Monster Components
Whether it be a dragon's tooth, a troll's ear, the blood of a demon, or the claws from a dire bear, some monsters possess treasure as an inherent part of their being rather than carrying it with them. Monster components are parts of the anatomy of slain monsters harvested for various purposes. These items are typically obtained by adventurers who slay these monsters and gather the components. These treasures can have varied usage, whether as enhanced spell components, magic item crafting ingredients, valuable trophies, or alchemical ingredients.
Gathering Monster Components
Monster components are gathered using a combination of the appropriate Knowledge skill to identify them and the Survival skill to actually harvest them. Each is covered in more detail within its respective article, but generally what components a monster has worth harvesting is identified via the Knowledge skill applicable to the monster, then each identified component is harvested using Survival.Monster Component Uses
Monster components have uses as varied as the monsters from which they are harvested, but any given item falls into one or more of four categories: immediate use, crafting, spell components, and trophies. With the exception of trophies, uses of monster components are detailed per monster and per component in individual listings.Immediate Use
Some monster components can be used raw to productive ends. Such items are especially subject to spoilage, and can no longer be used in this fashion if alchemically preserved or put to other uses.Crafting
Many components serve as raw ingredients for certain weapons, armor, and alchemical items. Such components can be used in place of the raw components for these items, and may provide unique bonuses to the items crafted from them. Using such an ingredient in crafting may also affect the Craft DC to make the item in question.Spell Components
Monster components can commonly serve as augmenting spell components, adding additional effects to a spell when consumed in its casting. Most of these serve as additional components rather than replacements, and using them as such consumes the component unless it is listed as a spell focus item.Trophies
All monster components can be crafted into trophies, coveted by collectors and nobility as display pieces or bragging rights. Rather than being treated as individual items, monster components harvested to this end are tracked as single items from a given monster, without any specificity of what specific items are harvested (such details can be described by the player or DM when harvesting a monster, but they have no mechanical impact).
Trophy components are not explicitly listed for each monster, and are instead defined by the CR and size of the monster, as detailed below. Any details not covered here are determined situationally by the DM (typically with player input).
Harvesting Trophy Components
Trophy components must be identified as normal with a Knowledge check, but only require a single Survival check to harvest (DC 15 + the creature's CR).Trophy Weight
The typical weight of a creature's trophy components is determined by its size, and is shown on the Typical Trophy Weights table. This weight is doubled for components centered around bones, hides and skins, and halved for feathers, hair, and small organs such as eyes or glands. The weight of the resultant trophy is generally determined by the nature of the trophy created, or half the weight of the components used in the case of trophies without a defined type upon which to base the weight.Trophy Values
| CR | Value |
|---|---|
| 1 | 50 gp |
| 2 | 100 gp |
| 3 | 150 gp |
| 4 | 200 gp |
| 5 | 300 gp |
| 6 | 400 gp |
| 7 | 500 gp |
| 8 | 650 gp |
| 9 | 850 gp |
| 10 | 1,000 gp |
| 11 | 1,400 gp |
| 12 | 1,800 gp |
| 13 | 2,300 gp |
| 14 | 3,000 gp |
| 15 | 3,900 gp |
| 16 | 5,000 gp |
| 17 | 6,400 gp |
| 18 | 8,000 gp |
| 19 | 10,500 gp |
| 20 | 13,000 gp |
Typical Trophy Weights
| Creature Size | Trophy Weight |
|---|---|
| Fine | — |
| Diminutive | 1/10 lb. |
| Tiny | 1/2 lb. |
| Small | 1d4×1/2 lbs. |
| Medium | 1d6 lbs. |
| Large | 3d6 lbs. |
| Huge | 1d6×10 lbs. |
| Gargantuan | 1d6×30 lbs. |
| Colossal | 1d6×100 lbs. |
Creating Trophies
Once the components have been harvested, they generally remain viable for 24 hours before decay or spoilage ruins them. Some spells, such as Gentle Repose can extend this time, as can a Craft (alchemy) check (DC equal to 10 + the creature's CR). In order to turn the components into a long-lasting trophy, a check with the appropriate Craft skill is required (the exact skill varies according to the nature of the trophy the character is creating, but it is usually one from the following list: alchemy, jewelry, leatherworking, or taxidermy) to preserve the components and turn them into a trophy. The DC of this check is equal to 15 + the creature’s CR.Selling Trophies
Generally, a trophy can be sold to any merchant for its full value, as if it were an art object, but at the GM’s discretion, certain trophies may require the PC to seek out black markets or specialized merchants to receive the full price. In some societies, selling certain trophies may be illegal or have other ramifications. Each monster has a trophy value tied to it's CR, according to the Trophy Values table. For the purposes of determining trophy value, only racial Hit Dice are counted, ignoring any class levels. Creatures who do not have racial Hit Dice and whose CR is defined by class level generally do not have components with any value as trophies. Note that the trophy value does not account for bounties that may be present for killing specific creatures, and are determined separately based on individual circumstances.Magical Affinities of Trophies
Certain creatures provide trophy components that, once processed into actual trophies, are exceptionally useful for the construction of Alchemical or Magic Items. When used as raw materials for the crafting of Alchemical or Magic Items, these trophies are worth more than their normal values for the purposes of calculating the total gp needed to craft the item. The following section details trophy uses for a wide range of creature categories. This list is not intended to be exhaustive; a creature type not listed here does not necessarily mean it has no affinity. Recovery: In order to preserve trophy components into a trophy usable for its magical affinities, a character must use a different skill than Craft to create the trophy. The specific skill required varies according to the creature, as detailed below. Creating a trophy to be used in this way is more difficult than creating one to simply be an art object: the DC to create a magical affinity trophy is equal to 20 + the creature’s CR. If a creature’s trophy components fall into multiple categories (such as an erinyes), the character can choose which of the associated skills to use to craft the trophy. Affinities: The magical uses for a trophy in the construction of alchemical or magic items are listed here. When a trophy is incorporated into raw materials, its gp value is considered to be twice the normal value of the trophy.- Demons
- Recovery: Knowledge (planes)
- Affinities: A demon’s heart contains the essence of sin. It can be used in the creation of any magic item that has a spell with the evil descriptor as a requirement.
- Devils
- Recovery: Knowledge (planes)
- Affinities: A devil’s tongue is infused with the word of law. It can be used in the creation of any magic item that has a spell with the lawful descriptor as a requirement.
- Doppelgangers And Mimics
- Recovery: Knowledge (arcana)
- Affinities: Swaths of skin harvested from a doppelganger or mimic can be used in the creation of any magic item that has a spell of the polymorph subschool as a requirement.
- Elementals
- Recovery: Knowledge (planes)
- Affinities: Residual material harvested from a slain elemental can be used in the creation of magic items that have spells with specific descriptors, as summarized in the Elemental Trophy Affinities table.
- Giants
- Recovery: Knowledge (local)
- Affinities: The sweat glands or muscles and tendons that are harvested from a giant’s arms or legs can be used in the creation of magic items that have Enlarge Person as a requirement or in the creation of any magic melee weapon.
Elemental Trophy Affinities
| Elemental | Material Harvested | Descriptor |
|---|---|---|
| Aether | Crystallized memories | Force |
| Air | Fine dust | Air |
| Earth | Stone fragments | Earth |
| Fire | Warm ash | Fire |
| Ice | Blue ice | Cold |
| Lightning | Sparkling powder | Electricity |
| Magma | Glowing embers | Fire |
| Mud | Viscous sludge | Acid |
| Water | Rare liquid | Water |
- Intelligent Undead
- Recovery: Knowledge (religion)
- Affinities: Necromancy-infused dust or organs from an intelligent undead creature can be used in the creation of any magic item that has Animate Dead, Create Undead, Create Greater Undead, Energy Drain, or Enervation as a requirement; at the DM’s discretion, other necromancy spells can be added to this list (a ghoul, for example, might aid in the creation of items that require Ghoul touch).
- Oozes
- Recovery: Knowledge (dungeoneering)
- Affinities: Fluids harvested from an ooze that deals acid damage can be used in the creation of any magic item that has a spell with the acid descriptor as a requirement or for alchemical gear and weapons associated with acid.
- Petrifying Monsters
- Recovery: Knowledge (arcana)
- Affinity: The portion of a creature capable of petrifying targets (eyes of a basilisk or medusa, talons of a cockatrice, or a gorgon’s lungs, for example) can be used in the creation of any magic item that has Flesh to Stone or Stone to Flesh as a requirement.
- Primeval Creatures
- Recovery: Knowledge (nature)
- Affinities: The claws, fangs, horns, and tusks of primeval creatures (including all Dinosaurs and megafauna, as well as dire animals) can be used in the creation of any magic item that has Bear's Endurance, Bull's Strength, or Cat's Grace as a requirement.
- Proteans
- Recovery: Knowledge (planes)
- Affinities: Scales harvested from a protean seethe with pure chaos and can be used in the creation of any magic item that has a spell with the chaotic descriptor as a requirement.
- Qlippoth
- Recovery: Knowledge (planes)
- Affinities: A qlippoth’s brain is infused with raw madness, and it can be used in the creation of any magic item that has Confusion, Insanity, Confusion, Lesser, or Symbol of Insanity as a requirement.
- Rakshasas
- Recovery: Knowledge (planes)
- Affinities: A rakshasa’s eyes can be used in the creation of any magic item that has Detect Thoughts as a requirement.
- Trolls
- Recovery: Knowledge (local)
- Affinities: A troll’s liver can be used in the creation of any magic item that has a spell of the healing subschool as a requirement.
- True Dragons
- Recovery: Knowledge (arcana)
- Affinities: The organs associated with a true dragon’s breath weapon can be utilized in the creation of any magic item that has a spell that deals energy damage of the same type as the dragon’s breath weapon as a requirement.
- Web-Using Monsters
- Recovery: Knowledge (nature when harvested from something other than a Vermin, the DC of the check to harvest the trophy increases by 2.
- Affinity: The spinnerets of a creature capable of using web as per the universal monster rule can be used in the creation of any magic item that has Spider Climb or Web as a requirement.
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