Skeletons

Medium-Size Undead
Hit Dice: 3d12 (19 hp)
Initiative: +5 (+1 dex, +4 Improved Initative)
Speed: 30 ft. (cannot run)
AC: 15 (+5 natural)
Attacks: 2 claws +2 or longsword +2
Damage: claw 1d4+1 or longsword 1d8+1
Face / Reach: 5 ft. by 5 ft. / 5 ft.
Special Attacks: Fear, frightful presence, rotting touch
Special Qualities: Undead
Saves: Fort +1 Ref +1 Will +3
Abilities: Str 16 Dex 10 Con - Int - Wis 10 Cha 11
Skills: none
Feats: Improved Initative

Climate / Terrain: Any land or Underground
Organisation: solitary or unit (3d8)
Challenge Rating: 3
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always neutral
Advancement: 4-6 HD (medium-size)

Like all humanoid skeletons, these move with the somewhat mechanical, shuffling gait of undead. The bones of a corpse have a sickly yellow colour and seem diseased. Horrors are dark grey in colour and difficult to spot in dungeons, on grey rock or similar background and in darkness. Sometimes either skeleton has small sparks in their eyes, sparkling maliciously and suggesting a mind that these creatures lack. Horrors sometimes seem to move in a terrifying jerky way reminiscent of bad stop-motion effects.

Skeletons are completely mindless puppets, only able to literally follow simple commands, lacking any ability to interpret orders or understand things more complex than "Go there", "Stay here", "Follow me" and other simple intructions. With some patience these creatures can be made to follow simple routines like guarding a place or item, patrolling an area and attacking intruders or do some simple physical work, like digging. Command of the skeletons can be relinquished to someone else with a "(Insert-name-here) commands" statement. There is no other known way to change the control of these undead. When their master dies or is desrroyed, they follow the last commands they where given, not even stopping to attack when threatened, unless ordered to do so.

Like all undead puppets, these are the results of necromancy. Corpses and horrors are created with specific spells, that create this type of undead. They are generally found in tombs and the homes of necromancers. Both types of skeletons are elite troops in undead armies. The abilties of both to be exceedingly terrifying when in great numbers breaks most resistance, brefore it applies. Horrors are often equipped with shields and / or masterwork weapons, their fighting ability considered to be more importanat than their fear touch.

Combat

Skeletons are not just dumb, they are mindless. If ordered directly or beforehand to attack, they will do so, moving slowly but with a determination that only ends, when they are destroyed. They simply walk into the direction of their opponents and strike, either with claw-like hands (corpse), or with manufactured weapons (horror).
   Fear (Sp): Horrors can cause fear by touching a creature as the spell cast by a fifth level sorcerer. (DC 14)
   Frightful Presence (Ex): All horrors and units of corpses at least five members large have a frightful presence, effecting any creature within a radius of 30 feet. A will save (DC 11 +1 per member of the unit necessary to cause the effect) negates the effect, making the charatcer immune against that horror's or corpse unit's frightful presence for the next 24 hours. Creaters with two or fewer hit dice are panicked for 1d6 rounds, all others shaken for 1d6 rounds.
   Rotting Touch: Every successful claw attack of a corpse causes a rotting disease that deals 2 points of damage per round. The continuous damage caused by several successful attacks is cumulative. The rotting can be stopped by any successful healing spell, but not by natural means.
   Skeleton: Skeletons recvieve half damage from piercing and slashing weapons, lacking internal organs to be hurt.
   Undead: Immune to mind-influencing effects, poison, sleep, paralysis, stunning and disease. Not subject to critical hits, subdual damage, ability damage, energy drain, or death from massive damage.

Create Corpse

Necromancy
Level: Clr 4, Sor/Wiz 5
Components: V,S,M
Casting Time: 1 minute
Range: Short (25 ft. + 5 ft. / two levels)
Target: 1-24 complete skeletons
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: None

When casting this spell you turn a number of intact skeletons into corpses. You must provide the skeletons to be animated. The skeletons have to be assembled and lying free. This spell cannot desecrate graves by animating buried corpses. You can animate as number of corpses identical to your caster level, retaining control of them indefinitely. Material Component: 1 lb. of purtid, rotting flesh.

Create Horror

When casting this spell you turn a number of intact skeletons into horrors. You must provide the skeletons to be animated. The skeletons have to be assembled and lying free. This spell cannot desecrate graves by animating buried corpses. You can animate as number of corpses identical to your caster level, retaining control of them indefinitely. Material Component: A scale or another part of a creature that has the frightful presence special quality.