Skeleton as a PC? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Skeleton as a PC? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Elgeis
09-22-07, 03:20 PM Would it be possible to play a Skeleton as a pc? Them being mindless and under their masters control and all we are trying to figure it out.

Also if there is any magical items that you know of that could help with this please post them.

Just wondering,
Elgeis
pres_man
09-22-07, 03:27 PM There is a Bone Template in BoVD, but I don't know what the LA would be.
Elgeis
09-22-07, 03:39 PM There is a Bone Template in BoVD, but I don't know what the LA would be.

Whats a bone template? Whats BoVD? What does LA mean?
DwarfPcfan
09-22-07, 03:47 PM The bone template is basically a evil skeletal creature template and BovD means book of Vile Darkness.

Me i'd take a simpler route just ask your Dm if in your background you could have received the awaken undead spell (Savage Species) so now you're an itelligent skeleton, simply roll your mental stats, apply them to a human skeleton and you're done :)...
Elgeis
09-22-07, 03:54 PM The bone template is basically a evil skeletal creature template and BovD means book of Vile Darkness.

Me i'd take a simpler route just ask your Dm if in your background you could have received the awaken undead spell (Savage Species) so now you're an itelligent skeleton, simply roll your mental stats, apply them to a human skeleton and you're done :)...

Thanks man, ill take the simpler route =)
EvilVegan
09-22-07, 03:57 PM The bone template is basically a evil skeletal creature template and BovD means book of Vile Darkness.

Me i'd take a simpler route just ask your Dm if in your background you could have received the awaken undead spell (Savage Species) so now you're an itelligent skeleton, simply roll your mental stats, apply them to a human skeleton and you're done :)...
Seconded.

And LA means "Level Adjustment". It is an adjustment to balance out powerful creatures.

For instance, +2 LA means that a 1st level character of that race is treated as a 3rd level character (1st level +2 LA). That means you get less XP and need more than a 1st level character. But typically you gain enough from the LA to be equally potent to a character of equivalent character level (ECL).

All that being said, if you are new to playing, just ask your DM to let you be a skeleton with intelligence and class levels. Don't use anything from the skeleton in the PHB (Improved Init, 2 hit dice, etc).

Just play it like a regular character.

If anything I'd give you the following, as a lenient DM:

Darkvision
Immunity to crits (if you're new this isn't that big of a deal)
No constitution (look up what that means, its pretty important, again this is only because you're new)
+2 natural armor

But keep in mind that everyone is going to try to kill you and clerics can destroy you with relative ease.
lunoc
09-22-07, 09:25 PM and rules wize, wouldent you have to be neutral evil, as thats what skeletons "always" are. also, every stereotypical adventurer, cleric and holy man will be after you as you are in their eyes
"...an evil undead abomination, and if you realy want to do the right thing, should alow itself to be destroyed!!..."-random paladin.

so basically, its just the type of thing i would play :thumbsup:
Threefists
09-23-07, 02:30 AM I played a Skeletal Human Knight....damn you should have seen the faces of the Cleric and Paladin when they got saved by a LN SKELETON. They'd been playing with me for 2 weeks and hadn't noticed it thanks to my variant Helmet of Lies (traded Undetectable Alignment for the ability to mask my Undead nature. hahaha). Makes for great tragic characters.

They make for interesting characters. No sense of touch, smell or taste, just sight and hearing. A interesting twist on the template is that the Skeletal Template cannot be lifted simply by killing the Skeletal PC or NPC and then casting Raise Dead or True Ressurection. The original caster who turned them into Undead must be killed first, or if the caster is dead, requires a carefully worded Wish or Miracle spell cast on the PC or NPC before dying, during the death (on the PC or NPC's dead body) and after the raising, meaning that it's at least 15000 XP.

Skeletal Knight: "How does that stew taste?"
Barbarian: "A'right. Bit spicy."
Skeletal Knight: "Aaaah...I remember my wife's cooking...she liked heavy seasonings as well..."
Paladin: "She liked food spicy?"
Skeletal Knight: "No, she couldn't cook!" *laughs dryly* "Ah, I miss her still, even after all these centuries..."

RP is it's own reward!
StruckingFuggle
09-23-07, 03:50 AM Every time I see a thread like this, the following line pops into my head:

"And then you meet a Cleric."
Templario
09-24-07, 10:23 AM Friend of mine played a Skeletal Saint Paladin. He was awakened by his deity to save the world from the undead spree, and he was buried under a copper dragon nest, where I (a wyrmling copper) was the last survivor - the undead entered the enst to defy the paladin's rest.

Then we found a deathless cleric =P

The skeleton worked nice, he hit hard!
QOShea
09-27-07, 12:21 PM Where is the Skeletal template?
Ovistavin
09-27-07, 03:04 PM Where is the Skeletal template?
In the Monster Manual.
EvilVegan
09-27-07, 03:24 PM In the Monster Manual.
That's the "skeleton" template.

The "Skeletal Creature" template is in another book. . . can't find which one though.
ArcTan
09-27-07, 04:03 PM The bone template is basically a evil skeletal creature template and BovD means book of Vile Darkness.

Me i'd take a simpler route just ask your Dm if in your background you could have received the awaken undead spell (Savage Species) so now you're an itelligent skeleton, simply roll your mental stats, apply them to a human skeleton and you're done :)...

Even Awakened Skeletons are very stupid. Their Int can't go above 10, and the average is 7 (you roll a 1d6+4 for their Int). Their other mental stats remain the same, which means they have a Wis of 10 and a Cha of 1.

They're still pretty inappropriate for a PC. You cast awaken undead when you want Skeletal troops who can understand basic strategies and react to danger and use the Power Attack feat. Notice that there is no monster entry for Awakened Undead that gives them a PC racial entry -- i.e. they have no Level Adjustment or anything else that would let you adapt them for a PC.

A PC is really better off taking the Bone Creature template from Book of Vile Darkness, or doing something else similar (like the Necropolitan template).
jradd777
09-27-07, 05:42 PM Yeah, I played with someone that did the Necropolitan... he actually said that it's not even level adjustment so... it's pretty good.
Sagetim
09-27-07, 05:54 PM There's a third party book of races. In it it has a variety of races (including pixies, nixies, various anthropohmorphs) and most pertinent to this discussion: It has a race of cursed humans who look like skeletons. LA of 1 or 0 I think...
Khadmus
09-27-07, 05:54 PM That's the "skeleton" template.

The "Skeletal Creature" template is in another book. . . can't find which one though.

They said BoVD earlier in the thread.
1 ton ghost
09-28-07, 10:46 AM smart money is on Necropolitan (Libris Mortis) if you want to go undead...simpler is usually better in this case and undead characters are tricky to say the least, especially when you get involved w/ a divine 3rd party.
flavor wise, i think you want to dig up Skeleton Warrior from back in 2nd Ed. D&D, though i have no idea how to convert

never had the opportunity to Awaken Undead, but i'm sure it has it's uses. didn't know about the Int and so on. i guess you could fudge it can just roll stats normally cuz' the problems you'll face might outweigh the benefits of most immunities, darkvision, no sleep/breath/food, etc. that is, you SHOULD catch alot of flak for playing one. for some reason ppl seem to freak out when corpses are walking around, call me kooky...

skeleton may seem cool to some and that's ok, and if that's your "vision", so be it, but they are terribly obvious to regular ppl and Disguise should have a penalty to it given their unique visage and all. w/ Necro at least there's a modicum of humanity to work w/, but yeah, like i say, always always Disguise the Hell out of your undead:

-getting into/out of a city is damn hard
-try buying gear, even w/ extra monies, you're usually SOL
-getting an inn or a ***** (does your junk even work?)
-and the big one, an enemy cleric; he can't Turn/Rebuke what he doesn't perceive as Undead, and Spot isn't a class skill for them vs. Disguise on your end.

still, some want Skeleton regardless and i'll respect that
perhaps one of you kind souls and post up a brief stats/info block for me and anyone else interested.
haven't seen BoVD's interpretation yet.
ArcTan
09-28-07, 05:33 PM Having looked up the Bone Template in BoVD, it's almost certainly what you want -- it's extremely simple, and basically makes your character more Skeleton-like -- made of bone, natural attacks, Undead immunities, immune to cold, +4 to Dex -- while keeping everything else about your character intact -- no loss of feats or skills, no loss of mental stats, etc.

Of course, it has no LA in it because it's clearly not intended for PCs -- the flavor is that Bone creatures are called up by Necromancers just like regular Skeletons and remain under their control. It doesn't give an LA, but I'd be satisfied with +1 or +2.
Aryxbez
09-28-07, 06:07 PM I have lately been tempted to have a skeleton character, or at least to see a skeleton as a character in an RPG some day.

Otherwise been looking for Intelligent Skeleton to use, so that I can have Skeleton Fighters and what not. So does this Bone Template in BoVD (book of Vile Darkness) allow them to have/ retain class levels? If so, then I am indeed somewhat happy. Although I doubt I will need this book as I could easily use the skeleton from the MM and modify it, taking away HD, and that mindless penalty stopping from taking feats, skills, and class levels.
Suzu
09-28-07, 06:11 PM +2 I reckon. In SS, it says that the undead type is worth a +2 LA. Which is annoying...
EvilVegan
10-01-07, 04:21 PM +2 I reckon. In SS, it says that the undead type is worth a +2 LA. Which is annoying...

:eek: Necropolitan is way off!

:)
Majick
10-02-07, 04:42 AM Necropolitan has a lot of good abilities but also can get stomped hard by posative energy and clerics. The Evolved Undead template (in the same book) is something i would consider when playing any necropolitan character, mainly because it gives fast healing 3 (which for undead who can only heal through negative energy, is a seriously big deal) with only a +1 LA

I was considering making a Warlock Necropolitan Evolved Undead Human for a campaign recently, and it was looking pretty awesome :D
Elgeis
10-02-07, 09:33 PM Yes I know that clerics would be out to get me but I accept the challange.

Quick overview though in case I am missing somthing (not in a $ to spend more money on book at the moment so bear with me :( ):
*Darkvision
*Immunity to crits (if you're new this isn't that big of a deal)
*No constitution (look up what that means, its pretty important, again this is only because you're new)
*+2 natural armor
*Level Adjustment
*No sense of touch, smell or taste, just sight and hearing.
*Disguise is key.
*Immune to cold
*+4 to Dex

Somthing that I thought of though, wouldnt it be immune to piercing attacks too? Since there is nothing to really stab and all it would just go right through wouldn't it? Please correct if I am wrong in this thinking.
QOShea
10-02-07, 09:55 PM Somthing that I thought of though, wouldnt it be immune to piercing attacks too? Since there is nothing to really stab and all it would just go right through wouldn't it? Please correct if I am wrong in this thinking.

If it is a skeleton, it has DR 5 / Bludgeoning.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Elgeis 09-22-07, 03:20 PM	Would it be possible to play a Skeleton as a pc? Them being mindless and under their masters control and all we are trying to figure it out. Also if there is any magical items that you know of that could help with this please post them. Just wondering, Elgeis
pres_man 09-22-07, 03:27 PM	There is a Bone Template in BoVD, but I don't know what the LA would be.
Elgeis 09-22-07, 03:39 PM	There is a Bone Template in BoVD, but I don't know what the LA would be. Whats a bone template? Whats BoVD? What does LA mean?
DwarfPcfan 09-22-07, 03:47 PM	The bone template is basically a evil skeletal creature template and BovD means book of Vile Darkness. Me i'd take a simpler route just ask your Dm if in your background you could have received the awaken undead spell (Savage Species) so now you're an itelligent skeleton, simply roll your mental stats, apply them to a human skeleton and you're done :)...
Elgeis 09-22-07, 03:54 PM	The bone template is basically a evil skeletal creature template and BovD means book of Vile Darkness. Me i'd take a simpler route just ask your Dm if in your background you could have received the awaken undead spell (Savage Species) so now you're an itelligent skeleton, simply roll your mental stats, apply them to a human skeleton and you're done :)... Thanks man, ill take the simpler route =)
EvilVegan 09-22-07, 03:57 PM	The bone template is basically a evil skeletal creature template and BovD means book of Vile Darkness. Me i'd take a simpler route just ask your Dm if in your background you could have received the awaken undead spell (Savage Species) so now you're an itelligent skeleton, simply roll your mental stats, apply them to a human skeleton and you're done :)... Seconded. And LA means "Level Adjustment". It is an adjustment to balance out powerful creatures. For instance, +2 LA means that a 1st level character of that race is treated as a 3rd level character (1st level +2 LA). That means you get less XP and need more than a 1st level character. But typically you gain enough from the LA to be equally potent to a character of equivalent character level (ECL). All that being said, if you are new to playing, just ask your DM to let you be a skeleton with intelligence and class levels. Don't use anything from the skeleton in the PHB (Improved Init, 2 hit dice, etc). Just play it like a regular character. If anything I'd give you the following, as a lenient DM: Darkvision Immunity to crits (if you're new this isn't that big of a deal) No constitution (look up what that means, its pretty important, again this is only because you're new) +2 natural armor But keep in mind that everyone is going to try to kill you and clerics can destroy you with relative ease.
lunoc 09-22-07, 09:25 PM	and rules wize, wouldent you have to be neutral evil, as thats what skeletons "always" are. also, every stereotypical adventurer, cleric and holy man will be after you as you are in their eyes "...an evil undead abomination, and if you realy want to do the right thing, should alow itself to be destroyed!!..."-random paladin. so basically, its just the type of thing i would play :thumbsup:
Threefists 09-23-07, 02:30 AM	I played a Skeletal Human Knight....damn you should have seen the faces of the Cleric and Paladin when they got saved by a LN SKELETON. They'd been playing with me for 2 weeks and hadn't noticed it thanks to my variant Helmet of Lies (traded Undetectable Alignment for the ability to mask my Undead nature. hahaha). Makes for great tragic characters. They make for interesting characters. No sense of touch, smell or taste, just sight and hearing. A interesting twist on the template is that the Skeletal Template cannot be lifted simply by killing the Skeletal PC or NPC and then casting Raise Dead or True Ressurection. The original caster who turned them into Undead must be killed first, or if the caster is dead, requires a carefully worded Wish or Miracle spell cast on the PC or NPC before dying, during the death (on the PC or NPC's dead body) and after the raising, meaning that it's at least 15000 XP. Skeletal Knight: "How does that stew taste?" Barbarian: "A'right. Bit spicy." Skeletal Knight: "Aaaah...I remember my wife's cooking...she liked heavy seasonings as well..." Paladin: "She liked food spicy?" Skeletal Knight: "No, she couldn't cook!" laughs dryly "Ah, I miss her still, even after all these centuries..." RP is it's own reward!
StruckingFuggle 09-23-07, 03:50 AM	Every time I see a thread like this, the following line pops into my head: "And then you meet a Cleric."
Templario 09-24-07, 10:23 AM	Friend of mine played a Skeletal Saint Paladin. He was awakened by his deity to save the world from the undead spree, and he was buried under a copper dragon nest, where I (a wyrmling copper) was the last survivor - the undead entered the enst to defy the paladin's rest. Then we found a deathless cleric =P The skeleton worked nice, he hit hard!
QOShea 09-27-07, 12:21 PM	Where is the Skeletal template?
Ovistavin 09-27-07, 03:04 PM	Where is the Skeletal template? In the Monster Manual.
EvilVegan 09-27-07, 03:24 PM	In the Monster Manual. That's the "skeleton" template. The "Skeletal Creature" template is in another book. . . can't find which one though.
ArcTan 09-27-07, 04:03 PM	The bone template is basically a evil skeletal creature template and BovD means book of Vile Darkness. Me i'd take a simpler route just ask your Dm if in your background you could have received the awaken undead spell (Savage Species) so now you're an itelligent skeleton, simply roll your mental stats, apply them to a human skeleton and you're done :)... Even Awakened Skeletons are very stupid. Their Int can't go above 10, and the average is 7 (you roll a 1d6+4 for their Int). Their other mental stats remain the same, which means they have a Wis of 10 and a Cha of 1. They're still pretty inappropriate for a PC. You cast awaken undead when you want Skeletal troops who can understand basic strategies and react to danger and use the Power Attack feat. Notice that there is no monster entry for Awakened Undead that gives them a PC racial entry -- i.e. they have no Level Adjustment or anything else that would let you adapt them for a PC. A PC is really better off taking the Bone Creature template from Book of Vile Darkness, or doing something else similar (like the Necropolitan template).
jradd777 09-27-07, 05:42 PM	Yeah, I played with someone that did the Necropolitan... he actually said that it's not even level adjustment so... it's pretty good.
Sagetim 09-27-07, 05:54 PM	There's a third party book of races. In it it has a variety of races (including pixies, nixies, various anthropohmorphs) and most pertinent to this discussion: It has a race of cursed humans who look like skeletons. LA of 1 or 0 I think...
Khadmus 09-27-07, 05:54 PM	That's the "skeleton" template. The "Skeletal Creature" template is in another book. . . can't find which one though. They said BoVD earlier in the thread.
1 ton ghost 09-28-07, 10:46 AM	smart money is on Necropolitan (Libris Mortis) if you want to go undead...simpler is usually better in this case and undead characters are tricky to say the least, especially when you get involved w/ a divine 3rd party. flavor wise, i think you want to dig up Skeleton Warrior from back in 2nd Ed. D&D, though i have no idea how to convert never had the opportunity to Awaken Undead, but i'm sure it has it's uses. didn't know about the Int and so on. i guess you could fudge it can just roll stats normally cuz' the problems you'll face might outweigh the benefits of most immunities, darkvision, no sleep/breath/food, etc. that is, you SHOULD catch alot of flak for playing one. for some reason ppl seem to freak out when corpses are walking around, call me kooky... skeleton may seem cool to some and that's ok, and if that's your "vision", so be it, but they are terribly obvious to regular ppl and Disguise should have a penalty to it given their unique visage and all. w/ Necro at least there's a modicum of humanity to work w/, but yeah, like i say, always always Disguise the Hell out of your undead: -getting into/out of a city is damn hard -try buying gear, even w/ extra monies, you're usually SOL -getting an inn or a ***** (does your junk even work?) -and the big one, an enemy cleric; he can't Turn/Rebuke what he doesn't perceive as Undead, and Spot isn't a class skill for them vs. Disguise on your end. still, some want Skeleton regardless and i'll respect that perhaps one of you kind souls and post up a brief stats/info block for me and anyone else interested. haven't seen BoVD's interpretation yet.
ArcTan 09-28-07, 05:33 PM	Having looked up the Bone Template in BoVD, it's almost certainly what you want -- it's extremely simple, and basically makes your character more Skeleton-like -- made of bone, natural attacks, Undead immunities, immune to cold, +4 to Dex -- while keeping everything else about your character intact -- no loss of feats or skills, no loss of mental stats, etc. Of course, it has no LA in it because it's clearly not intended for PCs -- the flavor is that Bone creatures are called up by Necromancers just like regular Skeletons and remain under their control. It doesn't give an LA, but I'd be satisfied with +1 or +2.
Aryxbez 09-28-07, 06:07 PM	I have lately been tempted to have a skeleton character, or at least to see a skeleton as a character in an RPG some day. Otherwise been looking for Intelligent Skeleton to use, so that I can have Skeleton Fighters and what not. So does this Bone Template in BoVD (book of Vile Darkness) allow them to have/ retain class levels? If so, then I am indeed somewhat happy. Although I doubt I will need this book as I could easily use the skeleton from the MM and modify it, taking away HD, and that mindless penalty stopping from taking feats, skills, and class levels.
Suzu 09-28-07, 06:11 PM	+2 I reckon. In SS, it says that the undead type is worth a +2 LA. Which is annoying...
EvilVegan 10-01-07, 04:21 PM	+2 I reckon. In SS, it says that the undead type is worth a +2 LA. Which is annoying... :eek: Necropolitan is way off! :)
Majick 10-02-07, 04:42 AM	Necropolitan has a lot of good abilities but also can get stomped hard by posative energy and clerics. The Evolved Undead template (in the same book) is something i would consider when playing any necropolitan character, mainly because it gives fast healing 3 (which for undead who can only heal through negative energy, is a seriously big deal) with only a +1 LA I was considering making a Warlock Necropolitan Evolved Undead Human for a campaign recently, and it was looking pretty awesome :D
Elgeis 10-02-07, 09:33 PM	Yes I know that clerics would be out to get me but I accept the challange. Quick overview though in case I am missing somthing (not in a $ to spend more money on book at the moment so bear with me :( ): Darkvision Immunity to crits (if you're new this isn't that big of a deal) No constitution (look up what that means, its pretty important, again this is only because you're new) +2 natural armor Level Adjustment No sense of touch, smell or taste, just sight and hearing. Disguise is key. Immune to cold *+4 to Dex Somthing that I thought of though, wouldnt it be immune to piercing attacks too? Since there is nothing to really stab and all it would just go right through wouldn't it? Please correct if I am wrong in this thinking.
QOShea 10-02-07, 09:55 PM	Somthing that I thought of though, wouldnt it be immune to piercing attacks too? Since there is nothing to really stab and all it would just go right through wouldn't it? Please correct if I am wrong in this thinking. If it is a skeleton, it has DR 5 / Bludgeoning.