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Common Abilities

Passive Abilities

Aura (name optional, aura). Creatures with this ability radiate an aura with various effects at the listed distance. Creatures with the Aura Ability include:

Battle Blooded. Creatures with this ability can fight an extra round after gaining the Dying Condition. Creatures with the Battle Blooded Ability include:

Blind Fighting. Creatures with this ability ignores penalties if an opponent has the Concealed or Sensed conditions and, frequently, ignores some or all of the penalties from the Blinded conditions. Creatures with the Blind Fighting Ability include:

Bullrush. This ability grants advantage on Combat Manuevers made to Shove a creature. Creatures with the Bullrush Ability include:

Cling. This ability, most frequently used by swarms, means that a creature, or part of the creature in the case of swarms, moves with an opponent if they move away. Frequently, this ability continues to deal damage for a certain amount of time and listed how that creature or part of the creature can be removed. Creatures with the Cling Ability include:

Consume Life. Creatures with this ability gain power through the listed method. Frequently, this increases multiple bonuses and the challenge rating. Some creatures with this ability have an end result to this ability whereby it ceases to be used. Creatures with the Consume Life Ability include:

Creation. This ability allows a creature to transform others of the listed identities into more powerful beings using a number of Creation Points. Frequently, it takes a minute per point needed for the transformation and multiple creatures to form a more powerful one. Once transformed, the new being is permanent. Creatures with the Creation Ability include:

Critical (Strike, effect). Creatures with this ability inflict conditions or other penalties when one or more of their Strikes roll a Critical Hit. Some creatures have Saving Throws to reduce the effects. Creatures with the Critical Ability include:

Damage Transfer (type). This ability allows a creature to transfer certain types of damage it takes to another, listed creature. Frequently, this involves a given distance. Creatures with the Damage Transfer Ability include:

Death Explosion (aura). A creature with this ability deals an aura effect on its death. This frequently requires a Saving Throw. Creatures with the Death Explosion Ability include:

Dependent. This ability means a creature is bound to some object or location and takes penalties and/or damage when separated from this item or place. Creatures with the Dependent Ability include:

Destruction Vulnerability. Creatures with this ability can be immediately destroyed under the listed circumstances. Creatures with the Destruction Vulnerability Ability include:

Disease (name optional). A creature that inflicts disease, frequently through an Action(s), will list the details of that disease in the Passive Abilities section. Creatures with the Poison Ability include:

Dispelling (strike, type). Creatures with this ability attempt to Dispel Magic as a Free Action with a successful listed Strike. This usually dispels effects with certain tags or types. Creatures with the Dispelling Ability include:

Distraction. This ability inflicts penalties to opponents who are near or in the creature’s space on a failed save. Creatures with the Distraction Ability include:

Elusive. This ability makes a creature leave no trace of its passage in the listed environments, unless intentional. Creatures with the Elusive Ability include:

Empathy (tag). This ability grants Insights and other bonuses to the creature when trying to influence an opponent with the listed tag, Creatures with the Empathy Ability include:

  • Gremlin

Fading. Creatures with this ability are sensitive to sunlight and take the listed penalties while in areas of sunlight. Creatures with the Fading Ability include:

Fast Healing (healing). This ability allows creatures to automatically heal a listed amount of hit points at the beginning of its turn. Creatures with the Fasting Healing Ability include:

Favored Enemy (tag). Creatures with this ability gain bonuses against opponents with the listed tag. Creatures with the Favored Enemy Ability include:

Follow. This ability allows a creature to use a reaction to Step after an opponent that tries to Step away from them. Creatures with the Follow Ability include:

Frightful (type). A creature with this ability is scared of the type listed. It must make a save or be inflicted with the given conditions. Creatures with the Frightful Ability include:

Frightful Presence (aura). A creature with this ability radiates a terrifying aura of fear and requires any creature that enters the aura to make a save or gain the Fleeing or Frightened conditions. Some creatures are able to activate and deactivate this ability as a free action. Creatures with the Frightful Presence Ability include:

Hear Heartbeat (Range). Similar to the more common, blindsight, this ability allows a creature to be aware of all those, typically living creatures, with heartbeats in the listed range. Creatures with the Hear Heartbeat Ability include:

Hold Breath (time). Creatures with this ability live in water such that they either have an extended period of time in which they do not need to breath and thus do not risk drowning or they never risk drowning, frequently due to gills. Creatures with the Hold Breath Ability include:

Implements of [type]. This ability causes the listed equipment to gain certain abilities based on the creature and the type. Creatures with the Implements of Ice Abilities include:

Incorporeal. This ability allows a creature to ignore penalties from environments, pass through physical barriers and objects while gaining benefits, and makes it difficult to detect with extra senses. Creatures with the Incorporeal Ability include:

† Individuals. Creatures with these abilities have more variation in features, marked with †, than most. These features have average entries in the stat blocks. Creatures with the Individuals Ability include:

Light Sensitivity. Creatures with this ability are inflicted with the Dazzled condition in areas of bright sunlight or within the radius of a Heightened Light Spell. Creatures with the Light Sensitivity Ability include:

  • Gremlin

Legendary Actions (1). This ability allows a creature to take the listed number of extra actions outside of its turn in initiative order. These actions can be spent at any point in the round directly after a creature’s turn ends and before another begins. The number of legendary actions, like reactions, is renewed each round at the beginning of the creature’s turn. Frequently, creatures have the following number of legendary actions depending on their CR.

Challenge RatingNumber of Legendary Actions
9 or lower0
10-151
16-202
21 or higher3

Creatures with the Legendary Actions Ability include:

Life Eater. This ability means that opponents reduced to 0 hit points by this creature die instantly without the Dying condition applied and cannot remove the Dead condition without very powerful magical or supernatural abilities such as the Alter Reality, Miracle, Primal Phenomenon, or Wish spells. This ability has the death tag. Creatures with the Life Eater Ability include:

Life Sap (strike). Creatures with this ability gain Hit Points for each successful listed Strike. Some creatures also inflict additional conditions or damage which requires a Saving Throw. Creatures with the Life Sap Ability include:

Luminescence (aura). This ability creates light in an aura around the creature and frequently remains for a listed amount of time after the creature dies. Creatures with the Luminescence Ability include:

Lure. Creatures with this ability can attract opponents on a failed save. Frequently, opponents under the effects of Lure can only move towards the creature or defend itself, except from the creature’s attacks. Creatures with the Lure Ability include:

Many Appendages (number). Creatures with this ability have multiple appendages which can be used in concert with each other or separately, as described, Creatures with the Many Appendages Ability include:

Meld. Creatures with this ability can become a part of a larger object, typically functioning similar to the Meld into Stone spell. Creatures with the Meld Ability include:

Mimicry. This ability allows a creature, frequently with the Change Shape Action, to gain proficiency or access to the listed abilities, equipment, and spells of another creature. Creatures with the Mimicry Ability include:

Poison (name optional). A creature that inflicts poisons, frequently through an Action(s), will list the details of that poison in the Passive Abilities section. Frequently, this poison can be harvested from a dead creature with a DC equal to the poison’s Fortitude DC. Creatures with the Poison Ability include:

Primal [Type]. Creatures with this ability deal damage of the type listed which bypasses opponents’ defenses. It deals half damage to opponents with immunity against the type and ignores half the resistance an opponent has against the type. Creatures with the Primal [Type] Ability include:

Quick Reflexes (Total). This lists any extra reactions per round, along with the total number of reflexes a creature then has. Creatures with the Quick Reflexes Ability include:

Regeneration (healing, suppressing tags). This ability allows creatures to regain the listed amount of hit points at the beginning of its turn, unless it took damage with one of the listed suppression tags. This healing frequently allows the creature to recover from reaching 0 hit points and to reattach severed limbs. It does not heal from attacks that do not deal hit point damage and if it takes damage with one of the listed suppression tags it can be killed. Creatures with the Regeneration Ability include:

Rejuvenation. Creatures with this ability are very difficult to destroy as they restore themselves in a listed time, frequently with half their original hit points. This ability shares how to permanently destroy the creature. Creatures with the Rejuvenation Ability include:

Rend (Action). This is extra damage done if a creature attacks two or more times with the listed Action against the same target, dealing the same damage as the attack. Creatures with the Rend Ability include:

Ruinous Revivification. Creatures with this ability are frequently created through a ritual that granted it extra abilities. Creatures with the Ruinous Revivification Ability include:

Slime. This is typically an applied ability to a creature’s Action(s) or it is a defensive ability that applies to a opponents or weapons that come into contact with the creature. It has a variety of effects. Creatures with the Slime Ability include:

Sneak Attack. This is an ability that applies extra damage to any attacks the creature makes with advantage or when flanking an enemy with an ally. Creatures with the Sneak Attack Ability include:

Spawn. Creatures with this ability can create more, frequently with the death of an opponent. Creatures with the Spawn Ability include:

Spells. For Non-Player Characters, this should list the Style and Source, along with other details, such as how many spells per day a caster can prepare. For other creatures, this lists any notes on spells. All entries include the Spell Attack and Spell DC, followed by the spells listed from Cantrips or At Will to higher levels or more restricted spells. Creatures with the Spells Ability include:

Staggered (actions). This ability means that the creature always has the Slowed Condition. This ability lists what the Slowed value is, along with the number of actions by per the creature can use. Creatures with the Staggered Passive Ability include:

Swarm (size). Creatures with this ability are made of up tiny or smaller creatures which independently are harmless, however pose a danger when together. Since this creature has a listed size, this ability indicates the size of the individual creatures that make up this swarm, Creatures with the Swarm Ability include:

Terror. This is typically an applied ability to a creature’s Action(s) and inflicts the Frightened or Fleeing conditions. Commonly, if a target of a creature’s Terror has a duration-based bonus against fear tags, this attempts to dispel the effect instead. Creatures with the Terror Ability include:

Undead Life. A creature with this ability reduces a listed amount of damage that it would otherwise take solely because it has the undead tag.

Undersized Weapons. Creatures with this ability are one size but wield smaller weapons. Creatures with the Undersized Weapons Ability include:

Underwater Fighter. Creatures with this ability ignore various penalties to fighting underwater. Creatures with the Underwater Fighter Ability include:

Walking (Type). Creatures with this ability specialized movements. Creatures with the Walking Ability include:

Actions

Animate (object). This is a single action with the supernatural tag which animates an object within range. Frequently, the creature must spend an action with the concentration tag each round to control the animated object. Animate objects have two actions along with particular abilities and actions granted.

Arm. This is a melee attack with the unarmed tag which deals bludgeoning damage, depending on the creature it frequently has the reach tag. Some arms inflict the Grabbed condition. If it applies the Grabbed condition, the required DC to break free is included in parentheses. Some creatures can attack with more than one arm in an action.

Beard. This is a melee attack with the unarmed tag which deals bludgeoning damage, depending on the creature it frequently has the reach tag. Some beards inflict conditions, diseases, or poisons.

Bite. This is a melee attack with the unarmed tag which deals either bludgeoning or piercing damage, depending on the creature it frequently has the fatal, finesse, reach, and/or versatile tags. Some bites inflict the Grabbed condition. If it applies the Grabbed condition, the required DC to break free is included in parentheses.

Blast (area). This is a supernatural attack in a variety of shapes with various tags that requires a save to avoid the listed damage. Frequently, it deals half damage even on a success.

Breath Weapon (recharge, shape). This is a ranged attack in a variety of shapes that requires a save and can deal a variety of damage types. Frequently, it deals half damage even on a success. A creature rolls a 1d6 at the beginning of its turn and can only use Breath Weapon if it gets one of the numbers listed for the Recharge.

Cage. This is a single action ability that allows the creature to transfer a Grabbed creature into a more contained, cage-like appendage. This ability continues to maintain the Grabbed condition while dealing more damage but allows an opponent to escape the condition through both traditional methods and through cutting its way out.

Change Shape. This is a double action that allows a creature to take on a different physical appearance ranging from just the appearance to all abilities of the individual the creature or object. Frequently, changing to another shape is a double action while changing back to its own shape is a single action.

Claw. This is a melee attack with the unarmed tag which deals slashing damage and sometimes has the agile, finesse, reach, and/or sweep tags.

Cloud (recharge, aura). This is a single action that creates a cloud around the creature with various effects in a listed aura. A creature rolls a 1d6 at the beginning of its turn and can only use Cloud if it gets one of the numbers listed for the Recharge.

Constrict. This is part of an action to maintain a Grabbed condition and inflict bludgeoning damage at the same time.

Crush. This is a double action that some creatures with a Fly speed can take to deliberately drop onto their opponents, requiring them to make a save or take bludgeoning damage and gain the Prone and Immobile conditions. Creatures with the Crush Action can maintain it with an action if they do not take a move action. This frequently can only be escaped if the creature moves, or the opponent succeeds on an Athletics check.

Cry (recharge, aura). This is a supernatural attack with the auditory tag, and sometimes other tags, that deals a variety of damage or effects to creatures within the aura on a failed save. A creature rolls a 1d6 at the beginning of its turn and can only use Cry if it gets one of the numbers listed for the Recharge. Sometimes Cry has a duration and, if so, it frequently requires the creature to save when damaged in order to maintain the Cry.

Ectoplasmic Form (recharge, duration). This is a supernatural ability that some creatures with the Incorporeal Passive Ability possess, which allows it to become corporeal as a Single Action. A creature using Ectoplasmic Form loses some or all of its Immunities, Resistances, or Incorporeal Passive Ability benefits in return for different Immunities, Resistances, and abilities.

Fate. This is a supernatural ability that allows the creature to force others to reroll certain rolls, saves, checks, and more.

Gaze (aura). This is a supernatural attack with the visual tag that deals a variety of effects to creatures within the aura on a failed save. Sometimes this has a limited number of uses in which case it must be activated, while most are constant abilities that can also be used as a Strike action. Opponents can counter the Gaze Ability by choosing one of the following:

  • Avert Eyes: This grants advantage on the save against the Gaze Ability but disadvantage to Strikes against the creature.
  • Closed Eyes: This removes the danger from the Gaze Ability but forces the opponent to treat all creatures as Sensed. There is a 25% chance in certain situations, such as Combat Maneuvers like Pull, Shove, or Trip, or conditions like Confused or Fascinated, in which the opponent fails to keep their eyes closed.
  • Blind Folded: Like Closed Eye but without the chance of failing to keep their eyes closed. It does take a double action to put on or take off a blind fold.
  • Blinded Condition: No danger from the Gaze Ability with this condition.
  • Does Not Use Sight: If an opponent does not use sight as a sense (i.e. does not have eyes), then there is no danger from the Gaze Ability.

Gore. This is a melee attack with the unarmed tag which deals piercing damage.

Jet (feet). This is a triple action which allows a creature to move through water with incredible speed and avoid Attacks of Opportunity.

Kick. This is a melee attack with the unarmed tag which deals bludgeoning damage.

Leap. This is a triple action, melee attack that allows the creature to move up to twice its speed through the air. It deals bludgeoning damage to creatures adjacent to where it lands that fail a Reflex save or forgo the save in favor of an Attack of Opportunity.

Light Flash (aura). This is a single action ability, frequently with time limited uses, that requires a save against a bright light within an aura of the creature that inflicts either the Blinded or Dazzled conditions of a listed duration. This has the visual tags.

Moan (aura). This is a supernatural attack as a double action with the auditory tag that deals a variety of damage and/or effects to creatures within the aura on a failed save. This ability has a variety of additional tags depending on the effects. Opponents who successful save frequently are Bolstered against this ability.

Parry. As a single action, a creature can use its weapon or another action to prepare to block incoming attacks and gain a +2 Deflection bonus for the round.

Point (recharge, range). As a single action, a creature can point at an opponent within range that it can see, forcing the opponent to make a save or take damage. Frequently, inflicts conditions and deals half damage even on a success. A creature rolls a 1d6 at the beginning of its turn and can only use Point if it gets one of the numbers listed for the Recharge. An opponent is usually Bolstered against a creature’s Point Action if it successfully saves.

Powerful Stance. As a single action, a creature can take a stance and deal extra damage on melee damage.

Rend. This is either a double or triple action. Sometimes rend is an attack, other times it is an action. As an attack, it has a melee attack bonus while as an action it requires the listed skill check against a Passive Skill DC. It inflicts a variety of effects.

Rock. This is a ranged attack with the propulsive and range tags that deals bludgeoning damage.

Slam. This is a melee attack with the unarmed tag that deals bludgeoning damage, depending on the creature it sometimes has the finesse and/or reach tags.

Smash Breech.

Song (aura). This is a single action with the auditory and supernatural tags that can create various effects in the aura, frequently requiring a save.

Spray (shape). This is a ranged attack that requires a save and can deal a variety of damage types.

Sting. This is a melee attack with the unarmed tag that deals piercing damage. It frequently applies Passive Abilities or poisons.

Strike Back. This is a reaction that allows the creature to make an attack after taking melee damage.

Swallow Whole. This is a single action ability that allows the creature to swallow a Grabbed opponent, typically Grabbed by the creature’s Bite, with a successful Athletics against the target’s Passive Athletics. This ability continues to maintain the Grabbed condition while dealing more damage but allows an opponent to escape the condition through both traditional methods and through cutting its way out.

Swarm. This is a melee attack that is an automatic success with the reach tag (0 feet) that deals piercing damage. It frequently applies Ability Damage, Passive Abilities, disease, or poisons.

Tail. This is a melee attack with the reach and unarmed tags that deals bludgeoning damage.

Tentacle. This is a melee attack with the reach and unarmed tags that deals bludgeoning damage. It frequently applies Passive Abilities or the Grabbed condition. If it applies the Grabbed condition, the required DC to break free is included in parentheses. Some creatures can attack with more than one arm in an action.

Touch. This is a melee attack, spell attack, or both with the unarmed tag that can deal a variety of damage types, depending on the creature it sometimes has the reach tag. It sometimes applies Passive Abilities.

Trample. This is a triple action, melee attack that allows the creature to move up to twice its speed and move through creatures one size smaller or smaller. As it does so, it deals bludgeoning damage to creatures that fail a Reflex save or forgo the save in favor of an Attack of Opportunity.

Weapons (hands). A melee, ranged, spell, or other type of attack that follows the rules of the listed weapon tags and abilities through the Equipment Section.

Whirlwind. A triple action that allows a creature to move up to twice its speed and deal another attack to all opponents’ spaces which it passes through. Frequently this ability requires a save to avoid the damage, but opponents can forgo the save to make an Attack of Opportunity.