Intelligence

Creatures tend to fight as cleverly as they can, and a creature’s intelligence is what determines how clever it can be:

Non- (0)

The creature just reacts to what its senses tell it. It is not capable of assessing the dangers it faces or the rewards it stands to gain. In a fight, a nonintelligent creature turns its attention to the most immediate threat. When badly hurt, a nonintelligent creature usually flees, but some creatures just don’t know when they’re hurt and fight on, ignorant of any danger. Nonintelligent creatures’ combat actions usually are limited to attack or charge. If they flee, they run or sprint rather than withdraw. They do not employ any of the special battle tactics or attack options presented in Chapter One.

Animal (1)

The creature has a limited ability to asses risks and rewards. Generally, it responds only to very basic motivations and does not attack unless it is trained to, it is hungry, or it is defending something it values (such as food, offspring, a mate, or hunting territory). In a fight, an animal intelligence creature relies on its instincts. It attacks the most accessible opponent, the opponent that is most likely to be edible, or the opponent that scared it into attacking. The creature has some grasp of tactics, enough to know that flank attacks are better than frontal attacks and that rear attacks are better than flank attacks. The creature also instinctively understands the value of not being detected prior to its attacks.

Animal intelligence creatures usually flee if badly injured, but can fight to the death if trapped or cornered. An animal intelligence creature’s combat actions can include attack, charge, guard (such as a cat waiting at a mouse hole), run, and sprint. Like nonintelligent creatures, they do not use battle tactics or attack options.

Semi- (2–4)

The creature has some ability to assess risks and rewards and is smart enough to delay an attack until a good opportunity presents itself. It is capable of learning something about its opponents’ abilities. A lion or tiger, for example, knows enough to stay downwind of creatures that depend on scent and to stay behind creatures that depend on sight. With experience, the creature probably can learn to recognize missile and melee weapons and to direct attacks at lightly armed characters. If the creature has encountered missile weapons, it learns to recognize the value of cover. Otherwise it is limited to attacking, charging, guarding, running, and sprinting.

Low (5–7)

The creature relies more on experience and reasoning than instincts. It is generally aware of risks and rewards. It can make simple plans and can employ any attack option that it is equipped to use. For example, a low intelligence creature can employ missile weapons, but only if they are available. Most battle options are still beyond the creature’s grasp, but it can make unarmed attacks, ride a mount, and maybe join a spear hedge or shield wall (see Chapter One).

Average–Very (8–12)

The creature might occasionally act from impulse, but generally relies on reasoning and observation to make decisions, and it can think beyond the obvious. The creature has a good appreciation of risks and rewards, but this is limited by its experience. It is capable of planning and organizing its actions and coordinating them with others. The creature can use any of the attack options, battle tactics, and combat options presented in Chapter One.

High–Exceptional (13–16)

The creature generally is not impulsive. In battle, it thinks ahead and considers how its current actions might affect its options in the future. The creature is very flexible, and can alter its tactics to fit an unforeseen situation. The creature can use any of the attack options, battle tactics, and combat options presented in Chapter One.

Genius–Supra Genius (17–20)

The creature is very insightful and almost never impulsive. It plans for the future and always carefully measures risks against rewards. Any scheme or subterfuge it employs is apt to be hard to detect and very deadly.

Godlike (21+)

The creature can make correct deductions from incomplete information. It is invariably knows the most appropriate action to take in any situation. (Though it might not always take it; godlike beings are hard to understand.) To reflect the creature’s superior intellect, the DM might decide to make the PCs declare their actions before deciding what the creature does in a given combat round.

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