spell. If the motion is extremely violent, such as that caused by an earthquake, the DC is equal to 20 + the level of the spell you’re casting.
Violent Weather You must make a concentration check if you try to cast a spell in violent weather. If you are in a high wind carrying blinding rain or sleet, the DC is 5 + the level of the spell you’re casting. If you are in wind-driven hail, dust, or debris, the DC is 10 + the level of the spell you’re casting. In either case, you lose the spell if you fail the concentration check. If the weather is caused by a spell, use the rules as described in the spell’s description.
Casting Defensively If you want to cast a spell without provoking any attacks of opportunity, you must make a concentration check (DC 15 + double the level of the spell you’re casting) to succeed. You lose the spell if you fail.
Entangled If you want to cast a spell while entangled in a net or by a tanglefoot bag or while you’re affected by a spell with similar effect, you must make a concentration check to cast the spell (DC 15 + the level of the spell you’re casting). You lose the spell if you fail.
Concentrating to Maintain a Spell Some spells require continued concentration to keep them going. Concentrating to maintain a spell is a standard action that doesn’t provoke an attack of opportunity. Anything that could break your concentration when casting a spell can keep you from concentrating to maintain a spell. If your concentration breaks, the spell ends. You can stop concentrating on a spell as a free action.
Redirecting a Spell Some spells allow you to use a move action to change their target or redirect them in some fashion. Redirecting a spell in this way does not require concentration. Using an extraordinary ability is usually not an action because most extraordinary abilities automatically happen in a reactive fashion. Those extraordinary abilities that are actions are usually standard actions that cannot be disrupted, do not require concentration, and do not provoke attacks of opportunity.
Extraordinary abilities function normally within the area of an antimagic field. Most creatures possess one or more natural attacks (attacks made without a weapon). These attacks fall into one of two categories: primary and secondary attacks. Primary attacks are made using the creature’s full base attack bonus and add the creature’s full Strength bonus on damage rolls. Secondary attacks are made using the creature’s base attack bonus –5 and add only 1/2 the creature’s Strength bonus to damage rolls. If a creature has only one natural attack, it is always made using the creature’s full base attack bonus and adds 1-1/2 the creature’s Strength bonus to damage rolls. This increase does not apply if the creature has multiple attacks but only takes one. If a creature has only one type of attack, but has multiple attacks per round, that attack is treated as a primary attack, regardless of its type.
Some creatures treat one or more of their attacks differently, such as dragons, which always add 1-1/2 times their Strength bonus to damage rolls with their bite attack. These exceptions are noted in the creature’s description. Creatures with natural attacks and attacks made with weapons can use both as part of a full-attack action (although often a creature must forgo one natural attack for each weapon clutched in that limb, whether it’s a claw, tentacle, or slam). Such creatures attack with their weapons normally but treat all of their natural attacks as secondary attacks during that attack, regardless of the attack’s original type.
Some types of natural attacks deal damage of more than one type, depending on the creature. In such cases, all the damage is considered to be of all listed types for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.
Some fey, humanoids, monstrous humanoids, and outsiders don’t have natural attacks. These creatures can make unarmed strikes, but treat them as weapons for the purpose of determining attack bonuses, and they must use the two-weapon fighting rules when making attacks with both hands. Spell-like abilities are magical and work just like spells (though they are not spells and so have no verbal, somatic, focus, or material components). They go away in an antimagic field and are subject to spell resistance if the spell the ability is based on would be subject to spell resistance.
A spell-like ability usually has a limit on how often it can be used. A constant spell-like ability or one that can be used at will has no use limit; unless otherwise stated, a creature can only use a constant spell-like ability on itself. Reactivating a constant spell-like ability is a swift action. Using all other spell-like abilities is a standard action unless noted otherwise, and doing so provokes attacks of opportunity. It is possible to make a concentration check to use a spell-like ability defensively and avoid provoking an attack of opportunity, just as when casting a spell. A spell-like ability can be disrupted just as a spell can be. Spell-like abilities cannot be used to counterspell, nor can they be counterspelled.
For creatures with spell-like abilities, a designated caster level defines how difficult it is to dispel their spell-like effects and to define any level-dependent variables (such as range and duration) 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. If no caster level is specified, the caster level is equal to the creature’s Hit Dice. The saving throw (if any) against a spell-like ability is 10 + the level of the spell the ability resembles or duplicates + the creature’s Charisma modifier.
Some spell-like abilities duplicate spells that work differently when cast by characters of different classes. A monster’s spell-like abilities are presumed to be the sorcerer/wizard versions. If the spell in question is not a sorcerer/wizard spell, then default to cleric, druid, bard, paladin, and ranger, in that order. First you must choose which spell to cast. If you’re a prepared caster, you select from among spells prepared earlier in the day and not yet cast. If you’re a spontaneous caster, you can select any spell you know, provided you are capable of casting spells of that level or higher. If a spell has multiple versions, you choose which version to use when you cast it. You don’t have to prepare (or learn, in the case of a spontaneous caster) a specific version of the spell.
Components To cast a spell, you must be able to speak (if the spell has a verbal component), gesture (if it has a somatic component), and manipulate the material components or focus (if any). Additionally, you must concentrate to cast a spell.
Verbal (V): A verbal component is a spoken incantation. To provide a verbal component, you must be able to speak in a strong voice. A silence spell or a gag spoils the incantation (and thus the spell). A spellcaster who has been deafened has a 20% chance of spoiling any spell with a verbal component that he tries to cast.
Somatic (S): A somatic component is a measured and precise movement of the hand. You must have at least one hand free to provide a somatic component.
Material (M): A material component consists of one or more physical substances or objects that are annihilated by the spell energies in the casting process. Unless a cost is given for a material component, the cost is negligible. Don’t bother to keep track of material components with negligible cost. Assume you have all you need as long as you have your spell component pouch.
Focus (F): A focus component is a prop of some sort. Unlike a material component, a focus is not consumed when the spell is cast and can be reused. As with material components, the cost for a focus is negligible unless a price is given. Assume that focus components of negligible cost are in your spell component pouch.
Divine Focus (DF): A divine focus component is an item of spiritual significance. The divine focus for a cleric or a paladin is a holy symbol appropriate to the character’s faith. The divine focus for a druid or a ranger is a sprig of holly, or some other sacred plant.
Casting Time Most spells have a casting time of 1 standard action. Others take 1 round or more, while a few require only a swift action. A spell that takes 1 round to cast is a full-round action. It comes into effect just before the beginning of your turn in the round after you began casting the spell. You then act normally after the spell is completed.
A spell that takes 1 minute to cast comes into effect just before your turn 1 minute later (and for each of those 10 rounds, you are casting a spell as a full-round action, just as noted above for 1-round casting times). These actions must be consecutive and uninterrupted, or the spell automatically fails.
When you begin a spell that takes 1 round or longer to cast, you must continue the concentration from the current round to just before your turn in the next round (at least). If you lose concentration before the casting is complete, you lose the spell.
A spell with a casting time of 1 swift action doesn’t count against your normal limit of one spell per round. However, you may cast such a spell only once per round. Casting a spell with a casting time of 1 swift action doesn’t provoke attacks of opportunity.
You make all pertinent decisions about a spell (range, target, area, effect, version, and so forth) when the spell comes into effect.
Range A spell’s range indicates how far from you it can reach, as defined in the range entry of the spell description. A spell’s range is the maximum distance from you that the spell’s effect can occur, as well as the maximum distance at which you can designate the spell’s point of origin. If any portion of the spell’s area would extend beyond this range, that area is wasted. Standard ranges include the following.
Personal: The spell affects only you.
Touch: You must touch a creature or object to affect it. A touch spell that deals damage can score a critical hit just as a weapon can. A touch spell threatens a critical hit on a natural roll of 20 and deals double damage on a successful critical hit. Some touch spells allow you to touch multiple targets. You can touch up to 6 willing targets as part of the casting, but all targets of the spell must be touched in the same round that you finish casting the spell. If the spell allows you to touch targets over multiple rounds, touching 6 creatures is a full-round action.
Close: The spell reaches as far as 25 feet away from you. The maximum range increases by 5 feet for every two full caster levels.
Medium: The spell reaches as far as 100 feet + 10 feet per caster level.
Long: The spell reaches as far as 400 feet + 40 feet per caster level.
Unlimited: The spell reaches anywhere on the same plane of existence.
Range Expressed in Feet: Some spells have no standard range category, just a range expressed in feet.
Aiming a Spell You must make choices about whom a spell is to affect or where an effect is to originate, depending on a spell’s type. Some spells have a target or targets. You cast these spells on creatures or objects, as defined by the spell itself. You must be able to see or touch the target, and you must specifically choose that target. You do not have to select your target until you finish casting the spell.
If the target of a spell is yourself (the Target line of the spell description includes “You”), you do not receive a saving throw, and spell resistance does not apply. The saving throw and spell resistance lines are omitted from such spells.
Some spells restrict you to willing targets only. Declaring yourself as a willing target is something that can be done at any time (even if you’re flat-footed or it isn’t your turn). Unconscious creatures are automatically considered willing, but a character who is conscious but immobile or helpless (such as one who is bound, cowering, grappling, paralyzed, pinned, or stunned) is not automatically willing.
Some spells allow you to redirect the effect to new targets or areas after you cast the spell. Redirecting a spell is a move action that does not provoke attacks of opportunity.
Effect Some spells create or summon things rather than affecting things that are already present. You must designate the location where these things are to appear, either by seeing it or defining it. Range determines how far away an effect can appear, but if the effect is mobile, after it appears it can move regardless of the spell’s range.
Ray: Some effects are rays. You aim a ray as if using a ranged weapon, though typically you make a ranged touch attack rather than a normal ranged attack. As with a ranged weapon, you can fire into the dark or at an invisible creature and hope you hit something. You don’t have to see the creature you’re trying to hit, as you do with a targeted spell. Intervening creatures and obstacles, however, can block your line of sight or provide cover for the creature at which you’re aiming. If a ray spell has a duration, it’s the duration of the effect that the ray causes, not the length of time the ray itself persists. If a ray spell deals damage, you can score a critical hit just as if it were a weapon. A ray spell threatens a critical hit on a natural roll of 20 and deals double damage on a successful critical hit.
Spread: Some effects, notably clouds and fogs, spread out from a point of origin, which must be a grid intersection. The effect can extend around corners and into areas that you can’t see. Figure distance by actual distance traveled, taking into account turns the spell effect takes. When determining distance for spread effects, count around walls, not through them. As with movement, do not trace diagonals across corners. You must designate the point of origin for such an effect, but you need not have line of effect to all portions of the effect.
Some spells affect an area. Sometimes a spell description specifies a specially defined area, but usually an area falls into one of the categories defined below. Regardless of the shape of the area, you select the point where the spell originates, but otherwise you don’t control which creatures or objects the spell affects. The point of origin of a spell is always a grid intersection. When determining whether a given creature is within the area of a spell, count out the distance from the point of origin in squares just as you do when moving a character or when determining the range for a ranged attack. The only difference is that instead of counting from the center of one square to the center of the next, you count from intersection to intersection. You can count diagonally across a square, but remember that every second diagonal counts as 2 squares of distance. If the far edge of a square is within the spell’s area, anything within that square is within the spell’s area. If the spell’s area only touches the near edge of a square, however, anything within that square is unaffected by the spell.
Burst, Emanation, or Spread: Most spells that affect an area function as a burst, an emanation, or a spread. In each case, you select the spell’s point of origin and measure its effect from that point. A burst spell affects whatever it catches in its area, including creatures that you can’t see. It can’t affect creatures with total cover from its point of origin (in other words, its effects don’t extend around corners). The default shape for a burst effect is a sphere, but some burst spells are specifically described as cone-shaped. A burst’s area defines how far from the point of origin the spell’s effect extends. An emanation spell functions like a burst spell, except that the effect continues to radiate from the point of origin for the duration of the spell. Most emanations are cones or spheres. A spread spell extends out like a burst but can turn corners. You select the point of origin, and the spell spreads out a given distance in all directions. Figure the area the spell effect fills by taking into account any turns the spell effect takes.
Cone, Cylinder, Line, or Sphere: Most spells that affect an area have a particular shape. A cone-shaped spell shoots away from you in a quartercircle in the direction you designate. It starts from any corner of your square and widens out as it goes. Most cones are either bursts or emanations (see above), and thus won’t go around corners. When casting a cylinder-shaped spell, you select the spell’s point of origin. This point is the center of a horizontal circle, and the spell shoots down from the circle, filling a cylinder. A cylinder-shaped spell ignores any obstructions within its area. A line-shaped spell shoots away from you in a line in the direction you designate. It starts from any corner of your square and extends to the limit of its range or until it strikes a barrier that blocks line of effect. A line-shaped spell affects all creatures in squares through which the line passes. A sphere-shaped spell expands from its point of origin to fill a spherical area. Spheres may be bursts, emanations, or spreads.
Creatures: A spell with this kind of area affects creatures directly (like a targeted spell), but it affects all creatures in an area of some kind rather than individual creatures you select. The area might be a spherical burst, a cone-shaped burst, or some other shape. Many spells affect “living creatures,” which means all creatures other than constructs and undead. Creatures in the spell’s area that are not of the appropriate type do not count against the creatures affected.
Objects: A spell with this kind of area affects objects within an area you select (as Creatures, but affecting objects instead).
Other: A spell can have a unique area, as defined in its description.
(S) Shapeable: If an area or effect entry ends with “(S),” you can shape the spell. A shaped effect or area can have no dimension smaller than 10 feet. Many effects or areas are given as cubes to make it easy to model irregular shapes. Three-dimensional volumes are most often needed to define aerial or underwater effects and areas.
Line of Effect: A line of effect is a straight, unblocked path that indicates what a spell can affect. A line of effect is canceled by a solid barrier. It’s like line of sight for ranged weapons, except that it’s not blocked by fog, darkness, and other factors that limit normal sight. You must have a clear line of effect to any target that you cast a spell on or to any space in which you wish to create an effect. You must have a clear line of effect to the point of origin of any spell you cast. A burst, cone, cylinder, or emanation spell affects only an area, creature, or object to which it has line of effect from its origin (a spherical burst’s center point, a cone shaped burst’s starting point, a cylinder’s circle, or an emanation’s point of origin). An otherwise solid barrier with a hole of at least 1 square foot through it does not block a spell’s line of effect. Such an opening means that the 5-foot length of wall containing the hole is no longer considered a barrier for purposes of a spell’s line of effect.
Duration A spell’s duration entry tells you how long the magical energy of the spell lasts.
Timed Durations: Many durations are measured in rounds, minutes, hours, or other increments. When the time is up, the magic goes away and the spell ends. If a spell’s duration is variable, the duration is rolled secretly so the caster doesn’t know how long the spell will last.
Instantaneous: The spell energy comes and goes the instant the spell is cast, though the consequences might be long-lasting.
Permanent: The energy remains as long as the effect does. This means the spell is vulnerable to dispel magic.
Concentration: The spell lasts as long as you concentrate on it. Concentrating to maintain a spell is a standard action that does not provoke attacks of opportunity. Anything that could break your concentration when casting a spell can also break your concentration while you’re maintaining one, causing the spell to end. You can’t cast a spell while concentrating on another one. Some spells last for a short time after you cease concentrating.
Subjects, Effects, and Areas: If the spell affects creatures directly, the result travels with the subjects for the spell’s duration. If the spell creates an effect, the effect lasts for the duration. The effect might move or remain still. Such an effect can be destroyed prior to when its duration ends. If the spell affects an area, then the spell stays with that area for its duration. Creatures become subject to the spell when they enter the area and are no longer subject to it when they leave.
Touch Spells and Holding the Charge: In most cases, if you don’t discharge a touch spell on the round you cast it, you can hold the charge (postpone the discharge of the spell) indefinitely. You can make touch attacks round after round until the spell is discharged. If you cast another spell, the touch spell dissipates. Some touch spells allow you to touch multiple targets as part of the spell. You can’t hold the charge of such a spell; you must touch all targets of the spell in the same round that you finish casting the spell.
Discharge: Occasionally a spells lasts for a set duration or until triggered or discharged.
(D) Dismissible: If the duration line ends with “(D),” you can dismiss the spell at will. You must be within range of the spell’s effect and must speak words of dismissal, which are usually a modif ied form of the spell’s verbal component. If the spell has no verbal component, you can dismiss the effect with a gesture. Dismissing a spell is a standard action that does not provoke attacks of opportunity. A spell that depends on concentration is dismissible by its very nature, and dismissing it does not take an action, since all you have to do to end the spell is to stop concentrating on your turn.
Saving Throw Usually a harmful spell allows a target to make a saving throw to avoid some or all of the effect. The saving throw entry in a spell description defines which type of saving throw the spell allows and describes how saving throws against the spell work.
Negates: The spell has no effect on a subject that makes a successful saving throw.
Partial: The spell has an effect on its subject. A successful saving throw means that some lesser effect occurs.
Half: The spell deals damage, and a successful saving throw halves the damage taken (round down).
None: No saving throw is allowed.
Disbelief: A successful save lets the subject ignore the spell’s effect.
(object): The spell can be cast on objects, which receive saving throws only if they are magical or if they are attended (held, worn, grasped, or the like) by a creature resisting the spell, in which case the object uses the creature’s saving throw bonus unless its own bonus is greater. This notation does not mean that a spell can be cast only on objects. Some spells of this sort can be cast on creatures or objects. A magic item’s saving throw bonuses are each equal to 2 + 1/2 the item’s caster level.
(harmless): The spell is usually beneficial, not harmful, but a targeted creature can attempt a saving throw if it desires.
Saving Throw Difficulty Class: A saving throw against your spell has a DC of 10 + the level of the spell + your bonus for the relevant casting ability modifier. A spell’s level can vary depending on your class. Always use the spell level applicable to your class.
Succeeding on a Saving Throw: A creature that successfully saves against a spell that has no obvious physical effects feels a hostile force or a tingle, but cannot deduce the exact nature of the attack. Likewise, if a creature’s saving throw succeeds against a targeted spell, you sense that the spell has failed. You do not sense when creatures succeed on saves against effect and area spells.
Automatic Failures and Successes: A natural 1 (the d20 comes up 1) on a saving throw is always a failure, and the spell may cause damage to exposed items (see below). A natural 20 (the d20 comes up 20) is always a success.
Voluntarily Giving up a Saving Throw: A creature can voluntarily forego a saving throw and willingly accept a spell’s result. Even a character with a special resistance to magic can suppress this quality.
Items Surviving after a Saving Throw: Unless the descriptive text for the spell specifies otherwise, all items carried or worn by a creature are assumed to survive a magical attack. If a creature rolls a natural 1 on its saving throw against the effect, however, an exposed item is harmed (if the attack can harm objects). Determine which four objects carried or worn by the creature are most likely to be affected and roll randomly among them. The randomly determined item must make a saving throw against the attack form and take
whatever damage the attack dealt. If the selected item is not carried or worn and is not magical, it does not get a saving throw. It simply is dealt the appropriate damage.
Once you know which creatures (or objects or areas) are affected, and whether those creatures have made successful saving throws (if any were allowed), you can apply whatever results a spell entails.
Spell Resistance Spell resistance is a special defensive ability. If your spell is being resisted by a creature with spell resistance, you must make a caster level check (1d20 + caster level) at least equal to the creature’s spell resistance for the spell to affect that creature. The defender’s spell resistance is like an Armor Class against magical attacks. Include any adjustments to your caster level to this caster level check. The Spell Resistance entry and the descriptive text of a spell description tell you whether spell resistance protects creatures from the spell. In many cases, spell resistance applies only when a resistant creature is targeted by the spell, not when a resistant creature encounters a spell that is already in place. The terms “object” and “harmless” mean the same thing for spell resistance as they do for saving throws. A creature with spell resistance must voluntarily lower the resistance (a standard action) in order to be affected by such spells without forcing the caster to make a caster level check.
Attacks Some spell descriptions refer to attacking. All offensive combat actions, even those that don’t damage opponents, are considered attacks. All spells that opponents resist with saving throws, that deal damage, or that otherwise harm or hamper subjects are attacks. Spells that summon monsters or other allies are not attacks because the spells themselves don’t harm anyone.
Once you’ve cast a prepared spell, you can’t cast it again until you prepare it again. (If you’ve prepared multiple copies of a single spell, you can cast each copy once.) If you’re a spontaneous caster, casting a spell counts against your daily limit for spells of that spell level, but you can cast the same spell again if you haven’t reached your limit.
If you ever try to cast a spell in conditions where the characteristics of the spell cannot be made to conform, the casting fails and the spell is wasted. Spells also fail if your concentration is broken and might fail if you’re wearing armor while casting a spell with somatic components. Using a supernatural ability is usually a standard action (unless defined otherwise by the ability’s description). Its use cannot be disrupted, does not require concentration, and does not provoke attacks of opportunity.
Supernatural abilities do not function within the area of an antimagic field.
Creature Types & Subtypes
An Aberration has a bizarre anatomy, strange abilities, an alien mindset, or any combination of the three. They can be identified using the Knowledge (dungeoneering) skill (DC 10), and possess the following traits:• 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. 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 can be identified using the Knowledge (nature) skill (DC 10), and has the following traits (unless otherwise noted in a creature’s entry).
• Intelligence score of 1 or 2 (no creature with an Intelligence score of 3 or higher can be an animal).
• Proficient with its natural weapons only. A noncombative 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.
• Animals breathe, eat, and sleep. Aquatic 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. The aquatic subtype can be identified at DC 10. A Construct is an animated object or artificially created creature. A construct (other than a robot) can be identified using the Knowledge (arcana) skill (DC 10). Robots can be identified using Knowledge (engineering) instead. All Constructs have the following traits (unless otherwise noted in a creature’s entry).
• 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).
• A construct cannot be raised or resurrected.
• 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.
• 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.
Automatons are lawful neutral constructs with the extraplanar subtype. The automoton subtype can be identified at DC 15. An automaton has the following traits (unless otherwise noted in a creature’s entry).
• Darkvision 120 feet and low-light vision.
• Immunity to electricity.
• Vulnerable Mind (Ex): Automatons are not immune to mind-affecting effects.
• Resistance to cold 10 and sonic 10.
• Most automatons are resistant to magic. Such an automaton has SR equal to 11 + its CR.
• An automaton is proficient with its natural weapons, all simple weapons, and all weapons mentioned in its entry.
• An automaton’s natural weapons, as well as any weapons it wields, are treated as lawful and magic for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.
• Automaton Core (Ex): All automatons are powered by a planar core infused with life energy. A destroyed automaton leaves behind an automaton core, which can be harvested with a successful Spellcraft check.
• Intelligent Construct (Ex): Automatons are intelligent constructs and can take class levels, can gain feats, and can gain class skills and additional skill points. An automaton gains a number of skill points equal to 4 + its Intelligence modifier (minimum 1) per Hit Die. The following are class skills for automatons: Climb, Craft, Diplomacy, Fly, Intimidate, Knowledge (all), Perception, Sense Motive, Spellcraft, Stealth, and Use Magic Device.
• Telepathy.
Clockworks are constructs created through a fusion of magic and technology. The construct subtype can be identified at DC 15. They have the following traits unless otherwise noted.
• Winding (Ex): Clockwork constructs must be wound with special keys in order to function. As a general rule, a fully wound clockwork can remain active for 1 day per Hit Die, but shorter or longer durations are possible.
• Vulnerable to Electricity: Clockwork constructs take 150% as much damage as normal from electricity attacks.
• Swift Reactions (Ex): Clockwork constructs generally react much more swiftly than other constructs. They gain Improved Initiative and Lightning Reflexes as bonus feats, and gain a +2 dodge bonus to AC.
• Difficult to Create (Ex): The time and gp cost required to create a clockwork is 150% of normal. Construction requirements in individual clockwork monster entries are already increased.
Colossi are Mythic constructs of Gargantuan size or larger. The colossi subtype can be identified at DC 15. Unless otherwise noted in a creature’s entry, colossi have the following traits.
• Selective Antimagic Aura (Su): A colossus exudes a constant antimagic field, as the spell, with a radius equal to its reach. Typically, this field ignores specified schools of magic or spell descriptors. A colossus’s own spell-like abilities and supernatural abilities are not affected by this aura.
• Alternate Form (Ex): Colossi have the ability to transform themselves into some other shape. This transformation is non-magical, and is not revealed by true seeing or similar magic.
• Mythic Quickening (Sp): As a swift action, a colossus can expend one use of Mythic Power to cast or activate one of its spell-like abilities as a free action.
• Pinning Stomp (Ex): When a colossus is in its normal form, as a swift action it can make a single melee attack at its highest base attack against a target three or more size categories smaller than the colossus. This attack deals an amount of damage equal to twice that of its slam attack plus 1-1/2 times the colossus’s Strength bonus. If the colossus hits with this attack, it can attempt a grapple check as a free action. This grapple doesn’t provoke attacks of opportunity. If the grapple is successful, the target is pinned and takes an amount of damage equal to that of the colossus’s slam attack each round at the start of the colossus’s turn until either the pinned creature frees itself or the colossus moves out of the pinned creature’s space. The colossus doesn’t need to attempt grapple checks to continue the pin, nor can it attempt a check to move, further damage, or tie up the grappled creature. A colossus can at most two creatures pinned with this attack at one time.
• Mythic Creation (Ex): A colossus can be created only by a creator with a Mythic Tier or rank equal to or greater than that of the colossus it is attempting to create.
• Mythic Resilience (Ex): A colossus can expend one use of Mythic Power as swift action to double its damage reduction for 1 round.
Although some people call them things like “automatons,” “metal men,” or the like, these technological creations are all robots, and as such, they share similar traits. Robots share some features with clockwork constructs, and as with clockworks, you can simply remove the robot subtype from a robot (along with its attendant traits) to transform it into a typical construct animated by magic. Likewise, you can add the robot subtype (and traits) to any existing construct to transform it into something created by technology. Adding the robot subtype to a construct does not affect its CR. A single construct cannot possess both the robot and the clockwork subtype. The robot subtype can be identified at DC 15. All robots gain the following traits.
• Vulnerable to Critical Hits: Whenever a robot takes extra damage from a critical hit, it must make a DC 15 Fortitude save to avoid being stunned for 1 round. If it makes the saving throw, it is instead staggered for 1 round.
• Vulnerable to Electricity: Robots take 150% as much damage as normal from electricity attacks, unless they are immune to electricity via other special defenses.
• Intelligent: Robots are intelligent, and thus have skills and feats as appropriate for their Hit Dice. Unless otherwise indicated for a specific robot, all robots have Intelligence scores of 10. The following are class skills for robots: Climb, Disable Device, Fly, Knowledge (all), Linguistics, Perception, and Sense Motive.
• Difficult to Create: Increase the time and gp cost required to create a robot by 50% over normal for a construct, unless the creator has access to a significant amount of technological resources. A Dragon is a reptile-like creature, usually winged, with magical or unusual abilities. A dragon can be identified using the Knowledge (arcana) skill (DC 10), and possesses the following traits (unless otherwise noted in a creature’s entry).
• 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. 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. Monster 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 they gain the extraplanar subtype if they leave the Material Plane. No creature has the extraplanar subtype when it is on a Transitive Plane (the Astral Plane, the Ethereal Plane, or the Plane of Shadow). A Fey is a creature with supernatural abilities and connections to nature or to some other force or place. Fey are usually human-shaped. A fey can be identified using the Knowledge (nature) skill (DC 10), and possesses the following traits (unless otherwise noted in a creature’s entry).
• 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.
The wild hunt is an awe-inspiring and enigmatic group of fey who stalk and pursue their chosen prey between worlds. The wild hunt subtype can be identified at DC 20. All creatures that ride as a part of the wild hunt are chaotic neutral fey that have the following abilities (unless otherwise noted in a creature’s entry).
• Enhanced Senses (Ex): All members of the wild hunt have greensight 60 feet, scent, and see in darkness.
• Immunity to cold.
• Resistance to electricity and fire 10.
• Instinctive Cooperation (Ex): Creatures with the wild hunt subtype are immune to all supernatural abilities of other creatures with the wild hunt subtype that allow a saving throw (such as wild gaze).
• Planar Acclimation (Ex): A creature with the wild hunt subtype is always considered to be on its home plane, regardless of what plane it finds itself upon. It never gains the extraplanar subtype.
• Speak with Nature (Sp): Wild hunt creatures have know direction, speak with animals, and speak with plants as constant spell-like abilities, and can cast stone tell as a spell-like ability 3 times per day.
• Wild Gaze (Su): All creatures within 30 feet that fail a Will save against the gaze of a member of the wild hunt instinctively recognize their power. Humanoids and monstrous humanoids stand frozen in awe, becoming paralyzed. Magical beasts and animals become frightened, and all other creatures become confused. These effects last for 1 round, and multiple failed saving throws against multiple members of the wild hunt in a single round do not cause this duration to stack. A creature that succeeds on a saving throw against this special attack is immune to the wild gaze from any member of the wild hunt for 24 hours. This is a mind-affecting effect. The save DC is Charisma-based.
• Wild Grace (Su): Wild hunt creatures add their Charisma modifier as a deflection bonus to their AC.
• Wild Hunt Link (Su): Members of the wild hunt can communicate telepathically across great distances and share abilities with each other. As long as a member of the hunt is not more than 500 feet away from the nearest other member of its hunt, it can participate in the wild hunt link. Each wild hunt creature shares a different set of abilities with other creatures in the link. A lone member of the wild hunt does not gain the benefit of any abilities it grants via its wild hunt link, and identical abilities granted by multiple wild hunt fey do not stack. A Great Old One is a powerful, alien entity—a being from another world, from another dimension, or even from the distant past or future. All Great Old Ones are chaotic, and most of them are also evil. They can be any creature type, but most are aberrations or magical beasts. The great old one subtype can be identified at DC 25. Great Old Ones have the following traits.
• A Great Old One’s natural weapons, as well as any weapon it wields, are treated as chaotic, epic, and Mythic for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.
• Although Great Old Ones grant spells to their worshipers, they don’t seem to be interested in their worshipers beyond their own inscrutable ends—a Great Old One is just as likely to destroy one of its cultists as it is to destroy a nonbeliever. A Great Old One grants access to four domains and four subdomains, and its cults have a favored weapon—the exact details vary for each Great Old One.
• Immortality (Ex): A Great Old One does not need to eat, drink, or breathe, nor does it age. A Great Old One that is slain does not truly die—rather, it is forced into an extended period of dormancy that can last years, centuries, or longer. Exact details of this vary and are described in individual creature entries. Methods to permanently slay a Great Old One might exist, but such methods have yet to be learned by mortals. Immunity to ability damage, ability drain, aging, cold, death effects, disease, energy drain, mind-affecting effects, paralysis, and petrification.
• Insanity (Ex): Any creature that attempts to interact directly with a Great Old One’s thoughts (such as via detect thoughts or telepathy) must succeed at a Will save or be driven permanently insane. The save DC is equal to 10 + 1/2 the Great Old One’s Hit Dice + the Great Old One’s Charisma modifier. This duplicates the effect of the insanity spell, or the insanity rules (in which case the save DC is also the ongoing insanity DC). A Great Old One using its telepathy to communicate doesn’t activate this ability unless it spends a standard action to focus its mind on one opponent. This is a mind-affecting effect.
• Mythic (Su): A Great Old One has Mythic Power (10/day, Surge +1d12) and counts as a 10th-rank Mythic creature. A Great Old One can use any of its spell-like abilities as the Mythic versions of those spells (if a Mythic version of that spell exists), expending Mythic Power as normal. It can also expend Mythic Power to use the augmented versions of these spell-like abilities.
• Otherworldly Insight (Ex): All Great Old Ones gain a +10 insight bonus on Initiative checks and to AC.
• Unspeakable Presence (Su): A Great Old One’s aura inflicts intense mental anguish and torment upon all creatures within 300 feet who can see and hear the Great Old One. The exact effects caused by a Great Old One’s unspeakable presence vary by type. A successful Will save (DC 10 + 1/2 the Great Old One’s Hit Dice + the Great Old One’s Charisma modifier) reduces or negates the effect. This is a mind-affecting effect. 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).
A humanoid can be identified using the Knowledge (local) skill (DC 5). Every humanoid creature also has a specific subtype to match its race, such as human, giant, goblinoid, reptilian, or tengu. This subtype can be identified at DC 10. Humanoids possess the following traits (unless otherwise noted in a creature’s entry).
• 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. A creature with the incorporeal subtype has no physical body. An incorporeal creature is immune to critical hits and precision-based damage (such as sneak attack damage) unless the attacks are made using a weapon with the ghost touch special weapon quality. In addition, creatures with the incorporeal subtype gain the incorporeal special quality. These Colossal creatures inhabit the most desolate places of a world. When they are not slumbering, they roam the world, leaving destruction in their wake. The kaiju subtype can be identified at DC 25. A kaiju possesses the following traits (unless otherwise noted in a creature’s entry).
• Darkvision 600 feet.
• Fast healing 30.
• Immunity to ability damage, ability drain, death effects, disease, energy drain, and fear.
• Resistance 30 against acid, cold, electricity, fire, negative energy, and sonic.
• Damage Reduction 20/epic.
• A kaiju’s natural attacks count as epic and magic for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.
• Ferocity (Ex): All kaiju possess the ferocity universal monster ability.
• Hurl Foe (Ex): When a kaiju damages a Huge or smaller foe with one of its natural attacks, it can try to hurl the foe as part of that attack by attempting a combat maneuver check. On a successful check, the foe is knocked back 10 feet in a direction of the kaiju’s choice and falls prone. The distance the foe is hurled increases by 10 feet for every 5 points by which the kaiju’s check exceeds the foe’s CMD. If an obstacle stops the hurled creature before it travels the whole distance, the hurled foe and the obstacle struck each take 1d6 points of damage per 10 feet of distance remaining and the foe is knocked prone in the space adjacent to the obstacle.
• Massive (Ex): Because kaiju are so massive, uneven ground and other terrain features that form difficult terrain generally pose no significant hindrance to a kaiju’s movement, though areas of forest or settlements are considered difficult terrain to a kaiju. A Huge or smaller creature can move through any square occupied by a kaiju, or vice-versa. A kaiju can make attacks of opportunity only against foes that are Huge or larger, and can be flanked only by Huge or larger foes. A kaiju gains a bonus for being on higher ground only if its entire space is on higher ground than that of its target. It’s possible for a Huge or smaller creature to climb a kaiju—this generally requires a successful DC 30 check, and unlike the normal rules about kaiju and attacks of opportunity, a Small or larger creature that climbs on a kaiju’s body provokes an attack of opportunity from the monster.
• Recovery (Ex): Whenever a kaiju fails a saving throw against any mind-affecting, paralysis, petrification, polymorph, or immobilizing effect (including binding and temporal stasis but not including imprisonment), it can attempt a new saving throw at the end of its turn to remove the effect. Doing so takes no action. A kaiju can attempt a new save to end the effect as often as it wishes, but can attempt to remove only one such effect per round. Once per year, if a kaiju takes an amount of damage that would normally kill it by reducing its hit points to a negative amount equal to its Constitution score, the damage instead heals the kaiju of twice the amount of damage—but this healing leaves the kaiju disoriented and demoralized. At this point, the creature becomes nauseated and seeks only to return to its lair. Any amount of damage dealt to it by an external source before it reaches its lair, though, immediately negates the nauseated effect and allows the kaiju to end its retreat and attack. 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. A magical beast can be identified using the Knowledge (arcana) skill (DC 10), and has the following traits (unless otherwise noted in a creature’s entry).
• Proficient with its natural weapons only.
• Proficient with no armor.
• Magical beasts breathe, eat, and sleep.
A behemoth is a neutral Colossal magical beast of great strength and power. The behemoth subtype can be identified at DC 15. Behemoths possess the following traits unless otherwise noted.
• Blindsense 60 feet.
• Immunity to ability damage, aging, bleed, disease, energy drain, fire, mind-affecting effects, negative levels, paralysis, permanent wounds, petrification, poison, and polymorph. Some behemoths possess additional immunities.
• DR 15/epic.
• Regeneration (Ex): No form of attack can suppress a behemoth’s regeneration—it regenerates even if disintegrated or slain by a death effect. If a behemoth fails a save against an effect that would kill it instantly, it rises from death 3 rounds later with 1 hit point if no further damage is dealt to its remains. It can be banished or otherwise transported away as a means to save a region, but the only way to truly kill a behemoth is to use miracle or wish to negate its regeneration (see below).
• Spell Resistance equal to 11 + the behemoth’s CR.
• Ruinous (Su): A behemoth’s natural attacks penetrate damage reduction as if they were epic and magic, and ignore up to 20 points of hardness on objects struck. As a swift action, whenever it strikes a creature or object with a spell effect in place, it can attempt to dispel one randomly determined spell effect on that creature as if with a greater dispel magic (CL 20th).
• Unstoppable (Ex): If a behemoth starts its turn suffering from any or all of the following conditions, it recovers from them at the end of its turn: blind, confused, dazed, deafened, dazzled, exhausted, fatigued, nauseated, sickened, slowed, staggered, and stunned.
• Vulnerable to Miracles and Wishes (Su): A spell effect created by a miracle or wish spell is particularly effective against a behemoth. A spellcaster gains a +6 bonus on its caster level check to penetrate a behemoth’s SR with a miracle or wish spell, and the behemoth suffers a –6 penalty on saves against these spells. A miracle or a wish spell can negate a behemoth’s regeneration, but only for 1d4 rounds per casting.
• Behemoths understand Aklo, but cannot speak.
• Behemoths eat, but do not breathe or sleep. Monstrous humanoids are similar to humanoids, but with monstrous or animalistic features. They often have magical abilities as well. A monstrous humanoid can be identified using the Knowledge (nature) skill (DC 10), and has the following traits (unless otherwise noted in a creature’s entry).
• 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. A creature with this subtype is infused with Mythic Power and is capable of terrible and awe-inspiring feats. Some Mythic creatures are powerful versions of existing monsters (such as minotaurs and medusas), others are completely new creatures that do not have a Non-Mythic equivalent (such as the argus and drakainia). Creatures with the Mythic subtype have the following abilities (these are already included in Mythic monster stat blocks).
• Ability score increases, depending on its Mythic Rank.
• Additional hit points per Mythic Rank, based on the type of Hit Dice it has (d6, d8, and so on).
• DR 5/epic if the creature has at least 5 Hit Dice. If the creature already had DR, it adds epic to the qualities needed to bypass that reduction.
• Mythic feats, which generally are improved versions of standard feats. Mythic feats are indicated by an M.
• Mythic Power (Su): The creature has the Mythic Power and Surge universal monster abilities. The effect of these abilities depend on its Mythic Rank.
• Mythic rank, a number from 1 to 10, representing its overall Mythic Power.
• Natural armor increase equal to its Mythic Rank.
• Spell resistance increase (if it has spell resistance) equal to its Mythic Rank. Outsiders with this subtype are native to the Material Plane. These creatures have mortal ancestors or a strong connection to the Material Plane and can be raised, reincarnated, or resurrected just as other living creatures can be. Unlike true outsiders, native outsiders need to eat and sleep.
Kami are a race of native outsiders who serve to protect what they refer to as “wards”—animals, plants, objects, and even locations—from being harmed or dishonored. All kami are outsiders with the native subtype. The kami subtype can be identified at DC 15.A kami possesses the following traits unless otherwise noted in a creature’s entry.
• Immune to bleed, mind-affecting effects, petrification, and polymorph effects.
• Resist acid 10, electricity 10, fire 10.
• Fast Healing (Ex): As long as a kami is within 120 feet of its ward, it gains fast healing. The amount of fast healing it gains depends on the type of kami.
• Merge with Ward (Su): As a standard action, a kami can merge its body and mind with its ward. When merged, the kami can observe the surrounding region with its senses as if it were using its own body, as well as via any senses its ward might have. It has no control over its ward, nor can it communicate or otherwise take any action other than to emerge from its ward as a standard action. A kami must be adjacent to its ward to merge with or emerge from it. If its ward is a creature, plant, or object, the kami can emerge mounted on the creature provided the kami’s body is at least one size category smaller than the creature. If its ward is a location, the kami may emerge at any point within that location.
• Ward (Su): A kami has a specific ward—a creature with a 2 or lower Intelligence (usually an animal or vermin), a plant (not a plant creature), an object, or a location. The type of ward is listed in parentheses in the kami’s stat block. Several of a kami’s abilities function only when it is either merged with its ward or within 120 feet of it. If a kami’s ward is portable and travels with the kami to another plane, the kami does not gain the extraplanar subtype on that other plane as long as its ward remains within 120 feet. If a ward is destroyed while a kami is merged with it, the kami dies (no save). If a ward is destroyed while a kami is not merged with it, the kami loses its merge with ward ability and its fast healing, and becomes permanently sickened.
• Telepathy.
• Although they are native outsiders, kami do not eat, drink, or breathe.
An oni is an evil spirit who takes humanoid form to become a native outsider. The oni subtype can be identified at DC 15.All oni have the following traits, unless otherwise noted in a specific creature’s entry.
• Darkvision 60 feet and low-light vision.
• Regeneration (Ex): The rate of regeneration and damage type that suspends it depends on the type of oni, but is typically acid or fire.
• Change Shape (Su): All oni are shapechangers with the shapechanger subtype, but an oni takes only other shapes similar to its normal humanoid form.
• Humanoid Shape: As evil spirits clad in humanoid flesh, all oni possess a humanoid subtype.
A rakshasa is a lawful evil spirit born into the Material Plane. A shapechanger that can walk with ease among humanoids, a rakshasa’s true form has animalistic features and strangely jointed limbs. The rakshasa subtype can be identified at DC 15 in their true form. All rakshasas are native to the Material Plane, and have the following traits unless otherwise noted in a creature’s entry.
• Darkvision 60 feet.
• Enhanced Defenses (Ex): All rakshasas have DR that can be penetrated by good and piercing weapons only. The amount of damage reduction varies according to the specific rakshasa. In addition, rakshasas are exceptionally resistant to magic, and possess SR equal to their CR + 15.
• Master of Deception (Ex): All rakshasas gain a +4 racial bonus on Bluff checks and a +8 racial bonus on Disguise checks.
• Spellcasting: All but the least of rakshasas have some level of spellcasting ability, and can cast spells as sorcerers. The rakshasa’s effective caster level as a sorcerer depends on its type, but is generally equal to its CR – 3.
• Change Shape (Su): All rakshasas have the ability to change shape into any humanoid, as if using alter self.
• Detect Thoughts (Su): A rakshasa can detect thoughts as per the spell of the same name. This effect functions at CL 18th. A rakshasa can suppress or resume this ability as a free action. When a rakshasa uses this ability, it always functions as if it had spent 3 rounds concentrating and thus gains the maximum amount of information possible. The Will save DC to resist this effect is equal to 10 + 1/2 the rakshasa’s HD + the rakshasa’s Charisma modifier. An Ooze is an amorphous or mutable creature, usually mindless. An ooze can be identified using the Knowledge (dungeoneering) skill (DC 10), and has the following traits (unless otherwise noted in a creature’s entry).
• Proficient with its natural weapons only.
• Proficient with no armor.
• Oozes eat and breathe, but do not sleep. 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. An outsider can be identified using the Knowledge (planes) skill (DC 10), and has the following traits:
• 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.
• 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).
Aeons are a race of neutral outsiders who roam the planes maintaining the balance of reality. The aeon subtype can be identified at DC 15. Aeons possess the following traits:
• Immunity to cold, poison, and critical hits.
• Resistance to electricity 10 and fire 10.
• Envisaging (Su): 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 (Ex): 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 (Su): 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).
Agathions are beast-aspect outsiders native to Nirvana. The agathion subtype can be identified at DC 15. Agathions have the following traits:
• Low-light vision
• Immunity to electricity and petrification.
• Resistance to cold 10 and sonic 10.
• +4 racial bonus on saving throws against poison.
• Lay on hands as a paladin whose level equals the agathion’s Hit Dice.
• Except where otherwise noted, agathions speak Celestial, Infernal, and Draconic.
• Speak with Animals (Su): This ability works like speak with animals (caster level equal to the agathion’s Hit Dice) but is a free action and does not require sound.
• Truespeech (Su): All agathions can speak with any creature that has a language, as though using tongues (caster level equal to angel’s Hit Dice). This ability is always active.
Angels are a race of celestials, or good outsiders, native to the good-aligned outer planes. The angel subtype can be identified at DC 15. An angel possesses the following traits (unless otherwise noted in a creature’s entry):
• Darkvision 60 feet and low-light vision.
• Protective Aura (Su): Against attacks made or effects created by evil creatures, this ability provides a +4 deflection bonus to AC and a +4 resistance bonus on saving throws to anyone within 20 feet of the angel. Otherwise, it functions as a magic circle against evil effect and a lesser globe of invulnerability, both with a radius of 20 feet (caster level equals angel’s HD). The defensive benefits from the circle are not included in an angel’s statistics block.
• Immunity to acid, cold, and petrification.
• Resistance to electricity 10 and fire 10.
• +4 racial bonus on saves against poison.
• Truespeech (Su): All angels can speak with any creature that has a language, as though using tongues (caster level equal to angel’s Hit Dice). This ability is always active.
Archons are a race of celestials, or good outsiders, native to lawful good-aligned outer planes. The archon subtype can be identified at DC 15. An archon possesses the following traits (unless otherwise noted in a creature’s entry):
• Darkvision 60 feet and low-light vision.
• Immunity to electricity and petrification.
• Aura of Menace (Su): A righteous aura surrounds archons that fight or get angry. Any hostile creature within a 20-foot radius of an archon must succeed on a Will save to resist its effects. The save DC varies with the type of archon, is Charisma-based, and includes a +2 racial bonus. Those who fail take a –2 penalty on attacks, AC, and saves for 24 hours or until they successfully hit the archon that generated the aura. A creature that has resisted or broken the effect cannot be affected again by the same archon’s aura for 24 hours.
• +4 racial bonus on saves against poison.
• Teleport (Sp): Archons can use greater teleport at will, as the spell (caster level equals archon’s HD), except that the creature can transport only itself and up to 50 pounds of carried objects.
• Truespeech (Su): All archons can speak with any creature that has a language, as though using tongues (caster level equals archon’s HD). This ability is always active.
Asuras are immortal beings whose origins are rooted in rejection and destruction. The asura subtype can be identified at DC 15. An asura has the following traits, unless otherwise noted in the creature’s entry.
• Elusive Aura (Su): Asuras exist within reality but apart from it. All but the least of asuras exude an aura that affects all creatures within the area as if by a nondetection spell. The size of the aura is proportional to the asura’s power. The caster level check to attempt divination on creatures within the aura is 15 + the spell-like ability caster level of the asura creating the aura.
• Immunity to curses, disease, and poison.
• Resistance to acid 10 and electricity 10.
• Regeneration (Ex): The divine spark at the core of their being allows asuras to regenerate at varying rates. Good weapons and spells can kill an asura.
• Spell Resistance (Ex): Most asuras are resistant to magic and have an SR equal to 11 + their CR. Only the weakest asuras lack this ability.
• +2 racial bonus on saving throws against enchantment spells.
• Summon (Sp): Asuras share the ability to summon others of their kind, typically another of their type or a small number of weaker asuras.
• An asura’s natural weapons, as well as any weapons it wields, are treated as lawful and evil for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.
• +6 racial bonus on Escape Artist checks and a +4 racial bonus on Perception checks.
• Telepathy.
Azatas are a race of celestials, or good outsiders, native to chaotic good-aligned outer planes. The azata subtype can be identified at DC 15. An azata possesses the following traits (unless otherwise noted in a creature’s entry):
• Darkvision 60 feet and low-light vision.
• Immunity to electricity and petrification.
• Resistance to cold 10 and fire 10.
• Truespeech (Su): All azatas can speak with any creature that has a language, as though using tongues (caster level equals azata’s HD). This ability is always active.
The Chaotic subtype is usually applied to outsiders native to the chaotic-aligned Outer Planes. The chaotic subtype can be identified at DC 12. 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 were chaotic-aligned.
Daemons are neutral evil outsiders that eat souls and thrive on disaster and ruin. The daemon subtype can be identified at DC 15. They have the following traits (unless otherwise noted).
• Immunity to acid, death effects, disease, and poison.
• Resistance to cold 10, electricity 10, and fire 10.
• Summon (Sp): Daemons share the ability to summon others of their kind, typically another of their type or a small number of less powerful daemons.
• Telepathy.
• Daemons speak Abyssal, Draconic, and Infernal.
Demodands are chaotic evil outsiders who stalk the Abyss. The demodand subtype can be identified at DC 15. Unless otherwise noted in a creature’s entry, demodands possess the following traits.
• Immunity to acid and poison.
• Resistance to fire 10 and cold 10.
• A demodand’s natural weapons, as well as any weapons it wields, are treated as chaotic and evil for the purpose of resolving damage reduction.
• Summon (Sp): Demodands share the ability to summon others of their kind, typically another of their type or a small number of less powerful demodands.
• Faith-Stealing Strike (Su): When a demodand’s natural attack or melee weapon damages a creature capable of casting divine spells, that creature must make a Will saving throw or be unable to cast any divine spells for 1 round. Once a creature makes this save, it is immune to further faith-stealing strikes from that particular demodand for 24 hours. The save DC is Charisma-based.
• Heretical Soul (Ex): All demodands gain a +4 bonus on saving throws against divine spells. In addition, any attempts to scry on a demodand using divine magic automatically fail. The caster can see the scryed area normally, but the demodand simply does not appear.
• Demodands speak Abyssal, Celestial, and Common.
Demons are chaotic evil outsiders that call the Abyss their home. The demon subtype can be identified at DC 15. Unless otherwise noted in a creature’s entry, they possess the following traits.
• Immunity to electricity and poison.
• Resistance to acid 10, cold 10, and fire 10.
• A demon’s natural weapons, as well as any weapon it wields, is treated as chaotic and evil for the purpose of resolving damage reduction.
• Summon (Sp): Demons share the ability to summon others of their kind, typically another of their type or a small number of less powerful demons.
• Telepathy.
• Demons speak Abyssal, Celestial, and Draconic.
Devils are lawful evil outsiders that hail from the plane of Hell. The devil subtype can be identified at DC 15. Unless otherwise noted in a creature’s entry, devils possess the following traits.
• See in Darkness (Su): Some devils can see perfectly in darkness of any kind, even that created by a deeper darkness spell.
• Immunity to fire and poison.
• Resistance to acid 10 and cold 10.
• A devil‘s natural weapons, as well as any weapons it wields, are treated as lawful and evil for the purpose of resolving damage reduction.
• Summon (Sp): Devils share the ability to summon others of their kind, typically another of their type or a small number of less-powerful devils.
• Telepathy.
• Devils speak Celestial, Draconic, and Infernal.
Divs are neutral evil outsiders that sow misfortune and ruin. The div subtype can be identified at DC 15. They have the following traits unless otherwise noted.
• See in Darkness (Su): Some divs can see perfectly in darkness of any kind, even that created by a deeper darkness spell.
• Immunity to fire and poison.
• Resistance to acid 10 and electricity 10.
• Summon (Sp): Some divs share the ability to summon others of their kind. Each entry describes the success chance and type of divs summoned.
• Telepathy.
• Divs speak Abyssal, Celestial, and Infernal.
An elemental is a being composed entirely from one of the four classical elements: air, earth, fire, or water. The elemental subtype can be identified at DC 12. They possess the following traits:
• Proficient with natural weapons only, unless generally humanoid in form, in which case 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. Elementals not indicated as wearing armor are not proficient with armor. Elementals are proficient with shields if they are proficient with any form of armor.
• Elementals do not breathe, eat, or sleep.
This subtype is usually used for outsiders with a connection to aether, a “fifth element” formed from a blend between the substance of the Ethereal Plane and the energy of the Elemental Planes. The aether subtype can be identified at DC 15.
This subtype is usually used for outsiders with a connection to the Elemental Planes of Air. The air subtype can be identified at DC 15.
• Air creatures always have fly speeds and usually have perfect maneuverability.
• Air creatures treat Fly as a class skill.
This subtype is usually used for outsiders with a connection to the Elemental Planes of Earth. The earth subtype can be identified at DC 15.
• Earth creatures usually have burrow speeds, and most earth creatures can burrow through solid rock.
• Earth creatures with a burrow speed possess tremorsense.
This subtype is usually used for outsiders with a connection to the Elemental Planes of Fire. The fire subtype can be identified at DC 15.
• Fire creatures have immunity to fire and vulnerability to cold.
This subtype is usually used for outsiders with a connection to the Elemental Planes of Water. The water subtype can be identified at DC 15.
• Water creautures always have swim speeds and can move in water without making Swim checks.
• A water creature can breathe underwater and can usually breathe air as well.
• Water creatures treat the Swim skill as a class skill.
The Evil subtype is usually applied to outsiders native to the evil-aligned Outer Planes. Evil outsiders are also called fiends. The evil subtype can be identified at DC 12. 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 had 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 were evil-aligned.
The Good subtype is usually applied to outsiders native to the good-aligned Outer Planes. The good subtype can be identified at DC 12. Most creatures that have this subtype also have good 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 good alignment, no matter what its alignment actually is. The creature also suffers effects according to its actual alignment. A creature with the good subtype overcomes damage reduction as if its natural weapons and any weapons it wields were good-aligned.
Inevitables are construct-like outsiders built by the axiomites to enforce law. The inevitable subtype can be identified at DC 15. They have the following traits.
• Low-light vision
• Constructed (Ex): Although inevitables are living outsiders, their bodies are constructed of physical components, and in many ways they function as constructs. For the purposes of effects targeting creatures by type (such as a ranger’s favored enemy and bane weapons), inevitables count as both outsiders and constructs. They are immune to death effects, disease, mind-affecting effects, necromancy effects, paralysis, poison, sleep, stun, and any effect that requires a Fortitude save (unless the effect also works on objects, or is harmless). Inevitables are not subject to nonlethal damage, ability damage, ability drain, fatigue, exhaustion, or energy drain. They are not at risk of death from massive damage. They have bonus hit points as constructs of their size.
• Saves: An inevitable’s good saving throws are Fortitude and Will.
• Skills: In addition to the class skills all outsiders have, inevitables have Acrobatics, Diplomacy, Intimidate, and Survival as class skills.
• Regeneration (Ex): Inevitables have regeneration/Chaotic. The regeneration amount varies by the type of inevitable.
• Truespeech (Su): An inevitable can speak with any creature that has a language, as if using tongues. This ability is always active.
Kytons are a race of lawful evil outsiders native to the Plane of Shadow who feed on fear and pain. The kyton subtype can be identified at DC 15. Kytons possess the following traits (unless otherwise noted in a creature’s entry).
• Darkvision 60 feet.
• Immunity to cold.
• Regeneration (Ex): The extent of a kyton’s regeneration varies according to type, and can be neutralized by good weapons, good spells, and silver weapons.
• Unnerving Gaze (Su) All kytons have a gaze attack that manipulates the perceptions of those who look upon them. An unnerving gaze has a range of 30 feet, and can be negated by a Will save—the exact effects caused by a particular kyton’s unnerving gaze depend on the type of kyton. All kytons are immune to the unnerving gazes of other kytons. Unnerving gaze is always a mind-affecting fear effect. The save DC is Charisma-based.
The Lawful subtype is usually applied to outsiders native to the lawful-aligned Outer Planes. The lawful subtype can be identified at DC 12. Most creatures that have this subtype also have lawful 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 lawful alignment, no matter what its alignment actually is. The creature also suffers effects according to its actual alignment. A creature with the lawful subtype overcomes damage reduction as if its natural weapons and any weapons it wields were lawful-aligned.
Manasaputras are lawful good spirits ascending to a new stage of existence on the Positive Energy Plane. The manasaputra subtype can be identified at DC 20. They have the following traits.
• Darkvision 60 ft.
• Immunity to calling magic, disease, and poison.
• +2 racial bonus on saving throws against enchantment spells. This does not stack with the still mind monk class feature and counts as that feature for the purpose of fulfilling prerequisites.
• Telepathy.
• Manasaputras do not breathe.
Proteans are serpentine outsiders of pure chaos. The protean subtype can be identified at DC 15 in their true form. They have the following traits.
• Blindsense (distance varies by protean type).
• Supernatural flight.
• Immunity to acid.
• Resistance to electricity 10 and sonic 10.
• Constrict and grab as special attacks.
• Amorphous Anatomy (Ex): A protean’s vital organs shift and change shape and position constantly. This grants it a 50% chance to ignore additional damage caused by critical hits and sneak attacks, and grants it immunity to polymorph effects (unless the protean is a willing target). A protean automatically recovers from physical blindness or deafness after 1 round by growing new sensory organs to replace those that were compromised.
• Change Shape (Su): A protean’s form is not fixed. Once per day as a standard action, a protean may change shape into any Small, Medium, or Large animal, elemental, giant, humanoid, magical beast, monstrous humanoid, ooze, plant, or vermin. A protean can resume its true form as a free action, and when it does so, it gains the effects of a heal spell (CL equal to the protean’s HD).
• Freedom of Movement (Su): A protean has continuous freedom of movement, as per the spell.
Psychopomps are a race of neutral outsiders who serve the goddess of death and oversee mortal souls. The psychopomp subtype can be identified at DC 15. They possess the following traits (unless otherwise noted in a creature’s entry).
• Darkvision 60 feet and low-light vision.
• Spiritsense (Su): A psychopomp notices, locates, and can distinguish between living and undead creatures within 60 feet, just as if it possessed the blindsight ability.
• Immunity to death effects, disease, and poison.
• Resistance to cold 10 and electricity 10.
• Spirit Touch (Su): A psychopomp’s natural weapons, as well as any weapon it wields, are treated as though they had the ghost touch weapon special ability.
• Psychopomps speak Abyssal, Celestial, and Infernal.
Qlippoth are chaotic evil outsiders from the deepest reaches of the Abyss. The qlippoth subtype can be identified at DC 15. They have the following traits:
• Immunity to cold, mind-affecting effects, and poison.
• Resistance to acid 10, electricity 10, and fire 10.
• Horrific Appearance (Su): All qlippoth have such horrific and mind-rending shapes that those who gaze upon them suffer all manner of ill effects. A qlippoth can present itself as a standard action to assault the senses of all living creatures within 30 feet. The exact effects caused by a qlippoth’s horrific appearance vary by the type of qlippoth. A successful Will save (DC 10 + 1/2 the qlippoth’s Hit Dice + the qlippoth’s Charisma modifier) reduces or negates the effect. This ability is a mind-affecting gaze attack.
• Telepathy.
• Except where otherwise noted, qlippoth speak Abyssal.
Sahkils are neutral evil outsiders native to the Ethereal Plane. The sahkil subtype can be identified at DC 15. They have the following traits (unless otherwise noted in a creature’s entry).
• Darkvision 60 ft. and low-light vision.
• Immunity to death effects, fear effects, disease, and poison.
• Resistance to cold 10, electricity 10, and sonic 10.
• Most sahkils are resistant to magic. Such a sahkil has SR equal to 11 + its CR.
• Spirit Touch (Ex): A sahkil’s natural weapons, as well as any weapon it wields, are treated as though they had the ghost touch weapon special ability.
• Easy to Call (Ex): Sahkils count as having 4 fewer Hit Dice (minimum 2) for purposes of spells or effects that call outsiders, such as planar binding. However, they receive a racial bonus equal to 1/2 their Hit Dice on Charisma checks to break free of planar binding spells and similar effects, and their spell resistance counts as if it were higher for the purpose of breaking free of planar binding spells and similar effects.
• Emotional Focus (Ex): Whenever a sahkil casts a spell or uses a spell-like ability or effect with the emotion or fear descriptors that allows a saving throw, the DC is increased by 2.
• Look of Fear (Su): All sahkils have a gaze attack that instills dread in those they look upon. This gaze attack has a range of 30 feet (though when a sahkil is on the Ethereal Plane, it functions against creatures on the Material Plane that can see ethereal creatures), and can be negated by a Will save—the exact effects caused by a particular sahkil’s look of fear depend on the type of sahkil. All sahkils are immune to their own look of fear and that of other sahkils. This is a mind-affecting fear effect. The save DC is Charisma-based and includes the +2 bonus from the sahkil’s emotional focus ability.
• Skip Between (Su): Many sahkils can shift between the Ethereal Plane and the Material Plane as a move action. This ability is otherwise identical to ethereal jaunt (CL 15th).
• Telepathy.
• Sahkils speak Abyssal, Celestial, and Infernal. The Plant 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. A plant creature can be identified using the Knowledge (nature) skill (DC 10), and has the following traits (unless otherwise noted in a creature’s entry).
• Proficient with its natural weapons only.
• Not proficient with armor.
• Plants breathe and eat, but do not sleep.
A leshy is a nature spirit that inhabits the body of a specially grown plant. The leshy subtype can be identified at DC 12. Regardless of their kind, all leshys share the following traits in addition to those granted by the plant type (unless otherwise noted in a creature’s entry).
• Darkvision 60 feet and low-light vision.
• Immunity to electricity and sonic.
• Spell-Like Abilities: All leshys have pass without trace as a constant spell-like ability (CL equal to twice the leshy’s HD).
• Change Shape (Su): All leshys can transform into plants, with results similar to the tree shape spell. Unlike that spell, this ability only allows transformation into Small plants of the same type of growth the leshy is related to. In this form, the leshy appears as a particularly healthy specimen of that particular plant. A leshy can assume plant form or revert to its true form as a swift action.
• Verdant Burst (Su): When slain, a leshy explodes in a burst of fertile energies. All plant creatures within 30 feet of a slain leshy heal 1d8 points of damage plus 1 point per HD of the slain leshy, and plant life of the same type as the leshy itself quickly infests the area. If the terrain can support this type of plant, the undergrowth is dense enough to make the region into difficult terrain for 24 hours, after which the plant life diminishes to a normal level; otherwise, the plant life has no significant effect on movement and withers and dies within an hour.
• Plantspeech (Ex): All leshys can speak with plants as if subject to a continual speak with plants spell, but only with species they are related to.
• Leshys speak Druidic and Sylvan. A shapechanger has the supernatural ability to assume one or more alternative forms. Many magical effects allow some kind of shapeshifting, and not every creature that can change shapes has the shapechanger subtype. 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 pool of Hit Dice and hit points, a single initiative modifier, a single speed, and a single Armor Class. A swarm makes saving throws as a single creature. A single swarm occupies a square (if it is made up of nonflying creatures) or a cube (of flying creatures) 10 feet on a side, but its reach is 0 feet, like its component creatures. In order to attack, it moves into an opponent’s space, which provokes an attack of opportunity. It can occupy the same space as a creature of any size, since it crawls all over its prey. A swarm can move through squares occupied by enemies and vice versa without impediment, although the swarm provokes an attack of opportunity if it does so. A swarm can move through cracks or holes large enough for its component creatures.
A swarm of Tiny creatures consists of 300 nonflying creatures or 1,000 flying creatures. A swarm of Diminutive creatures consists of 1,500 nonflying creatures or 5,000 flying creatures. A swarm of Fine creatures consists of 10,000 creatures, whether they are flying or not. Swarms of nonflying 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. A troop is a collection of creatures that acts as a single creature, similar to a swarm, but as part of a military unit. A troop has the characteristics of its type, except as noted here. A troop has a single pool of Hit Dice and hit points, a single initiative modifier, a single speed, and a single Armor Class. A troop attempts saving throws as a single creature. A single troop occupies a 20-foot-by-20-foot square, equal in size to a Gargantuan creature, though the actual size category of the troop is the same as that of the component creatures. The area occupied by a troop is completely shapeable, though the troop must remain in contiguous squares to accurately reflect the teamwork of trained military units. A troop has a reach equal to that of the component creatures based on size or armament. A troop can move through squares occupied by enemies and vice versa without impediment, although the troop provokes an attack of opportunity if it does so. A troop can move through any area large enough for its component creatures. The exact number of a troop’s component creatures varies, but in general, a troop of Small or Medium creatures consists of approximately 12 to 30 creatures. Larger creatures can form troops, but the area occupied by such a troop should increase proportionally according to the size of the component creatures. Troops possess the following traits.
• Not subject to flanking.
• Subject to critical hits and sneak attacks if its component creatures are subject to such attacks.
• Reducing a troop to 0 hit points or fewer causes it to break up, effectively destroying the troop. Until that point, however, any damage taken by the troop does not degrade its ability to attack or resist attacks. A troop is never staggered or reduced to a dying state by damage.
• Not subject to bull rush, dirty trick, disarm, drag, grapple, reposition, or trip combat maneuvers, unless it’s affected by area effects that include such effects.
• A troop can grapple an opponent.
• A troop is immune to any spell or effect that targets a specific number of creatures (including single-target spells such as disintegrate and multiple-target spells such as haste), though it is affected by spells or effects that target an area or a nonspecific number of creatures (such as fireball).
• A troop takes half again as much damage (+50%) from spells or effects that affect an area.
• If a troop is rendered unconscious by means of nonlethal damage, it disperses and does not reform until its hit points exceed the nonlethal damage it has taken.
• Troop Attack: Creatures with the troop subtype don’t make standard melee attacks. Instead, they deal automatic damage to any creature within reach or whose space they occupy at the end of their move, with no attack roll needed. A troop’s stat block has “troop” in its Melee entry with no attack bonus given. The amount of damage a troop deals is based on its Hit Dice plus its Strength modifier.
• Unless stated otherwise, a troop’s attacks are nonmagical. Damage reduction sufficient to reduce a troop attack’s damage to 0 or other special abilities can give a creature immunity (or at least resistance) to the troop’s attacks.
• Some troops also have other special attacks in addition to normal damage or deal more damage than their Hit Dice would normally suggest.
• Troops threaten all creatures within their reach or within their area, and resolve attacks of opportunity by dealing automatic troop damage to any foe in reach who provokes such an attack of opportunity. Troops are still limited to making one such attack per round unless the text states otherwise.
• Because of the chaos of combat, spellcasting or concentrating on spells within the area of a troop or within its reach requires a successful caster level check (DC = 20 + spell level). Using skills that involve patience and concentration requires a successful DC 20 Will save.
• Looting Troops: Although troops are composed of a number of individual creatures, the chaos and destruction of battle means that not all of these creatures’ equipment survives the rigors of combat. As a result, parties who wish to claim usable gear or treasure from slain foes treat a troop as a single creature for the purposes of looting, and should be able to recover gear worth a total value equal to the troop’s expected treasure value (as determined by the troop’s CR). Undead are once-living creatures animated by spiritual or supernatural forces. An undead creature can be identified using the Knowledge (religion) skill (DC 5), and has the following traits (unless otherwise noted in a creature’s entry).
• 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).
• 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.
• Not affected by raise dead and reincarnate spells or abilities. Resurrection and true resurrection can affect undead creatures. These spells 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.
Nightshades are monstrous undead composed of shadow and evil. The nightshade subtype can be identified at DC 15. They possess the following traits.
• Low-light vision.
• Darksense (Ex): Nightshades gain true seeing in dim light and darkness. Regardless of light conditions, they can detect living creatures and their health within 60 feet, as blindsense with deathwatch continuously active. Mind blank and nondetection prevent the latter effect but not the nightshade’s true seeing.
• Light Aversion (Ex): A nightshade in bright light becomes sickened—the penalties from this condition are doubled when the nightshade is in natural sunlight.
• Desecrating Aura (Su): All nightshades have a 30-foot-radius emanation equivalent to a desecrate spell centered on a shrine of evil power. Undead within this radius (including the nightshade) gain a +2 profane bonus on attack and damage rolls and saving throws, as well as +2 hit points per die, and the save DC of channeled negative energy is increased by +6 (these adjustments are included for the nightshades in their entries). This aura can be negated by dispel evil, but a nightshade can reactivate it on its turn as a free action. A desecrating aura suppresses and is suppressed by consecrate or hallow; both effects are negated within any overlapping area of effect.
• Channel Energy (Su): A nightshade can channel negative energy as cleric of a level equal to its base CR. It can use this ability a number of times per day equal to 3 + its Charisma modifier.
• Summon (Sp): Nightshades can summon undead creatures. They can be summoned only within areas of darkness, and summoned undead cannot create spawn. The exact type and number of undead they can summon vary according to the nightshade in question, as detailed in each nightshade’s entry. Vermin includes insects, arachnids, other arthropods, worms, and similar invertebrates. Vermin can be identified using the Knowledge (nature) skill (DC 10), and have the following traits (unless otherwise noted in a creature’s entry).
• Mindless: No Intelligence score, and immunity to all mind-affecting effects (charms, compulsions, morale effects, patterns, and phantasms).
• Proficient with its natural weapons only.
• Proficient with no armor.
• Vermin breathe, eat, and sleep.
Creature Type Traits
An archdevil rules a domain in Hell. Archdevils are lawful evil outsiders with a minimum CR of 26. Archdevils share the following traits and have the devil subtype (unless otherwise noted in a creature’s entry).• An archdevil can grant spells as if it were a deity. Each archdevil has a favored weapon and grants the Evil and Law domains, plus two other domains and four subdomains.
• Frightful Presence (Su): An archdevil can activate its frightful presence as a free action as part of any attack, special attack, or spell-like ability, or by speaking aloud.
• Immunity to ability damage, ability drain, charm, compulsion, death effects, energy drain, and petrification.
• Resistance to acid 30 and cold 30.
• Regeneration (Ex): Only mythic damage or damage from a creature of equal or greater standing (such as another archdevil, deity, empyreal lord, Great Old One, Horseman, or qlippoth lord) interrupts an archdevil’s regeneration.
• An archdevil’s natural weapons, as well as any weapons it wields, are treated as epic, evil, and lawful for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.
• Infernal Resurrection (Ex): If an archdevil is killed, its body crumbles into ashes, leaving behind any gear it held or carried, while it is immediately restored to life (as per true resurrection) in a location of its choosing in its domain. An archdevil can’t use this ability again for 1 year, and it avoids direct combat if possible until that year has passed. If slain again or killed by unusual methods (such as by a true deity or an artifact created for this purpose), an archdevil is slain forever. An archdevil who does not control a domain does not gain this ability (and is technically an infernal duke rather than a true archdevil).
• Language Mastery (Ex): An archdevil knows all languages, as though using tongues, although this ability is not supernatural and cannot be dispelled. Linguistics is always a class skill for an archdevil.
• Summon Devils (Sp): Three times per day as a swift action, an archdevil can summon any devil or combination of devils whose total combined CR is 20 or lower. This otherwise works like the summon universal monster rule with a 100% chance of success, and it counts as a 9th-level spell effect.
• Telepathy 300 feet.
An archdevil gains the following additional powers while in its realm:
• Heightened Awareness (Ex): A demon lord gains a +10 insight bonus on Sense Motive checks and Initiative checks while in its own realm.
• Mythic: An archdevil functions as a 10th Mythic Rank creature, including the Mythic Power ability (10/day, Surge +1d12). It may expend uses of Mythic Power to use the Mythic versions of any spell-like ability denoted with (*M) just as if the ability were a Mythic spell.
• Use of the following spell-like abilities at will—demand, discern location, fabricate, major creation, and polymorph any object (when used on objects or creatures that are native to the realm, the polymorph duration factor increases by 6).
• Use of the following spell-like abilities once per day—binding, miracle (limited to physical effects that manipulate the realm or to effects that are relevant to the archdevil’s areas of concern). • Immunity to all mind-affecting effects (charms, compulsions, morale effects, patterns, and phantasms).
• Immunity to bleed, disease, death effects, necromancy effects, paralysis, poison, sleep effects, and stunning.
• 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 demon lord is a powerful, unique demon that rules a layer of the Abyss. All demon lords are chaotic evil outsiders that are, at a minimum, CR 26. Demon lords have a particular suite of traits (unless otherwise noted in a creature’s entry) as summarized here.
• A demon lord can grant spells to its worshipers as if it were a deity. A demon lord’s domains are Chaos, Evil, and two other domains relevant to its theme and interests. Like a deity, a demon lord has a favored weapon.
• Frightful Presence (Su): A demon lord can activate its frightful presence as a free action as part of any attack, spell-like ability, special attack, or by speaking aloud.
• Immunity to ability damage, ability drain, charm effects, compulsion effects, death effects, energy drain, and petrification.
• Resistance to acid 30, cold 30, and fire 30.
• Regeneration (Ex): Only epic and good damage, or damage from a creature of equal or greater power (such as an archdevil, deity, demon lord, or protean lord) interrupts a demon lord’s regeneration.
• A demon lord’s natural weapons, as well as any weapons it wields, are treated as chaotic, epic, and evil for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.
• Abyssal Resurrection (Ex): A demon lord rules an Abyssal realm, a vast world that not only serves as its home but provides it with power. If a demon lord is slain, its body rapidly melts into corruption (leaving behind any gear it held or carried), its soul returns to a hidden location within its realm, and it is immediately restored to life (as true resurrection) at that location. Once this occurs, a demon lord can’t use this ability again until a full year has passed. A demon lord realizes it is vulnerable during this time and usually doesn’t risk further battles for the remainder of that year, relying on the defenses of its realm and its legions of minions to protect it. A demon lord that is slain again during this year or is killed by unusual methods (such as by a true deity or an artifact created for this purpose) is slain forever—its remains appearing somewhere deep in the Abyss among other dead demon lords from the ages. A demon lord who does not control a domain does not gain this ability.
• Summon Demons (Sp): Three times per day as a swift action, a demon lord can summon any demon or combination of demons whose total combined CR is 20 or lower. This otherwise works like the summon universal monster rule with a 100% chance of success, and counts as a 9th-level spell effect.
• Telepathy 300 feet.
A demon lord gains the following additional powers while in its realm:
• Heightened Awareness (Ex): A demon lord gains a +10 insight bonus on Perception checks and Initiative checks while in its own realm.
• Mythic: A demon lord functions as a 10th Mythic Rank creature, including the Mythic Power ability (10/day, Surge +1d12). It may expend uses of Mythic Power to use the Mythic versions of any spell-like ability denoted with (*M) just as if the ability were a Mythic spell.
• Use of the following spell-like abilities at will—demand, discern location, fabricate, major creation, and polymorph any object (when used on objects or creatures that are native to the realm, the polymorph duration factor increases by 6).
• Use of the following spell-like abilities once per day—binding, miracle (limited to physical effects that manipulate the realm or to effects that are relevant to the demon lord’s areas of concern). • Immunity to bleed, paralysis, poison, sleep effects, and stunning.
• Not subject to critical hits or flanking. Does not takes additional damage from precision-based attacks, such as sneak attack. Empyreal lords are the greatest members of the agathion, angel, archon, and azata races, and are sometimes worshiped as if they were deities. All empyreal lords are good outsiders that are, at a minimum, CR 21. In addition to having agathion, angel, archon, or azata traits, Empyreal lords have a particular suite of traits (unless otherwise noted in a creature’s entry) as summarized here.
• An empyreal lord can grant spells to its worshipers as if it were a deity. An empyreal lord’s domains are Chaos (if chaotic), Good, Law (if lawful), and two other domains relevant to its theme and interests (or three if it is neither chaotic nor lawful). Like a deity, an empyreal lord has a favored weapon.
• Blindsense 60 feet.
• Primal Aura (Su): An aura of primeval power surrounds every empyreal lord. The effects of this aura are unique to each empyreal lord.
• Immunity to ability damage, ability drain, charm effects, compulsion effects, death effects, energy drain, and petrification.
• Agathion, angel, archon, or azata energy resistances are increased to 30.
• Regeneration (Ex): Only epic and evil damage, or damage from a creature of equal or greater power (such as an archdevil, deity, demon lord, or protean lord) interrupts an empyreal lord’s regeneration.
• Greater Teleport (Sp): An empyreal lord can use greater teleport at will (caster level 20th).
• A empyreal lord’s natural weapons, as well as any weapons he or she wields, are treated as epic and good for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction. If the empyreal lord is chaotic or lawful, these attacks also count as that alignment for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.
• Seed of Life (Sp): An empyreal lord can touch a willing creature and imbue it with magical healing power. The target radiates an aura of good as if it were an outsider and gains a +2 insight bonus on all saving throws against negative energy and death effects. As a standard action, the target can release this energy, turning it inward as a heal spell upon itself or outward as a mass cure serious wounds spell on allies within 30 feet (caster level 15th). If not released, the energy dissipates harmlessly after 24 hours. The empyreal lord can use this ability 5 times per day, but only on other creatures.
An empyreal lord gains the following additional powers while in its realm:
• Heightened Awareness (Ex): An empyreal lord gains a +10 insight bonus on Perception checks and Initiative checks while in its own realm.
• Mythic: An empyreal lord functions as a 10th Mythic Rank creature, including the Mythic Power ability (10/day, Surge +1d12). It may expend uses of Mythic Power to use the Mythic versions of any spell-like ability denoted with (*M) just as if the ability were a Mythic spell.
• Use of the following spell-like abilities at will—demand, discern location, fabricate, major creation.
• Use of the following spell-like abilities once per day—dimensional lock*M, miracle (limited to physical effects that manipulate the realm or to effects that are relevant to the empyreal lord’s areas of concern), power word stun*M. • Hive Mind (Ex): Formians share a telepathic bond with other members of their hive that enhances their hive mates’ perception. As long as a formian is within telepathic range of at least one hive mate, it gains a +4 racial bonus on initiative checks and Perception checks. If at least one formian disbelieves an illusion, all formians within its telepathic range are also considered to disbelieve that illusion. If one formian is aware of combatants, all other hive mates within the range of its telepathy are also aware of those combatants.
• Telepathic Caster (Ex): Due to a formian’s telepathic nature, if it casts spells it does so as spell-like abilities. A Horseman is a powerful, unique daemon that rules a major portion of Abaddon and personifies Death, Famine, Pestilence, or War. All Horsemen are evil outsiders that are, at a minimum, CR 27. Horsemen have a particular suite of traits (unless otherwise noted in a creature’s entry) as summarized here.
• A Horseman can grant spells to its worshipers as if it were a deity. A Horseman’s domains are Evil and three other domains and four subdomains relevant to its theme and interests. Like a deity, a Horseman has a favored weapon.
• Frightful Presence (Su): A Horseman can activate its frightful presence as a free action as part of any attack, spell-like ability, or special attack, or by speaking aloud.
• Immunity to ability damage, ability drain, acid, charm effects, compulsion effects, death effects, disease, energy drain, petrification, and poison.
• Resistance to cold 30, electricity 30, and fire 30.
• Regeneration (Ex): Only mythic damage or damage from a creature of equal or greater power (such as an archdevil, a deity, an empyreal lord, a Great Old One, a Horseman, or a qlippoth lord) interrupts a Horseman’s regeneration.
• A Horseman’s natural weapons, as well as any weapons it wields, are treated as epic and evil for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.
• Apocalyptic Resurrection (Ex): If a Horseman is killed, its body withers away into rot and corruption, leaving behind any gear it held or carried, while it is immediately restored to life (as per true resurrection) in a location of its choice in its domain. A Horseman can’t use this ability again for 1 year and avoids direct combat if possible until that year has passed. If slain again within 1 year or if killed by unusual methods (such as by a true deity, an artifact created for this purpose, or another Horseman), a Horseman is slain forever. When this occurs, the CRs of the three remaining Horsemen immediately increase by 1 (typically via gaining a few Hit Dice and perhaps increasing some ability scores by 2 to 4 points), while an entirely new Horseman ascends to the vacant role as a CR 27 demigod with its own unique abilities.
• Summon Daemon (Sp): Three times per day as a swift action, a Horseman can summon any daemon or combination of daemons whose total combined CR is 20 or lower. This otherwise works like the summon universal monster rule with a 100% chance of success, and it counts as a 9th-level spell effect.
• Telepathy 300 feet.
A Horseman gains the following additional powers while in its realm:
• Heightened Awareness (Ex): A Horseman gains a +10 insight bonus on Perception checks and Initiative checks while in its own realm.
• Mythic: A Horseman functions as a 10th Mythic Rank creature, including the Mythic Power ability (10/day, Surge +1d12). It can expend uses of Mythic Power to use the Mythic versions of any spell-like ability denoted with (*M) just as if the ability were a Mythic spell.
• Use of the following spell-like abilities at will—demand, discern location, fabricate, major creation, and polymorph any object (when used on objects or creatures that are native to Abaddon, the polymorph duration factor increases by 6).
• Use of the following spell-like abilities once per day—binding, miracle (limited to physical effects that manipulate the realm or to effects that are relevant to the Horseman’s particular facet of apocalypse).
• Restore Mount (Su): Once per day as a standard action, the Horseman can restore its apocalypse horse mount to life as if via true resurrection. • 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.
• Not subject to critical hits or flanking. Does not take additional damage from precision-based attacks, such as sneak attack. • Immunity to all mind-affecting effects (charms, compulsions, morale effects, patterns, and phantasms).
• Immunity to paralysis, poison, polymorph, sleep effects, and stunning. A qlippoth lord is a powerful, unique qlippoth that once ruled a region of the Abyss but has been forced to retreat to forgotten corners of reality deep in the Abyss. At the dawn of creation, qlippoth lords were powerful creatures, perhaps even on par with deities, but today they have dwindled to a pale shadow of that power. Still, they remain potent dangers to mortal life in the rare instances when they are encountered. All qlippoth lords are chaotic evil qlippoth in the range of CR 21 to CR 25. Qlippoth lords have a particular suite of traits (unless otherwise noted in a creature’s entry), as summarized here.
• A qlippoth lord can grant spells to its worshipers as if it were a deity. A qlippoth lord’s domains are Chaotic and Evil, plus two other domains and four subdomains relevant to its theme and interests. Like a deity, a qlippoth lord has a favored weapon.
• Horrific Appearance (Su): This ability functions similarly to the typical qlippoth ability, save that a qlippoth lord’s horrific appearance creates physical effects and changes in its victims. Despite these physical effects, a qlippoth lord’s horrific appearance remains a mind-affecting effect.
• Immunity to cold, death effects, mind-affecting effects, and poison.
• Resistance to acid 30, electricity 30, and fire 30.
• Regeneration (Ex): Lawful damage interrupts a qlippoth lord’s regeneration.
• A qlippoth lord’s natural weapons, as well as any weapons it wields, are treated as chaotic, epic, and evil for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.
• Summon Qlippoth (Sp): Once per day as a standard action, a qlippoth lord can summon any combination of qlippoth whose total combined CR is 20 or lower. This otherwise works like the summon universal monster rule with a 100% chance of success, and it counts as a 9th-level spell effect.
• Telepathy 300 feet.
Within its sanctum, a qlippoth lord gains the following additional powers:
• Mythic: A qlippoth lord functions as a 10th Mythic Rank creature, including the Mythic Power ability (10/day, Surge +1d12). It may expend uses of Mythic Power to use the Mythic versions of any spell-like ability denoted with (*M) just as if the ability were a Mythic spell.
• Use of the following spell-like abilities once per day—astral projection, binding, demand, discern location, fabricate, major creation, miracle (limited to physical effects that manipulate the sanctum or to effects that are relevant to the qlippoth lord’s interests) and polymorph any object (when used on objects or creatures that are native to the sanctum, the polymorph duration factor increases by 6).
•Rejuvenation (Sp): The mind of a qlippoth lord that is slain in its sanctum merges with a qlippoth of the lord’s choosing, selected from any living qlippoth within the lord’s sanctum. This functions as per major mind swap, except there is no save to avoid its effect and the typical qlippoth immunity to mind-affecting effects offers no protection. After 1d100 years, the qlippoth transforms into a new incarnation of its previous body as a qlippoth lord, but if slain before this transformation, the qlippoth lord is forever dead. • No clear front or back and no discernable anatomy, so not subject to critical hits or flanking.
• Half damage from slashing and piercing weapons if the swarm is made of Tiny creatures. A swarm composed of Fine or Diminutive creatures is immune to all weapon damage.
• Reducing a swarm to 0 hit points or less causes it to break up, though damage taken until that point does not degrade its ability to attack or resist attack.
• A swarm rendered unconscious by means of nonlethal damage becomes disorganized and dispersed, and does not reform until its hit points exceed its nonlethal damage.
• Swarms are never staggered or reduced to a dying state by damage.
• Cannot be tripped, grappled, or bull rushed, and they cannot grapple an opponent.
• Immune to any spell or effect that targets a specific number of creatures (including single-target spells such as disintegrate), with the exception of mind-affecting effects (charms, compulsions, morale effects, patterns, and phantasms) if the swarm has an Intelligence score and a hive mind.
• Takes half again as much damage (+50%) from spells or effects that affect an area, such as splash weapons and many evocation spells.
• Swarms made up of Diminutive or Fine creatures are susceptible to high winds, such as those created by a gust of wind spell. 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. • Immunity to all mind-affecting effects (charms, compulsions, morale effects, patterns, and phantasms).
• Immunity to bleed, 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.
• 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.
