Fantasy Monster: Splinterbone Pile

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Splinterbone Pile

A mass of splintered bones, skulls, and teeth lashing and crawling around.

CR 3; XP 800

NE Tiny Undead (swarm)

Init +2; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +0

Defense
AC 15, touch 14, flat-footed 13 (+2 Dex, +1 natural, +2 size)
hp 30 (12d8–24)
Fort +2; Ref +6; Will +8

Defensive Qualities half piercing and slashing damage; Immune swarm traits, undead traits

Weakness vulnerable to area effects

Offense
Speed 20 ft.

Melee swarm attack (3d6 plus bleed)

Space 10 ft.; Reach 0 ft.

Special Attacks bleed (1d6), distraction (DC 16)

Statistics
Str 1, Dex 14, Con —, Int —, Wis 11, Cha 7
Base Atk +9; CMB —; CMD —

Skills Perception +0, Stealth +10

Ecology
Environment cemeteries, ruins
Organization solitary, pair, or boneyard (3–10)
Treasure standard

Experienced adventurers, treasure hunters, and tomb robbers know the dangers presented by skeletons strew across ruins and tombs, and often resort to breaking bones and skull pre-emeptively, hoping to avoid them reanimating. Regretfully, there are occasion when it can make the situation worse—sometimes, the broken bones can be so infused with necromantic energies, or absorb enough after being shattered, that their very splinters reanimate and violently lash against intruders.

Boneshard Clouds (CR 7) are even worse, being made of Fine bone shards and dust, which makes them immune to all weapon damage, with AC 21 (+3 Dex, +8 size, +1 natural), 24 HD, 84 hit points, Fort +7, Ref +11, Will +15, with Dex 16, Wis 13, and Cha 9. Their swarm attack dealing 5d6 points of damage and 2d6 points of bleed. Additionally, creatures within the bonedust cloud are forced to hold breath—anyone who speaks while being within the bonedust cloud (including casting spells), immediately suffers swarm damage. Thankfully, they are rare, typically forming in ancient tombs, out of bones that eroded over centuries or even millennia.