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Alternate Advancements
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<blockquote data-quote="FireLance" data-source="post: 4603471" data-attributes="member: 3424"><p>I'm glad you liked it, jSpengler! <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /></p><p></p><p>I thought of doing up an alternate advancement for a basic skeletal creature, but it ended up looking rather boring. I think that in order for an alternate advancement to look interesting, it needs to add a new power or two. So, instead of a vanilla skeleton, I decided to do one based on the old idea of a skeleton that explodes when killed. Yes, the MM has the boneshard skeleton, but I'm not going to let that stop me. <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f61b.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":p" title="Stick out tongue :p" data-smilie="7"data-shortname=":p" /> This alternate advancement can be applied to other creatures to create a variety of exploding skeletons.</p><p></p><p><strong>Bonesplinter Skeleton</strong></p><p></p><p>The bonesplinter skeleton alternate advancement can be used to represent animated skeletons whose bones have been specially treated to release dangerous splinters when hit. Although this makes them brittle and vulnerable to blunt weapons, it is cold comfort to those fighting them at close range.</p><p></p><p style="margin-left: 20px"><strong>Bonesplinter Skeleton</strong></p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"><strong>Level:</strong> +1</p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"><strong>Type</strong> change to animate; the bonesplinter skeleton creature also gains the undead keyword</p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"><strong>XP</strong> as its new level</p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"><strong>Initiative</strong> +1 if its new level is even</p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"><strong>Senses</strong> Perception +1 if its new level is even; darkvision</p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"><strong>HP</strong> as its role and new level</p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"><strong>Defenses</strong> +1 to all defenses </p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"><strong>Immune</strong> disease, poison; <strong>Resist</strong> 10 necrotic; increase necrotic resistance to 15 if its new level is 11th or higher, and to 20 if its new level is 21st or higher; <strong>Vulnerable</strong> 5 radiant, 5 weapon damage from flails, hammers, maces and staffs</p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"></p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"><strong>Powers</strong></p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"><strong>Bonesplinter Backlash</strong> </p> <p style="margin-left: 20px">An adjacent creature that damages the bonesplinter skeleton creature with a melee attack or an attack with the Weapon or Force keywords takes damage equal to 2 + 1/2 its new level.</p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"><img src="http://www.enworld.org/forum/images/smilies/c.gif" class="smilie" loading="lazy" alt=":close:" title="Close :close:" data-shortname=":close:" /> <strong>Bonesplinter Burst</strong> (when bonesplinter skeleton creature is reduced to 0 hit points)</p> <p style="margin-left: 20px">Close burst 1; +5 + its new level vs. AC; 3d6 + 1/2 its new level damage. <em>Miss:</em> Half damage. Increase damage to 4d6 + 1/2 its new level at 6th level, 5d6 + 1/2 its new level at 11th level, 6d6 + 1/2 its new level at 16th level, 7d6 + 1/2 its new level at 21st level, and 8d6 + 1/2 its new level at 26th level.</p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"></p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"><strong>Skills</strong> +1 if its new level is even</p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"><strong>Ability Scores</strong> modifiers +1 if its new level is even </p><p>The bonesplinter skeleton alternate advancement does not change the base creature's origin. However, a successful Religion check allows a character to recognize that a creature is a bonesplinter skeleton, even if he is unable to identify the base creature, and to know the powers and resistances of the bonesplinter skeleton alternate advancement, as per the rules for monster knowledge checks.</p><p></p><p>The following is an example of a bonesplinter skeleton creature:</p><p></p><p style="margin-left: 20px"><strong>Bonesplinter Skeleton Gray Wolf, Level 3 Skirmisher</strong></p> <p style="margin-left: 20px">Medium natural animate (undead) (XP 150)</p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"></p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"><strong>Initiative</strong> +5</p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"><strong>Senses</strong> Perception +7; darkvision</p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"><strong>HP</strong> 46; <strong>Bloodied</strong> 23; see also <em>bonesplinter burst</em></p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"><strong>AC</strong> 17; <strong>Fortitude</strong> 15, <strong>Reflex</strong> 15, <strong>Will</strong> 14</p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"><strong>Immune</strong> disease, poison; <strong>Resist</strong> 5 necrotic; <strong>Vulnerable</strong> 5 radiant, 5 weapon damage from flails, hammers, maces and staffs</p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"><strong>Speed</strong> 8 </p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"></p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"><img src="http://www.enworld.org/forum/images/smilies/bm.gif" class="smilie" loading="lazy" alt=":bmelee:" title="Basic Melee :bmelee:" data-shortname=":bmelee:" /> <strong>Bite</strong> (standard; at-will) </p> <p style="margin-left: 20px">+7 vs. AC; 1d6 + 2 damage, or 2d6 + 2 damage against a prone target.</p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"><strong>Combat Advantage</strong> </p> <p style="margin-left: 20px">If the bonesplinter skeleton gray wolf has combat advantage against the target, the target is also knocked prone on a hit. </p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"><strong>Bonesplinter Backlash</strong></p> <p style="margin-left: 20px">An adjacent creature that damages the bonesplinter skeleton gray wolf with a melee attack or an attack with the Weapon or Force keywords takes 3 damage.</p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"><img src="http://www.enworld.org/forum/images/smilies/c.gif" class="smilie" loading="lazy" alt=":close:" title="Close :close:" data-shortname=":close:" /> <strong>Bonesplinter Burst</strong> (when bonesplinter skeleton gray wolf is reduced to 0 hit points)</p> <p style="margin-left: 20px">Close burst 1; +8 vs. AC; 3d6 + 1 damage. <em>Miss:</em> Half damage.</p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"></p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"><strong>Alignment</strong> Unaligned</p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"><strong>Languages</strong> –</p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"><strong>Str</strong> 13 (+2) <strong>Dex</strong> 14 (+3) <strong>Wis</strong> 13 (+2)</p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"><strong>Con</strong> 14 (+3) <strong>Int</strong> 3 (-3) <strong>Cha</strong> 10 (+1)</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="FireLance, post: 4603471, member: 3424"] I'm glad you liked it, jSpengler! :) I thought of doing up an alternate advancement for a basic skeletal creature, but it ended up looking rather boring. I think that in order for an alternate advancement to look interesting, it needs to add a new power or two. So, instead of a vanilla skeleton, I decided to do one based on the old idea of a skeleton that explodes when killed. Yes, the MM has the boneshard skeleton, but I'm not going to let that stop me. :p This alternate advancement can be applied to other creatures to create a variety of exploding skeletons. [B]Bonesplinter Skeleton[/B] The bonesplinter skeleton alternate advancement can be used to represent animated skeletons whose bones have been specially treated to release dangerous splinters when hit. Although this makes them brittle and vulnerable to blunt weapons, it is cold comfort to those fighting them at close range. [INDENT][B]Bonesplinter Skeleton[/B] [B]Level:[/B] +1 [B]Type[/B] change to animate; the bonesplinter skeleton creature also gains the undead keyword [B]XP[/B] as its new level [B]Initiative[/B] +1 if its new level is even [B]Senses[/B] Perception +1 if its new level is even; darkvision [B]HP[/B] as its role and new level [B]Defenses[/B] +1 to all defenses [B]Immune[/B] disease, poison; [B]Resist[/B] 10 necrotic; increase necrotic resistance to 15 if its new level is 11th or higher, and to 20 if its new level is 21st or higher; [B]Vulnerable[/B] 5 radiant, 5 weapon damage from flails, hammers, maces and staffs [B]Powers[/B] [B]Bonesplinter Backlash[/B] An adjacent creature that damages the bonesplinter skeleton creature with a melee attack or an attack with the Weapon or Force keywords takes damage equal to 2 + 1/2 its new level. :close: [B]Bonesplinter Burst[/B] (when bonesplinter skeleton creature is reduced to 0 hit points) Close burst 1; +5 + its new level vs. AC; 3d6 + 1/2 its new level damage. [I]Miss:[/I] Half damage. Increase damage to 4d6 + 1/2 its new level at 6th level, 5d6 + 1/2 its new level at 11th level, 6d6 + 1/2 its new level at 16th level, 7d6 + 1/2 its new level at 21st level, and 8d6 + 1/2 its new level at 26th level. [B]Skills[/B] +1 if its new level is even [B]Ability Scores[/B] modifiers +1 if its new level is even [/INDENT]The bonesplinter skeleton alternate advancement does not change the base creature's origin. However, a successful Religion check allows a character to recognize that a creature is a bonesplinter skeleton, even if he is unable to identify the base creature, and to know the powers and resistances of the bonesplinter skeleton alternate advancement, as per the rules for monster knowledge checks. The following is an example of a bonesplinter skeleton creature: [INDENT][B]Bonesplinter Skeleton Gray Wolf, Level 3 Skirmisher[/B] Medium natural animate (undead) (XP 150) [B]Initiative[/B] +5 [B]Senses[/B] Perception +7; darkvision [B]HP[/B] 46; [B]Bloodied[/B] 23; see also [I]bonesplinter burst[/I] [B]AC[/B] 17; [B]Fortitude[/B] 15, [B]Reflex[/B] 15, [B]Will[/B] 14 [B]Immune[/B] disease, poison; [B]Resist[/B] 5 necrotic; [B]Vulnerable[/B] 5 radiant, 5 weapon damage from flails, hammers, maces and staffs [B]Speed[/B] 8 :bmelee: [B]Bite[/B] (standard; at-will) +7 vs. AC; 1d6 + 2 damage, or 2d6 + 2 damage against a prone target. [B]Combat Advantage[/B] If the bonesplinter skeleton gray wolf has combat advantage against the target, the target is also knocked prone on a hit. [B]Bonesplinter Backlash[/B] An adjacent creature that damages the bonesplinter skeleton gray wolf with a melee attack or an attack with the Weapon or Force keywords takes 3 damage. :close: [B]Bonesplinter Burst[/B] (when bonesplinter skeleton gray wolf is reduced to 0 hit points) Close burst 1; +8 vs. AC; 3d6 + 1 damage. [I]Miss:[/I] Half damage. [B]Alignment[/B] Unaligned [B]Languages[/B] – [B]Str[/B] 13 (+2) [B]Dex[/B] 14 (+3) [B]Wis[/B] 13 (+2) [B]Con[/B] 14 (+3) [B]Int[/B] 3 (-3) [B]Cha[/B] 10 (+1)[/INDENT] [/QUOTE]
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