Rules of the Game - Types and Templates

The current D&D rules make extensive use of labels and categories. These groupings primarily serve to ease play by serving up complex ideas in manageable chunks. The game's most recent editions include a new kind of category -- the creature type.

Creature types aren't particularly mysterious or complex; unfortunately, game designers aren't always content to leave a creature's type alone. Creature types are maddenly subject to change and it's those changes that cause most of the problems that arise from creature types. In this series, we'll take a look at the nuts and bolts of creature types and consider what happens when a creature's type changes. Perhaps the most common method for changing a creature's type is applying a template, and we'll consider the ins and outs of templates as well.



Let's start with a brief list of the terminology used in this series.

Extraordinary Ability: A trick a creature can employ or special characteristic that it has. In either case, an extraordinary ability is strictly non-magical; see page 289 in the Dungeon Master's Guide for more details.

An extraordinary ability can spring from an obvious physical adaptation (such as a great cat's rake attack), from the inner working of its body (such as a troll's regeneration ability), or from an innate or acquired talent, such as a giant's ability to throw or catch rocks.

Kind: A particular sort or species of creature, such as orc, wood elf, or brass dragon.

Spell-Like Ability: A magical ability that mimics the effects of a particular spell. A spell-like ability works just like the spell it mimics in most ways. See page 289 in the Dungeon Master's Guide or Rules of the Game: All About Spell-Like Abilities for details.

Subtype: A fairly narrow category of creatures that share one or more subtle characteristics, such as resistance to a particular form of energy.

A subtype is always paired with a type, which represents a more basic category of creature. A creature can have no subtypes, one subtype, or a whole list of subtypes. Creatures with different types can also have the same subtype. For example, a red dragon (a creature of the dragon type) and a fire giant (a creature of the giant type) both have the fire subtype. In an earlier version of the game, subtypes were called type modifiers because of their ability to pair with different types.

A creature's subtype or subtypes often determine how magical effects or special attacks affect the creature.

Supernatural Ability: A magical ability that is unlike any spell. Supernatural abilities don't require preparation to use, are impossible to dispel, and nearly impossible to counter or disrupt. See page 289 in the Dungeon Master's Guide for details.

Template: A set of instructions for changing a creature's game statistics to reflect a life-changing event or the creature's particular history or origins. Templates come in two sorts: acquired and inherited.

Acquired templates reflect changes a creature undergoes after its birth.

A creature must be born with an inherited template.

Type: A broad category of creatures that have certain gross characteristics in common, such as anatomy, metabolism (or lack thereof), and propensity for language and social interaction.

A creature type includes basic game statistics, which are divided into features and traits. A type's features always include four key game elements: size of Hit Dice, base attack bonus, base saving throw bonuses, and skill points. A type's list of traits are less cut and dried than its features and can include senses (such as darkvision), weapon and armor proficiencies, languages, and basic biological details (such as the need to eat and sleep).

Every creature has one -- and only one -- type.

Why Creature Types? 

A creature type is something like a character's class because it establishes basics such as the size of the creature's Hit Dice, its saving throw bonuses, and the like. Previous versions of the D&D game lacked any formal system of creature types. As a result, monsters had a certain tiresome sameness. These early versions of the game also lacked any coherent way to talk about groups of monsters. In the days before creature types, a giant (at least in terms of its game statistics) wasn't much different from a dinosaur, and it was possible to argue endlessly about which monsters were, in fact, "giants."

The D&D game currently includes fifteen creature types. These types are explained in detail in the Monster Manual glossary, but here's a summary of what distinguishes one type from another. Keep in mind that – like many things in the D&D game -- creature types are described in general terms rather than strictly defined (though a creature type description contains a considerable amount of hard game data). Assigning a type to a particular kind of creature is often a matter of choosing the type that fits it best.

• Aberration

These living creatures usually are downright bizarre looking, with a culture and individual powers to match. They generally rely on their special abilities rather than their physical powers in combat. Typical examples include the beholder and the mind flayer.

• Animal

These living creatures have low Intelligence scores (1 or 2 points). They might have extraordinary abilities, but no spell-like or supernatural abilities. Some animals are docile, but others can prove dangerous adversaries. Most animals are creatures you can find walking around in the world today, such as horses, lions, and whales. The game also includes animals from bygone eras, such as dinosaurs.

• Construct

These unliving creatures are artificially manufactured. They're often mindless and usually very tough. They lack Constitution scores, but gain extra hit points by virtue of their sheer mass.

A construct can be an unstoppable juggernaut in battle. Typical constructs include golems and animated objects.

• Dragon

Among the most powerful living creatures, dragons have a reptilian appearance, but are much more than mere reptiles. Dragons are infamously tough and resilient, with an array of deadly natural weapons and usually formidable supernatural abilities as well.

The most familiar creatures of the dragon type are the chromatic and metallic dragons (also known as true dragons). Other creatures of this type include the wyvern and the dragon turtle. Any dragon is supremely confident and ferocious in battle.

• Elemental

Elementals are living creatures with bodies composed of one of the four classical elements (air, fire, earth, and water). Because an elemental's body is not composed of flesh and bone, it has many immunities and unusual abilities.

Elemental creatures include air, fire, earth, and water elementals, which are essentially just bits of living elemental matter, and more complex creatures such as belkers and invisible stalkers. Elemental creatures often rely on their mobility and sheer power in combat.

• Fey

Fey are living creatures with powerful connections to nature or to some other force or place. Fey creatures are somewhat fragile but very skillful and often imbued with magical powers.

Typical fey creatures include dryads and satyrs. Fey creatures usually live by their wits, both in combat and in their daily existences.

• Giant

Hulking living creatures with powerful humanoid bodies, giants are justly renowned for their indomitable strength. Most giants are size Large or even bigger, but they're even stronger than their sizes indicate. Many giants have brutish habits to go with their powerful bodies, but some giants are sensitive and intelligent. The classic giant is the hill giant, a loutish and destructive creature nearly twice as tall as a human, but the giant type also includes the ogre mage, a cunning being with a bag of innate magical tricks, and the bizarre, two-headed ettin.

• Humanoid

Humanlike living creatures that usually lack natural weaponry and armor, humanoids nevertheless often prove formidable due to their equipment, learning, and social organization.

The type includes familiar player-character races such as humans, elves, halflings, and dwarves. The type also includes perennial foes such as goblins, orcs, and kobolds.

• Magical Beast

Magical beasts are creatures that often resemble animals, but with magical abilities, keen intellects, or both. Many magical beasts have bodies that combine seemingly mismatched elements, such as avian wings on a feline body.

The type covers a wide range of creatures from the ferocious griffon, to the elusive unicorn, to the massive roc.

Like predatory animals, magical beasts usually are well equipped for physical combat, but their Intelligence and special abilities make them even more dangerous foes.

Some people believe that any creature created in a magical process must be a magical beast, but this is not so.

A magically created creature could be of any type.

• Monstrous Humanoid

Monstrous humanoids are living creatures that resemble humanoids, but with unusual bodies or unusual special powers or both.

Some monstrous humanoids are nearly indistinguishable from more ordinary humanoids, such as derro or the various hags. The type also includes some really odd-looking creatures, such as centaurs and medusas.

Monstrous humanoids are as clever and socially well adapted as humanoids, but their unusual bodies or powers give them an extra edge.

• Ooze

These creatures are alive, but often only on the most rudimentary level. Oozes generally have formless bodies made of elementary protoplasm and most are mindless. They simply slither about and try to engulf anything they find that might be even remotely edible.

Typical oozes include gelatinous cubes, black puddings, and ochre jellies.

Oozes usually aren't clever opponents, but their primitive bodies make them resistant to many kinds of attacks and they can prove exceedingly difficult to defeat.

• Outsider

Outsiders are living creatures that have some connection to a plane other than the Material Plane. An outsider might have a body composed (or partly composed) of the essence of its home plane, or its connection might be more spiritual than physical. Outsiders have excellent skills, saving throws, and attack capabilities, and they usually have a battery of magical powers as well.

Outsiders vary widely, from the fairly humanlike genies to the alien ravid and xorn.

• Plant

These living creatures have vegetable bodies and minds. Many plant creatures are fully mobile and also are capable of conversing or negotiating with other creatures. Others are barely mobile at all (or even sessile), and simply wait for prey. Because they lack internal organs and circulatory systems, plant creatures of any kind usually prove difficult to kill.

Plant creatures range from the philosophical (though formidable) treant to the animalistic shambling mound to the immobile shrieker.

• Undead

These unliving creatures were once alive, but now have a new existence as undead. They generally fall into two categories. Corporeal undead retain the bodies they had when alive, at least in some form. Incorporeal undead have lost (or shed) their bodies and exist as disembodied spirits. Incorporeal undead always have the incorporeal subtype.

Some undead are mindless and function as mere automatons. Other undead are wickedly clever. Because they're not alive, undead creatures lack Constitution scores, which tends to limit their hit points in spite of their 12-sided Hit Dice. A lack of Constitution, however, also provides undead with a host of immunities.

Misconceptions about undead creatures abound. For example, undead creatures see and hear pretty much just like other sorts of creatures do. They aren't imbued with any sort of special sense that allows them to note unseen things or creatures. Exactly how an undead creature sees and hears isn't revealed in the rules, but then again there are lots of other things about undead creatures that the rules don't reveal, such as how they manage to move around. When in doubt about what an undead creature can do, check out the discussion of the undead creature type on page 317 in the Monster Manual.

• Vermin

These living creatures are mindless and also invertebrates. They can include fairly normal creatures such as ants, spiders, and wasps and monstrously big versions of the same sorts of creatures. Despite the type's name, rodents, snakes, and other vertebrates are animals, not vermin, no matter how icky and wiggly those creatures might be.



Some changes in a creature's type are temporary, such as when a spellcaster uses a shapechange spell to assume another creature's form and type. Most changes in type, however, are more or less permanent, such as when a human character becomes a 20th-level monk and gains the outsider type (while losing his original humanoid type).

From page 42 of Player's Handbook: 

Perfect Self: At 20th level, a monk has tuned her body with skill and quasi-magical abilities to the point that she becomes a magical creature. She is forevermore treated as an outsider (an extraplanar creature) rather than as a humanoid for the purpose of spells and magical effects. For instance, charm person does not affect her. Additionally, the monk gains damage reduction 10/magic, which allows her to ignore (instantly regenerate) the first 10 points of damage from any attack made by a non-magical weapon or by any natural attack made by a creature that doesn't have similar damage reduction (see Damage Reduction, page 291 of the Dungeon Master's Guide). Unlike other outsiders, the monk can still be brought back from the dead as if she were a member of her previous creature type.


A change in type indicates a major alteration in a creature's biology, psychology, or both.

The Augmented Subtype: Whenever a creature loses its original type in favor of a new one, it gains the augmented subtype, which is always paired with the creature's original type. For example, a human who gains the outsider type through the monk class becomes an outsider (augmented humanoid); Part Four contains a longer discussion of class-induced changes in type.

Adding the augmented subtype to a creature serves a number of purposes. First, it provides a reminder of the creature's history and true ancestry. Second, a creature with the augmented subtype retains the features from its original type, but it often has the traits from its assumed type (see page 306 in the Monster Manual). This tends to make changing a creature's type easier to handle because features from a type affect many of a creature's basic game statistics. See the descriptions for creature types in the Monster Manual glossary for the list of traits and features that go with each type.

Class Abilities: A change in type usually does not affect the class levels a creature has. That is, any Hit Dice, skills, class features, saving throw bonuses, attack bonuses, or other benefits a creature gains from being a member of a class usually do not change when a creature's type changes.

There are some obvious exceptions; for example, when a change in type also entails the loss of the mind, it's a good bet that most class benefits also will be lost. Likewise, a change type paired with a change in alignment that violates a class alignment restriction will interfere with the benefits the class provides. It's also possible that a change in type might render a class feature irrelevant or unusable. For example, a druid's resist nature's lure class feature becomes irrelevant if the druid's creature type changes to undead because undead creatures are immune to mind-affecting effects.

Some templates work retroactive changes in a creature, including Hit Dice from a class. For example, the lich template makes a creature's class Hit Dice into 12-sided dice. See Part Three for more about templates.

Temporary Changes to a Creature's Type 

Some spells, such as the polymorph and shape change spells, can change a creature's type while the spell lasts.

When one of these spells changes a creature's type, it usually also grants the subtypes of the assumed form (check the description of the spell or other effect to be sure). The subject also temporarily gains the augmented subtype for its original type.

The subject loses any subtypes it has in favor of the assumed form's subtypes. For example, a human turned into a troll gains the giant type and the augmented humanoid subtype. The subject retains the features of its own type. It gains the traits of the assumed type -- except for any extraordinary qualities included in those traits. If you're having trouble deciding which type traits you gain, refer to Rules of the Game's original study of polymorphing.



Several character classes, such as the monk, include a change in type as a class feature. These classes are primarily intended for use with humanoid characters with a single Hit Die or less (so that they trade all their racial Hit Dice for class Hit Dice; see page 290 in the Monster Manual). The change in type is easy to handle when the class is used as intended.

When creatures other than humanoids take levels in such classes, however, the situation can prove less straight forward. What happens, for example, when an undead monk becomes an outsider? The rules aren't much help in that situation, but a little common sense can solve the problem. This section offers some unofficial suggestions for handling things when various creatures undergo class-induced type changes.

Humanoids: As humanoid with a single racial Hit Dice gains the type noted in the class description along with the augmented human subtype. If the new type is outsider, the character also gains the native subtype. For example, a human who reaches 20th level in the monk class gains the perfect self class feature and becomes an outsider. The character's old creature type and subtypes were humanoid (human). The character's new creature type and subtypes are outsider (augmented humanoid, human, native).

As noted in Part One, the character's class features and other class benefits don't change. In keeping with the general rules on changing types, the example character retains the features of the humanoid type, but gains 60- foot darkvision (one of the outsider type's traits; see page 313 in the Monster Manual). The remaining traits of the outsider type are either irrelevant to the character or negated by the native subtype. For example, the example character gains no new weapon or armor proficiencies because the character already has all the proficiencies its "description" mentions. The example character still needs to eat and sleep, and she still can be raised or resurrected because she has the native subtype.

So what happens, if a humanoid with more than one racial Hit Die changes type due to a class feature? For example, what happens to a bugbear (3 racial Hit Dice) who reaches 20th level as a monk and becomes an outsider? The rules don't say, but according to Part One, a creature usually retains the features of its original type (Hit Dice size, base attack bonus, base saves). The change in type doesn't alter the bugbear's racial Hit Dice, nor the base attack bonus, base save bonuses, or skill points the bugbear gains from those Hit Dice.

Other Creature Types: Creatures with most other types are affected just as humanoids are when class features change their types. Undead creatures require some special handling. The transformation into an undead creature is profound – so much so that the rules often don't bother with assigning the augmented subtype when creatures become undead (for example, the mummy and the ghoul). Transformation to undeath also is pretty much unalterable unless the creature returns to life (in which case it would regain its old creature type). To reflect the unique state of undeath, apply any class induced change in type to the creature's original type, even if the creature has not received the augmented subtype for its original type. For example, a ghoul with levels in the monk class begins as an undead (augmented humanoid). When the ghoul becomes a 20th-level monk, it becomes an undead (augmented outsider, native). The ghoul retains all its undead features and traits.




As noted in Part One, a template is a set of instructions for changing a creature in some profound way. Templates can be acquired during a creature's lifetime, or the creature might inherit the template at birth.

Applying a template requires getting familiar with the template and the changes it works on a creature; page 291 in the Monster Manual gives tips on reading a template. Once you know what a template does, refer to the step by-step procedure on page 293 of the Monster Manual to apply the template. Here's an overview of the process. Remember that not all templates affect all the things noted here. If so, the template description usually will not have all the sections included here and you can just skip the step noted here.

• Check the Size and Type entry in the template.

If the template changes the creature's size or type, this entry tells you what those changes are.

When a creature's size changes, refer to Table 4-2 in the Monster Manual to determine how the creature's natural armor, Armor Class, and attack rolls change. A change in size also can change a creature's Constitution, Dexterity, and Strength scores. Do not change any ability scores now, see the notes under ability scores, below.

If the template changes the creature's type, make the change in type. Add the augmented subtype for the creature's original type to the creature's type entry, along with any other subtypes the template specifies. For example, a lion with the celestial template changes type to magical beast, so it gains the augmented animal subtype along with the magical beast type. The celestial lion also acquires the extraplanar subtype when encountered on the Material Plane.

Also, our example celestial lion has the traits of the magical beast type -- darkvision with a range of 60 feet, low-light vision, proficiency with the creature's own natural weaponry, no armor proficiency, and the need to eat, sleep, and breathe. The celestial lion still has the features of the animal type -- d8 Hit Dice, base attack bonus equal to 3/4 total Hit Dice, good Fortitude and Reflex saves, and skill points equal to 2 points + Intelligence modifier per Hit Die (minimum 1 point per die, with quadruple skill points for the first die).

• Check the template's Hit Dice and Hit Points entry.

If the template adds any Hit Dice to the creature, use Table 3-2 in the Player's Handbook to determine if the creature gains any additional feats. If so, add them now. Likewise, make any changes to the creature's base attack bonus, base save bonuses, and skill points to reflect the extra Hit Dice. (You can make these four changes in any order.) If the template changes the size of the creature's Hit Dice, make any changes to the creature's hit points when you apply the effects of any changes to the creature's Constitution score (see below).

• Check the Abilities entry in the template.

Make any changes in the creature's ability scores as specified in this section. The information in this section should account for any change in size (see above). When in doubt, a look at the example creature provided with the template should clarify exactly how much the creature's abilities should change.

• Apply the effects from any ability score changes you've made.

Completing this step can take awhile. You can perform changes to ability scores in any order, but I suggest the order presented below. You'll need to check several other entries in the template to correctly apply ability score changes, as noted in the sections that follow.

Constitution: Before applying any Constitution changes, check the Hit Dice and Hit Points entry in the template. Some templates change the number or size of the creature's Hit Dice or both. Some templates change previously acquired Hit Dice and continue to change any additional Hit Dice the creature gains. Most templates, however, change only the creature's racial Hit Dice (that is, the Hit Dice it has before adding any class levels). Most templates are fairly explicit about what happens to the creature's Hit Dice, so just follow the instructions in the template.

When you know the size and number of the creature's Hit Dice, recalculate the creature's hit points using the modifier from the creature's new Constitution modifier for each Hit Die (whatever its size).

Check the template's saves entry for any changes to its base Fortitude save, or for any special Fortitude save bonuses it has. Apply the new Constitution modifier to the base save. Also apply the effects of any applicable feats, such as Great Fortitude.

Also apply the Constitution modifier to the creature's Concentration skill score.

Dexterity: The creature's new Dexterity modifier affects its initiative bonus, Armor Class, Reflex saves, and some of its attacks.

Changing the creature's initiative bonus usually is just a matter of applying its new Dexterity modifier, but check the template's Initiative entry for any additional changes that might be required.

When recalculating Armor Class, remember to apply the effects of the creature's new size and natural armor bonus, and also any changes specified in the template's Armor Class entry.

If the creature wears armor, check the armor's maximum Dexterity modifier to be sure the creature can get the full benefit of its Dexterity modifier to Armor Class.

Check the template's saves entry for any changes to its base Reflex save, or for any special Reflex save bonuses it has. Apply the new Dexterity modifier to the base save.

If the creature has any ranged attacks (including spell-based ones), check the template's base attack entry for any changes to its base attack, and add the new Dexterity modifier to calculate its new ranged attack bonus; remember to apply the creature's new size modifier, too. Likewise, apply the new Dexterity modifier to any melee attacks the creature uses along with the Weapon Finesse feat.

Dexterity affects many skills, so be sure to apply the new Dexterity modifier to all the creature's Dexterity-based skills. If the creature uses the Hide skill, apply the special modifier from its new size (see the Hide skill description) to its Hide score.

Strength: The creature's new Strength modifier affects its attack bonus for melee attacks (unless the creature is using the Weapon Finesse feat), melee damage, some ranged damage (such as thrown weapons or attacks with mighty ranged weapons), and its grapple bonus.

To determine the new attack and grapple bonuses, start with the creature's new base attack modifier (if any), and apply the Strength modifier. Don't forget the creature's size modifier when calculating the new attack bonus or the special size modifier for the grapple bonus (see the section on grappling in Chapter 8 of the Player's Handbook).

Apply the Strength modifier to the creature's damage ratings. Remember to use 1-1/2 times the new Strength modifier for two-handed attacks and for attacks with single natural weapons. Likewise, apply only half the damage bonus to off-hand weapon attacks and to secondary natural weapon attacks. Check the template's Attacks and Damage entries, plus the example creature provided with template, to determine which weaponry receives which damage bonus.

Apply the new Strength modifier to any Strength-based skills the creature has, such as Climb, Jump, and Swim.

The creature's new Strength score affects several other things, such as the creature's carrying capacity, but you usually don't need to bother with those if you're just using the creature for a single encounter.

Intelligence: The creature's new Intelligence modifier affects its Intelligence-based skills. If the template is an inherited template, the new Intelligence modifier affects its skill points, and that might require you to reallocate the creature's skill points. Changes to a creature's Intelligence score do not retroactively change a creature's skill points, so an Intelligence change from an acquired template usually doesn't change a creature's skill points, but check the Skills entry in the template description to be sure. For example, a creature that gains the zombie template loses its mind and also loses all its skill ranks.

Wisdom: Check the template's Saves entry for any changes to its base Will save, or for any special Will save bonuses it has. Apply the new Wisdom modifier to the base save. The creature's new Wisdom modifier also affects its Wisdom-based skills, such as Listen and Spot, and its Will save. Be sure to apply the effects of applicable feats such as Iron Will and Alertness.

Charisma: The creature's new Charisma modifier affects its Charisma-based skills, such as Bluff and Intimidate. Be sure to apply the effects of applicable feats such as Persuasive and Negotiator.

• Check the template's Speed entry and change the creature's speed rating or ratings.

A creature's speed ratings can affect its skills. For example, land speed affects the Jump skill (see the Jump skill description). Having a climb or swim speed also adds a +8 bonus on Climb or Swim skill checks and allows the creature to "take 10" on such checks more readily; see the Modes of Movement entry on page 311 of the Monster Manual for details.

• Check the template's Special Attacks and Special Qualities entries.

Calculate the save DCs for any special attacks the template grants according to the notes on page 293 in the Monster Manual.

• Consider any Special Attacks and Special Qualities the base creature has remaining.

The template might remove some or all of the base creature's special attacks and special qualities. For any special attacks or special qualities that remain after the template is applied, recalculate any save DCs or damage using the creature's new ability scores and size.

• Add any skill bonuses from the template (unless you've taken account of them in a previous step).

• Add any feat from the template (unless you've taken account of them in a previous step).

• Adjust the creature's CR according to the instructions in the template.



That wraps up our look at templates and creature types. When dealing with this pair of topics, remember that both these things are intended to add some spice and variety to the game as quickly and simply as possible. Whenever you encounter any difficulties with a template or a change in creature's type, choose the simplest alternative.



Skip Williams keeps busy with freelance projects for several different game companies and was the Sage of Dragon Magazine for many years. Skip is a co-designer of the D&D 3rd Edition game and the chief architect of the Monster Manual. When not devising swift and cruel deaths for player characters, Skip putters in his kitchen or garden (rabbits and deer are not Skip's friends) or works on repairing and improving the century-old farmhouse that he shares with his wife, Penny, and a growing menagerie of pets.

Based on the original Dungeons & Dragons® game by E. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson and on the new edition of the Dungeons & Dragons game designed by Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams, Richard Baker, and Peter Adkison.

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