Skeleton (Dungeons & Dragons)

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In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, the skeleton is an undead creature, usually created by applying a template to another creature.

[edit] Variant Skeletons

• Bone Creature - a skeleton that retains knowledge and skills it possessed in life

• Crystal Skeleton

• Dust Skeleton

• Fiery Skeleton - burns with neverending flames, it is immune to fire

• Frost Skeleton - is immune to cold and deals cold damage with its attacks

• Lightning Skeleton - is immune to electricity and deals electricity damage with its attacks

• Nimble Skeleton - more agile than standard skeletons and able to climb as fast as it can walk

• Obsidian Skeleton - also called (defiling skeleton)

• Skeletal Dragon - created from dragons and retains some of their deadly abilities

• Skeleton Warrior

• Soldier Skeleton - often arising from the sites of massive battles, these skeletons gain benefits when fighting cooperatively in groups

• Spike Skeleton

• Vicious Skeleton - able to rend flesh and deal horrific wounds with their claw attacks

[edit] Skeletons in the Forgotten Realms

Faerûn hosts a number of the variant skeletons listed above, as well as the following:

• Baneguard - First developed by priests of Bane, these skeletons can phase in and out and hurl bolts of magical energy.

• Blazing Bones - Fiery skeletal undead created when a spellcaster's contingency spell goes wrong, these rare undead can be found in Myth Drannor.

• Direguard - Baneguards improved by the Red Wizards of Thay, these skeletons are wreathed in a shadowy field of force that functions as armor. They can also see invisible foes.

[edit] References

• Ashley, Belinda G. "Arctic Monsters." Dragon Annual #2 (TSR, 1997).

• Collins, Andy and Bruce R. Cordell. Libris Mortis: The Book of Undead (Wizards of the Coast, 2004).

• Collins, Andy, James Wyatt, and Skip Williams. Draconomicon (Wizards of the Coast, 2003).

• Cook, David, et al. Monstrous Compendium Volume Two (TSR, 1989).

• Gygax, Gary. Monster Manual (TSR, 1977).

• Moldvay, Tom. "The Ungrateful Dead." Dragon #138 (TSR, 1988).

• Stewart, Doug, ed. Monstrous Manual (TSR, 1994).

• Thauberger, Rudy. "The Dragon's Bestiary: The Necromancer's Armory." Dragon #234 (TSR, 1996).

• Williams, Skip, Jonathan Tweet, and Monte Cook. Monster Manual (Wizards of the Coast, 2000).

• Wyatt, James, and Rob Heinsoo. Monstrous Compendium: Monsters of Faerun (Wizards of the Coast, 2001).