Special Abilities

5.5e / 2024 Special Abilities

In the 2024 rules, monster and character abilities are resolved from the wording of the feature itself. There is no universal Extraordinary / Spell-Like / Supernatural tag system. First identify whether the feature is a spell, a magical feature, a trait, an action, a Bonus Action, a Reaction or another specifically defined game element, then follow that feature’s text.

Fast Adjudication

Common 2024 Ability Groups

• Traits: persistent properties such as special movement, regeneration, unusual senses or defensive features.
• Actions: attacks, multiattacks and other abilities used on the creature’s turn.
• Bonus Actions and Reactions: abilities with their own timing rules. Use the printed trigger and timing exactly.
• Spellcasting: use the 2024 spellcasting rules and the exact spells or spell-like feature text provided.
• Senses: darkvision, blindsight, tremorsense and truesight each answer different detection questions. Use the sense named by the stat block.
• Damage and condition defences: resistance, immunity and vulnerability apply only to the named damage types or conditions.

Invisibility and Detection

Use the 2024 Invisible condition and the creature’s listed senses. Being unseen, being undetected and being outside a creature’s ability to perceive are related but separate questions. Blindsight, tremorsense and truesight do not all reveal the same things.

5e / 2014 Special Abilities

The 2014 rules also resolve special abilities from their individual wording rather than an Ex / Sp / Su classification. A monster trait can be magical, non-magical, spellcasting, innate spellcasting, a recharge ability, a reaction or another unique feature. Use the stat block as the primary rule.

Fast Adjudication

Common 2014 Ability Groups

• Traits: passive or persistent abilities printed above the Actions section.
• Actions: attacks and active powers used on the creature’s turn.
• Reactions: abilities triggered by a stated event.
• Legendary Actions: when a stat block has them, use their printed timing and cost.
• Innate Spellcasting / Spellcasting: use the spell list, usage limits and stated spellcasting ability from the stat block.
• Recharge abilities: regain use only according to the printed recharge notation.

Invisibility and Detection

Use the 2014 invisibility rules together with the creature’s senses. An invisible creature is not automatically hidden: noise, tracks, special senses and the Hide action can all matter separately.

Pathfinder 1E Special Abilities

Ability Types at a Glance

Extraordinary Abilities (Ex)

Extraordinary abilities are exceptional but non-magical. They can represent anatomy, training, instinct or unusual physiology. Antimagic does not switch them off, spell resistance does not block them, and dispel magic does not remove them unless a specific ability says otherwise.

Spell-Like Abilities (Sp)

Spell-like abilities function much like spells without requiring ordinary spell preparation or casting. They are magical, normally interact with Spell Resistance, and stop functioning in antimagic. When an ongoing spell-like effect is eligible for dispelling, use the normal Pathfinder 1E dispel procedure.

Supernatural Abilities (Su)

Supernatural abilities are magical but are not spells. Antimagic suppresses them, but spell resistance normally does not protect against them and dispel magic does not remove them. A monster’s aura, breath or transformation can therefore be magical without behaving like a spell.

Blindsight

Blindsight lets a creature perceive and act against creatures within its listed range without relying on ordinary vision. Read the individual ability for the sense involved, its range and any exceptions.

Blindsense

Blindsense reveals the presence and approximate location of creatures within range but does not normally provide the precision of blindsight or remove concealment by itself.

Channel Resistance

Channel Resistance improves a creature’s defence against channeled energy when its stat block provides the ability. Apply the listed bonus only to the checks or saving throws the Pathfinder 1E rule specifies.

Charm and Compulsion

Charm and compulsion both alter behaviour, but they do so differently. A charm changes how the subject regards another creature; it does not automatically erase identity, intelligence or every existing loyalty. A compulsion can directly force behaviour or override decision-making to the extent described by the specific effect.

• A charm does not grant a shared language.
• Instructions still have to fit the limits of the actual charm or compulsion.
• Hostile action by the controller can end some charm effects; check the individual spell or ability.
• A compulsion follows its own wording for permitted commands, resistance and actions the subject cannot be forced to take.

For broader magical-control guidance, see Enchantment Magic.

Damage Reduction

Damage reduction reduces eligible weapon or natural-attack damage by the listed amount unless the attack has the quality written after the slash. DR 5/magic, for example, reduces applicable damage by 5 unless the attack counts as magical for overcoming that DR.

• Apply DR to qualifying physical attack damage, not to energy damage merely because the energy was delivered by an attack.
• If an attack deals no damage after DR, injury-dependent rider effects may also fail when their rules require actual injury.
• Multiple sources of DR do not normally add together. Apply the most useful applicable DR against that attack.
• A dash after the slash, such as DR 10/—, means the DR has no ordinary bypass quality.

Common Bypass Qualities

When several qualities are separated by and, the attack must satisfy all of them. When they are separated by or, satisfying either is enough.

Darkvision

Darkvision allows vision in darkness out to the creature’s listed range. It is still a visual sense, so invisibility and effects that specifically defeat sight continue to matter.

Death Attacks

A death attack or death effect follows the wording of the individual creature, spell or ability. Do not replace its stated saving throw, immunity or revival restrictions with the ordinary dying rules. Effects such as Death Ward protect against named death effects when their own rules apply.

Energy Drain and Negative Levels

Energy drain applies negative levels according to the source that caused them. Negative levels impose cumulative penalties and can become fatal when they equal or exceed the target’s Hit Dice. Record both the number of negative levels and whether they are temporary or permanent.

• Temporary negative levels use the recovery procedure stated by the effect and the Pathfinder 1E energy-drain rules.
• Permanent negative levels do not disappear merely because the victim rests or returns from death.
• Restoration magic and similar effects work only as their individual rules allow.

Life-draining abilities occur frequently among undead; check the monster entry as well as this general reference.

Energy Immunity and Vulnerability

Immunity prevents damage from the named energy type unless a specific rule creates an exception. Vulnerability increases damage from the named type when the creature or effect explicitly says it is vulnerable. Immunity is not simply a very high resistance score.

Energy Resistance

Energy resistance subtracts the listed amount from each qualifying instance of that energy damage. Resistance is tied to an energy type such as acid, cold, electricity, fire or sonic. If resistance reduces an attack’s energy damage to zero, consequences that depend on actually taking that energy damage may also fail.

Ethereal

Ethereal creatures occupy the Ethereal Plane rather than simply becoming unseen. That changes movement, barriers and which effects can cross between creatures; see the Ethereal Plane when planar position matters.

Fear

Pathfinder 1E fear effects commonly use escalating states such as shaken, frightened and panicked. Apply the condition named by the effect, then check whether another fear effect increases its severity.

• Shaken: the creature suffers the listed fear penalties but retains control of its movement and choices.
• Frightened: the creature must flee from the source when it can, while retaining more control than a panicked creature.
• Panicked: the creature flees under the stronger restrictions of the panicked condition and may drop held items.

Use the Conditions index when a spell or monster names a specific fear condition.

Invisibility

Invisibility defeats ordinary visual detection; it does not erase sound, scent, tracks, displaced water, disturbed dust or other evidence. Keep three separate questions in mind:

1. Do you know something is present? Sound, scent or an obvious disturbance can reveal that an unseen creature is nearby.
2. Do you know its location? Detection is not automatically precise enough to identify the correct square.
3. Can you attack it effectively? Even a located invisible creature can retain concealment and the defensive benefits stated by the Pathfinder 1E invisibility rules.

Darkvision is still visual and does not by itself defeat invisibility.

• Once a creature’s location is known, use the normal Pathfinder 1E concealment and miss-chance rules rather than treating it as visible.
• Tracks, water displacement, noise and disturbed objects can reveal where an invisible creature has been or is moving.
• Scent, Blindsight and similar senses interact with invisibility according to their own rules.
• A visible object carried openly by an invisible creature remains visible unless the effect says otherwise.
• Light still comes from an invisible light source. Invisibility does not automatically defeat divination.

Ethereal creatures involve planar separation as well as visibility. Do not treat etherealness as merely another form of invisibility; see the Ethereal Plane for the larger interaction.

Low-Light Vision

Low-light vision improves sight where some illumination exists. It does not make complete darkness visible and should not be substituted for darkvision.

Paralysis

Paralysis prevents physical action to the extent stated by the Pathfinder 1E condition or individual ability. Keep paralysis separate from unconsciousness, helplessness and effects that specifically impair thought or perception.

Scent

Scent detects creatures through smell and can be especially useful against hidden or invisible targets. Detection, direction and exact pinpointing are separate steps; range, wind and strong competing odours can all matter.

Spell Resistance

Spell Resistance is a defence against spells and spell-like abilities that allow it. It is not a saving throw and it does not normally protect against supernatural or extraordinary abilities.

1. Confirm that the effect allows Spell Resistance.
2. Resolve the caster-level check against the target’s Spell Resistance.
3. If the check succeeds, continue to any saving throw or other defence the effect grants.
4. If it fails, the resisted effect does not affect that creature.

Running Special Abilities at the Table

1. Read the tag first. Ex, Sp and Su tell you which global interactions matter.
2. Check the individual ability. Specific wording overrides this general reference.
3. Resolve defences separately. Concealment, Spell Resistance, saving throws, DR and energy resistance are different mechanics.
4. Track suppression and duration. An ability being suppressed is not always the same as the effect ending.
5. Keep editions separate. Similar names across Pathfinder 1E, 3.5 and 5E do not guarantee identical mechanics.

Pathfinder 1E Source and Scope

This section is an original table-use summary of Pathfinder 1E special-ability concepts and terminology. For edge cases, consult the individual creature, spell or ability and the applicable Pathfinder 1E source.

D&D 3.5e Special Abilities

D&D 3.5e uses the same three broad special-ability tags familiar from many older stat blocks: Extraordinary (Ex), Spell-Like (Sp) and Supernatural (Su). Resolve the ability from its own text first, then use the tag to determine how it interacts with antimagic, spell resistance and dispelling.

Ability Types at a Glance

Extraordinary Abilities (Ex)

Extraordinary abilities are non-magical exceptional capabilities. They can come from anatomy, training, unusual physiology or another special quality. Antimagic does not suppress them and spell resistance does not apply.

Spell-Like Abilities (Sp)

Spell-like abilities function much like spells but are not spells prepared or cast from slots. Unless the individual ability says otherwise, using one is typically a standard action, it can provoke attacks of opportunity, and it can be disrupted. Spell resistance applies when the equivalent spell or ability allows it. Spell-like abilities cannot normally be used to counterspell and cannot normally be counterspelled as though they were spells.

Supernatural Abilities (Su)

Supernatural abilities are magical powers that are neither spells nor spell-like abilities. They are suppressed in antimagic, do not normally provoke attacks of opportunity, are not subject to spell resistance and cannot normally be dispelled.

Damage Reduction

3.5e damage reduction reduces qualifying physical damage unless the attack has the listed bypass quality. The exact notation matters: material, alignment, magic, weapon type and special combinations can all appear. If more than one form of DR could apply, use the rules for the individual creature rather than adding several reductions together automatically.

Spell Resistance

Spell Resistance applies only when the spell or spell-like ability allows it. Resolve the caster-level check against the target’s Spell Resistance before applying the effect. A successful check allows the spell to proceed; it does not replace any saving throw the effect also grants.

Energy Resistance and Immunity

Energy resistance subtracts the listed amount from qualifying damage of the named energy type. Immunity prevents the named energy damage unless a specific rule says otherwise. Do not treat energy resistance as damage reduction: they answer different kinds of damage.

Special Senses

• Darkvision: vision in darkness to the listed range; it is still a visual sense.
• Low-Light Vision: improves vision in dim conditions but does not create sight in complete darkness.
• Blindsight: allows precise perception within the listed range without normal sight, subject to the ability’s stated limits.
• Blindsense: reveals presence and location more broadly but does not normally remove concealment the way blindsight can.
• Scent: detects creatures through smell; direction and pinpointing follow the 3.5e scent rules.

Invisibility

Invisibility prevents ordinary visual detection but does not erase sound, tracks, scent or environmental disturbance. Knowing that an invisible creature is present is not the same as pinpointing its square, and pinpointing the square is not the same as removing concealment. Use the 3.5e concealment and miss-chance rules for attacks against invisible creatures.

Energy Drain and Negative Levels

Energy drain imposes negative levels according to the source. Track temporary and permanent negative levels separately, apply their cumulative penalties, and use the 3.5e recovery and restoration rules. If negative levels reach the creature’s Hit Dice, the result can be fatal.

Fear, Paralysis and Death Effects

These effects use their own named conditions and saving throws. Fear can escalate through the edition’s fear states; paralysis is not the same as unconsciousness; and death effects follow their individual immunity, saving throw and revival rules.

Running 3.5e Special Abilities

1. Read the Ex, Sp or Su tag.
2. Apply the individual ability’s specific wording before general rules.
3. Resolve concealment, Spell Resistance, saving throws, DR and energy resistance separately.
4. Do not import Pathfinder 1E revisions into a 3.5e stat block unless the campaign deliberately converts it.