Reading Creature Entries

Reading Creature Entries
Rules
Section:	Encounter Rules
Summary:	These are rules needed to understand a creature's entry in the Encounter Codex.

Each species of creature in the setting has it's own entry in our Encounter Codex. This page (which appears verbatim in the first chapter of that book) explains how to read those entries.

Creature Types

Every creature has a creature type. This impacts whether certain spells and abilities work on the creature and can convey special abilities as well. Some creature types have associated subtypes they always possess.

The creature types are Beast, Construct, Elemental, Fae, Goblinoid, Humanoid, Illuminated, Insectoid, Piscene, Plant, Reptilian, Sky Beast, and Undead.

At the top of each entry are the creature’s type, and any subtypes they may have. Subtypes work just like types (Charm Humanoid works just like Charm Spirit) but an ability that lets you call for any creature type cannot call for subtypes unless it explicitly says so (for example you can only call Charm Monstrous or Charm Spirit if a rule explicitly says you can).

Combat Info

These are the traits players need to know while NPCing to fight as a given creature. Creatures do not have the same caps as players, treat their caps as whatever is listed in their entries. For example if an entry says a creature has 6 body, that is their cap. Effects that buff their body will not increase this further, unless they explicitly say they break caps.

• Armor Points: This will list if a creature has natural armor and if they are allowed to wear physical armor. Physical armor listed must be worn to gain the benefit. If monstrous physical armor is listed they need to wear armor that qualifies as monstrous (such as plate). When physical armor lists a range such as “0-4” the zero indicates the armor is optional. If the range starts higher than 0, such as “3-4”, armor is standard and should always be worn.
• Body Points: These follow all the same rules as body points for player characters.
• Damage Requirement(s): If a creature has any damage requirements (DR) they will be listed here. Remember no combination of effects can make a creature immune to all damage types. Casting an immunity spell on a creature that would make them immune to all damage types has no effect. A special additional rule is that Poison Immunity cannot be cast on creatures that have damage requirement poison as their only DR.
• Kill Condition: Basic kill conditions will be listed here. If a creature has a non-standard kill condition (one that doesn’t require a specific damage type, or that is an unusual circumstance) it will be listed in special abilities. Creatures who are immune to killing blows can still have their Kill Conditions met.
• Weapons Used: This will list what weapons a creature can use. Claws are specific props available in the NPC weapon pool. Creatures who can use any weapon are not Weapon Masters unless they can have the “character levels” special ability and the GM opts to make them Weapon Masters.
• Default Attack: This is the default call the creature makes when making weapon attacks. Non-weapon attacks will always be listed as special abilities.
• Spell Schools: This lists which schools] a creature might know as well as what levels they can know. Some entries list specific spells all creatures of a type will know. When there is an option to give different levels keep in mind that level 4 or 5 spells significantly empower most encounters.
• Power Points: This is how many power points a creature typically has access to. Because creatures don’t need to manage their power (they only need the power points for one, maybe two encounters) they don’t need as many points as player characters. When NPC’s have respawns in particular, be careful with how many power points you give to NPCs.
• Special Abilities: Any abilities that are unusual will be listed here. This includes any abilities related to creature type or subtype.

Roleplaying Info

This information is a quick reference to give an idea of common traits when role-playing a given creature.

• Intelligence: Each creature has been assigned a level of intelligence it is capable of, this isn't a matter of smart or not, but rather what the species is capable of achieving. This should be used to guide role-playing.
  • Controlled Actions: The creature has NO actual thoughts of its own. It is a mindless puppet that follows preset commands. This does not mean it moves slowly though, on the contrary - many such creatures are fast and dangerous.
  • Animal: The creature lacks higher reasoning, but has free will. They operate on instinct and will to survive only. They are not able to be reasoned with.
  • Slow: The creature possesses some reasoning capacity, but is limited in what it is able to grasp. It may take a long time for a concept to sink in, or it may not happen at all. These creatures are capable of simple strategies.
  • Primitive: Creatures in this category aren't unintelligent, they just lack knowledge. They may be able to adapt and learn, but their experience is limited.
  • Normal: Creatures in this category are capable of normal thoughts and reasoning. They are only limited by the reasoning and strategy of the person playing them.
• Languages: The languages listed in this section are spoken by most if not all creatures of the type being described by the entry. Creatures are capable of understanding/ speaking additional languages as plots require (or fewer if a GM wants that). GM's will always instruct NPCs of additional languages when this is the case, if in doubt, you should be sure to ask the GM for assistance.
• Movement: This describes the maximum speed at which a creature may move. NPCs are expected to hold to this standard of movement while role-playing the creature. An NPC can always choose to move slower than what is written, but never faster.
  • Stationary: The creature is rooted in one spot and may not move from it.
  • Shuffling Walk: The creature may only move as though it had a leg wound (note: it doesn't have a leg wound)
  • Slow: The creature is only capable of walking at a normal pace at best. Slow creatures may never run.
  • Normal: The creature is able to move at the same speed any player is capable of, including running.
• Standard Habitat: This is where you can typically find this type of creature. It has no impact on the game directly. It is there to give an idea of where the creature can most commonly be found.

Usage Info

• Common Loot: This indicates what loot is typically found on a creature. It is a suggestion and nothing more.
• Required Loot: Some creatures have special circumstances that require certain items be present on them, or things that they can produce. These items will be listed here.
• Associates: Creatures that typically travel with another type of creature will list those others here.
• Typical Group: This is how many creatures of this variety that will be part of a typical encounter. Sometimes this is based on game balance reasons and sometimes it’s based on story reasons. We don’t always have enough costuming to fulfill these numbers (we can’t always predict when costumes get damaged).
• Frequency: Each creature will have a frequency associated with it. This indicates how frequently AT MOST the creature should appear.
  • Common: Creatures in this category will be the most frequently encountered of all creatures. They can be encountered any number of times per event. Many common creatures would be impractical to send out every single shift, nor is it necessary. Being common simply means they COULD appear every single shift.
  • Uncommon: These creatures are not encountered in daily life, but are not so rare that an adventurer should be surprised to see them. These creatures should not go out more than 3 times a shift without permission from the Plot Marshal/ Second.
  • Rare: These creatures are not frequently encountered. Game Masters cannot send them out more than once a shift without permission from the Plot Marshal/ Second.
  • Extremely Rare: These creatures only appear as part of special stories centered around them. You'll never encounter one of these creatures in a random encounter. Game Masters cannot use them without the approval of the Plot Marshal/ Second.
• Conditional Frequency: Some creatures have conditional frequencies indicating conditions under which the standard frequency is different. For example, cold blooded creatures are always rare or extremely rare in cold weather. Undead can’t appear in the daylight.

Costuming

• Face/ Head: This will list any items that go on the head.
• Accessories: Any unusual accessories such as wings, mantles, or other parts will be listed here.
• Clothing: If a creature has custom clothing, or a particular style of clothing they should wear it is listed here.
• Skin Covered: If this says yes all of a player’s skin should be covered. The idea is that the creature’s skin doesn’t look like human skin, so we don’t want any human skin showing.
• Hair Covered: If this says yes all of a player’s normal hair should be covered. The creature either doesn’t have any head hair or they have a special wig that needs to be worn.
• Mask Required: This allows you to quickly see if a mask is needed.
• Paint Required: This allows you to quickly see if paint is needed.
• Costuming Quantity: At last count how many of this creature we have costuming to field. This can change regularly due to misplaced or damaged costuming. Note that just because we can field a certain number doesn’t mean we should regularly, this number exists for special encounter consideration. A creature’s “number appearing” entry is how many should be in most encounters. This number may be higher to allow for back ups, or for special plot circumstances.

Creature Subtypes

Subtypes give certain additional rules to a variety of creatures. While some creature types all have particular subtypes, subtypes can be possessed by multiple creature types. For example all Fae are Otherworldly, but not all Otherworldly creatures are Fae.

• Amphibious: Amphibious creatures are equally at home in the water and on the land. They are capable of disappearing into nearby water sources for safety.
• Aquatic: Any creature labeled as aquatic is capable of breathing underwater. This has relatively little impact on the game because it is live action, and no amount of roleplaying will let someone actually breathe underwater. It is there largely as a reference for role-playing and for things like lores.
• Cold-Blooded: These creatures don’t produce their own body heat and rely upon the environment for warmth. As such they are less active during cold weather months, and have increased rarity.
• Damaged Spark: Creatures with damaged sparks possess one that isn’t properly attached to the body the individual inhabits. With a normal healthy individual a spark will return to the body naturally over time. When Undead have their sparks detached that spark will not return naturally. There are powerful rituals that are capable of returning sparks to Undead bodies approximating the Revive spell.
  • Spirits also have the damaged spark subtype. They have, or possibly more accurately are, sparks. These sparks are not healthy, they are in a state of limbo outside of where they are designed to be. Thus, they also qualify as damaged.
• Incorporeal: Incorporeal creatures are so insubstantial they can’t be affected by any normal means such as weapon attacks or spells.
• Lycanthropes: Lycanthropy is a special type of hex that spreads through blood contact. It can infect nearly anything with a full spark.
• Monstrous: Monstrous creatures are some of the biggest, most muscular creatures in the world.
• Non-Living: A non-living creature may have once been alive (undead) or potentially was never alive (constructs). (Re)animated by powerful sorcery they behave like the living even though they are not.
• Otherworldly: There are other places beyond the world. A variety of strange creatures live in these places, capable of visiting through summons or other unique means. These creatures have been labeled as otherworldly. Otherworldly creatures don’t actually physically visit Illumina. Instead when they are present it is as a physical, but temporary magical embodiment. Killing such an embodiment leaves behind the illusion of a corpse that will dissolve rapidly without the consciousness holding it together. The animating consciousness will then return to wherever it was it came from. In some cases returning again may be more difficult. The Fae for example take a year and a day before they can return from the Fae Realms after being killed while visiting Novitas.
• Sparkless: The subtype indicates a creature has no spark at all.
• Spirits: Spirits are incorporeal creatures visible to all but only capable of talking to and hearing Mediums. Most Spirits cannot handle fine motor manipulation of the world around them. They are just solid enough to attack with whatever means of offense they possess, and are vulnerable to some damage as well.
• Wild: Creatures with the Wild subtype are capable of being influenced by Druids and Nature magic. Scholars aren’t entirely sure exactly what determines what does and doesn’t qualify. Primitive creatures who have existed since the beginning of history are part of this subtype, but so are things that have been modified since that time. Beasts, Elementals, Fae, Insectoids, Plants, and Reptilians all qualify as Wild.

Categories: Gameplay Rules