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Pathfinder Unchained / Simple Monster Creation / Step 1: Array

Combatant Array

Source Pathfinder Unchained pg. 198
The most common type of monster in most regions, a combatant is at its best on the battlefield. A combatant monster typically has high physical statistics and powerful attacks. Strong defenses, hit points, and attacks take precedence over skills and options. This array covers a wide variety of creatures, from brutish beasts to experienced generals.

Some common combatants include most animals and vermin, most demons, chokers, most giants, ghouls, golems, ogres, trolls, and worgs.

Combatant Themes

The following themes reflect many of the styles combatants might use to fight.

Beater: Big and rugged, the beater is all about hitting things hard and soaking up a ton of punishment. Ability modifiers—Strength and Constitution; skills—Climb, Intimidate, Swim; combat options—damage reduction, diehard, extra hit points, power attack, rend.

Commander: Leading by example, the commander fights while inspiring allies to greater success. Ability modifiers— Strength and Charisma; skills—Acrobatics, Diplomacy, Intimidate, Ride; combat options—challenge, combatant’s touch, improved initiative; social options—bolstering presence, heroic recovery.

Hunter: Trained to fight by stalking its foes, the hunter thrives on the element of surprise. Ability modifiers—Strength or Dexterity and Wisdom; skills—Climb, Handle Animal, Perception, Survival, Swim; combat options—bleed, critical striker, favored enemy, trap squares; social option—alertness.

Rider: Mounted on another creature, the rider attacks using its advantageous position. Ability modifiers—Dexterity and Strength; skills—Handle Animal, Intimidate, Ride; combat options—improved initiative, mounted master, powerful charge.

Sharpshooter: This monster attacks from a distance, typically using a bow, crossbow, or firearm. Ability modifiers— Dexterity and Wisdom; skills—Acrobatics, Perception, Stealth; combat options—extra attack, far shot, fast reload, firearm savvy, precise shot; universal option—magic weapon.

Skirmisher: Dancing in and out of battle, the skirmisher uses speed and trickery. Ability modifiers—Dexterity and Charisma; skills—Acrobatics, Climb, Escape Artist, Stealth; combat options—dodge expert, extra attack, mobile attack, repositioning attack; universal option—terrain stride.

Tactician: With an vast bag of tricks, the tactician uses its savvy mind more than its brawn. Ability modifiers—Intelligence and Dexterity; skills—Bluff, Escape Artist, Perception; combat options—defense breaker, deflect projectiles, improved combat maneuver, mage-killer, sneak attack.

Untouchable: Protected by exhaustive defenses, the untouchable can’t be phased by most attacks. Ability modifiers—Constitution and Dexterity; skills—Acrobatics, Perception, Survival; combat options—damage reduction, dodge expert or extra armor, immunity, spell resistance, uncanny dodge.

Weakener: Rather than dealing massive amounts of damage, the weakener undermines its opponents’ combat abilities. This theme offers several potential options, but avoid giving the monster more than two. Ability modifiers— Strength and Constitution; skills—Intimidate, Perception, Stealth; combat options—ability damage, blood drain, defense breaker, energy drain, fear attack, paralysis, stun attack.

Combatant Classes

If your monster is meant to act as though it has a character class, it gains a class graft. The following class grafts require the monster to use the combatant array: barbarian, cavalier, fighter, gunslinger, monk, paladin, and ranger. For animal companions and mounts, see the section under Class Grafts.

Table 5-1: Combatant Main Statistics

Saving ThrowsSkills
CRACFortRefWillCMDhpAbility DCSpell DCAbility ModifiersMasterGoodOptions
1/213, t 12, f 12+1+1+0131199+3, +2, +1+8 (1)+5 (2)1 combat
114, t 12, f 12+2+2+114161011+3, +2, +1+9 (1)+6 (2)1 combat
216, t 12, f 12+3+3+116221112+3, +2, +1+10 (1)+7 (2)1 combat
317, t 12, f 12+4+4+218331211+4, +2, +1+11 (1)+8 (2)1 combat, 1 any
419, t 12, f 14+5+5+320441312+4, +2, +1+12 (1)+9 (2)1 combat, 1 any
520, t 12, f 15+6+6+421601312+5, +2, +2+13 (1)+10 (2)1 combat, 1 any
621, t 12, f 15+7+7+523771412+5, +2, +2+14 (1)+11 (2)1 combat, 1 any
722, t 13, f 16+8+8+624931512+6, +4, +2+15 (1)+12 (2)1 combat, 1 any
823, t 13, f 17+9+9+7261101613+6, +4, +2+16 (1)+13 (2)1 combat, 1 any
925, t 15, f 18+10+10+8281261613+7, +4, +3+17 (1)+14 (2)1 combat, 1 any
1026, t 15, f 19+11+11+9291431713+7, +5, +3+18 (1)+14 (2)1 combat, 1 any
1127, t 16, f 20+12+12+10301591813+8, +5, +3+19 (1)+15 (2)1 combat, 1 any
1229, t 17, f 21+13+13+11321761914+8, +5, +4+20 (1)+16 (2)2 combat, 1 any
1330, t 18, f 22+14+14+12331981914+9, +6, +4+21 (1)+17 (2)2 combat, 1 any
1431, t 18, f 23+15+15+12342202014+9, +6, +4+23 (1)+18 (2)2 combat, 1 any
1532, t 19, f 24+16+16+13362422114+10, +7, +5+25 (1)+20 (2)2 combat, 1 any
1633, t 19, f 24+17+17+14372642215+11, +7, +5+27 (1)+22 (2)2 combat, 1 any
1734, t 20, f 25+18+18+15382972215+11, +8, +5+29 (1)+23 (2)2 combat, 1 any
1835, t 21, f 26+18+18+16393302315+12, +8, +6+31 (1)+25 (2)3 combat, 1 any
1936, t 21, f 27+19+19+16403632416+13, +9, +6+33 (1)+27 (2)3 combat, 1 any
2038, t 22, f 28+20+20+17424072517+13, +9, +6+35 (1)+28 (2)3 combat, 1 any
2139, t 23, f 29+21+21+18434402517+14, +10, +7+37 (1)+30 (2)3 combat, 1 any
2241, t 24, f 30+21+21+18454842618+14, +10, +7+39 (1)+32 (2)3 combat, 1 any
2342, t 25, f 31+22+22+19465282719+15, +11, +7+41 (1)+33 (2)3 combat, 1 any
2444, t 26, f 33+23+23+20485722820+15, +11, +8+43 (1)+35 (2)3 combat, 1 any
2545, t 27, f 33+24+24+21506162820+16, +12, +8+45 (1)+37 (2)3 combat, 1 any
2646, t 27, f 34+25+25+22516602921+16, +12, +8+47 (1)+38 (2)3 combat, 1 any
2747, t 28, f 35+26+26+23527043022+17, +13, +9+49 (1)+40 (2)3 combat, 1 any
2848, t 28, f 36+27+27+24537483123+17, +13, +9+51 (1)+42 (2)3 combat, 1 any
2949, t 29, f 36+28+28+25547923224+18, +14, +10+53 (1)+43 (2)3 combat, 1 any
3050, t 30, f 37+29+29+26558363325+18, +15, +10+55 (1)+45 (2)3 combat, 1 any


Table 5-2: Combatant Attack Statistics

Weapon AttacksNatural Attacks
CRHigh (Damage)Low (Damage)Two (Damage)Three (Damage)
1/2+1 (5)+0 (4)2 at –1 (4)1 at –1 (6), 2 at –6 (4)
1+2 (8)+1 (6)2 at +0 (4)1 at +0 (6), 2 at –5 (4)
2+4 (11)+3 (8)2 at +2 (6)1 at +2 (6), 2 at –3 (4)
3+6 (14)+4 (10)2 at +6 (8)1 at +6 (10), 2 at +1 (5)
4+8 (17)+6 (13)2 at +8 (9)1 at +8 (12), 2 at +3 (6)
5+10/+5 (15)+7/+2 (11)2 at +10 (11)1 at +10 (15), 2 at +5 (8)
6+12/+7 (18)+8/+3 (13)2 at +12 (14)1 at +12 (19), 2 at +7 (10)
7+13/+8 (22)+10/+5 (16)2 at +13 (17)1 at +13 (22), 2 at +8 (11)
8+15/+10 (26)+11/+6 (19)2 at +15 (20)1 at +15 (26), 2 at +10 (13)
9+17/+12 (29)+12/+7 (22)2 at +17 (22)1 at +17 (30), 2 at +12 (15)
10+18/+13/+8 (28)+13/+8/+3 (21)2 at +18 (25)1 at +18 (33), 2 at +13 (17)
11+19/+14/+9 (32)+14/+9/+4 (23)2 at +19 (28)1 at +19 (37), 2 at +14 (19)
12+21/+16/+11 (35)+15/+10/+5 (26)2 at +21 (31)1 at +21 (41), 2 at +16 (21)
13+22/+17/+12 (38)+16/+11/+6 (28)2 at +22 (33)1 at +22 (44), 2 at +17 (22)
14+23/+18/+13 (41)+17/+12/+7 (30)2 at +23 (36)1 at +23 (48), 2 at +18 (24)
15+24/+19/+14/+9 (41)+18/+13/+8/+3 (31)2 at +24 (39)1 at +24 (52), 2 at +19 (26)
16+26/+21/+16/+11 (47)+19/+14/+9/+4 (35)2 at +26 (44)1 at +26 (59), 2 at +21 (30)
17+27/+22/+17/+12 (53)+20/+15/+10/+5 (40)2 at +27 (50)1 at +27 (66), 2 at +22 (33)
18+28/+23/+18/+13 (59)+21/+16/+11/+6 (44)2 at +28 (55)1 at +28 (74), 2 at +23 (37)
19+29/+24/+19/+14 (65)+22/+17/+12/+7 (48)2 at +29 (61)1 at +29 (81), 2 at +24 (41)
20+30/+25/+20/+15 (70)+23/+18/+13/+8 (53)2 at +30 (66)1 at +30 (88), 2 at +25 (44)
21+31/+26/+21/+16 (76)+24/+19/+14/+9 (58)2 at +31 (72)1 at +31 (96), 2 at +26 (48)
22+32/+27/+22/+17 (82)+25/+20/+15/+10 (62)2 at +32 (77)1 at +32 (103), 2 at +27 (52)
23+33/+28/+23/+18 (88)+26/+21/+16/+11 (66)2 at +33 (83)1 at +33 (110), 2 at +28 (55)
24+35/+30/+25/+20 (97)+27/+22/+17/+12 (73)2 at +35 (91)1 at +35 (121), 2 at +30 (61)
25+36/+31/+26/+21 (105)+28/+23/+18/+13 (79)2 at +36 (99)1 at +36 (132), 2 at +31 (66)
26+37/+32/+27/+22 (114)+29/+24/+19/+14 (85)2 at +37 (108)1 at +37 (143), 2 at +32 (72)
27+38/+33/+28/+23 (123)+30/+25/+20/+15 (91)2 at +38 (116)1 at +38 (154), 2 at +33 (77)
28+39/+34/+29/+24 (132)+31/+26/+21/+16 (97)2 at +39 (124)1 at +39 (165), 2 at +34 (83)
29+40/+35/+30/+25 (140)+32/+27/+22/+17 (103)2 at +40 (132)1 at +40 (176), 2 at +35 (88)
30+41/+36/+31/+26 (149)+33/+28/+23/+18 (108)2 at +41 (141)1 at +41 (187), 2 at +36 (94)