If Skeleton Guards weren’t enough undead for your players, it’s time to bring the puppies to the game. Wolf Skeletons can be terrifyingly quick and add an interesting tactical element to your undead armies.
Dire Wolf Running by Peter D. Tillman, used under CC-BY-SA 2.0
Skeleton Traits
Like the Skeleton Guard, the Wolf Skeleton is a mindless, skeletal undead. They can’t be targeted with mental abilities, they have negative healing, all that good stuff.
They have the same immunities to the biologically based effects like insta-death, diseases, poisons, paralysis, and the resistances to cold, fire, electricity, piercing, and slashing.
Jaw Attack with Knockdown
If the Wolf Skeleton hits with its “Jaws” strike, it may immediately spend an action to knock the target of that strike prone.
Canis Diris by James St. John, used under CC-BY 2.0
Since a prone enemy is flat-footed (-2 to AC) and takes a -2 penalty to attack rolls, the Wolf Skeleton can set up some mean combo moves for the other enemies travelling with it to take advantage of.
These penalties also mean that a Player Character is extremely likely to spend an action to stand up, using up one of their three actions for the turn.
This combined with the high +8 Perception bonus for the Wolf Skeleton means that they can act as ambush attackers moving more than likely first in initiative, and causing conditions which either must be dealt with, or can be exploited by other enemies.
Surge of Speed
For two actions, the Wolf Skeleton can stride three times, but lowers its own AC through the flat-footed condition.
If a Wolf Skeleton notices where you are, it can be on you instantly and attack you immediately. These are terrifying guards to have pop out of absolutely nowhere if your Party flubs a Stealth check.
On another creature, this ability could also make for an excellent retreat, but these creatures are mindless and programmed by their creator. They’re not likely using this as a retreat but rather to take advantage of surprise.
Using in Your Game
Like has been mentioned before, these things are quick strikers who can close 115 feet of distance in a first round attack on a party. If left with a free action once they strike, they knock a player prone.
Spell casters aren’t going to be using the Wolf Skeleton as a guard in an enclosed space, that’s just a waste of their abilities. Wide open spaces where their ability to move around quickly is the most likely place they’ll be found.
If you have a particularly cruel necromancer in your game, slap the Nimble Skeleton Ability on one of these. A 45 foot movement speed and a 20 foot climb speed will truly make them a force to be reckoned with.
If you have a place that needs an extremely quick and speedy sentry, with some nasty tricks up its sleeves, the Wolf Skeleton has those traits ready to go.
Licensing
This post uses content from the following source:
Pathfinder Book of the Dead, © 2022, Paizo Inc.; Authors: Brian Bauman, Tineke Bolleman. Logan Bonner, Jason Bulmahn, Jessica Catalan, John Compton, Chris Eng, Logan Harper, Michelle Jones, Jason Keeley, Luis Loza, Ron Lundeen, Liane Merciel, Patchen Mortimer, Quinn Murphy, Jessica Redekop, Mikhail Rekun, Solomon St. John, Michael Sayre, Mark Seifter, Sen.H.H.S., Kendra Leigh Speedling, Jason Tondro, Andrew White.
Used pursuant to the Open Gaming License v 1.0a
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