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Archives of Nethys

Archives of Nethys

Pathfinder RPG (1st Edition) Pathfinder RPG (2nd Edition) Starfinder RPG

Rules Index | GM Screen | Player's Guide
Monster Core / Introduction / Adjusting Creatures

Combat Power

Source Monster Core pg. 6 1.1
The creatures presented in this book have appropriate statistics for their levels. In many cases, you can make relatively minor adjustments to a creature’s statistics, called elite and weak adjustments, to raise or lower its level by 1. Adjust the XP players earn for defeating the creature and how you build encounters with it accordingly.

Elite and weak adjustments work best with creatures that focus on physical combat. These adjustments overstate the normal numerical gains the creature would make from increasing its level to make up for the lack of new special abilities. Creatures that cast spells or rely on noncombat abilities typically need specific adjustments to those spells or abilities. These adjustments have a greater effect on the power level of low-level creatures, as noted. Applying the adjustments more than once to a creature should be avoided. If you need to alter a creature’s level more drastically, use the GM Core guidance on building creatures.

Elite Adjustments

Source Monster Core pg. 6 1.1
Sometimes you’ll want a creature that’s just a bit more powerful than normal so that you can present a challenge that would otherwise be trivial or show that one enemy is stronger than its kin. To do this quickly and easily, apply the elite adjustments to its statistics as follows:
  • Increase the creature’s level by 1; if the creature is level –1 or 0, instead increase its level by 2.
  • Increase the creature’s AC, attack modifiers, DCs, saving throws, Perception, and skill modifiers by 2.
  • Increase the damage of its Strikes and other offensive abilities by 2. If the creature has limits on how many times or how often it can use an ability (such as a spellcaster’s spells or a dragon’s breath), increase the damage by 4 instead.
  • Increase the creature’s Hit Points based on its starting level (see the table below).

Elite Adjustment

Starting LevelHP Increase
1 or lower10
2-415
5-1920
20+30

Weak Adjustments

Source Monster Core pg. 7 1.1
Sometimes you’ll want a creature that’s weaker than normal so you can use a creature that would otherwise be too challenging or show that one enemy is weaker than its kin. To do this quickly and easily, apply the weak adjustments to its statistics as follows:
  • Decrease the creature’s level by 1; if the creature is level 1, instead decrease its level by 2.
  • Decrease the creature’s AC, attack modifiers, DCs, saving throws, Perception, and skill modifiers by 2.
  • Decrease the damage of its Strikes and other offensive abilities by 2. If the creature has limits on how many times or how often it can use an ability (such as a spellcaster’s spells or a dragon’s breath), decrease the damage by 4 instead.
  • Decrease the creature’s HP based on its starting level.

Weak Adjustment

Starting LevelHP Decrease
1-2-10
3-5-15
6-20-20
21+-30