Illustration Xan Drake

Bone Collective

Tome of Beasts
Challenge 8
(3,900 XP)
Robinloft Estimated CR 8
Small undead, chaotic evil
Armor Class 17 (natural armor)
Hit Points 120 (16d6+64)
Speed 30 ft.
STR
10 (+0)
DEX
20 (+5)
CON
18 (+4)
INT
14 (+2)
WIS
10 (+0)
CHA
16 (+3)
Saving Throws Dex +8
Skills Arcana +5, Deception +6, Perception +3, Stealth +11
Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks not made with silvered weapons
Damage Immunities necrotic, poison
Condition Immunities exhaustion, poisoned
Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 13
Languages Common, Darakhul
Environments
Hive Mind.

All elements of a bone collective within 50 miles of their main body constantly communicate with each other. If one is aware of a particular danger, they all are. Any bone collective with at least 30 hit points forms a hive mind, giving it an Intelligence of 14. Below this hp threshold, it becomes mindless (Intelligence 0) and loses its innate spellcasting ability. At 0 hp, a few surviving sets of bones scatter, and must spend months to create a new collective.
Swarm.

A bone collective can act as a swarm (composed of smaller elements), or it can grant a single member (called an exarch) control, acting as a singular creature. Changing between forms takes one action. In its singular form, the collective can’t occupy the same space as another creature, but it can perform sneak attacks and cast spells. In swarm form, the bone collective can occupy another creature’s space and vice versa, and it can move through openings at least 1 foot square. It can’t change to singular form while it occupies the same space as another creature. It uses its skills normally in either form.
Innate Spellcasting. The bone collective's innate spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 14, +6 to hit with spell attacks). It can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components:
At will: chill touch
3/day each: animate dead (up to 5 skeletons or zombies)

Actions

Multiattack. The bone collective makes two claw attacks, or one claw and one bite attack, or one swarm attack.
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 31 (4d12 + 5) piercing damage, and the target must make a DC 16 Constitution save or suffer the effects of Wyrmblood Venom.
Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 24 (3d12 + 5) slashing damage.
Swarm. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 0 ft., one creature. Hit: 57 (8d12 + 5) piercing damage, or 31 (4d12 + 5) piercing damage if the bone collective has half its hit points or fewer. If the attack hits, the target must make a successful DC 15 Constitution save or suffer the effects of Wyrmblood Venom.
Wyrmblood Venom.

Bone collectives create a reddish liquid, which they smear on their fangs. The freakish red mouths on the tiny skeletons are disturbing, and the toxin is deadly. A bitten creature must succeed on a DC 15 Constitution saving throw or become poisoned and take 1d6 Charisma damage. A poisoned creature repeats the saving throw every four hours, taking another 1d6 Charisma damage for each failure, until it has made two consecutive successful saves or survived for 24 hours. If the creature survives, the effect ends and the creature can heal normally. Lost Charisma can be regained with a lesser restoration spell or comparable magic.

Bone Collective

Not yet described

Duplication and Templates

Want to make a new design starting from 'Bone Collective'? Want to apply a template?

Duplicate monster…