Admiral Squish
2014-07-20, 12:04 PM
Bone Nightmare
The first sign of its presence is a clattering sound, a dry, hollow clack of a thousand bones shifting and rolling over one another. The monster emerges from around a corner, a rolling pile of bones, a dozen skeleton‘s worth, surges around the corner. Eyeless sockets turn to regard you and as one the bones rise, rearranging and shifting around until a fearsome skeletal warrior looms over you.
Bone Nightmare CR 7
XP 3200
CE Large Undead (Subtype)
Init +3 ; Senses See in Darkness, Perception +12
____________
Defenses
AC 20, touch 12, flat-footed 17; ( +3 Dex, +8 Natural, -1 Size)
HP 8d8+24 (50 hp)
Fort +2 Ref +5 Will +7
Immune: Cold, Undead Traits
Defensive Abilities: All-Around Vision, DR 10/Bludgeoning
___________
Offenses
Speed 30 ft.
Melee Slam +9 (1d6+6)
Space 10 ft.; Reach 5 ft.
Special Attacks: Engulf (DC 18, 1d8+6 piercing)
____________
Statistics
Str 18(+4), Dex 16 (+3), Con -, Int 8 (-1), Wis 12 (+1), Cha 16 (+3)
Base Atk +6 CMB +11 (+13 grapple) CMD 24 ( 26 v. grapple, Cannot be Tripped)
Attack: Slam +9 Melee (1d6+6)
Full Attack: Slam +9 Melee (1d6+6)
Feats Improved Grapple (B), Stealthy, Nightstalker, Power Attack, Cornugon Smash
Skills Intimidate +14, Perception +12, Stealth +12 (+18 in shadowy illumination)
Languages None
SQ: Assimilate, Bone Weapons, Compression, Rearrange
____________________
Special Abilities
Assimilate: A bone nightmare’s most fearful ability is not an attack or defense, it is its capacity to grow. A bone nightmare grows by assimilating the skeletons of various creatures. Assimilating a skeleton requires a full-round action that provokes attacks of opportunity. Each new skeleton increases the power of the nightmare as a whole. A bone nightmare gains one HD when it assimilates a medum-sized skeleton, 2 HD when assimilating a large skeleton, 4 HD when assimilating a huge skeleton, 8 HD when assimilating a gargantuan skeleton, and 16 HD when assimilating a colossal skeleton. When assimilating a skeleton, they also heal slightly, regaining HP equal to their new HD. A bone nightmare can very quickly grow too large and dangerous to take on, and must be handled quickly when it arises. In addition to the normal benefits of HD increase, such as feats, improved BAB, and more HP, the bone nightmare gains additional bonuses as indicated on the table under advancement, and at a certain HD, the bone nightmare becomes the next larger form.
Bone Weapons: A bone nightmare’s natural attacks are all composed of bone spikes and points, no matter how they are used in combat, they are all the same weapons. If the bone nightmare is under some affect that would normally modify or enhance one natural weapon it possesses, it instead applies this bonus to any natural weapons it possesses, unless that weapon is ineligible to gain that effect (for example, an effect that applies the keen special ability would not apply to a slam attack). Even if it loses the original natural weapon the effect applied to initially, the effect applies to any natural weapons it possesses, as long as the effect’s duration lasts.
Compression: A bone nightmare can move through an area as small as one-quarter its space without squeezing, or one-eighth its space when squeezing.
Rearrange: A bone nightmare’s body is made of hundreds, thousands of bones, and the beast can rearrange them into almost any shape it desires. In its natural state, it takes the form of a rolling mass of bones, a avalanche of death, an amorphous mass. However, with a move action, the bone nightmare can rearrange itself. While any number of specific arrangements is possible, there are four general shapes that nightmares tend to use, detailed below.
Amorphous: A bone nightmare’s amorphous form is merely a shapeless pile of bones that rolls wherever it desires, and its abilities are detailed above.
Humanoid: A bone nightmare in humanoid form doesn’t resemble a large skeleton, they create the vague shape of a humanoid out of their many bones, often with many skulls perched on the shoulders or glaring out from a ribcage. While in humanoid form, a bone nightmare gains a second slam attack, and can use manufactured armor and weapons (it is considered proficient with simple and martial weapons, and light, medium, and heavy armor, but not shields). Its reach becomes that of a tall creature of its size. It loses the use of its engulf special attack as long as it remains in this form.
Quadruped: A bone nightmare in quadruped form may take the general shape of any animal, but substitutes bone shards for teeth and claws where necessary. The bone nightmare’s base speed increases by 10 feet, and it loses the use of its engulf special ability as long as it remains in this form. The bone nightmare loses its slam attacks, but gains one of the following natural attacks and an associated special ability: 2 claw attacks and the Pounce ability, a gore attack and the powerful charge special ability (dealing twice the gore’s base damage + 1.5 x the bone nightmare‘s strength modifier), or a bite attack with the grab special ability.
Serpentine: A bone nightmare in serpentine form does not resemble a snake so much as an enormous centipede, a long, slender body supported by many, many legs, sometimes literal legs, and sometimes bones repurposed into insect-like scrabbling points. The bone nightmare gains a climb speed equal to its base speed. It loses its slam attack, instead gaining two claw attacks and four rake attacks. It loses the use of its engulf special attack as long as it remains in this form.
_________
Ecology
Environment Any
Organization Solitary
Treasure Standard
Advancement 9-15 HD, See table; 16 HD,
New HD
Str
NA
Cha
Feats
CR
10
+2
+1
Improved Natural Attack
?
12
+4
+2
+2
Improved Natural Armor
?
14
+6
+3
+2
Improved Initiative
?
A bone nightmare is an amalgamation of many different skeletons, inhabited by negative energy and given the simple drive to grow. They arise in places where many skeletons are in contact, ossuaries, boneyards, and mass graves being some of the most common sources. Once they form, they constantly seek out more skeletons and bones to add to their own body. This typically means the bone nightmare will prowl around the area that created it, assimilating skeletons until it runs out of bones to add, then rampaging its way to a new source of bones. Some particularly wicked ones may kill creatures that come too close and peel their bones as much as possible, then lay them out for scavengers and maggots to consume the last of it, until they consider it clean enough. Bone nightmares must be dealt with quickly, once discovered, as their potential for growth is a terrifying prospect.
Bone nightmares are relatively simple-minded, but those who mistake them for simple beasts will find they have underestimated their foes. Bone nightmares are cunning monsters, and their ability to rearrange themselves allows them to adapt to many situations and employ highly unusual tactics against their pursuers. While a bone nightmare cannot speak, or make any sort of vocalization for that matter, they can understand common easily enough.
Bone nightmares aren't eager to fight in most cases, and will usually prioritize assimilating more skeletons over seeking out and attacking creatures. However, should they be hunted, bone nightmares are glad to attack their foes. They favor ambushes where possible, lurking around corners or on ceilings, then suddenly leaping from hiding to attack their foes with savage cruelty. They may also use terrain to their advantage, such as choosing tight spaces to fight in, allowing them to compress themselves freely while their enemies may struggle, or using hallways to limit how many enemies can engage them at once. Should a bone nightmare be seriously injured, they will flee, usually using some method of escape their pursuers cannot match, to go assimilate more skeletons and heal.
The first sign of its presence is a clattering sound, a dry, hollow clack of a thousand bones shifting and rolling over one another. The monster emerges from around a corner, a rolling pile of bones, a dozen skeleton‘s worth, surges around the corner. Eyeless sockets turn to regard you and as one the bones rise, rearranging and shifting around until a fearsome skeletal warrior looms over you.
Bone Nightmare CR 7
XP 3200
CE Large Undead (Subtype)
Init +3 ; Senses See in Darkness, Perception +12
____________
Defenses
AC 20, touch 12, flat-footed 17; ( +3 Dex, +8 Natural, -1 Size)
HP 8d8+24 (50 hp)
Fort +2 Ref +5 Will +7
Immune: Cold, Undead Traits
Defensive Abilities: All-Around Vision, DR 10/Bludgeoning
___________
Offenses
Speed 30 ft.
Melee Slam +9 (1d6+6)
Space 10 ft.; Reach 5 ft.
Special Attacks: Engulf (DC 18, 1d8+6 piercing)
____________
Statistics
Str 18(+4), Dex 16 (+3), Con -, Int 8 (-1), Wis 12 (+1), Cha 16 (+3)
Base Atk +6 CMB +11 (+13 grapple) CMD 24 ( 26 v. grapple, Cannot be Tripped)
Attack: Slam +9 Melee (1d6+6)
Full Attack: Slam +9 Melee (1d6+6)
Feats Improved Grapple (B), Stealthy, Nightstalker, Power Attack, Cornugon Smash
Skills Intimidate +14, Perception +12, Stealth +12 (+18 in shadowy illumination)
Languages None
SQ: Assimilate, Bone Weapons, Compression, Rearrange
____________________
Special Abilities
Assimilate: A bone nightmare’s most fearful ability is not an attack or defense, it is its capacity to grow. A bone nightmare grows by assimilating the skeletons of various creatures. Assimilating a skeleton requires a full-round action that provokes attacks of opportunity. Each new skeleton increases the power of the nightmare as a whole. A bone nightmare gains one HD when it assimilates a medum-sized skeleton, 2 HD when assimilating a large skeleton, 4 HD when assimilating a huge skeleton, 8 HD when assimilating a gargantuan skeleton, and 16 HD when assimilating a colossal skeleton. When assimilating a skeleton, they also heal slightly, regaining HP equal to their new HD. A bone nightmare can very quickly grow too large and dangerous to take on, and must be handled quickly when it arises. In addition to the normal benefits of HD increase, such as feats, improved BAB, and more HP, the bone nightmare gains additional bonuses as indicated on the table under advancement, and at a certain HD, the bone nightmare becomes the next larger form.
Bone Weapons: A bone nightmare’s natural attacks are all composed of bone spikes and points, no matter how they are used in combat, they are all the same weapons. If the bone nightmare is under some affect that would normally modify or enhance one natural weapon it possesses, it instead applies this bonus to any natural weapons it possesses, unless that weapon is ineligible to gain that effect (for example, an effect that applies the keen special ability would not apply to a slam attack). Even if it loses the original natural weapon the effect applied to initially, the effect applies to any natural weapons it possesses, as long as the effect’s duration lasts.
Compression: A bone nightmare can move through an area as small as one-quarter its space without squeezing, or one-eighth its space when squeezing.
Rearrange: A bone nightmare’s body is made of hundreds, thousands of bones, and the beast can rearrange them into almost any shape it desires. In its natural state, it takes the form of a rolling mass of bones, a avalanche of death, an amorphous mass. However, with a move action, the bone nightmare can rearrange itself. While any number of specific arrangements is possible, there are four general shapes that nightmares tend to use, detailed below.
Amorphous: A bone nightmare’s amorphous form is merely a shapeless pile of bones that rolls wherever it desires, and its abilities are detailed above.
Humanoid: A bone nightmare in humanoid form doesn’t resemble a large skeleton, they create the vague shape of a humanoid out of their many bones, often with many skulls perched on the shoulders or glaring out from a ribcage. While in humanoid form, a bone nightmare gains a second slam attack, and can use manufactured armor and weapons (it is considered proficient with simple and martial weapons, and light, medium, and heavy armor, but not shields). Its reach becomes that of a tall creature of its size. It loses the use of its engulf special attack as long as it remains in this form.
Quadruped: A bone nightmare in quadruped form may take the general shape of any animal, but substitutes bone shards for teeth and claws where necessary. The bone nightmare’s base speed increases by 10 feet, and it loses the use of its engulf special ability as long as it remains in this form. The bone nightmare loses its slam attacks, but gains one of the following natural attacks and an associated special ability: 2 claw attacks and the Pounce ability, a gore attack and the powerful charge special ability (dealing twice the gore’s base damage + 1.5 x the bone nightmare‘s strength modifier), or a bite attack with the grab special ability.
Serpentine: A bone nightmare in serpentine form does not resemble a snake so much as an enormous centipede, a long, slender body supported by many, many legs, sometimes literal legs, and sometimes bones repurposed into insect-like scrabbling points. The bone nightmare gains a climb speed equal to its base speed. It loses its slam attack, instead gaining two claw attacks and four rake attacks. It loses the use of its engulf special attack as long as it remains in this form.
_________
Ecology
Environment Any
Organization Solitary
Treasure Standard
Advancement 9-15 HD, See table; 16 HD,
New HD
Str
NA
Cha
Feats
CR
10
+2
+1
Improved Natural Attack
?
12
+4
+2
+2
Improved Natural Armor
?
14
+6
+3
+2
Improved Initiative
?
A bone nightmare is an amalgamation of many different skeletons, inhabited by negative energy and given the simple drive to grow. They arise in places where many skeletons are in contact, ossuaries, boneyards, and mass graves being some of the most common sources. Once they form, they constantly seek out more skeletons and bones to add to their own body. This typically means the bone nightmare will prowl around the area that created it, assimilating skeletons until it runs out of bones to add, then rampaging its way to a new source of bones. Some particularly wicked ones may kill creatures that come too close and peel their bones as much as possible, then lay them out for scavengers and maggots to consume the last of it, until they consider it clean enough. Bone nightmares must be dealt with quickly, once discovered, as their potential for growth is a terrifying prospect.
Bone nightmares are relatively simple-minded, but those who mistake them for simple beasts will find they have underestimated their foes. Bone nightmares are cunning monsters, and their ability to rearrange themselves allows them to adapt to many situations and employ highly unusual tactics against their pursuers. While a bone nightmare cannot speak, or make any sort of vocalization for that matter, they can understand common easily enough.
Bone nightmares aren't eager to fight in most cases, and will usually prioritize assimilating more skeletons over seeking out and attacking creatures. However, should they be hunted, bone nightmares are glad to attack their foes. They favor ambushes where possible, lurking around corners or on ceilings, then suddenly leaping from hiding to attack their foes with savage cruelty. They may also use terrain to their advantage, such as choosing tight spaces to fight in, allowing them to compress themselves freely while their enemies may struggle, or using hallways to limit how many enemies can engage them at once. Should a bone nightmare be seriously injured, they will flee, usually using some method of escape their pursuers cannot match, to go assimilate more skeletons and heal.