Skeletons are boring. Let's fix that.

Delving into the past to bring new life to your game.

Edited April 2025:

At the time of publication, a zine including updated 5e statblocks for all these Skeleton Variants was made available to all new subscribers.

For those who missed the opportunity, it is now available on my Ko-fi store.

Why do we love crossing swords with Skeletons?

I suspect they tickle the same nerve as so many undead threats: a dark reflection of our own humanity, or lack of it. In the case of the Skeleton it's the relentless, emotionless machine at our core. An ivory Terminator that attacks in numbers, always with a fixed, horrific grin.

But here’s the problem: unlike other undead the Skeleton is sadly relegated to the lower leagues of D&D, a monster we only face in early quests that offer little challenge to experienced adventurers.

So what can we do to change that?

I recently came into possession of a large stack of old Dragon magazines and flicking through, there on the cover of issue 138, from October 1988, was the answer.

Inside we find "The Ungrateful Dead" by Tom Moldvay, who was pondering this very problem and suggested some new Skeleton variants which are sure to inspire fear in your party. Inspired, I have unearthed these monsters and updated them for use in modern 5e. Below you'll find advice on how to adapt and run them in your next session.

To make your life even easier, this article has a companion: ‘Dr Lazlo Wren’s Skele-zine’, a free pdf I'll be sending out to all my subscribers. This includes updated traits you can apply to the standard 5e Skeleton statblock to bring each of these monsters to life.

So lets see them bones:

Bloody Bones

The Bloody Bones is inspired by ghost stories of the rotting remains of hanged criminals returning to life, fresh from the gibbet with shreds of flesh still hanging from their bones.

Understandably, looking upon the Bloody Bones causes a character to make a wisdom saving throw or becoming frightened. Most chillingly, this effect is continuous - just because you save once doesn't mean that you'll be so lucky on the next round. This actually makes the Bloody Bones an excellent escape artist - as they become incredibly difficult to pursue for even the bravest adventurer.

Bloody Bones hide out in hidden caves or concealed pits, only venturing out to kill and rob victims. You could get a great random encounter out of a single Bloody Bones that ambushes your party, steals a prized possession then heads back into its cave, never to be seen again. Will the party be brave enough to enter it’s lair?

Skeleros

This variant is named after the original Greek root word of Skeleton and the creative inspiration is Ray Harryhausen.

Rather than the shambling hordes we so often face, Skeleros retain some of the skill, accuracy and deadliness that they had in life. Moldvay particularly describes the skeletons in Harryhausen's Simbad: a set of fast and nimble swashbucklers.

Imagine a Skeleton who can dart forward, deal a deadly strike and then slip away without a single attack of opportunity. A group of Skeleros using the same technique would really give your party a challenge.

Dry Bones

While these Skeletons were inspired by dancing skeletons from a Disney Cartoon, there's nothing funny about them.

When the Dry Bones is reduced to 0hp, it collapses into a pile of bones, but only until the beginning of its next turn. At this point it reassembles and keeps on fighting as if nothing happened.

Moldvay gave them a hidden HP score that would eventually take the Dry Bones down, but that's not to say you couldn't get more spicy. Perhaps to kill our version of the Dry Bones, you have to deal a certain amount of bludgeoning damage once it has collapsed, but before it reassembles?

Or perhaps add a puzzle element to your combat by hiding a particular weapon in the room that is the only thing capable of delivering the killing blow? Either way, this feels like a memorable encounter.

Shock Bones

Inspired by Frankenstein's Monster, the Shock Bones display the very method of their reanimation, as they crackle with the electricity that gives them life.

Not only does this cause their attacks to deal lightning damage, but striking them with a melee attack causes the players to receive a shock of electricity in return.

Monsters like this will defy your player’s expectations by forcing them to keep their difference.

Gem Eyes

This is my favourite Moldvay Skeleton. As the name suggests, each of these Skeletons has a pair of precious gems embedded in their eye sockets, meaning an extra financial reward for killing them. But of course, we all know in fantasy worlds that gems are never just pretty stones.

There are eight types of gem available, each imbuing the Gem Eyes with a different magical effect or the ability to cast a spell.

I think an encounter with a mix of Gem Eyes could be memorable enough, but if your party is hunting a necromancer or a lich, you could get a whole campaign out of these guys. Just imagine the fun you could have with your players trying to work out what type of Gem the Skeleton they are facing has, and desperately trying to remember what it did last time.

You could also mix and match the gems, giving the Gem Eyes a cool combination of powers.

However you run it, the Gem Eyes will keep your players guessing.

Speaking of combinations… what if someone was to combine all of these ideas into one, terrifying foe?

Can you imagine what a Skeleton would be like if it possessed all of these abilities?

Make sure you subscribe so you don't miss the Precious Horde, coming soon on Mage Advice.

In the meantime, which of these Skeletons are you most excited about? Leave a comment telling me about the adventures you could run with one of these monsters - or a combination of them!