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Monster Basics

To use this book, you'll also want to be familiar with the information found in Draw Steel: Heroes. If you read that book first, most of the information presented in the creature stat blocks in this book is self-explanatory, and follows the setup of the player characters' traits and abilities in many ways. However, a few differences are worth noting.

Languages

If a creature knows at least one language, a "Languages" entry in their lore indicates which languages they know. Creatures who don't know any languages don't have this entry.

Keywords

Each stat block has one or more creature keywords. These keywords don't necessarily mean anything on their own, but special rules might apply to them. For instance, a creature with the Goblin keyword benefits from and can contribute to goblin Malice features. (See Malice later in this introduction for information.)

General Keywords

While many keywords are specific to a group of creatures, such as Gnoll or Human, other keywords are found across different monster groups.

Abyssal

Creatures with the Abyssal keyword, such as demons and gnolls, can trace their origins back to the Abyssal Wasteland-a chaotic manifold whose denizens hunger for the souls of mortals.

Accursed

Accursed creatures, such as medusas and werewolves, are under the effect of powerful supernatural curses that change their essential nature.

Animal

The Animal keyword is an easy one! It covers bears, wolves, and really big spiders! Aside from the animals of the real world, fantasy creatures with a similar level of sapience and who are part of the natural world have the Animal keyword. Animals have only natural defenses.

Beast

Creatures with the Beast keyword have animal-level sapience, but also possess supernatural abilities or traits. Basilisks and chimeras are examples of beasts. They don't have a society, but one has eye beams that can turn you into a statue, while the other has three heads-each belonging to a different species and one of which breathes fire!

Construct

Construct creatures, such as the ashen hoarder and valok, are manufactured, with magic or psionics playing a role in giving them life. A construct's level of sapience is determined by the will and skill of their creator. Some function entirely on their own, while others serve as mindless drones who take action only if given orders. Unless otherwise noted, constructs don't need to eat, drink water, sleep, or breathe to survive.

Dragon

Dragons, the giant reptilian creatures with breath weapons, wings, claws, and jaws, aren't the only creatures who take the Dragon keyword. Creatures related to dragons, such as draconians, also have this keyword.

Elemental

If a creature can trace their origin back to Quintessence, the Manifold of Elements, they have the Elemental keyword. This includes creatures of raw elemental power, such as the crux of fire, and creatures who merely trace some part of their origin back to Quintessence, such as meteor dragons.

Fey

Fey creatures can trace their origin back to Arcadia, a manifold of nature and magic that is the place of origin of all elves. Creatures from this plane often have an innate connection to nature, magic, or both.

Giant

Creatures with the Giant keyword include ogres and trolls, as well as fire giants, frost giants, hill giants, and stone giants. Giants have similar body shapes to humanoids, but they're much larger. Despite that similar appearance, these creatures have no relation to most humanoids (other than the mighty hakaan).

Horror

Horror creatures, including overminds and voiceless talkers, are creatures who appear unnatural on most worlds, particularly Orden. Everything about them is alien, and most have potent psionic abilities.

Humanoid

Humanoid creatures, such as dwarves and time raiders, are size 1 creatures who have similar limb arrangements to and sapience on par with humans. Humanoids often gather in communities and form societies to survive and prosper.

Infernal

Infernal creatures, such as devils and hobgoblins, can trace their origins back to the Seven Cities of Hell-an ordered manifold where the natives make plans to tempt mortals into contracts for their souls.

Ooze

Ooze creatures, such as the gummy brick, are semisolid masses of moisture and malice who take shape in dark, damp environments. Their forms range from loosely congealed puddles to more hardened and calcified shapes.

Plant

Plant creatures, such as the shambling mound, are made of vegetation. Like other creatures (and unlike plant objects), they can move and interact with their environment.

Swarm

Swarm creatures are actually more than one creature! When a whole bunch of creatures get together, whether a swarm of spiders or a swarm of minotaurs, they move and act together as if they were one creature.

Undead

Undead creatures, such as ghosts and zombies, are the reanimated flesh and spirits of once-living creatures who have died. Their level of sapience is determined by the creator or effect that brought them back from the dead. Some undead function entirely on their own, while others mindlessly seek to harm the living if given no other instructions. Unless otherwise noted, undead don't need to eat, drink water, sleep, or breathe to survive.

Encounter Value

Each Director-controlled creature has an encounter value (abbreviated EV) that is used in building encounters. See Step-by-Step Encounter Building later in this chapter for more information.

Combat Rounds

Because stat blocks are focused on the tactics and mechanics of combat, all references in a stat block to "rounds" refer to combat rounds.

Creature Free Strikes

When a Director-controlled creature makes a free strike (see Chapter 10: Combat in Draw Steel: Heroes), they don't roll. Instead, their stat block notes a Free Strike value representing the amount of damage they deal with either of the following:

  • A melee free strike with a distance of melee 1 or the melee distance of the creature's signature ability (see below), whichever is higher.
  • A ranged free strike with a distance of 5 or the ranged distance of the creature's signature ability, whichever is higher.

A creature's free strike has the Strike keyword, as well as the Magic, Psionic, or Weapon keywords if those keywords are found in the creature's signature ability. Additionally, if the creature's signature ability deals damage of a specific type, the free strike also uses that damage type. If the creature's signature ability deals more than one type of damage, you decide which damage type the creature's free strike uses when the strike is made.

Creature free strikes are a static number for two reasons. First, it keeps gameplay fast. You don't have to stop play to roll dice, and there's no chance of a creature rolling a critical hit and bogging things down further when it isn't their turn. Second, by keeping these static values relatively low, heroes are encouraged to take more risks when it really counts, even if that might result in them taking damage from a free strike.

Creature Opportunity Attacks

Even though a Director-controlled creature doesn't have to roll when they make a free strike, if that creature takes a bane on strikes against a target, they can't make an opportunity attack against that target.

Stat Block Self-Reference

Whenever a creature's stat block talks about enemies or allies, it refers to enemies or allies of that creature by default. (Chapter 5: Classes of Draw Steel: Heroes talks about enemies and allies.) Likewise, if a stat block refers to a target "within x squares," that always means "within x squares of this creature" unless additional text says otherwise.

Signature Ability

Every creature has a signature ability. This is the first action that appears in their stat block and is noted as "Signature Ability."

Traits

Many creatures have traits, which are features that don't require a main action, a maneuver, or a triggered action to activate, such as the Crafty trait possessed by many goblins. (Chapter 10: Combat in Draw Steel: Heroes talks about action types.)

Malice

Many creatures have abilities and features that require a Director's resource called Malice to activate. See Malice later in this introduction for more information.

End Effect

Certain creatures have the ability to take damage in order to end one effect on them that can be ended by a saving throw. The damage the creature takes to end an effect can't be reduced in any way.

Villain Actions

The solo and leader creatures presented in this book are designed to be fought in climactic battles at the end of an adventure or campaign. Because of this, they have special abilities called villain actions.

A creature with villain actions always has three. Each villain action can be used only once per encounter, and no more than one villain action can be used per round. (This holds even if you have two or more creatures with villain actions in an encounter, though such an occurrence should be rare.)

A creature can use a villain action at the end of any other creature's turn during combat. Villain actions are numbered and intended to be used in a specific order that creates a logical encounter flow and cinematic arc, but you can use them in any order you choose.

The first villain action is an opener, which shows the heroes they're not battling a typical creature. Openers generally deal some damage, summon a lackey or three, buff the leader, debuff the heroes, or move the creature into an advantageous position. They're a taste of what's to come.

The second villain action provides crowd control. It typically activates after the heroes have had a chance to respond once or twice to the villain, move into position, and surround the villain. This second action helps the villain regain the upper hand. Like an opener, this action comes in many flavors, but it's even more powerful than an opener.

The third and final villain action is an ultimate move or "ult"-a showstopper that the villain can use to deal a devastating blow to the heroes before the end of the battle.

Creature Organization

A level 1 ghoul isn't necessarily as strong as a level 1 orc! Most creature types have an overarching organization that determines the power level and encounter value of the monsters within it. Some modes of organization are built around large numbers of weaker creatures in encounters, while other modes prefer fewer but more formidable threats.

A creature's mode of organization appears after their level in a stat block. For example, most gnolls are organized as a horde, while shadow elves have the platoon organization. Some creatures have a main mode of organization and a handful of minions, while other creatures use a few different organization types.

Monsters are organized as follows.

Minion

Minions are weaker enemies who are made to die fast and threaten heroes en masse. A battle with minions is one where the heroes are outnumbered and can experience the joy of cutting through fields of their enemies. Creatures organized as minions are meant to support monsters organized in other ways, and have a special set of rules for doing so (see Using Minions below).

Minions die quickly! In fact, some might die before they have a chance to act. That's okay! It's why you build encounters with them four at a time.

Horde

Monsters organized as hordes are hardier and work in smaller groups than minions, but it still takes more than one of these creatures to effectively threaten a single hero of the same level. A battle against creatures all belonging to a horde sees those creatures outnumbering the heroes about two to one. Creatures who are part of a horde organization can be especially effective when brought into encounters alongside other horde creatures.

Horde creatures are more fragile than any other monsters except minions, so be sure to double or triple up on their stat blocks if they're key to a combat encounter. There's a chance that if the heroes act first in combat and have a lot of Victories, they can kill a number of key horde creatures before those creatures can act. That's why the encounter-building guidelines allow you to run lots of them.

Platoon

Monster platoons are highly organized and usually self-sufficient armies. Platoons are well-rounded organizations well equipped to handle most combat objectives. A single platoon creature is a decent threat to a hero of the same level, so an encounter consisting entirely of these creatures typically has one per hero. Platoon creatures often fight alongside minions and an elite creature or two to round out their ranks.

Elite

Elite creatures are the functional opposite of minions. A creature noted as an elite is hardy and can usually stand up to two heroes of the same level. Elites also have a high encounter value. They work well when individually supporting monsters with other modes of organization, but multiple elites can also be effective as a band on their own.

Leader

A leader is a powerful monster who buffs their allies and grants them additional actions. They utilize villain actions and can stand toe-to-toe with two or more heroes of the same level by themself. Typically, only one leader appears in a battle at a time, alongside minions, horde or platoon creatures, and elites. Leader creatures have no additional creature role (see Creature Roles).

Solo

A solo creature is an encounter all on their own. They have a special set of rules within their stat block and can be deployed... well, solo! A solo creature can typically stand toe-to-toe with six heroes of the same level. Solo creatures have no additional creature role.

Creature Roles

A creature's role appears after their level and organization in their stat block, and describes that creature's function in combat in a general sense. Roles are descriptive, and most don't follow special rules. They simply help you build encounters and use creatures effectively in combat. (More detailed descriptions of these roles are found in Step-by-Step Encounter Building.)

Ambusher

Ambushers are melee warriors who can slip by beefier heroes to reach squishier targets in the back lines.

Artillery

Artillery creatures fight best from afar, and can use their most powerful abilities at great distance.

Brute

Brutes are hardy creatures who have lots of Stamina and deal lots of damage. They have abilities and traits that make them difficult to ignore and hard to get away from, and that let them push enemies around.

Controller

Controllers are creatures who change the battlefield, often with magic or psionics. They reposition foes and alter terrain to make it advantageous for their allies. Controllers are often on the squishier side, so they need protection!

Defender

Defenders are tough creatures able to take a lot of damage, and who can force enemies to attack them instead of squishier targets. Defenders often act in squads with allies who have lower Stamina, such as controllers and hexers.

Harrier

Harriers are mobile warriors who make definitive use of hit-and-run tactics. Their traits allow them to make the most of their positioning on the battlefield.

Hexer

Hexers specialize in debuffing enemies using conditions and other effects. They are generally squishy and rely on others to defend them.

Mount

Mounts are mobile creatures meant to be ridden in combat, and who make their riders even more dangerous.

Support

Support creatures specialize in aiding their allies by providing buffs, healing, movement, or action options.

Creatures Who Defend

A creature who takes the Defend main action (see Chapter 10: Combat of Draw Steel: Heroes) can't take additional main actions on their turn. This means that if a creature has already taken a main action on their turn, they can't also take the Defend main action. This applies even if the creature is granted an additional main action on their turn, unless they are specifically granted the ability to take the Defend main action.

Creatures Who Grab

If a creature has an ability or trait that allows them to grab a target, they can have only one creature or object grabbed at a time unless their stat block specifies otherwise. If a creature has grabbed the maximum number of targets, the ability or trait they used to grab can't be used against another target unless the creature releases an already grabbed target.

Creatures Who Summon

Unless otherwise specified, a creature or object summoned into a combat encounter by another creature takes their turn immediately after the summoner. Once a creature summons another creature, they can't do so again until the start of the summoner's next turn.

Creatures Who Heal Via Damage

Some creatures have abilities that deal damage and allow the creautre using the ability to regain Stamina equal to the damage dealt. Unless otherwise specified, if this ability deals damage to multiple targets, the creature only regains Stamina equal to one instance of the damage, not the total damage dealt to all targets.

Harmless Creatures

Inevitably, one or more noncombatants might get caught up in a dangerous situation the heroes are trying to get under control. If an adventure or encounter doesn't specify a noncombatant creature's statistics, you can use the following stat block for them.

Noncombatant
Human or Animal - Level - - EV -
1S-2
Size
5
Speed
8
Stamina
0
Stability
1
Free Strike
-
Immunities
-
Movement
-
With Captain
-
Weaknesses
0
Might
0
Agility
0
Reason
0
Intuition
0
Presence

Size

The noncombatant can be size 1S, 1M, 1L, or 2.