Monster Manual V

GLOSSARYmust be triggered as a free action. If a creature must triggerits blindsight ability, the creature gains the benefits ofblindsight only during its turn.Breath Weapon (Su): A breath weapon attack usuallydeals damage and is often based on some type of energy(such as fire). Such breath weapons allow a Reflex save forhalf damage (DC 10 + 1/2 breathing creature’s racial HD +breathing creature’s Con modifier; the exact DC is given inthe creature’s descriptive text). A creature is immune to itsown breath weapon unless otherwise noted. Some breathweapons allow a Fortitude save or a Will save instead of aReflex save.Chaotic Subtype: A subtype usually applied only tooutsiders native to the chaotic-aligned Outer Planes. Mostcreatures that have this subtype also have chaotic alignments;however, if their alignments change they still retainthe subtype. Any effect that depends on alignment affects acreature that has this subtype as if the creature has a chaoticalignment, no matter what its alignment actually is. Thecreature also suffers effects according to its actual alignment.A creature that has the chaotic subtype has the aligned strike(chaotic) ability. It overcomes damage reduction as if its naturalweapons and any weapons it wields were chaotic-aligned(see Damage Reduction).Class Skills: Any skill in which a monster has acquiredat least one rank or in which the creature has a racial bonusis considered a class skill for that kind of creature. Somemonsters, such as the true dragons, have their class skillsexplicitly defined. Other monsters’ class skills can be determinedfrom their statistics blocks.Skills shown in an entry merely because of synergy withanother skill are not class skills. For example, a banshrae’sclass skills are Balance, Bluff, Climb, Disguise, EscapeArtist, Hide, Jump, Knowledge (nature), Listen, MoveSilently, Perform, Spot, and Tumble. Diplomacy, Intimidate,Survival, and Use Rope are mentioned in the creature’sstatistics block because of the synergy benefit granted byother skills. The only exceptions to this rule are creaturesthat have a climb speed, which have Climb as a class skill,and creatures that have a swim speed, which have Swim asa class skill.Cold Subtype: A creature that has the cold subtype hasimmunity to cold. It has vulnerability to fire, which meansit takes half again as much (+50%) damage as normal fromfire, regardless of whether a saving throw is allowed, or if thesave is a success or failure.Constrict (Ex): A creature that has this special attackcan crush an opponent, dealing bludgeoning damage, aftermaking a successful grapple check. The amount of damageis given in the creature’s entry. If the creature also has theimproved grab ability (see page 212), it deals constrictiondamage in addition to damage dealt by the weapon usedto grab.Construct Type: A construct is an animated object orartificially constructed creature.Features: A construct has the following features.—10-sided Hit Dice; no good saving throws.—Base attack bonus equal to 3/4 total Hit Dice (ascleric).—Skill points equal to (2 + Int modifier, minimum 1) perHit Die, with quadruple skill points for the first Hit Die,if the construct has an Intelligence score. However, mostconstructs are mindless and gain no skill points or feats.Traits: A construct possesses the following traits.—Darkvision out to 60 feet.—Low-light vision.—Because its body is a mass of unliving matter, a constructis hard to destroy. It gains bonus hit points basedon size: 10 for a Small construct, 20 for a Medium, 30 fora Large, 40 for a Huge, 60 for a Gargantuan, and 80 for aColossal construct.—Cannot heal damage on its own, but it can often berepaired by exposure to a certain kind of effect or throughthe use of the Craft Construct feat (MM 303). A constructwith the fast healing special quality still benefits fromthat quality.—Immunity to ability damage, ability drain, critical hits,death effects, disease, energy drain, exhaustion, fatigue, mindaffectingspells and abilities, necromancy effects, nonlethaldamage, paralysis, poison, sleep effects, and stunning.—Immunity to any effect that requires a Fortitude save,unless the effect also works on objects or is harmless.—Not at risk of death from massive damage (PH 145).Immediately destroyed when reduced to 0 hit points orfewer.—Since it was never alive, a construct cannot be raisedor resurrected.—No Constitution score.—Proficient with its natural weapons only, unlesshumanoid in form, in which case proficient with any weaponmentioned in its entry.—Proficient with no armor.—Constructs do not eat, sleep, or breathe.Damage Reduction (Ex or Su): A creature that hasdamage reduction (DR) ignores some of the damage fromweapons and natural attacks that don’t meet certain criteria.Wounds heal immediately, or the weapon bouncesoff harmlessly, and the attacker knows the attack wasineffective. Damage reduction doesn’t reduce the damagefrom energy attacks, spells, spell-like abilities, and supernaturalabilities.208