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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Shade" data-source="post: 5039867" data-attributes="member: 287">Spike SkeletonCLIMATE/TERRAIN: AnyFREQUENCY: Very rareORGANIZATION: BandACTIVITY CYCLES: AnyDIET: NilINTELLIGENCE: Non- (0)TREASURE: NilALIGNMENT: NeutralNO. APPEARING: 2-20 (2d10)ARMOR CLASS: 6MOVEMENT: 12HIT DICE: 3THACO: 18NO. OF ATTACKS: 1DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1-6SPECIAL ATTACKS: thorns, bonespray, blood bumSPECIAL DEFENSES: As skeletonMAGIC RESISTANCE: As skeletonSIZE: M (5’-6’)MORALE: As skeletonXP VALUE: 650From a distance, spike skeletons look perfectly normal, except that they are unarmed. Closer inspection reveals that they are covered with bony thorns up to an inch long. Somewhat tougher than regular skeletons, these creatures are often used to demoralize enemy troops with their horrific and agonizing special abilities.Combat: The bony thorns of these skeletons allow them to cause as much damage as a normal skeleton wielding a weapon. Furthermore, 1-3 (1d3) spikes explode each time the creature hits or is hit, inflicting 1-4 hp damage per spike in a 5’ radius (save vs. breath weapon for half damage). The skeleton itself suffers 1 hp damage for each spike it loses this way. The purpose of the bonespray is to draw blood. Once this is done, the nearest creature to the skeleton is then subjected to a version of the 4th-level wizard spell Beltyn’s burning blood (from the FORGOTTEN REALMS Adventures book).  The victim must save vs. spell at -3 or suffer 3d4 hp damage as all the blood from open wounds catches fire. A save must be made each round for three rounds. The moment a successful save is made, the damage stops. Each skeleton can cast this spell only once, and must be “re-charged” to cast it a. second time.Special ingredients: The thorns must be specially carved from bones taken from the same type of creature that is to be animated (i. e. human bones for a human skeleton). A glyph is carved into each thorn before it is attached to the skeleton with a resin made with fresh bone marrow. During animation, a shatter spell is cast in conjunction with animate dead. After animation, the 6th-level necromancy spell imbue undead with spell ability is cast, along with Beltyn’s burning blood.Originally appeared in Dragon Magazine #234 (1996).</blockquote>

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