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Bone Collective

Small · Undead · CR 8 · Chaotic Evil

Source. Tome of Beasts

17 (natural armor)

120 (16d6+64)

Ability Scores

Core attributes and their modifiers.

STR

DEX

CON

INT

WIS

CHA

Overview

Category Monsters

Size Small

Type Undead

Alignment Chaotic Evil

XP 3900

Initiative Bonus +5

Movement

Walk 30 ft (9.1 m)

Swim 15 ft (4.6 m)

Climb 15 ft (4.6 m)

Crawl 15 ft (4.6 m)

Senses

Darkvision 120 ft (36.6 m)

Passive Perception 13

Saving Throws

Dexterity +8

Skills

Arcana +5 Deception +6 Perception +3 Stealth +11

Languages

Common, Darakhul

Resistances & Immunities

Damage Immunities

necrotic, poison

Damage Resistances

bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks not made with silvered weapons

Condition Immunities

exhaustion, poisoned

Environments

Arctic or Tundra Caves Coast Desert Forest or Jungle Grassland or Plains Hills Laboratory Lake Mountain Ocean Ruins Sewer Shadowfell The Abyss Astral Plane Elysium Ethereal Plane Feywild Hell Material Plane Plane of Air Plane of Earth Plane of Fire Plane of Water Swamp or Marsh Temple Badlands Tomb Underworld Urban

Traits

Hive Mind

All elements of a bone collective within 50 miles of their main body constantly communicate with each other. If one is aware of a particular danger, they all are. Any bone collective with at least 30 hit points forms a hive mind, giving it an Intelligence of 14. Below this hp threshold, it becomes mindless (Intelligence 0) and loses its innate spellcasting ability. At 0 hp, a few surviving sets of bones scatter, and must spend months to create a new collective.

Innate Spellcasting

the bone collective's innate spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 14, +6 to hit with spell attacks). It can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components:

at will: chill touch

3/day: animate dead (up to 5 skeletons or zombies)

Swarm

A bone collective can act as a swarm (composed of smaller elements), or it can grant a single member (called an exarch) control, acting as a singular creature. Changing between forms takes one action. In its singular form, the collective can't occupy the same space as another creature, but it can perform sneak attacks and cast spells. In swarm form, the bone collective can occupy another creature's space and vice versa, and it can move through openings at least 1 foot square. It can't change to singular form while it occupies the same space as another creature. It uses its skills normally in either form.

Actions

Bite

+8 to hit, reach 5 ft (1.5 m). Hit: 4d12 piercing damage.

Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 31 (4d12 + 5) piercing damage, and the target must make a DC 16 Constitution save or suffer the effects of Wyrmblood Venom.

Claw

+8 to hit, reach 5 ft (1.5 m). Hit: 3d12 slashing damage.

Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 25 (3d12 + 5) slashing damage.

Multiattack

The bone collective makes two claw attacks, or one claw and one bite attack, or one swarm attack.

Swarm

+8 to hit. Hit: 8d12 piercing damage.

Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 0 ft., one creature in the swarm's space. Hit: 57 (8d12 + 5) piercing damage, or 31 (4d12 + 5) piercing damage if the bone collective has half its hit points or fewer. If the attack hits, the target must make a successful DC 15 Constitution save or suffer the effects of Wyrmblood Venom.

Wyrmblood Venom (Injury)

Bone collectives create a reddish liquid, which they smear on their fangs. The freakish red mouths on the tiny skeletons are disturbing, and the toxin is deadly. A bitten creature must succeed on a DC 15 Constitution saving throw or become poisoned and take 1d6 Charisma damage. A poisoned creature repeats the saving throw every four hours, taking another 1d6 Charisma damage for each failure, until it has made two consecutive successful saves or survived for 24 hours. If the creature survives, the effect ends and the creature can heal normally. Lost Charisma can be regained with a lesser restoration spell or comparable magic.

About Bone Collective

Bone Collective is a small undead with a Challenge Rating of 8. It has a chaotic evil alignment.

In combat, this creature maintains an Armor Class of 17 and possesses 120 hit points (derived from 16d6+64).

Bone Collective has communication capabilities including Common, Darakhul. This allows it to interact verbally with various creatures and characters.

GM Tips: Using Bone Collective

2 tips available

When using Bone Collective in your D&D 5e campaign, consider these tactical approaches:

Significant Threat: Challenging for parties of levels 5-10
Epic Potential: Consider legendary actions for memorable battles

Player Guide: Facing Bone Collective

2 strategies available

When your party encounters this creature, keep these strategies in mind:

Significant Threat: Prepare spells and resources
Team Coordination: Coordinate attacks and defenses

Encounter Building Calculator

Standard Party Encounter (4-5 characters):

This creature is a medium encounter for a party of 4 characters of level 8.

Solo Encounter:

A single character of level 11 (up to level 20) can face this creature in a medium to hard encounter.

Experience Point Thresholds:

Medium: 7,200 XP
Hard: 10,800 XP
Deadly: 14,400 XP

Based on D&D 5e Dungeon Master's Guide encounter building guidelines. CR roughly equals party level for medium encounters.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the challenge rating of Bone Collective?: Bone Collective has a Challenge Rating of 8, making it appropriate for parties of level 8.0.
What type of creature is Bone Collective?: Bone Collective is a Small Undead, which affects how certain spells and abilities interact with it.
What languages does Bone Collective speak?: Bone Collective can communicate in Common, Darakhul.