Janissary Skeleton

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Skeleton Janissary (CR 11)

Skeleton Janissaries look like better maintained, better equipped, and more skilled Skeleton Legionnaires.

Unlike lesser skeletons, Janissaries are not identical units. Instead, each one has some small distinct element to it, such as a decorated weapon or a tassel upon a sword hilt, small touches of personalization. The reason is simple. Unlike all other lesser skeletons, Janissaries are sentient. When you look into the empty black eye sockets of a Janissary, there is unmistakably something terrible looking back. They are individuals, with mannerisms and foibles and personalities, made all the more terrible by their utter hatred of life.

A Skeleton Janissary is driven by a cold, calculating mind, one that is first and foremost a professional killer, implacably the enemy of everything that lives and absolutely murderous in their drive to kill. Like all skeletons, Janissaries are driven by a coldly implacable hatred of the living.

It should be noted that Skeleton Janissaries, unlike Vampires or Morhgs or even Mummies and Liches, do NOT have the same mind in undeath that they had in life. Intelligent skeletons are inhabited by terrible spirits of murderous will. They are alien, inhuman, genderless things that have no memory of the bones they now command. A Skeleton Janissary created from the bones of a saint is just as murderous and vile as one created from the bones of a murderer.

Once a Janissary has sensed the existence of the living, they are completely unwavering in their drive to exterminate them. Nothing will stop them, nothing will dissuade them, they know no fear or failure, they keep coming until they win or are destroyed. But Janissaries are not stupid. If they see the living and are undetected, they will withdraw to prepare an ambush, or wait until the living have to sleep, and attack from advantageous positions whenever possible.

Their desire to kill is backed up by a scary degree of skill. Janissaries are smart, vicious combatants who will do everything they can to fight dirty. They will set up encirclements and defilades, they will provide cover fire for each other, they will coup de grace any wounded, they will ignore strong melee players if they can possibly reach a soft target, they will set up traps and ambushes, they use good, dangerous tactics. They are killers of the highest order, unhesitating, remorseless, and tireless.

GENERAL

CR 11 Hit Dice 16

XP 12,800

NE Medium Undead

Init +7; Senses Darkvision 90ft, Perception +17

DEFENSE

AC 31, touch 19, flat-footed 26 (+7 armor, +5 dex, +5 natural, +4 deflection)

hp 229

Fort +11, Ref +11, Will +14

Aura: -

SR: -

Special Defenses: DR 15/bludgeoning

Immunities: :

• Intelligent undead ARE susceptible to mind affecting attacks!
• disease, poison, ability damage, ability drain, energy drain

• death effects, necromancy effects, sleep effects
• nonlethal damage
• paralysis, stunning, fatigue, exhaustion
• any effect that requires a Fortitude save (unless the effect also works on objects, or is harmless)

Weaknesses: Has an Int score, so may know to heal itself with Negative Energy

OFFENSE

Speed 30 ft., Climb 20 ft.

Space / Reach: 5 ft. / 5 ft.

Single Melee Personalized Sword +19 (2d8+6/19-20x2)

Full Melee 3x Personalized Sword +19 (2d8+6/19-20x2)

Ranged Tasseled Javelins +20 (2d8+6/x2) range increment 30 feet

Special Attacks Step In And Strike; EFFECT: Free five foot step every round

Action Points 0

STATISTICS

Str 18, Dex 18, Con -, Int 12, Wis 14, Cha 16

Base Atk +11; CMB +17; CMD 27

Feats

• Mobility (EFFECT: AC 35 vs Attacks of Opportunity due to own movement)
• Improved Feint (EFFECT: Make a Bluff check to feint as a move action)

Skills Bluff +17, Sense Motive +17

Languages Common, Thanic

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Improved Feint (Su)

As a move action, the skeleton can use Bluff to feint in combat, causing its opponent to be denied his Dexterity bonus to his AC against that skeleton's attacks until the beginning of his next turn. The DC of this check is equal to 10 + the target's base attack bonus + the target's Wisdom modifier. If the target is trained in Sense Motive, the DC is instead equal to 10 + the target's Sense Motive bonus, if higher.

Step In and Strike (Su)

Prior to making any attack, whether melee or ranged, a 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 (Su)

Skeletons are highly resistant to all physical damage except bludgeoning

TREASURE

sell value of approximately 6,500 gp

COMBAT TACTICS

Skeleton Janissaries fight intelligently and creatively. In hallways, the lead Janissaries will fight defensively to allow their rear ranks to hurl javelins with deadly effect, using a five foot step to clear melee for ranged attacks, then using Step In and Strike to make their own attacks.

Skeleton Janissaries are content to stay at range and use their Bluff Skill to feint and then hurl javelins. While doing so they will use Step In and Strike to edge slowly closer, so they can charge their hated living foes. Groups of Jannisaries will concentrate their ranged and melee attacks upon a single vulnerable foe whenever possible.

In melee combat, Jannisaries will use the Step In and Strike ability to set up flanks, and will strive to make full attack actions against the least armored foe they can reach whenever possible. If they are closing against a foe who is wielding a reach weapon, they will stop five feet away and use Step In and Strike to avoid attacks of opportunity. If their attacks all missed in the previous round, they will use a move action to feint and make a single attack instead.

Janissaries will use terrain to hamper their foes, such as leaping from the ceiling to gain surprise. Note that Janissary's have a climb speed, and they are cagey enough to use it frequently. There is little as creepy as looking up to find a whole party of skeletons on the ceiling above you...just before they leap down at you.

OUT OF COMBAT

Immortality (Su)

Skeletons cannot be killed by normal means. However, low-level skeletons like these may lie shattered and dormant after being defeated for decades or even centuries before rising again to seek to rid the world of life. A sanctify corpse, consecrate or gentle repose spell will add ten years and a day to the time it takes for a skeleton to re-compose. A resurrection spell will bring the person associated with the skeleton back to life, destroying the necromantic bond on its corpse.