Trait Abilities

Creatures with certain traits tend to have similar abilities to one another. Many of them appear here, to help you make your creatures match the theme of the trait when you build your own creatures.

Aberration

Senses usually darkvision Languages usually Aklo

Aeon

Traits LN, monitor

Languages Utopian and other planar languages; envisioning for true aeons Weaknesses chaotic

Damage Attacks always deal additional lawful damage.

Air

Languages usually Auran

Speed Many air creatures have fly Speeds.

Angel

Traits good (usually NG), celestial

Aura Angels each have a unique aura based on how they serve as messengers and how they deliver those messages.

Speed usually has a fly Speed

Rituals usually angelic messenger

Animal

Traits N

Languages none

Int –4 or –5

Archon

Traits LG, celestial

Virtue Ability Archons each represent a specific virtue, like courage or hope, and have a special ability based on the virtue they represent.

Astral

Senses darkvision

Azata

Traits CG, celestial

Weaknesses cold iron, evil

Freedom Ability Azatas each represent a specific freedom, like free expression or free love, and have a special ability based on the freedom they represent.

Beast

Int –3 or higher

Celestial

Traits good

Senses darkvision Languages Celestial Saves often a +1 status bonus to all saves vs. magic

Weaknesses evil

Damage Attacks always deal additional good damage.

Cold

Immunities or Resistances cold

Construct

Traits Many constructs lack minds and have the mindless trait.

Immunities bleed, death effects, diseased, doomed, drained, fatigued, healing, necromancy, nonlethal attacks, paralyzed, poison, sickened, unconscious; if mindless, add mental

Daemon

Traits NE, fiend

Languages Daemonic, telepathy 100 feet

Immunities death effects

Death Ability Daemons each represent a specific kind of death, like death by disease or starvation, and have a special ability based on the method of death they represent.

Demon

Traits CE, fiend

Languages Abyssal, telepathy (usually 100 feet)

Weaknesses cold iron, good

HP typically high to account for their multiple weaknesses

Sin Vulnerability Demons each represent a specific sin, like envy or wrath, and have a special vulnerability based on the sin they represent. This should be something the PCs can exploit through their actions, which should then deal mental damage to the demon. The amount of damage should be based on how easy the vulnerability is to exploit.

Divine Innate Spells usually 5th-level dimension door and at-will 4th-level dimension door Rituals usually Abyssal pact

Sin Ability Demons also have a special ability based on the sin they represent, which either makes them better embody the sin or instills that sin in others.

Devil

Traits LE, fiend

Languages Infernal, telepathy (usually 100 feet)

Immunities fire; Resistances physical (except silver), poison

Divine Innate Spells usually one 5th-level dimension door and at-will 4th-level dimension door Rituals usually Infernal pact

Infernal Hierarchy Ability Devils each have an ability corresponding to the role they play in the infernal hierarchy, typically focused around control or being controlled, from the lowly lemure’s Subservience to the gelugon’s Tactician of Cocytus and the pit fiend’s Devil Shaping.

Dragon

Senses darkvision

Languages usually Draconic Speed usually has a fly Speed Breath Weapon Many dragons have the Breath Weapon ability, with specifics determined by the theme of the dragon.

Earth

Perception often tremorsense Languages usually Terran

Speed usually a burrow Speed

Elemental

Senses darkvision

Immunities bleed, paralyzed, poison, sleep

Ethereal

Senses darkvision

Fey

Senses low-light vision

Languages usually Aklo, Sylvan, or both Weaknesses cold iron

Fiend

Traits evil

Senses darkvision

Saves often a +1 status bonus to all saves vs. magic Weaknesses good

Damage Attacks always deal additional evil damage.

Fire

Languages usually Ignan

Immunities fire; Resistances cold

Fungus

Traits fungi without minds have the mindless trait

Immunities if mindless, mental; Weaknesses sometimes slashing or fire

Giant

Traits Large or bigger, humanoid Senses low-light vision

Languages usually Jotun

Humanoid

Int –3 or higher

Inevitable

Traits LN, aeon, monitor

Immunities death effects, disease, emotion, poison, unconscious Damage Attacks always deal additional lawful damage.

Monitor

Traits neither good nor evil Senses darkvision

Ooze

Traits Almost all oozes lack minds and have the mindless trait.

Senses typically motion sense (Bestiary 254) and no vision AC usually well below the low value for their level

HP usually around double

Immunities critical hits, precision, unconscious, often acid; if it has no vision, add visual effects; if mindless, add mental

Plant

Traits plants without minds have the mindless trait

Senses usually low-light vision

Immunities if mindless, mental; Weaknesses sometimes fire

Protean

Traits CN, monitor

Languages Protean

Weaknesses lawful; Resistances precision, protean anatomy

Protean Anatomy (Bestiary 237)

Damage Attacks always deal additional chaotic damage.

Divine Innate Spells constant freedom of movement Change Shape

Psychopomp

Traits N, monitor

Senses lifesense (typically 60 feet)

Languages Requian

Immunities death effects, disease Resistances negative, poison

Damage spirit touch (Bestiary 270)

Rakshasa

Traits LE, fiend

Saves usually +2 status bonus to all saves vs. magic (+3 vs. divine magic)

Resistances physical (except piercing)

Change Shape

Spirit

Traits incorporeal, often undead

Swarm

Traits size based on the entire mass, usually Large or bigger

HP typically low; Immunities precision, swarm mind;

Weaknesses area damage, splash damage; Resistances physical, usually with one physical type having lower or no resistance

Undead

Traits Almost all undead are evil. Ghostly undead have the incorporeal trait. Undead without minds, such as most zombies, have the mindless trait.

Senses darkvision

HP negative healing

Immunities death effects, disease, paralyze, poison, sleep (or unconscious if it never rests at all); if mindless, add mental

Water

Languages usually Aquan

Speed usually has a swim Speed