Troll skeleton

[TallerSpine]

Does a troll skeleton keep regeneration? I figure, regenerating lost limbs would help its melee attacks, so an argument could be made that it keeps that. Or is that too much of a stretch?

[InterstellarPro]

Check the Skeleton (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/skeleton.htm) entry. It has a troll skeleton. No regeneration.

[Daefos]

Besides, the rules for the Regeneration ability have this clause:

A creature must have a Constitution score to have the regeneration ability.
So skeletons, with their Con of —, simply can’t have Regeneration at all.

[BowStreetRunner]

The rules for the Skeleton template clearly state that a skeleton loses most of the special qualities of the base creature, retaining only those qualities that improve its melee or ranged attacks. A Troll's regeneration is a special quality that does not improve its melee or ranged attacks. So even if it weren't specifically prohibited to a creature with no Con score, it would still lose that ability.

[InterstellarPro]

The rules for the Skeleton template clearly state that a skeleton loses most of the special qualities of the base creature, retaining only those qualities that improve its melee or ranged attacks. A Troll's regeneration is a special quality that does not improve its melee or ranged attacks. So even if it weren't specifically prohibited to a creature with no Con score, it would still lose that ability.

That was precisely TallerSpine's argument. It does improve melee attacks. If a skeleton's arm is torn off, it loses a claw attack. If its claw regenerates, that is a strict improvement over losing the attack from having its claw sundered. So, regeneration does kinda improve melee attacks in very specific circumstances. Not that I agree with that sentiment, but that was the original argument.

[BowStreetRunner]

That was precisely TallerSpine's argument. It does improve melee attacks. If a skeleton's arm is torn off, it loses a claw attack. If its claw regenerates, that is a strict improvement over losing the attack from having its claw sundered. So, regeneration does kinda improve melee attacks in very specific circumstances. Not that I agree with that sentiment, but that was the original argument.
Sorry, I was focused on the first two responses and missed the original point. I guess it's way to much of a stretch for me to consider it a valid argument. If that argument were used than literally any special quality would be improve melee attacks, since anything that increases the overall power and survivability of the creature indirectly increases the likelihood that it will survive long enough to land a blow in melee combat.

When I think of Special Qualities that improve melee or ranged attacks the kinds of things that come to mind are a Choker's Quickness or an Ettin's Superior Two-Weapon Fighting.