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At some point you run out of attacks vs (assuming) a single target, at least if we’re doing tabletop miniatures. Only so many squares surrounding a target you can shove skeletons into
I love that you used the Skeleton artwork from the 1993 Monstrous Manual
...
I'm not sure how to feel about the fact that I immediately recognized it
Spooky and scary.
14 skeletons if you're a Necromancer (2014, not the 2025 UA version)
15 skeletons if you include yourself
Character concept: skeleton necromancer who has to keep casting animate dead to stay alive. Or maybe has an object that keeps casting it on themselves from time to time.
I've never not dreamed of having my own skeleton army.
My DM once awarded my 13th level Warlock with a 9th-level spell slot as a boon for doing something heroic (the rest of the party also got something equally powerful).
The final battle came, and the good army was fighting against semi-immortal dark elves and their humongous semi-immortal demon of death and destruction and making the puppies cry.
I used that 9th-level slot to upcast Danse Macabre. 13 soldiers rose from the dead to answer my call.
Was it useful? Heck no. Was it hilarious? Absolutely.
Anyone else see this and immediately look up if Alecto The Ninth was out yet?
Best part of skeletons? They don't get a share of party loot when the encounter is over, they just go back to dirtnap.

I never regret fireball.
Never? Your Wizard wearing two Rings of Fire Resistance?

the only hit point that matters is the last one.
Is this just a meme, or not? I can't tell. I expect that as a proper, responsible tiefling pyromaniac, I'd always be touching myself - and occasionally casting Protection from Energy while I'm at it. Or keep Absorb Elements in my back pocket.
I'll ask you to consider that not everyone plays Tieflings, or other races with fire resistance, as Wizards.
They really should. Wizards light themselves on fire a lot. More of them should be dedicated to the art of fireproofing themselves.
Tiefling wizards out there telling all the humans and elves to pull themselves up by their fire proof bootstraps
I'm a dragon, I fell into lava and panicked, only to find out it was somewhat pleasant
I then unceremoniously got out of said lava and accidentally whipped molten rock at a team mate
But was your character's equipment fireproof, and how much did it cost to replace every single mundane item that burst into flames and fell away like the cladding falling away from a house engulfed in flames?
My skeletons have defective boomerangs for arms. Great art ranged attacks
I'm so sick of this propaganda pushing the big skeleton agenda.
Is there a requirement that there needs to be 13 skeletons readily available? Also, does it work on fossilized remains?
As a DM, my answer would be yes because it says animate not will into existence and yes because fossilized skeletons would look awesome.
And also because Animate Dead, the spell the blurb in the meme is from, reads:
Choose a pile of bones or a corpse of a Medium or Small humanoid within range. Your spell imbues the target with a foul mimicry of life, raising it as an undead creature. The target becomes a skeleton if you chose bones or a zombie if you chose a corpse (the DM has the creature's game statistics).
Interestingly, as written the pile of bones can be any pile of bones, since the Humanoid restriction parses to only being applied to the corpse section, confirmed in the Sage Advice Compendium for 5e (the wording of the spell has not been substantially changed in 5.5 for that part, only changing what the group does when you don't issue a command. Though I don't think that's included in 5.5's SAC so far). So if you have enough, like, chicken bones to arrange into the size for the skeleton statblock, that RAW works.
If I was DM'ing, I might let you reanimate a pile of chicken bones, but you get a chicken skeleton with a chicken stat block.
If I animate a wolf skeleton does it get a wolf statblock?
A version that can animate up to specific sizes and CRs when cast at a high enough level would be pretty neat.
I'd say sure. It's not like the wolf statblock is crazy different from regular skeleton stats; it wouldn't be game breaking or anything.
RAW on Animated Dead doesn't strictly limit the size of the creature when it's a pile of bones, but I think keeping it to small/medium creatures is reasonable.
D&D 5e does, not sure about other editions or other game systems off the top of my head.
Choose a pile of bones or a corpse of a Medium or Small Humanoid within range.
Well, that depends on how you group the statements.
Choose (a pile of bones) or (a corpse of a Medium or Small Humanoid) within range.
OR
Choose (a pile of bones) or (a corpse) of a Medium or Small Humanoid within range.
Though I suppose also:
Choose (a pile of bones) or (a corpse of a Medium or Small Humanoid within range).
Which would mean the bones version has unlimited range.
Yes, I am a programmer, why do you ask?
So what about golems then? Hopefully can be made from anything nearby.
I always saw those as something you made first and then animated, something that involved days to sculpt/construct.
I loved casting clay or Earth golem as a melee warrior
Nothing like beating the shit out of demons with the paving stones tanking hits
Always bring a cart full of bones with you everywhere you go. You will certainly not regret having a cart full of bones.
Technically, everyone in the vicinity, has at least one skeleton inside of them.
Fun fact: For a group of 13 skeletons attacking the same target, the probability that at least one of them crits is about 49%.
Am i correct to assume that Crit would do 10-16 damage (depending on if you go with 5 on a hit or 1d6+2)? Of non-magical slashing damage?
13 skeletons is the max. To raise more you need a Bonelord. 13 Bonelords and you need a Lich. 13 Liches and you need a Titan.
After 13 Titans, 169 Liches, 2197 Bonelords, and 28561 skeletons... you reach Khali.
Wish, but for emulating other spells. Literally anything I want, of 8th level or lower, as if it was already prepared? So handy.
"I wish for an army of skeletons!"
"Granted! Your army of 13 skeletons stands up from the battlefield..."
Ah, that's the risky use of Wish though. It comes with a chance of losing the spell forever.
Wish can consequence-free emulate any level 8 or lower spell. So you could get 11 worry-free skeletons, or risk never casting wish again if you need 13.
This is why I instead opt to carry scrolls of damn near every spell 8th level or lower.
It's a little bootleg compared to a real Wish, but in average circumstances I can give Batman a run for his money on being prepared for literally any eventuality.
Hmm, that works, but only for spells in your class list. That won't allow you to cast legend lore as a wizard, for instance
RAW, yeah, you're right unfortunately. Our DM lets us make the DC check to cast a non-class scroll just like you'd make if you cast one too high level for you. Web searching tells me this is a popular homebrew rule.
I may be making him regret that decision somewhat.
Isn't that killing the thief rogue subclass's use magic device ability?
You’d need a cart or something to transport the skeletons to battle though.
Wait. Doesn't that mean If you slot it in a lvl 9 slot you will animate
9 + ( 2 additional per level slot over 4 = 10 ) = 19 skeletons?
Edit: Never mind. It's 1 skeleton and 12 extra for being level 9. I assumed every level would also increase the number of skellies raised. My bad

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