Creature Types

This page is made to contain information on the creature types.

All creatures have a type and usually also a subtype, such as Humanoid(Human). The type usually exists to give a general framework of reference point for what can affect them or what type of creature they represent. Subtypes usually are additional descriptors; this can range from Outsiders who have the Native subtype to indicate creatures born from outsiders but with ties to the natural plane which helps dictate how the creature functions (such as eating/breathing/sleeping); while the Human subtype of humanoid simply indicates the distinction from all other Humanoids. In addition any specifics of a creature’s subtypes always overrides anything of the type, such as living constructs having a constitution score, while base constructs do not.

Unless otherwise specified, it is assumed all creature types are living, and must eat, breathe, and sleep to survive.

Aquatic

An aquatic creature is a living creature that makes their home in lakes, rivers, oceans, or other bodies of water. These creatures generally are 1 or 2 intelligence similar to beasts, but some have more intelligence. Most aquatic creatures have the ability to breath in water, but not on land, unless they also posses the amphibious special ability.

• Low-Light Vision
• Can only breath in water, will suffocate in air (or any other non-water environment).

Beast

A beast is a living, nonhuman creature, usually a vertebrate. These creatures are generally 1 or 2 intelligence, lacking the capacity to speak any languages, and are generally mundane in nature. Beast is a broad term that can be applied to Wolves, Snakes, Bears, Hawks, etc… An animal has the following features:

• Intelligence score of 1 or 2 (no creature with an Intelligence score of 3 or higher can be an animal).
  • Some exceptions may exist, though generally such creatures become Beasts(Magical) when this occurs, even if temporarily.
• Beasts usually can only communicate directly with creatures of their kind (such as wolves with other wolves), though even such communications are limited by the creature’s intelligence and in itself is not really a language.
• Low-light vision.

The following are subtypes for the Beast Type:

Magical

Magical Beasts are to normal beasts, but generally are enhanced by, or inherently, magic. These creatures can range much more in abilities, looks, and features, but generally still beast-like.

A magical beast possesses the following features.

• Magical beasts are mostly similar to beasts, but can have any intelligence score, and potentially speak a language.

Construct

A construct is an animated object or artificially created creature. A construct possesses the following features:

• No Constitution score. Any DCs or other Statistics that rely on a Constitution score treat a construct as having a score of 10 plus the number of hit dice the construct possesses.
• Immunity to all mind-affecting effects, bleed, disease, death effects, necromancy keyword spells, paralysis, poison, sleep effects, stunning, 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.
• Unable to be healed by normal sources of healing, though crafting and magics to repair objects may restore the HP of a construct.
• Immediately destroyed when reduced to 0 hit points or less.
• A construct cannot be raised as undead or resurrected.
• Constructs do not breathe, eat, or sleep.
• Constructs are not treated as living creatures.

The following are subtypes for the Construct Type:

Living

A living construct is one whose nature is more natural than magical or mechanical.

A living construct possesses the following features:

• Living constructs possess a constitution score unlike normal constructs. As such living constructs are treated as living creatures.
• Living constructs can be resurrected, but are still unable to become undead.
• Due to being closer to natural living beings, living constructs lose all their immunities except bleed, disease, and poison.
  • Living constructs are no longer immune to sleep magic, but still do not require it.
• Living constructs can be healed like normal living creatures.
• Living constructs are not immediately destroyed when reduced to 0 hit points, but only treat their death threshold has half as much as a living creature normally would have.

Dragon

Dragons are a type of winged reptiles, though are generally attuned to a single element or rarely a combination of elements. Some creatures are descended from dragons such as wyverns, losing some of the overall might of a dragon, but still being different enough to be something different from a normal beast or magical beast.

Dragons possess the following features:

• Darkvision 60 feet and low-light vision.

Humanoid

A humanoid describes a creature with two arms, two legs, and one head with a human-like torso. Generally most humanoids follow this physical archetype; injuries or defects notwithstanding. Most humanoids range from Small to Large with very few exceptions without the use of magic.

A humanoid possesses the following features:

• Humanoid creature type features are usually gained from their respective race.

Monstrous Humanoid

Monstrous humanoids are similar to humanoids, but with monstrous or animalistic features, such as Centaurs who have the upper half of a standard humanoid, but bottom half is that of a horse’s body. These features usually are more pronounced than just a tail, differently shaped head; but rather are missing or outright replaced appendages from the usual humanoid shape (two arms, two legs, and a head).

A monstrous humanoid possesses the following features.

• Monstrous Humanoid creature type features are usually gained from their respective race.

Elemental

Elemental as a type is to indicate creatures with strong to outright full affinity to a single element. This can range from actual elementals who are beings of pure energy, to angels who are more corporeal but lean very heavily into the light element. Much of what makes up an elemental is determined by their subtypes.

Elementals possess the following features:

• Darkvision 60 feet.
• Cannot be resurrected as normal creatures are, and requires a special type of magic to restore it to life.
• Elementals breathe, but do not need to eat or sleep; but can do so if they wish.

A single element may also be listed in a creature’s subtype; this can be applied to creatures of any type, but in itself carries no specific features. For example a humanoid planesborn could have Humanoid(Light, Planesborne), which simply marks them as the Nephilim type of Planesborne due to their higher light affinity.

The following are subtypes for the Elemental Type:

Demon

A Demon is a type of creature, usually sinister in nature, that exists in the outer planes of the abyss. Their type is closely attributed to Dark type.

A Demon possesses the following features:

• Must be an elemental of the dark and fire subtypes.
• Immunity against Dark and Fire elemental damage.
• Resist 3 Dark, Fire, and Nature.
• Vulnerability to Light and Entropy elemental damage.

Undead

Undead are once-living creatures animated by spiritual or supernatural forces.

An undead creature possesses the following features:

• No Endurance score. Undead use their Psyche score in place of their Endurance score when calculating hit points, Fortitude saves, and any special ability that relies on Endurance.
• Immediately destroyed when reduced to 0 hit points or less.
• Darkvision 60 feet.
• Immunity to all mind-affecting effects.
• Immunity to bleed, death effects, disease, paralysis, poison, sleep effects, and stun.
• Not subject to nonlethal damage, ability drain, or energy drain. Immune to damage to its physical ability scores (Endurance, Agility, and Strength), as well as to exhaustion and fatigue effects.
• Immunity to any effect that requires a Resilience(End) save; unless the effect also works on objects or is harmless.
• Undead do not breathe, eat, or sleep.
• Undead are not treated as living creatures.

Undead Subtypes

Undead have a few common archetypes such as Skeleton, Zombie, or Specter; with each of these having their own additional effects.

Skeleton

• DR 5/Bludgeoning, improving to DR 10/Bludgeoning at 4 Hit Dice or greater.
• Resist 2 Fire and Cold Elemental Damage, improving to Resist 3 at 4 Hit Dice or greater.
• A skeleton usually is of 1/10th of its original weight and is treated as a creature one size category smaller for the purposes of determining their MSB and saves against manuevers bonus or penalty.

Zombie

• DR 5/Slashing, improving to DR 10/Slashing at 4 Hit dice or greater.
• Resist 2 Cold and Nature damage, improving to Resist 3 at 4 Hit Dice or greater.
• All movement speeds are reduced by half (minimum 5 feet).
• Gains a Bite Natural weapon (1d3); if the creature already possessed one they instead gain a +2 bonus to damage rolls with their bite.\

Specter

• A specter gains the Incorporeal universal ability.