View source for Skeleton

{{race
|name=Skeleton
|metarace=[[Undead]]
|locked=[[Unlockables#Races|Yes]]
|life_per_level=12
|exp_penalty=+40%
|strength=+3
|dexterity=+4
}}

==Description==
Skeletons are animated bones, undead creatures both strong and dexterous. They have access to special skeleton talents and a wide range of undead abilities:
* Poison immunity
* Bleeding immunity
* Fear immunity
* No need to breathe
* Special skeleton talents: bone armour, resilient bones, re-assemble

Note: Undead are unnatural creatures and may not use [[infusions]] or be any [[Wilder (Metaclass)|Wilder]] classes. They do not gain the [[Harmony (category)|Harmony]] talent tree from eating the [[Heart of the Sandworm Queen]], but they may consume a corrupted heart to gain the [[Vile life (category)|Vile Life]] talent tree.

==Starting Equipment==
*Brass Lantern
*[[inscriptions|Rune: Shielding]]
*Rune: Phase Door

==Starting Location==
[[Blighted Ruins]]

==Racial Talents==
{{:Skeleton_(category)}}

==Strategy==

Recommended Classes: Warrior classes, particularly [[Archer]] (bow); [[Archmage]]; [[Reaver]] 
Not Recommended: [[Necromancer]] (can't use [[Lichform]])

The racial bonuses for Skeleton make them very strong for classes that have synergy with those abilities. Classes depending on Strength and Dexterity - in particular [[Archer]]s - will benefit from the first racial skill. Bone Armour, Resilient Bones and Re-Assemble provide excellent ability to survive when raw damage and status effects are the problems. Passive immunity to poison, bleeding and fear are also good for classes that don't have strong abilities to reduce or remove status effects. Skeletons who are not magic users are eligible to go [[Antimagic]], providing even more damage reduction and adding resistance bonuses. 

The primary weaknesses of the skeleton (and ghouls) are the inability to use [[infusion]]s. This makes them unable to use many of the best survivability options in the game - wild infusions to remove physical/mental/magical debuffs; movement infusions to provide quick attack or escape; and heroism infusions for powerful stat increase combined with near-death prevention. The Skeleton's large experience penalty will also make leveling slower. 

Heat Beam rand Biting Gale runes are an option to replace physical and mental infusions, but lack the ability to remove [[cross-tier effects]]. Mobility skills like [[Rush]] and [[Disengage]] are useful options to replace movement infusions, as well as class-specific talents for mobility. 

==Lore, from Dust to Dust==
What guide to the undead would be complete without mentioning the humble skeleton? Despite these clattering and chittering bones of the deceased often looking so fragile that a stiff breeze could break them apart, in many ways they are more dangerous than their ghoul cousins.

With no masses of rotted and ruined flesh to reanimate, necromancers can commit themselves fully to bestowing some level of fighting skill on a reanimated skeleton, and since a fighter's weapons will often last as long as his bones will, skeletons are usually armed and sometimes even armoured. The potential skill of a skeleton doesn't stop at melee weapons either - fallen archers take up their bows once again, and although difficult by comparison, some necromancers can even grant dead mages their magic powers once again.

Some adventurers find themselves baffled when it comes to fighting skeletons. How do you destroy a foe who, by all rights, should be destroyed already? To these adventurers, I say take heart. The more broken and incomplete a body is, the more effort it takes to keep it reanimated. As most necromancers see skeletons as the lowest of low peons, you can expect a few good blows to easily dissipate the minimal effort their masters put into creating them.

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[[Category:Races]][[Category:Lore]][[Category:Monsters]]