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Archives of Nethys

Archives of Nethys

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PFS StandardClacking Skull Swarm

Roiling about in seething waves of bleached death, clacking skull swarms arise from the remains of dozens of beheaded humanoids. The horrible clattering of the skulls' onslaught drives their prey to distraction even while they try to flee in terror.

Recall Knowledge - Undead (Religion): DC 27
Unspecific Lore: DC 25
Specific Lore: DC 22

Elite | Normal | Weak
Proficiency without Level

Clacking Skull SwarmCreature 10

Legacy Content

NE Large Mindless Swarm Undead 
Source Bestiary 3 pg. 244
Perception +18; darkvision
Skills Acrobatics +19
Str -3, Dex +3, Con +4, Int -5, Wis +2, Cha +4
AC 29; Fort +20, Ref +19, Will +16
HP 120 (negative healing); Immunities death effects, disease, mental, paralyzed, poison, precision, unconscious; Resistances bludgeoning 5, cold 10, electricity 10, fire 10, piercing 10, slashing 10; Weaknesses area damage 10, splash damage 10
Boneshard Burst When a clacking skull swarm is reduced to 0 Hit Points, it erupts in an explosion of foul energy and bone fragments in a 30-foot burst, dealing 2d12 piercing damage and 2d12 negative damage (DC 29 basic Reflex save).Chattering Teeth (arcane, auditory, aura, emotion, enchantment, incapacitation, mental) 60 feet. A clacking skull swarm emits a cacophony of chattering. A creature entering or beginning its turn within the area must succeed at a DC 29 Will save or become confused for 1 round. A creature that successfully saves is immune to that swarm's chattering teeth for 24 hours. The swarm can stop or resume this ability as a free action.
Speed 25 feet
Shrieking Scream [two-actions] (auditory, emotion, enchantment, fear, mental) The clacking skull swarm emits a terrifying, painful scream that deals 10d6 sonic damage to all creatures in a 30-foot cone (DC 29 basic Will save). A creature that fails this save is also frightened 1 (frightened 2 on a critical failure). The swarm can't use Frightening Scream again for 1d4 rounds.Swarming Gnaw [one-action] Each enemy in the swarm's space takes 4d8 piercing damage (DC 29 basic Reflex save).

All Monsters in "Skull Swarm"

NameLevel
Clacking Skull Swarm10
Feral Skull Swarm12
Sorcerous Skull Swarm14

Skull Swarm

Source Bestiary 3 pg. 244
A skull swarm is composed of reanimated masses of craniums and jawbones, forming a terrifying avalanche of undead fury. Most skull swarms are mindless, though some retain a vestige of wit, awareness, and even magical talents from life, culminating in a highly intelligent swarm mind.

Sidebar - Related Creatures Beheaded Swarms

Skull swarms are closely related to the undead creatures known as beheaded and are fundamentally little more than a collection of independent beheaded acting in concert toward their shared goals. In addition to the skull swarms detailed here, swarms of other types of beheaded with corresponding abilities can be found in any region plagued by excessive decapitation.

Sidebar - Related Creatures Sea Skulls

Skull swarms are most commonly encountered amid ruins where vast and uncontrolled necromantic energies have erupted, but they can also appear in aquatic environments with clusters of clacking skulls from merfolk and sea devil, feral skulls of fish and cetaceans, or even disembodied shark jaws and cephalopod beaks. Such swarms have a swim Speed, rather than a fly Speed or land Speed.