Threat Stat Blocks

AX.C.13.03

This section provides the standard stat block template for AxiomRPG Threats and a field-by-field guide to filling it out correctly. Every Threat in a published Genre Catalog or custom encounter should use this format to ensure consistency and playability at the table.

For the step-by-step building process (Attributes, Health, Defense, Saves), see AX.C.13.02.

The Stat Block Template

[THREAT NAME] ([Power Tier])

[One sentence capturing the essence of this Threat and its primary danger.]

Type: [Category] ([Subcategory if applicable]) Threat Power Tier: [Minion / Standard / Elite / Champion / Legendary] Size: [Tiny / Small / Medium / Large / Huge]

Attributes - Body: [X]D - Speed: [X]D - Wit: [X]D

Talents - [Talent Name]: [X]D - [Talent Name]: [X]D - [Additional Talents as appropriate]

Combat Statistics - Health: [XX] (20 + Body [X] + [Tier] Modifier [X]) - Defense: [X] (1 + (Speed [X] + Armor [X]) ÷ 3 = [X], round down) - Armor: [None / Light / Medium / Heavy] ([Armor Value])

Saves - Body Save: [X]D (Body [X]D + Fortitude [X]D) - Speed Save: [X]D (Speed [X]D + Acrobatics [X]D[, − Armor Penalty if applicable]) - Wit Save: [X]D (Wit [X]D + Resolve [X]D)

Attacks - [Attack Name]: [Attribute] [X]D + [Talent] [X]D = [Total]D vs. Defense - [Secondary Attack]: [Pool composition] = [Total]D vs. Defense / Threshold [X]

Special Abilities - [Ability Name] ([Action Type], [Frequency]): [Mechanical description range, Save Threshold if any, effect, duration.]

Tactics [2–4 sentences: opening move, preferred targets, use of special abilities, response to adversity, and retreat conditions.]

Lore [2–4 sentences: origin, habitat, behavior, motivations, and relationship to other Threats or factions. Written for Genre Catalog tone.]

Rewards [Setting-appropriate rewards per Genre Catalog guidelines. See your Genre Catalog's wealth and reward tables for specific values.]

Field Reference

Name and Power Tier: The header sets table expectations immediately. The Power Tier in parentheses tells players what they're broadly dealing with before the first roll.

Type: A Genre Catalog category tag. Has no universal mechanical effect in Core Rules — Genre Catalog may add interactions (e.g., fire damage vs. Undead). Use the most specific applicable tag. If none fits, "Creature," "Construct," or "Entity" covers most cases.

Size: Size has no default mechanical effect but may interact with Genre Catalog rules for grappling, cover, and area effects. Use the scale that fits the fiction.

Attributes: Always show the dice notation (e.g., Body 3D). All three Attributes must be present, even if 0D. A Threat with 0D in an Attribute cannot roll with it.

Talents: List all assigned Talents with their dice value. Omit Talents with 0D — their absence is implied.

Health: Show the full calculation in parentheses. This helps GMs verify accuracy at a glance and makes it easy to adjust on the fly. Threats do not use Fortitude in Health calculation.

Defense: Show the full calculation. Rounding down happens before adding the +1 base. Minimum Defense is 1 regardless of calculation result.

Saves: Show the component breakdown. If armor applies a penalty to the Speed Save's Acrobatics component, note it inline: "Speed Save: 3D (Speed 3D + Acrobatics 1D − Light Armor 1D)."

Attacks: Every attack shows its full dice pool (Attribute + Talent = Total). Show the Threshold type vs. Defense for attacks, or vs. Threshold [X] for abilities targeting saves.

Standard attack types:

Melee: Body + Strike
Ranged: Speed + Precision
Odd Talent: Relevant Attribute + Odd Talent (Force, Resonance, or Form)

Damage: Damage equals the number of successes from a successful attack. There is no separate damage roll. A typical result at each tier:

Tier	Typical Damage Per Hit
Minion	2–3
Standard	3–5
Elite	5–7
Champion	7–9
Legendary	9–12

Explosion on Attack Rolls: When the Wild Die shows 6 on a successful attack, the result was exceptional. Narrate a meaningful contextual consequence beyond the raw damage — a character is driven back, disarmed, caught off-guard, or left in a worse position for the next exchange. There is no fixed "double damage" result; the effect should serve the fiction and the scene.

Implosion on Attack Rolls: When the Wild Die shows 1 on a failed attack, the failure cost something. Narrate what went wrong — overextension, a stumble, a weapon lodged in the environment, or a momentary opening the party can exploit.

Critical Triggers (Optional — see AX.C.02.05): Groups using the Critical Triggers optional rule apply the structured Critical Success and Critical Failure effect lists to Threat attack rolls as well. The GM selects from the appropriate combat options when a Critical Success (attack succeeds AND Wild Die shows 6) or Critical Failure (attack fails AND Wild Die shows 1) is triggered.

Special Abilities: Every ability entry must be self-contained. A GM should be able to run the ability mid-combat without referencing another section. Include: action type, frequency, range, Save (pool and Threshold) if applicable, effect, and duration. If an ability produces a Condition, reference it by name and severity (Minor −1D / Moderate −2D / Major −3D) and note which Attribute track it affects.

Tactics: Write in prose, not bullet points. Two to four sentences covering how this Threat opens a fight, what it prioritizes, how it uses its special abilities, and when it retreats or changes approach. Tactics should be consistent with the Threat's intelligence tier (see AX.C.13.04).

Lore: Two to four sentences for the GM's eyes. Cover origin, territory, motivations, and how this Threat fits into the larger setting. Keep it Genre Catalog-appropriate — tone and content should match the catalog's established voice.

Rewards: Reference Genre Catalog wealth guidelines. Do not embed currency amounts in Core Rules stat blocks — what constitutes valuable treasure varies fundamentally by setting.

Power Level Summary

This table provides a quick sanity check against a completed stat block.

Tier	Total Attr. Dice	Typical Health	Typical Defense	Typical Attack Pool
Minion	3–4D	25–27	1–2	3–4D
Standard	5–7D	31–34	2	4–6D
Elite	8–10D	37–40	2–3	6–8D
Champion	11–13D	48–51	3–4	8–10D
Legendary	14D+	74+	4+	10–12D

Typical Attack Pool = primary Attribute + primary combat Talent.

Stat Block Quality Checklist

Before finalizing any Threat entry:

Total Attribute dice match the chosen Power Tier range
Health calculated correctly: 20 + Body Value + Tier Health Modifier
Defense calculated correctly: 1 + (Speed + Armor Value) ÷ 3 (round down), minimum 1
All attack pools shown as full calculations: Attribute + Talent = Total
Armor Penalty applied to Acrobatics component of Speed Save if applicable
Special abilities state: action type, frequency, range, Save Threshold, effect, duration
Odd Talent access established if Threat uses Force, Resonance, or Form
Tactics consistent with Threat's Wit value and intelligence tier (see AX.C.13.04)
Lore appropriate to Genre Catalog tone
Rewards reference Genre Catalog guidelines rather than generic currency amounts

For worked examples using this template, see AX.C.13.05.