Many of the statistics listed for creatures are there to assist rather than dictate. For example, the “number” and the “morale” may be used when you just didn’t have anything planned and need to let the dice determine what’s happening. They should not be used to restrict you if you do have something planned.
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Diurnal |
Active during the day, sleep at night |
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Nocturnal |
Active during the night, sleep during the day |
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Crepuscular |
Active during twilight, dusk, and dawn |
A creature’s charisma, like a character’s, is its force of personality and leadership capability. When in a hurry, a creature or group’s morale may be rolled on d20 vs. charisma, to determine if the creature is willing to stand its ground. Morale will usually be rolled for whenever something major happens: a fight breaks out or two sides stare each other down, more than half the creatures’ comrades are down, or some super-powerful force is used by the enemy.
Of course, a creature that is willing to stand its ground might still not necessarily do so. There needs to be a reason to face death courageously. The creature’s intelligence and wisdom will affect that decision.
Most creatures are either “animal” or “fantastic”. “Fantastic” creatures tend to be magical in either ability or origin, or fantastic in some other way. For example, humans are “animal” and orcs are “fantastic”. “Undead” and other creatures often have special benefits (and penalties) because of their class.
A creature’s defense bonus or penalty is based generally on their tough hide or agility, but can also reflect magical bonuses.
Creatures do not by default have all of the ability scores that player characters have. This would be tedious over the long-term. But intelligence and charisma are useful enough to be separated out into general categories.
Creatures without archetypes have a level based on their species. They grow into this level as they mature. A creature with a level of “5” will have the benefit of fifth level as a creature if full grown, and less if not full grown. Some creatures have a bonus or penalty after their level. This is the number of additional survival points that creature receives (or that the creature loses) per survival point die. This modifier also applies to Health, Fortitude, Endurance, and Strength rolls.
For example, orcs have 2+1 listed for level. This means that the average orc will get two dice for survival points, and another +1 per die, for a total of 2d8+2 survival points (fantastic creatures gain d8 survival points per level). The average orc will also gain a bonus of 1 on Health rolls, Fortitude rolls, Endurance rolls, and Strength rolls.
Individual creatures may have greater or lesser bonuses as desired. Note that no survival die can produce less than 1 point, regardless of penalties.
When level is listed as 1/2 or 1/4, this means a d4 or a d2 for survival points, respectively. The creature is otherwise treated as a level one creature.
In general, most creatures are not bound to be this moral code, but the species as a whole either has a cultural or archetypal affinity for this moral code. In some rare cases the nature of the creature will require a specific moral code.
Some creatures tend to live in packs, in organized groups, others tend to live alone. Some might prefer hierarchical structures and others anarchic structures.
This estimates how many creatures are usually found together in a lair or village.
Creatures have a general size of Fine, Tiny, Small, Medium, Large, Huge, Gigantic, or Titanic. Remember that size affects a creature’s chance of unconsciousness and death when taking injury points. Size also affects the Fortitude roll of large or larger creatures: +1 for Large, +2 for Huge, +3 for Gigantic, and +4 for Titanic.
Some creatures will have as their “special defense” that a “+1 or better required to attack”. This means that any attacks on the creature will be unsuccessful unless the weapon used has at least a bonus of 1 to attack. The bonus must be a magical bonus.
Some creatures, especially demons and powerful spirits, will cause havoc with magic simply by their presence. Magic Resistance is rated from one on up. Whenever a spell is cast or targeted within level yards of a resistant creature, the Guide should roll a d20; if the result is less than or equal to the creature’s Magic Resistance, the spell fails. For every yard beyond the first yard, the creature’s Magic Resistance drops by one.
Magic Resistance applies to any spellcasting devices as well, such as wands.