Nope. It is specifically impossible to create a skeletal champion on purpose.
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http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/c/create-undead
Create undead lists skeletal champion and juju zombie on the list. Unfortunately, in pathfinder, all undead are evil, and its doubtful if you would retain any of your memories of your life, so the first thing you would do after rising would be to tear the undead lord's throat out, right till he slaps command undead on you. Then you would obey him like a mindless automation, right till you make the saving throw against command undead(everyday you get 1 save) and tear his throat out. You wouldn't come back as yourself. The body is there, but the soul would have gone for judgment.
Hmmm, there is story potential there. As a DM I'd allow it, but I'd expect you to deal with the consequences of being undead and all that comes with it. Still though, if you, the undead lord, and your DM allow it I say go for it.
Carpe Un-Diem!
Nope. It is specifically impossible to create a skeletal champion on purpose.
Except that Undead Revisited states you can make one with Create Undead, min CL 11 (and must be higher than the targets HD), and must cast either Enervation or Energy Drain.
Unfortunately, in pathfinder, all undead are evil, and its doubtful if you would retain any of your memories of your life, so the first thing you would do after rising would be to tear the undead lord's throat out, right till he slaps command undead on you. Then you would obey him like a mindless automation, right till you make the saving throw against command undead(everyday you get 1 save) and tear his throat out. You wouldn't come back as yourself. The body is there, but the soul would have gone for judgment.
While he would definitely come back Evil, I don't see any reason he wouldn't keep his memories. It is a template, so he will retain all his levels, skills, levels, etc; indicating he does remember his previous experiences. And while...
Some skeletons retain their intelligence and cunning, making them formidable warriors. These undead are far more powerful than their mindless kin, and many gain class levels.
...doesn't specify keeping memories, I don't see any thing that would make this different that a vampire, who are usually depicted as retaining all their memories but are twisted to evil.
I could definitely see a Skeletal Champion coming back with all his memories. He could still decide to rip out his companions throats, but as a thinking creature, it isn't automatic even if Evil.
Vampires (and liches) are the same people as they were as living as they keep the soul. Most other intelligent undeads like ghouls, skeletal champions and zombie lords instead seem to be new individuals compared to their original bodies, though the latter two keep their previous abilities. But it's more like an amnesiac still knows how to walk or speak.
Vampires (and liches) are the same people as they were as living as they keep the soul. Most other intelligent undeads like ghouls, skeletal champions and zombie lords instead seem to be new individuals compared to their original bodies, though the latter two keep their previous abilities. But it's more like an amnesiac still knows how to walk or speak.
Ghouls and Zombies do not retain their Class Levels, whereas Skeletal Champions do.
Thus they are on the Lich/Vampire side of mortalness remembrance.
Vampires (and liches) are the same people as they were as living as they keep the soul. Most other intelligent undeads like ghouls, skeletal champions and zombie lords instead seem to be new individuals compared to their original bodies, though the latter two keep their previous abilities. But it's more like an amnesiac still knows how to walk or speak.Ghouls and Zombies do not retain their Class Levels, whereas Skeletal Champions do.
Thus they are on the Lich/Vampire side of mortalness remembrance.
Zombie Lords do retain class levels
We also have a undead lord in our party..... I was woundering if it would be possible for our undead lord to put the sick undead template on me and then slap all the sweet sweet skeleton stuff on top. And still maintain my counsisness of course.
I tend to prefer being raised as an intelligent undead as being similar to being raised as a vampire.
I've not the time to look up the exact quote, but the skinny is that the transition from being mortal to vampire is so traumatic that death would be preferable to more or less anyone.If you apply this idea to becoming any intelligent undead then your alignment changes to evil more or less from the pain and insanity.
You also want to be aware of something: your CR changes when you take this template. Normally your CR is equal to your class levels, but as a skeletal champion your CR changes, meaning you more or less lose class levels. I would highly recommend additionally applying the Bloody template, so that you gain fast healing and the deathless quality.
Skeletal Champions are CR +1.
You gain 3 racial HD since skeletons are required to have at least 1HD. After that you apply the HD of the Skeletal Champion (+2 HD).
This means you start with 3 HD.
You add 12HD to this, for 15HD. Now apply this to the Skeleton HD to CR list below.
HD______CR XP
1/2_____1/6_____65
1_______1/3_____135
2–3_____1_______400
4–5_____2_______600
6–7_____3_______800
8–9_____4_______1,200
10–11___5_______1,600
12–14___6_______2,400
15–17___7_______3,200
18–20___8_______4,800
Your CR should be the same as or lower than your allies, otherwise you're just using the template for power. This is fine if your GM uses this against you, but many will for a bit then stop or forget.
If everyone else is CR 12, then you need to be CR 12 or CR 11 if 12 is impossible.
Based on my calculations your class levels should change to 6, so you will lose 6 class levels, gain 3 racial HD. This changes your CR to 10, but with the +1 to CR from the Skeletal Champion it becomes 11. To get to CR 12 add 1 racial HD to get to 10 HD, and therefore 5 instead of 4.
Either way, if you want to remain balanced, at least by CR, with the other PCs you're going to lose class power.
You also want to be aware of something: your CR changes when you take this template.
<snip stuff>
Uhhh....No.
You aren't applying this right.
The CR is 1 higher than a skeleton with the same HD. The Skeletal Champion says creatures with 0 HD gain 2 HD. This over rides the "treat as 1 HD" from Skeleton as a more specific rule. See example of Human Warrior 1, with 3 HD (2 racial, 1 class).
So a 2 HD skeleton has a CR of 1, +1 from SC is 2. Plus 12 levels is CR 14.
But PC's don't have CR, so the DM should determine if the character is out of balance with the other PCs. If not, no problem. If yes, then he should adjust. Given the level of the party, the benefits from Skeletal Champion will probably not cause any imbalance issues.
But he doesn't lose class levels (especially since the template specifically says you keep all class levels).
I tend to let a lot of monster characters into my campaigns. The CR of a PC is equal to the PC's class levels, since this is partially the basis for how the CR system works. If your PCs indulge in PvP and someone defeat someone else they should receive XP equal to the CR of the character defeated.
However, this is not what is being argued here.
Skeletal champion is sort of the poor man's lich.
As for PCs, you really, really—really—want to keep PC CRs around the same levels. If you don't things start to get imbalanced pretty quick.
Lets say the Skeletal Champion only increases the character's CR by 2.
So, he is level 12. His CR is 12.
Add the skeletal champion, his CR increases to 14.
Everyone else's CR is still 12. Unless it is a mixed CR party, he should lose two class levels for balance. This is a GM decision as he can omit any and all text or rules he wants. Just to point this out:
If he becomes a skeletal champion, his type becomes Undead. He never sleeps, eats, breathes, gains a myriad of immunizes, is not subject to most things that are mind affecting, etc., etc. He is far more powerful than the other PCs with that alone—did I mention he gets a crappy version of DR? Even if it is a crappy version, it is a version—and if he is a bloody skeletal champion he effectively has a free raise dead every hour after death and gains fast healing. Considering most enemies to be encountered are going to be neutral at best there is a good bet that he probably isn't going to permanently die anytime soon.
If he isn't fighting someone who can use positive energy, he can effectively charge in with abandon with the worst case scenario being he has to wait 1 hr before getting back into the fight.
Then again, I play with rampant power-gamers, so an emphasis on mechanical balance is actually kind of important.
There are plenty of chances for abuse here, but also some good chances for top-notch RP. Depends on the group, GM and player.
I did not notice you added Bloody to the mix, as it wasn't part of the OP's question.
Bloody would add another +1 to CR, above the 1 from skeleton and 1 from Champion. So +3 total.
But CR is still not a statistic that applies to PCs, and can only serve as a rough guide for a DM to estimate capability added to the character.
Don't forget to thank Mr. Skeltal.
Doot.