Undead Telepathy. The skeletal magus can telepathically communicate with other undead within 300 feet, and is aware of the direction, distance, and power of all undead within this range. Additionally, it can use this quality to telepathically communicate with one creature within 120 feet that it can see, unable to communicate with any other creatures in this way while using this feature.
Undead Necromancer. These undead were Necromancers in life, and as such can command lesser undead. Skeletons and Zombies inherently obey these creatures, intelligent undead are not hostile towards them, and they never lose control of skeletons and zombies they animate.
Boneforged Body. Boneforged skeletons take the maximum result for all of their hit die and have +2 Strength, Constitution, and Dexterity. Additionally, they enjoy proficiency in Strength and Constitution saving throws.
Spellcasting. The skeletal magus is an 13th-level spellcaster. Its spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 17, +9 to hit with spell attacks). The skeletal magus has the following wizard spells prepared:
Cantrips (at will): chill touch, green-flame blade, mage hand, ray of frost, toll the dead
1st level (5 slots): absorb elements, detect magic, inflict wounds, ray of sickness
2nd level (4 slots): acid arrow, mirror image, misty step, blindness/deafness
3rd level (4 slots): animate dead, counterspell, fireball
4th level (3 slots): blight, greater invisibility
5th level (3 slots): cloudkill, danse macabre, scrying
6th level (2 slot): circle of death, create undead
7th level (1 slot): finger of death
Turn Resistance. The skeletal magus has advantage on saving throws against any effect that turns undead.
Grim Harvest. Once on each of its turns, if the skeletal magus reduces at least one creature to 0 hit points with one of its 1st level or higher spells, it regains hit points equal to twice the spell level or three times the spell level if it was a necromancy spell.
Undead Thralls. When casting animate dead, the skeletal magus gains or prolongs control over one additional skeleton or zombie. Further, they gain +13 maximum hit points and +4 to their weapon damage rolls.
Inured to Undeath. The skeletal magus has resistance to necrotic damage and cannot have its maximum hit points reduced.
Staff of Withering (3 charges). Melee Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 4 (1d6+2) bludgeoning damage. By using one of its charges on a hit, the attack deals an additional 11 (2d10) necrotic damage. If this is done, the target must succeed on a DC 15 Constitution saving throw or suffer disadvantage on all Strength and Constitution ability checks for 1 hour.
Wand of Lightning Bolts (7 Charges). The Skeleton casts lightning bolt at 3rd Level for 1 charge. The save DC is 15.
Mend Undead (Recharge 1–4). The skeletal magus chooses one damaged undead, either selecting itself, the one with the most missing hit points, or the strongest damaged undead, within 60 feet. That undead regains 17 hit points. This ability cannot be used again for 1d4 rounds.
Restore Undead (Recharge 5–10). The skeletal magus reanimator lets loose a vile surge of necromantic energy that seeps into all undead and the corpses of nearby undead that have been dropped to zero hit points. This restores 5 hit points to each undead, except the reanimator, within a 30 foot radius centered on the reanimator, and causes any undead that have been reduced to 0 hit points within the area to be returned to life at their previous initiative order at a number of hit points equal to the reanimator's charisma score plus its proficiency bonus.
Counterspell. The skeletal magus will always use counterspell against any 3rd level or higher damaging spell that would be used against it.
Description
Created from the remains of skilled necromancers, these skeletal magic users are almost as potent of wizards as they were in life. Raised to help create and command armies of the undead, these terrifying beings are incredibly intelligent and staunchly loyal to any entity skilled enough to raise them, often idolizing the greater necromancer and reveling in the opportunity to help ply their trade. Not mindless like other skeletons, they make for powerful assets, able to dedicatedly control lesser undead and tend to tedious tasks and lesser objectives with little to no direction needed.
These undead necromancers are almost always given magical items to help them accomplish their objectives and will seek out magical items to improve their own powers, still driven to attain their own goals of achieving lichdom, even if such a goal is nearly impossible in their current state. Those that have realized the folly in such goals will, instead, devote every magical object they acquire to the necromancer that raised them, seeing strength and pride in being a part of a greater necromancer's rise to power.
Skeletal Magi are rare, and typically only employed by liches or master necromancers capable of keeping them loyal. When left to their own devices without a master, however, they will pursue a means to strengthen their reanimation or resurrect themselves to become a greater necromancer once more, ultimately aiming to become a lich, themselves, more often than not. These roving skeletons will animate their own protective entourage at the earliest convenience, and will generally be found with 3 to 8 skeletons or zombies and 2 ghouls.
These particular skeletal magi were among the elite orders of dedicated necromancers, nearing lichdom before their untimely demise. As such, rather than bonding with a phylactery, they used similar rituals to permanently bind their soul to their own skeleton, granting them significantly higher durability and longevity as a skeleton. This last ditch effort may have permanently barred them from lichdom, but they have retained far more of their mind than most any other undead. These skeletons are independent, not bound by any lich or greater undead they may work under, and often have the ability to utilize numerous rituals in addition to their listed spells. It is not uncommon for these undead to keep spells such as magic mouth or illusory script handily available for use with these methods, allowing them to serve as their own level of leadership among the undead ranks they form within, or for themselves.
With advanced preparation methods and the assistance of their cohorts in life, these undead magi have been boneforged in death. Often done as a last-ditch effort to keep a cult leader's influence and power, and typically used to feign lichdom. These powerful undead usually lead far greater numbers of the unliving, including more advanced undead and sometimes even living necromancers amidst their forces. It is far from uncommon to see these skeletons leading even wights and skeletal champions with expert tactical knowhow.
Comments