how to design a monster - spelljammer · in the new d&d game, we’re making an effort to avoid...

1 october 2000

Did you recognize the vampire, the mind flayer, the red dragon,and the umber hulk?

If you can’t boil down your new mon-ster idea to something as simple as theseexamples, you need more focus. Thinkharder about what your monster does.

All the elements of our monsterrecipe serve to put your concept intowords and numbers so you can use themonster in play. There is no set orderfor dealing with these elements, so let’sexamine them in the same order theyare presented in the Monster Manual.

MONSTER NAMEYou can create a really great monster,but if you give it a silly name nobodytakes the creature seriously. The bestplace to start is your basic monsterconcept. Can you come up with adescriptive name that’s one or twowords long? If you can, you’ll oftenhave a perfectly good name; I suspectthe mind flayer was named in just thisfashion. One good thing about descrip-tive names is that anyone who sees thename automatically has some idea ofwhat the monster is like.

Sometimes a descriptive namedoesn’t cut it. Think of the umber hulk.Would it seem as fearsome if youcalled it the bug-eyed burrower? Theconfusion beast? The four-eyed hor-ror? You’ll need a name with a moreliterary or mythical sound for suchcreatures (though “umber hulk” issomewhat descriptive). Make up any-thing that sounds good to you, butkeep the following in mind: The nameshould be fairly easy to read, pro-nounce, and spell. Also, keep it reason-ably short, and if you’re writing inEnglish, spell it like a normal Englishword. In the new D&D game, we’remaking an effort to avoid irregular plurals. That means when you’re talkingabout two or more of your monsters,just add an “s” to the name. If yourname doesn’t work with an “s,” changeit so that it does.

SIZEA creature’s size affects its combatabilities in numerous ways. In general,the bigger the creature, the nastier it is.(That was not always the case in previ-ous editions of the game.) The Monster

All the really great monstershave one thing in common—youcan sum them up in just a fewwords. That’s the first and mostessential item in any monsterrecipe—a solid and fairly simplestatement of what the monsteris all about. See if you canrecognize these classic beasties:

Shape—changing, undeadbloodsucker

Tentacled horror that will fryyour mind and eat your brain

Flying, fire—breathing reptile

Bug-eyed burrower that willmake you lose your mind

How To Create a MonsterRecipes for Disasterby Skip Williams • illustrated by Darrell Riche

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ABERRATION: This type works best forcreatures that look just plain weird.Aberrations with high Intelligence willhave a good mix of skills and feats.They have fairly good combat abilities,but not a lot of hit points. If you wantyour creature to be a tough customerin combat, you’ll need to give it somesort of special attack ability. For exam-ple a carrion crawler has eight tentacleattacks that cause paralysis.

ANIMAL: This type usually won’t besuitable for any creature you’vedreamed up yourself unless you’re set-ting out to create a completely alienecology and you need creatures to fillthe same ecological niches that Earthanimals do.

BEAST: This is a step up from a normalanimal. Use it for any fairly mundanecreature that doesn’t have any magicalabilities. Though beasts can be smarterthan animals, they can have animalIntelligence (Intelligence score of 1 or 2)as well. You can use this type for real-world creatures that were extinct atthe dawn of recorded history, such asdinosaurs.

CONSTRUCT: Use this type for anycreature that was built rather than born.

DRAGON: Use the dragon type forvariations on the basic dragon design (aflying reptile with supernatural abilities).This type is exceptionally powerful,combining excellent saves with greatcombat abilities and a wide selection ofskills. (The game is called DUNGEONS &DRAGONS, after all.) If your creature isessentially just a flying reptile (such asa pterodactyl), the beast type is proba-bly more suitable.

ELEMENTAL: Use the elemental typefor any creature from the elementalplanes.

FEY: Fey creatures include fairies andmost good sylvan creatures. They alsoinclude evil creatures such as the sheeand unseelie fairies.

GIANT: If your creature is human-shaped and is at least as big as an ogre,it’s probably a giant, especially if itdoesn’t have a lot of special abilities.

HUMANOID: Anything that resembles ahuman and is smaller than an ogreprobably should be a humanoid.

MAGICAL BEAST: If your creatureresembles an animal but has supernatu-ral or spell-like abilities, it’s probably amagical beast.

MONSTROUS HUMANOID: Use thistype for just about anything that com-bines elements of human and animal ormonster anatomy unless it is weirdenough to qualify as an aberration.

OOZE: If it’s a mindless, amorphousblob, it’s an ooze. Otherwise, it’s proba-bly an aberration.

OUTSIDER: If it comes from anotherplane and it’s not an elemental, it’s anoutsider.

PLANT: If it’s vegetable, it’s a plant.

SHAPECHANGER: Use this type forany creature whose favorite trick isturning into something or someone else.

UNDEAD: If it’s dead, but still kicking,it’s undead (although it could be a con-struct if it’s just a collection of partsanimated through an arcane process). Ifthe creature has an energy draining orability draining ability, it’s more likelyundead than a construct.

VERMIN: Use this type for giant bugsand other mindless invertebrates. If yourcreature has an Intelligence score andyou’ve considered the vermin type, it’sprobably a beast or aberration instead.

It’s usually a good idea to develop a concept for your monster first, then pick a type that fits the concept.

Manual uses the size categories shownin the Monster Size Categories table.

When assigning a size to your mon-ster, think about your monster concept.Does the creature need to be reallystrong and tough? Does it have a vora-cious appetite? If so, it should be big. Isthe creature sneaky, agile, and easy tooverlook? If so, it should be smaller.

A creature’s size will affect its abilityscores and its number of Hit Dice. (Seethe “Creature Types” section below.)

CREATURE TYPEA creature’s type defines what the crea-ture is like and what it can do in muchthe same way that a character’s classdefines the character’s abilities. A crea-ture’s type determines the size of its HitDice and how magic affects the creature;for example, the hold animal spell affectsonly creatures of the animal type. Type,along with size, helps determine its abilityscores, number of Hit Dice, and damageratings (as shown below).

When choosing a type for your mon-ster, consider your concept and choosethe type that best matches that concept.

READING THE TYPE ENTRIESEach entry begins with a short descrip-tion of the type. Specific informationfollows:

HIT DIE: The size of the type’s HitDice.

ATTACK BONUS: The type’s attackbonus as a function of its Hit Dice(each Hit Die equals one level on theappropriate column on Table 3-1 in thePlayer’s Handbook).

GOOD SAVING THROWS: The type’ssaving bonus as a function of its HitDice (each Hit Die equals one level).Any saving throw type listed here usesthe higher value on Table 3-1 in thePlayer’s Handbook. Other saving throwtypes use the lower value.

SKILL POINTS: Calculate the creature’sskill points according to the formulagiven. Most creatures gain more skillpoints if they have more than the mini-mum number of Hit Dice for their size.(Treat a fractional Hit Die as a full HitDie when calculating skill points.) Sub-tract the minimum number of Hit Dicefor the creature’s size category fromthe creature’s actual Hit Dice to deter-mine how many extra Hit Dice it has.

See the section on skills below forinformation on spending the creature’sskill points.

MATCHING YOUR CONCEPTTO A MONSTER TYPE

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FEATS: To determine the number offeats, see the description for eachmonster type.

NOTES: This line contains miscella-neous information about the type, including any standard abilities the type has.

SIZE: The table shows characteristicsthat go with each size. These are onlysuggestions, not absolute limits.

STRENGTH, DEXTERITY, ANDCONSTITUTION: These are typical valuesfor a creature of the listed type andsize. The creature can have higher orlower scores. See the section on abilityscores for tips on assigning the crea-ture’s remaining ability scores.

# OF HIT DICE: If a range of Hit Diceis specified, the creature’s total HitDice should fall within the listed range

unless it is unusually formidable. If onlyone number of Hit Dice is given, sizehas little effect on total Hit Dice. Treatthe number given as the minimum HitDice for the size.

SLAM DAMAGE: The suggested dam-age rating for any blunt attack thecreature might have (such as punches,constriction, slaps, and the like).

BITE DAMAGE: The suggested damagerating for any attack the creature deliv-ers with its mouth or teeth.

CLAW DAMAGE: The suggested dam-age rating for any attack the creaturemakes by scratching, tearing, raking, orpoking with an appendage.

GORE DAMAGE: The suggested dam-age rating for any attack the creaturemakes with a horn or antlers.

TYPE MODIFIERSA monster associated with an element,form of energy, or the like also gets aparenthetical modifier to its type. Suchmodifiers include: Air, Earth, Fire,Water, Aquatic, Cold, Incorporeal,Chaotic (outsiders only), Evil (outsidersonly), Good (outsiders only), Lawful(outsiders only).

A type modifier creates a subtypewithin a larger type, such as undead(incorporeal); links creatures that sharecharacteristics, such as humanoid (gob-linoid); or connects members of differ-ent types. For example, white dragonsand frost giants belong to the dragonand giant types, respectively, but theyare also of the cold subtype.

Some common type modifiers thataffect the creature’s abilities are listedbelow.

COLD: Cold creatures are immune tocold damage. They take double damagefrom fire unless a saving throw for halfdamage is allowed, in which case theytake half damage on a success and double damage on a failure.

FIRE: Fire creatures are immune tofire damage. They take double damagefrom cold unless a saving throw forhalf damage is allowed, in which casethey take half damage on a success anddouble damage on a failure.

INCORPOREAL: Incorporeal creatureshave no physical bodies. They can beharmed only by other incorporeal crea-tures, +1 or better magic weapons, andspells, spell-like abilities, or supernaturalabilities. They are immune to all non-magical attack forms. Even when hit byspells or magic weapons, they have a

AnimalAnimals are nonhumanoid creatures, usually vertebrates. If the creature livedon Earth during human history (a bear, for example), it’s an animal. A creaturethat is just a larger or fiercer version of a normal animal is also an animal.

Hit Die................................d8Attack Bonus....................As clericGood Saving Throws.....Fortitude or ReflexSkill Points ........................10-15Feats ...................................NoneNotes ................................Animals have Intelligence scores of 1 or 2 (predatory animals tend

to have Intelligence scores of 2). Animals have low-light vision.

Aberrations have bizarre anatomies, strange abilities, alienmindsets, or any combination of the three (a beholder, forexample).

Aberration

Hit Die................................d8Attack Bonus....................As clericGood Saving Throws.....WillSkill Points ........................2 x Int score (+2/extra Hit Die)Feats ...................................Int bonus (+1/4 extra Hit Dice)Notes..................................Aberrations have darkvision with a range

of 60 feet.

Size Str Dex Con Hit DiceSlam Bite Claw Gore

Damage Damage Damage Damage

Fine 1 22-23 10-11 1⁄16 d8-1⁄8 d8 — 1d2 — 1Diminutive 1 20-21 10-11 1⁄8 d8-1⁄4 d8 — 1d3 1 1d2 Tiny 2-3 18-19 10-11 1⁄4 d8-1⁄2 d8 1 1d4 1d2 1d3Small 6-7 16-17 10-11 1⁄2 d8-1d8 1d2 1d6 1d3 1d4Medium-size 10-11 14-15 12-13 1d8–2d8 1d3 2d4 1d4 1d6Large 18-19 12-13 16-17 2d8–4d8 1d4 2d6 1d6 1d8 Huge 26-27 12-13 20-21 4d8–16d8 1d6 2d8 2d4 2d6Gargantuan 34-35 10-11 24-25 16d8–32d8 1d8 4d6 2d6 2d8 Colossal 42-43 10-11 28-29 32d8+ 2d6 4d8 2d8 4d6



Fine 1 22-23 10-11 1⁄16 d8-1⁄8 d8 — 1 — 1Diminutive 1 20-21 10-11 1⁄8 d8-1⁄4 d8 — 1d2 1 1d2Tiny 2-3 18-19 10-11 1⁄4 d8-1⁄2 d8 1 1d3 1d2 1d3Small 6-7 16-17 10-11 1⁄2 d8-1d8 1d2 1d4 1d3 1d4 Medium-size 10-11 14-15 12-13 1d8-2d8 1d3 1d6 1d4 1d6Large 18-19 12-13 16-17 2d8-4d8 1d4 1d8 1d6 1d8Huge 26-27 12-13 20-21 4d8-16d8 1d6 2d6 2d4 2d6Gargantuan 34-35 10-11 24-25 16d8-32d8 1d8 2d8 2d6 2d8 Colossal 42-43 10-11 28-29 32d8+ 2d6 4d6 2d8 4d6

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50% chance to ignore any damagefrom a corporeal source (except forforce effects, such as magic missile, orattacks made with ghost touchweapons). An incorporeal creature hasno natural armor but has a deflectionbonus equal to its Charisma modifier(always at least +1).

Incorporeal creatures can passthrough solid objects at will, but notforce effects. Their touch attacks passthrough natural armor, armor, andshields, although deflection bonuses andforce effects (such as mage armor)work normally against them.

Incorporeal creatures move silentlyand cannot be heard with Listen checksif they don’t wish it. They have noStrength scores, so their Dexteritymodifiers apply to both their melee andranged attacks.

HUMANOID TYPE MODIFIERS: In gen-eral each species of humanoid is itsown subtype. For example, the typeentry for an elf is Humanoid (Elf).

HIT DICEList the number and size (number ofsides) of Hit Dice and any bonus hitpoints. The size of the Hit Dice willdepend on the creature’s type. Thenumber of Hit Dice will be a function ofthe creature’s type and sometimes itssize. The number of bonus hit points isa function of the creature’s Hit Diceand Constitution score.

A parenthetical listing of the crea-ture’s average hit points follows the HitDice listing. To calculate the creature’saverage hit points, take the averagevalue of each Hit Die, apply the crea-ture’s Constitution modifier (a creaturealways has at least 1 hit point per HitDie), multiply by the number of HitDice, and round down.

Average Hit Die ValuesDie Size Average

1d4 2.51d6 3.51d8 4.51d10 5.51d12 6.5

INITIATIVEThis is the creature’s modifier to initia-tive rolls. A parenthetical note showswhere the bonuses come from (mostcommonly the creature’s Dexteritymodifier and the Improved Initiativefeat if the creature has it).

SPEEDGive the creature’s land movement ratein feet per move. All speeds must beevenly divisible by 5 feet. Most bipedshave a speed of 30 feet (human speed)if they are at least Medium-size; bipedsthat are smaller than Medium-size havespeeds of 20 feet. Most quadrupedshave speeds of at least 30 feet (unlessthey are remarkably slow) regardless of size. Predators or creatures notedfor fast movement should have speedsof 40 feet or more.

If the creature has other modes ofmovement, list all that apply in alphabet-ical order. If the creature wears armor,list its reduced movement rate in a parenthetical following the main entry.

The other modes of movement are:BURROW: The ability to move by dig-

ging through the ground.CLIMB: The ability to move up and

down vertical surfaces. Creatures witha climb speed have the Climb skill at nocost and gain a +8 bonus to Climbchecks. A climb movement rate usuallyshould be about half the creature’s landmovement rate.

FLY: The creature can fly through theair. All flying speeds must include a par-enthetical note about its maneuverability,using one of the following terms:

Perfect: The creature is as maneu-verable as a classic UFO. It can hoverin place and freely turn. It can freely

change its direction of movement, fly-ing upward, downward, forward, orbackward, all in the same round. It canfly straight up with no loss of speed,and can fly downward at any angle atdouble its normal rate of speed.

This kind of super maneuverability isfairly rare. Creatures that rely onwings for flight probably shouldn’t bethis maneuverable unless they are verysmall or have wings that beat very fast.Creatures native to the Plane ofElemental Air, incorporeal creatures,and other wingless creatures mostoften have this kind of maneuverability.

Good: The creature can fly like ahummingbird. It can turn up to 90degrees in any direction (even up anddown) for each 5 feet of forwardmovement. It can also spend 5 feet ofmovement to turn 90 degrees in place,but no more than 180 degrees at once.

The creature can hover and flybackwards, but reversing directioncosts it 5 feet of movement. It moves



Fine 1 22-23 10-11 1⁄16 d10-1⁄8 d10 — 1 — 1

Diminutive 1 20-21 10-11 1⁄8 d10-1⁄4 d10 — 1d2 1 1d2

Tiny 2-3 18-19 10-11 1⁄4 d10-1⁄2 d10 1 1d3 1d2 1d3

Small 6-7 16-17 10-11 1⁄2 d10-1d10 1d2 1d4 1d3 1d4

Medium-size 10-11 14-15 12-13 1d10-2d10 1d3 1d6 1d4 1d6

Large 18-19 12-13 16-17 2d10-4d10 1d4 1d8 1d6 1d8

Huge 26-27 12-13 20-21 4d10-16d10 1d6 2d6 2d4 2d6

Gargantuan 34-35 10-11 24-25 16d10-32d10 1d8 2d8 2d6 2d8

Colossal 42-43 10-11 28-29 32d10+ 2d6 4d6 2d8 4d6

BeastBeasts are vertebrates with reasonably normal anatomies

and no magical abilities (an owlbear, for example).

Hit Die................................d10Attack Bonus....................As clericGood Saving Throws.....Fortitude and ReflexSkill Points ........................2 x Int score (+1/extra Hit Die)Feats ...................................NoneNotes..................................Beasts have low-light vision and darkvision

with a range of 60 feet.

Note: If a monster 1 Hit Dice or lesshas a class (a kobold fighter, forexample) the attack bonus, skill points,and feats are calculated according tothe character class, not according tothe Hit Dice of the monster. If a monster with more than 1 HD has aclass, it retains its monster abilities in addition to its class abilities.

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at half speed when flying upward atany angle, including straight up. Thecreature can fly downward at anyangle at double speed and can fly bothup and down in the same round.

Giant insects, fey creatures, andsome outsiders have this kind ofmaneuverability.

Average: The creature can fly as wellas a small bird or bat. It can turn up to45 degrees in any direction (even upand down) for each 5 feet of forwardmovement. It can also spend 5 feet ofmovement to turn 45 degrees in place,but no more than 90 degrees at once.

The creature cannot hover or flybackwards, and each round it mustmove forward at least half its normal

flying speed or it stalls. It can moveupward at a 60 degree angle, and itmoves at half speed when flyingupward at any angle. The creature canfly downward at any angle at doublespeed. It can fly both up and down inthe same round, but each climb or divemust be separated by at least 5 feet oflevel movement.

Most small, agile flyers have this kindof maneuverability.

Poor: The creature flies as well as avery large bird. It can turn up to 45degrees in any direction (even up anddown) for each 5 feet of forwardmovement. It cannot turn in place.

The creature cannot hover or flybackwards, and each round it must

move forward at least half its normalflying speed or it stalls. It can moveupward or downward at a 45 degreeangle. The creature moves at half speedwhen flying upward and double speedwhen flying downward. It can fly bothup and down in the same round, buteach climb or dive must be separatedby at least 10 feet of level movement.

Most big flying monsters have thiskind of maneuverability.

Clumsy: The creature can barely flyat all; it is about as graceful in flight asa barnyard chicken. It can turn up to45 degrees in any direction (even upand down) but each turn must be sepa-rated by 5 feet of straight and levelmovement.

The creature cannot hover or flybackwards, and each round it mustmove forward at least half its normalflying speed or it stalls. It can moveupward or downward at a 45 degreeangle. The creature moves at halfspeed when flying upward and doublespeed when flying downward. It cannotfly both upward and downward duringthe same round.

SWIM: The creature can movethrough water without making a Swimcheck. If it should ever need to make aSwim check (to avoid a hazard, forexample) it gets a +8 bonus .

Do not create new modes of movement.



Fine 4-5 18-19 — 1⁄16 d10-1⁄8 d10 1 — — 1Diminutive 6-7 16-17 — 1⁄8 d10-1⁄4 d10 1d2 — 1 1d2Tiny 8-9 14-15 — 1⁄4 d10-1⁄2 d10 1d3 1 1d2 1d3Small 10-11 12-13 — 1⁄2 d10-1d10 1d4 1d2 1d3 1d4Medium-size 12-13 10-11 — 1d10-2d10 1d6 1d3 1d4 1d6Large 20-21 10-11 — 2d10-4d10 1d8 1d4 1d6 1d8 Huge 28-29 8-9 — 4d10-16d10 2d6 1d6 2d4 2d6Gargantuan 32-33 6-7 — 16d10-32d10 2d8 1d8 2d6 2d8 Colossal 36-37 4-5 — 32d10+ 4d6 2d6 2d8 4d6

Hit Die................................d10Attack Bonus....................As clericGood Saving Throws.....NoneSkill Points ........................NoneFeats ...................................NoneNotes..................................Constructs usually have no Intelligence

scores and never have Constitution scores.Constructs are immune to mind-influencingeffects (charms, compulsions, phantasms,patterns, and morale effects) and to poison,sleep, paralysis, stunning, disease, deatheffects, and necromantic effects.

Constructs are not subject to criticalhits, subdual damage, ability damage, ability drain, or energy drain. They areimmune to anything that requires aFortitude save (unless the effect also workson objects). Constructs are not at risk ofdeath from massive damage (see Injury andDeath in Chapter 8: Combat in the Player’sHandbook), but when reduced to 0 hitpoints or less, they are immediatelydestroyed. Since it was never alive, aconstruct cannot be raised or resurrected.Constructs have darkvision with a range of 60 feet.

Constructs are animated objects or artificially constructedcreatures (a golem, for example).

Construct

ABERRATION, BEAST, OR MAGICAL BEAST?Sometimes these three creaturetypes can be hard to sort out. Hereare some pointers:• Anything that’s just a collection of

animal parts, with no supernaturalor spell-like abilities, is a beast. Forexample, an owlbear is a beast.

• Anything that’s a collection of animal parts with spell-like orsupernatural abilities is a magicalbeast. For example, a chimera is amagical beast.

• If the creature doesn’t reallyresemble anything found in natureand if it has any special abilities it’san aberration. For example, boththe carrion crawler and the behold-er are aberrations. Something odd-looking that has no special abilitiesis probably a beast.

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ARMOR CLASSGive the creature’s Armor Class fornormal combat.

All creatures start with a base ArmorClass of 10, which is modified by thecreature’s size, Dexterity, and armor(usually natural armor).

Don’t just pick an Armor Class num-ber out of thin air. Consider the crea-ture’s anatomy and overall toughness.The table below shows some typicalvalues for natural armor.TYPICAL NATURAL ARMOR VALUESType Bonus Example

CreatureNormal Skin +0 HumanThick Skin +1 to +3 Baboon (+1)or fur Black Bear (+2)

Shark (+3)Tough Hide +4 to +7 Crocodile (+4)

Polar Bear (+5)Boar (+6)Rhinoceros (+7)

Scales +5 to +10 Dragon (varies)or more

Don’t forget to include the creature’ssize modifier in your final Armor Classcalculation. If the creature wears armor,its natural armor value stacks with thevalue of its armor. For example, a cen-taur is a Large creature with a Dexterityscore of 14 (+2 AC bonus) and +2 natu-ral armor. If the centaur carries a largeshield and wears a chain shirt, its ArmorClass will be 19 (–1 size, +2 Dex, +2 natu-ral, +2 large shield, +4 chain shirt).

ATTACKSList all the creature’s physical attacks;natural weapon attacks first (if any),followed by weapon attacks (if any).

NATURAL WEAPONS: Give the numberof attacks along with the weapon used(for example: bite, 2 claws, sting) alongwith the attack bonus and the type ofattack (melee or ranged). The firstweapon (or weapons) you list will be thecreature’s primary weapon. Primaryweapons use the creature’s full attackbonus, no matter how many primaryweapons there are. A creature’s attackbonus depends on its type, Hit Dice, size,and Strength modifier (for melee attacks)or Dexterity modifier (for rangedattacks). Don’t forget the size modifier.

All other natural weapons are sec-ondary. Reduce the creature’s attackbonus by 5 for all secondary weapons,no matter how many there are.Creatures with the Multiattack feat

suffer only a –2 penalty to secondaryattacks.

A monster threatens critical hits on aroll of 20 unless you specify otherwise;do not specify otherwise unless you

have a good reason to do so.In general, a creature attacks once

with each natural weapon it has. Formost monsters, that will be two clawsand a bite (or the other way around).


Damage Damage Damage DamageFine 2-3 14-15 10-11 1d6-1d12 — 1d2 1 1 Diminutive 6-7 12-13 10-11 1d12-3d12 — 1d3 1d2 1d2 Tiny 10-11 10-11 12-13 3d12-6d12 — 1d4 1d3 1d3 Small 12-13 10-11 12-13 4d12-9d12 — 1d6 1d4 1d4 Medium-size 14-15 10-11 14-15 7d12-13d12 1d4 1d8 1d6 1d6 Large 18-19 10-11 16-17 10d12-21d12 1d6 2d6 1d8 1d8 Huge 26-27 10-11 20-21 19d12-33d12 1d8 2d8 2d6 2d6 Gargantuan 34-35 10-11 24-25 27d12-38d12 2d6 4d6 2d8 2d8 Colossal 42-43 10-11 28-29 38d12+ 2d8 4d8 4d6 4d6

DragonDragons are reptilian creatures, usually winged, with

magical or unusual abilities (a red dragon, for example).Any dragon with magical abilities or breath weapons should

include an elemental subtype (air, earth, fire, or water).

Hit Die................................d12Attack Bonus....................As fighterGood Saving Throws.....Fortitude, Reflex, and WillSkill Points ........................6/HD (Int modifier applies per Hit Die)Feats ...................................1 (+1/4 extra Hit Dice)Notes ..................................Dragons are immune to sleep and paralysis

effects. Dragons have darkvision with a range of 60 feet and low-light vision.


Damage Damage Damage DamageFine 4-5 18-19 10-11 1⁄8 d8–1⁄4 d8 1 1 — —Diminutive 6-7 16-17 10-11 1⁄4 d8–1⁄2 d8 1d2 1d2 1 —Tiny 8-9 14-15 10-11 1⁄2 d8–1d8 1d3 1d3 1d2 1Small 10-11 12-13 10-11 1d8–2d8 1d4 1d4 1d3 1d2 Medium-size 12-13 10-11 12-13 2d8–4d8 1d6 1d6 1d4 1d3 Large 20-21 10-11 16-17 4d8–8d8 1d8 1d8 1d6 1d4 Huge 24-25 8-9 20-21 8d8–16d8 2d6 2d6 2d4 1d6 Gargantuan 28-29 6-7 24-25 16d8–32d8 2d8 2d8 2d6 1d8 Colossal 32-33 4-5 28-29 32d8+ 4d6 4d6 2d8 2d6

ElementalElementals are composed of one of the four classical

elements (an invisible stalker, for example). All elementalsrequire an elemental subtype (air, earth, fire, or water).

Hit Die................................d8Attack Bonus....................As clericGood Saving Throws.....Varies by subtype: Reflex (Air, Fire),

Fortitude (Earth, Water) Skill Points ........................2 x Int score (+2/extra Hit Die)Feats ...................................Int bonus (+1/4 extra Hit Dice)Notes ................................Elementals are immune to poison, sleep, paralysis, and stunning.

Elementals have no clear front or back and are therefore notsubject to critical hits or flanking. Unless noted otherwise, theyhave 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.

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WEAPONS: Creatures that useweapons follow all the rules charactersdo, including multiple attacks with thesame weapon and penalties for usingtwo weapons at once. List all the stepsin a multiple attack sequence, andinclude all adjustments that apply. (Seethe section on natural weapons, above.)

DAMAGEList the damage that each of the crea-ture’s attacks inflict; use the same

order you used for the creature’sattacks. The damage rating will dependon the creature’s size and type, asnoted in the section on types, above.Particularly tough or weak creaturesmight have stronger or weaker attacks.In general you can move up or downone or two lines, or left or right onecolumn on the table. For example, aMedium-size vermin’s bite usually has adamage rating of 1d6, but it could be aslow as 1d3 or as much as 2d6. Use the

1d3 rating for a creature with a verysmall or weak mouth, and the 2d6 rat-ing for a creature with large or verypowerful mouth parts.

NATURAL WEAPONS: A creature’s primary attack gets the creature’s fulldamage bonus from Strength (1 1⁄2times the bonus if it is the creature’ssole attack). Secondary attacks gainhalf the creature’s Strength bonus.

If any of the creature’s attacks alsocause some special effect other thandamage (poison, disease, energy drain,paralysis, and so on), list it here. Usethe word “and” to indicate that the twoitems go together. For example: Sting1d6 and poison.

Unless you note otherwise, creaturesinflict double damage with a critical hit;don’t note otherwise without a goodreason.

WEAPON-USING CREATURES:Creatures that use weapons follow allthe rules characters do; two-handedweapons gain 1 1⁄2 times the creature’sStrength bonus. Secondary weaponsgain 1⁄2 the creature’s Strength bonus.

FACE/REACHThis says how much space the creatureneeds to fight effectively and how closeit has to be to an opponent to threatenthat opponent. (See Big and LittleCreatures in Combat, in Chapter 8 ofthe Player’s Handbook.) List the facenumber first (this shows how muchspace the creature needs to fight),width first, length second. List thereach number second. If the creaturehas exceptional reach (due to a weaponor for any other reason), note theextra reach in parenthesis.

A creature’s Face/Reach entrydepends on its size and anatomy. (Seethe Face/Reach by Size chart.)

SPECIAL ATTACKSList all the creature’s special attacks inthe order they are most likely to beused in play. If two special attacks areequally important, list them in alphabeti-cal order.

A special attack is anything the crea-ture uses offensively to harm or hinderanother creature. Use one or two-worddescriptions.

Brief notes on common specialattacks are listed in the introduction tothe Monster Manual.

If the creature has no special attacks,drop this line.



Fine 1 22-23 10-11 1⁄16 d6-1⁄8 d6 — — — 1 Diminutive 1 20-21 10-11 1⁄8d6-1⁄4 d6 — 1 1 1d2 Tiny 2-3 18-19 10-11 1⁄4 d6-1⁄2 d6 1 1d2 1d2 1d3 Small 6-7 16-17 10-11 1⁄2 d6-1d6 1d2 1d3 1d3 1d4 Medium-size 10-11 12-13 10-11 1d6-2d6 1d3 1d4 1d4 1d6 Large 14-15 12-13 12-13 2d6-4d6 1d4 1d6 1d6 1d8 Huge 18-19 12-13 14-15 4d6-16d6 1d6 1d8 2d4 2d6 Gargantuan 22-23 10-11 16-17 16d6-32d6 1d8 2d6 2d6 2d8 Colossal 26-27 10-11 18-19 32d6+ 2d6 2d8 2d8 4d6

FeyFey are creatures with supernatural abilities and connections to nature or to some other force or place (a dryad, for example). They are usually human-shaped.

Hit Die................................d6Attack Bonus....................As wizardGood Saving Throws.....Reflex and WillSkill Points ........................3 x Int score (+2/extra Hit Die)Feats ...................................1 + Int bonus (+1/4 extra Hit Dice)Notes..................................Fey have low-light vision.

MONSTER SIZE CATEGORIES

Size Examples Modifier1 Dimension2 Typical Weight3

Colossal Moby Dick –8 64 ft. or more 250,000 lb. or moreGargantuan whale –4 32–64 ft. 32,000 lb. to 250,000 lb.Huge giraffe, elephant –2 16–32 ft. 4,000 lb. to 32,000 lb.Large gorilla, horse –1 8–16 ft. 500 lb. to 4,000 lb.Medium-size human, pony 0 4–8 ft. 60 lb. to 500 lb.Small halfling, coyote +1 2–4 ft. 8 lb. to 60 lb.Tiny cat +2 1–2 ft. 1 lb. to 8 lb.Diminutive toad +4 6 in. to 1 ft. 1⁄8 lb. to 1 lb.Fine housefly +8 6 in. or less 1⁄8 lb. or less

1. This modifier applies to the creature’s Armor Class and attack rolls. 2. This indicates either the biped’s height or the quadruped’s body length (nose to base of tail). 3. It is important to remember that a creature’s total volume is what determinesits size. If a creature is significantly more or less dense than a regular animal,then its weight is a poor indicator of size. For example, the ghost of a humanweighs nothing but is still Medium-size.

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SPECIAL QUALITIESA special quality is any ability the creature can use to protect itself. Thespecial quality line is also the catch-allfor anything the creature might do orhave that does not logically go inanother line in the statistics listing. Aswith special attacks, use one or two-word descriptions.

Brief notes on common special quali-ties are listed in the introduction to theMonster Manual.

If the creature has no special quali-ties, drop this line.

SAVING THROWSList the creature’s saving throwbonuses. The creature’s base savingthrow bonuses depend on its type andHit Dice. Include all adjustments thatapply to each save, provided theyapply all the time (such as ability scoremodifiers, armor modifiers, and racialbonuses). Conditional saving throwbonuses should be noted on the crea-ture’s special qualities line andexplained in the Combat section of thecreature’s description.

ABILITIESList all six of the creature’s abilityscores, in order: Str, Dex, Con, Int,Wis, Cha.

ASSIGNING ABILITIESPhysical abilities such as Strength,Dexterity, and Constitution are largely afunction of a creature’s type and size.In general, the bigger a creature gets,the better its Strength and Constitutionscores and the lower its Dexterity.Exceptions abound. The suggestionsgiven on the type tables assume crea-tures with fairly sedentary, non-preda-tory lifestyles. Hunting creatures needbetter Strength and Dexterity scores.Tree-dwelling, climbing, or swift crea-tures need better Dexterity scores.Tough or resilient creatures need higherConstitution scores.

The remaining attributes (Intelligence,Wisdom, and Charisma) are seldom afunction of size. You’ll need to assignvalues to these abilities to match yourconcept of your creature.

Intelligence: Reflects how well thecreature learns and reasons. In mostcases, it affects how many skills andfeats the creature has. A creatureneeds an Intelligence score of at least 3 to speak a language; anything less

makes the creature no smarter than atypical animal. Intelligence scores of 4to 6 represent a limited ability to rea-son and a certain low cunning.

Intelligence scores of 7 to 9 begin toreach into the human range. Scores of10 to 12 cover the human norm. Scoresof 13 to 18 reflect above average togenius level Intelligence. Scores of 19 andabove represent superhuman intellect.

Wisdom: Reflects the creature’s levelof perception and strength of will. Acreature can have a very low Intel-ligence score and still be very wise.Wisdom scores of 3 or less indicate acreature that is barely sentient. Scoresof 4 to 6 represent a limited ability toperceive the environment and react toit. Scores of 7 to 9 approach thehuman range of perception. Scores of


Damage Damage Damage DamageFine 1 12-13 10-11 1⁄16 d8-1⁄8 d8 — — — 1 Diminutive 1 12-13 10-11 1⁄8 d8-1⁄4 d8 — 1 1 1d2 Tiny 2-3 10-11 10-11 1⁄4 d8-1⁄2 d8 1 1d2 1d2 1d3 Small 6-7 10-11 10-11 1⁄2 d8-1d8 1d2 1d3 1d3 1d4 Medium-size 14-15 10-11 12-13 1d8-2d8 1d3 1d4 1d4 1d6 Large 20-21 8-9 14-15 2d8-4d8 1d4 1d6 1d6 1d8 Huge 24-25 8-9 18-19 4d8-16d8 1d6 1d8 2d4 2d6 Gargantuan 28-29 8-9 22-23 16d8-32d8 1d8 2d6 2d6 2d8 Colossal 32-33 6-7 26-27 32d8+ 2d6 2d8 2d8 4d6

GiantGiants are humanoid creatures of great strength, usually

of at least Large size (an ogre, for example).

Hit Die................................d8Attack Bonus....................As clericGood Saving Throws.....FortitudeSkill Points ........................6 + Int modifier (+1/extra Hit Die)Feats ...................................1 (+1/4 extra Hit Dice) Notes..................................Giants have darkvision with a range of 60

feet. Giants are proficient with all simpleweapons and with any weapons listed intheir entries.


Damage Damage Damage DamageFine 1 12-13 10-11 1⁄16 d8-1⁄8 d8 — — — 1 Diminutive 1 12-13 10-11 1⁄8 d8-1⁄4 d8 — 1 1 1d2 Tiny 2-3 10-11 10-11 1⁄4 d8-1⁄2 d8 1 1d2 1d2 1d3 Small 6-7 10-11 10-11 1⁄4 d8-1d8 1d2 1d3 1d3 1d4 Medium-size 10-11 10-11 10-11 1d8-2d8 1d3 1d4 1d4 1d6 Large 14-15 8-9 14-15 2d8-4d8 1d4 1d6 1d6 1d8 Huge 18-19 8-9 18-19 4d8-16d8 1d6 1d8 2d4 2d6 Gargantuan 22-23 6-7 22-23 16d8-32d8 1d8 2d6 2d6 2d8 Colossal 26-27 4-5 26-27 32d8+ 2d6 2d8 2d8 4d6

HumanoidHumanoids usually have two arms, two legs, and one

head, or a humanlike torso, arms, and head. They havefew or no supernatural or extraordinary abilities, and

usually are Small or Medium-size (a goblin, for example).

Hit Die................................d8Attack Bonus....................As clericGood Saving Throws.....Varies (usually Reflex)Skill Points ........................6 + Int modifier (+1/extra Hit Die)Feat .....................................1 (+1/4 extra Hit Dice) Notes ................................Every humanoid has a type modifier

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10 to 12 cover the human norm. Scoresof 13 to 18 reflect acute senses andunusual guile. Scores of 19 and aboverepresent superhuman perceptions.

Charisma: Reflects the creature’ssense of self and ability to influenceother creatures for good or for ill (a par-ticularly scary creature will have a highCharisma score). A creature can have avery low Intelligence score and still bevery charismatic. Charisma scores of 3or less indicate a creature that is barelysentient. Scores of 4 to 6 represent a

limited sense of self. Scores of 7 to 9approach the human range of self aware-ness. Scores of 10 to 12 cover the humannorm. Scores of 13 to 18 reflect a strongpresence. Scores of 19 and above repre-sent superhuman Charisma.

NONABILITIESSome creatures lack some abilityscores. These creatures do not haveability ratings of 0, they lack the abilityaltogether. The ability modifier for anonability is +0 (but see below):

Strength: Any creature that canphysically manipulate other things hasat least 1 point of Strength.

A creature with no Strength scorecan’t exert force, usually because it has no physical body (such as a ghost)or because it doesn’t move (such as ashrieker). If the creature can attack,apply its Dexterity modifier to its baseattack in place of its Strength modifier.The creature cannot make Strengthchecks.

Dexterity: Any creature that canmove has at least 1 point of Dexterity.

A creature with no Dexterity scorecan’t move (such as a shrieker). If itcan act (such as by casting spells),apply its Intelligence modifier to itsInitiative roll instead of its Dexteritymodifier. The creature cannot makeDexterity checks and automatically fails all Reflex saves.

Constitution: Any living creature has at least 1 point of Constitution.

A creature with no Constitution hasno body (such as a specter) or nometabolism (such as a golem). Thecreature is immune to anything thatrequires a Fortitude save—unless theeffect works on objects. For example, a zombie is immune to any type of poison, but is susceptible to a disinte-grate spell. The creature automaticallypasses most Constitution checks, and it uses its Charisma modifier forConcentration checks.

Intelligence: Any creature that canthink, learn, or remember has at least 1 point of Intelligence.

A creature with no Intelligence scoreis an automaton; it operates accordingto simple instincts or programmedinstructions. It is immune to all mind-influencing effects (charms, compul-sions, phantasms, patterns, and moraleeffects). It fails all Intelligence checks.

Wisdom: Any creature that can perceive its environment in any wayhas at least 1 point of Wisdom

Anything with no Wisdom score is anobject, not a creature. Anything withouta Wisdom score also has no Charismascore and vice versa.

Charisma: Any creature that is capable of telling the differencebetween itself and things that are notitself has at least 1 point of Charisma.

Anything with no Charisma score isan object, not a creature.


Damage Damage Damage DamageFine 1 22-23 10-11 1⁄16 d10–1⁄8 d10 — 1 — 1 Diminutive 1 20-21 10-11 1⁄8 d10–1⁄4 d10 — 1d2 1 1d2 Tiny 2-3 18-19 10-11 1⁄4 d10–1⁄2 d10 1 1d3 1d2 1d3 Small 6-7 16-17 10-11 1⁄2 d10–1d10 1d2 1d4 1d3 1d4 Medium-size 10-11 14-15 12-13 1d10–2d10 1d3 1d6 1d4 1d6 Large 18-19 12-13 16-17 2d10–4d10 1d4 1d8 1d6 1d8 Huge 26-27 12-13 20-21 4d10–16d10 1d6 2d6 2d4 2d6 Gargantuan 34-35 10-11 24-25 16d10–32d10 1d8 2d8 2d6 2d8 Colossal 42-43 10-11 28-29 32d10+ 2d6 4d6 2d8 4d6

Magical BeastMagical beasts are similar to beasts (see above), but have supernatural or extraordinary abilities (a displacerbeast, for example).

Hit Die................................d10Attack Bonus....................As fighterGood Saving Throws.....Fortitude and ReflexSkill Points ........................2 x Int score (+1/extra Hit Die)Feats ...................................1 + Int bonus (+1/4 extra Hit Dice)Notes..................................Magical beasts have darkvision with a

range of 60 feet and low-light vision.


Damage Damage Damage DamageFine 1 22-23 10-11 1⁄16 d8–1⁄8 d8 — — — 1 Diminutive 1 20-21 10-11 1⁄8 d8–1⁄4 d8 — 1 1 1d2 Tiny 2-3 18-19 10-11 1⁄4 d8–1⁄2 d8 1 1d2 1d2 1d3 Small 6-7 16-17 10-11 1⁄2 d8–1d8 1d2 1d3 1d3 1d4 Medium-size 10-11 12-13 10-11 1d8–2d8 1d3 1d4 1d4 1d6 Large 18-19 12-13 12-13 2d8–4d8 1d4 1d6 1d6 1d8 Huge 26-27 12-13 14-15 4d8–16d8 1d6 1d8 2d4 2d6 Gargantuan 34-35 10-11 16-17 16d8–32d8 1d8 2d6 2d6 2d8 Colossal 42-43 10-11 18-19 32d8+ 2d6 2d8 2d8 4d6

Monstrous HumanoidThese are humanoid creatures with monstrous or animalis-tic features, often having supernatural abilities (a medusa,for example).

Hit Die................................d8Attack Bonus....................As fighterGood Saving Throws.....Reflex and WillSkill Points ........................2 x Int Score (+2/extra Hit Die)Feats ...................................1 + Int bonus (+1/4 extra Hit Dice)

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SKILLSList the creature’s skills in alphabeticalorder, along with each skill’s score; addall adjustments that apply to each skill,provided they apply all the time (suchas ability score modifiers, armor modi-fiers, and racial bonuses). Some skillshave additional modifiers that you musttake into account (such as the Hideskill, which has a size modifier). Otherskills might be affected by the feats youchoose for the creature. If the creaturehas conditional ability adjustments, donot apply them. Instead mark the skillscore with an asterisk and note theconditional modifier in the Skills sectionof the creature’s description.

ASSIGNING SKILLS: Assign whateverskills you think the creature ought tohave. The number of skill points thecreature has depends on its type, HitDice, and Intelligence.

Assume that any skill you choose forthe creature is a class skill (costs 1 skillpoint per rank). Spend all the creature’sskill points. When assigning Craft orKnowledge skills you can list “Any” asthe skill type, as in Craft (Any) +6.

As always, it is useful to consideryour concept when assigning skills.Creatures that live by hunting needHide, Spot, and Listen skills, andprobably the Move Silently skill.Creatures that use spells or spell-likeabilities need the Concentration skill andprobably the Spellcraft skill. Creaturesthat do not have a climb or swim speedmight benefit from the Climb or Swimskills. Skills such as Balance and EscapeArtist can be useful for almost anycreature.

MAXIMUM SKILL RANK: The maximumrank for any skill is the creature’s HitDice + 3.

SKILL BONUSES: Often a creature willneed a better skill score than its abilitiesand skill points allow. In such cases, it’sa good idea to assign it a racial bonus(which works all the time), or a specificcircumstance bonus. For example mostbig cats get a bonus to Hide and MoveSilently, and even bigger conditionalHide and Move Silently bonuses whenthey’re in the right terrain. They’d havea hard time surviving as predatorswithout them.

FEATSList all the creature’s feats alphabeticallyby name.

ASSIGNING FEATS: The charts show

the number of feats a creature canhave. Note that very weak creaturescan benefit from the Weapon Finessefeat, which allows the creature to use itsDexterity bonus for melee attacks (veryuseful for Tiny, Small, and Diminutivecreatures). Likewise, very big or strongcreatures can benefit from the PowerAttack feat, which allows them to con-vert attack bonuses into extra damage.When in doubt, most creatures can ben-efit from the feats that improve savingthrows (Great Fortitude, LightningReflexes, and Iron Will). In general, how-ever, you should assign feats with yourcreature concept in mind, just as you did

for skills. For example, spellcasting crea-tures can benefit from Combat Casting.Creatures that depend on their senses tolocate prey or alert them to danger canbenefit from the Alertness feat. Crea–tures that attack from ambush can useImproved Initiative.

CLIMATE/TERRAINConsider where the creature lives. Usethe terms listed below. You can list mul-tiple types, but do not combine types.For example, hills or forests is okay, buthilly forests is not okay. You can substi-tute the word “Any” for a climate or ter-rain. As in Any Mountains, Any Cold, or


Damage Damage Damage DamageFine 4-5 18-19 10-11 1⁄16 d10–1⁄8 d10 1 1 — —Diminutive 6-7 16-17 10-11 1⁄8 d10–1⁄4 d10 1d2 1d2 1 —Tiny 8-9 14-15 10-11 1⁄4d10–1⁄2 d10 1d3 1d3 1d2 1Small 10-11 12-13 10-11 1⁄2 d10–1d10 1d4 1d4 1d3 1d2 Medium-size 12-13 10-11 10-11 1d10–2d10 1d6 1d6 1d4 1d3 Large 20-21 10-11 14-15 2d10–4d10 1d8 1d8 1d6 1d4 Huge 28-29 8-9 18-19 4d10–16d10 2d6 2d6 2d4 1d6 Gargantuan 32-33 6-7 22-23 16d10–32d10 2d8 2d8 2d6 1d8 Colossal 36-37 4-5 26-27 32d10+ 4d6 4d6 2d8 2d6

OozeOozes are amorphous or mutable creatures

(a gelatinous cube, for example).

Hit Die................................d10Attack Bonus....................As clericGood Saving Throws.....NoneSkill Points ........................NoneFeats ...................................NoneNotes..................................Oozes are immune to poison, sleep,

paralysis, stunning, and polymorphing. They have no clear front or back and aretherefore not subject to critical hits orflanking. Oozes are blind but have the blindsight specialquality. They have no Intelligence scores and are thereforeimmune to all mind-influencing effects (charms, compulsions,phantasms, patterns, and morale effects).

Oozes have no natural armor ratings, but they arenevertheless difficult to kill because their bodies are mostlysimple protoplasm. This is reflected by bonus hit points (inaddition to those from Hit Dice and Constitution scores)according to size, as shown below.Ooze Size Bonus Hit PointsFine —Diminutive —Tiny —Small 5Medium-size 10Large 15Huge 20Gigantic 30Colossal 40

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Any Land. Don’t use just the word “Any”unless the creature literally can be foundanywhere from the depths of the sea tothe top of the highest mountain.

CLIMATE TYPESCold: Arctic and subarctic climes. Anyarea that has winter conditions for thegreater portion of the year is cold.Temperate: Any area that has alternat-ing warm and cold seasons.Warm: Tropical and subtropical climes.Any area that has summer conditions forthe greater portion of the year is warm.

TERRAIN TYPESAquatic: Fresh or salt water.Desert: Any dry area with sparse vegetation.Plains: Any fairly flat area that is not adesert, marsh, or forest.Forest: Any area covered with trees.Hill: Any area with rugged, but notmountainous, terrain.Mountains: Rugged terrain, higher thanhills.Marsh: Low, flat, waterlogged areas.Underground: Subterranean area(unlike the other terrain types, this doesnot require a climate listing).

Do not create new climate or terraintypes.

ORGANIZATIONUse a descriptive term for the kinds ofgroups the creature might form (therecan be more than one). Include a par-enthetical note that says how manycreatures are in each type of group.The note should be a number, not adice range, but it is helpful if the rangeyou give can be generated easily withone die. For example, 1-4 (1d4), or 3-10(1d8+2).

Some suggestions for terms andnumbers can be found on theOrganization Examples chart.

CHALLENGE RATINGThis shows the party level for which thecreature would make a good encounterof moderate difficulty. You shouldassume that the party is composed offour fresh characters (full hit points, fullspells, and an assortment of equipmentappropriate to their levels). Given rea-sonable luck, the four characters shouldbe able to win the encounter with somedamage, but no casualties.

There is no tried and true way toassign challenge ratings. The best


Damage Damage Damage DamageFine 4-5 18-19 10-11 1⁄16 d8–1⁄8 d8 1 1 — —Diminutive 6-7 16-17 10-11 1⁄8 d8–1⁄4 d8 1d2 1d2 1 —Tiny 8-9 14-15 10-11 1⁄4 d8–1⁄2 d8 1d3 1d3 1d2 1Small 10-11 12-13 10-11 1⁄2 d8–1d8 1d4 1d4 1d3 1d2Medium-size 12-13 10-11 12-13 1d8–2d8 1d6 1d6 1d4 1d3Large 20-21 10-11 16-17 2d8–4d8 1d8 1d8 1d6 1d4Huge 28-29 8-9 20-21 4d8–16d8 2d6 2d6 2d4 1d6Gargantuan 32-33 6-7 24-25 16d8–32d8 2d8 2d8 2d6 1d8Colossal 36-37 4-5 28-29 32d8+ 4d6 4d6 2d8 2d6

OutsiderOutsiders are nonelemental creatures that come from other dimensions, realities, or planes (a devil, for example). Unless they’re neutral, outsiders have alignment-basedsubtypes (chaos, evil, good, lawful, or any compatible pair out of the four).

Hit Die................................d8Attack Bonus....................As fighterGood Saving Throws.....Fortitude, Reflex, WillSkill Points ........................8/HD (Int modifier applies per Hit Die)Feats ...................................1 (+1/4 extra Hit Dice)Notes ................................See the Monster Manual for outsider

special abilities.


Damage Damage Damage DamageFine 4-5 18-19 10-11 1⁄16 d10-1⁄8 d10 1 — — 1 Diminutive 6-7 16-17 10-11 1⁄8 d10-1⁄4 d10 1d2 — 1 1d2 Tiny 8-9 14-15 10-11 1⁄4 d10-1⁄2 d10 1d3 1 1d2 1d3 Small 10-11 12-13 10-11 1⁄2 d10-1d10 1d4 1d2 1d3 1d4 Medium-size 12-13 10-11 12-13 1d10-2d10 1d6 1d3 1d4 1d6 Large 20-21 10-11 16-17 2d10-4d10 1d8 1d4 1d6 1d8 Huge 28-29 8-9 20-21 4d10-16d10 2d6 1d6 2d4 2d6 Gargantuan 32-33 6-7 24-25 16d10-32d10 2d8 1d8 2d6 2d8 Colossal 36-37 4-5 28-29 32d10+ 4d6 2d6 2d8 4d6

PlantThis type comprises vegetable creatures (a shamblingmound, for example).

Hit Die................................d8Attack Bonus....................As clericGood Saving Throws.....FortitudeSkill Points ........................NoneFeats ...................................NoneNotes..................................Plants are immune to poison, sleep,

paralysis, stunning, and polymorphing. Theyare not subject to critical hits or mind-influencing effects (charms, compulsions,phantasms, patterns, and morale effects).Plants either have low-light vision or areblind and have the blindsight special quality.

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method is to page through the MonsterManual until you find a comparablecreature. The Challenge RatingGuesstimator table will help you estimatethe creature’s challenge rating, but you’llneed to both check the Monster Manualand playtest the creature against a fewsample parties to arrive at an appropri-ate challenge rating.

TREASUREMost creatures will have no treasure(None) or Standard treasure. Veryintelligent creatures might have doubleor triple treasure. Some creaturesmight collect only certain types oftreasure. See the Introduction to theMonster Manual for details.

ALIGNMENTList the alignment that the majority ofcreatures of this type have. Use twoterms: lawful, neutral, or chaotic fol-lowed by good, neutral, or evil. Youdon’t have to write neutral neutral ortrue neutral—just neutral will do fine. Allalignments have a qualifier: Always,Usually, or Often, as noted in the intro-duction to the Monster Manual.

ADVANCEMENT RANGE This is a measure of how tough thecreature can get if the DM decides topump it up. In general, a creatureshould be able to gain up to three timesits original Hit Dice (that is, a 4 Hit Diecreature should be able to go up to 12

HD. Most creatures will get larger ifthe DM adds a lot of Hit Dice. Forexample, the advancement range entryfor a Large creature with 4 Hit Dicemight read: 5 to 8 HD (Large); 9 to 12HD (Huge). See the types section forguidelines on size and Hit Dice.

THE MONSTER’S DESCRIPTIONYour monster design is not completewithout some text about what the creature is like.

FIRST PARAGRAPH: This is a shortdescription of what the monster is allabout (in other words, a more lengthyversion of your basic concept). Thisshould not exceed 30 words, no matterhow long the monster entry is. Con-sider this paragraph a sales pitch forwhy the DM should include the monsterin an adventure.

SUBSEQUENT PARAGRAPHS: Two orthree paragraphs that briefly describewhat the creature looks like, what iteats, how it acts when it’s not fighting,and any other interesting tidbits youcan dream up.

This section should say how big thecreature really is (height or length infeet, weight in pounds) and what lan-guages it can speak.

COMBAT SECTION: Begins with a briefdescription of how the monster fights.It should include notes about the crea-ture’s favorite tactics.

SPECIAL ATTACKS SECTION: Theseexplain everything listed in the SpecialAttacks line in the statistics block.Always list the special attacks in thesame order as they appear in the sta-tistics block.

Special attacks are extraordinary(Ex), spell-like (Sp), or supernatural(Su). (See Special Abilities in Chapter 10of the Player’s Handbook.)

Extraordinary: Extraordinary abilitiesare nonmagical, don’t go away in anantimagic field, and are not subject to



Fine 4-5 18-19 10-11 1⁄16 d8-1⁄8 d8 1 1 — —Diminutive 6-7 16-17 10-11 1⁄8 d8-1⁄4 d8 1d2 1d2 1 —Tiny 8-9 14-15 10-11 1⁄4 d8-1⁄2 d8 1d3 1d3 1d2 1Small 10-11 12-13 10-11 1⁄2 d8-1d8 1d4 1d4 1d3 1d2 Medium-size 12-13 10-11 12-13 1d8-2d8 1d6 1d6 1d4 1d3 Large 20-21 10-11 16-17 2d8-4d8 1d8 1d8 1d6 1d4 Huge 28-29 8-9 20-21 4d8-16d8 2d6 2d6 2d4 1d6 Gargantuan 32-33 6-7 24-25 16d8-32d8 2d8 2d8 2d6 1d8 Colossal 36-37 4-5 28-29 32d8+ 4d6 4d6 2d8 2d6

ShapechangerThese are nonamorphous creatures that can assume other

forms (a doppelganger, for example).

Hit Die................................d8Attack Bonus....................As clericGood Saving Throws.....Fortitude, Reflex, WillSkill Points ........................2 x Int score (+1/extra Hit Die)Feats ...................................1 + Int bonus (+1/4 extra Hit Dice)Notes..................................Shapechangers have darkvision with a

range of 60 feet.

FACE/REACH BY SIZEExample Natural

Size Creature Face1 ReachFine Housefly 1⁄2 ft. 0Diminutive Toad 1 ft. 0Tiny Giant rat 2-1⁄2 ft. 0Small Halfling 5 ft. 5 ft.Medium-size Human 5 ft. 5 ft.Large (tall)2 Ogre 5 ft. 10 ft.Large (long)3 Horse 5 ft. by 10 ft. 5 ft.Huge (tall)2 Hill giant 10 ft. by 5 ft. 15 ft.Huge (long)3 Bulette 10 ft. by 20 ft. 10 ft.

Retriever 15 ft. by 15 ft. 10 ft.Gargantuan (tall)2 50-foot animated statue 20 ft. by 20 ft. 20 ft.Gargantuan (long)3 Kraken 20 ft. by 40 ft. 10 ft. (bite)

Purple worm 30 ft. by 30 ft. (coiled) 15 ft.Colossal (tall)2 The tarrasque 40 ft. by 40 ft. 25 ft.Colossal (long)3 Great red wyrm 40 ft. by 80 ft. 15 ft.

1 Listed width by length.2 Tall creatures are those that are taller than they are long or wide. Long creatures are as long or

longer, or as wide or wider, than they are tall.3 Long creatures can be in any of several shapes. A Huge spider fills a 10-foot-square area, but a

Huge snake fills a space 20 feet long and 5 feet wide (unless it coils itself into a circle, in which caseit would take up a 10-foot by 10-foot space).

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anything that disrupts magic. Using anextraordinary attack is a free actionunless noted otherwise.

Spell-Like: Spell-like abilities are magical and work just like spells (thoughthey are not spells and so have no ver-bal, somatic, material, focus, or XPcomponents). They go away in anantimagic field and are subject to spellresistance.

Spell-like abilities usually have a limiton the number of times they can beused. A spell-like ability that can be

used “at will” has no such limit. Using aspell-like ability is a standard actionunless noted otherwise, and doing sowhile threatened provokes an attack ofopportunity. A spell-like ability can bedisrupted just as a spell can.

Supernatural: Supernatural abilitiesare magical and go away in an anti-magic field but are not subject to spellresistance. Using a supernatural abilityis a standard action unless noted other-wise. Supernatural abilities might havea use limit or be usable at will, just like

spell-like abilities. However, usingsupernatural abilities does not provokeattacks of opportunity and neverrequires Concentration checks.

The most common special attacks arebriefly described in the Introduction tothe Monster Manual.

Saving Throws For Special Attacks:Each special attack section shouldinclude the type of saving throw theattack allows (if any) and the DC of thesave. Determine the saving throw typeas follows:

• Fortitude saving throws apply toattacks on the defender’s vitality suchas poison, magic that causes instantdeath, level draining, or magic thatcauses physical transformation.

• Reflex saving throws apply to mas-sive attacks such as a wizard’s fireballor a damage-inflicting breath weapon.

• Will saving throws apply to mentalinfluence and domination as well as anymagical effect that doesn’t fall into theprevious two categories.


Damage Damage Damage DamageFine 4-5 18-19 — 1⁄16 d8–1⁄8 d8 1 1 — —Diminutive 6-7 16-17 — 1⁄8 d8–1⁄4 d8 1d2 1d2 1 —Tiny 8-9 14-15 — 1⁄4 d8–1⁄2 d8 1d3 1d3 1d2 1Small 10-11 12-13 — 1⁄2 d8–1d8 1d4 1d4 1d3 1d2 Medium-size 12-13 10-11 — 1d8–2d8 1d6 1d6 1d4 1d3 Large 20-21 10-11 — 2d8–4d8 1d8 1d8 1d6 1d4 Huge 28-29 8-9 — 4d8–16d8 2d6 2d6 2d4 1d6 Gargantuan 32-33 6-7 — 16d8–32d8 2d8 2d8 2d6 1d8 Colossal 36-37 4-5 — 32d8+ 4d6 4d6 2d8 2d6

UndeadUndead are once-living creatures animated by spiritual orsupernatural forces (a zombie, for example).

Hit Die................................d12Attack Bonus....................As wizardGood Saving Throws.....WillSkill Points ........................3 x Int score (+2/extra Hit Die)Feats ...................................1 + Int bonus (+1/4 extra Hit Dice)Notes ................................Undead are immune to poison, sleep,

paralysis, stunning, disease, death effects,and necromantic effects, and they ignoremind-influencing effects (charms,compulsions, phantasms, patterns, andmorale effects). Undead are not subject tocritical hits, subdual damage, ability damage, ability drain, or energy drain. They have noConstitution scores and are thereforeimmune to anything requiring a Fortitudesaving throw (unless it affects objects).Undead spellcasters use their Charismamodifier when making Concentrationchecks.

Undead creatures are not at risk ofdeath from massive damage, but whenreduced to 0 hit points or less, they areimmediately destroyed. Most undead have darkvision with a range of 60 feet.

Undead cannot be raised. Resurrectioncan affect them, but since undeadcreatures are usually unwilling to return tolife, these attempts typically fail. (SeeBringing Back the Dead in Chapter 10 inthe Player’s Handbook).

CHALLENGE RATING GUESSTIMATOREffectiveHit Dice* Challenge Rating

Less than 3 1⁄23-6 16-8 28-10 310-13 413–16 516-19 619-22 722-25 825-28 928-31 1031-34 1134-37 1237-40 1340-43 1443-46 1546-49 1649-52 1752-55 1855-58 1958-61 20

62 or more 21st or higher

*Divide its average hit points by 4.5 tocalculate the creature’s basic Hit Dice, thenadd one or two for each special attack oruseful special quality the creature has. Addtwo for an AC of 20 or higher.

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CALCULATING SAVING THROW DCS: Theformula for most save DCs is 10 + 1⁄2extra Hit Dice of the creature + the rel-evant Ability Score Modifier from thecreature using the attack. (For a spell-likeability, the formula is 10 + the spell level+ the creature’s Charisma modifier.) Therelevant stats are:

Strength: Any application of force,crushing, binding, or constriction.

Dexterity: Movement, movementrestrictions, hitting with a missile,entanglement, or webs.

Constitution: Almost anything thatcomes from the creature’s body: poi-son, breath weapons.

Intelligence: Illusion effects.Wisdom: Mental or perception

effects except charms and compulsions;see Charisma.

Charisma: Anything pitting the crea-ture’s will against an opponent: gazeattacks, charms, compulsions, energydrain. Also use Charisma for any DCthat normally would be based on anability score the creature does nothave. For example, undead creatureshave no Constitution scores, so anypoison attacks they have would useCharisma to determine DC.

Other Notes On Special Attacks: If anattack involves an element or form ofenergy, state which form it is: Fire(heat, flame); Cold (ice, frost);Electricity (lightning, electrical current);Force (like magic missile or wall offorce); Acid (any caustic substance); orSonic (sound, ultrasound, subsonic).

SPECIAL QUALITIESThese are handled just like specialattacks. Common special qualities aredescribed in the introduction to theMonster Manual.

SKILLSUse this section to list a racial bonus orconditional bonus the creature has forskill checks. Drop the section if thecreature has no special modifiers toskills.

FEATSLike the skills section, this is an optionalsection used to explain anything specialabout the creature’s feats.

CHARACTERSThis is an optional section. If the crea-ture tends to become a member of acharacter class, talk about that here.

Include the creature’s favored multi-class. (See Multiclass Characters inChapter 3 of the Player’s Handbook.) Ifthe creature is prone to worship a cer-tain deity, list the domains of clericspells the deity provides.

SOCIETYThis optional section describes in detailhow the creature lives and functions inthe world.

That wraps up our monster recipe.Remember that you can move throughthese sections in just about any orderyou choose (as long as you started outwith a good, solid monster concept).You’ll probably want to choose a size,type, and number of Hit Dice for yourmonster before doing anything else.Once you’ve done that, assign the creature’s ability scores and generatehit points, Armor Class, skills, feats, and saving throws. Flesh out the rest in any order you like.



Fine 1 12-13 10-11 1⁄16 d8–1⁄8 d8 — 1 — 1 Diminutive 1 12-13 10-11 1⁄8d8–1⁄4 d8 — 1d2 1 1d2 Tiny 2-3 10-11 10-11 1⁄4 d8–1⁄2 d8 1 1d3 1d2 1d3 Small 6-7 10-11 10-11 1⁄2 d8–1d8 1d2 1d4 1d3 1d4 Medium-size 10-11 10-11 10-11 1d8–2d8 1d3 1d6 1d4 1d6 Large 18-19 8-9 14-15 2d8–4d8 1d4 1d8 1d6 1d8 Huge 26-27 8-9 18-19 4d8–16d8 1d6 2d6 2d4 2d6 Gargantuan 34-35 6-7 22-23 16d8–32d8 1d8 2d8 2d6 2d8 Colossal 42-43 6-7 26-27 32d8+ 2d6 4d6 2d8 4d6

VerminThis type includes insects, arachnids, arthropods, worms, and similar

invertebrates (a monstrous spider, for example).

Hit Die................................d8Attack Bonus....................As clericGood Saving Throws.....FortitudeSkill Points ........................10-12Feats ...................................NoneNotes..................................Vermin have no Intelligence scores and are immune to all mind-

influencing effects (charms, compulsions, phantasms, patternsand morale effects). Unless noted otherwise, vermin havedarkvision with a range of 60 feet. Poisonous vermin of at leastMedium-size get a bonus to the DCs for their poisons based ontheir size, as shown below.Vermin Size Poison DC BonusMedium-size +2Large +4Huge +6Gargantuan +8Colossal +10

ORGANIZATION EXAMPLES2 2-5 5-20 20-40 40-60 61+

Brace Bevy Colony Band Battalion ArmyPair Brood Nest Drove Cabal Nation

Bunch Ride Flight Clan TribeCluster Knot Flotilla Flock

Company Pack Herd HordeCovey Pod Mob HostCrew Pride Platoon PlagueFamily Squad School ShoalGang Swarm TroopString PatrolTeam

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