Decrepit Skeleton

Decrepit Skeleton (CR 1)

Pure Evil - Medium - Undead

Lore:	Know (Religion)
2		16
Basic DC		Full DC

Initiative

4

Perception:
12	+2
Passive	Active

Ambush:

10+

on a d20

Senses:

• Standard Senses
• Darkvision 60 ft.

Movement Types:

• Walk 30 ft.

Defense

AC

14

Man Def

15

Monster Health
31	15	2
Hit Points	Bloodied	Hit Dice

Saving Throws
Fort:	+0
Refl:	+0
Will:	+5

Strong Against:

• DR 5/Common (Bludgeoning,  Crushing,  Piercing,  Slashing,  Slime), bypassed by bludgeoning (physical, common) damage
• (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

+3

Man Off

+4

Action

0

Points

Standard Attack (Melee):

• 1x Rusty Spear +3 (1d4/19-20 x2)
  as piercing (physical, common)

Full Attack (Melee):

• 3x Rusty Spear +3 (1d4/19-20 x2)
  as piercing (physical, common)

Standard Attack (Ranged):

• 1x Rotting Shortbow +3 (1d4/19-20 x2)
  as piercing (physical, common)
  (Increment: 30 ft.; Max Range: 300 ft.)

Full Attack (Ranged):

• 3x Rotting Shortbow +3 (1d4/19-20 x2)
  as piercing (physical, common)
  (Increment: 30 ft.; Max Range: 300 ft.)

Siege Damage: Not siege capable

Statistics

15

STR

14

DEX

—

CON

—

INT

10

WIS

10

CHA

Skills:

• Perception: 2
• All other skills: 0 (no ranks)

Languages:

Feats:

• Quick Draw (EFFECT: Draw weapon as a free action, sheathe weapon as a swift action)

Special Abilities

Step In and Strike (Su)

Prior to making any attack, whether melee or ranged, a decrepit 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. This step may only be towards an enemy (i.e. it must move closer or remain at the same distance from an enemy; it cannot be used to move further away).

Damage Resistance (Su)

Skeletons are highly resistant to all common types of physical damage except bludgeoning (DR 5/Common (Bludgeoning,  Crushing,  Piercing,  Slashing,  Slime), bypassed by Bludgeoning (physical, common)). Any bludgeoning damage dealt to the skeleton bypasses the Damage Resistance, as does any uncommon or exotic physical damage.

Decrepit Skeleton

Through dark necromantic power, a corpse can be transformed into a skeleton, shedding its flesh and becoming inhabited by the captured soul of a fallen warrior. Skeletons are nearly always mindless, but surprisingly, this is rarely much of a disadvantage for them. The warrior spirit inhabiting the body moves by reflex, demonstrating an ingrained martial prowess that makes skeletons notoriously effective combatants.

Skeletons are motivated by an intense hatred and jealously towards living things. They yearn only to crush that spark of life from everything they can reach.

Decrepit Skeletons are less durable than others of their ilk but are still worthy opponents, often wielding a bow to make ranged attacks against their chosen prey.

Combat Tactics

Decrepit Skeletons are totally non-intelligent but they have a fierce desire to kill the living. The will use their free five foot step every round to get closer to more living foes. If they are not in melee range they will use their ranged attacks until they can engage in melee with the living. They will use their Quick Draw ability to switch weapons between ranged and melee with unnerving speed. In all cases, unless directed by other monsters, they will fight to destruction.

Out of Combat

Immortality
Many undead creatures, such as this one, cannot be killed by normal means. However, it will lie shattered and dormant after being defeated for up to a century before rising again to seek to rid the world of life. Casting either Sanctify Corpse (Cleric Spell) or Gentle Repose (Cleric Spell) on the defeated corpse of the creature will add an additional one hundred years to the time it takes for it to re-compose. Laying the defeated corpse on consecrated ground for a full day will prevent it from ever rising again, as will casting Rest Eternal (Cleric Spell) on it. Applying Raise Dead (Cleric Spell), Resurrection (Cleric Spell), or using similar life-giving abilities will restore the original soul back to the corpse, bringing that person back to life and permanently destroying the necromantic animus that had possessed the body previously. This creature's body will never decay (further than it already has) nor age due to time or neglect.

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: 400

Treasure: Sellable Goods worth 219 gp.

Weight: 10 lbs.     Volume: 0.4 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)