Fillet and Serve

Spell — see Magic and Spellcasting for the rules and the Spell Index for the full list.

Arcane 5, Divine 6 Type: death, necromancy

Range: 120’ Duration: special

This spell can debone a living target and then animate its extracted skeleton. The target of fillet and serve must make a Death saving throw. If the save succeeds, the spell has no effect. If the save fails, the target’s own skeleton rips itself out of its body, killing the creature instantly. The extracted skeleton is then animated as an undead creature with Hit Dice equal to the monster’s Baseline HD. (For skeletons of humans or demi-humans, this means one Hit Die, regardless of the character level of the deceased).

The caster can give verbal orders to the skeleton when he first animates it and thereafter anytime it is in line of sight on his initiative. Complex or extensive orders require the caster to expend action in lieu of moving, but simple orders (“protect me!”) do not require an action. Orders can be given in any language the caster speaks. The skeleton will mindlessly obey whatever orders it is given to the best of its (limited) ability. It cannot accomplish tasks that require abstract thought or higher reasoning. If it completes all of its orders, or for whatever reason is physically unable to obey its orders, the skeleton will simply remain stationary until it receives new orders. The skeleton acts on its own initiative each round.