Learn a few tricks for using the Creature Manager to add dimension to your gameplay!
Basic Custom Creature
The Creature Manager, at its most basic level, is a way to create creatures with unique stats. In this first example, you’ll make Fiend enemies move much faster than normal!
Devices Used
1 x Creature Manager device
1 x Player Spawner device
1 x Item Granter device
1 x Creature Spawner device
Set Up the Devices
By itself, this device does nothing. To spawn unique creatures, pair a Creature Manager device with a Creature Spawner or Creature Placer device.
For more general info on devices, see Using Devices.
Place a Player Spawner device.
Place an Item Granter device and register a Tactical Assault Rifle to it.
See the Fortnite Weapons Primer for how to register items.
Customize the Devices as follows:
Option Value Description Receiving Players
All
All players will receive the registered weapon.
grant on Game Start
On
Players will get the weapon registered to this device at the start of the game.
Place a Creature Manager device.
Customize the device as follows:
Option Value Description Movement Speed
Very Fast
The creature's speed will give your players a challenge!
Place a Creature Spawner device.
Customize the device as follows:
Option Value Description Creature Type
Fiend
Select this creature type (or any other type that appeals to you!).
You now have the basic functionality for a custom creature!
Design Tip
Creature movement speed is a great way to give a creature a different feel from its default configurations. Faster creatures feel more threatening than slower ones, but sometimes a slower movement speed is exactly what you need for a big, lumbering creature!
Heavy Boss
The Creature Manager device is also very useful for tweaking a creature's health. In this example, you'll raise the health of a Major Ice Brute to make it into a formidable boss!
Devices Used
1 x Creature Manager device
1 x Player Spawner device
1 x Volume device
1 x Timer device
1 x Automated Turret device
1 x Heavy Turret device
Set Up the Devices
Start with the Arctic Island starter island.
For how to find this island, see Building Your First Island.
Create a small structure for the player with assets from the Ice House Gallery and Ice and Snow Castle Floor Gallery.
See Using Prefabs and Galleries for more info.
Place a Player Spawner device on top of the structure.
Customize the player spawner as follows:
Option Value Description Visible in Game
Off
This hides the player spawner once the game starts.
Place an Item Granter device, then register a Tactical Assault Rifle to the device.
Customize the item granter as follows:
Option Value Description Receiving Players
All
All players can receive the registered weapon.
Spare Weapon Ammo
999
This setting provides enough ammo that it's unlikely the player will run out.
Grant on Game Start
On
Players will receive the weapon at the start of the game.
Place a Creature Manager device.
Customize the device as follows:
Option Value Description Creature Type
Major Ice Brute
This will give you a good boss creature.
Health
3,000
This much health takes a lot of work to eliminate this formidable boss.
Place a Creature Placer device away from the structure,
Customize the device as follows:
Option Value Description Creature Type
Major Ice Brute
This matches the Creature Manager device setting.
Place an Automated Turret device on top of the structure to help the player fight the boss.
Customize the turret as follows:
Option Value Description Can Target Players
False
This prevents the turrent from being used on other players.
Place a Heavy Turret device on top of the structure to give the player even more firepower.
You now have the basic functionality for a Heavy Boss!
Design Tip
The Creature Manager can help when you want a specific enemy to match your environment but need more control over their balancing. There is a different high-health creature (the Megabrute), but using the Creature Manager, you can use a creature that feels more authentic to the arctic environment!
Build a Brute Rush Game!
You can use multiple creature managers for the same creature type to create the effect of creatures getting stronger in different phases of the game.
In this example, you'll use this functionality to create a wave survival game where brutes get more dangerous on each wave.
Devices Used
3 x Creature Manager devices
1 x Player Spawner device
1 x Item Granter device
3 x Creature Spawner devices
3 x Trigger devices
3 x HUD Message device
1 x End Game device
1 x Post Processing device
Set Up the Basic Gameplay
Begin with the Black Glass Island starter island.
Place a Player Spawner device.
Customize the player spawner as follows:
Option
Value
Description
---
---
---
Visible in Game
Off
The player spawner will not be visible once the game starts.
Place an Item Granter device and register a Tactical Assault Rifle to the device.
Customize the device as follows:
Option Value Description Receiving Players
All
All players can receive the registered weapon.
Spare Weapon Ammo
999
This setting provides enough ammo that it's unlikely the player will run out.
Grant on Game Start
On
Players will receive the weapon at the start of the game.
Configure the Different Waves
Place a Creature Spawner device at a distance in front of the player spawner, and name it Wave 1 Creature Spawner.
Customize the this device as follows:
Plus:
(w:600)
Option Value Description Creature Type
Brute
The creature that will spawn each time.
Limit Spawned Creatures
Yes
Creatures do not spawn indefinitely.
Total Spawn Limit
3
How many times this wave can respawn.
Activation Range
15.0 Tiles
This means the spawner will trigger when a player gets within 15 tiles..
Spawner Visibility
Off
Players can't see the spawner's location.
Spawn Effects Visibility
Off
Players will see visual effects when a creature spawns.
Max Spawn Distance
4.0 Tiles
Sets the maximum distance a creature can span from the spawner.
Preferred Spawn Location
Random
Creatures will spawn in random locations, adding tension to the play.
Duplicate the Creature Spawner device two more times for Waves 2 and 3, and name them accordingly so you can keep track of how you're using them.
Using consistent naming conventions makes the rest of this setup much easier!
For the Wave 2 Creature Spawner, set Number of Creatures to 3 and Total Spawn Limit to 4. Also set Enabled at Game Start to Off.
For the Wave 3 Creature Spawner, set Number of Creatures to 4 (the default value) and Total Spawn Limit to 5 and set Enabled at Game Start to Off.
Place a Creature Manager device to set the Brute stats for Wave 1.
Customize the device as follows:
Option Value Description Creature Type
Brute
The creature that will spawn each time.
Health
200
Setting the health this high makes eliminating the Brute a challenge!
Score
10
This determines the amount of score a player earns when eliminating a creature.
Damage to Player
10.0
This is the amount of damage the creature can inflict on a player.
Movement Speed
Slow
Slow down the speed this creature moves at.
Place another Creature Manager device to set the Brute stats during Wave 2.
Customize it as follows:
Option Value Description Creature Type
Brute
The creature that will spawn each time.
Health
300
Setting the health this high makes eliminating the Brute a challenge!
Score
25
This determines the amount of score a player earns when eliminating a creature.
Damage to Player
25.0
This is the amount of damage the creature can inflict on a player.
Enabled On Game Start
Off
You don't want the second wave to start until it's triggered.
Note that in this wave, the creature's health increases, along with score for eliminating and Damage to player. Also, you're not slowing the creature down on this wave, but using the default speed, which is in the middle.
Place a final Creature Manager to set the Brute stats for Wave 3, and customize:
Option Value Description Creature Type
Brute
The creature that will spawn each time.
Health
400
Setting the health this high makes eliminating the Brute a challenge!
Score
50
This determines the amount of score a player earns when eliminating a creature.
Damage to Player
40.0
This is the amount of damage the creature can inflict on a player.
Moveement Speed
Fast
How quickly the creature moves once spawned.
Enabled On Game Start
Off
You don't want the second wave to start until it's triggered.
Now the creatures have even more health, wreak even more damage, and are moving fast!
Place a Trigger device to count the number of Brutes the player needs to eliminate during Wave 1.
Customize the device:
Option Value Description Visible in Game
Off
No need for the player to see this in-game.
Triggered by Player
Off
This will be triggered by another device, as explained shortly.
Trigger VFX
Off
No visual effects needed.
Trigger SFX
Off
No sound effects needed either.
Transmit Every X Triggers
3
Sets how many times the trigger needs to be activated before it does something.
Duplicate the trigger two more times for Waves 2 and 3. For the Wave 2 Trigger, set Transmit Every X Triggers to 4. For the Wave 3 Trigger, set the Transmit Every X Triggers to 5.
Place a HUD Message device to tell the player that Wave 1 has begun.
Customize the HUD Message device as follows:
Option Value Description Message
Wave 1
Gives the player a heads up that the first wave of attacks is starting.
Show on Round Start
On
Show at the start of the round.
Time from Round Start
Instant
Starts with no delay.
Text Color
White
You can use white or another if you prefer.
Add another HUD Message device to alert the player for Wave 2.
Customize it:
Option Value Description Message
Wave 2
Alerts the player when the second wave starts.
Text Color
White
You can use white or another if you prefer.
Repeat placing a HUD Message device for Wave 3 and customize accordingly.
Set Up the Game End and Polish
In a place that the player won't be able to see (such as underneath the ground), place an End Game device.
For tips on how to hide a device underground, see Hotkeys and Keybinding Shortcuts under Object Placement.
Customize the End Game device as follows:
Option Value Description Custom Victory Callout
You Survived!
Will show at the end of the game.
Place a Post Process device.
Customize the device:
Option Value Description Post Process Effect
Retro
This provides a cool visual filter.
Bind Functions / Events
Direct event binding is how you set devices to communicate directly with other devices. This involves setting functions and events for the devices involved.
Configure the following event on the Wave 1 Creature Manager so that it activates the elimination trigger for that wave.
Event Select Device Select Function On a Matching Creature Type Is Eliminated Send Event To
Wave 1 Elimination Trigger
Trigger
Repeat for Waves 2 and 3, binding them to the appropriate devices (now you see why it's important to use good naming practices!)
Configure the following event on the Wave 1 Elimination Trigger so that when it triggers enough times, it:
Enables the Creature Spawner for this wave.
Disables the Creature Spawner for the next wave.
Enables the Creature Manager for the next wave
Displays the HUD message for the start of the next wave.
Event Select Device Select Function On Triggered Send Event To
Wave 1 Creature Spawner
Disable
On Triggered Send Event To
Wave 2 Creature Spawner
Enable
On Triggered Send Event To
Wave 2 Creature Manager
Enable
On Triggered Send Event To
Wave 2 HUD Message
Show
You don't need to disable the currently active Creature Manager because enabling a different Creature Manager for the same creature type automatically disables any others.
Configure the following event on the Wave 2 Elimination Trigger for the next wave:
Event Select Device Select Function On Triggered Send Event To
Wave 3 Creature Spawner
Enable
On Triggered Send Event To
Wave 2 Creature Manager
Disable
On Triggered Send Event To
Wave 3 HUD Message
Show
On Triggered Send Event To
Wave 3 Creature Manager
Enable
Configure the following event on the Wave 3 Elimination Trigger so that when the player completes the final wave, the game ends.
Event Select Device Select Function On Triggered Send Event To
End Game Device
Activate
Modify Island Settings
Make the following modifications to the Island Settings.
Go to Island Settings > User Interface.
Under HUD, change HUD Info Type to Score.
You now have a working wave survival game with creature upgrades for each wave!
Design Tip
The devices you've used here can easily be tweaked to make this mode work well in a multiplayer context.
The Creature Manager device has a Score Distribution setting that you can tweak so that players will receive different score rewards based on how they contribute to an elimination.
Consider whether you want your players competing to do damage or get eliminations for the most points, or just have them all receive the same point rewards when configuring this setting.