Universal Monster Rules

Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Bestiary, page 298

In this section

• Ability Damage and Drain (Ex or Su) Some attacks or special abilities cause ability damage or drain, reducing the designated ability score by the listed amount.
• Amphibious (Ex) Creatures with this special quality have the aquatic subtype, but they can survive indefinitely on land.
• Bleed (Ex) A creature with this ability causes wounds that continue to bleed, inflicting additional damage each round at the start of the affected creature’s turn.
• Blindsense (Ex) Using nonvisual senses, such as acute smell or hearing, a creature with blindsense notices things it cannot see.
• Blindsight (Ex) This ability is similar to blindsense, but is far more discerning.
• Breath Weapon (Su) Some creatures can exhale a cone, line, or cloud of energy or other magical effects.
• Burn (Ex) A creature with the burn special attack deals fire damage in addition to damage dealt on a successful hit in melee.
• Change Shape (Su) A creature with this special quality has the ability to assume the appearance of a specific creature or type of creature (usually a humanoid), but retains most…
• Channel Resistance (Ex) A creature with this special quality (usually an undead) is less easily affected by clerics or paladins.
• Constrict (Ex) A creature with this special attack can crush an opponent, dealing bludgeoning damage, when it makes a successful grapple check (in addition to any other…
• Construct Traits (Ex) Constructs are immune to death effects, disease, mind-affecting effects (charms, compulsions, phantasms, patterns, and morale effects), necromancy effects…
• Curse (Su) A creature with this ability bestows a curse upon its enemies.
• Damage Reduction (Ex or Su) A creature with this special quality ignores damage from most weapons and natural attacks.
• Disease (Ex or Su) A creature with this ability causes disease in those it contacts.
• Distraction (Ex) A creature with this ability can nauseate the creatures that it damages.
• Energy Drain (Su) This attack saps a living opponent’s vital energy and happens automatically when a melee or ranged attack hits.
• Fast Healing (Ex) A creature with the fast healing special quality regains hit points at an exceptional rate, usually 1 or more hit points per round, as given in the creature’s…
• Fear (Su or Sp) Fear attacks can have various effects.
• Ferocity (Ex) A creature with ferocity remains conscious and can continue fighting even if its hit point total is below 0.
• Flight (Ex or Su) A creature with this ability can cease or resume flight as a free action.
• Frightful Presence (Ex) This special quality makes a creature’s very presence unsettling to foes.
• Gaze (Su) A gaze special attack takes effect when foes look at the attacking creature’s eyes.
• Grab (Ex) If a creature with this special attack hits with the indicated attack (usually a claw or bite attack), it deals normal damage and attempts to start a grapple…
• Immunity (Ex or Su) A creature with immunities takes no damage from listed sources.
• Incorporeal (Ex) An incorporeal creature has no physical body.
• Light Blindness (Ex) Creatures with light blindness are blinded for 1 round if exposed to bright light, such as sunlight or the daylight spell.
• Light Sensitivity (Ex) Creatures with light sensitivity are dazzled in areas of bright sunlight or within the radius of a daylight spell.
• Low-Light Vision (Ex) A creature with low-light vision can see twice as far as a human in starlight, moonlight, torchlight, and similar conditions of dim light.
• Natural Attacks Most creatures possess one or more natural attacks (attacks made without a weapon).
• Paralysis (Ex or Su) This special attack renders the victim immobile.
• Plant Traits (Ex) Plants are immune to all mind-affecting effects (charms, compulsions, morale effects, patterns, and phantasms), paralysis, poison, polymorph, sleep, and stun.
• Poison (Ex or Su) A creature with this ability can poison those it attacks.
• Pounce (Ex) When a creature with this special attack makes a charge, it can make a full attack (including rake attacks if the creature also has the rake ability).
• Powerful Charge (Ex) When a creature with this special attack makes a charge, its attack deals extra damage in addition to the normal benefits and hazards of a charge.
• Pull (Ex) A creature with this ability can choose to make a free combat maneuver check with a successful attack.
• Push (Ex) A creature with the push ability can choose to make a free combat maneuver check with a certain successful attack (often a slam attack).
• Rake (Ex) A creature with this special attack gains extra natural attacks under certain conditions, typically when it grapples its foe.
• Regeneration (Ex) A creature with this ability is difficult to kill.
• Rend (Ex) If it hits with two or more natural attacks in 1 round, a creature with the rend special attack can cause tremendous damage by latching onto the opponent’s…
• Resistance (Ex) A creature with this special quality ignores some damage of the indicated type each time it takes damage of that kind (commonly acid, cold, electricity, or…
• Rock Catching (Ex) The creature (which must be of at least Large size) can catch Small, Medium, or Large rocks (or projectiles of similar shape).
• Rock Throwing (Ex) This creature is an accomplished rock thrower and has a +1 racial bonus on attack rolls with thrown rocks.
• Scent (Ex) This special quality allows a creature to detect approaching enemies, sniff out hidden foes, and track by sense of smell.
• Spell-Like Abilities (Sp) Spell-like abilities are magical and work just like spells (though they are not spells and so have no verbal, somatic, focus, or material components).
• Spell Resistance (Ex) A creature with spell resistance can avoid the effects of spells and spell-like abilities that directly affect it.
• Stench (Ex) A creature with the stench special ability secretes an oily chemical that nearly every other creature finds offensive.
• Summon (Sp) A creature with the summon ability can summon other specific creatures of its kind much as though casting a summon monster spell, but it usually has only a…
• Swallow Whole (Ex) If a creature with this special attack begins its turn with an opponent grappled in its mouth (see Grab), it can attempt a new combat maneuver check (as though…
• Telepathy (Su) The creature can mentally communicate with any other creature within a certain range (specified in the creature’s entry, usually 100 feet) that has a language.
• Trample (Ex) As a full-round action, a creature with the trample ability can attempt to overrun any creature that is at least one size category smaller than itself.
• Tremorsense (Ex) A creature with tremorsense is sensitive to vibrations in the ground and can automatically pinpoint the location of anything that is in contact with the ground.
• Trip (Ex) A creature with the trip special attack can attempt to trip its opponent as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity if it hits with the…
• Undead Traits (Ex) Undead are immune to death effects, disease, mind-affecting effects (charms, compulsions, morale effects, phantasms, and patterns), paralysis, poison, sleep…
• Vulnerabilities (Ex or Su) A creature with vulnerabilities takes half again as much damage (+50%) from a specific energy type, regardless of whether a saving throw is allowed or if the…
• Web (Ex) Creatures with the web ability can use webs to support themselves and up to one additional creature of the same size.
• Whirlwind (Su) Some creatures can transform themselves into whirlwinds and remain in that form for up to 1 round for every 2 HD they have.