Giant Skeleton

These towering undead look like the bones of giants, standing about 12 feet tall, but each is really a human skeleton swollen to that size by a blend of spells that makes it far more dangerous than the ordinary kind. Most carry long spears or scythes fitted with sharp blades of bone. A rare few bear shields, giving them Armor Class 3.

A small magical flame, a side effect of their creation, burns inside each rib cage, rising from just above the pelvis to lick at the collarbones without scorching anything it touches.

They never communicate. They obey simple spoken orders from their maker alone, and an order may hold no more than three separate ideas, such as stay here, keep everyone out, and stop the prince from leaving.

Up close it swings its scythe or thrusts its spear, inflicting 1d12 per hit.

Every hour (6 turns) a giant skeleton may plunge a bony hand between its ribs and draw out a ball of flame, throwing it as a fireball that deals 8d6 points. Normal and magical fire cannot hurt it, so it happily uses this even in tight quarters.

Sleep, charm, hold and similar mind-affecting spells do not work on it. Cold does half damage, lightning does full damage. Edged and piercing weapons do half damage, and arrows, quarrels and other missiles do only 1 point per die, while blunt melee weapons do full damage. Paladins and priests can turn them, though they resist as mummies would, and each vial of holy water deals 2d4.

The first giant skeletons in the misty dread realm were made by an undead priestess in her lair within a gloomy forested domain. Others have since learned the technique, and the creatures are slowly spreading to other lands haunted by the dead. Their makers post them as guards and sentries. Rumor claims the dark powers of the realm see whatever passes before their eyes, but nothing proves it.

Like lesser skeletons they have no rightful place in nature, and anyone who values life and goodness sees them as abominations.

The process is dark and tied in some way to the dark powers themselves, since attempts to make one outside the realm have always failed. The caster needs an intact skeleton of an ordinary human or demihuman and must work on a foggy night, casting produce fire, enlarge, resist fire and animate dead upon the bones. As the final spell takes hold, the bones grow longer and heavier and the thing stands up. Its maker must then make a dark powers check for the evil deed.