Rather than summon a bone commander to serve by his side, the skullshield fuses his bone commander’s body to his own. Instead of two creatures, the bone commander is a fusion of the necromancer and bone commander into a single being.
The skullshield is an archetype of the necromancer class.
Archetype Main Ability Scores:
The skullshield mainly focuses on STR/DEX for combat, and CHA for his class features and spells.
Archetype Feature Replacements:
1st – Spellcasting, Bone Commander. 2nd – Undead Body. 3rd – Lifetap, Harm Touch. 4th – Unholy Fortitude. 10th – Unholy Protection. 17th – Deathly Abeyance.
Limited Spellcasting
A skullshield loses access to 7th through 9th level spells and has a lower Base MP as noted below.
Table: 3/4th MP Progression
| Level | Base MP | Spell Level |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | 2 | 1st |
| 2nd | 3 | 1st |
| 3rd | 4 | 1st |
| 4th | 5 | 2nd |
| 5th | 6 | 2nd |
| 6th | 8 | 2nd |
| 7th | 10 | 3rd |
| 8th | 13 | 3rd |
| 9th | 16 | 3rd |
| 10th | 20 | 4th |
| 11th | 24 | 4th |
| 12th | 29 | 4th |
| 13th | 34 | 5th |
| 14th | 39 | 5th |
| 15th | 45 | 5th |
| 16th | 51 | 6th |
| 17th | 57 | 6th |
| 18th | 64 | 6th |
| 19th | 71 | 6th |
| 20th | 79 | 6th |
Fused Bone Commander (Su)
A skullshield summons the body of his bone commander (can only choose bone warrior) to meld with his own being. The skullshield wears the bone commander like light, bone armor. Whilst worn, the skullshield cannot wear any armor, but may benefit from any other source of armor bonus to AC. The bone commander mimics all of the skullshield’s movements, and the skullshield perceives through the bone commander’s senses and speaks through its voice, as the two are now one creature.
While fused with his bone commander, the skullshield uses his bone commander’s BAB instead of the skullshield’s class BAB (up to the necromancer’s level), adding BAB from other sources as normal. The skullshield gains the bone commander’s Strength and Dexterity modifiers as profane bonuses, but retains his own Constitution and mental ability scores (Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma). The skullshield gains the bone commander’s hit points as temporary hit points. When these hit points reach 0, the bone commander is destroyed and must be resummoned. The skullshield gains the bone commander’s armor and natural armor bonuses and modifiers to ability scores. The skullshield also gains access to the bone commander’s special abilities. The bone commander has no skills or feats of its own. The bone commander must be at least the same size as the skullshield. While fused, the skullshield loses the benefits of his armor. Neither the skullshield nor his bone commander can be targeted separately, as they are fused into one creature. The skullshield and bone commander cannot take separate actions. While fused with his bone commander, the skullshield can use all of his own abilities and gear, except for his armor.
While fused with his bone commander, he gains the following traits:
- The skullshield can apply his bone commander’s bonus to ability scores to only Strength or Dexterity.
- The skullshield gains the natural armor bonuses of his Bone Commander and does not benefit of any armor bonuses worn.
- The skullshield gains the damage reduction of the Bone Commander.
- The skullshield gains all the special abilities from the Bone Commander’s table except for undead traits and bonus stat points gained at 4th and higher.
-
The skullshield absorbs all shadow damage, healing from any shadow damage that would have been taken. Healing in excess of the skullshield’s maximum HP restores the bone commander’s temporary hit points, up to its maximum.
-
The skullshield is weak against holy damage, taking half again holy damage taken.
-
The skullshield is considered undead for healing spells and effects.
-
The skullshield gains Darkvision 60 feet. If already have Darkvision, it increases by 30 feet instead.
-
The skullshield is immuned to death effects, disease, paralysis, poison, sleep effects, and stunning.
This ability replaces bone commander.
Fused Link (Su)
Starting at 2nd level, the skullshield forms a close bond with his bone commander. Whenever the temporary hit points from his bone commander would be reduced to 0, the necromancer can, as a free action, usable on other people’s turns, sacrifice any number of his own hit points. Each hit point sacrificed this way prevents 1 point of damage done to the bone commander (thus preventing the loss of the necromancer’s temporary hit points), preventing the bone commander from being destroyed.
This ability replaces undead body.
Quick Infusion (Su)
At 3rd level, a skullshield is able to cast any enhancing spells upon himself as a swift action.
This ability replaces lifetap.
Bone Armament (Su)
At 3rd level and every five necromancer levels thereafter, the skullshield gains a one of the following bone armaments that augments his bone commander (can’t choose the same ability more than once):
- Armor (Ex): The skullshield grows extra bone plating on his bone commander, augmenting and increasing the natural armor bonus equal to his Charisma modifier.
- Bite (Ex): The skullshield gains a bite natural attack that deals 1d6 points of damage. This is a primary natural attack.
- Claws (Ex): The skullshield grows a second set of skeletal arms that end in claws, able to deal 1d4 points of damage per claw. These are secondary natural attacks.
- Healing (Ex): The skullshield gains Fast Healing equal to his Charisma modifier which only heals the temporary hit points of bone commander.
- Horn (Ex): The skullshield grows a horn that deals 1d6 points of damage. This is a primary natural attack.
- Nullify (Ex): The skullshield enables his bone commander to be more resistant to spells, gaining a Spell Resistance of 5 + his necromancer level.
- Resistance (Ex): The skullshield enables his bone commander to be more resistant to the elements, gaining an Elemental Resistance to all his elements equal to his Charisma modifier.
- Toughness (Ex): The skullshield thickens the bone armor plating on his bone commander, granting him a damage reduction equal to his Charisma modifier.
This ability replaces harm touch.
Shielded Meld (Ex)
At 4th level, whenever the skullshield is fused with his bone commander, he gains a +2 shield bonus to his Armor Class and a +2 circumstance bonus on his saving throws.
This ability replaces unholy fortitude.
Greater Shielded Meld (Ex)
At 10th level, whenever the skullshield is fused with his bone commander, he gains a +4 shield bonus to his Armor Class and a +4 circumstance bonus on his saving throws.
This ability replaces unholy protection.
Superior Shielded Meld (Ex)
At 17th level, whenever the skullshield is fused with his bone commander, he receives a damage reduction of 5/-, in addition to the bonuses to AC and saving throws. This stacks with the Toughness bone armament.
This ability replaces deathly abeyance.
