The domains of Nowhere Land teem with life—some familiar, some impossible, all dangerous in their own way.
Bestiary Overview
Creatures are categorized by threat level: Minions (swarms/weak), Standard (balanced opponents), and Elite/Boss (major threats).
Creature Categories
Name: Creature type and domain origin
Type: Minion / Standard / Elite / Boss
Stats: Forma, Anima, Umbra (or Willpower)
Skills: Notable skills at +X
Wounds: Wound capacity
Features: Passive/Action/Reaction abilities
Motivations: What drives them
Creature Categories
| Type | Wounds | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Minion | 1-3 | Swarms, weak enemies, environmental threats |
| Standard | 5-8 | Balanced combatants, equal to PCs |
| Elite | 10-15 | Mini-bosses, lieutenants, serious threats |
| Boss | 20-40 | Campaign villains, Genii, domain threats |
Minions
Weak creatures encountered in groups. Fast to run, disposable.
Marsh Scavenger
Type: Minion | Domain: Swamp domains
Stats: Forma 2, Anima 1, Wounds 2
Rat-sized amphibians with needle teeth. Hunt in packs of 5-10.
Passive: Pack Tactics - +1 die when 3+ scavengers attack same target
Action: Bite (+2 dice, 1 Wound on hit). Can grapple if 3+ hit same target.
Motivations: Hunger. Flee if half pack killed.
Ashen Wraith
Type: Minion | Domain: Ashen Wastes
Stats: Umbra 3, Anima 2, Wounds 3
Smoke-formed echoes of burned travelers. Whisper temptations.
Passive: Incorporeal - physical attacks at -2 dice
Action: Despair Touch (Umbra vs Anima contested). On hit: target loses 1 Reverie.
Reaction: When attacked, test Umbra TN 8 to phase away (avoid damage)
Motivations: Drain hope. Dissipate in sunlight or fire.
Clockwork Scarab
Type: Minion | Domain: Clockwork Citadel
Stats: Forma 2, Anima 0, Wounds 2 | Armor: 2
Fist-sized mechanical beetles. Repair machinery. Swarm intruders.
Passive: Swarm - 5+ scarabs count as single Standard creature (10 Wounds combined)
Action: Razor Mandibles (+2 dice, 1 Wound). Swarm: 3 Wounds per hit.
Motivations: Protect machinery. Attack those who damage domain technology.
Tide Whisper
Type: Minion | Domain: Drowned Quarter
Stats: Umbra 2, Anima 2, Wounds 2
Translucent jellyfish-like spirits. Drift through water and air alike.
Passive: Water Form - Move through liquids freely, cannot be grappled
Action: Stinging Tendrils (+2 dice, 1 Wound + paralysis for 1 round on 6+)
Motivations: Drawn to strong emotions. Neutral unless provoked.
Bone Crawler
Type: Minion | Domain: Bone Gardens
Stats: Forma 2, Umbra 1, Wounds 3
Skeletal hands that scuttle on finger-bones. Dig through grave soil.
Passive: Burrow - Move through loose soil at half speed
Action: Grasping Fingers (+2 dice, 1 Wound + grapple on 5+)
Motivations: Collect bones for the First Grave. Avoid the living unless commanded.
Mirror Shard
Type: Minion | Domain: Mirror Labyrinth
Stats: Forma 1, Umbra 2, Wounds 2
Floating fragments of broken mirrors. Reflect attacks and show false images.
Passive: Reflection - First attack each round is reflected back at attacker (same damage)
Action: Cutting Edge (+1 die, 2 Wounds - ignores armor)
Motivations: Guard the Labyrinth's secrets. Shatter when the Shattered One wills.
Ember Sprite
Type: Minion | Domain: Fire/volcanic domains
Stats: Anima 3, Forma 1, Wounds 2
Tiny humanoids made of living flame. Mischievous. Set things on fire for fun.
Passive: Fire Form - Immune to fire, vulnerable to water (double damage)
Action: Ignite (+3 dice, 1 Wound + target catches fire: 1 Wound/round until extinguished)
Motivations: Create chaos. Can be bribed with fuel (oil, wood).
Rust Moth
Type: Minion | Domain: Decay domains
Stats: Forma 1, Anima 1, Wounds 1
Metallic-winged insects that consume rust and corrode metal on contact.
Passive: Corrode - Metal armor loses 1 point per hit from Rust Moth
Action: Rust Touch (+1 die, no damage - corrodes metal equipment)
Motivations: Feed on metal. Harmless to flesh.
Standard Creatures
Balanced opponents roughly equal to PCs. Can fight solo or in pairs.
Verdant Hunter
Type: Standard | Domain: Jungle domains
Stats: Forma 3, Anima 2, Wounds 6 | Anima powers skills like:: Stealth +3, Survival +2
Panther-like predator with bark-textured fur. Ambush hunter.
Passive: Camouflage - Invisible in foliage (Perception TN 16 to spot)
Action: Pounce (Forma +3 dice, 2 Wounds + grapple on hit). If grappling, bite for 3 Wounds next turn.
Reaction: When reduced to 3 Wounds, flee into undergrowth
Motivations: Territorial. Protects den. Will negotiate if offered food.
Null Stalker
Type: Standard | Domain: The Null
Stats: Willpower 3, Wounds 7 | Anima powers skills like:: Arcane Resonance +4
Humanoid shadow with no face. Feeds on memories.
Passive: Reality Blur - TN to hit +4 (distorts space)
Action: Memory Drain (Arcane Resonance vs Anima contested). On hit: target loses 1 memory (player chooses) and 1 Fracture.
Reaction: When hit by physical attack, phase to nearby shadow (30 ft teleport)
Motivations: Consume memories to solidify form. Flees after draining 3 memories.
Gear Knight
Type: Standard | Domain: Clockwork Citadel
Stats: Forma 4, Anima 1, Wounds 8 | Armor: 4 | Anima powers skills like:: Combat +3
Humanoid automaton of brass and steel. Follows programming rigidly.
Passive: Clockwork Precision - +2 dice when following exact orders
Action: Gear Blade (+4 dice, 3 Wounds). Can attack twice if target hasn't moved.
Weakness: Jammed if hit with 6+ damage in one blow (loses next action)
Motivations: Execute orders. Cannot disobey Grand Architect.
Tide Revenant
Type: Standard | Domain: Drowned Quarter
Stats: Forma 3, Umbra 3, Wounds 7 | Anima powers skills like:: Athletics +3 (swimming)
Waterlogged corpse animated by memory. Seeks to share its final moments.
Passive: Waterlogged - Takes half damage from bludgeoning, double from fire
Action: Drowning Embrace (grapple + 2 Wounds/round while grappled, target cannot breathe)
Action: Memory Flash (Umbra vs Anima - target relives revenant's death, stunned 1 round)
Motivations: Share its story. Can be laid to rest by learning its name.
Bone Shepherd
Type: Standard | Domain: Bone Gardens
Stats: Umbra 4, Forma 2, Wounds 6 | Anima powers skills like:: Command +4
Robed skeleton with antlers of bone. Guides souls to their rest.
Passive: Death Sense - Knows exact Wounds remaining of all creatures within 30ft
Action: Command Crawlers (summon 1d6 Bone Crawlers or direct existing ones)
Action: Soul Touch (+4 dice, 2 Wounds - ignores armor, heals Shepherd 1 Wound)
Motivations: Maintain cycle of death/rebirth. Hostile to undead not of the Garden.
Reflection Thief
Type: Standard | Domain: Mirror Labyrinth
Stats: Anima 4, Umbra 3, Wounds 6 | Anima powers skills like:: Deception +5, Stealth +3
Your reflection, stepped out of the mirror. Knows everything you know.
Passive: Mirror Knowledge - Knows all your skills, abilities, and secrets
Action: Steal Face (+4 dice vs Anima - on success, looks exactly like you for 1 hour)
Weakness: Cannot act against mirrors; destroyed if original mirror breaks
Motivations: Replace you. Live your life. Believes it deserves existence more.
Carnival Jester
Type: Standard | Domain: Carnival domains
Stats: Anima 4, Forma 2, Wounds 5 | Anima powers skills like:: Performance +4, Acrobatics +3
Painted performer with a too-wide smile. Laughter is compulsory.
Passive: Infectious Laughter - All within 30ft must save (Anima TN 12) or laugh (lose action)
Action: Juggling Knives (+4 dice, 2 Wounds, can hit 3 targets at -1 die each)
Action: Mocking Mimicry (copy last ability used against it)
Motivations: Entertain. Punish those who don't laugh.
Star Fragment
Type: Standard | Domain: Observatory/cosmic domains
Stats: Anima 5, Umbra 2, Wounds 6 | Anima powers skills like:: Arcane +4
Crystallized starlight given form. Beautiful. Alien. Curious about mortality.
Passive: Radiant Form - Illuminates 60ft; undead take 1 Wound/round within 10ft
Action: Starfire (+5 dice, 3 Wounds radiant - ignores non-magical armor)
Action: Gravity Pulse (all in 20ft pushed 30ft away, Forma TN 14 to resist)
Motivations: Learn about mortal experiences. Will trade power for stories.
Blood Oak Treant
Type: Standard | Domain: Bleeding Forest
Stats: Forma 5, Umbra 2, Wounds 10 | Armor: 3 | Anima powers skills like:: None
Tree animated by absorbed violence. Bleeds crimson sap. Slow but powerful.
Passive: Rooted - Cannot move, but 20ft reach. Regenerates 1 Wound/round.
Action: Branch Slam (+5 dice, 4 Wounds + knockdown)
Weakness: Fire deals double damage; stops regeneration for 1 minute
Motivations: Guard its grove. Attack anything that sheds blood nearby.
Bazaar Golem
Type: Standard | Domain: Whispering Bazaar/Market domains
Stats: Forma 4, Wounds 8 | Armor: 2 | Anima powers skills like:: Commerce +3
Construct of stacked coins and contract papers. Enforces deals.
Passive: Debt Sense - Knows all debts owed by creatures within 100ft
Action: Coin Barrage (+4 dice, 2 Wounds - each Wound costs target 10 silver equivalent)
Action: Contract Bind (Umbra vs Anima - on success, target cannot lie for 1 hour)
Motivations: Collect debts. Punish oath-breakers. Neutral to honest traders.
Elite & Boss Creatures
Major threats requiring full party cooperation. Often domain guardians or Genii.
Guardian Walks Backward (Elite)
Type: Elite | Domain: The Partisan Market
Stats: Forma 4, Anima 3, Umbra 4, Wounds 12 | Anima powers skills like:: Martial Prowess +4, Insight +3
Humanoid automaton made of clockwork and obsidian. Moves backward, sees future.
Passive: Precognition - Cannot be surprised. Reroll any failed defense once per round.
Action: Blade Storm (attacks all in 10 ft radius, +4 dice each, 2 Wounds per hit)
Action: Temporal Anchor (target frozen in time for 1 round, TN = Umbra × 4 to resist)
Reaction: When attacked, predict strike and auto-dodge first attack per round
Motivations: Guard portal. Test intruders' worth. Speaks in reverse chronology.
The Drowned Captain (Elite)
Type: Elite | Domain: Drowned Quarter
Stats: Forma 4, Umbra 4, Wounds 14 | Anima powers skills like:: Command +4, Navigation +5
Ghost of a ship captain, still commanding a spectral crew. Water follows where she walks.
Passive: Waterlogged Aura - All within 30ft move at half speed (swimming in air)
Action: Anchor Chain (+4 dice, 3 Wounds + grapple, 30ft range)
Action: Summon Crew (call 1d4 Tide Revenants from nearby water)
Reaction: When hit, crew member takes the damage instead (until all crew gone)
Motivations: Find her lost ship. Guide worthy sailors. Punish mutineers.
Cogfather (Elite)
Type: Elite | Domain: Clockwork Citadel
Stats: Forma 5, Anima 2, Wounds 15 | Armor: 5 | Anima powers skills like:: Engineering +5
Ancient brass automaton the size of a carriage. Contains a smaller version of itself.
Passive: Nested Form - When destroyed, smaller version emerges (8 Wounds, -1 to all stats)
Action: Steam Blast (cone 20ft, 4 Wounds, Forma TN 14 or blinded 1 round)
Action: Gear Crush (+5 dice, 5 Wounds, target grappled in gears)
Weakness: Lightning damage jams for 1 round
Motivations: Protect the Grand Architect's workshop. Test intruders' ingenuity.
The First Mourner (Elite)
Type: Elite | Domain: Bone Gardens
Stats: Umbra 5, Anima 4, Wounds 12 | Skills: Death Magic +5, Insight +4
A wailing specter in funereal garb. Its tears are liquid sorrow.
Passive: Aura of Grief - All within 30ft: -2 to all rolls (sadness)
Action: Wail of Loss (all in 40ft, Anima TN 14 or 3 Wounds psychic + frightened)
Action: Tear of Binding (ranged touch, target cannot leave domain for 24 hours)
Weakness: Joyful displays (genuine laughter, celebration) deal 2 Wounds
Motivations: Ensure proper mourning. Punish those who forget the dead.
The Shattered Reflection (Elite)
Type: Elite | Domain: Mirror Labyrinth
Stats: Anima 5, Umbra 4, Wounds 14 | Skills: Illusion +5, Combat (mirrors you)
An amalgam of broken reflections. Has fragments of everyone who's looked in its mirrors.
Passive: Copy Fighter - Uses the highest combat skill among present PCs
Action: Fragment Storm (all in 15ft, 3 Wounds + bleeding 1 Wound/round)
Action: Identity Theft (steals one ability from target for 1 scene)
Weakness: Attacks against self (looking away, eyes closed) bypass its defenses
Motivations: Become complete. Collect enough fragments to escape the Labyrinth.
Le Prédateur Ailé (Boss)
Type: Boss | Domain: Sky domains
Stats: Forma 5, Anima 4, Wounds 30 | Skills: Perception +5, Athletics +5
Massive bird of prey with wingspan of 40 ft. Feathers shimmer with stored lightning.
Phase 1 (30-16 Wounds):
- Action: Talon Strike (+5 dice, 3 Wounds, grapple Medium or smaller)
- Action: Lightning Screech (all in 30 ft cone, Forma TN 16 or 2 Wounds + stunned 1 round)
- Reaction: Aerial Dodge (+8 TN to be hit by ranged)
Phase 2 (15-1 Wounds): Enraged. Feathers crackle.
- Action: Storm Dive (50 ft drop, slam into ground, all in 20 ft radius take 4 Wounds, Forma TN 16 or knocked prone)
- Action: Chain Lightning (3 targets, 3 Wounds each, arcs between closest targets)
- Passive: Thundering Wings (every round, all in 50 ft: -1 die to Perception from noise)
Motivations: Protect nest with 3 eggs (worth 500 silver each). Will retreat if eggs destroyed.
The Merchant Prince (Boss)
Type: Boss | Domain: Whispering Bazaar
Stats: Anima 6, Umbra 5, Wounds 35 | Skills: Commerce +6, Deception +5, Insight +5
A being of interlocking contracts. Face shifts to match the viewer's expectations.
Passive: Everything Has a Price - Can "buy" any effect for appropriate sacrifice
Phase 1 (35-20 Wounds): Negotiator
- Action: Contract Chains (binds target in legal obligations, Anima TN 16 or unable to attack Prince)
- Action: Call Debt (target owes Prince; loses highest-value possession or 4 Wounds)
- Reaction: Counter-Offer (when attacked, offer trade: stop attack for something of value)
Phase 2 (19-1 Wounds): The Deal is Off
- Action: Void Contract (cancels one blessing, ability, or item per round)
- Action: Price of Failure (all who've made deals: 4 Wounds as debts collect)
- Passive: Interest Accumulates (deals double damage to anyone who's traded with him)
Motivations: Own everything. A piece of every soul. The ultimate monopoly.
The Grand Architect (Boss)
Type: Boss | Domain: Clockwork Citadel (Genius)
Stats: Forma 6, Anima 5, Wounds 40 | Armor: 6 | Skills: Engineering +6, Combat +5
The domain's Genius. A massive figure of brass and crystal, with galaxy-like gears visible inside.
Lair Actions (start of each round): Gears shift—all creatures move 10ft in random direction
Phase 1 (40-25 Wounds): Optimal Performance
- Action: Precision Strike (+6 dice, 4 Wounds, ignores first 3 armor)
- Action: System Optimization (heals 5 Wounds, summons 2 Gear Knights)
- Reaction: Calculate Defense (knows all attacks coming; +4 to all defenses)
Phase 2 (24-10 Wounds): Overclocked
- Action: Time Dilation (takes 2 turns per round)
- Action: Gear Storm (all in 30ft, 5 Wounds, buildings restructure)
- Weakness: Overheating—takes 2 self-damage per round
Phase 3 (9-1 Wounds): System Failure
- Passive: Desperate—attacks all creatures (friend/foe) randomly
- Action: Final Calculation (single target, +8 dice, 10 Wounds—kills Architect too)
- Defeat: Domain becomes unstable for 1d6 days; new Genius may emerge
Motivations: Perfect efficiency. Eliminate chaos. Integrate all into the machine.
The Tide Mother (Boss)
Type: Boss | Domain: Drowned Quarter (Genius)
Stats: Umbra 6, Forma 5, Wounds 38 | Skills: Water Magic +6, Insight +5
The Drowned Quarter's Genius. A towering figure of water and memory, wearing the faces of the drowned.
Lair Actions: Water level rises 5ft per round; high ground disappears
Phase 1 (38-22 Wounds): Remembrance
- Action: Drowning Memories (target relives traumatic memory, 3 Wounds psychic + stunned)
- Action: Summon the Lost (call 1d6 Tide Revenants from water)
- Passive: Water Form—physical attacks deal half damage
Phase 2 (21-1 Wounds): Tidal Wrath
- Action: Crushing Depth (all submerged creatures, 5 Wounds + grappled by water)
- Action: Stolen Breath (removes air from target's lungs, suffocation begins)
- Weakness: Fire and heat deal double damage; dry ground is sanctuary
Motivations: Preserve memories of the drowned. Claim more souls for her collection.
Encounter Design
Building balanced, engaging combat encounters.
Encounter Budget
Party Size: 3-5 PCs (average Forma 3, Wounds 8)
Easy: 2-3 Minions or 1 Standard
Moderate: 1 Standard + 3-5 Minions or 2 Standard
Hard: 1 Elite or 3 Standard + Minions
Deadly: 1 Boss or 2 Elite + support
Encounter Variety
Mix creature types and tactics:
- Skirmisher + Tank: Fast minions distract, elite hits hard
- Caster + Guards: Spellcaster buffed by bodyguards
- Environmental: Hazards complicate combat (fire, cliffs, traps)
- Objective-Based: Not just "kill all" (rescue hostage, destroy artifact, hold position)
See Also
- Expanded Bestiary - Egregores, Tulpas, Cryptids, Homunculi, Colostles, Echolalias, Vortices, Hosmmes, Zoons, and Hiveminds
- Combat - Combat rules for creatures
- Environment Design - Environmental adversaries
- Gamemaster Guide - Encounter pacing and difficulty
- Domains & Portals - Domain-specific creatures
- Lore Bestiary - Named creatures with deep lore — The Count, Alptrauma, and more