Undead Traits

[Xenomorph 27]

Just recently started getting into Pathfinder.

So undead ARE effected by critical hits !?

[zmanerism]

From reading the monster manual I believe so. It is in the back of the book in the monster descriptions

[Karel Gheysens]

Yes,

Critical hits and even precision damage unless specified differently.

The reason IIRC was to increase the effectiveness of classes that rely on precision damage (such as the rogue). If there are to many monsters that are immune to their main damage source, it's not fun for them.

Hence why undead are now not immune to precision damage and critical hits though have increased hit points (1d8 rather then 1d6 IIRC) and maybe some other advantages like extra dr.

P.S. I don't think the other monsters (constructs, oozes) had their immunity removed though you may want to check to be sure.

[Lyrax]

To echo what has been said:

YES! Undead are vulnerable to critical hits and sneak attack damage. Specific creatures might be immune, but they'll say so in their entry.

In Pathfinder, pretty much anything that has discernible anatomy can be hit critically, and can be sneak-attacked. Undead might not use their whole anatomy, but they do have anatomy. And most of them are killed or at least severely hampered by the removal of their heads, so that makes sense.

Oozes, elementals, animated objects and a few other creatures are still immune.

[Zaister]

Please not that incorporal creatures, most of which are undead, are still immune to critical hit and sneak damage

[Wolf Munroe]

Undead are vulnerable to critical hits, unless they are incorporeal. Incorporeal creatures, including incorporeal undead, are immune to critical hits.

Undead have d8 hitdice and gain bonus hitpoints from CHA instead of CON. This is a change from 3.x, where undead had d12 hitdice and did not receive a bonus from an ability score.

Note also that undead with class levels or templates do not get d8 hitdice for their class levels. The d8 hitdice only apply to monster levels. This is a change from 3.x as well, where a level 12 vampire wizard would have 12d12 hitdice, a Pathfinder vampire wizard has 12d6 hitdice (with bonus hitpoints from CHA), because the wizard class is a d6 hitdice class.

[Xenomorph 27]

Thanks everyone!

[Tilnar]

Xenomorph 27 wrote:

Just recently started getting into Pathfinder.

So undead ARE effected by critical hits !?

Yes. The PF staff are fully in support of the "aim for the head" method of Zombie-killing. :)

However, constructs can *also* now be critically hit and/or sneak attacked -- unless otherwise noted in the description (basically: Golem, yes. Animated Object: No.)

[Interzone]

Animated objects can be affected by precision based effects (sneak attack/crit etc)

[Tilnar]

Interzone wrote:

Animated objects can be affected by precision based effects (sneak attack/crit etc)

Really? I thought they were exempted in their description. My bad, sorry.

Sooo, oozes, elementals, incorporeal, and that's it? (Unless otherwise stated)

[divby0]

what does it mean if it states as a monster "immune - undead traits"?

[Howie23]

divby0 wrote:

what does it mean if it states as a monster "immune - undead traits"?

The immune listing in the monster statblock is the list of what things the monster is immune to. If it shows up as you've stated, it's basically a form of shorthand that is fine for experienced GMs, but inconvenient for newer GMs. To know what those immunities are, you have to look at the trait description for undead.