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| Saving Throws | Combat | Generally, when you are subject to an unusual or magical attack, you get a saving throw to avoid or reduce the effect. Like an attack roll, a saving throw is a d20 roll plus a bonus based on your class, level, and an ability score. Your saving throw modifier is: Base save bonus + ability modifier | ||||||||||||||||
| Saving Throws And Illusions (disbelief) | Magic | Creatures encountering an illusion usually do not receive saving throws to recognize it as illusory until they study it carefully or interact with it in some fashion. A successful saving throw against an illusion reveals it to be false, but a figment or phantasm remains as a translucent outline. A failed saving throw indicates that a character fails to notice something is amiss. A character faced with proof that an illusion isn't real needs no saving throw. If any viewer successfully disbelieves an illusion and communicates this fact to others, each such viewer gains a saving throw with a +4 bonus. | ||||||||||||||||
| Scent | Ability | This extraordinary ability lets a creature detect approaching enemies, sniff out hidden foes, and track by sense of smell. A creature with the scent ability can detect opponents by sense of smell, generally within 30 feet. If the opponent is upwind, the range is 60 feet. If it is downwind, the range is 15 feet. Strong scents, such as smoke or rotting garbage, can be detected at twice the ranges noted above. Overpowering scents, such as skunk musk or troglodyte stench, can be detected at three times these ranges. The creature detects another creature's presence but not its specific location. Noting the direction of the scent is a move action. If it moves within 5 feet of the scent's source, the creature can pinpoint that source. A creature with the Track feat and the scent ability can follow tracks by smell, making a Wisdom check to find or follow a track. The typical DC for a fresh trail is 10. The DC increases or decreases depending on how strong the quarry's odor is, the number of creatures, and the age of the trail. For each hour that the trail is cold, the DC increases by 2. The ability otherwise follows the rules for the Track feat. Creatures tracking by scent ignore the effects of surface conditions and poor visibility. Creatures with the scent ability can identify familiar odors just as humans do familiar sights. Water, particularly running water, ruins a trail for air-breathing creatures. Water-breathing creatures that have the scent ability, however, can use it in the water easily. False, powerful odors can easily mask other scents. The presence of such an odor completely spoils the ability to properly detect or identify creatures, and the base Survival DC to track becomes 20 rather than 10. | ||||||||||||||||
| Scrying | Magic | A scrying spell creates an invisible magical sensor that sends you information. Unless noted otherwise, the sensor has the same powers of sensory acuity that you possess. This level of acuity includes any spells or effects that target you, but not spells or effects that emanate from you. However, the sensor is treated as a separate, independent sensory organ of yours, and thus it functions normally even if you have been blinded, deafened, or otherwise suffered sensory impairment. Any creature with an Intelligence score of 12 or higher can notice the sensor by making a DC 20 Intelligence check. The sensor can be dispelled as if it were an active spell. Lead sheeting or magical protection blocks a scrying spell, and you sense that the spell is so blocked. | ||||||||||||||||
| Shadow | Magic | A shadow spell creates something that is partially real from extradimensional energy. Such illusions can have real effects. Damage dealt by a shadow illusion is real. | ||||||||||||||||
| Shadowy Illumination | Condition | In an area of shadowy illumination, a character can see dimly. Creatures within this area have concealment relative to that character. A creature in an area of shadowy illumination can make a Hide check to conceal itself. | ||||||||||||||||
| Shaken | Condition | A shaken character takes a -2 penalty on attack rolls, saving throws, skill checks, and ability checks. Shaken is a less severe state of fear than frightened or panicked. | ||||||||||||||||
| Shapechanger Subtype | Subtype | A shapechanger has the supernatural ability to assume one or more alternate forms. Many magical effects allow some kind of shape shifting, and not every creature that can change shape has the shapechanger subtype. TraitsA shapechanger possesses the following traits (unless otherwise noted in a creature's entry).
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| Shooting Or Throwing Into a Melee | Action | If you shoot or throw a ranged weapon at a target engaged in melee with a friendly character, you take a -4 penalty on your attack roll. Two characters are engaged in melee if they are enemies of each other and either threatens the other. (An unconscious or otherwise immobilized character is not considered engaged unless he is actually being attacked.) If your target (or the part of your target you're aiming at, if it's a big target) is at least 10 feet away from the nearest friendly character, you can avoid the -4 penalty, even if the creature you're aiming at is engaged in melee with a friendly character. If you have the Precise Shot feat you don't take this penalty. | ||||||||||||||||
| Sickened | Condition | The character takes a -2 penalty on all attack rolls, weapon damage rolls, saving throws, skill checks, and ability checks. | ||||||||||||||||
| Alchemical Silver | Materials | A complex process involving metallurgy and alchemy can bond silver to a weapon made of steel so that it bypasses the damage reduction of creatures such as lycanthropes. On a successful attack with a silvered weapon, the wielder takes a -1 penalty on the damage roll (with the usual minimum of 1 point of damage). The alchemical silvering process can't be applied to nonmetal items, and it doesn't work on rare metals such as adamantine, cold iron, and mithral. Alchemical silver has 10 hit points per inch of thickness and hardness 8.
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| Pandemonic Silver | Materials | Mined from thin veins of ore on the plane of Pandemonium, pandemonic silver has all the properties of alchemical silver (DMG p284). In addition, a thin, unearthly scream issues forth from a bladed weapon made of pandemonic silver whenever it's unsheathed in at least a light* breeze. The scream is a sonic, mind-affecting compulsion* (fear effect). Other than the wielder, those within 30 feet who hear it must succeed on a Will save or cower for 1d4 rounds. Save DCs are as follows:
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| Slap Or Slam | Ability | The creature batters opponents with an appendage, dealing bludgeoning damage. | ||||||||||||||||
| Small | Size | This creature size has the following attributes: +1 size bonus to AC and Attacks. -4 size penalty to Grapple checks. They may share a square of a Huge creature or larger with no penalty. They may share a square of a Fine creature or smaller with no penalty. | ||||||||||||||||
| Somatic (S) | Magic | A somatic component is a measured and precise movement of the hand. You must have at least one hand free to provide a somatic component. | ||||||||||||||||
| Sonic Attacks | Ability | Unless otherwise noted, a sonic attack follows the rules for spreads. The range of the spread is measured from the creature using the sonic attack. Once a sonic attack has taken effect, deafening the subject or stopping its ears does not end the effect. Stopping one's ears ahead of time allows opponents to avoid having to make saving throws against mind-affecting sonic attacks, but not other kinds of sonic attacks (such as those that deal damage). Stopping one's ears is a full-round action and requires wax or other soundproof material to stuff into the ears. | ||||||||||||||||
| Speak | Action | In general, speaking is a free action that you can perform even when it isn't your turn. Speaking more than few sentences is generally beyond the limit of a free action. | ||||||||||||||||
| Special Abilities | Ability | A special ability is either extraordinary, spell-like, or supernatural in nature. | ||||||||||||||||
| Special Weapons Materials | Materials | Each of the special materials described below has a definite game effect. Some creatures have damage reduction* based on their creature type or core concept. Some are resistant to all but a special type of damage, such as that dealt by evil*-aligned weapons or bludgeoning weapons. Others are vulnerable to weapons of a particular material. Characters may choose to carry several different types of weapons, depending upon the campaign and types of creatures they most commonly encounter. | ||||||||||||||||
| Speed | Combat | Your speed tells you how far you can move in a round and still do something, such as attack or cast a spell. Your speed depends mostly on your race and what armor you're wearing. Dwarves, gnomes, and halflings have a speed of 20 feet (4 squares), or 15 feet (3 squares) when wearing medium or heavy armor (except for dwarves, who move 20 feet in any armor). Humans, elves, half-elves, and half-orcs have a speed of 30 feet (6 squares), or 20 feet (4 squares) in medium or heavy armor. If you use two move actions in a round (sometimes called a "double move" action), you can move up to double your speed. If you spend the entire round to run all out, you can move up to quadruple your speed (or triple if you are in heavy armor). | ||||||||||||||||
| Spell Failure | Magic | If you ever try to cast a spell in conditions where the characteristics of the spell cannot be made to conform, the casting fails and the spell is wasted. Spells also fail if your concentration is broken and might fail if you're wearing armor while casting a spell with somatic components. | ||||||||||||||||
| Spell Immunity | Ability | A creature with spell immunity avoids the effects of spells and spell-like abilities that directly affect it. This works exactly like spell resistance, except that it cannot be overcome. Sometimes spell immunity is conditional or applies to only spells of a certain kind or level. Spells that do not allow spell resistance are not affected by spell immunity. | ||||||||||||||||
| Spell Resistance | Ability | Spell resistance is the extraordinary ability to avoid being affected by spells. (Some spells also grant Spell resistance.) To affect a creature that has Spell resistance, a spellcaster must make a caster level check (1d20 + caster level) at least equal to the creature's Spell resistance. (The defender's Spell resistance is like an Armor Class against magical attacks.) If the caster fails the check, the spell doesn't affect the creature. The possessor does not have to do anything special to use Spell resistance. The creature need not even be aware of the threat for its Spell resistance to operate. Only spells and spell-like abilities are subject to Spell resistance. Extraordinary and supernatural abilities (including enhancement bonuses on magic weapons) are not. A creature can have some abilities that are subject to Spell resistance and some that are not. Even some spells ignore Spell resistance; see When Spell resistance Applies, below. A creature can voluntarily lower its Spell resistance. Doing so is a standard action that does not provoke an attack of opportunity. Once a creature lowers its resistance, it remains down until the creature's next turn. At the beginning of the creature's next turn, the creature's Spell resistance automatically returns unless the creature intentionally keeps it down (also a standard action that does not provoke an attack of opportunity). A creature's Spell resistance never interferes with its own spells, items, or abilities. A creature with Spell resistance cannot impart this power to others by touching them or standing in their midst. Only the rarest of creatures and a few magic items have the ability to bestow Spell resistance upon another. Spell resistance does not stack. It overlaps. When Spell resistance Applies Each spell includes an entry that indicates whether Spell resistance applies to the spell. In general, whether Spell resistance applies depends on what the spell does: Targeted Spells Spell resistance applies if the spell is targeted at the creature. Some individually targeted spells can be directed at several creatures simultaneously. In such cases, a creature's Spell resistance applies only to the portion of the spell actually targeted at that creature. If several different resistant creatures are subjected to such a spell, each checks its Spell resistance separately. Area Spells Spell resistance applies if the resistant creature is within the spell's area. It protects the resistant creature without affecting the spell itself. Effect Spells Most effect spells summon or create something and are not subject to Spell resistance. Sometimes, however, Spell resistance applies to effect spells, usually to those that act upon a creature more or less directly, such as web. Spell resistance can protect a creature from a spell that's already been cast. Check Spell resistance when the creature is first affected by the spell. Check Spell resistance only once for any particular casting of a spell or use of a spell-like ability. If Spell resistance fails the first time, it fails each time the creature encounters that same casting of the spell. Likewise, if the Spell resistance succeeds the first time, it always succeeds. If the creature has voluntarily lowered its Spell resistance and is then subjected to a spell, the creature still has a single chance to resist that spell later, when its Spell resistance is up. Spell resistance has no effect unless the energy created or released by the spell actually goes to work on the resistant creature's mind or body. If the spell acts on anything else and the creature is affected as a consequence, no roll is required. Creatures can be harmed by a spell without being directly affected. Spell resistance does not apply if an effect fools the creature's senses or reveals something about the creature. Magic actually has to be working for Spell resistance to apply. Spells that have instantaneous durations but lasting results aren't subject to Spell resistance unless the resistant creature is exposed to the spell the instant it is cast. When in doubt about whether a spell's effect is direct or indirect, consider the spell's school: Abjuration The target creature must be harmed, changed, or restricted in some manner for Spell resistance to apply. Perception changes aren't subject to Spell resistance. Abjurations that block or negate attacks are not subject to an attacker's spell resistance—it is the protected creature that is affected by the spell (becoming immune or resistant to the attack). Conjuration These spells are usually not subject to Spell resistance unless the spell conjures some form of energy. Spells that summon creatures or produce effects that function like creatures are not subject to Spell resistance. Divination These spells do not affect creatures directly and are not subject to Spell resistance, even though what they reveal about a creature might be very damaging. Enchantment Since enchantment spells affect creatures' minds, they are typically subject to Spell resistance. Evocation If an evocation spell deals damage to the creature, it has a direct effect. If the spell damages something else, it has an indirect effect. Illusion These spells are almost never subject to Spell resistance. Illusions that entail a direct attack are exceptions. Necromancy Most of these spells alter the target creature's life force and are subject to Spell resistance. Unusual necromancy spells that don't affect other creatures directly are not subject to Spell resistance. Transmutation These spells are subject to Spell resistance if they transform the target creature. Transmutation spells are not subject to Spell resistance if they are targeted on a point in space instead of on a creature. Some transmutations make objects harmful (or more harmful), such as magic stone. Even these spells are not generally subject to Spell resistance because they affect the objects, not the creatures against which the objects are used. Spell resistance works against magic stone only if the creature with Spell resistance is holding the stones when the cleric casts magic stone on them. Successful Spell resistance Spell resistance prevents a spell or a spell-like ability from affecting or harming the resistant creature, but it never removes a magical effect from another creature or negates a spell's effect on another creature. Spell resistance prevents a spell from disrupting another spell. Against an ongoing spell that has already been cast, a failed check against Spell resistance allows the resistant creature to ignore any effect the spell might have. The magic continues to affect others normally. | ||||||||||||||||
| Spell-Like Abilities (Sp) | Ability | Usually, a spell-like ability works just like the spell of that name. A few spell-like abilities are unique; these are explained in the text where they are described. A spell-like ability has no verbal, somatic, or material component, nor does it require a focus or have an XP cost. The user activates it mentally. Armor never affects a spell-like ability's use, even if the ability resembles an arcane spell with a somatic component. A spell-like ability has a casting time of 1 standard action unless noted otherwise in the ability or spell description. Spell-like abilities cannot be used to counterspell, nor can they be counterspelled. In all other ways, a spell-like ability functions just like a spell: Using a spell-like ability while threatened provokes attacks of opportunity. It is possible to make a Concentration check to use a spell-like ability defensively and avoid provoking an attack of opportunity. A spell-like ability can be disrupted just as a spell can be. Spell-like abilities are subject to spell resistance and to being dispelled by dispel magic. They do not function in areas where magic is suppressed or negated. A spell-like ability usually has a limit on how often it can be used. A spell-like ability that can be used at will has no use limit. For creatures with spell-like abilities, a designated caster level defines how difficult it is to dispel their spell-like effects and to define any level-dependent variables (such as range and duration) the abilities might have. The creature's caster level never affects which spell-like abilities the creature has; sometimes the given caster level is lower than the level a spellcasting character would need to cast the spell of the same name. If no caster level is specified, the caster level is equal to the creature's Hit Dice. The saving throw (if any) against a spell-like ability is: 10 + the level of the spell the ability resembles or duplicates + the creature's Cha modifier. Some spell-like abilities duplicate spells that work differently when cast by characters of different classes. A monster's spell-like abilities are presumed to be the sorcerer/wizard versions. If the spell in question is not a sorcerer/wizard spell, then default to cleric, druid, bard, paladin, and ranger, in that order. Some creatures are actually sorcerers of a sort. They cast arcane spells as sorcerers do, using components when required. In fact, an individual creature could have some spell-like abilities and also cast other spells as a sorcerer. | ||||||||||||||||
| Spells | Ability | Sometimes a creature can cast arcane or divine spells just as a member of a spellcasting class can (and can activate magic items accordingly). Such creatures are subject to the same spellcasting rules that characters are, except as follows.
A spellcasting creature that lacks hands or arms can provide any somatic component a |
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| Spells Known | Ability | A sorcerer's selection of spells is extremely limited. A sorcerer begins play knowing four 0-level spells and two 1st-level spells of your choice. At each new sorcerer level, he gains one or more new spells, as indicated on Table: Sorcerer Spells Known. (Unlike spells per day, the number of spells a sorcerer knows is not affected by his Charisma score; the numbers on Table: Sorcerer Spells Known are fixed.) These new spells can be common spells chosen from the sorcerer/wizard spell list, or they can be unusual spells that the sorcerer has gained some understanding of by study. The sorcerer can’t use this method of spell acquisition to learn spells at a faster rate, however. Upon reaching 4th level, and at every even-numbered sorcerer level after that (6th, 8th, and so on), a sorcerer can choose to learn a new spell in place of one he already knows. In effect, the sorcerer "loses" the old spell in exchange for the new one. The new spell's level must be the same as that of the spell being exchanged, and it must be at least two levels lower than the highest-level sorcerer spell the sorcerer can cast. A sorcerer may swap only a single spell at any given level, and must choose whether or not to swap the spell at the same time that he gains new spells known for the level. | ||||||||||||||||
| Stable | Condition | A character who was dying but who has stopped losing hit points and still has negative hit points is stable. The character is no longer dying, but is still unconscious. If the character has become stable because of aid from another character (such as a Heal check or magical healing), then the character no longer loses hit points. He has a 10% chance each hour of becoming conscious and disabled (even though his hit points are still negative). If the character became stable on his own and hasn't had help, he is still at risk of losing hit points. Each hour, he has a 10% chance of becoming conscious and disabled. Otherwise he loses 1 hit point. | ||||||||||||||||
| Staggered | Condition | A character whose nonlethal damage exactly equals his current hit points is staggered. A staggered character may take a single move action or standard action each round (but not both, nor can she take full-round actions). A character whose current hit points exceed his nonlethal damage is no longer staggered: a character whose nonlethal damage exceeds his hit points becomes unconscious. | ||||||||||||||||
| Stand Up | Action | Standing up from a prone position requires a move action and provokes attacks of opportunity. | ||||||||||||||||
| Standard Action | Action | A standard action allows you to do something, most commonly make an attack or cast a spell. See Table: Actions in Combat for other standard actions. | ||||||||||||||||
| Starmetal | Materials | This superior alloy is made from meteoric iron - specifically ore refined from meteors that fall during the rare appearances of the comet Alhazarde. Starmetal is extraordinarily hard, equal to adamantine for all purposes, including overcoming damage reduction or granting damage reduction when used in armor construction. Starmetal also possesses and inherent magical connection the Material Plane, meaning that weapons made of the alloy are especially effective against creatures from other planes, dealing an extra 1d6 points of damage to any extraplanar creatures while they are on the Material Plane. Creating a weapon from starmetal costs 5,000 gp more than creating a similar weapon of steel. Creating armor from starmetal has the same costs as armor created from adamantine. | ||||||||||||||||
| Start/Complete Full-round Action | Action | The "start full-round action" standard action lets you start undertaking a full-round action, which you can complete in the following round by using another standard action. You can't use this action to start or complete a full attack, charge, run, or withdraw. | ||||||||||||||||
| Sting | Ability | The creature stabs with a stinger, dealing piercing damage. Sting attacks usually deal damage from poison in addition to hit point damage. | ||||||||||||||||
| Strength (Str) | Abilities | Strength measures your character's muscle and physical power. This ability is especially important for fighters, barbarians, paladins, rangers, and monks because it helps them prevail in combat. Strength also limits the amount of equipment your character can carry. You apply your character's Strength modifier to:
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| Stunned | Condition | A stunned creature drops everything held, can't take actions, takes a -2 penalty to AC, and loses his Dexterity bonus to AC (if any). | ||||||||||||||||
| Summon | Ability | A creature with the summon ability can summon specific other creatures of its kind much as though casting a summon monster spell, but it usually has only a limited chance of success (as specified in the creature's entry). Roll d%: On a failure, no creature answers the summons. Summoned creatures automatically return whence they came after 1 hour. A creature that has just been summoned cannot use its own summon ability for 1 hour. Most creatures with the ability to summon do not use it lightly, since it leaves them beholden to the summoned creature. In general, they use it only when necessary to save their own lives. An appropriate spell level is given for each summoning ability for purposes of Concentration checks and attempts to dispel the summoned creature. No experience points are awarded for summoned monsters. | ||||||||||||||||
| Summon Monster List | Magic | Combined summon monster list: 1) May be summoned only into an aquatic or watery environment. |
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| Summon Nature's Ally List | Magic | The list of monsters that Summon Natures's Ally spells can summon. All the creatures on the table are neutral unless otherwise noted.
1) May be summoned only into an aquatic or watery environment. 2) Can't cast irresistible dance. 3) Can cast irresistible dance |
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| Summoning | Magic | A summoning spell instantly brings a creature or object to a place you designate. When the spell ends or is dispelled, a summoned creature is instantly sent back to where it came from, but a summoned object is not sent back unless the spell description specifically indicates this. A summoned creature also goes away if it is killed or if its hit points drop to 0 or lower. It is not really dead. It takes 24 hours for the creature to reform, during which time it can't be summoned again. When the spell that summoned a creature ends and the creature disappears, all the spells it has cast expire. A summoned creature cannot use any innate summoning abilities it may have, and it refuses to cast any spells that would cost it XP, or to use any spell-like abilities that would cost XP if they were spells. | ||||||||||||||||
| Sunder | Action | You can use a melee attack with a slashing or bludgeoning weapon to strike a weapon or shield that your opponent is holding. If you're attempting to sunder a weapon or shield, follow the steps outlined here. (Attacking held objects other than weapons or shields is covered below.) Step 1 Attack of Opportunity. You provoke an attack of opportunity from the target whose weapon or shield you are trying to sunder. (If you have the Improved Sunder feat, you don't incur an attack of opportunity for making the attempt.) Step 2 Opposed Rolls. You and the defender make opposed attack rolls with your respective weapons. The wielder of a two-handed weapon on a sunder attempt gets a +4 bonus on this roll, and the wielder of a light weapon takes a -4 penalty. If the combatants are of different sizes, the larger combatant gets a bonus on the attack roll of +4 per difference in size category. Step 3 Consequences. If you beat the defender, roll damage and deal it to the weapon or shield. See Table: Common Armor, Weapon, and Shield Hardness and Hit Points to determine how much damage you must deal to destroy the weapon or shield. If you fail the sunder attempt, you don't deal any damage. Sundering a Carried or Worn Object You don't use an opposed attack roll to damage a carried or worn object. Instead, just make an attack roll against the object's AC. A carried or worn object's AC is equal to 10 + its size modifier + the Dexterity modifier of the carrying or wearing character. Attacking a carried or worn object provokes an attack of opportunity just as attacking a held object does. To attempt to snatch away an item worn by a defender rather than damage it, see Disarm. You can't sunder armor worn by another character. | ||||||||||||||||
| Supernatural Abilities (Su) | Ability | Supernatural abilities are magical and go away in an antimagic field but are not subject to spell resistance, counterspells, or to being dispelled by dispel magic. Using a supernatural ability is a standard action unless noted otherwise. Supernatural abilities may have a use limit or be usable at will, just like spell-like abilities. However, supernatural abilities do not provoke attacks of opportunity and never require Concentration checks. Unless otherwise noted, a supernatural ability has an effective caster level equal to the creature's Hit Dice. The saving throw (if any) against a supernatural ability is: 10 + ½ the creature's HD + the creature's ability modifier (usually Charisma). | ||||||||||||||||
| Surprise | Combat | When a combat starts, if you are not aware of your opponents and they are aware of you, you're surprised. | ||||||||||||||||
| Surprise Round | Combat | If some but not all of the combatants are aware of their opponents, a surprise round happens before regular rounds begin. Any combatants aware of the opponents can act in the surprise round, so they roll for initiative. In initiative order (highest to lowest), combatants who started the battle aware of their opponents each take a standard action during the surprise round. You can also take free actions during the surprise round. If no one or everyone is surprised, no surprise round occurs. | ||||||||||||||||
| Swallow Whole | Ability | If a creature with this special attack begins its turn with an opponent held in its mouth (see Improved Grab), it can attempt a new grapple check (as though attempting to pin the opponent). If it succeeds, it swallows its prey, and the opponent takes bite damage. Unless otherwise noted, the opponent can be up to one size category smaller than the swallowing creature. Being swallowed has various consequences, depending on the creature doing the swallowing. A swallowed creature is considered to be grappled, while the creature that did the swallowing is not. A swallowed creature can try to cut its way free with any light slashing or piercing weapon (the amount of cutting damage required to get free is noted in the creature description), or it can just try to escape the grapple. The Armor Class of the interior of a creature that swallows whole is normally 10 + ½ its natural armor bonus, with no modifiers for size or Dexterity. If the swallowed creature escapes the grapple, success puts it back in the attacker's mouth, where it may be bitten or swallowed again. | ||||||||||||||||
| Swarm Subtype | Subtype | A swarm is a collection of Fine, Diminutive, or Tiny creatures that acts as a single creature. A swarm has the characteristics of its type, except as noted here. A swarm has a single pool of Hit Dice and hit points, a single initiative modifier, a single speed, and a single Armor Class. A swarm makes saving throws as a single creature. A single swarm occupies a square (if it is made up of nonflying creatures) or a cube (of flying creatures) 10 feet on a side, but its reach is 0 feet, like its component creatures. In order to attack, it moves into an opponent's space, which provokes an attack of opportunity. It can occupy the same space as a creature of any size, since it crawls all over its prey. A swarm can move through squares occupied by enemies and vice versa without impediment, although the swarm provokes an attack of opportunity if it does so. A swarm can move through cracks or holes large enough for its component creatures. A swarm of Tiny creatures consists of 300 nonflying creatures or 1,000 flying creatures. A swarm of Diminutive creatures consists of 1,500 nonflying creatures or 5,000 flying creatures. A swarm of Fine creatures consists of 10,000 creatures, whether they are flying or not. Swarms of nonflying creatures include many more creatures than could normally fit in a 10-foot square based on their normal space, because creatures in a swarm are packed tightly together and generally crawl over each other and their prey when moving or attacking. Larger swarms are represented by multiples of single swarms. The area occupied by a large swarm is completely shapeable, though the swarm usually remains in contiguous squares. TraitsA swarm has no clear front or back and no discernable anatomy, so it is not subject to critical hits or flanking. A swarm made up of Tiny creatures takes half damage from slashing and piercing weapons. A swarm composed of Fine or Diminutive creatures is immune to all weapon damage. Reducing a swarm to 0 hit points or lower causes it to break up, though damage taken until that point does not degrade its ability to attack or resist attack. Swarms are never staggered or reduced to a dying state by damage. Also, they cannot be tripped, grappled, or bull rushed, and they cannot grapple an opponent. A swarm is immune to any spell or effect that targets a specific number of creatures (including single-target spells such as disintegrate), with the exception of mind-affecting effects (charms, compulsions, phantasms, patterns, and morale effects) if the swarm has an Intelligence score and a hive mind. A swarm takes half again as much damage (+50%) from spells or effects that affect an area, such as splash weapons and many evocation spells. Swarms made up of Diminutive or Fine creatures are susceptible to high winds such as that created by a gust of wind spell. For purposes of determining the effects of wind on a swarm, treat the swarm as a creature of the same size as its constituent creatures. A swarm rendered unconscious by means of nonlethal damage becomes disorganized and dispersed, and does not reform until its hit points exceed its nonlethal damage.
Swarm AttackCreatures with the swarm subtype don't make standard melee attacks. Instead, they deal automatic damage to any creature whose space they occupy at the end of their move, with no attack roll needed. Swarm attacks are not subject to a miss chance for concealment or cover. A swarm's statistics block has "swarm" in the Attack and Full Attack entries, with no attack bonus given. The amount of damage a swarm deals is based on its Hit Dice, as shown in the table. A swarm's attacks are nonmagical, unless the swarm's description states otherwise. Damage reduction sufficient to reduce a swarm attack's damage to 0, being incorporeal, and other special abilities usually give a creature immunity (or at least resistance) to damage from a swarm. Some swarms also have acid, poison, blood drain, or other special attacks in addition to normal damage. Swarms do not threaten creatures in their square, and do not make attacks of opportunity with their swarm attack. However, they distract foes whose squares they occupy, as described below. Distraction (Ex)Any living creature vulnerable to a swarm's damage that begins its turn with a swarm in its square is nauseated for 1 round; a Fortitude save (DC 10 + ½ swarm's HD + swarm's Con modifier; the exact DC is given in a swarm's description) negates the effect. Spellcasting or concentrating on spells within the area of a swarm requires a Concentration check (DC 20 + spell level). Using skills that involve patience and concentration requires a DC 20 Concentration check. |
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| Swift Action | Action | A swift action consumes a very small amount of time, but represents a larger expenditure of effort and energy than a free action. You can perform one swift action per turn without affecting your ability to perform other actions. In that regard, a swift action is like a free action. However, you can perform only a single swift action per turn, regardless of what other actions you take. You can take a swift action any time you would normally be allowed to take a free action. Swift actions usually involve magic or psionics, or the activation of magic or psionic items; many characters (especially those who don't use magic or psionics) never have an opportunity to take a swift action. Casting a quickened spell or manifesting a quickened power is a swift action. In addition, casting any spell or manifesting any power with a casting time or manifesting time of 1 swift action is a swift action. Casting a spell or manifesting a power with a casting or manifesting time of 1 swift action does not provoke attacks of opportunity. | ||||||||||||||||
| Swim | Ability | A creature with a swim speed can move through water at its swim speed without making Swim checks. It has a +8 racial bonus on any Swim check to perform some special action or avoid a hazard. The creature can always can choose to take 10 on a Swim check, even if distracted or endangered. The creature can use the run action while swimming, provided it swims in a straight line. |