the skeletal champion template lacks the text of the skeleton template "lose their defensive abilities and gain all of the qualities and immunities granted by the undead type" so I am wondering if say a skeletal champion Teifling would keep their energy resistances or if say a hill giant would keep it's rock catching ability and it's rock throwing ability?
Yes, skeletal champions keep their original defensive traits. They are tougher, stronger, and all around more dangerous skeletons. It might seem unbalanced at first glance, but it is balanced out by the penalties they suffer simply from being undead.
Yes, skeletal champions keep their original defensive traits. They are tougher, stronger, and all around more dangerous skeletons. It might seem unbalanced at first glance, but it is balanced out by the penalties they suffer simply from being undead.
What about senses like low light vision or scent?
just remember players can't make them with normal animate dead spell:
" A skeletal champion cannot be created with animate dead—these potent undead only arise under rare conditions similar to those that cause the manifestation of ghosts or via rare and highly evil rituals."
they are for GM to decide when and where to bring about.
Yes, skeletal champions keep their original defensive traits. They are tougher, stronger, and all around more dangerous skeletons. It might seem unbalanced at first glance, but it is balanced out by the penalties they suffer simply from being undead.What about senses like low light vision or scent?
Visions are considered a special ability, and regular skeletons lose "most of their special abilities" which to use the owlbear skeleton as an example, includes low-light vision and scent. Again, the skeleton champion doesn't have this line, so a skeleton champion owlbear should have both of those.
|
While the text of the template agrees with what was posted above by Chell Raighn et al., there is a problem with the CR.
CR: A skeletal champion’s CR is +1 higher than a normal skeleton with the same HD (see page 250).
As the skeletal champion inherited the original creature's abilities resistances and traits, its CR should be that of the original creature +1.
Just to be clear, I agree with the above posters that RAW it keeps the benefits of its previous subtype, race, class, and so on.
It doesn't keep those granted by its previous type because it hasn't it anymore.
A Tiefling type is Outsider, and that grant it Darkvision 60', so it would lose that, but the Tieling template gives 60' darkvision too, so it will retain the Tiefling darkvision but not the outsider darkvision.
And the skeletal champion’s template gives it too. LOL.
The outsider type gives stuff that is irrelevant for an undead or is replaced by the template (hit dice, number of skills), what matters is the Tiefling template, that is retained.