Creature Abilities

This monster can see in all directions simultaneously and therefore can't be flanked.

Requirements The monster is hiding in water and a creature that hasn't detected it is within the listed number of feet; Effect The monster moves up to its swim Speed + 10 feet toward the triggering creature, traveling on water and on land. Once the creature is in reach, the monster makes a Strike against it. The creature is off-guard against this Strike.

The monster attempts to hit each creature in a designated area with an area attack, typically a burst, line, or cone. For a burst, the monster can position the center point anywhere within the indicated range. Any creatures in the area take the indicated amount of damage, with a basic Reflex save against the indicated DC. Damage from Area Fire is area damage. The Area Fire entry can specify additional effects, such as conditions applied on a critical failure. Area Fire sometimes comes from manufactured weapons, in which case the monster must be wielding the weapon, and the Area Fire uses ammo equal to the weapon's expend (or uses up a consumable such as a grenade). Most Area Fire attacks are a 2-action activity, but sometimes (such as when throwing a grenade) they're only a single action.

The monster can cast its at-will spells any number of times without using up spell slots.

A monster's aura automatically affects everything within a specified emanation around that monster. The monster doesn't need to spend actions on the aura; rather, the aura's effects are applied at specific times, such as when a creature ends its turn within the aura or when creatures enter the aura. If an aura does nothing but deal damage, its entry lists only the radius, damage, and saving throw. Such auras deal this damage to a creature when the creature enters the aura and when a creature starts its turn in the aura. A creature can take damage from the aura only once per round. The GM might determine that a monster's aura doesn't affect its own allies. For example, a creature might be immune to a monster's frightful presence if they have been around each other for a long time.

The monster attempts to hit each creature in a cone of the indicated size (typically half the range increment of a manufactured weapon) without making an attack roll. Any creature in the area takes the indicated damage, with a basic Reflex save against the indicated DC. This damage is area damage. The Auto-Fire entry can specify additional effects, such as conditions applied on a critical failure. Auto-Fire most often comes from manufactured weapons, in which case the monster must be wielding the weapon, and the Auto-Fire has an expend equal to the number of targets in the area × 2.

(concentrate, magical tradition, polymorph) The monster changes its shape indefinitely. It can use this action again to return to its natural shape or adopt a new shape. Unless otherwise noted, a monster can't use Change Shape to appear as a specific individual. Using Change Shape counts as creating a disguise for the Impersonate use of Deception. The monster's transformation automatically defeats Perception DCs to determine whether the creature is a member of the ancestry or creature type into which it transformed, and it gains a +4 status bonus to its Deception DC to prevent others from seeing through its disguise. Change Shape abilities specify what shapes the monster can adopt. The monster doesn't gain any special abilities of the new shape, only its physical form. For example, in each shape, it replaces its normal Speeds and Strikes, and might potentially change its senses or size. Any changes are listed in its stat block.

A constant spell affects the monster without the monster needing to cast it, and its duration is unlimited. If a constant spell gets counteracted, the monster can reactivate it by spending the normal spellcasting actions the spell requires.

The monster deals the listed amount of damage to any number of creatures grabbed or restrained by it. Each of those creatures can attempt a basic Fortitude save with the listed DC.

A monster with darkvision can see perfectly well in areas of darkness and dim light, though such vision is in black and white only. Some forms of magical darkness, such as a 4th-rank darkness spell, block normal darkvision. A monster with greater darkvision, however, can see through even these forms of magical darkness.

When a creature is exposed to a monster's disease, it attempts a Fortitude save or succumbs to the disease. The level of a disease is the level of the monster inflicting the disease. The disease follows the rules for afflictions.

The monster Strides up to double its Speed and can move through the spaces of any creatures in its path. Any creature of the monster's size or smaller whose space the monster moves through can attempt a Reflex save with the listed DC to avoid being engulfed. A creature unable to act automatically critically fails this save. If a creature succeeds at its save, it can choose to be either pushed aside (out of the monster's path) or pushed in front of the monster to the end of the monster's movement. The monster can attempt to Engulf the same creature only once in a single use of Engulf. The monster can contain as many creatures as can fit in its space.

A creature that fails its save is pulled into the monster's body. It is grabbed, is slowed 1, and has to hold its breath or start suffocating. The creature takes the listed amount of damage when first engulfed and at the end of each of its turns while it's engulfed. An engulfed creature can get free by Escaping against the listed Escape DC. An engulfed creature can attack the monster engulfing it, but only with unarmed attacks or with weapons of light Bulk or less. The engulfing creature is off-guard against the attack. If the monster takes piercing or slashing damage equaling or exceeding the listed Rupture value from a single attack or spell, the engulfed creature cuts itself free. A creature that gets free by either method can immediately breathe and exits the engulfing monster's space.

If the monster dies, all creatures it has engulfed are automatically released as the monster's form loses cohesion.

A monster with this ability regains the given number of Hit Points each round at the beginning of its turn.

Trigger The monster is reduced to 0 HP; Effect The monster avoids being knocked out and remains at 1 HP, but its wounded value increases by 1. When it is wounded 3, it can no longer use this ability.

(aura, emotion, fear, mental) A creature that first enters the area must attempt a Will save. Regardless of the result of the saving throw, the creature is temporarily immune to this monster's Frightful Presence for 1 minute.

Requirements The monster's last action was a successful Strike that lists Grab in its damage entry, or the monster has a creature grabbed or restrained; Effect If used after a Strike, the monster attempts to Grapple the creature using the body part it attacked with. This attempt neither applies nor counts toward the creature's multiple attack penalty.

The monster can instead use Grab and choose one creature it's grabbing or restraining with an appendage that has Grab to automatically extend that condition to the end of the monster's next turn.

The monster deals the listed amount of damage to any number of creatures grabbed or restrained by it. Each of those creatures can attempt a basic Fortitude save with the listed DC. A creature that fails this save falls unconscious, and a creature that succeeds is then temporarily immune to falling unconscious from Greater Constrict for 1 minute.

When a monster's land speed indicates that the creature hovers, its land Speed represents how fast it can move while hovering within 5 feet of a solid surface. Hovering creatures don't count as flying but might be able to avoid certain types of difficult or hazardous terrain, at the GM's discretion.

The monster can use Grab, Knockdown, or Push (as appropriate) as a free action triggered by a hit with its initial attack. A monster with Improved Grab still needs to spend an action to extend the duration for creatures it already has grabbed.

Requirements The monster's last action was a successful Strike that lists Knockdown in its damage entry; Effect The monster attempts to Trip the creature. This attempt neither applies nor counts toward the monster's multiple attack penalty.

Lifesense allows a monster to sense the vital essence of living and undead creatures within the listed range. The sense can distinguish between the vitality energy animating living creatures and the void energy animating undead creatures, much as sight distinguishes colors.

When first exposed to bright light, the monster is blinded until the end of its next turn. After this exposure, light doesn't blind the monster again until after it spends 1 hour in darkness. However, as long as the monster is in an area of bright light, it's dazzled.

The monster can see in dim light as though it were bright light, so it ignores the concealed condition due to dim light.

The monster doesn't breathe and is immune to effects that require breathing.

The monster doesn't have eyes or otherwise sense creatures using vision and is immune to visual effects. It typically relies on other senses to navigate its environment and detect creatures.

When a creature is exposed to a monster's poison, it attempts a Fortitude save to avoid becoming poisoned. The level of a poison is the level of the monster inflicting the poison. The poison follows the rules for afflictions.

Requirements The monster's last action was a success with a Strike that lists Pull in its damage entry; Effect The monster attempts to Reposition the creature, moving it closer to the monster. This attempt neither applies nor counts toward the monster's multiple attack penalty. If Pull lists a distance, change the distance the creature is pulled on a success to that distance.

Requirements The monster's last action was a successful Strike that lists Push in its damage entry; Effect The monster attempts to Shove the creature. This attempt neither applies nor counts toward the monster's multiple attack penalty. If Push lists a distance, change the distance the creature is pushed on a success to that distance.

Trigger A creature within the monster's reach uses a manipulate action or a move action, makes a ranged attack, or leaves a square during a move action it's using; Effect The monster attempts a melee Strike against the triggering creature. If the attack is a critical hit and the trigger was a manipulate action, the monster disrupts that action. This Strike doesn't count toward the monster's multiple attack penalty, and its multiple attack penalty doesn't apply to this Strike.

This monster regains the listed number of Hit Points each round at the beginning of its turn. Its dying condition never increases beyond dying 3 as long as its regeneration is active. However, if it takes damage of a type listed in the regeneration entry, its regeneration deactivates until the end of its next turn. Deactivate the regeneration before applying any damage of a listed type, since that damage might kill the monster by bringing it to dying 4.

A Rend entry lists a Strike the monster has; Requirements The monster hit the same enemy with two consecutive Strikes of the listed type in the same round; Effect The monster automatically deals that Strike's damage again to the enemy.

Scent involves sensing creatures or objects by smell and is usually a vague sense. The range is listed in the ability, and it functions only if the creature or object being detected emits an aroma (for instance, incorporeal creatures usually don't exude an aroma).

If a creature emits a heavy aroma or is upwind, the GM can double or even triple the range of scent abilities used to detect that creature, and the GM can reduce the range if a creature is downwind.

Trigger The monster has its shield raised and takes damage from a physical attack; Effect The monster snaps its shield into place to deflect a blow. The shield prevents the monster from taking an amount of damage up to the shield's Hardness. The monster and the shield each take any remaining damage, possibly breaking or destroying the shield.

(aura, olfactory) A creature entering the aura or starting its turn in the area must succeed at a Fortitude save or become sickened 1 (plus slowed 1 as long as it's sickened on a critical failure). A creature that succeeds at its save or recovers from being sickened is temporarily immune to all stench auras for 1 minute.

(attack) The monster attempts to swallow a creature of the listed size or smaller that it has grabbed or restrained in its jaws or mouth. If a swallowed creature is of the maximum size listed, the monster can't use Swallow Whole again. If the creature is smaller than the maximum, the monster can usually swallow more creatures; the GM determines the maximum. The monster attempts an Athletics check opposed by the target's Reflex DC. If it succeeds, it swallows the creature. The monster's mouth or jaws no longer clutch a creature it has swallowed, so the monster is free to use them to Strike or Grab once again. The monster can't attack creatures it has swallowed.

A swallowed creature is grabbed, is slowed 1, and has to hold its breath or start suffocating. The swallowed creature takes the listed amount of damage when first swallowed and at the end of each of its turns while it's swallowed. If the victim Escapes this ability's grabbed condition, it exits through the monster's mouth. This frees any other creature captured in the monster's mouth or jaws. A swallowed creature can attack the monster that has swallowed it, but only with unarmed attacks or with weapons of light Bulk or less. The swallowing creature is off-guard against the attack. If the monster takes piercing or slashing damage equaling or exceeding the listed Rupture value from a single attack or spell, the swallowed creature cuts itself free. A creature that gets free by either Escaping or cutting itself free can immediately breathe and exits the swallowing monster's space.

If the monster dies, a swallowed creature can be freed by creatures adjacent to the corpse if they spend a combined total of 3 actions cutting the monster open with a weapon or unarmed attack that deals piercing or slashing damage.

This monster doesn't have a single mind (typically because it's a swarm of smaller creatures) and is immune to mental effects that target only a specific number of creatures. It's still subject to mental effects that affect all creatures in an area.

(aura, magical, mental) A monster with telepathy can communicate mentally with any creatures within the listed radius, as long as they share a language. This doesn't give any special access to their thoughts and communicates no more information than normal speech would.

The monster interacts to pick up a rock within reach or retrieve a stowed rock and throws it, making a ranged Strike.

The monster Strides up to double its Speed and can move through the spaces of creatures of the listed size, Trampling each creature whose space it enters. The monster can attempt to Trample the same creature only once in a single use of Trample. The monster deals the damage of the listed Strike, but trampled creatures can attempt a basic Reflex save at the listed DC (no damage on a critical success, half damage on a success, double damage on a critical failure).

Tremorsense allows a monster to feel the vibrations through a solid surface caused by movement. It's usually an imprecise sense with a limited range (listed in the ability). Tremorsense functions only if the monster is on the same surface as the subject, and only if the subject is moving along (or burrowing through) the surface.

A creature with void healing draws health from void energy rather than vitality energy. It is damaged by vitality damage and isn't healed by healing vitality effects. It doesn't take void damage, and it's healed by void effects that heal undead.

This sense allows a monster to feel vibrations caused by movement through a liquid. It's usually an imprecise sense with a limited range (listed in the ability). Wavesense functions only if the monster and the subject are in the same body of liquid, and only if the subject is moving through the liquid.