Inferno Skeleton

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Inferno Skeleton (CR 12)

Inferno Skeletons are magically imbued with elemental fire during their creation, a process which involves the ritual sacrifice of a fire elemental. For the sort of foul necromancers that can create an Inferno Skeleton, capturing a small fire elemental is child's play. Inferno Skeletons always have fire around their skulls, like some mockery of hair, blowing in the wind. While in combat, Inferno Skeletons are completely enshrouded in flames, their dry, charred bones cracking under the heat, as marrow boils. Their curse of immortality prevents the fire from debilitating them.

Perhaps worse than their fire, or the constant dry sizzle of their cooking marrow, or the horrendous stench of charred meat they emanate, is the fact that unlike lesser breeds of Skeletons, Inferno Skeletons are sentient. If you look into the black, charred holes in their skulls that serve as eyes, there is absolutely some terrible, agonized, murderous presence looking back.

An Inferno Skeleton's existence is pain. Whatever the dire spark is that grants them their intelligence, it does not like the fact that it must burn eternally, and that pain drives Inferno Skeletons to kill as many of the living as fast as they can.

Inferno Skeletons, like most skeletons with minds, are not the person they were in life. No, something else, some murderous dark spirit of death and malice, is the driving intelligence of the Inferno Skeleton, and almost the only constant of their existence is their desire to kill every living thing they can find.

Inferno Skeletons are not warriors, unlike many of their bony kin. Inferno Skeletons are not devious combatants or skilled at maneuver and melee. But Inferno Skeletons do not feel that lack, as they more than make up for it with sheer destructive flame. Inferno Skeletons can and will work with other skeletons, but they are there for the massive firepower they can grant, not any martial skill.

GENERAL

CR 12 Hit Dice 17

XP 19,200

NE, medium, undead

Init +5; Senses Perception +23

DEFENSE

AC 31, touch 22, flat-footed 27 (+6 armor, +5 dex, +5 natural, +5 deflection)

hp 249

Fort +15, Ref +12, Will +12

Aura: Burning Aura

SR: -

Special Defenses: DR10/bludgeoning, ER:30/fire, Burning Aura

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.

Space / Reach: 5 ft. / 5 ft.

Single Melee Fiery Bite +19 (2d8+13/x2) + 1d6 fire damage

Full Melee Fiery Bite +19 (2d8+13/x2) +1d6 fire damage, 2x Burning Claws +19 (2d6+4/x2) + 1d6 fire damage

Ranged Fireblast, 3d6+1 fire damage to all creatures in a thirty foot radius. Max range 500 feet. Reflex save, DC 21 for half damage.

Special Attacks

Action Points 0

STATISTICS

Str 16, Dex 16, Con -, Int 20, Wis 14, Cha 12

Base Atk +12; CMB +19; Maneuver Defense: 28

Feats Selective: EFFECT: May exclude up to five allies from the Area of Effect of their attacks.

Skills

Languages Common, Thanic

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Fireblast (Su)

Once per round, at will, as a standard action, the Inferno Skeleton may hurl forth a mass of flame. This bursts at the point they wish, dealing 3d6+1 fire damage to all creatures in a thirty foot radius burst. Max range of fireblast is 500 feet. Reflex save, DC 21 for half damage.

Burning Aura (Su)

Any enemy creature which begins its turn within ten feet of an Inferno Skeleton, or who strikes it with a melee weapon, takes ten points of fire damage. This ability can only damage a given foe once per round, per skeleton.

Funeral Pyre (Su)

Whenever an Inferno Skeleton is reduced to zero hit points or less, Funeral Pyre erupts from their remains as a triggered free action. All enemies within 30 feet of the square they died in take 6d6+1 points of Fire and Negative damage. Enemies are allowed a Fort save against a DC of 21 to reduce the damage by half.

TREASURE

sell value of approximately 8,000 gp

COMBAT TACTICS

Inferno Skeletons are on fire, which means they emit light, exactly as a torch. This means that stealth is impossible for them, and they don't really get much use out of any darkvision they have.

Inferno Skeletons are not skilled tacticians. Their masterful strategy consists of 'burn up everything alive with fire'. They start out with Fireblast as soon as they see a living target, and they keep right on doing it. They will not close the distance unless their foe is demonstrably fireproof: An Inferno Skeleton has an unending supply of Fireblasts, they can pour down flames forever if they have to. They are not stupid, however, and will use their Selective feat to spare their allies.

If a foe is shrugging off their fire, they will choose softer targets. If the fireproof foe is all that is left, they will close on it and attempt to bite and claw it. If an Inferno Skeleton is heavily damaged, it will spend a move action to run into the middle of a crowd of enemies, suicidally tempting attacks of opportunity. It is, of course, hoping to die where its Funeral Pyre will burn as many enemies as it can, while simultaneously healing any undead caught in the blast.

Inferno Skeletons will not deliberately 'mess up' an attack plan, but they definitely have absolutely zero sense of self preservation: If they are destroyed in battle, the agonizing flames they are baking in will cease, at least for a little while. It is unlikely an Inferno Skeleton will ever use melee attacks except against fireproof enemies, but they are very good at them, and their fiery bite is a potent attack of opportunity that they will not hesitate to use.

OUT OF COMBAT

Immortality (Su)

Skeletons cannot be killed by normal means. However, mid-level skeletons like these may lie shattered and dormant after being defeated for years or even decades before rising again to seek to rid the world of life. A sanctify corpse, consecrate or gentle repose spell will add a year and a day to the time it takes for this 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.