Creature Overview

DnD SRD (Index) :: Monsters (Table Of Contents | List Of Tables) :: Creature Overview

Sections:

.Main statistics block
..Name
..Size and type
...Hit dice
...Initiative
...Speed
...Armor class
...Attacks
...Damage
...Face/reach
...Special abilities
...Special qualities
...Saves
...Skills
..Feats
..Secondary statistics block
...Climate/terrain
...Organization
...Challenge rating
...Alignment
...Treasure
...Advancement
...Improvement
..Aberration
..Animal
..Beast
..Construct
..Dragon
..Elemental
..Fey
..Giant
..Humanoid
..Magical beast
..Monstrous humanoid
..Ooze
..Outsider
..Plant
..Shapechanger
..Vermin
..Undead
..Size increases
..Creatures with character classes
..Descriptive text

Tables:

.Creature Sizes
.Skills
.Ooze
.Vermin
.Size Increases - Stats
.Size Increases - Damage

Creature Overview

This material is Open Game Content, and is licensed for public use under the terms of the Open Game License v1.0a.

Main statistics block

This text contains basic game information on the creature.

Name

This is the name by which the creature is generally known.

Size and type

Information on the creature's base size and any Type modifiers.

Creature Sizes

Size	AC/Attack Modifier	Dimension*	Weight**
Fine	+8	6 in. or less	1/8 lb. or less
Diminutive	+4	6 in.-1 ft.	1/8 lb.-1 lb.
Tiny	+2	1 ft.-2 ft.	1 lb.-8 lb.
Small	+1	2 ft.-4 ft.	8 lb.-60 lb.
Medium	0	4 ft.-8 ft.	60 lb.-500 lb.
Large	-1	8 ft.-16 ft.	500 lb.-4,000 lb.
Huge	-2	16 ft.-32 ft.	4,000 lb.-32,000 lb.
Gargantuan	-4	32 ft.-64 ft.	32,000 lb.-250,000 lb.
Colossal	-8	64 ft. or more	250,000 lb. or more

*Biped's height, quadruped's body length (nose to base of tail).
**-Assumes that the creature is roughly as dense as a regular animal. A creature made of stone will weigh considerably more. A gaseous creature will weigh much less.
Each creature is "typed". Type determines many of the creature's characteristics and abilities, as described below.

Hit dice

This line gives the number and type of Hit Dice the creature has and any bonus hit points. A parenthetical note gives the creature's average hit points. A creature's Hit Dice total is also its level for determining how spells affect the creature, its rate of natural healing, and its maximum ranks in a skill.

Initiative

This line shows the creature's modifier to initiative rolls. A parenthetical note tells where the modifier comes from.

Speed

This line gives the creature's tactical speed. If the creature wears armor that reduces its speed, this fact is given along with a parenthetical note indicating the armor type; the creature's base unarmored speed follows.

Armor class

The Armor Class line gives the creature's AC for normal combat and includes a parenthetical mention of the modifiers contributing to it (usually size, Dexterity, and natural armor). Note that each creature is proficient in whatever type of armor (light, medium, or heavy) that is is described as wearing, as well as all lighter types. Creatures not listed as wearing armor as not proficient with armor.

Attacks

This line gives all the creature's physical attacks, whether with natural or manufactured weapons.
Natural Weapons: A creature with the Weapon Finesse feat can use its Dexterity modifier on melee attacks with Natural Weapons. The first entry is for the creature's primary weapon. The remaining weapons are secondary and have -5 to the attack bonus, no matter how many there are. Creatures with the Multiattack feat suffer only a -2 penalty to secondary attacks.
Unless noted otherwise, natural weapons threaten critical hits on a natural attack roll of 20. Unless noted otherwise, creatures deal double damage on critical hits.

Damage

This line shows the damage each of the creature's attacks deals.
If any attacks also cause some special effect other than damage (poison, disease, etc.), that information is given here.
Natural weapons have types just as other weapons do. The most common are summarized below.

Bite: The creature attacks with its mouth, dealing piercing, slashing, and bludgeoning damage.
Claw or Rake: 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. Stings are usually envenomed.

Face/reach

Written in the format [feet] by [feet]/[feet]: The numbers before the slash show the creature's fighting space (width first, length second). The number after the slash is the creature's natural reach.

Special abilities

A special ability is either extraordinary (Ex), spell-like (Sp), or supernatural (Su).
For creatures with spell-like abilities, a designated caster level serves to define how difficult it is to dispel their spell-like effects and to define any level-dependent variable (such as range and duration) the abilities might have. If no caster level is specified, the caster level is equal to the creature's Hit Dice.

Special qualities

This line gives all the creature's special qualities, in the order they are most likely to be used. If the creature has no special qualities, this line does not appear. Details of the most common special qualities are provided here.

Saves

This line gives the creature's Fortitude, Reflex, and Will save modifiers.

Skills

This line lists all the creature's skills by name along with each skill's score.
A creature's type and Intelligence score determine the number of skill points it has. Some creatures receive bonus skill points for having Hit Dice in excess of what is normal for creatures of their size, as listed in the accompanying table.

Skills

Type	Base Skill Points	Bonus Points
Aberration	2xInt score	+2/EHD*
Animal	10-15	-
Beast	10-15	+1/EHD
Construct	-	-
Dragon	(6 + Int mod)xHD	-
Elemental	2xInt score	+2/EHD
Fey	3xInt score	+2/EHD
Giant	6 + Int mod	+1/EHD
Humanoid	6 + Int mod	+1/EHD
Magical beast	2xInt score	+1/EHD
Monstrous humanoid	2xInt score	+2/EHD
Ooze	-	-
Outsider	(8 + Int mod)xHD	-
Plant	-	-
Shapechanger	2xInt score	+1/EHD
Vermin	10-15	-
Undead	3xInt score	+2/EHD

*-EHD: Extra Hit Die. To calculate EHD for any creature other than an elemental, subtract 1 from the creature's total Hit Dice if it is Medium-size or smaller; 2 if Large; 4 if Huge; 16 if Gargantuan; and 32 if Colossal. Treat results less than 0 as 0.
The "Skills" section of the creature's descriptive text recaps racial and other bonuses for the sake of clarity; these bonuses should not be added to the listed skill scores unless otherwise noted. An asterisk (*) beside the relevant score and in the "Skills" section indicates a conditional adjustment.

Feats

The line lists all the creature's feats by name.

Secondary statistics block

Climate/terrain

This entry describes the locales where the creature is most often found.

Cold: Arctic and subarctic climes. Any area that has winter conditions for the greater portion of the year is cold.
Temperate: Any area that has alternating warm and cold seasons.
Warm: Tropical and subtropical climes. Any area that has summer conditions for the greater portion of the year is warm.
Aquatic: Fresh or salt water.
Desert: Any dry area with sparse vegetation.
Forest: Any area covered with trees.
Hill: Any area with rugged but not mountainous terrain.
Marsh: Low, flat, waterlogged areas; includes swamps.
Mountains: Rugged terrain, higher than hills.
Plains: Any fairly flat area that is not a desert, marsh, or forest.
Underground: Subterranean areas.

Organization

This line describes the kinds of groups the creature might form. A range of numbers in parentheses indicates how many combat-ready adults are in each type of group. Many groups also have a number of noncombatants, expressed as a percentage of the fighting population. Noncombatants can include young, the infirm, slaves, or other individuals who are not inclined to fight. A creature's Society entry may include more details on noncombatants.

Challenge rating

This is the average level of a party of adventurers for which one creature would make an encounter of moderate difficulty.

Alignment

This entry gives the alignment that the creature is most likely to have. Every entry includes a qualifier that indicates how broadly that alignment applies to the species as a whole.

Always: The creature is born with the listed alignment. The creature may have a hereditary predisposition to the alignment or come from a plane that predetermines it. It is possible for individuals to change alignment, but such individuals are either unique or one-in-a-million exceptions.
Usually: The majority (more than 50%) of these creatures have the given alignment. This may be due to strong cultural influences, or it may be a legacy of the creatures' origin.
Often: The creature tends toward the listed alignment, either by nature or nurture, but not strongly. A plurality (40-50%) of individuals have the given alignment, but exceptions are common.

Treasure

This entry reflects how much wealth the creature owns.
Treasures include coins, goods, and items. Creatures can have varying amounts of each, as follows.

Standard: Roll once under each type of treasure's column on the appropriate row for the creature's Challenge Rating (for groups of creatures, use the Encounter Level for the encounter instead). Some creatures have double, triple, or even quadruple standard treasure; in these cases roll under each treasure column two, three, or four times.
None: The creature collects no treasure of its own.
Nonstandard: Some creatures have quirks or habits that affect the types of treasure they collect. These creatures use the same treasure tables, but with special adjustments.
Fractional Coins: Roll on the Coins column for the creature's Challenge Rating, but divide the result as indicated.
% Goods or Items: The creature has goods or items only some of the time. Before checking for goods or items, roll d% against the listed percentage. On a success, make a normal roll on the Goods or Items column (which may still result in no goods or items).
Double Goods or Items: Roll twice on the Goods or Items column.
Parenthetical Notes: Some entries for goods or items include notes that limit the types of treasure a creature collects. When a note includes the word "no," it means the creature does not collect or cannot keep that thing. If a random roll generates such a result, treat the result as "nothing" instead. When a note includes the word "only," the creature goes out of its way to collect treasure of the indicated type. If an entry for Goods indicates "gems only," roll on the Goods column and treat any "art" result as "gems" instead. It sometimes will be necessary to reroll until the right sort of item appears.

Advancement

This book lists only the weakest and most common version of each creature. The Advancement line shows how tough the creature can get, in terms of extra Hit Dice. (This is not an absolute limit, but exceptions are extremely rare.)

Improvement

As its Hit Dice increase, the creature's attack bonuses and saving throw modifiers might improve, and it could gain more feats and skills, depending on its type.
Note that if the creature acquires a character class, it improves according to its class, not its type.

Aberration

Aberration: An aberration has a bizarre anatomy, strange abilities, an alien mindset, or any combination of the three. Unless noted otherwise, aberrations have darkvision with a range of 60 feet.

Hit Die: d8
Attack Bonus: Total HDx3/4 (as cleric)
Good Saving Throws: Will
Skill Points: +2 per extra HD
Feats: +1 per 4 extra HD

Animal

Animal: An animal is a nonhumanoid creature, usually a vertebrate. All animals have Intelligence scores of 1 or 2. Unless noted otherwise, animals have low-light vision.

Hit Die: d8
Attack Bonus: Total HDx3/4 (as cleric)
Good Saving Throws: Usually Fortitude and Reflex
Skill Points: 10-15
Feats: -

Beast

Beast: A beast is a nonhistorical, vertebrate creature with a reasonably normal anatomy and no magical or unusual abilities. Beasts have Intelligence scores of 1 or 2. Unless noted otherwise, beasts have low-light vision and darkvision with a range of 60 feet.

Hit Die: d10
Attack Bonus: Total HDx3/4 (as cleric)
Good Saving Throws: Fortitude and Reflex
Skill Points: 10-15
Feats: -

Construct

Construct: A construct is an animated object or artificially constructed creature. Constructs usually have no Intelligence scores and never have Constitution scores. A construct is immune to mind-influencing effects and to poison, sleep, paralysis, stunning, disease, death effects, and necromantic effects.
Constructs cannot heal damage on their own, though they can be healed. Constructs can be repaired in the same way an object can. A construct with the regeneration and fast healing special qualities still benefits from those qualities.
A construct is not subject to critical hits, subdual damage, ability damage, ability drain, or energy drain. It is immune to any effect that requires a Fortitude save (unless the effect also works on objects). A construct is not at risk of death from massive damage, but when reduced to 0 hit points or less, it is immediately destroyed. Since it was never alive, a construct cannot be raised or resurrected.
Unless noted otherwise, constructs have darkvision with a range of 60 feet.

Hit Die: d10
Attack Bonus: Total HDx3/4 (as cleric)
Good Saving Throws: -
Skill Points: -
Feats: -

Dragon

Dragon: A dragon is a reptilian creature, usually winged, with magical or unusual abilities. Dragons are immune to sleep and paralysis effects. Unless noted otherwise, dragons have darkvision with a range of 60 feet and low-light vision.

Hit Die: d12
Attack Bonus: Total HD (as fighter)
Good Saving Throws: Fortitude, Reflex, Will
Skill Points: +6 (+ Intelligence modifier) per extra HD
Feats: +1 per 4 extra HD

Elemental

Elemental: An elemental is composed of one of the four classical elements: air, earth, fire, or water. It is immune to poison, sleep, paralysis, and stunning. Elementals have no clear front or back and are therefore not subject to critical hits or flanking. Unless noted otherwise, they have darkvision with a range of 60 feet.
A slain elemental cannot be raised or resurrected, although a wish or miracle spell can restore it to life.

Hit Die: d8
Attack Bonus: Total HDx3/4 (as cleric)
Good Saving Throws: Variable by type- Reflex (Air, Fire); Fortitude (Earth, Water)
Skill Points: +2 per extra HD
Feats: +1 per 4 extra HD

Fey

Fey: A fey is a creature with supernatural abilities and connections to nature or to some other force or place. Fey are usually human-shaped. Fey are proficient with all simple weapons and any weapons mentioned in their entries. Unless noted otherwise, fey have low-light vision.

Hit Die: d6
Attack Bonus: Total HDx1/2 (as wizard)
Good Saving Throws: Reflex and Will
Skill Points: +2 per extra HD
Feats: +1 per 4 extra HD

Giant

Giant: A giant is a humanoid creature of great strength, usually of at least Large size. Giants are proficient with all simple weapons and with any weapons listed in their entries. Unless noted otherwise, giants have darkvision with a range of 60 feet.

Hit Die: d8
Attack Bonus: Total HDx3/4 (as cleric)
Good Saving Throws: Fortitude
Skill Points: +1 per extra HD
Feats: +1 per 4 extra HD

Humanoid

Humanoid: A humanoid usually has two arms, two legs, and one head, or a humanlike torso, arms, and head. Humanoids have few or no supernatural or extraordinary abilities, and usually are Small or Medium-size. Every humanoid creature also has a sub-type modifier based on its race.

Hit Die: d8
Attack Bonus: Total HDx3/4 (as cleric)
Good Saving Throws: Variable (Fortitude or Reflex or Will)
Skill Points: +1 per extra HD
Feats: +1 per 4 extra HD

Magical beast

Magical Beast: Magical beasts are similar to beasts but can have Intelligence score higher than 2. Magical beasts usually have supernatural or extraordinary abilities. Unless noted otherwise, magical beasts have darkvision with a range of 60 feet and low-light vision.

Hit Die: d10
Attack Bonus: Total HD (as fighter)
Good Saving Throws: Fortitude and Reflex
Skill Points: +1 per extra HD
Feats: +1 per 4 extra HD

Monstrous humanoid

Monstrous Humanoid: These are humanoid creatures with monstrous or animalistic features, often having supernatural abilities. Unless noted otherwise, monstrous humanoids have darkvision with a range of 60 feet. Monstrous humanoids are proficient with all simple weapons and with any weapons mentioned in their entries.

Hit Die: d8
Attack Bonus: Total HD (as fighter)
Good Saving Throws: Reflex and Will
Skill Points: +2 per extra HD
Feats: +1 per 4 extra HD

Ooze

Ooze: An ooze is an amorphous or mutable creature. Oozes are immune to poison, sleep, paralysis, stunning, and polymorphing. They have no clear front or back and are therefore not subject to critical hits or flanking. Oozes are blind but have the blindsight special quality. They have no Intelligence scores and are therefore immune to all mind-influencing effects (charms, compulsions, phantasms, patterns, and morale effects).
Oozes have no natural armor ratings, but they are nevertheless difficult to kill because their bodies are mostly simple protoplasm. This is reflected by bonus hit points (in addition to those from Hit Dice and Constitution scores) according to size, as shown in the table below.

Ooze

Ooze Size	Bonus Hit Points
Fine	-
Diminutive	-
Tiny	-
Small	5
Medium-Size	10
Large	15
Huge	20
Gigantic	30
Colossal	40

Hit Die: d10
Attack Bonus: Total HDx3/4 (as cleric)
Good Saving Throws: -
Skill Points: -
Feats: Blindsight

Outsider

Outsider: An outsider is a nonelemental creature that comes from another dimension, reality, or plane. Outsiders are proficient with all simple weapons and any weapons mentioned in their entries. Outsiders with Intelligence scores of 6 or higher also are proficient with all martial weapons. Unless noted otherwise, outsiders have darkvision with a range of 60 feet.
A slain outsider cannot be raised or resurrected, although a wish or miracle spell can restore it to life.

Hit Die: d8
Attack Bonus: Total HD (as fighter)
Good Saving Throws: Fortitude, Reflex, Will
Skill Points: +8 (+ Intelligence modifier) per extra HD
Feats: +1 per 4 total HD

Plant

Plant: This type comprises vegetable creatures. Plants are immune to poison, sleep, paralysis, stunning, and polymorphing. They are not subject to critical hits or mind-influencing effects. If a plant-type creature has vision, the creature has low-light vision unless otherwise noted.

Hit Die: d8
Attack Bonus: Total HDx3/4 (as cleric)
Good Saving Throws: Fortitude
Skill Points: -
Feats: -

Shapechanger

Shapechanger: This type of creature has a stable body but can assume other forms. Unless noted otherwise, shapechangers have darkvision with a range of 60 feet.

Hit Die: d8
Attack Bonus: Total HDx3/4 (as cleric)
Good Saving Throws: Fortitude, Reflex, Will
Skill Points: +1 per extra HD
Feats: +1 per 4 extra HD

Vermin

Vermin: This type includes insects, arachnids, other arthropods, worms, and similar invertebrates. Vermin have no Intelligence scores and are immune to all mind-influencing effects. Unless noted otherwise, vermin have darkvision with a range of 60 feet. Poisonous vermin get a bonus to the DC for their poison based on their size, as shown on the following table.

Vermin

Vermin Size	Poison DC Bonus
Medium-size	+2
Large	+4
Huge +	6
Gargantuan	+8
Colossal	+10

Hit Die: d8
Attack Bonus: Total HDx3/4 (as cleric)
Good Saving Throws: Fortitude
Skill Points: 10-12
Feats: -

Undead

Undead: Undead are once-living creatures animated by spiritual or supernatural forces. Undead are immune to poison, sleep, paralysis, stunning, disease, death effects, and necromantic effects, and they ignore mind-influencing effects. Undead are not subject to critical hits, subdual damage, ability damage, ability drain, or energy drain. They have no Constitution scores and are therefore immune to any effect requiring a Fortitude save (unless it affects objects). An undead spellcaster uses its Charisma modifier when making Concentration checks.
Undead with no Intelligence scores cannot heal damage on their own, though they can be healed. Negative energy (such as an inflict wounds spell) can heal undead creatures. The regeneration and fast healing special qualities work regardless of the creature's Intelligence score.
An undead creature is not at risk of death from massive damage, but when reduced to 0 hit points or less, it is immediately destroyed. Most undead have darkvision with a range of 60 feet.
Undead cannot be raised. Resurrection can affect them, but since undead creatures usually are unwilling to return to life, these attempts generally fail.

Hit Die: d12
Attack Bonus: Total HDx1/2 (as wizard)
Good Saving Throws: Will
Skill Points: +2 per extra HD
Feats: +1 per 4 extra HD

Size increases

Creatures may become larger as they gain Hit Dice (the new size is noted parenthetically).
A size increase affects a creature's ability scores, AC, attack bonuses, and damage ratings as indicated on the following tables.

Size Increases - Stats

Old Size*	New Size	Str	Natural Dex	AC/ Con	Armor	Attack
Fine	Diminutive	Same	-2	Same	Same	-4
Diminutive	Tiny	+2	-2	Same	Same	-2
Tiny	Small	+4	-2	Same	Same	-1
Small	Medium-size	+4	-2	+2	Same	-1
Medium-size	Large	+8	-2	+4	+2	-1
Large	Huge	+8	-2	+4	+3	-1
Huge	Gargantuan	+8	Same	+4	+4	-2
Gargantuan	Colossal	+8	Same	+4	+5	-4

*-Repeat the adjustment if the creature moves up more than one size.

Size Increases - Damage

Old Damage (Each)*	New Damage
1d2	1d3
1d3	1d4
1d4	1d6
1d6	1d8
1d8 or 1d10	2d6
1d12	2d8

*-Repeat the adjustment if the creature moves up more than one size category.

Creatures with character classes

If a creature acquires a character class, it follows the rules for multiclassing. The creature's character level equals the number of class levels it has, plus the total Hit Dice for such beings.
A creature's monster class is always its favored class, and the creature never suffers XP penalties for having it.
Additional Hit Dice from a character class never affect a creature's size.

Descriptive text

The descriptive text opens with a short description of the monster: what it does, what it looks like, and what is most noteworthy about it. Special sections describe how the creature fights and give details on special attacks, special qualities, skills, and feats.

DnD SRD (Index) :: Monsters (Table Of Contents | List Of Tables) :: Creature Overview