Monster: Skull Monkey

Skull Monkey

An inky, monkey-shaped blot of darkness, with bared skull, and a pair of red sparks in the depths of its eye sockets.

CR 1; XP 400
CE Small Undead
Init +6; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +9

Defense
AC 13, touch 13, flat-footed 11 (+2 Dex, +1 size)
hp 13 (3d8)
Fort +1, Ref +3, Will +4
Immune undead traits

Offense
Speed 30 ft., climb 30 ft.; shadow flicker
Melee 2 claws +3 (1d3) and bite +3 (1d3)
Ranged fling taint +5 touch (1d3)
Special Attacks fling taint

Statistics
Str 10, Dex 14, Con —, Int 9, Wis 13, Cha 11
Base Atk +2; CMB +1; CMD 13
Feats Combat Reflexes, Improved Initiative
Skills Acrobatics +13, Climb +8, Perception +9, Sleight Of Hand +13, Stealth +12; Racial Modifiers +8 Acrobatics, +8 Perception, +8 Sleight Of Hand
Languages Understands Necril

Ecology
Environment warm forests and ruins
Organization solitary, pair, pack (3–12), bandarlog (13–36)
Treasure standard

Special Abilities

Fling Taint (Su) A skull monkey can draw a handful of its inky essence and throw it up to 30 feet. On a successful ranged touch attack, the flung taint inflicts 1d3 points of damage to a living creature and sticks for 1d4+1 rounds, attracting mindless undead to attack the victim. All undead gain +1 bonus to attack and weapon damage rolls against the tainted creature.

Shadow Flicker (Su) When a skull monkey moves through area of dim light or darkness, it ignores difficult terrain and does not provoke attacks of opportunity.


Skull monkeys are corrupted denizens of ancient ruins, lesser primates twisted with necrotic energies into more intelligent and more malicious semblance of their living kin. They often gather in groups and tribes infesting abandoned cities, sometimes spending their days on mock up customs and rituals deciphered from leftover statues, reliefs, and mosaics. They are aggressive toward the living beings, especially humanoids and primates, relying on sadistic tricks, though they are not above direct attacks if they think they can overpower the intruders. They often take captured and killed monkeys into the most tainted parts of their ruins in hope of creating more of their kind.

Skull monkey necrarchs (CR 3) have an advanced template, 5d8 HD, and +4 to their Charisma score, can animate corpse with a touch to create uncontrolled skeleton or zombie with up to 10 HD three times per day, and can use inflict moderate wounds (2d8+5) three times per day.