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General🔗

Game Statistics🔗

The following statistics describe monsters.

Armor Class (AC)🔗

The monster’s ability to avoid damage in combat.

Ascending AC: The optional AAC score is listed afterward in square brackets.

Hit Dice (HD)🔗

The number of d8s rolled to determine an individual’s hit points.

Asterisks: One or more asterisks after the HD number indicate the number of special abilities the monster has for XP calculation (see Awarding XP).

Hit point modifiers: Modifiers to the HD (e.g., +3, -1) are applied to the hp total after rolling the specified number of d8s. Monsters with a hit point modifier are treated specially by some spells.

Fractional Hit Dice: Some monsters are listed as having less than one HD, either as ½ (roll 1d4) or as a fixed number of hp.

Average hit points: The average hit point value is listed in parentheses.

Attacks Usable Per Round (Att)🔗

The attacks the monster can use each round, with the damage inflicted in parentheses. (Note that unless specified, the monsters’ attack and damage rolls are not modified by STR or DEX.)

Alternative attack routines: Are noted with “or” or square brackets.

Saving Throw Values (SV)🔗

The monster’s saving throw values:

  • D: Death/poison.
  • W: Wands.
  • P: Paralysis/petrification.
  • B: Breath attacks.
  • S: Spells/rods/staves.

Save as HD: The HD at which the monster saves is listed in parentheses (with NH indicating that it saves as a normal human). This is usually the monster’s HD rating, but sometimes differs:

  • Unintelligent monsters: Typically save at half their HD rating.
  • Magical monsters: They may save at a higher HD rating.
  • Character classes: Some monsters save as a character class. In this case, the class and level are listed.

Attack Roll “to Hit AC 0” (THAC0)🔗

The monster’s ability to hit foes in combat is determined by its Hit Dice (see the Attack Matrix table under Combat Tables).

Attack bonus: The monster’s attack bonus (required when using the optional rule for Ascending AC) is listed afterward in square brackets.

Movement Rate (MV)🔗

The speed at which the monster can move. Every monster has a base movement rate and an encounter movement rate (noted in parentheses, one-third of the base movement rate).

Modes of movement: If the monster has multiple modes of movement (e.g., walking, flying, climbing), they are listed individually, separated by slashes.

Morale Rating (ML)🔗

The monster’s likelihood to persist in battle. See Morale.

Alignment (AL)🔗

The monster’s affiliation to Law, Neutrality, or Chaos. If “any” is listed, the referee may roll randomly or choose the creature’s alignment.

XP Award (XP)🔗

Pre-calculated XP award for defeating the monster.

Number Appearing (NA)🔗

Listed as two values, the second in parentheses.

Zeros: If the first value is a zero, monsters of this type are not usually encountered in dungeons. If the second value is a zero, monsters of this type are not usually encountered in the wilderness and do not usually have lairs.

Usage: The use of these values depends on the situation in which monsters are encountered:

  • Wandering monsters in a dungeon: The first value determines the number of monsters encountered roaming in a dungeon level equal to their HD. If the monster is encountered on a level greater than its HD, the number appearing may be increased; if encountered on a level less than its HD, the number appearing should be reduced.
  • Monster lair in a dungeon: The second value lists the number of monsters found in a lair in a dungeon.
  • Wandering monsters in the wilderness: The second value indicates the number of monsters encountered roaming in the wilderness.
  • Monster lair in the wilderness: The second value multiplied by 5 indicates the number of monsters found in a lair in the wilderness.

Treasure Type (TT)🔗

The letter code determines the amount and type of treasure possessed by the monster(s) (see Treasure Types). The letters listed are used as follows:

  • A to O: Indicate a hoard: the sum wealth of a large monster or a community of smaller monsters, usually hidden in the lair. For monsters with a lair encounter size (see Number Appearing) greater than 1d4, the amount of treasure in the hoard may be reduced if the number of monsters is below average.
  • P to V: If listed for an intelligent monster, indicate treasure carried by individuals (P to T) or a group (U, V). If listed as an unintelligent monster, indicate treasure from the bodies of its victims.

General Notes🔗

Infravision🔗

All non-human monsters have infravision (see Darkness under Hazards and Challenges). Unless specified in a monster’s description, this allows monsters to see up to 60’ in the dark.

Languages🔗

20% of intelligent monsters speak Common (see Languages) unless the monster description states otherwise. Many intelligent monster species also have their tongue.

Persons🔗

Some spells or magical effects only affect creatures classified as “persons.” This includes all humans, demihumans, and human-like monsters of up to 4+1 HD. The referee should decide which monsters are affected (a suggested list is given below).

The following monsters in are classified as “persons” for the sake of magical effects: acolyte, bandit, berserker, brigand, buccaneer, bugbear, dervish, dryad, dwarf, elf, gnoll, gnome, goblin, halfling, hobgoblin, kobold, lizard man, medium, merchant, merman, neanderthal, nixie, noble, nomad, normal human, ogre, orc, pirate, pixie, sprite, trader, troglodyte, veteran.