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Pathfinder Unchained / Simple Monster Creation / Step 1: Array

Spellcaster Array

Source Pathfinder Unchained pg. 202
With a large selection of spells, a spellcaster might be weak in combat, or could focus on powerful offensive spells. A spellcaster monster typically has a high spellcasting ability modifier: Intelligence, Wisdom, or (often for monstrous creatures) Charisma. Spells make up for the spellcaster’s weak combat abilities, modest skills, and small number of monster options.

Well-known spellcasters include couatls, liches, nymphs, and rakshasas.

Special Rules: Every monster with the spellcaster array automatically gains spells, as described under Step 6: Spells. A spellcaster can treat its spell choices as either spells or spell-like abilities, depending on its theme.

Spellcaster Themes

The following themes include recommended spell lists for common spellcaster paths.

Cultist: A worshiper of dark forces, the cultist is a true fanatic. Ability modifiers—Wisdom and Charisma; skills— Knowledge (arcana), Knowledge (planes), Knowledge (religion), Spellcraft; combat options—poison, rage; magic options—bestow major condition, bestow minor condition, bestow moderate condition, misfortune; social option— weakening presence; spell lists—aberrant, abyssal, chaos, death, destruction, evil, infernal, madness, necromancy.

Lorekeeper: Through study of ancient texts, the lorekeeper wields the fundamental principles of magic. Ability modifiers—Intelligence; skills—Knowledge (arcana), Knowledge (history), Knowledge (planes), Spellcraft, Use Magic Device; magic options—at-will magic, energy explosion, magical aptitude, metamagic spell, spell penetration; social option—knowledgeable; spell lists—abjuration, arcane, divination, knowledge, magic, transmutation.

Naturalist: In awe of the majesty of the wilderness, the naturalist calls on powers of the plant and animal world. Ability modifiers—Wisdom and Charisma; skills—Handle Animal, Knowledge (nature), Spellcraft, Survival; combat options—mounted master, poison; magic options—bestow major condition, bestow minor condition, bestow moderate condition; social option—animal talker; universal option— terrain stride (undergrowth); spell lists—animal, earth, nature, plant, weather.

Righteous One: Fighting for the cause of good or order, the righteous one can’t be swayed from its purpose. Ability modifiers—Wisdom and Charisma; skills—Heal, Knowledge (arcana), Knowledge (religion), Spellcraft; combat option— extra armor; magic options—fortune, protective ward, turn undead; social option—weakening presence; spell lists— celestial, community, glory, healing, law, protection.

Trickster: Never to be trusted, the trickster casts spells to warp the senses and fool the mind. Ability modifiers— Intelligence and Charisma; skills—Bluff, Knowledge (arcana), Sleight of Hand, Spellcraft; combat option—sneak attack; magic options—evil eye, misfortune; social options— persuasive, slippery mind; spell lists—chaos, charm, enchantment, illusion, stealth, trickery.

War Mage: Armed to the teeth with offensive spells, the war mage never met a problem it couldn’t blow up. Ability modifiers—Intelligence and Charisma; skills—Knowledge (arcana), Spellcraft; combat options—energy resistance, improved initiative; magic options—combat casting, magic attack, spell penetration; spell lists—battle, evocation, strength, war.

Spellcaster 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 spellcaster array: cleric, druid, oracle, sorcerer, summoner, witch, and wizard. A summoner’s eidolon is a separate monster, typically created using the combatant array.

Table 5-5: Spellcaster Main Statistics

Saving ThrowsSkills
CRACFortRefWillCMDhpAbility DCSpell DCAbility ModifiersMasterGoodOptions
1/29, t 8, f 8+0+0+3991113+3, +2, +1+8 (2)+5 (1)1 magic
110, t 8, f 8+1+1+410131214+3, +2, +1+9 (2)+6 (1)1 magic
212, t 8, f 8+1+1+512181315+3, +2, +1+10 (2)+7 (1)1 magic
313, t 8, f 8+2+2+614271415+4, +2, +1+11 (2)+8 (1)1 magic, 1 any
415, t 8, f 11+3+3+716361516+4, +3, +1+12 (2)+9 (1)1 magic, 1 any
516, t 8, f 12+4+4+817491516+5, +3, +2+13 (2)+10 (1)1 magic, 1 any
617, t 8, f 12+5+5+919631616+5, +3, +2+14 (2)+11 (1)1 magic, 1 any
718, t 8, f 13+6+6+1020761716+6, +4, +2+15 (2)+12 (1)1 magic, 1 any
819, t 11, f 14+7+7+1122901817+6, +4, +2+16 (2)+13 (1)1 magic, 1 any
921, t 12, f 15+8+8+12241031817+7, +4, +3+17 (2)+14 (1)1 magic, 1 any
1022, t 13, f 16+9+9+13251171917+7, +5, +3+18 (2)+14 (1)1 magic, 1 any
1123, t 13, f 17+10+10+14261302017+8, +5, +3+19 (2)+15 (1)1 magic, 1 any
1225, t 15, f 18+11+11+15281442118+8, +5, +4+20 (2)+16 (1)2 magic, 1 any
1326, t 15, f 19+12+12+16291622118+9, +6, +4+21 (2)+17 (1)2 magic, 1 any
1427, t 16, f 20+12+12+17301802218+9, +6, +4+23 (2)+18 (1)2 magic, 1 any
1528, t 16, f 21+13+13+18321982318+10, +7, +5+25 (2)+20 (1)2 magic, 1 any
1629, t 17, f 21+14+14+19332162419+11, +7, +5+27 (2)+22 (1)2 magic, 1 any
1730, t 18, f 22+15+15+20342432419+11, +8, +5+29 (2)+23 (1)2 magic, 1 any
1831, t 18, f 23+16+16+20352702519+12, +8, +6+31 (2)+25 (1)3 magic, 1 any
1932, t 19, f 24+16+16+21362972620+13, +9, +6+33 (2)+27 (1)3 magic, 1 any
2034, t 20, f 25+17+17+22383332721+13, +9, +6+35 (2)+28 (1)3 magic, 1 any
2135, t 21, f 26+18+18+23393602721+14, +10, +7+37 (2)+30 (1)3 magic, 1 any
2237, t 22, f 27+18+18+23413962822+14, +10, +7+39 (2)+32 (1)3 magic, 1 any
2338, t 22, f 28+19+19+24424322923+15, +11, +7+41 (2)+33 (1)3 magic, 1 any
2440, t 24, f 30+20+20+25444683024+15, +11, +8+43 (2)+35 (1)3 magic, 1 any
2541, t 24, f 30+21+21+26465043024+16, +12, +8+45 (2)+37 (1)3 magic, 1 any
2642, t 25, f 31+22+22+27475403125+16, +12, +8+47 (2)+38 (1)3 magic, 1 any
2743, t 25, f 32+23+23+28485763226+17, +13, +9+49 (2)+40 (1)3 magic, 1 any
2844, t 26, f 33+24+24+29496123327+17, +13, +9+51 (2)+42 (1)3 magic, 1 any
2945, t 27, f 33+25+25+30506483428+18, +14, +10+53 (2)+43 (1)3 magic, 1 any
3046, t 27, f 34+26+26+31516843529+18, +15, +110+55 (2)+45 (1)3 magic, 1 any


Table 5-6: Spellcaster Attack Statistics

Weapon AttacksNatural Attacks
CRHigh (Damage)Low (Damage)Two (Damage)Three (Damage)
1/2+1 (4)+0 (3)2 at –2 (4)1 at –2 (6), 2 at –7 (4)
1+2 (6)+1 (5)2 at –1 (4)1 at –1 (6), 2 at –6 (4)
2+4 (9)+3 (6)2 at +1 (6)1 at +1 (6), 2 at –4 (4)
3+6 (12)+4 (8)2 at +2 (6)1 at +2 (8), 2 at –3 (4)
4+8 (14)+6 (11)2 at +6 (8)1 at +6 (10), 2 at +1 (5)
5+10 (18)+7 (13)2 at +7 (9)1 at +7 (12), 2 at +2 (6)
6+12 (22)+8 (16)2 at +8 (12)1 at +8 (15), 2 at +3 (8)
7+13/+8 (18)+10/+5 (13)2 at +10 (14)1 at +10 (18), 2 at +5 (9)
8+15/+10 (21)+11/+6 (16)2 at +11 (16)1 at +11 (21), 2 at +6 (11)
9+17/+12 (24)+12/+7 (18)2 at +12 (18)1 at +12 (24), 2 at +7 (12)
10+18/+13 (27)+13/+8 (20)2 at +13 (21)1 at +13 (27), 2 at +8 (14)
11+19/+14 (30)+14/+9 (22)2 at +14 (23)1 at +14 (30), 2 at +9 (15)
12+21/+16 (33)+15/+10 (24)2 at +15 (25)1 at +15 (33), 2 at +10 (17)
13+22/+17 (36)+16/+11 (27)2 at +16 (27)1 at +16 (36), 2 at +11 (18)
14+23/+18/+13 (34)+17/+12/+7 (25)2 at +17 (30)1 at +17 (39), 2 at +12 (20)
15+24/+19/+14 (36)+18/+13/+8 (27)2 at +18 (32)1 at +18 (42), 2 at +13 (21)
16+26/+21/+16 (41)+19/+14/+9 (31)2 at +19 (36)1 at +19 (48), 2 at +14 (24)
17+27/+22/+17 (46)+20/+15/+10 (35)2 at +20 (41)1 at +20 (54), 2 at +15 (27)
18+28/+23/+18 (51)+21/+16/+11 (39)2 at +21 (45)1 at +21 (60), 2 at +16 (30)
19+29/+24/+19 (56)+22/+17/+12 (42)2 at +22 (50)1 at +22 (66), 2 at +17 (33)
20+30/+25/+20 (61)+23/+18/+13 (46)2 at +23 (54)1 at +23 (72), 2 at +18 (36)
21+31/+26/+21/+16 (63)+24/+19/+14/+9 (47)2 at +24 (59)1 at +24 (78), 2 at +19 (39)
22+32/+27/+22/+17 (67)+25/+20/+15/+10 (51)2 at +25 (63)1 at +25 (84), 2 at +20 (42)
23+33/+28/+23/+18 (72)+26/+21/+16/+11 (54)2 at +26 (68)1 at +26 (90), 2 at +21 (45)
24+35/+30/+25/+20 (79)+27/+22/+17/+12 (60)2 at +27 (75)1 at +27 (99), 2 at +22 (50)
25+36/+31/+26/+21 (86)+28/+23/+18/+13 (65)2 at +28 (81)1 at +28 (108), 2 at +23 (54)
26+37/+32/+27/+22 (94)+29/+24/+19/+14 (70)2 at +29 (88)1 at +29 (117), 2 at +24 (59)
27+38/+33/+28/+23 (101)+30/+25/+20/+15 (74)2 at +30 (95)1 at +30 (126), 2 at +25 (63)
28+39/+34/+29/+24 (108)+31/+26/+21/+16 (79)2 at +31 (102)1 at +31 (135), 2 at +26 (68)
29+40/+35/+30/+25 (115)+32/+27/+22/+17 (84)2 at +32 (108)1 at +32 (144), 2 at +27 (72)
30+41/+36/+31/+26 (122)+33/+28/+23/+18 (89)2 at +33 (115)1 at +33 (153), 2 at +28 (77)