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Skulltaker

Creature 18 (uncommon) — undead, unholy

SnareCrasherLANDAERIALundeadunholyvoidbone

Swirling down from misty peaks and through howling mountain passes like an evil wind, the vortex of bones known as a skulltaker is a terrible manifestation of the delirium and agony experienced by doomed climbers and lost trailblazers just before they met their end. In some places, a skulltaker is also known as a saxra.

Source: pathfinder-monster-core

Perception +33; darkvision, truesight 60 feet
Languages necril; Skeletal Lore languages
Skills acrobatics +34, intimidation +35, religion +30, Skeletal Lore +30, stealth +32
Str
+8
Dex
+6
Con
+6
Int
+2
Wis
+8
Cha
+7
AC 42 Fort +31 Ref +33 Will +35 +1 status to all saves vs. vitality
HP 300 (void healing)
Immunities cold, death-effects, disease, paralyzed, poison, unconscious, bleed
Resistances piercing 15, slashing 15
Speed 30 feet, fly 60 feet

Offense

Melee Jaws (deadly-2d12, magical, reach-10, unarmed) +35, Damage 3d10+14 piercing plus 3d6 void plus Energy Drain
Melee Claw (agile, deadly-2d12, magical, reach-15, unarmed) +35, Damage 3d6+14 slashing plus 3d6 void plus Energy Drain
Ranged Bone Javelin (magical, thrown-100) +33, Damage 3d8+6 piercing plus 3d6 void

Abilities

Skeletal Lore (divine) — A skulltaker taps into the memories of the creatures whose bones make up its body. This gives it the Skeletal Lore skill, which it can use to Recall Knowledge of any kind. In addition, it can speak and understand all the languages known by the creatures whose bones make up its body (typically including Common and the regional language of the skulltaker's home region).

The skulltaker can use Skeletal Lore as the primary skill check for the Collective Memories ritual, and it can cast collective memories without secondary casters.
Constant Spells — A constant spell affects the monster without the monster needing to cast it, and its duration is unlimited. If a constant spell gets counteracted, the monster can reactivate it by spending the normal spellcasting actions the spell requires.
+1 Status to All Saves vs. Vitality
Shard Storm (air, aura, divine) — 10 feet.

A cloud of bone shards surrounds the skulltaker. When a creature moves into the emanation or begins its turn there, shard storm deals 4d6 slashing plus 4d6 void{4d6 slashing damage and 4d6 void damage} to the creature, with a DC 40 Reflex save.

If the creature has resistance or immunity to void damage, or an effect that protects it against death effects, or an effect that protects it against the doomed or drained condition, the creature must first succeed at a DC 40 Will save or have all such benefits suppressed for 1 minute.
Void Healing — A creature with void healing draws health from void energy rather than vitality energy. It is damaged by vitality damage and is not healed by vitality healing effects. It does not take void damage, and it is healed by void effects that heal undead.
Bonetaker (divine) — Whenever a creature dies within 60 feet of a skulltaker, the skulltaker draws a portion of the creature's bones into its shard storm.

The creature must succeed at a DC 40 Will save or rise as a Skeletal Champion in 1d4 rounds. These skeletal champions are controlled by the skulltaker.
Splintered Ground — The skulltaker causes splintered bones to erupt from all solid surfaces in a 100-foot emanation, except for surfaces of worked stone. A creature moving through the bones takes 10 piercing plus 10 void{10 piercing damage and 10 void damage} for every 5 feet of movement.

The first time each round a creature takes piercing damage from these splintered bones, it must succeed at a DC 40 Reflex save or take a –10-foot circumstance penalty to all Speeds for 10 minutes, or a –15-foot circumstance penalty for 24 hours on a critical failure.

The bones remain in place until the skulltaker uses this action again or the bones are manually removed, which takes 10 minutes for each 5-foot square.
Vitality Drain (divine) — When a skulltaker hits with a melee Strike, the target must succeed at a DC 40 Fortitude save or become Drained 2 and Doomed 1.
Divine Innate Spells DC 40, attack +32
8th Desiccate (×2), Punishing Winds (×2)
7th Execute (×2)
6th Truesight (Constant)

WORKS WELL WITH

AnvilLAND / AERIALA front-liner absorbs Shard Storm's proximity damage so squishier allies can stay outside the emanation.
SniperLAND / AERIALRanged damage stays safely beyond the Shard Storm's reach while melee-committed targets keep taking automatic damage.
WeaverLAND / AERIALSave-based debuffs stack onto a target already Drained and Doomed from the skulltaker's Vitality Drain.

PUNISHES

✖ clumping✖ melee reliance✖ standing still
Avoid pairing with another large-emanation Snare; overlapping zones crowd the same battlefield without adding distinct pressure.
Works well with · Punishes · Pairing advice Unlock with Tactics

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Stat block data sourced from the Foundry VTT PF2E system under the Apache License 2.0. Source book: Pathfinder Monster Core.

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