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Archives of Nethys

Archives of Nethys

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PFS StandardStreet Skelm

Street skelms abuse the deference given to elders and the well-to-do in public spaces, appearing as such so they can verbally or physically punish those who dare defy their cruel sensibilities. To excuse his actions or gather allies, a street skelm might rant about a target, building a pretense of some vague threat the target poses to the community's social order. These rantings can rally a mob to carry out the skelm's violence against his target, some of whom even act out of fear against becoming the skelm's next target. Street skelms have little of the magical talents possessed by their more powerful peers, mostly relying on brute force.

Street skelms typically dress in old-fashioned styles, always including a hat or hood that can cover their distinctive features. They often walk with a cane, walking staff, or other prop suitable for bludgeoning those who offend their delicate egos or challenge their tenuous sense of control.

Recall Knowledge - Humanoid (Society): DC 18
Unspecific Lore: DC 16
Specific Lore: DC 13

Elite | Normal | Weak
Proficiency without Level

Changes from being Weak are marked in red below.
NOTE: The -2 damage penalty to non-strike offensive abilities (-4 if the ability is limited, such as spells) is NOT factored in.

Weak Street SkelmCreature 2

Legacy Content

LE Medium Humanoid Skelm 
Source Bestiary 3 pg. 238
Perception +8; scent (imprecise) 30 feet
Languages Aklo, Common
Skills Athletics +7, Deception +7, Intimidation +9, Occultism +6, Stealth +7
Str +4, Dex +2, Con +3, Int +3, Wis +1, Cha +4
Items staff
AC 16; Fort +8, Ref +7, Will +6; –1 to all saves vs. emotion effects
HP 40; Weaknesses cold iron 3
Attack of Opportunity [reaction]
Speed 25 feet
Melee [one-action] fist +10 [+6/+2] (agile, magical), Damage 1d6-2+6 bludgeoning plus GrabMelee [one-action] antler +10 [+5/+0] (magical), Damage 1d10-2+6 piercing plus KnockdownMelee [one-action] staff +11 [+6/+1] (two-handed d8), Damage 1d4-2+7 bludgeoningRanged [one-action] rock +7 [+2/-3] (range increment 20 feet), Damage 1d6-2+6 bludgeoningChange Shape [one-action] (concentrate, occult, polymorph, transmutation) The street skelm can take on the appearance of any Medium male humanoid. This doesn't change his Speed or his attack and damage bonuses with his Strikes but might change the damage type his Strikes deal.Frightening Rant [one-action] (auditory, concentrate, emotion, enchantment, fear, linguistic, mental, occult) The skelm rants angrily, filling nearby creatures with shame, fear, and anger. Each creature within 30 feet must succeed at a DC 18 Will save or become frightened 1 (frightened 2 on a critical failure). While frightened by this rant, creatures take a –2 status penalty to Strength-based damage rolls against the skelm, but gain a +2 status bonus to those rolls against other creatures.Punishing Strike [one-action] The skelm unleashes his constant rage in a reckless attack that makes him flat-footed until the start of his next turn. He Strikes; if he hits, he increases the number of damage dice by one and adds Push to the effect. This counts as two attacks for his multiple attack penalty.

All Monsters in "Skelm"

NameLevel
Palace Skelm8
Shrine Skelm5
Soul Skelm10
Street Skelm3

Skelm

Source Bestiary 3 pg. 238
Rage-filled skelms are drawn to any settlement with more than a few hundred souls. Using magical disguises and leveraging societal norms to their benefit, these antlered monsters crave fearful respect and brutally punish any who dare disagree with their lofty opinions, even in the slightest degree. Although quite dangerous on their own, skelms are at their deadliest when leading an angry mob. Their cruel and exploitative nature has made their name synonymous with villainy.

An existing skelm can transform any evil humanoid who's overwhelmed with rage into one of their kind. Skelms heap enraging humiliation on potential new brothers as a form of indoctrination, convincing these recruits that some other person or group is responsible for their misery. This practice ensures skelms begin their new existence with sufficient vitriol to plot their revenge.

Many newly forged skelms carry on their lives in the roles they held as mortals; and in fact, these roles often shape the type of skelm they become. Skelms can arise among members of nearly any ancestry, though they're more common among cultures with deeply entrenched gender roles, unjust hierarchies, and those that don't offer healthy ways to experience and process anger.

Sidebar - Related Creatures Mockeries of Masculinity

Skelm women don't appear to exist. The few researchers who have tracked skelm mating behavior have found skelms' offspring are undifferentiated members of the mother's ancestry. The fact that skelms are cruelly manipulative shapeshifters, but all male, has led to the theory that skelms are the mystical male counterpart to hags.

Sidebar - Additional Lore Skelm Antlers

All skelms have branching antlers resembling those of a stag. Skelms with smaller antlers shame and bully skelms with larger antlers, although they always use some other excuse. However, skelms pretend they don't have antlers at all when dealing with non-skelms, regardless of evidence or argument. Skelms will even gore enemies with their antlers in combat, even if afterwards they deny the action they obviously just took.

Sidebar - Additional Lore Skelm Origins

The transformation from man to skelm takes place over a remarkably short period of time—sometimes as little as a few hours—as the physical changes involved are relatively minor compared to the emotional devotion required.

Sidebar - Additional Lore Skelm Society

Alliances between skelms rarely last long, as it's only a matter of time before one wounds another's incredibly fragile ego, breaking the alliance. Many form hierarchical clubs with mortal members to delay such conflict while also identifying prospective new skelms.