Building Adversaries

Adversaries are built from a few choices, in this order: Rank (how much of the encounter the creature represents), Creature Identity (type, subtype, trappings), and Role (how it fights). Level plus the quality (Weak, Average, Strong) its Role assigns to each statistic then sets its numbers from the tables below.

Stat Block Contents

• Header: Name, Level, Rank, Role; Creature Type (Subtype), plus a second type if hybrid.
• Ability Scores: Might, Reflex, Fortitude, Intellect, Perception, Charisma.
• Defenses: Soak; Saves at Good / Average / Poor values (two Good saves and one Poor save are noted); HP (a dash for Minions).
• Offense: Speed; Check Bonus (Weak / Average / Strong); Skill Bonus (for untrained or non-combat checks such as Stealth); Damage (Weak / Average / Strong dice); Baseline Attack(s) with damage tier and type.
• Senses, RVI (Resistances, Vulnerabilities, Immunities, only if granted by a trait or subtype), and Recharge (1d12 target number, only if it has Recharge abilities).
• Actions, Reactions, Traits in full text; the rank feature (Swarm Attack, Elite Action, or Solo Package); an index of Build Selections; and one compiled list of crafting Essence and Ingredient tags.

Stat Block Template

Write every adversary in the same order so it reads quickly at the table. Fill in the angle-bracket fields.

<NAME>                         LVL <N> · <RANK> · <ROLE>
<Creature Type> (<Subtype>)[, <second type> (<subtype>) if hybrid]

ABILITY SCORES  M <N>, R <N>, F <N>, I <N>, P <N>, C <N>

DEFENSES
  Soak <N>
  Saves  Good +<N>, Average +<N>, Poor +<N>
         Good: <save>, <save>   Poor: <save>
  HP <N>   (a dash for a Minion)

OFFENSE
  Speed <N> ft.
  Check Bonus   Weak +<N> / Average +<N> / Strong +<N>
  Skill Bonus   <N>  (untrained and non-combat checks, e.g. Stealth)
  Damage        Weak <dice> / Average <dice> / Strong <dice>
  Baseline Attack(s)  <name>, <tier> <damage type>

SENSES    <normal unless the type, subtype or a trait says otherwise>
RVI       <Resistance> (R), <Vulnerability> (V), <Immunity> (I)  (blank unless granted)
RECHARGE  1d12, recharges on <N>+  (leave out if nothing has Recharge)

ACTIONS     full text of each maneuver used as an action
REACTIONS   full text of each reaction
TRAITS      full text of each Identity Trait and any passive effect not covered above
[SWARM ATTACK / ELITE ACTION / SOLO PACKAGE: full text, by rank]

BUILD SELECTIONS (index only)
  1. <name> (Role Maneuver)
  2. <name> (Identity Trait — <subtype>)
  3. <name> (Role Maneuver / Identity Trait / Generic Maneuver)

CRAFTING TAGS (one compiled list)  Essence: <tags>   Ingredients: <tags>

An NPC who also needs to talk sits the NPC Roleplay Template (see NPC Tools) above this block as its header. For an example, see Jasper Thorne, a level 7 Solo Predator, Fey (Wild Hunt), built from the Jasper example in NPC Tools.

Statistic Tables

Where a Role lists a quality as Strong or Weak, use that column; anything unlisted is Average.

Ability Scores

Hit Points

Weak HP = 4 + 4×level; Average = 7×level; Strong = 10×level.

Soak

Check Bonus

Skill Bonus

Skill checks and skill actions. Adversaries have no skill list. Any skill check or untrained skill action uses the Skill Bonus. Trained skill actions are only for skills written on the stat block (such as Mysticism from the Magic Talent mutation); the GM can still allow one. Attack actions such as Strike, Shoot and Unarmed Strike aren't used, because baseline attacks take their place, and maneuvers cover the combat tricks: grabs, pushes, knockdowns, fear and disarming. A trait that makes a creature good at a skill does so with levels of Advantage, not a better bonus.

Damage

Scaling Tracks

Maneuvers, traits, hazards and spawned objects scale by level using a named track and quality (e.g. "scale by level with Average steps"):

• Damage track – any damage an effect deals (the Damage table; "quality" in ability text refers to this).
• Check track – save pressure, action checks, opposed checks (the Check Bonus table).
• Soak track – defensive values of created objects, barriers, shells, sacs, husks.
• HP track – HP of created objects, spawned bodies, destructible hazards.
• Magnitude track – raw quantities: temporary HP, healing, push/pull/shift distances, area sizes.
• Step track – counts: Advantage levels, condition value X, extra targets, extra pieces or attacks.

Notes on This Chapter

Mutations scale at levels 5, 9, 13 and 17. Saves use the Check Bonus columns: Strong for a Good save, Average for an Average save and Weak for a Poor save. A negative level difference gives the same Starting Morale Edge as the matching positive difference, made negative.