Janissary Skeleton

Skeleton Janissary (CR 11)

Neutral Evil - Medium - Undead

Lore:	Know (Religion)
22		37
Basic DC		Full DC

Initiative

22

Perception:
32	+22
Passive	Active

Ambush:

10+

on a d20

Senses:

• Standard Senses

Movement Types:

Defense

AC

31

Man Def

31

Monster Health
242	121	19
Hit Points	Bloodied	Hit Dice

Saving Throws
Fort:	+8
Refl:	+8
Will:	+13

Strong Against:

• DR /Bludgeoning
• (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)
• Has an Int score, so may know to heal itself with Negative Energy

Weak Against:

Offense

Size:	Medium
5 ft.		5 ft.
Space		Reach

To-Hit

+20

Man Off

+19

Action

0

Points

Standard Attack (Melee):

• 1x Tassled Sword +20 (3d8+7/19-20 x2)
  as undefined damage type

Full Attack (Melee):

• 3x Tassled Sword +20 (3d8+7/19-20 x2)
  as undefined damage type

Standard Attack (Ranged):

• 1x Tassled Javelins +18 (3d8+7/19-20 x2)
  as undefined damage type
  

Full Attack (Ranged):

Siege Damage: Not siege capable

Statistics

18

STR

18

DEX

—

CON

12

INT

14

WIS

16

CHA

Skills:

• Bailiwick (Warfare): 18
• Bluff: 20
• Perception: 22
• Sense Motive: 18
• All other skills: 13 (no ranks)

Languages: Thanic, Common

Feats:

• Mobility (EFFECT: +4 AC against attacks of opportunity from movement)
• Feint, Improved (EFFECT: Feint, Improved (Feat))

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 (flatfooted AC). 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, slashes and piercing damage glancing off their hard, narrow bones. The receive DR/Bludgeoning.

Skeleton Janissary

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.

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. In forests, they will take to the trees with inhuman, unnerving speed and grace, leaping, bounding, and swinging easily and quickly to the attack. This same ability serves them well in ship's rigging, scaffolding in moldering temples, rugged caves full of stalactites, etc.

If unable to close easily, 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 eventually charge their hated living foes. Groups of Jannisaries will concentrate their ranged and melee attacks upon a single vulnerable foe whenever possible, or concentrate fire on healers in the back ranks of their enemies.

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 or trees to gain surprise. Note that Janissary's have a good climb speed and can brachiate, and they are cagey enough to use their mobility 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

Skeleton Janissaries are the least of the intelligent, free-willed undead, and are definately the most martially able of the undead. As a result, they are prized as lieutenants, commnders, and henchmen by lots of monsters. Having a few squads of Janissaries makes the old lair much more secure, as they never sleep and can put up a stiff fight against any invaders.

As a result, it is not uncommon to find Janissaries...lots of places. They patrol evil temples, serve as reliable fodder for stronger mobs, and their eerie intelligence makes them unpredictable and dangerous.

Oddly enough, despite their intelligence and sentience, They seem to have little sense of self. They often refer to themselves by strange rank designators rather than names, like 'First Corporal' or 'Ninth Private, First Class'.

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 (Spell), Consecrate (Spell) or Gentle Repose (Spell) spell will add ten years and a day to the time it takes for a skeleton to re-compose. A Resurrection (Spell) spell will bring the person associated with the skeleton back to life, destroying the necromantic bond on its corpse.

Rewards

XP: 12,800

Treasure: Sellable Goods worth 9,375 gp.

Weight: 110 lbs.     Volume: 4.4 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)