Creature Rules

Core Concepts

Tier

Tier represents the game stage — what level range of PCs the creature is appropriate for. Tier determines the base Tier Die (TD) used across the system.

Tier	TD
1	d2
2	d3
3	d4
4	d6
5	d8
6	d10
7	d12

Rank

Rank represents the creature's role and capability — its place in an organizational hierarchy or its narrative function in an encounter.

Rank	Role	Trial Base Die
Minion	Disposable fodder. Dangerous in groups.	d2
Adept	Individual threat. Lackey to a Leader.	d3
Leader	Mini-boss. Supported by Adepts and Minions.	d4
Champion	Right hand of the Master. Sent when the Leader fails.	d6
Master	The actual boss. Most powerful in a hierarchy.	d8
Epic	Solo monster. Dangerous and deadly in its own right.	d10
Legendary	Force of nature. Smaug. The Kraken.	d12

Trials. Adept and above roll the Trial Base Die + the tier die of the attribute the trial calls for (a STR trial adds the STR tier die, a WIS trial adds the WIS tier die). The rank die works like a PC's skill die; the attribute die gives each creature its own strengths and weak points. Minions have no attribute array, so they roll the Trial Base Die (d2) + the creature's Tier die for every trial. Startle trials follow their own rule (AGI and PER tier dice, per Combat, Startle and Ambush).

Rank as Narrative Role: Minion through Master tells the story of an organization. The Minion is the regular thief, the Adept is the most dangerous thief in a skirmish, the Leader is the local crime boss, the Champion is the Guild Master's favorite assassin, and the Master is the Guild Master himself. Epic is the ronin thief kicked out of the guild that no one fucks with. Legendary is the forgotten thief everyone thinks is dead — and when he shows up, the lackeys in the room can't touch him.

Motivation

Every creature wants something. Before building its numbers, decide what drives it, using the same three scales as character Motivations (Mastery Core Classes, Motivations):

Major: its nature, what it is. A hunter wants to hunt. A collector wants to collect. A false form wants to be real.
Moderate: its current arc. What it has been doing in this region, or to these people, over weeks or months.
Minor: why it is here now. The scent it caught, the traveler it has its eye on.

Motivation decides behavior: when the creature fights, flees, talks, or bargains, and what would make it stop. Violence follows from motivation; it is not the default. A predator fights because hunting is what it is. A collector fights to keep what it has collected. Many creatures want something a party can give, refuse, or make not worth pursuing, and the fight comes when someone decides that killing it is simpler than understanding it.

Division

Division = Tier + Rank offset. Division is used for calculating challenge, XP, health die count, and the Division Tier Die (DTD) bonus applied to attacks, defense, and health for Adept and above.

Rank	Offset
Minion	+0
Adept	+1
Leader	+2
Champion	+3
Master	+4
Epic	+5
Legendary	+6

Division Tier Die (DTD) Table

Minions always use d2. For Adept and above, the DTD follows the die progression and doubles dice count when exceeding d12. DTD applies to attack, defense, and health.

	Minion	Adept	Leader	Champion	Master	Epic	Legendary
Tier 1	d2	d3	d4	d6	d8	d10	d12
Tier 2	d2	d4	d6	d8	d10	d12	2d6
Tier 3	d2	d6	d8	d10	d12	2d6	2d8
Tier 4	d2	d8	d10	d12	2d6	2d8	2d10
Tier 5	d2	d10	d12	2d6	2d8	2d10	2d12
Tier 6	d2	d12	2d6	2d8	2d10	2d12	4d6
Tier 7	d2	2d6	2d8	2d10	2d12	4d6	4d8

Beyond d12, dice double in count and reset: 2d6 → 2d8 → 2d10 → 2d12 → 4d6 → 4d8. More dice = higher floor, more explosion chances, more consistent output.

Attributes

Attributes are independent of Tier and Rank. They are intrinsic to the creature. A wolf has high Physique, Agility, and Perception regardless of its Tier. A goblin has low everything.

Every 5 points of an attribute score = 1 attribute Tier. You reach the next Tier when your Score reaches its threshold (a Score of 5 is Tier 2, a Score of 30 is Tier 7) — the same rule player characters use.

Attribute Tier	Score Range	Die	Notes
1	1-4	d2
2	5-9	d3
3	10-14	d4
4	15-19	d6
5	20-24	d8
6	25-29	d10
7	30-34	d12	Human ceiling
8	35-39	2d6	Inhuman
9	40-44	2d8	Inhuman
10	45-49	2d10	Inhuman
11	50-54	2d12	Inhuman
12	55-59	4d6	Inhuman
13	60+	4d8	Inhuman

Tiers 1-7 are mortal range. Tier 8+ is for creatures that exceed mortal limits — giants, dragons, legendary beasts, and similar inhuman entities. The die progression follows the same pattern as the DTD table.

Eight attributes: Strength, Agility, Physique, Endurance, Intelligence, Wisdom, Charisma, Perception.

Die Progression Chart

0 → 1 → 1d2 → 1d3 → 1d4 → 1d6 → 1d8 → 1d10 → 1d12 → 2d6 → 2d8 → 2d10 → 2d12

Exploding Dice

Attack and defense dice explode on a max roll. d2s never explode — this is universal, not just for minions. In any roll containing a d2, only the non-d2 dice can explode.

Creature Classification

Every creature has a classification tag on its stat block in the format: Size, Classification Kingdom (Forms)

Example: 1×1 Mortal Beast (Primal) or 3×2 Primordial Behemoth (Stone) or 1×1 Daeva Druj (Profane, Fire)

Classifications

Classification	Category	Primary Form
Asura	Entropic	Sacred
Daeva	Entropic	Profane
Fae	Entropic	Primal
Eidos	Entropic	Void
Primordial	Elemental	Fire, Sea, Sky, Stone (or other fundamental force)

What Classification Does

Classification determines which magic Forms interact with the creature beyond dealing damage. Any caster can throw fire at anything for damage. But to charm, summon, bind, banish, or otherwise magically interact with a creature, the caster must know the correct Form and pair it with the appropriate command.

The Forms listed in parentheses on the stat block are the Forms that connect to the creature. Most creatures have one Form (their classification's primary). Some have two: a fire demon (Daeva Druj) is connected to both Profane and Fire. Mortal Beasts are the one kingdom whose connected form differs from their classification's: Primal instead of Void.

Kingdoms

Each classification has kingdoms that provide further specificity. The kingdom is part of the stat block tag and may carry creature-specific or kingdom-specific features (condition immunities, special traits, etc.). These are noted in the creature's stat block, not as blanket classification rules.

Classification	Kingdoms
Asura	Amesha Spenta (numen), Yazata (non-numen)
Daeva	Div (numen), Druj (non-numen)
Fae	Dé (numen), Tuatha (peoples), Sídhe (place-bound spirits)
Eidos	Morphon: Akasha (numen), Sora (non-numen). Hylic, commonly called Mortal: Folk (sapient, Void), Beast (non-sapient, Primal).
Primordial	Protogenoi (numen), Autochthon (non-numen), Behemoth (massive)

Classification Package

Every classification carries one innate benefit and one innate cost. These are free — they do not come from the creature's ability slots or resistance budget. They are definitional: a fire elemental is immune to fire damage because it IS fire, not because it trained or evolved fire resistance.

Benefit: Immune to [classification's primary damage type] damage. Cost: Impotence on trials vs [opposing force] damage.

The vulnerability is strictly about resisting damage, not resisting control effects. A zombie has Impotence on trials against Sacred damage — not against Sacred Enthrallment. A Cherub has Impotence on trials against Profane damage — not against Profane domination.

Classification	Damage Immunity	Vulnerability (Impotence vs damage)	Connected Form
Daeva	Profane	Sacred	Profane
Asura	Sacred	Profane	Sacred
Primordial (Fire)	Fire	Sea	Fire
Primordial (Sea)	Sea	Fire	Sea
Primordial (Sky)	Sky	Stone	Sky
Primordial (Stone)	Stone	Sky	Stone
Fae	Primal	Void	Primal
Eidos (Morphon)	Void	Primal	Void
Eidos (Mortal Folk)	None	None	Void
Eidos (Mortal Beast)	None	None	Primal

A creature's Connected Form is the magic Form required to Charm, Control, summon, or banish it, or to restore its mind (see Magic Mastery, Connected Form). To summon an Asura requires Sacred magic. To charm Mortal Folk requires Void magic. Damage and all other magic of any Form work normally against any creature.

The classification package is the sole system for elemental and magical immunity/vulnerability. Do not add redundant passives (Elemental Body, Water Body, half-damage, etc.) that duplicate what the package already handles. Resistance budget handles mundane damage normally.

Minions inherit the classification package. It is the only classification feature they receive.

Ability Slots

Every rank above Minion has a set number of ability slots (see Rank Rules). Ability slots can hold active abilities (attacks, reactions, actions) OR passive features (condition immunities, resistances, special traits). This is an either/or — a condition immunity costs the same slot as a combat ability.

This creates meaningful tradeoffs. An undead Adept Tainted, Infected, and Exhausted immunity has no/fewer active abilities. It shambles forward and hits you. An undead Champion with 3+ slots can afford those same immunities and still have room for real combat abilities.

Passive features that occupy ability slots include: condition immunities, elemental healing (e.g., Absorb Flame), special resistances (e.g., Incorporeal: Inferiority on attacks that deal mundane damage), creature healing (e.g., Mend), and magic damage on weapons (e.g., Flaming Blade). These are creature-specific or kingdom-specific, not classification-wide. If it goes beyond the free classification package, it costs a slot.

Free traits. Senses and detection traits (e.g., Ambusher) do not occupy ability slots. Tag them (no slot).

Cross-Domain Conditions

These are not kingdoms. They are statuses that can apply to any creature regardless of classification.

Numen — patron status. Powerful enough to grant magic to devotees.
Gestalt — transformed into a domain the creature did not originate from. Undead = Daeva Gestalt. Lycanthrope = Fae Gestalt. Features specific to the Gestalt type are noted on the stat block.
Dragon — cross-domain form. Individual dragons belong to different classifications based on nature.

Resistance

Resistance Budget

Every creature has a resistance budget determined by Tier × Rank × 5, where Minion = 1, Adept = 2, Leader = 3, Champion = 4, Master = 5, Epic = 6, Legendary = 7.

	Minion	Adept	Leader	Champion	Master	Epic	Legendary
Tier 1	5	10	15	20	25	30	35
Tier 2	10	20	30	40	50	60	70
Tier 3	15	30	45	60	75	90	105
Tier 4	20	40	60	80	100	120	140
Tier 5	25	50	75	100	125	150	175
Tier 6	30	60	90	120	150	180	210
Tier 7	35	70	105	140	175	210	245

Damage Types

Mundane (5): Cutting, Cleaving, Crushing, Piercing, Puncturing

Magical (8): Fire, Sea, Sky, Stone, Void, Profane, Sacred, Primal

Resistance points are distributed across damage types during creature building. Distribution creates the creature's identity — a knight dumps points into mundane resistance (armor), a fire elemental concentrates on fire (near immunity) but has almost no sea resistance. The budget forces meaningful weaknesses; no creature can be resistant to everything.

Resistance by Rank

Minions spend their entire budget as flat Tier resistance across all 5 mundane types. No magical resistance.

Adepts and above distribute resistance across damage types. For armored creatures, use piecemeal armor pieces from Equipment with resistance at or below the resistance budget (some creatures, like animals with barding, have base resistance that also is combined with armor resistance). Remaining budget (if any) can go to magical resistance or supplemental mundane resistance. For unarmored creatures (beasts, etc.), the full budget is distributed as natural resistance. Animals generally have high Crushing resistance (muscle/bone absorb blunt force) and lower Cutting resistance (blades slice through hide/flesh).

Vulnerability (from classification package) is expressed as Impotence on trials vs the opposing damage type — not amplified damage, not negative resistance. A creature with 0 resistance to its opposing type takes unresisted damage AND has Impotence on trials against damage of that type. No negative resistance mechanic exists.

Tier Budget

The tier budget is a guideline for total attribute tiers across all 8 attributes. It helps place creatures at the right rank and prevents over- or under-building. Creatures should fall within ~2 of the budget. The budget is a diagnostic, not a constraint — build the creature that feels right, then check where it lands.

	Minion	Adept	Leader	Champion	Master	Epic	Legendary
Tier 1	8	12	14	16	18	20	24
Tier 2	8	18	20	22	24	28	32
Tier 3	8	24	26	28	30	36	40
Tier 4	8	30	32	34	36	44	48
Tier 5	8	36	38	40	42	52	56
Tier 6	8	42	44	46	48	60	64
Tier 7	8	48	50	52	54	68	72

Minions always total 8 (all T1). Mortal humanoids (humans, elves, etc.) cap individual attributes at T7. Non-humanoid creatures — beasts, giants, dragons, etc. — can exceed T7 per attribute, which naturally pushes their totals higher and into higher ranks. A bear is stronger than a human.

Exceptional attributes: Epic creatures should have at least one attribute at T5+. Legendary creatures should have at least one at T6+.

Health

Unarmored Health

Health = Endurance Score + (Division × Endurance TD) + DTD

Size adds +2 Endurance dice per size step (i.e., per +2 in the size attack bonus column).

Armored Health

Health = (Division × Endurance TD) + Creature Tier

Size adds +2 Endurance dice per size step (i.e., per +2 in the size attack bonus column).

No DTD, no Endurance Score. The Endurance Score and DTD are traded for armor durability at a 2:1 ratio.

Durability = 2 × (Endurance Score + average DTD − Creature Tier)

This is twice the gap between the creature's unarmored and armored Health. The Division and size dice cancel out, so the result is always a whole number.

Why armor trades Health for Durability. Spells go directly to Health, and magan is finite. Weapons go through Durability first, and AP renews every round. An armored creature has low Health and high Durability: a caster can drop it quickly, while martials must grind through its armor. An unarmored creature has high Health: martials deal the damage, and casters spend several magan to make a dent. Armor decides which half of the party a creature is built to test. At higher Divisions the traded share of Health shrinks, so high-tier armored creatures survive a single spell while their Durability still taxes martials.

Armor selection. Choose armor from Equipment that meets two conditions:

Its listed Durability is at or above the creature's Durability. The formula value is how much Durability the armor has left. The armor's Durability in the equipment table is its maximum when undamaged. Example: A gambeson has 46 Durability undamaged. The Guard's formula value is 19, so the Guard's gambeson has 19 of 46 Durability remaining. An optional descriptor (Worn, Battered, Corroded, Ragged, Scavenged) is a narrative label for that damage, with no fixed reduction of its own. A worn gambeson is a gambeson: the same item with the same resistance, currently below its maximum Durability. Looted NPC armor keeps its current Durability and can be repaired up to its maximum like any other armor.
Its resistance is at or below the creature's resistance budget. Remove pieces to bring it down (a byrnie without sleeves, barding without the crupper). Fill the rest of the budget with natural or magical resistance that fits the creature.

Build order. Two approaches, depending on the creature:

Creature-first: start from the base creature's natural resistance, then add armor to fill the budget (war dogs, war horses).
Armor-first: choose the armor that fits the creature, then fill the rest of the budget to suit its nature (revenants, Warlord). A plain human carries almost no natural resistance, so the armor covers nearly all of the budget.

Aketon. Optional for NPCs. Scavenged and ill-fitting armor is often worn without one. PCs require an aketon per the equipment rules.

Attack

Attack = DTD + Attribute TD + Size Bonus

Wielded weapons use their category's attribute and speed from the Weapon Mastery table (Light weapons and bows PHY; Versatile, Heavy One-Handed, Two-Handed and Heavy Thrown STR; crossbows PER). Natural weapons use the higher of STR or PHY. Ranged attacks still require an Aiming Trial. Size bonus is determined by total squares occupied: ½sq = 0, 1sq = 0, 2sq = +2, 4sq = +4, 6sq = +6, 9+ = +8. Small creatures (½sq) receive no size penalty — their attributes already reflect their physical capability. Apply weapon style step (see Weapon Styles) during building, then write final dice into stat block. Attack dice explode on max roll (d2s never explode).

Phase is determined by the weapon and listed on the attack line. Abilities inherit phase from their triggering weapon.

Defense

Defense = DTD + Attribute TD (per weapon type) + applicable Resistance

With a wielded weapon, defense uses that weapon's attribute. With natural weapons, defense uses the higher of AGI or PHY. A creature whose natural weapons serve different functions (the Constrictor's precision bite and power squeeze) may use the attribute that fits each; flag it in the stat block. Must have a melee weapon equipped (unarmed counts if proficient). Apply weapon style step (see Weapon Styles) during building, then write final dice into stat block. Defense dice explode on max roll (d2s never explode). Must spend 1 AP to defend. If not defended, damage applies to armor durability first, then health.

Rank Rules

Minions

Minions are d2 creatures. Everything they roll is d2, regardless of Tier, and d2s never explode.

Stat	Value
Attack	1d2 per head. Phase from weapon or attack type.
Health	1 per head
Resistance	Creature Tier against each of the 5 mundane types. No magical resistance.
Attributes	Physical d2, Mental d2
Trials	1d2 + creature Tier Die (all trials)
Defense	1d2 per head + Resistance
AP	2 (shared across the group)
Abilities	One Mob trait (no slot), plus the classification package

Creature Tier as attribute tier. Wherever a rule calls for a minion's attribute tier (Attrition damage, for example), use its Creature Tier.

Groups. A group of minions is one creature: one token, one set of 2 AP, one trial against any effect.

Size. A group's footprint is its heads' footprints combined. The footprint sets the space the group occupies and its size for effects that check size. The group's size modifiers come from a single head: apply that creature's attack, defense and speed modifiers once to each roll or move. Minions never gain size Health dice; each head has 1 Health.

Group	Heads	Band Bonus	Encounter Role
Cluster	4-7	+2	Minor threat. Burns PC AP through volume.
Brood	8-15	+4	Serious threat. Requires a tactical response.
Swarm	16+	+6	Major threat. Can overwhelm experienced PCs.

The band is read at the group's current heads: a Swarm cut to 15 heads is a Brood. Below 4 heads, the band bonus is +0. Group labels also set XP and encounter difficulty. Minions are rarely fielded alone; their traits compound with the other enemies on the field.

Attack and defense. Each group attack rolls 1d2 per current head against one target, and the group's two attacks may target different creatures. Defense rolls 1d2 per current head, and Resistance is added once to the roll.

Enveloping. A group flanks a target when its heads occupy squares on opposite sides of that target. It gains the flanking bonus (+2) on its attacks against that target, one attack per AP, as normal. A group never occupies its target's square.

Killing heads. Each head has 1 Health. When damage gets through:

Melee attacks and spells (at any range) remove one head per kept damage die. Dice added by explosions count; dropped dice do not. Heads removed cannot exceed the net damage dealt.
Ranged weapon attacks (projectile and thrown) remove one head per hit. An effect that hits several targets removes one head per target hit.
Attrition removes one head per instance, whatever its damage.

Firing into a group. Aiming Trials against a minion group have their difficulty reduced by 2. A roll of 1 still misses.

Area effects. Any area of effect spell or ability that inflicts a condition (including auras and effects that reach every creature within a range) must include at least half of the group's current footprint to apply the condition to the group. Area of effect spells or abilities that inflict damage still inflict damage normally, regardless of how much of the group the area covers, as determined by the GM.

Single-target effects. An effect aimed at one creature applies only its damage to a group. Its conditions and forced movement have no effect.

A group of one. A single minion is a creature like any other: Aiming Trials against it take no reduction, and effects aimed at it apply in full, including conditions and forced movement. The other group rules apply at any head count; the band bonus starts at 4.

Mob traits. Every minion has one Mob trait, (no slot): what the mob does beyond its damage. A trait usually triggers when the group deals damage (venom, rot, bleeding). A trait whose effect reaches the senses (a sound, a sight, a smell) can trigger on presence instead: a creature that starts its turn within range of the group and can perceive it makes the trial. Mob trait DC = Creature Tier + band bonus.

A Mob trait cannot advance a chained condition past the minion's Creature Tier. From Tier 3, the full chain is available.
A simple condition of [T2] or higher unlocks one Tier above its bracket: Prone at Tier 3, Blinded at Tier 4.

Stat block. Each minion lists its per-head stats, a band table (Cluster 6, Brood 12, Swarm 16 by default) giving Heads, Health, Attack, Defense and Mob DC, and its Mob trait with the DC written out for each band.

Adepts

The Adept is the first creature that functions as an individual. It has full attributes, differentiated resistance, a signature ability, and real health.

Stat	Value
Attack	DTD + Attribute TD (by weapon category; see Attack). Exploding. Phase from weapon speed (Fast/Moderate/Slow).
Health (unarmored)	Endurance Score + (Division × Endurance TD) + DTD + size bonus dice.
Health (armored)	(Division × Endurance TD) + Creature Tier + size bonus dice. No DTD, no END Score. Durability = 2 × (END Score + average DTD − Creature Tier). See Armored Health for armor selection.
Resistance	Distributed across damage types. Armored: from actual armor pieces and base creature resistance as applicable. Unarmored: from budget.
Attributes	Full attribute scores (independent of Tier/Rank)
Trials	1d3 + Attribute TD (the attribute the trial calls for)
Defense	DTD + Attribute TD (per weapon type) + applicable Resistance
AP	2
Abilities	1-2. Abilities reference their triggering weapon to inherit phase.