Skeleton 2 (6)

Early Access

Skeletons are animated bones without much sense of self-preservation. They enjoy a crucial advantage over living creatures in one important and often exploited area: skeletons are dead shots with ranged weapons. They have no breath, no heartbeat, and no shaking hands to contend with as they release a shot, which means that skeletons armed with ranged weapons are something to be feared.

Some animate skeletons are created by spells, scrolls, or specific items. Others arise spontaneously after a great battle or if in the presence of strong death magic.

Motive: Defense or offense

Environment: Nearly anywhere, in formations of four to ten

Health: 6

Damage Inflicted: Minor wound (claw or melee weapon) or moderate wound (bow)

Armor: 1

Movement: Short

Modifications: Ranged attacks as level 5; dodge against most ranged attacks as level 5; resist trickery as level 1

Combat: An unarmed skeleton attacks in melee with a bony claw or uses a common one-handed weapon. If given a bow (a long-range weapon), they preferentially use it to attack.

A skeleton can see in the dark as if it were daylight.

If a skeleton can see any portion of its foe, it automatically ignores attack penalties from $cover$.

Hindering attacks, page XX [Rules chapter

When in formation, a group of four or more skeletons with ranged weapons can focus their attacks on one target and make one attack roll as a single level 7 creature, inflicting a major wound.

Some skeletons have one or both of the following abilities:

• Bone Sense: The skeleton can sense the presence of bones within short range, giving them a level 5 perception modification to notice creatures that have bones (such as humans and most player characters).
• Reanimators: The skeleton was created by a curse, and simply bashing it into a pile of bones isn’t enough to end its existence. Two rounds after a reanimator skeletons is “killed,” it regains full health in a flash of magical light. This regeneration can be prevented if the specific object linked to the curse is separated from the skeleton. Such an item is usually obvious and might take the form of a lead spike through its skull, an ebony amulet, an ancient sword through its ribs, a crown, and so on.

Interaction: A skeleton usually interacts only by attacking. Unless the skeleton is animated by a sapient spirit able to communicate via magic, it lacks the mechanisms for speech. However, it can hear and see the world around it just fine.

Use: Skeletons make ideal units in armies, especially when archery or artillery is required. A formation of four or more skeletons with ranged weapons atop a tower provides a surprisingly robust defense.

Loot: Sometimes the object required to create a reanimator skeleton is valuable.

GM Intrusion: A skeleton destroyed by a melee attack explodes. The bone shrapnel inflicts a moderate wound to every creature in immediate range.