Swarm of Skulls
Medium • Swarm of Tiny Undead • Neutral Evil
Armor Class 13
Hit Points 60 (11d8 + 11)
Speed 0 ft., fly 30 ft. (hover)
Initiative +3 (13)
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 (-5) | 16 (+3) | 12 (+1) | 3 (-4) | 10 (+0) | 7 (-2) |
Damage Resistances piercing, slashing
Damage Immunities necrotic, poison
Condition Immunities charmed, frightened, grappled, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, prone, restrained, stunned
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 10
Languages –
CR 3 (XP 700; PB +2)
Deafening Clatter. Creatures are deafened while in the swarm's space. Constitution Saving Throw: DC 11, any creature starting its turn inside the swarm's space. Failure: The target loses its concentration, if it is maintaining any.
Swarm. The swarm can occupy another creature's space and vice versa, and the swarm can move through any opening large enough for a Tiny skull. The swarm can't regain hit points or gain temporary hit points.
Unusual Nature. The swarm doesn't require air, food, drink, or sleep.
ACTIONS
Bites. Melee Weapon Attack: +5, reach 0 ft. Hit: 10 (4d4) piercing damage plus 18 (4d8) necrotic damage, or 5 (2d4) piercing damage plus 9 (2d8) necrotic damage if the swarm is bloodied.
BONUS ACTIONS
Horrify (Recharges after a Rest). Wisdom Saving Throw: DC 11, one non-Undead creature within 20 feet of the swarm that can see it. Failure: The target becomes paralyzed until the end of its next turn. Success: The target becomes frightened until the end of its next turn. Effect Ends: The target becomes immune to this ability of all swarms for 1 hour.
Swarm of Skulls
Medium • Swarm of Tiny Undead • Neutral Evil
Armor Class 12
Hit Points 22 (5d8)
Speed 0 ft., fly 30 ft. (hover)
Initiative +2 (12)
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 (-5) | 14 (+2) | 10 (+0) | 3 (-4) | 10 (+0) | 7 (-2) |
Damage Resistances piercing, slashing
Damage Immunities necrotic, poison
Condition Immunities charmed, frightened, grappled, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, prone, restrained, stunned
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 10
Languages –
CR 1/2 (XP 100; PB +2)
Deafening Clatter. Creatures are deafened while in the swarm's space. Constitution Saving Throw: DC 10, any creature starting its turn inside the swarm's space. Failure: The target loses its concentration, if it is maintaining any.
Swarm. The swarm can occupy another creature's space and vice versa, and the swarm can move through any opening large enough for a Tiny skull. The swarm can't regain hit points or gain temporary hit points.
Unusual Nature. The swarm doesn't require air, food, drink, or sleep.
ACTIONS
Bites. Melee Weapon Attack: +4, reach 0 ft. Hit: 5 (2d4) piercing damage plus 9 (2d8) necrotic damage, or 2 (1d4) piercing damage plus 4 (1d8) necrotic damage if the swarm is bloodied.
BONUS ACTIONS
Horrify (1/Day). Wisdom Saving Throw: DC 10, one non-Undead creature within 10 feet of the swarm that can see it. Failure: The target becomes paralyzed until the end of its next turn. Success: The target becomes frightened until the end of its next turn. Effect Ends: The target becomes immune to this ability of all swarms for 1 hour.
Swarm of Skulls
Medium • Swarm of Tiny Undead • Neutral Evil
Armor Class 14
Hit Points 60 (11d8 + 11)
Speed 0 ft., fly 30 ft. (hover)
Initiative +4 (14)
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 (-5) | 18 (+4) | 14 (+2) | 3 (-4) | 10 (+0) | 7 (-2) |
Damage Resistances piercing, slashing
Damage Immunities necrotic, poison
Condition Immunities charmed, frightened, grappled, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, prone, restrained, stunned
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 10
Languages –
CR 6 (XP 2,300; PB +3)
Deafening Clatter. Creatures are deafened while in the swarm's space. Constitution Saving Throw: DC 13, any creature starting its turn inside the swarm's space. Failure: The target loses its concentration, if it is maintaining any.
Swarm. The swarm can occupy another creature's space and vice versa, and the swarm can move through any opening large enough for a Tiny skull. The swarm can't regain hit points or gain temporary hit points.
Unusual Nature. The swarm doesn't require air, food, drink, or sleep.
ACTIONS
Bites. Melee Weapon Attack: +5, reach 0 ft. Hit: 21 (6d6) piercing damage plus 27 (6d8) necrotic damage, or 10 (3d6) piercing damage plus 13 (3d8) necrotic damage if the swarm is bloodied.
BONUS ACTIONS
Horrify (Recharges after a Rest). Wisdom Saving Throw: DC 13, one non-Undead creature within 30 feet of the swarm that can see it. Failure: The target becomes paralyzed until the end of its next turn. Success: The target becomes frightened until the end of its next turn. Effect Ends: The target becomes immune to this ability of all swarms for 1 hour.
QUICK REFERENCE
USING MONSTER VARIANTS
Monster variants allow the GM to adjust encounters to better match the party’s strength, narrative needs, or world-building logic. A weaker variant may represent a juvenile, wounded, or lesser specimen, while a stronger variant can serve as a leader, champion, ancient creature, or apex predator.
Variants can be used to fine-tune difficulty without changing the core identity of the monster, making them ideal for scaling encounters, reinforcing hierarchy within a faction, or creating memorable boss-style enemies. You can even use the same stat block but different variants in the same encounter if you want.
Design Note. Each monster is primarily balanced around its normal version. Weaker and stronger variants are derived adjustments and may not always preserve every tactical nuance or “feel” of the original creature. GMs are encouraged to review variants carefully and adjust abilities or tactics as needed to best suit their table.