Homebrew Undead Skeleton Species Details
Skeletons: Freedom from Flesh
Skeletons are raised by curses or necromancy, usually from remains that are so old that little to no flesh or organs remain upon the bones. Without the tiresome requirements of the body’s incessant desire for food, pleasure and excretion, most skeletons awaken to find great pleasure in purpose and activity, measuring their unlife in deeds and accomplishments they never would have had the time or energy to accomplish while still alive.
Skeletons make tireless laborers, and despite their lack of a brain, some skeletons are shockingly intelligent, able to recall things about their life and times from an entirely new and detached perspective. However, traditional communication is difficult without a tongue, and not every skeleton manages to learn to discuss the finer points of existence with anyone other than fellow skeletons. These silent beings spent most of the rest of their existences carrying out their tasks in relative silence with only the occasional scrape or rattle of bones punctuating the din of a well-kept crypt.
Undead Skeleton Traits
Skeleton Racial traitsAbility Score Increase
Your Wisdom score increases by 2, and your Intelligence increases by 1.
Age
Skeletons do not age, but they do break. They can endure unlife for several centuries after they are raised, up to three times as long as the lifespan of their original species
Alignment
Due to their undead nature, skeletons are raised to evil alignments, but as they gain independence, they often drift toward neutrality, becoming cold and detached, melancholic or droll cynics.
Languages
You can't speak, but you can understand the languages you knew in life. You can communicate in common through telepathy
Speed
Your walking speed is 30 feet
Dark Vision
Darkvision. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can't discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.
Skeletal Nature
Skeletal Nature. You are immune to poison damage, and you can't be poisoned. You don't require air, food, drink, or sleep, but must rest motionless in order to regain abilities that may require a short or long rest.
Collapse
Collapse. When you do rest, you collapse into a pile of bones, including your worn equipment. You remain aware of your surroundings, and are completely indiscernible from a corpse unless divined by magical means, such as paladin’s Divine Sense or the Detect Good and Evil spell. You can resume your normal stance and stature using your reaction.
Memory
Memory. You have advantage on Intelligence (History) checks you make to recall events from the time period in which you expired.
Sticks and Stones
Sticks and Stones. You resist piercing and slashing damage from non-magical attacks.
Undead Nature
Your creature type is undead instead of humanoid
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