Ranger Favored Enemy vs Pseudonatural Templated Creatures

[Brennan1612]

The pseudonatural template changes the applied creatures type to outsider, but does not give any subtype, can the Rangers Favored Enemy class feature affect it due the choice of a specific subtype of outsider?

[Bronk]

The pseudonatural template changes the applied creatures type to outsider, but does not give any subtype, can the Rangers Favored Enemy class feature affect it due the choice of a specific subtype of outsider?

I think it would often mean that, unless it already had a subtype, since only the type is replaced.

For example, a black dragon is type dragon, subtype water. A pseudonatural black dragon would end up with just the type changed, to type outsider, subtype water, which is a listed favored enemy choice.

This should work for the epic pseudonatural template as well, since although that also adds the 'extraplanar' subtype, that applies to any creature no longer on it's home plane, and can double up with other subtypes.

[Goaty14]

For example, a black dragon is type dragon, subtype water. A pseudonatural black dragon would end up with just the type changed, to type outsider, subtype water, which is a listed favored enemy choice.

This, but the question refers to something like a pseudonatural human, which only has the Outsider type and no subtype. In which case, no, it'd be impossible for any ranger to apply Favored Enemy to such a creature (though if I were your DM, I'd say it's not entirely unreasonable to make it an Outsider (Native), since it is both an outsider and lives on the material plane).

If you really wanted, I guess you could use the spells from Frostburn and Sandstorm that give the (Cold) or (Fire) subtype, respectively.

[Falontani]

Isn't this explicitly what the augmented x tag is for?

[ShurikVch]

This, but the question refers to something like a pseudonatural human, which only has the Outsider type and no subtype.Note:
A pseudonatural creature uses all the base creature's statistics and abilities except as noted here. Even though the creature's type changes, do not recalculate Hit Dice, base attack bonus, or skill points.
Size and Type: The creature's type changes to outsider. Size is unchanged.And the Epic (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/epic/monsters/pseudonaturalCreature.htm) variant:
Size and Type
The creature’s type changes to outsider (extraplanar). Do not recalculate base attack bonus, saves, or skill points. Size is unchanged.Thus, technically, Pseudonatural Human should be Outsider (Human)

[the_david]

Animals with the pseudonatural template would still have no subtype.

For those who missed the punchline: You can select outsiders as your favored enemy, but they need either the native subtype, one of the elemental ones or one of the alignment subtypes. Bane weapons have the same restriction.

Pathfinder has the same problem with favored enemy, but not with bane weapons. That means that aeons and psychopomps can't be selected as favored enemies.

A quick fix for the pseudonatural template would be to add the chaotic subtype, as they go against the laws of the universe.

[ShurikVch]

For those who missed the punchline: You can select outsiders as your favored enemy, but they need either the native subtype, one of the elemental ones or one of the alignment subtypes. Bane weapons have the same restriction.WotC thought it would be overpowered to just allow to take Favored Enemy (Outsider) for the whole Type without restrictions :sigh:


A quick fix for the pseudonatural template would be to add the chaotic subtype, as they go against the laws of the universe.Another possibility is to enable the "Region as a Favored Enemy" option, and select the Far Realm (or Xoriat)

[Zaq]

By RAW, yes, a pseudonatural critter is an outsider without a convenient subtype, so it's extremely hard to get FE against them (unless you're using one of the broader types of FE, like FE: Evil or FE: Arcanist, assuming that the target in question otherwise qualifies).

Personally, I think FE is underpowered and poorly designed in the first place, so if for some reason I were in a game in which it were being used unmodified for some reason, I'd still let the bonus apply if you could apply it to the nonpseudonatural version of the target. Rangers are already way the hell underpowered. If you feel like you MUST have some kind of penalty involved for some reason, make the bonus apply at half strength until the Ranger either makes a K: Planes check or receives tactical instructions from someone who makes the K: Planes check, but even that seems a little petty unless you're running a campaign that's just completely full of these pseudonatural beasties for some reason. (Basically nothing in this paragraph is RAW, but it's still what I recommend. Rangers are weaksauce to begin with. No sense making them weaker.)

[Nifft]

Personally I'd allow Pseudonatural critters to fall under Outsiders (Evil), or in an Aberration-heavy campaign perhaps under Aberrations du to similarity of origin.


Maybe even invent a category for Aberrations / Oozes / Pseudonatural critters -- Favored Enemy: Unnaturally Yucky Stuff.