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Creatures in BareBones Fantasy don’t have skills listed, but this does not mean they can’t have skills from training of any sort. Creatures of all kinds in BareBones Fantasy can have skills and here’s how.

The first thing we need to do on that road is consider how to randomize creature ability scores, and how to convert special abilities, thereby affecting their means to learn skills.

Creature Ability Scores

Creatures can be rolled up just like characters, rolling the character scores as normal. Some may receive penalties to their score based on certain variables. However, you do not need to do this. You may go with the ability scores of the creature as written, or with modifications, instead. This is the easiest way.

Different creatures have different types of intelligence and willpower. These can affect the creature’s ability to learn and develop skills.

LOG Score

When I roll stats for creatures, I consider what type of intelligence (LOG) it has. Creatures incapable of complex communication I dub “Animal” intelligence, while those that communicate in a limited capacity I dub “Crude”, and those with the ability to communicate fluently I dub “Superior”. When rolling creature LOG, I consider it on a scale according to brain size and give it a penalty accordingly. The brain size in relation to body size of creatures with superior intelligence tends to be on the largest end of the scale. But mind you, the type of intelligence does not affect whether the creature can think clearly or make good choices. A creature could be of crude intelligence and still have a high LOG score. Thus, a unicorn’s intelligence would be written as “LOG: 80 (Crude)”.

WIL Score

I also determine whether its WIL is affected by domestication or not. “Wild” creatures can almost never be trained, and usually has a WIL of 100 and is always an animal intelligence, such as an insect. A “domesticated” WIL indicates that the creature can be wild, but has experience with self-control and social interaction, and can be trained, such as a cat, dog or human; those with animal intelligence have a WIL of 100 to all but their trainer. However, grazing animals often raised for food and clothing I dub “domestic”; trained domestics have a very low WIL score, receiving a penalty. I subjectively base my determination and penalties solely upon my experience with similar creatures. I believe a unicorn’s willpower would be written as “WIL: 65 (Domesticated)”.

Converting Creature Templates

The special ability suite of a creature is part of its template, which can be converted to a character template, and should be converted if you intend to include skills, because a creature’s template often reflects an abstraction of untold skills. Converting the template thus becomes necessary to keep from making the creature much more powerful than it was originally intended to be.

To convert its template, you must consider whether the creature receives any ability score bonuses, attack bonuses, special attacks and defenses, magical powers and if it speaks. The MOV rate is simply copied.

Ability Score Bonuses

Note whether a creature has a particularly high or low score in one of its four ability scores. If it does, one way or the other, this likely indicates the presence of either an ability score modifier or special skill. When determining this, consider what type of creature it is and its type of LOG and WIL. (See Creature Ability Scores above.) For example, the unicorn from the BareBones Fantasy rulebook has 80 LOG. In the lore, unicorns don’t generally express a superior type of intelligence, so like horses, they are simply of crude intelligence. But because the LOG score is so high, it may be reflecting the presence of skills through such intelligent considerations as stealth, avoidance, combat prowess, problem solving and tactical analysis. Warrior, thief and scout skills could each be indicated.

Special Abilities

A creature’s special abilities may often be ported directly from the creature’s stat block, but sometimes they need to be converted. You need to consider whether the bonus or ability granted is too powerful as a racial ability in tandem with skills and needs to be scaled back. For example, the unicorn from the BareBones Fantasy rulebook has “Hoof - 75%, damage 3D”; given their 60 DEX, this may be reflecting up to a 3rd level warrior skill. The higher Gore score (85%), seems to indicate a special bonus for the use of the horn. Other factors may be considered, and are fairly subjective, but this is the principle. The teleport ability appears to set the creature at 5th level spellcaster, but given that it is the only such spell in its repertoire outside what appears to be a cleric skill, it is likely an enchantment upon the horse, and thus, since it is not overly powerful, should be ported.

Body Points

You may have noticed that creature BP does not conform to character creation rules. (½ STR.) This is because in creature creation, it is an abstraction of the creature’s ability to survive. There are invisible factors not being expressed in its special abilities that may reflect skills or other special abilities. For this reason, ignore its BP except to identify that there may be some unspoken bonus or special ability being related. Otherwise, untold skills and special abilities are the primary factor. For example, the unicorn from the BareBones Fantasy rulebook has 50 BP, whereas its STR is only 60. Thus 20 BP is unaccounted for. This may be because of the unicorn’s modest warrior skill, or because of some healing factor, which could be explained through the cleric skill.

Creature Skills

Many monsters and creatures of various types demonstrate the ability to learn skills. Goblins, bugbears, golems, orcs, gnomes and centaurs all demonstrate the warrior skill among others. So why not dragons, worgs, basilisks and dire rats?

Dragons are often depicted as intelligent in fiction, so how about making one a wizard? Animals can be trained to act as warriors, thieves and scouts. You have undoubtedly heard of a warhorse. (Warrior + horse.) Enchanted and psionic creatures could be given the spellcaster skill.

Some creatures with crude intelligence can even be trained to disarm devices, wield weapons or track fugitives. Creatures with superior intelligence can learn any skill available, as to a race.

The unicorn also has several special abilities that seem to indicate that it has the cleric skilll, which is certainly possible given that it is an enchanted beast. So instead of porting its abilities over, consider converting them to skills instead. For instance, the unicorn would appear to have at least a 2nd level healing ability, though a very potent ability to dispel evil. Given that it knows 3 cleric spells, one of which is very clearly for 3rd level, it is likely a 3rd level cleric (secondary)..

Creature Development

Creatures with crude intelligence, or who have scores below 35, earn DP at a much reduced rate. Creatures of this type earn only survival, skill and victory DP. Creatures with superior intelligence earn DP normally. Creatures with animal intelligence do not improve.

Unicorn NPC

Now that you have all the information you need for converting a creature stat block into a skilled character, let’s take a look at the unicorn’s new racial abilities and character sheet.

Unicorn (Race)

Enchanted white horses with a rainbow for a tail and a magical horn it uses for battle and for healing.
» Add 10 to starting LOG.
» Natural weapons - hoof does 3D pummel damage, and horn does 4D gore damage
» Natural cleric - starting its first level in cleric as its secondary skill with heal as its first spell. The weapon of its deity is its horn.
» +10 to attacks with its horn.
» Teleport - once per day, may blink to any space within sight.
» Cannot perform ranged attacks.
» Move 20 spaces.

Unicorn NPC Stat Block

Bukuri (Rank: 4)
Race: Unicorn (Enchanted creature)
Gender: Female
STR: 60 BP: 30
DEX: 60 INIT: 2
LOG: 80 (Crude) DR: 0 (5 with protection spell)
WIL: 65 MOV: 20 spaces (Travel 20 leagues)
Moral Code: very brave, totally honorable, very focused, totally kind, totally selfless
Skills: 4th lvl warrior (primary) 70%/--, 3rd lvl cleric (secondary) 73%.
Cleric Spells: dispel, heal, protection
Special abilities: gore (horn) +10, blessings, detect aura, transport (Once daily, sight)
Description: A horse with white body hair and mane with a rainbow for a tail. Spirited show-off.

Now that you know how to do it, give it a try. Why not try an ogre? Or kobold?