B.5 Creature Types

Each creature has a type. Unlike traits, which are defined above, creature tags are intrinsic properties of a creature that cannot be granted or removed temporarily by any means. Each creature type has a defined narrative implication, and some creature types have special effects that are relevant in combat.

Unless otherwise noted in a creature’s type or description, it is a living creature with a body, mind, and soul. It needs to eat, drink, and sleep, and it dies of old age eventually.

Aberration: Aberrations have souls that are owned by the Precursors in the Eternal Void. When an aberration dies, its soul drifts through the Astral Expanse for centuries until it finally returns to the Eternal Void.

Animate: Animates are creatures composed of matter that would not ordinarily support complex life, such as wood or stone. Common types of animates include constructs, elementals, and oozes.

Dragon: A dragon is a powerful magical creature with four legs and two wings. Dragons are immortal creatures that can feed on magic and valuable metals, including gold. They are known for their vast hoards of wealth. Since dragons never stop growing in size or strength, elder dragons are some of the most powerful creatures in existence.

Mortal: A mortal is a creature with a body made from the composite essence of many planes and a soul. Most creatures in the universe are mortals, including all of the common species.

Soulforged: A soulforged is a creature that is made of essentia, or soul residue. It is nonliving. Most soulforged are from the Spiritual Planes, which are made of essentia (see ??).

Undead: Undead are creatures that are made from the corpse or spirit of a dead creature. They are animated by some part of the soul of the original creature.

Although undead are nonliving, they are affected in unusual ways by effects that directly manipulate life energy. They can be targeted as if they were living allies by magical ✨ effects that would cause living creatures to regain hit points. Whenever they would regain hit points from an ability that normally only affects living creatures, they instead take damage equal to the hit points that they would have regained, ignoring any hit point maximum the ability would normally have.

Any other effects beyond simple hit point recovery are ignored. For example, if a cleric uses their divine aid ability to heal an undead creature, the undead would take damage, but it would not gain any bonus to its defenses.