Bone Collective

Small Swarm Chaotic Evil

• Armor Class: 17 (natural armor)
• Hit Points: 120 (16d6 + 64)
• Speed: walk 30 ft.
• Challenge Rating: 8 (3,900 XP)
• Source: Tome of Beasts 2023, page 39

• Saving Throws: Dex +8
• Skills: Arcana +5, Deception +6, Perception +3, Stealth +11
• Damage Vulnerabilities: False
• Damage Immunities: necrotic, poison
• Damage Resistances: bludgeoning, piercing, slashing
• Condition Immunities: charmed, exhaustion, frightened, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, prone, restrained, stunned
• Senses: darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 13
• Languages: Common, Darakhul (can’t speak in shapeless form)

Special Abilities

• Collective Mind: The collective's individual bones are connected via a hive mind. It can telepathically communicate with any of its individual bones within 50 miles of it, and it can't be surprised. If the collective is reduced to half its hp or fewer, its Intelligence score is reduced to 1, it can't cast spells, it immediately changes to its shapeless form, and it can't take on a Humanoid form.
• Grasping Limbs (Humanoid Form Only): The bone collective can wield weapons and hold, grasp, push, pull, or interact with objects that might otherwise require a Humanoid form to accomplish.
• Swarm (Shapeless Form Only): The bone collective can occupy another creature's space and vice versa, and the swarm can move through any opening large enough for a Tiny bone.
• Undead Nature: The bone collective doesn't require air, food, drink, or sleep.
• Wyrmblood Venom: When the bone collective hits a poisoned creature with a Bite or Piercing Bones attack, the target's Charisma score is reduced by 1d4. The target is incapacitated if this reduces its Charisma to 0. The reduction lasts until the target finishes a long rest.

Actions

• Multiattack: The bone collective makes two Claw attacks, or one Claw attack and one Bite attack.
• Bite (Humanoid Form Only): Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 31 (4d12 + 5) piercing damage, and the target must succeed on a DC 16 Constitution saving throw or become poisoned for 1 minute. The target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.
• Claw (Humanoid Form Only): Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 25 (3d12 + 5) slashing damage.
• Piercing Bones (Shapeless Form Only): Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 0 ft., one creature in the collective's space. Hit: 52 (8d12) piercing damage, or 26 (4d12) piercing damage if the collective has half its hp or fewer.
• Spellcasting: (3/Day; Humanoid Form Only)The bone collective casts the animate dead spell as an action, requiring no material components and using Charisma as the spellcasting ability (spell save DC 14).

Bonus Actions

• Shape Swarm: The bone collective can shape itself into a Small Humanoid or back into a shapeless form of Tiny bones. Its statistics are the same in each form, and it can't regain hp or gain temporary hp. It can't take on a Humanoid form if it is occupying the space of another creature.

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