Character Statistics
This page covers statistics common to all (or most) creatures and player characters. This page is meant as a reference for definitions of game terms. More coming soon.
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Ability Scores
Ability Scores represent our character's raw talent and aptitude. There are six Ability Scores:
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Strength: physical strength and athletic ability.
Dexterity: hand-eye coordination and reflexes.
Constitution: physical resilience and endurance.
Intelligence: problem solving ability and knowledge.
Wisdom: social intuition and willpower.
Charisma: personal magnetism and ability to influence others.
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Ability Score Modifiers
Most of the time, Ability Scores do not directly affect your abilities. Instead, you will use your Ability Score Modifier, which is a smaller number that you add directly to an ability.
A modifier is calculated by subtracting 10 from your Ability Score, dividing by 2, and then rounding down. For example, a 14 in Strength gives you a Strength Modifier of 2. This means that when you get to add your 'Strength Modifier' or 'Strength' to a dice roll, you add +2.
Your Ability Score Modifiers will be very important.
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Creatures can have ability score lower than 6 or higher than 20, but here we include the most common scores. A score cannot be lower than 1.​
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Generating Ability Scores
At level 1, each of your ability scores will be between 8 and 17 (under most circumstances). If you have 10 in an ability score, you are at the human average for that score.
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The easiest way to determine your ability scores is to choose the recommended ability scores for each class. In total, there are four ways to get your ability scores.
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Note: Using any of Elkan's Ability Score systems, your character's Ancestry has no impact on Ability Scores, unlike in baseline 5e rules.
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A) Recommended Ability Scores
You can take the recommended ability scores for your class, linked here: Barbarian, Bard, Cleric, Druid, Fighter, Monk, Paladin, Ranger, Rogue, Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard
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B) Standard Array
You can assign a standard set of numbers to ability scores of your choice. Assign one of the following sets of numbers:
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16, 14, 14, 12, 12, 8
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16, 16, 14, 10, 10, 8
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C) Rolling
If you want to randomly determine your ability score values, you can roll for them.
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Roll 4d6, dropping the lowest value. For example, if you roll, 5,4,4, 3, your total is 13. Repeat this six times, writing down the values you roll.
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Assign each value to ability scores of your choice.
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Add three points either to one ability score or split them up between different ability scores, up to a maximum of 17. If you rolled a 17 or 18, you can keep them, but not increase them this way.
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D) Point Buy
You can spend points on your ability scores, dividing them however you want, between a minimum of 8 and a maximum of 17 for each score. You have 33 points.
Creature Types
Every creature has a type, which tells you the general origin or magical nature of that creature. No two creatures of a given type are the same, but some features and spells affect specific creature types differently than others.
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Every creature has at least one creature type, but may belong to more than one.​
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Aberration
Aberrations are unnatural creatures. They are usually the unnatural results of magic or come from distant extraplanar places where the laws of reality are different. As opposed to monstrosities, aberrations can only exist because of magic or powerful otherworldly power.
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Beast
Beasts are naturally-occurring creatures on the material plane that are nonmagical, usually unintelligent, and not humanoid. Sometimes their species has a magical origin story but they have nonetheless become natural nonmagical parts of the ecosystem.
Celestial
Celestials are magical extraplanar creatures who are usually the enemies of fiends. They often wield radiant energy and champion virtuous action. In most settings, they are tied to other planes of existence associated with gods or moral purity. Celestials are often severe or inflexible, which at worst makes them villains.
Construct
Constructs are magical or artificial beings made from (usually) inorganic material. They were created by other creatures, usually with a purpose in mind.
Dragon
Dragons are magical creatures who, above all else, are known for their powerful breath weapons. While the best known dragons are giant flying lizards, dragonkin, including the humanoid dragonborn, also count as dragons for the sake of abilities and magical effects.
Elemental
Elementals are magical extraplanar creatures bound and shaped by one or more of the elemental planes. In most settings, elementals are tied to the elemental planes of air, earth, fire, and water, though your setting may have other elemental planes as well.
Fey
Fey are magical creatures, sometimes bound to another plane of existence where natural or primal magic originate from. Fey are linked to the natural world, but exist outside its usual cycles, or are so infused with magic that they are inherently capable of things natural creatures are not. Fey often appear like humanoids, beasts, or plants.
Fiend
Fiends are magical extraplanar creatures who are usually the enemies of celestials (and other fiends, for that matter). They often wield fire or represent mortal vices. In most settings, they are tied to other planes of existence associated with suffering or immoral action. The link between fiends and mortal character flaws often makes them twisted villains.
Giant
Giants are very large creatures that are almost always humanoid in shape. Many giants have magical forms or powers, such as frost giants or fire giants, but some appear to be nonmagical, such as ogres.
Humanoid
Humanoid is a catch-all term for creatures with legs, arms, and a head in a recognizably human-like form. Some humanoids have more limbs, but most have only two arms and two legs. Many creatures, like most giants, are technically humanoids, but are typically only listed under their non-humanoid creature type.
Monstrosity
Monstrosities are the products of magic, but usually bear some resemblance to natural creatures. They often wield magical powers themselves (or else they would be a beast, humanoid, ooze, or plant). A monster that doesn't fit into other categories is a monstrosity.
Ooze
Oozes are amorphic clusters of slime, bacteria, or other animate ooze-like material. Some oozes are naturally occurring (such as bacteria, molds, protists, or other clusters of life forms). Other oozes are created with magic, such as black puddings or sludge monsters. Oozes have no common origin, but to the casual observer, will seem to all be closely related.
Plant
As a category, plants also include fungal creatures (which are sometimes also oozes). Plants are sometimes intelligent, and are closely related to mundane plants, which do not count as creatures. A plant is a creature if it can take actions, otherwise it is treated as an object.
Undead
Undead were once a different type of creature, before they died. Raised by magic, they now occupy the space between life and death. Often, they sustain themselves through unnatural means, or their bodies are damaged beyond normal functioning. Creatures who return to life in the same form as before their death are not undead.