5e:Phoenix Ash/Creature
| Phoenix Ash Campaign Setting |
5e |
The term Creature in the Phoenix Ash setting refers to any animal, plant, or construct that has a Creature Type.
Creature Type
Every creature belongs to a specific broad category creatures. This is often referred to as “creature type”. These broad categories are:
Each creature will be one of three subtypes:
Beast
[SRD5 OGL] [1] Beasts are nonhumanoid creatures that are a natural part of the ecology. Most are unintelligent and lack any society or language. Beasts include all varieties of ordinary animals, dinosaurs, and giant versions of animals.
Sentient Animal
Sentient animals (SA) are Beasts that have human-like sentience, but may lack manipulative digits. They have the Power of Speech mutation. Sentient animals are also a choice for characters (see: Character Type#Sentient Animal).
Construct
[SRD5 OGL] [1] Constructs are made, not born. Some are programmed by their creators to follow a simple set of instructions, while others are imbued with sentience and capable of independent thought (see Sentient Robot).
Sentient Robot
Sentient robots, as the name implies, are robots that have somehow obtained human-like sentience. As a rule, this sentience comes at a price, that of being unable to access their original programming and data and may link to computers; the upshot of this is that a SR will not have access to any more of the ancient’s technology than any other character. SRs are considered a stabilized species or symbiotes. Non-symbiote robots often have 2 Creature Traits. Sentient robots cannot mutate, but may be modified. Sentient robots are also a choice for characters (see: Character Type#Sentient Robot).
Humanoid
Humanoids are creatures that are vaguely human in shape. They have manipulative digits and can speak and understand 3 languages (the trade language, known simply as Common and two others). A humanoid can be a stabilized species or a mutant (see below). Humanoids are also a choice for characters (see: Character Type#Humanoid).
Plant
[SRD5 OGL] [1] Plants in this context are vegetable creatures, not ordinary flora. Most of them are ambulatory, and some are carnivorous. Fungal creatures also fall into this category.
Sentient Plant
Sentient plants (SP) are plants that have a human-like sentience. Sentient plants may be a stabilized species, mutant, or symbiote. Stabilized species or mutants often have the Manipulative Appendage, Power of Speech, Mobility mutations. Sentient plants are also a choice for characters (see: Character Type#Sentient Plant).
Creature Subtype
Stabilized Species
A stabilized species is unlikely to mutate due to environmental effects (radiation, mutagens, etc.). Instead, they will take damage. This means that there are other creatures like you. You are more likely to have a background that includes a village or other social group.
Mutants
Mutants are more likely to mutate than take damage due to environmental effects (radiation, mutagens, etc.). Being a mutant, you are one of a kind. Often mutants are ostracized and exiled from the societies that gave them birth.
Symbiote
Symbiotes (animal, plant or robot) require a host animal to be able to communicate and manipulate objects. A symbiote’s physical attributes (Str, Dex, Con) have a maximum value of 6. The host's mental attributes (Int, Wis, Cha) have a maximum value of 6.
If using the standard matrix, replace 12, 10, & 8 with 5, 4, 4 (these must be applied to the physical attributes). The host also uses the standard matrix, but replaces 12, 10 & 8 with 5, 4, 4 (which must be applied to the mental attributes)
If using the point buy system, you have 27 points to spend. The mental attributes are for the symbiote and the physical attributes are for the host. You then repeat the process with -22 points to spend; the physical attributes applied to the symbiote and the mental attributes applied to the host.
If you are using the dice rolling method, roll a 2 d6s for each ability and take the higher number for the ability score. These are the symbiote's physical and host's mental abilities. Roll 4 dice for each ability, discarding the lowest and adding the remaining dice to obtain the ability score. These are the symbiote's mental and host's physical abilities.
Symbiotes have 2 mental creature traits and the host has two physical creature traits to start and may be either a mutant or stabilized species. If a stabilized species, the symbiote can only form a symbiosis with one host species. If a mutant, it may form a symbiosis with any species with a Mental Gestalt of 7 or less. Work with your GM to create an acceptable host creature.
Symbiotes gain a minimum of 1 hp per level. When in combat apply all hit point loss to the host first, then the symbiote.
Sources and Notes
Back to Main Page → DnD → 5e → SRD5 → Phoenix Ash
- Wizards RPG Team. SRD-OGL v5.1 (5e) (2015.05.06). Wizards of the Coast. Licensed: OGL. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2