Special Abilities

Natural Abilities

This category includes abilities a creature has because of its innate physical nature or basic training, such as weapon or armor proficiency or the ability to cast spells—the spells themselves are not considered natural, but the basic ability to cast them is.

Natural abilities are those not otherwise designated as extraordinary (Ex), supernatural (Su), spell-like (Sp), or psi-like (Ps).

Special Abilities

A special ability is either extraordinary, spell-like, or supernatural in nature.

Extraordinary Abilities (Ex)

Extraordinary abilities are nonmagical, though they may break the laws of physics. They are not something that just anyone can do or even learn to do without extensive training.

These abilities cannot be disrupted in combat, as spells can, and they generally do not provoke attacks of opportunity. Effects or areas that negate or disrupt magic have no effect on extraordinary abilities. They are not subject to dispelling, and they function normally in an antimagic field.

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 standard actions unless otherwise noted.

Spell-Like Abilities (Sp)

Usually, a spell-like ability works just like the spell of that name. A few spell-like abilities are unique; these are explained in the text where they are described.

A spell-like ability has no verbal, somatic, or material component, nor does it require a focus or have an XP cost. The user activates it mentally. Armor never affects a spell-like ability’s use, even if the ability resembles an arcane spell with a somatic component.

A spell-like ability takes the same amount of time to complete as the spell that it mimics (usually 1 standard action) unless otherwise stated. Spell-like abilities cannot be used to counterspell, nor can they be counterspelled. In all other ways, a spell-like ability functions just like a spell:

• Using a spell-like ability while threatened 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. A spell-like ability can be disrupted just as a spell can be. Spell-like abilities are subject to spell resistance and to being dispelled by dispel magic. They do not function in areas where magic is suppressed or negated.
• A spell-like ability usually has a limit on how often it can be used. A spell-like ability that can be used at will has no use limit.
• 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 Cha 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.

Some creatures are actually sorcerers of a sort. They cast arcane spells as sorcerers do, using components when required. In fact, an individual creature could have some spell-like abilities and also cast other spells as a sorcerer.

Psi-Like Abilities (Ps)

Most psionic monsters have some number of psi-like abilities. These are very similar to spell-like abilities. Naturally, they are psionic and work just like powers or spells. A creature with psi-like abilities does not pay for these abilities with power points and does not pay any XP cost associated with manifesting the power the ability duplicates.

Psi-like abilities do not work in a null psionics field and are subject to power resistance if the power or spell the ability duplicates would be subject to power resistance. Otherwise, psi-like abilities function just as spell-like abilities with regards to uses per day, action to activate, provoking attacks of opportunity, determining manifester level, and being interrupted.

When a creature uses a psi-like ability, the power is manifested as if the creature had spent a number of power points equal to its manifester level, which may augment the power to improve its damage or save DC. However, the creature does not actually spend power points for its psi-like abilities, even if it has a power point reserve due to racial abilities, class levels, or some other psionic ability.

The DC of a saving throw (if applicable) against a creature’s psi-like ability is 10 + the level of the power or spell the ability duplicates + the creature’s Cha modifier. Remember to check the power’s Augment entry to see if the creature’s manifester level (and thus the effective power point expenditure) increases the DC of the saving throw. Changes to the effect’s save DC, damage, and so on are usually noted in the psi-like ability entry.

Supernatural Abilities (Su)

Supernatural abilities are magical and go away in an antimagic field but are not subject to spell resistance, counterspells, or to being dispelled by dispel magic. Using a supernatural ability is a standard action unless noted otherwise. Supernatural abilities may have a use limit or be usable at will, just like spell-like abilities. However, supernatural abilities do not provoke attacks of opportunity and never require Concentration checks. Unless otherwise noted, a supernatural ability has an effective caster level equal to the creature’s Hit Dice. The saving throw (if any) against a supernatural ability is:

10 + ½ the creature’s HD + the creature’s ability modifier (usually Charisma).

Special Ability Descriptions

• Ability Score Loss

  Some attacks reduce the opponent’s score in one or more abilities. This loss can be temporary (ability damage) or permanent (ability drain).

  While any loss is debilitating, losing all points in an ability score can be devastating.

  • Strength 0 means that the character cannot move at all. He lies helpless on the ground.
  • Dexterity 0 means that the character cannot move at all. He stands motionless, rigid, and helpless.
  • Constitution 0 means that the character is dead.
  • Intelligence 0 means that the character cannot think and is unconscious in a coma-like stupor, helpless.
  • Wisdom 0 means that the character is withdrawn into a deep sleep filled with nightmares, helpless.
  • Charisma 0 means that the character is withdrawn into a catatonic, coma-like stupor, helpless.

  Keeping track of negative ability score points is never necessary. A character’s ability score can’t drop below 0.

  Having a score of 0 in an ability is different from having no ability score whatsoever.

  Some spells or abilities impose an effective ability score reduction, which is different from ability score loss. Any such reduction disappears at the end of the spell’s or ability’s duration, and the ability score immediately returns to its former value.

  If a character’s Constitution score drops, then he loses 1 hit point per Hit Die for every point by which his Constitution modifier drops. A hit point score can’t be reduced by Constitution damage or drain to less than 1 hit point per Hit Die.

  The ability that some creatures have to drain ability scores is a supernatural one, requiring some sort of attack. Such creatures do not drain abilities from enemies when the enemies strike them, even with unarmed attacks or natural weapons.

  Ability Damage

  This attack damages an opponent’s ability score. The creature’s descriptive text gives the ability and the amount of damage. If an attack that causes ability damage scores a critical hit, it deals twice the indicated amount of damage (if the damage is expressed as a die range, roll two dice).

  Points lost to ability damage return at the rate of 1 point per day (or double that if the character gets complete bed rest) to each damaged ability, and the spells lesser restoration and restoration offset ability damage as well.

  Ability Burn

  This is a special form of ability damage that cannot be magically or psionically healed. It is typically caused by the use of certain feats and abilities. It returns only through natural healing; however, whenever you Rest, ability burn heals at the rate of 1 point per minute.

  Ability Drain

  This effect permanently reduces a living opponent’s ability score when the creature hits with a melee attack. The creature’s descriptive text gives the ability and the amount drained. If an attack that causes ability drain scores a critical hit, it drains twice the indicated amount (if the damage is expressed as a die range, roll two dice). Unless otherwise specified in the creature’s description, a draining creature gains 5 temporary hit points (10 on a critical hit) whenever it drains an ability score no matter how many points it drains. Temporary hit points gained in this fashion last for a maximum of 1 hour.

  Some ability drain attacks allow a Fortitude save (DC 10 + ½ draining creature’s racial HD + draining creature’s Cha modifier; the exact DC is given in the creature’s descriptive text). If no saving throw is mentioned, none is allowed.

  Points lost to ability drain, is permanent, though restoration can restore even those lost ability score points.

• All-Around Vision

  A creature with this special quality sees in all directions at once. It cannot be flanked.

• Amorphous

  The creature’s body is malleable and shapeless. It is immune to critical hits and precision damage (like sneak attacks).

• Amphibious

  Creatures with this special quality can breathe both air and water.

• Antimagic

  An area of antimagic (such as the antimagic field spell or null psionics field power) cancels magic and esoteric effects altogether. An antimagic effect has the following powers and characteristics:

  • No supernatural ability, spell-like ability, spell, or other esoteric effect works in an area of antimagic, but natural and extraordinary abilities still work.
  • Antimagic does not dispel esoteric effects; it suppresses them. Once an esoteric effect is no longer affected by the antimagic (the antimagic fades, the center of the effect moves away, and so on), the effect returns. Effects that still have part of their duration left begin functioning again, magic items are once again useful, and so forth.
  • Spell areas that include both an antimagic area and a normal area, but are not centered in the antimagic area, still function in the normal area. If the spell’s center is in the antimagic area, then the entire spell is suppressed.
  • Golems and other constructs, elementals, outsiders, and undead, still function in an antimagic area (though the antimagic area suppresses their spellcasting and their supernatural and spell-like abilities normally). If such creatures are summoned or conjured, however, see below.
  • Summoned or conjured creatures of any type, as well as incorporeal creatures, wink out if they enter the area of an antimagic effect. They reappear in the same spot once the field goes away.
  • Magic items with continuous effects do not function in the area of an antimagic effect, but their effects are not canceled (so the contents of a bag of holding are unavailable, but neither spill out nor disappear forever).
  • Two antimagic areas in the same place do not cancel each other out, nor do they stack.
  • Wall of force, prismatic wall, and prismatic sphere as well as some other effects are not affected by antimagic. Break enchantment, dispel magic, and greater dispel magic spells do not dispel an antimagic field or effect. Mage’s disjunction has a 1% chance per caster level of destroying an antimagic field or effect. If the antimagic effect survives the disjunction, no items within it are disjoined.

• Blindsense

  Some creatures of have Blindsense, an ability that lets the creature notice things it cannot see but without any precision. The creature with blindsense usually does not need to make Perception checks to notice and locate creatures within range of its blindsense ability, provided that it has line of effect to that creature. Blindsense allows the creature to sense that opponents are nearby but does not actually allow it to see them.

  Any opponent the creature cannot see has total concealment (50% miss chance) against the creature with blindsense, and the blindsensing 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 flat-footed against attacks from creatures it cannot see.

• Blindsight

  Blindsight is, in many ways, a superior form of blindsense. It is the extraordinary ability to use a non-visual sense (or a combination of such senses) to operate effectively without vision. Such sense may include sensitivity to vibrations, acute scent, keen hearing, or echolocation. This ability makes invisibility and concealment (even magical darkness) irrelevant to the creature (though it still can’t see ethereal creatures and must have line of effect to a creature or object to discern that creature or object). This ability operates out to a range specified in the creature description.

  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.

  • Blindsight never allows a creature to distinguish color or visual contrast. A creature cannot read with blindsight.
  • Blindsight does not subject a creature to gaze attacks.
  • Blinding attacks do not penalize creatures using blindsight.
  • Deafening attacks thwart blindsight if it relies on hearing.
  • Blindsight works underwater but not in a vacuum.
  • Blindsight negates displacement and blur effects.

• Breath Weapon

  A creature attacking with a breath weapon is actually expelling something from its mouth (rather than conjuring it by means of a spell or some other magical effect). Most creatures with breath weapons are limited to a number of uses per day or by a minimum length of time that must pass between uses. Such creatures are usually smart enough to save their breath weapon until they really need it.

  • Using a breath weapon is typically a standard action.
  • No attack roll is necessary. The breath simply fills its stated area.
  • A breath weapon attack usually deals damage and is often based on some type of energy.
  • Breath weapons usually allow a Reflex save for half damage (DC 10 + ½ breathing creature’s racial HD + breathing creature’s Con modifier; the exact DC is given in the creature’s descriptive text). Some breath weapons allow a Fortitude save or a Will save instead of a Reflex save.
  • Breath weapons are supernatural abilities except where noted.
  • A creature is immune to its own breath weapon unless otherwise noted.
  • Creatures unable to breathe can still use breath weapons. (The term is something of a misnomer.)

• Channel Resistance

  A creature with this special quality (usually an undead) is less easily affected by the Channel Divinity ability. A creature with channel resistance adds the bonus listed for that creature to saves made to resist the effects of channel divinity, including effects that rely on the use of channel divinity.

• Charm And Compulsion

  Many abilities and spells can cloud the minds of characters and monsters, leaving them unable to tell friend from foe—or worse yet, deceiving them into thinking that their former friends are now their worst enemies. Two general types of enchantments affect characters and creatures: charms and compulsions.

  Charming another creature gives the charming character the ability to befriend and suggest courses of actions to his minion, but the servitude is not absolute or mindless. Charms of this type include the various charm spells. Essentially, a charmed character retains free will but makes choices according to a skewed view of the world.

  • A charmed creature doesn’t gain any magical ability to understand his new friend’s language.
  • A charmed character retains his original alignment and allegiances, generally with the exception that he now regards the charming creature as a dear friend and will give great weight to his suggestions and directions.
  • A charmed character fights his former allies only if they threaten his new friend, and even then he uses the least lethal means at his disposal as long as these tactics show any possibility of success (just as he would in a fight between two actual friends).
  • A charmed character is entitled to an opposed Charisma check against his master in order to resist instructions or commands that would make him do something he wouldn’t normally do even for a close friend. If he succeeds, he decides not to go along with that order but remains charmed.
  • A charmed character never obeys a command that is obviously suicidal or grievously harmful to her.
  • If the charming creature commands his minion to do something that the influenced character would be violently opposed to, the subject may attempt a new saving throw to break free of the influence altogether.
  • A charmed character who is openly attacked by the creature who charmed him or by that creature’s apparent allies is automatically freed of the spell or effect.

  Compulsion is a different matter altogether. A compulsion overrides the subject’s free will in some way or simply changes the way the subject’s mind works. A charm makes the subject a friend of the caster; a compulsion makes the subject obey the caster.

  Regardless of whether a character is charmed or compelled, he won’t volunteer information or tactics that his master doesn’t ask for.

• Damage Reduction

  A creature with this special quality 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 numerical part of a creature’s damage reduction (or DR) is the amount of damage the creature ignores from normal attacks. Usually, a certain type of weapon can overcome this reduction. This information is separated from the damage reduction number by a slash. For example, DR 5/magic means that a creature takes 5 less points of damage from all weapons that are not magic. If a dash follows the slash, then the damage reduction is effective against any attack that does not specifically ignore damage reduction.

  The most common forms of damage reduction can be overcome by any magic weapon (DR/magic), a certain type of weapon damage (piercing, bludgeoning, or slashing), a special material (adamantine, silver, or cold iron), or strongly aligned attacks (good, evil, lawful, or chaotic).

  Some creatures can be harmed by more than one kind of weapon while others require combinations of weapon properties to be harmed. For example, a creature with “DR/magic or cold iron” could be harmed by any magic weapon or any weapon made of cold iron while a creature with “DR/magic and cold iron” can only be harmed by a weapon that is both magical and made of cold iron.

  Damage reduction does not protect against damage from energy attacks (even nonmagical ones) or untyped damage from esoteric effects; however, when a spell, spell-like ability, supernatural ability, or other esoteric effect deals bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing damage or specifically deals weapon damage, that damage is subject to damage reduction.

  Whenever damage reduction completely negates the damage from an attack, it also negates most special effects that accompany the attack, such as injury poison, a monk’s stunning, and injury-based disease. Damage Reduction does not negate touch attacks, energy damage dealt along with an attack, or energy drains. Nor does it affect poisons or diseases delivered by inhalation, ingestion, or contact.

  Attacks that deal no damage because of the target’s damage reduction do not disrupt spells.

  Stacking Damage Reduction

  If a creature has damage reduction from more than one source, the two forms of damage reduction stack using the following rules:

  1. 1. Each type of damage reduction must come from a different type of source. Specifically, you can have one source of damage reduction from your race (or template), one from equipment (such as armor), one from an esoteric effect (regardless of magical system), and any miscellaneous sources that explicitly state that they stack with other sources or increase the amount of one of these existing sources. (Note that magic items that provide DR as a magical effect count as an esoteric effect, not as equipment.)
     2. Damage reduction must be the same type or DR/— to stack. E.g. DR/adamantine will stack with other instances of DR/adamantine but not with DR/good or DR/cold iron.
     3. You get the benefit of the best damage reduction in any given situation.

  So, for example, let’s consider an evil ousider whose race has DR 5/magic and good. It wears Half Plate armor made of adamantine for DR 5/— (DR 3/— plus DR 2/—, as adamantine explicitly improves the existing DR of the armor), casts the stoneskin spell (DR 10/adamantine), and manifests the biofeedback power (DR 2/—).

  First, let’s look at the sources: Race (DR 5/magic and good), Equipment (DR 5/—), and Esoterica (DR 10/adamantine; DR 2/—).

  The highest damage reduction that this example can have is DR 15. the DR 5/— from Equipment will stack with everything else. The DR 5 from Race and DR 10 from Esoterica do not stack, because they have different types (good and magic vs adamantine). The race DR would stack with biofeedback though for DR 7; however, this is still less than stoneskin grants, so it will be using that spell in most instances. This creature would ignore the first 15 points of damage from any attack that doesn’t overcome its DR.

  If it is attacked by someone wielding an adamantine sword, then the damage reduction will drop to 12 (DR 5/magic and good + DR 5/— + DR 2/—). If the adamantine sword were also enchanted with a +1 enhancement bonus and was good-aligned, the creature’s damage reduction would drop to 7 (DR 5/— + DR 2/—). On the other hand, if attacked with a +1 good-aligned sword that were not made of adamantine, the creature would still benefit from the full DR 15, as neither the DR 5 from its equipment nor the DR 10 from stoneskin is overcome by magic or good-aligned weapons.

• Darkvision

  Darkvision is the extraordinary ability to see with no light source at all, out to a range specified for the creature. Darkvision is black and white only (colors cannot be discerned). It does not allow characters 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.

• Death Attacks

  In most cases, a death attack allows the victim a Fortitude save to avoid the affect, but if the save fails, the character dies instantly.

  • Raise dead doesn’t work on someone killed by a death attack.
  • Death attacks slay instantly. A victim cannot be made stable and thereby kept alive.
  • In case it matters, a dead character, no matter how she died, has hit points equal to or less than his negative Constitution score.
  • The spell death ward protects a character against these attacks.

• Energy Drain and Negative Levels

  Some spells and a number of undead creatures have the ability to drain away life and energy; this dreadful attack results in “negative levels.” These cause a character to take a number of penalties.

  For each negative level a creature has, it takes a cumulative penalty as follows:

  • –1 on all skill checks and ability checks
  • –1 on all attack rolls and combat maneuver checks
  • –1 on Combat Maneuver Defense and all saving throws.
  • –5 current and maximum hit points
  • –1 effective level for the purpose of all level-dependent variables (such as spellcasting and caster level).
  • Esoteric Abilities Affected
    • Spellcasters lose one prepared spell or available spell slot of the highest-level, currently available spell level as if that spell had been cast. This spell slot remains unavailable as long as the negative level remains. If the character is a multiclass spellcaster, this affects only one class, whichever has the highest level spells available or the character’s choice if they are the same spell level.
    • Psionic characters lose a number of power points equal to the cost of the highest level of power he can manifest. The power points cannot be restored while the negative level remains.
    • An akashic veilweaver or other creature with Essence loses 1 point of essence per negative level. The lost essence cannot be restored while the negative level remains.
    • If the effective level (see above) an Invoker, Hexcrafter, or Martial Glyph user is reduced beyond the minimum necessary to cast an invocation, hex, or glyph, he loses access to the abilities of that level/tier. (E.g. an 8th-level Mystic who gains a negative level can only use basic glyphs.)
    • A Ki Cultivator‘s maximum ki pool is reduced due to a lower cultivator level (see above).
    • An Aura user whose aura bonus is based on level reduces the bonus if her effective level (see above) is reduced below the minimum for that bonus. (E.g. an 11th Dragon Speaker with 2 negative levels would have only a +2 aura bonus.)

  If a creature’s negative levels equal or exceed its total Hit Dice, it dies.

  A creature with temporary negative levels receives a new saving throw to remove the negative level each day. The DC of this save is the same as the effect that caused the negative levels.

  Level Drain

  Some abilities and spells (such as raise dead) bestow permanent level drain on a creature. These are treated just like temporary negative levels, but they do not allow a new save each day to remove them. Level drain can be removed only through spells like restoration or other powerful esoteric effects.

  Permanent negative levels remain after a dead creature is restored to life. A creature whose permanent negative levels equal its Hit Dice cannot be brought back to life through spells like raise dead and resurrection without also receiving a restoration spell, cast no later than the round after it is restored to life.

• Ethereal

  An ethereal creature is invisible, insubstantial, and capable of moving in any direction, even up or down, albeit at half normal speed. An ethereal creature can move through solid objects, including living creatures. An ethereal creature can see and hear on the Material Plane, but everything looks gray and ephemeral. Sight and hearing onto the Material Plane are limited to 60 feet.

  Force effects and abjurations affect an ethereal creature normally. Their effects extend onto the Ethereal Plane from the Material Plane, but not vice versa. An ethereal creature can’t attack material creatures, and spells and esoteric effects you cast while ethereal affect only other ethereal things. Certain material creatures or objects have attacks or effects that work on the Ethereal Plane.

  An ethereal creature treats other ethereal creatures and ethereal objects as if they were material.

• Evasion

  If a creature with Evasion makes a successful Reflex saving throw against an attack that normally deals half damage on a successful save, they instead take no damage. Evasion can be used only if the creature is wearing light armor or no armor. A creature cannot gain the benefit of evasion while immobilized or helpless.

  • Improved Evasion

    A creature with improved evasion still takes no damage on a successful Reflex saving throw against attacks, but henceforth they take only half damage on a failed save. They do not gain the benefit of improved evasion if they can’t benefit from evasion.

• Fast Healing

  A creature with fast healing has the ability to regain hit points at an exceptional rate. Except for what is noted here, fast healing is like natural healing.

  At the beginning of each of the creature’s turns, it heals a certain number of hit points (defined in its description).

  Unlike regeneration, fast healing does not allow a creature to regrow lost body parts. Unless otherwise stated, it does not allow lost body parts to be reattached.

  A creature that has taken both nonlethal and lethal damage heals the nonlethal damage first.

  Fast healing does not restore hit points lost from starvation, thirst, or suffocation.

• Fear

  Spells, magic items, and certain monsters can affect characters with fear. If a fear effect allows a saving throw, it is typically a Will save (DC 10 + ½ fearsome creature’s racial HD + creature’s Cha modifier; the exact DC is given in the creature’s descriptive text). All fear attacks are mind-affecting fear effects. A failed roll usually means that the character is shaken, frightened, or panicked.

  Fear effects are cumulative. A shaken character who is made shaken again becomes frightened, and a shaken character who is made frightened becomes panicked instead. A frightened character who is made shaken or frightened becomes panicked instead.

  Fear Aura

  The use of this ability is a free action. The aura can freeze an opponent (such as a mummy’s despair) or function like the fear spell. Other effects are possible. A fear aura is an area effect. The descriptive text gives the size and kind of area.

  Fear Cones and Rays

  These effects usually work like the fear spell.

  Frightful Presence

  This special quality makes a creature’s very presence unsettling to foes. It takes effect automatically when the creature performs some sort of dramatic action (such as charging, attacking, or snarling). Opponents within range who witness the action may become shaken or frightened. Actions required to trigger the ability are given in the creature’s descriptive text.

  The range is usually 30 feet, and the duration is usually 5d6 rounds, but check the description for exact details. This ability affects only opponents with fewer Hit Dice or levels than the creature has.

  An affected opponent can resist the effects with a successful Will save (DC 10 + ½ frightful creature’s racial HD + 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 that same creature’s frightful presence for 24 hours.

• Immunity

  A creature with immunity never takes damage from the specified damage type. Immunity almost exclusively applies only to types of energy damage.

• Improved Evasion

  A creature with improved evasion still takes no damage on a successful Reflex saving throw against attacks, but henceforth they take only half damage on a failed save. They do not gain the benefit of improved evasion if they can’t benefit from evasion.

• Improved Grab

  If a creature with this special attack hits with a melee weapon (usually a claw or bite attack), it deals normal damage and attempts to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. No initial touch attack is required.

  Unless otherwise noted, improved grab works only against opponents at least one size category smaller than the creature. The creature has the option to conduct the grapple normally, or simply use the part of its body it used in the improved grab to hold the opponent. If it chooses to do the latter, it takes a -20 penalty on grapple checks, but is not considered grappled itself; the creature does not lose its Dexterity bonus to AC, still threatens an area, and can use its remaining attacks against other opponents.

  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).

  When a creature gets a hold after an improved grab attack, it pulls the opponent into its space. This act does not provoke attacks of opportunity. It can even move (possibly carrying away the opponent), provided it can drag the opponent’s weight.

• Improved Stalwart

  A creature with improved stalwart still ignores the effect on a successful Fortitude or Will saving throw against attacks, but henceforth they suffer only the reduced effect on a failed save. They do not gain the benefit of improved stalwart if they can’t benefit from stalwart.

• Improved Uncanny Dodge

  A creature with this ability can no longer be flanked. This defense denies a rogue the ability to sneak attack the creature by flanking it, unless the attacker has at least four more rogue levels than the target’s class level. Levels from different classes that grant uncanny dodge stack to determine the minimum level a rogue must be to flank the creature.

• Invisibility

  Invisibility makes a creature undetectable by vision, including darkvision. However, the ability to move about unseen is not foolproof. While they can’t be seen, invisible creatures can be heard, smelled, or felt.

  Attacking While Invisible

  An invisible creature gains a +2 bonus on attack rolls against sighted opponents and treats their opponent as flat-footed. (Invisibility has no effect against blinded or otherwise nonsighted creatures.)

  Invisible creatures cannot use gaze attacks or other abilities which require being seen or looked at unless those abilities create an effect separate from the invisible creature.

  Attacking Invisible Enemies

  An invisible creature’s location cannot be pinpointed, and it has total concealment; even if an attacker correctly guesses the invisible creature’s location, the attacker has a 50% miss chance in combat.

  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.

  Detecting an Invisible Creature

  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.

  Invisible creature is…	Perception DC Modifier
  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, the attacker must choose the space where the character will direct their 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, don’t let the player see the result, and tell him that the character has missed. That way the player doesn’t know whether the attack missed because the enemy is not there or because you successfully rolled the miss chance.

  Invisible Creatures Interacting with the World

  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 or another sticky substance 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.

  A creature with the scent ability can detect an invisible creature as it would a visible one.

  A creature with blindsense can detect an invisible creature but still cannot see it; however, a creature with blindsight can attack and otherwise interact with creatures regardless of invisibility.

  Invisible light sources (a burning torch, the light spell, etc.) still give off light.

  Invisibility does not thwart divination spells.

• Lifesense

  This ability functions much like normal sight, except that instead of seeing light, a creature with lifesense sees life. Life sources glow much like light sources with the average Small or Medium living creature giving out “light” like a torch, which gives bright “illumination” out to 20 feet and shadowy “illumination” out to 40 feet. This life-illumination reveals things around it exactly as a normal light source would, except that it is not blocked or suppressed by darkness or magical darkness.

  In the absence of a living creature, a creature cannot use lifesense to detect anything around them, no matter how bright the normal light may be.

  Table: Life-Illumination by Creature Size

  Size	Bright	Shadowy
  Fine	0 ft.	0 ft.
  Diminutive	0 ft.	5 ft.
  Tiny	10 ft.	20 ft.
  Small	20 ft.	40 ft.
  Medium	20 ft.	40 ft.
  Large	25 ft.	45 ft.
  Huge	30 ft.	50 ft.
  Gargantuan	35 ft.	55 ft.
  Colossal	40 ft.	60 ft.

  The amount of life-illumination given off by creatures is directly related to the creature’s size, as shown on the following chart. Creatures with an illumination distance of 0 feet give off no life-illumination in their surroundings but can still be seen as individual specks of light.

  Some forms of lifesense have a limited range, beyond which the creature simply cannot see at all. A creature with limited distance lifesense can see the “light” emitted even if the source is beyond their range. For example, a creature with Lifesense 30 ft. could see the shadowy life-illumination of a Medium humanoid 50 feet away. Although it would not be able to see the humanoid itself, the creature would still know that there is some life source in that direction.

  A living creature with lifesense cannot see their own life-illumination. It is completely invisible to them.

• Low-Light Vision

  Characters with low-light vision have eyes that are so sensitive to light that they can see twice as far as normal in dim light. Low-light vision is color vision. A spellcaster with low-light vision can read a scroll as long as even the tiniest candle flame is next to him as a source of light.

  Characters with low-light vision can see outdoors on a moonlit night as well as they can during the day.

• Movement Modes

  Creatures may have modes of movement other than walking and running. These are natural, not magical, unless specifically noted in a monster description.

  Burrow

  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); see the individual creature descriptions for details.

  Climb

  A creature with a climb speed has a +8 racial bonus on all Athletics checks made while climbing. The creature must make an Athletics check to climb any wall or slope with a DC of more than 0, but it can always choose to take 10 even if rushed or threatened while climbing. The creature climbs at the given speed while climbing. If it chooses an accelerated climb it moves at double the given climb speed and makes a single Athletics check at a -5 penalty. Creatures cannot run while climbing. A creature with a climb speed is not flat-footed while climbing, and opponents get no special bonus on their attacks against a climbing creature.

  Fly

  A creature with a fly speed can move through the air at the indicated speed if carrying no more than a light load. (Note that medium armor does not necessarily constitute a medium load.) All fly speeds include a parenthetical note indicating maneuverability, as follows:

  • Perfect: The creature can perform almost any aerial maneuver it wishes. It moves through the air as well as a human moves over smooth ground.
  • Good: The creature is very agile in the air (like a housefly or a hummingbird), but cannot change direction as readily as those with perfect maneuverability.
  • Average: The creature can fly as adroitly as a small bird.
  • Poor: The creature flies as well as a very large bird.
  • Clumsy: The creature can barely maneuver at all.

  A creature that flies can make dive attacks. A dive attack works just like a charge, but the diving creature must move a minimum of 30 feet and descend at least 10 feet. A creature making a dive attack can attack only with a piercing weapon (such as a spear) or with a claw or talon natural weapon, but these deal double damage.

  A creature can use the run action while flying, provided it flies in a straight line.

  A creature with this ability can cease or resume flight as a free action. If the ability is supernatural, it becomes ineffective in an antimagic field, and the creature loses its ability to fly for as long as the antimagic effect persists.

  Glide

  A creature with a glide speed functions as if they had a fly speed in many ways; however, a gliding creature uses gravity to pull them forward. A gliding creature can move forward 20 feet for every 5 feet it descends. So, if a creature has a glide speed of 40, it descends by 10 feet each time it takes a move action to move 40 feet. A creature with a glide speed can never ascend while gliding.

  All glide speeds include a parenthetical note indicating maneuverability, see above. A creature can never hover while gliding, regardless of its maneuverability.

  Gliding otherwise functions the same as flying, including the ability to make dive attacks.

  Swim

  A creature with a swim speed can move through water at its swim speed without making Athletics checks. It has a +8 racial bonus on any Athletics check to perform some special action or avoid a hazard while swimming. While swimming, the creature can always choose to take 10 on an Athletics check, even if distracted or endangered. The creature can use the run action while swimming, provided it swims in a straight line.

• Natural Weapons

  Natural weapons are attacks that are physically a part of a creature. A creature making a melee attack with a natural weapon is considered armed and does not provoke attacks of opportunity. Likewise, it threatens any space it can reach. Creatures do not receive additional attacks from a high base attack bonus when using natural weapons. Unless otherwise noted, a natural weapon threatens a critical hit on a natural attack roll of 20.

  The number of attacks a creature can make with its natural weapons depends on the type of attack and the number of limbs they possess. In general, a creature can only make a single attack with any particular limb. So, if a generally humanoid creature has two claws and two slam attacks, both made with their hands, then they can use each arm to make only one claw or one slam attack but can’t make both a claw and slam attack with the same limb. The same applies to limbs wielding a manufactured weapon. A creature can’t attack with a wielded weapon and natural weapon at the same time with the same limb.

  Generally speaking, a creature can make one bite attack, one gore attack, one attack per claw, slam, tentacle, or wing, and one sting attack. Bite and gore are typically both part of a creature’s head, but a creature can use both in a single round as part of a full attack. Refer to the individual monster descriptions.

  Natural weapons fall into one of two categories, primary and secondary attacks.

  Primary Attack

  Primary attacks are made using the creature’s full base attack bonus and add the creature’s full Strength bonus on damage rolls. A creature never has more than one type of primary attack, but their primary attack may have multiple attacks if the primary is a pair of weapons (such as a pair of claws). If a creature has only one natural attack, it is always considered the primary attack.

  Secondary Attacks

  All attacks other than the primary attack are considered secondary attacks. Secondary attacks are made using the creature’s base attack bonus –5 and add only 1/2 the creature’s Strength bonus on damage rolls. A creature usually has to make a full attack to be able to attack with their secondary attacks.

  Types of Natural Weapons

  • Bite: The creature attacks with its mouth, dealing piercing, slashing, and bludgeoning damage.
  • Claw or Talon: The creature rips with a sharp appendage, dealing piercing and slashing damage.
  • Gore: The creature spears the opponent with an antler, horn, or similar appendage, dealing piercing damage.
  • Slap or Slam: The creature batters opponents with an appendage, dealing bludgeoning damage.
  • Sting: The creature stabs with a stinger, dealing piercing damage. Sting attacks often deliver a poison in addition to dealing hit point damage.
  • Tentacle: The creature flails at opponents with a powerful tentacle, dealing bludgeoning damage.

  Table: Natural Attacks by Size

  Natural Weapon	Base Damage by Creature Size									Damage Type
  	Fine	Dim.	Tiny	Small	Medium	Large	Huge	Garg.	Col.
  Bite	1	1d2	1d3	1d4	1d6	1d8	2d6	2d8	3d6	B+P+S
  Claw or Talon	—	1	1d2	1d3	1d4	1d6	1d8	2d6	2d8	P+S
  Gore	1	1d2	1d3	1d4	1d6	1d8	2d6	2d8	3d6	P
  Slam	—	1	1d2	1d3	1d4	1d6	1d8	2d6	2d8	B
  Sting	—	1	1d2	1d3	1d4	1d6	1d8	2d6	2d8	P
  Tail Slap	1	1d2	1d3	1d4	1d6	1d8	2d6	2d8	3d6	B
  Tentacle	—	1	1d2	1d3	1d4	1d6	1d8	2d6	2d8	B

• Powerful Build

  Whenever a creature with powerful build is subject to a size modifier for an opposed check, the creature is treated as one size larger if doing so is advantageous to him. He is also considered to be one size larger when determining whether an enemy’s special attacks based on size can affect him.

  A creature with powerful build can use weapons designed for a creature one size larger without penalty, and the creature’s unarmed strike deals damage as if he were one size larger. However, his space and reach remain those of a creature of his actual size. The benefits of this ability stack with the effects of abilities, powers, and spells that change the subject’s size category.

• Precision Damage

  This ability causes an attack to deal additional damage based on precisely targeting vulnerable points for maximum injury. Precision damage almost always modifies an existing attack rather than being an attack of its own. The most common form of precision damage is the rogue’s sneak attack ability.

  Precision damage can be any damage type, in fact it always matches the damage type of the attack it modifies. For example, a rogue making a sneak attack with a short sword would deal her sneak attack damage as slashing damage. Regardless of damage type, precision damage can only deal hit point damage, even if the base attack normally deals ability damage or some other type of damage.

  Precision damage is not multiplied on a critical hit.

  Precision damage normally deals lethal damage. It can only be used to deal nonlethal damage if the base attack normally deals nonlethal damage. For example, a sap normally deals nonlethal damage and can be used to deal nonlethal precision damage; however, a short sword normally deals lethal damage and cannot be used to deal nonlethal precision damage, even with the usual -4 penalty.

  Precision damage can only be used against creatures with discernible anatomies and vital organs (or similar weak points). Creatures immune to critical hits are also immune to precision damage. This includes constructs, elementals, oozes, plants, undead, and any creature with the incorporeal subtype or amorphous special ability.

  Precision damage can only be dealt if the target’s vitals can be reached. A creature with concealment or whose vitals are beyond reach cannot be dealt precision damage.

  Precision Range

  Precision damage must be focused on a small, precise area of a target. This precision means that it can only be dealt from a limited distance beyond which such precise aim becomes impossible. The base precision range is 30 feet. A creature must be within your precision range to target them with precision damage.

• Resistance

  A creature with resistance to a damage type has the ability (usually extraordinary) to ignore some damage of a certain type each round, but it does not have total immunity. This almost always applies only to types of energy damage.

  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 a spell. Resistance from multiple sources usually does not stack.

• Scent

  This extraordinary ability lets a creature detect approaching enemies, sniff out hidden foes, and track by sense of smell.

  A creature with the scent ability can detect opponents by sense of smell, generally within 30 feet. If the opponent is upwind, the range is 60 feet. If it is downwind, the range is 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 three times these ranges.

  The creature detects another creature’s presence but not its specific location. Noting the direction of the scent is a move action. If it moves within 5 feet of the scent’s source, the creature can pinpoint that source.

  A creature with the scent ability can follow tracks by smell, making a Wisdom check to find or follow a track. The typical DC for a fresh trail is 10. The 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 tracking using the Natural Lore skill. Creatures tracking by scent ignore the effects of surface conditions and poor visibility.

  Creatures with the scent ability can identify familiar odors just as humans do familiar sights.

  Water, particularly running water, ruins a trail for air-breathing creatures. Water-breathing creatures that have the scent ability, however, can use it in the water easily.

  False, powerful odors can easily mask other scents. The presence of such an odor completely spoils the ability to properly detect or identify creatures, and the base tracking DC to track becomes 20 rather than 10.

• Stalwart

  If a creature with stalwart makes a successful Fortitude or Will saving throw against an attack that normally has a reduced effect on a successful save, they instead avoid the effect entirely. Stalwart can be used only if the creature is wearing medium armor, light armor, or no armor. They do not gain the benefit of stalwart while helpless.

  • Improved Stalwart

    A creature with improved stalwart still ignores the effect on a successful Fortitude or Will saving throw against attacks, but henceforth they suffer only the reduced effect on a failed save. They do not gain the benefit of improved stalwart if they can’t benefit from stalwart.

• Uncanny Dodge

  A creature with uncanny dodge retains its Dexterity bonus to AC (if any) even if it is caught flat-footed or struck by an invisible attacker (it is still considered flat-footed for other purposes). However, he still loses his Dexterity bonus to AC if immobilized or helpless. If a creature gains uncanny dodge from a second source, it automatically gains improved uncanny dodge instead.

  • Improved Uncanny Dodge

    A creature with this ability can no longer be flanked. This defense denies a rogue the ability to sneak attack the creature by flanking it, unless the attacker has at least four more rogue levels than the target’s class level. Levels from different classes that grant uncanny dodge stack to determine the minimum level a rogue must be to flank the creature.

• Vulnerability

  A creature with vulnerabilities takes half again as much damage (+50%) from a specific damage type (usually a type of energy damage), regardless of whether a saving throw is allowed or if the save is a success or failure.

  Creatures with a vulnerability that is not a damage type instead take a –4 penalty on saves against spells and effects that cause or use the listed vulnerability (such as for creatures with vulnerability to the light descriptor). Some creatures might suffer additional effects, as noted in their descriptions.