Phenotype describes the observable physical characteristics of a creature. Broadly, this is divided into four categories:

• Amorphous: Nondescript shape. May be only semisolid, but does not change wildly.
• Beast: Animal shape.
• Humanoid: Humaniform, particularly sentient creatures.
• Shapeshifter: Shape changes wildly.

Genotype describes the innate characteristics of a creature, as determined by what it is, and, often in the fantasy world, where it is from. Broadly:

• Aberration: A creature alien to all normal sensibilities; its anatomy does not necessarily make sense.
• Elemental: Made principally out of pure energy. Often a mobile "force" that animates extant elements, but is not the elements themselves.
• Magical: Existence depends on and/or is because of magic. May be an otherwise natural creature that has been magically altered or augmented, or may be a creature that evolved naturally in a magical world.
• Extraplanar: An outsider, from another plane of reality.
• Natural: A proper, natural creature.
• Undead: Not alive, not dead, some terrible third state.
• Mechanical: A machine, manmade or otherwise.

How does one describe type? See below.

Amorphous

With no discrete anatomy, amorphous creatures have no organs or weak points to strike.

Effects:

• Immune to critical hits

Shapeshifter

Shapeshifters can take forms which would otherwise be described as another type (e.g. becoming a human, which is a natural humanoid). When they take such a form, they have all normal traits of that type, for as long as they remain in that form.

Aberration

This type is too broad to narrow down any specific game modifiers.

Elemental

This type is too broad to narrow down any specific game modifiers.

Elementals often have Descriptors such as Fire, which implies immunity or resistance to fire damage.

The creatures known as "elementals" in other fantasy games would likely be "amorphous elementals" in System 7, thus gaining the traits of Amorphous.

Extraplanar

Any creature not currently on its home plane is Extraplanar. Technically, a human visiting the home plane of a demon is Extraplanar while there, and the demon is himself Natural.

Extraplanar creatures are subject to dismissal, banishment, certain types of wards, etc. See Magic and other associated powers.

The term Outsider is a descriptor that refers to a certain type of Extraplanar creature.

Undead

All undead are, by definition, neither alive nor dead. As such, they can neither be killed, nor resurrected. They can be destroyed, as it were. Typically, undead were once natural creatures, complete with organs and weak points; these don't go away entirely in death, but they are significantly less weak.

Effects:

• Immune to death effects
• Immune to biological effects (disease, poison)
• 50% Fortification

Many undead are Incorporeal. Others might have a Power Source which modifies the default traits.

Mechanical

As non-biological beings, constructs are not subject to biological toxins. They are physical beings, and can conceivably have structural weakness in some areas, but are significantly less vulnerable to critical hits than biological entities.

Effects:

• Immune to biological effects (disease, poison)
• 50% Fortification