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Archives of Nethys

Archives of Nethys

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PFS StandardSorcerous Skull Swarm

The act of creating a demilich sometimes goes horribly awry, leaving behind a shattered remnant of a once-mighty spellcaster constantly leaking eldritch energies. The ruined spirit animates a cloud of debased copies of itself, glittering with cracked crystals in crude imitation, and it hungers constantly for the magical energies denied it in its corrupted immortality.

Some of the spellcaster's personality remains in the swarm, albeit usually unnaturally split between the skulls. As a consequence, the skulls argue among themselves as warring parts of the personality clamor to be heard, resulting in the swarm's fractious, inconstant attitude.

Recall Knowledge - Undead (Religion): DC 37
Unspecific Lore: DC 35
Specific Lore: DC 32

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 Sorcerous Skull SwarmCreature 13

Legacy Content

Rare NE Large Swarm Undead 
Source Bestiary 3 pg. 245
Perception +24; darkvision, true seeing
Skills Acrobatics +24, Arcana +26, Occultism +26
Str -3, Dex +6, Con +4, Int +8, Wis +4, Cha +5
AC 32; Fort +20, Ref +24, Will +24; +1 status to all saves vs. magic
HP 170 (negative healing); Immunities death effects, disease, paralyzed, poison, precision, swarm mind, unconscious; Resistances bludgeoning 6, cold 12, electricity 12, fire 12, piercing 12, slashing 12; Weaknesses area damage 12, splash damage 12
Boneshard Burst When a sorcerous 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 3d12 piercing damage and 3d12 negative damage (DC 32 basic Reflex save)Consume Spell [reaction] Trigger The swarm is targeted with a spell; Effect The swarm casts dispel magic to counteract the triggering spell. If it successfully counteracts the spell, it gains temporary Hit Points equal to twice the level of the counteracted spell that last for 1 minute.
Speed fly 40 feet
Arcane Innate Spells DC 34, attack +24 (-4 dmg); 7th dispel magic (at will), spell turning; Cantrips (7th) detect magic, mage hand, telekinetic projectile; Constant (7th) true seeing
Siphon Magic [two-actions] (arcane, illusion, mental) The sorcerous skull swarm saps magic from nearby creatures. Any creature with the ability to cast spells (including innate spells) in the swarm's space takes 15d6 mental damage (DC 32 basic Will save); on a failure, the creature is also stupefied 2 (stupefied 3 on a critical failure).Swarming Gnaw [one-action] Each enemy in the swarm's space takes 5d8 piercing damage (DC 32 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.