Use this catalog in three ways.
As a table book: choose a creature, read its signs and tactics, and run the stat block. Every finished entry should be usable without opening the original Dort source file.
As a conversion reference: when a Dort source exists only in legacy 5e terms, use Chapter Three, How to Read a Creature, to rebuild the creature around behavior, threat role, and Exodus NDS mechanics.
As a world tool: the strongest creature entries tell you what the local people know, what the land looks like after the creature has lived there, what the creature wants, and what mistakes kill unprepared parties.
Encounter Scale
Creatures in this book use the Exodus NDS adversary tiers:
| Tier | Use | Table Role |
|---|---|---|
| Minion | Packs, swarms, weak beasts, guards, cult rabble | Fast group opposition |
| Elite | Dangerous individuals, serious beasts, trained monsters | Scene-level threat |
| Nemesis | Dragons, named horrors, major undead, unique powers | Full antagonist |
Reading Creature Difficulty
The tier tells you how to run the creature. The role tells you why it exists in the encounter.
| Role | What It Does |
|---|---|
| Ambusher | Starts hidden, punishes poor scouting |
| Bruiser | Holds ground, absorbs punishment, hits hard |
| Controller | Changes movement, visibility, morale, magic, or terrain |
| Harrier | Moves fast, isolates weak targets, disengages cleanly |
| Lurker | Avoids fair fights, strikes from cover or strange angles |
| Swarm | Wins by numbers, pressure, and action economy |
| Apex | Defines the whole region; defeating it is a campaign event |
Player Knowledge
Characters identify creatures with the skill that fits the source of the knowledge:
- Survival for ordinary beasts and natural signs.
- Adventuring Lore for dungeon creatures, monsters, lair signs, and field warnings.
- Planar Lore for planar entities, dragons tied strongly to planes, and Shattered Domain phenomena.
- Secret Lore for infernal, forbidden, undead, Ancient-adjacent, or suppressed knowledge.
- Natural Philosophy for anatomical, alchemical, elemental, and ecological analysis.
Unless an entry says otherwise, a successful Average check identifies the creature's type and one obvious trait. A Hard check identifies one weakness or tactical warning. A Severe check identifies a hidden rule, lair behavior, or rare variant.