Skeleton (Dungeons & Dragons)

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In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy roleplaying game, the skeleton is an undead creature, usually created by applying a template to another creature.

Publication history

The skeleton was one of the earliest creatures introduced in the D&D game.

Dungeons & Dragons (1974-1976)

The skeleton was one of the first monsters introduced in the earliest edition of the game, in the Dungeons & Dragons "white box" set (1974), where they were described as acting under the instructions of their motivator, usually a magic-user or cleric of chaotic alignment.

Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 1st edition (1977-1988)

The skeleton appears in the first edition Monster Manual (1977), where it is described as a magically animated undead monster enchanted by a powerful magic-user or cleric of evil alignment.

The animal skeleton was introduced in Dragon #66 (October 1982) in the "Creature Features" column by Gary Gygax, and soon after appeared in Monster Manual II (1983).

Several skeleton variants appear in Dragon #138, in Tom Moldvay's article "The Ungrateful Dead" (October 1988), including the bloody bones, the dry bones, the gem eyes, the shock bones, and the skleros.

Dungeons & Dragons (1977-1999)

This edition of the D&D game included its own version of the skeleton, in the Dungeons & Dragons Basic Set (1977, 1981, 1983). The skeleton was also later featured in the Dungeons & Dragons Game set (1991), the Dungeons & Dragons Rules Cyclopedia (1991), the Classic Dungeons & Dragons Game set (1994), and the Dungeons & Dragons Adventure Game set (1999).

Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 2nd edition (1989-1999)

The skeleton and animal skeleton appear first in the Monstrous Compendium Volume One (1989), which also introduces the monster skeleton. All three are reprinted in the Monstrous Manual (1993).

The Strahd skeleton for the Ravenloft setting appeared in the Ravenloft: Realm of Terror boxed set (1990), and later appeared in Ravenloft Monstrous Compendium Appendix III: Creatures of Darkness (1994). The giant skeleton was introduced in Monstrous Compendium Ravenloft Appendix (1991), and later appeared in the Monstrous Manual (1993). The Strahd's skeletal steed also first appeared in Monstrous Compendium Ravenloft Appendix (1991). Several new skeleton variants appeared in Ravenloft Monstrous Compendium Appendix III: Creatures of Darkness (1994), including the archer skeleton, the insectoid (giant ant, giant tick, stag beetle), the skeletal cat, and the skeletal hound.

The skeleton undead dragon appears in Dragon #234 (October 1996), which later appeared in Cult of the Dragon (1998). In the same issue of Dragon, the "Dragon's Bestiary column features the defiling skeleton, the dust skeleton, and the spike skeleton. The dust skeleton and spike skeleton later appear in Monstrous Compendium Annual Four (1998), which also includes the obsidian skeleton.

The crystal skeleton appeared in Dragon Annual #2 (1997).

Dungeons & Dragons 3.0 edition (2000-2002)

The skeleton appears in the Monster Manual for this edition (2000). Described are skeletons of several size categories, including tiny, small, medium-size, large, huge, gargantuan, huge, and colossal.

Dungeons & Dragons 3.5 edition (2003-2007)

The skeleton appears in the revised Monster Manual for this edition (2003), as a template. This book also featured a number of sample skeletons, including the advanced megaraptor skeleton, the chimera skeleton, the cloud giant skeleton, the ettin skeleton, the human warrior skeleton, the owlbear skeleton, the troll skeleton, the young adult red dragon skeleton.

The skeletal dragon template appeared in Draconomicon: The Book of Dragons (2003)

The fiery skeleton, the nimble skeleton, the soldier skeleton, and the vicious skeleton appeared in Libris Mortis: The Book of Undead (2004). This book also featured a number of sample zombies, including the athach skeleton, the crocodile skeleton, the deinonychus skeleton, the dire badger skeleton, the dire bear skeleton, the dire rat skeleton, the elephant skeleton, the glabrezu skeleton, the gnoll warrior skeleton, the halfling warrior skeleton, the heavy warhorse skeleton, the kobold warrior skeleton, the minotaur skeleton, the nine-headed hydra skeleton, the ogre skeleton, the roc skeleton, and the tyrannosaurus skeleton.

The Strahd's skeletal steed appeared again in Dragon #359 (September 2007), the final print issue of Dragon.

Dungeons & Dragons 4th edition (2008-)

The skeleton appears in the Monster Manual for this edition (2008).

Variant Skeletons

• Bone Creature - a skeleton that retains knowledge and skills it possessed in life

• Crystal Skeleton

• Dust Skeleton

• Fiery Skeleton - burns with neverending flames, it is immune to fire

• Frost Skeleton - is immune to cold and deals cold damage with its attacks

• Lightning Skeleton - is immune to electricity and deals electricity damage with its attacks

• Nimble Skeleton - more agile than standard skeletons and able to climb as fast as it can walk

• Obsidian Skeleton - also called defiling skeleton

• Skeletal Dragon - created from dragons and retains some of their deadly abilities

• Skeleton Warrior

• Soldier Skeleton - often arising from the sites of massive battles, these skeletons gain benefits when fighting cooperatively in groups

• Spike Skeleton

• Vicious Skeleton - able to rend flesh and deal horrific wounds with their claw attacks

Skeletons in the Forgotten Realms

Faerûn hosts a number of the variant skeletons listed above, as well as the following:

• Baneguard - First developed by priests of Bane, these skeletons can phase in and out and hurl bolts of magical energy.

• Blazing Bones - Fiery skeletal undead created when a spellcaster's contingency spell goes wrong, these rare undead can be found in Myth Drannor.

• Direguard - Baneguards improved by the Red Wizards of Thay, these skeletons are wreathed in a shadowy field of force that functions as armor. They can also see invisible foes.

Additional reading

• Cook, David, et al. Monstrous Compendium Volume Two (TSR, 1989).
• Wyatt, James, and Rob Heinsoo. Monstrous Compendium: Monsters of Faerun (Wizards of the Coast, 2001).