Bloody Bones Skeleton

Skeleton, Bloody Bones (CR 7)

Chaotic Neutral - Medium - Undead

Lore:	Know (Religion)
14		29
Basic DC		Full DC

Initiative

11

Perception:
23	+13
Passive	Active

Ambush:

10+

on a d20

Senses:

• Standard Senses

Movement Types:

Defense

AC

20

Man Def

23

Monster Health
101	50	11
Hit Points	Bloodied	Hit Dice

Saving Throws
Fort:	+8
Refl:	+4
Will:	+4

Strong Against:

• DR 5/bludgeoning; healed by negative energy
• (Mindless) Immune (no effect): all mind-affecting effects (charms, compulsions, fear, morale effects, patterns, and phantasms)
• (Undead 1) Immune (no effect): diseases (infected, diseased, blighted), poisons (tainted, poisoned, blighted), ability damage (dilution, damage, drain), and essence damage (suppression, omission, destruction)
• (Undead 2) Immune (no effect): bleeds (bruised, bleed, ruptured), fatigued, exhausted
• (Undead 3) Immune (no effect): magical sleep (drowsy, sluggish, asleep), paralyzed, stunned
• (Undead 4) Immune (no effect): any effect that requires a Fortitude save (unless the effect also works on objects, or is harmless)

Weak Against:

Offense

Size:	Medium
5 ft.		5 ft.
Space		Reach

To-Hit

+12

Man Off

+11

Action

0

Points

Standard Attack (Melee):

• 1x Rusty Spear +12 (2d8+4/19-20 x2)
  as undefined damage type

Full Attack (Melee):

• 3x Rusty Spear +12 (2d8+4/19-20 x2)
  as undefined damage type

Standard Attack (Ranged):

• 1x Shoddy Shortbow +12 (2d8+4/19-20 x2)
  as undefined damage type
  (Increment: 30 ft.; Max Range: 300 ft.)

Full Attack (Ranged):

Siege Damage: Not siege capable

Statistics

17

STR

14

DEX

—

CON

—

INT

10

WIS

10

CHA

Skills:

• Perception: 13
• All other skills: 6 (no ranks)

Languages: Bloody bones skeletons can take orders from their creator in any language that creator speaks, but otherwise have no means of communicating or responding.

Feats:

Special Abilities

Bloody Bones (Sp)

Any time the bloody bones skeleton is damaged by an attack which targeted it (anything: melee, ranged, spells, etc.), the attacker must make a Fortitude save, DC , or lose 1d3 points of Strength ability damage, as one or more of their bones is broken or shattered by the necromantic magics suffusing the bloody bones skeleton. The first time this ability successfully inflicts Strength damage to a creature each round, the bloody bones heals 10 points of damage. The healing aspect of this ability may not occur more than once per round, though the Strength damage aspect certainly may affect as many creatures as make attacks. Note that attacks which include the bloody bones, but do not specifically target it (such as a fireball spell, or the splash damage from an alchemist's bomb), do not trigger this effect. This is a spell-like ability and thus can be resisted by spell resistance, but it is automatic, and thus no concentration checks are ever required.

Mimicry (Ex)

Bloody bones skeletons look and behave exactly like skeleton soldiers, and only a knowledge religion check against a DC of 28 (a Hard DC check for CR 7) will reveal that they are something quite different. The DC for this check drops to a DC of 19 (an Average DC check for CR 7) as soon as the bloody bones ability is triggered.

Step In and Strike (Su)

Prior to making any attack, whether melee or ranged, a bloody bones skeleton can take a free 5-foot step. This does not provoke attacks of opportunity, is not limited by having already moved, and does not cost them any actions.

Damage Resistance (Ex)

Skeletons are highly resistant to all physical damage except bludgeoning

Skeleton, Bloody Bones

Bloody bones skeletons are named not because they are, themselves, bloody, but because of the terrible defensive magics steeped into them, which act to break the bones of any creature unlucky enough to damage them. Appearance-wise, bloody bones skeletons look and act identically to skeleton soldiers. In fact, the necromancers who create them are counting on this to add an extra edge to their defender's efficacy.

Bloody bones skeletons are terrible necromantic things specifically created to serve as sentinels. Because they never need to eat, sleep or breathe, and they do not age, they can stand guard over a place or thing forever, only lurching into action when strangers approach. It is not uncommon for these guardians to outlive their creators, guarding secret laboratories long after the point of the defense has been forgotten.

The ritual of creation involves the extended torture and eventual sacrifice of nine humanoids, the broken remains of which are joined by the ritual's magic to create the skeleton's body and house the terrible magic they possess.

Combat Tactics

Bloody Bones skeletons are mindless automatons, directed to guard a place or a thing by their creator. They are often created in small packs, and will stand unmoving and inert until someone other than their creator approaches.

Once in combat, bloody bones skeletons look exactly like regular skeleton soldiers, but they are not nearly the skilled melee fighters those creatures are. They will mindlessly attack with their rusty swords, always targeting the nearest foe (and choosing randomly if more than one target is the same distance away). Only when they are attacked in return do the differences stand out. The bloody bones ability is automatic, crippling attackers and healing the bloody bones skeleton at the same time.

GM's should be aware that encounters with these creatures could cause several days of downtime for a party afterwards, as they rest to recover their drained strength.

Out of Combat

Rusty Equipment

Skeletons wear equipment and wield weapons that are as old as they are. All their equipment has the Fragile property, though GM's shouldn't bother with tracking broken conditions on weapons.

Rewards

XP: 3,200

Treasure: Sellable Goods worth 2,875 gp.

Weight: 70 lbs.     Volume: 2.8 cu. ft.

Optional Treasure Rules: Roll a d20 on Table 1 below once per encounter (NOT per creature). Any items discovered are in addition to the normal treasure for the encounter.

Table 1: Remnant(s) Found
1 - 10	Nothing Found
11 - 14	1 Languid Remnant (tier 1)
15 - 17	1 Pale Remnant (tier 2)
18 - 19	1 Bright Remnant (tier 3)
20	Roll on Table 2
###	Nothing to see here!
###	Or here. Move along.

Table 2: Remnant(s) Found
1 - 5	3 Languid Remnants (tier 1)
6 - 10	3 Pale Remnants (tier 2)
11 - 14	1 Intense Remnant (tier 4)
15 - 17	1 Blazing Remnant (tier 5)
18 - 19	1 Vital Remnant (tier 6)
20	Roll on Table 3
###	Or here. Move along.

Table 3: Remnant(s) Found
1 - 5	3 Bright Remnants (tier 3)
6 - 8	3 Intense Remnants (tier 4)
9 - 11	3 Blazing Remnants (tier 5)
12 - 14	3 Vital Remnants (tier 6)
15 - 17	1 Prime Remnant (tier 7)
18 - 19	1 Mythic Remnant (tier 8)
20	1 Empyrean Remnant (tier 9)