Trait Abilities
Source GM Core pg. 130
Creatures with certain traits tend to have similar abilities to one another. Many of these abilities are listed below to help you match the theme of the trait when you build your own creatures. Look at existing creatures with the trait to see these in practice.
Senses usually darkvision
Languages usually Aklo
Traits monitor
Languages Utopian and other planar languages; envisioning for true aeons (Alien Core)
Languages usually Sussuran Speed usually has a fly Speed
Traits celestial, holy
Aura Angels each have a unique aura based on how they serve as messengers and how they deliver those message.
Speed usually has a fly Speed
Rituals usually angelic messenger (Alien Core)
Languages none
Int –4 or –5
Traits celestial, holy
Immunities fear
Virtue Ability Archons each represent a specific virtue, like courage or hope, and have a special ability based on the virtue they represent.
Senses darkvision
Traits celestial, holy
Weaknesses cold iron
Freedom Ability Azatas each represent a specific freedom, like free expression or free love, and have a special ability based on the freedom they represent.
Int –3 or higher
Traits holy
Senses darkvision
Languages Empyrean
Saves often a +1 status bonus to all saves vs. magic
Weaknesses unholy
Strikes typically have the holy trait
Immunities or Resistances cold
Traits Many constructs lack minds and have the mindless trait.
Immunities bleed, death effects, diseased, doomed, drained, fatigued, healing, nonlethal attacks, paralyzed, poison, sickened, spirit, unconscious, vitality, void; if mindless, add mental
Senses usually darkvision
Speed cosmic creatures with fly Speeds can fly through space and other zero-gravity environments
Immunities usually cold; Resistances cold or void
Traits fiend, unholy
Languages Daemonic, telepathy 100 feet
Immunities death effects
Death Ability Daemons each represent a specific kind of death, like death by disease or starvation, and have a special ability based on the method of death they represent.
Traits fiend, unholy
Languages Chthonian, telepathy (usually 100 feet)
HP typically high to account for their multiple weaknesses
Weaknesses cold iron
Sin Vulnerability Demons each represent a specific sin, like envy or wrath, and have a special vulnerability based on the sin they represent. This should be something the PCs can exploit through their actions, which should then deal mental damage to the demon. The amount of damage should be based on how easy the vulnerability is to exploit.
Divine Innate Spells usually 5th-rank translocate and at-will 4th-rank translocate
Rituals usually demonic pact (Alien Core)
Sin Ability Demons also have a special ability based on the sin they represent, which either makes them better embody the sin or instills that sin in others.
Traits fiend, unholy
Languages Diabolic, telepathy (usually 100 feet)
Immunities fire; Weaknesses holy; Resistances physical (except silver), poison Divine Innate Spells usually one 5th-rank translocate and at-will 4th-rank translocate
Rituals usually diabolic pact (Alien Core)
Infernal Hierarchy Ability Devils each have an ability corresponding to the role they play in the infernal hierarchy, typically focused around control or being controlled.
Senses darkvision
Languages usually Draconic and Triaxian
Speed usually has a fly Speed
Dragon Breath Many dragons have an activity to exhale magical, damaging energy, with specifics determined by their theme.
Traits cosmic
Perception often tremorsense
Languages usually Petran
Speed usually a burrow Speed
Senses darkvision
Immunities bleed, paralyzed, poison, sleep
Senses scent
Languages Elindrian, Formian, telepathy
Husk Mind Elindrians share a telepathic bond that allows them to communicate nearly instantaneously and grants them a primal connection to a massive radioactive ooze known as the Terror of Ukulam.
Senses darkvision
Senses low-light vision
Languages usually Aklo, Fey, or both
Weaknesses cold iron
Traits unholy
Senses darkvision
Saves often a +1 status bonus to all saves vs. magic
Weaknesses holy
Strikes typically have the unholy trait
Languages usually Pyric
Immunities fire; Weaknesses typically cold and water
Strikes typically deal fire damage
Traits fungi without minds have the mindless trait
Immunities if mindless, mental; Weaknesses sometimes slashing or fire
Traits Large or bigger, humanoid
Senses low-light vision
Languages usually Jotun
Int –3 or higher
Str –5
HP terrible at lower levels, then low at higher levels
AC typically low or moderate
Immunities bleed, disease, paralyzed, poison, precision; Resistances all damage (except force, ghost killer, or spirit; double resistance vs. non-magical) Strikes magical trait, typically low or moderate damage
Senses all-around vision, darkvision
Languages Jinsul
Strikes leg blades
Traits Kucharn are colony components, meaning they're in constant telepathic communication with one another because of their hive mind, and each have a specialized function within the Swarm.
Senses darkvision, usually emotionsense
Languages usually Talican
Traits aberration, cosmic, midwife, holy or unholy
Languages telepathy (100 feet)
Divine Innate Spellscall cosmos, eldritch lance, eldritch wrath, massacre, revival, slice reality, void vessel; constant detect thoughts
Senses darkvision
Traits Almost all oozes lack minds and have the mindless trait.
Senses typically motion sense and no vision
AC usually terrible
HP usually around double
Immunities bleed, critical hits, precision, unconscious, often acid; if it has no vision, add visual effects; if mindless, add mental
Traits plants without minds have the mindless trait
Senses usually low-light vision
Immunities if mindless, mental; Weaknesses sometimes fire
Traits monitor
Languages Protean
Resistances precision, protean anatomy (Alien Core)
Divine Innate Spells constant unfettered movement
Change Shape (Alien Core)
Traits monitor
Senses lifesense (typically 60 feet)
Languages Requian
Immunities death effects, disease
Resistances poison, void
Damage shepherd's touch (Alien Core)
Traits cosmic, spectra
Languages Trinary, digital telepathy (typically 100 feet), truespeech
Senses darkvision, techsense
Traits often incorporeal, often undead
Traits size based on the entire mass, usually Large or bigger
HP typically low
Immunities grabbed, precision, prone, restrained, swarm mind (Alien Core); Weaknesses area damage, splash damage; Resistances physical, usually with one physical type having lower or no resistance
Traits Almost all undead are unholy. Ghostly undead have the incorporeal trait. Undead without minds, such as most zombies, have the mindless trait.
Senses darkvision
HP void healing (Alien Core)
Immunities death effects, disease, paralyzed, poison, sleep (or unconscious if it never rests at all); if mindless, add mental
Languages usually Thalassic
Speed usually has a swim Speed
Languages usually Muan
Weaknesses fire and axes or slashing
Aberration
Senses usually darkvision
Languages usually Aklo
Aeon
Traits monitor
Languages Utopian and other planar languages; envisioning for true aeons (Alien Core)
Air
Languages usually Sussuran Speed usually has a fly Speed
Angel
Traits celestial, holy
Aura Angels each have a unique aura based on how they serve as messengers and how they deliver those message.
Speed usually has a fly Speed
Rituals usually angelic messenger (Alien Core)
Animal
Languages none
Int –4 or –5
Archon
Traits celestial, holy
Immunities fear
Virtue Ability Archons each represent a specific virtue, like courage or hope, and have a special ability based on the virtue they represent.
Astral
Senses darkvision
Azata
Traits celestial, holy
Weaknesses cold iron
Freedom Ability Azatas each represent a specific freedom, like free expression or free love, and have a special ability based on the freedom they represent.
Beast
Int –3 or higher
Celestial
Traits holy
Senses darkvision
Languages Empyrean
Saves often a +1 status bonus to all saves vs. magic
Weaknesses unholy
Strikes typically have the holy trait
Cold
Immunities or Resistances cold
Construct
Traits Many constructs lack minds and have the mindless trait.
Immunities bleed, death effects, diseased, doomed, drained, fatigued, healing, nonlethal attacks, paralyzed, poison, sickened, spirit, unconscious, vitality, void; if mindless, add mental
Cosmic
Senses usually darkvision
Speed cosmic creatures with fly Speeds can fly through space and other zero-gravity environments
Immunities usually cold; Resistances cold or void
Daemon
Traits fiend, unholy
Languages Daemonic, telepathy 100 feet
Immunities death effects
Death Ability Daemons each represent a specific kind of death, like death by disease or starvation, and have a special ability based on the method of death they represent.
Demon
Traits fiend, unholy
Languages Chthonian, telepathy (usually 100 feet)
HP typically high to account for their multiple weaknesses
Weaknesses cold iron
Sin Vulnerability Demons each represent a specific sin, like envy or wrath, and have a special vulnerability based on the sin they represent. This should be something the PCs can exploit through their actions, which should then deal mental damage to the demon. The amount of damage should be based on how easy the vulnerability is to exploit.
Divine Innate Spells usually 5th-rank translocate and at-will 4th-rank translocate
Rituals usually demonic pact (Alien Core)
Sin Ability Demons also have a special ability based on the sin they represent, which either makes them better embody the sin or instills that sin in others.
Devil
Traits fiend, unholy
Languages Diabolic, telepathy (usually 100 feet)
Immunities fire; Weaknesses holy; Resistances physical (except silver), poison Divine Innate Spells usually one 5th-rank translocate and at-will 4th-rank translocate
Rituals usually diabolic pact (Alien Core)
Infernal Hierarchy Ability Devils each have an ability corresponding to the role they play in the infernal hierarchy, typically focused around control or being controlled.
Dragon
Senses darkvision
Languages usually Draconic and Triaxian
Speed usually has a fly Speed
Dragon Breath Many dragons have an activity to exhale magical, damaging energy, with specifics determined by their theme.
Drift
Traits cosmic
Earth
Perception often tremorsense
Languages usually Petran
Speed usually a burrow Speed
Elemental
Senses darkvision
Immunities bleed, paralyzed, poison, sleep
Elindrian
Senses scent
Languages Elindrian, Formian, telepathy
Husk Mind Elindrians share a telepathic bond that allows them to communicate nearly instantaneously and grants them a primal connection to a massive radioactive ooze known as the Terror of Ukulam.
Ethereal
Senses darkvision
Fey
Senses low-light vision
Languages usually Aklo, Fey, or both
Weaknesses cold iron
Fiend
Traits unholy
Senses darkvision
Saves often a +1 status bonus to all saves vs. magic
Weaknesses holy
Strikes typically have the unholy trait
Fire
Languages usually Pyric
Immunities fire; Weaknesses typically cold and water
Strikes typically deal fire damage
Fungus
Traits fungi without minds have the mindless trait
Immunities if mindless, mental; Weaknesses sometimes slashing or fire
Giant
Traits Large or bigger, humanoid
Senses low-light vision
Languages usually Jotun
Humanoid
Int –3 or higher
Incorporeal
Str –5
HP terrible at lower levels, then low at higher levels
AC typically low or moderate
Immunities bleed, disease, paralyzed, poison, precision; Resistances all damage (except force, ghost killer, or spirit; double resistance vs. non-magical) Strikes magical trait, typically low or moderate damage
Jinsul
Senses all-around vision, darkvision
Languages Jinsul
Strikes leg blades
Kucharn
Traits Kucharn are colony components, meaning they're in constant telepathic communication with one another because of their hive mind, and each have a specialized function within the Swarm.
Senses darkvision, usually emotionsense
Metal
Languages usually Talican
Midwife
Traits aberration, cosmic, midwife, holy or unholy
Languages telepathy (100 feet)
Divine Innate Spellscall cosmos, eldritch lance, eldritch wrath, massacre, revival, slice reality, void vessel; constant detect thoughts
Monitor
Senses darkvision
Ooze
Traits Almost all oozes lack minds and have the mindless trait.
Senses typically motion sense and no vision
AC usually terrible
HP usually around double
Immunities bleed, critical hits, precision, unconscious, often acid; if it has no vision, add visual effects; if mindless, add mental
Plant
Traits plants without minds have the mindless trait
Senses usually low-light vision
Immunities if mindless, mental; Weaknesses sometimes fire
Protean
Traits monitor
Languages Protean
Resistances precision, protean anatomy (Alien Core)
Divine Innate Spells constant unfettered movement
Change Shape (Alien Core)
Psychopomp
Traits monitor
Senses lifesense (typically 60 feet)
Languages Requian
Immunities death effects, disease
Resistances poison, void
Damage shepherd's touch (Alien Core)
Spectra
Traits cosmic, spectra
Languages Trinary, digital telepathy (typically 100 feet), truespeech
Senses darkvision, techsense
Spirit
Traits often incorporeal, often undead
Swarm
Traits size based on the entire mass, usually Large or bigger
HP typically low
Immunities grabbed, precision, prone, restrained, swarm mind (Alien Core); Weaknesses area damage, splash damage; Resistances physical, usually with one physical type having lower or no resistance
Undead
Traits Almost all undead are unholy. Ghostly undead have the incorporeal trait. Undead without minds, such as most zombies, have the mindless trait.
Senses darkvision
HP void healing (Alien Core)
Immunities death effects, disease, paralyzed, poison, sleep (or unconscious if it never rests at all); if mindless, add mental
Water
Languages usually Thalassic
Speed usually has a swim Speed
Wood
Languages usually Muan
Weaknesses fire and axes or slashing