What to do with 0-HD race skeletons when using Path of War?

[deuxhero]

Humanoid skeletons (and zombies) are a staple low level monster but when running Path of War for living melee combatants something that can only attack and eat retaliation with an immunity package is pretty boring in comparison, and skeletons. Suggestions?

[Lady-J]

what?

[Bard of Ages]

Skeletons are supposed to be fodder. Now, what you could do is have skeletons (2-4) backed up by a Ghoul Initiator.

[Air0r]

in fact, having some unquiet grave discipline for protection from clerics is nice (though in the hands of non-undead, is a good undead hunting discipline).

[deuxhero]

Ghoul with initiation as backup seems good but 1st level unquiet grave doesn't really help make the encounter more interesting (more defense and more damage). A Ghoul Warlord 1 would however get Hunting Party, Tactical Strike, Pride Movement, Leaping Dragon, Offensive Roll, Red Zephyr’s Strike/Dual Claws and Outer Sphere Stance, which seem to have some nice options (Like Red Zephyr's+Pride Movement to setup an instant flank while possibly paralyzing the target or hit and run). The two feats it gains (3 HD+bonus from Warlord) and one it replaces (no longer needs Weapon Finesse) could be spent on Combat Reflexes (to go with the very high dex), ability focus, and multiattack.

Though after looking at that, 26 HP, +5/+3/+3 to hit on 1d6+3 (2d6+3 after stance) attacks with DC17 paralyze on each, 15AC (13 after stance) (and +3 from NPC money for armor), and 3 AoOs is just nasty and would be a TPK against level 2 PCs (despite officially being CR2), likely even level 3, let alone before being paired with a pair of CR1/3 skeletons (CR4, hard but not impossible) even before maneuvers and gambits. Easier to tear down than build up I guess.

With the paralysis the most obvious fatality source (Even a barbarian has difficulty making it before ability focus) maybe using a Phantom Armor as the base creature (slightly higher CR, also intelligent undead but no save or die) would be the obvious fix.

[Lady-J]

im still confused as to what you are actually asking

[Golurkcanfly]

Give each skeleton access to one or two 1st level maneuvers, determined at random. That way they aren't too weak but not too strong either.

In addition, it adds variance to the skeletons so each encounter is different, representing the varied nature's of the skeletons when they were people.

[Bard of Ages]

Lady-J wrote:

im still confused as to what you are actually asking

Unless I'm wrong, the question can be more aptly phrased as "When using Path of War, Skeletons are boring enemies for a party of Initiators. What can I do to fix this?"

[Lady-J]

Bard of Ages wrote:

Lady-J wrote:

im still confused as to what you are actually asking

Unless I'm wrong, the question can be more aptly phrased as "When using Path of War, Skeletons are boring enemies for a party of Initiators. What can I do to fix this?"

then they should add in some class levels, maybe not path of war class levels but at least some class levels of a form or fasion

[Air0r]

use skeletal champions instead of skeletons? that is an option too.