Step 3: Subtype Graft
Find the monster's subtype (if any) in the list below and apply all abilities listed there. For monsters that replicate common PC races (such as humans or elves), the subtype includes the equivalent of their important racial traits as well. These entries don't always include all the abilities a creature gains from the subtypes as they appear in Bestiary volumes; they omit rules that are only relevant for creating the creature, those that cover the monster's noncombat abilities (such as whether it eats or sleeps), and abilities that aren't as useful for NPCs as they would be for PCs (such as a dwarf's stonecunning ability).
Subtype graft entries use a short format. After the name, each subtype entry has one to three sections listing its abilities, separated by category. Some grafts grant a monster additional senses, movement types, bonuses, or other statistic adjustments. Abilities listed under the options and skills sections are found on Step 7 and 8, respectively. Finally, some abilities directly refer to a universal monster rule in a Bestiary.
All subtype abilities are added automatically; none are optional. They're meant to be included in addition to all the skills and options you can choose for the monster based on its CR and array. Likewise, subtype entries might tell you to add particular monster options or skills. These don't count against the monster's normal number of options or skills.
Subtype Entries
The following subtypes cover all those presented from the first Bestiary through Pathfinder Roleplaying Game: Bestiary 4, with the exception of those that either don't grant significant abilities or have such an impact on the monster that a graft can't cover them. Those subtypes appear in Other Subtypes.
Aeon:Gain a deflection bonus to AC equal to 1/4 CR; options—energy resistance 10 (electricity and fire), immunity (cold, poison, and critical hits).
Agathion:+4 racial bonus on saving throws against poison, truespeech; options—energy resistance 10 (cold and sonic), healing touch, immunity (electricity and poison).
Air:Fly 60 ft. (perfect); skills—gain Fly as an additional master skill.
Angel:+4 racial bonus on saving throws against poison; protective aura; truespeech; options—energy resistance 10 (electricity and fire), immunity (acid, cold, and petrification).
Aquatic:Swim 30 ft.; skills—gain Swim as an additional master skill.
Archon:+4 racial bonus on saving throws against poison; aura of menace, teleport; options—immunity (electricity and petrification).
Asura:+2 racial bonus on saving throws against enchantment spells; elusive aura; options—energy resistance 10 (acid and electricity), immunity (curses, disease, and poison), regeneration (overcome by good), spell resistance, summon allies, telepathy; skills—gain Escape Artist and Perception as additional master skills.
Azata:Options—energy resistance 10 (cold and fire), immunity (electricity and petrification).
Clockwork:Increase AC and touch AC by 2, increase Reflex saving throw bonus by 2, vulnerable to electricity; options—improved initiative.
Cold:Vulnerable to fire; options—immunity (cold).
Daemon:Options—energy resistance 10 (cold, electricity, and fire), immunity (acid, death effects, disease, and poison), summon allies, telepathy.
Demodand:Faith-stealing strike; heretical soul; options—energy resistance 10 (cold and fire), immunity (acid and poison), summon allies.
Demon:Options—energy resistance 10 (acid, cold, and fire), immunity (electricity and poison), summon allies, telepathy.
Devil:See in darkness; options—energy resistance 10 (acid and cold), immunity (fire and poison), summon allies, telepathy.
Div:See in darkness; options—energy resistance 10 (acid and electricity), immunity (fire and poison), summon allies, telepathy.
Dwarf:Darkvision 60 ft.; +2 racial bonus on saving throws against poison, spells, and spell-like abilities.
Earth:Burrow 20 ft., tremorsense (range varies).
Elemental:Options—immunity (bleed, critical hits, flanking, paralysis, poison, sleep effects, and stunning).
Elf:Low-light vision; skills—gain Perception or Spellcraft as an additional master skill; options—immunity (sleep).
Fire:Vulnerable to cold; options—immunity (fire).
Giant:Low-light vision; skills—gain Intimidate as additional good skill.
Gnome:Gain the Small graft, low-light vision, gain one CR-appropriate spell from the illusion spell list.
Goblinoid:Skills—gain Stealth as an additional good skill.
Half-Elf:Low-light vision; options—immunity (sleep); skills—gain one additional master skill.
Half-Orc:Darkvision 60 ft.; skill—gain Intimidate as an additional good skill.
Halfling:Gain the Small graft, +2 racial bonus on saving throws against fear.
Human:Options—gain one additional combat or social option.
Incorporeal:Set touch AC to same value as AC; options—immunity (critical hits and precision-based damage from weapons without ghost touch), incorporeal.
Inevitable:Low-light vision; options—regeneration (overcome by chaotic).
Kami:Merge with ward, ward; Options—energy resistance 10 (acid, electricity, and fire), fast healing, immunity (bleed, mind-affecting effects, petrification, and polymorph effects), telepathy.
Leshy:Constant pass without trace; plantspeech; verdant burst; options—change shape, immunity (electricity and sonic).
Nightshade:Desecrating aura, darksense, low-light vision, light aversion; options—channel energy (negative energy).
Oni:Options—change shape; regeneration (typically overcome by acid or fire).
Orc:Darkvision 60 ft., light sensitivity.
Protean:Blindsense (range varies), amorphous anatomy, constant freedom of movement; options—change shape, constrict, energy resistance 10 (electricity and sonic), immunity (acid), improved combat maneuver (grab).
Psychopomp:Spiritsense, spirit touch; options—damage reduction (5/adamantine), energy resistance 10 (cold and electricity), immunity (death effects, disease, and poison).
Qlippoth:Horrific appearance; options—energy resistance 10 (acid, electricity, and fire), immunity (cold, mind-affecting effects, and poison), telepathy.
Rakshasa:Detect thoughts, enhanced defenses; options—change shape.
Shapechanger:Options—change shape.
Swarm:Takes an additional 50% damage from spells or effects that affect an area; swarm attack; if made of Tiny creatures, the monster takes half damage from slashing and piercing weapons; if made of Fine or Diminutive creatures, the monster is immune to weapon damage; options—distraction, immunity (critical hits, flanking, trip, grapple, bull rush, and spells that target a specific number of creatures).
Water:Swim 30 ft.; skills—gain Swim as an additional master skill.
Other Subtypes
A number of subtypes don't have full entries. Most of these don't grant additional abilities to monsters, and are listed below. A monster gains all subtypes appropriate to it, even those without rules in this chapter, such as the following.
Complex Subtypes
The subtypes listed below don't appear because they're so complex that adding a subtype graft isn't enough. Creatures of these subtypes need to be created carefully, and have detailed rules associated with them that go beyond the scope of simple monster creation.
