Enchanted Skeleton (Steel Bones Variant) (3.5e Feat)

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Author: DuckKing8 Date Created: June 4, 2014 Status: Complete Balance: Moderate


Creating Enchanted Skeleton (Steel Bones Variant)

Type: Healing, Enhancement



A feat allowing the replacement of the skeleton with enchanted materials. Characters with this feat gain additional item slots, fortification, and additional character bonuses based on material and amount. This feat can be taken multiple times.

Prereqs: Fortitude Save +10, CON 14+

Thus the creature becomes construct, and one becomes better than nature intended.

You gain up to two extra inherent item slots of your choice of a type which you already possess. You may not wear items in these new slots, but instead are considered to be wearing masterwork items in these slots suitable for receiving infusions and enchantments. Item slots can only be taken once other than the "Ring" item slot, which can be taken twice.

Bones can be replaced with a new material as long as an inherent item slot exists, even without enchanting an item into the slot. This gains the material bonus of whichever material is used. Items can be enchanted into the slot later with no consequence. Items enchanted into an inherent item slot only cost one third the normal item cost. A character must possess an adequate weight of a material to replace the bones in an inherent item slot. Additionally, a character may replace the bones with another material by performing the same operation that originally replaced bone. Any item enchantment is retained at no cost and no side effects.

An enchantment may be transferred to or from an inherent item slot (to transfer from, an appropriate item to transfer the enchantment to is necessary) with a willing DC 20 spellcraft check. This may be performed an unlimited number of times per day, but each subsequent effect carries an additional -2 modifier (reset each day) and a failure of 5 or more leads to the enchantment being lost forever. To "remove" an item enchantment, the character must make a willing DC 15 spellcraft check. This check can only be performed on the same item enchantment three times per day (each following check at an additional -2). After disenchanted, the item enchantment is lost forever.

Material replacing a character's bones is considered to be part of that character's body. Abilities that restore lost body parts (Wish, Regeneration, etc.) restoring a part of which the skeleton was replaced, will restore the lost material as if it were bone (though the old material will fade away after the new has been restored). Any item enchantments will be present on the new material and lost on the old (faded) material.

Dispel magic effects will have no effects on inherent items. Anti-magic fields will have some effect on the items. Item effects that are external (bonuses to AC, elemental resistance, effects against other creatures, etc.) are suppressed, internal effects (ability score bonuses, internal metabolism effects (i.e. Ring of Sustenance), internal skill bonuses (i.e. concentration or knowledge, not bluff or climb)) are not. For the sake of simplification, any effects that deal with the interaction of character and the outside world are external, otherwise are internal.

When the bones in six inherent item slots are replaced by the same material, The character gains the tier I bonus of said material. If all twelve slots are the same material, the character gains the tier II bonus of said material. A character can possess multiple tier benefits, if the requisite number of item slots are filled with the same material.

Table: Materials
Materials Cost Tier I Bonus Tier II Bonus
Steel 2/3 gp/lb. N/A N/A
Adamantine 100 gp/lb. DR 1/- DR 3/-
Mithral 60 gp/lb. +1 All Saving Throws +2 All Saving Throws
Cold_Iron 1.5 gp/lb. DR 1/Magic DR 3/Magic
Crystal 30 gp/lb. +1 Effective Caster Level1 +2 Effective Caster Level1
Hardwood 1/10 gp/lb. N/A N/A
Adamantine Glass 16 gp/lb. DR 1/Adamantine DR 3/Adamantine
  1. The increase of caster level applies to all caster classes a character has taken

Each time this feat is taken, more abilities become active. All previous abilities stay active unless otherwise stated.

First Time: The character gains the material bonus and the ability to enchant the augmentations. Additional items cannot be worn in the same item slot as an inherent enchanted item bone section at this time. No fortification bonus is present, though weight augmentation does still occur.

Second Time: The character gains 1/2 the fortification bonus listed and 2 items may be worn over already enchanted inherent item slots.

Third Time: The character gains full fortification bonus and all enchanted inherent item slots may have items worn over them. If all inherent slots contain the same material, gain that materials tier I bonus. This character is considered to have the base creature type [Construct] in addition to what you normally have, for purposes of the effects of spells, spell-like abilities, and extraordinary abilities, though this gives you none of the actual traits of being a construct.

Fourth and Fifth Time: Addition Fortification and inherent item slots.

Sixth Time: Addition Fortification and inherent item slots. The character gains the possibility for tier II material bonus. Also, once the character's entire skeleton has been replaced, the character gains DR 1/- or +1 to an existing Damage Reduction.

To calculate the amount of material needed, a character must multiply 20% their weight by the body percentage in the chart below.

Body Part Altered/Augmented Suitable Item Enchantments Fortification Body Percentage
Skull Crown Hat, Headband, Helmet, Phylactery +9% 12%
Face Eye Lenses, Goggles, Mask +3% 4%
Throat Amulet, Brooch, Choker, Medallion, Necklace, Periapt, Scarab +5% 7%
Shoulders, Scapula, and Spine Cape, Cloak, Mantle, Wings +8% 11%
Ribs Shirt, Vest, Vestment +6% 8%
Major Skeleton Detail Armor, Robe +15% 20%
Forearms Bracelets, Bracers +5% 7%
Palms Gauntlets, Gloves +3% 4%
Knuckle Bone1 Ring, Signet +2% 2%
Hips, and Core Muscles or Solar Plexus Belt, Girdle, Sash +9% 12%
Ankles, Feet, and Shins Anklets, Boots +8% 11%
  1. You may take this augmentation twice.


The resultant weight is the weight of skeletal structure in the inherent item slot area. Multiplying the item slot weight by the material weight ratio values will indicate how much material is needed. Additionally, the material bonus is included in the chart below.


Type of Material Material Weight Ratio Value Material Bonus
Steel +/- 0% N/A
Adamantine + 50% +1/25(Body Conversion% x 100) to Unarmed Attack/Damage Rolls
Mithral - 50% +(Body Conversion% x 100)% to Magic Resistance
Cold_Iron + 100% +5 DC to Heal Check
Crystal + 25% Bludgeoning Attacks have 1/4(Body Conversion% x 100)% to Take +3 Damage to Character
Hardwood - 50% Fire Attacks have 1/2(Body Conversion% x 100)% to Take +2 Damage to Character
Adamantine Glass - 25% Bludgeoning Attacks have (Body Conversion% x 100)% to Take +1 Damage to Character

The percentage values for the material bonus should always be rounded down.

Whatever the weight requirement of the material added is added to your character's weight and the weight of the character's removed skeleton is subtracted from the character's weight. The weight should always be rounded the nearest pound after all calculations, and material requirements should always be rounded up to the nearest pound before weight rounding.


Example: Assume a character has a weight of 100lbs. Let us look at two body slots, the skull crown and the forearms, and three materials, steel, mithral, and crystal. The character's skeleton weighs 20% of his/her weight; so the skeleton weighs 20lbs. The body percentage of the skull crown is 12% and the forearms percentage is 7%. So, the skull crown weighs 2.4lbs and the forearms weigh 1.4lbs.

Steel has no weight difference, mithral has a -50% weight ratio value, and crystal has a +25% weight ratio value.

Replacing either the skull crown or forearms would not change the characters weight and would require 3lbs. (2gp) and 2lbs (1 1/3gp) respectively.

A Mithral skull crown would have the character gaining 1lb (2.4lbs x 0.5 = 1.2lbs) and losing 2.4lbs for a total weight of 99lbs (100lbs +1.2lbs - 2.4lbs = 98.8lbs) and would require 2lbs (1.2lbs) of mithral (120gp). The forearms would have the character gaining 1lb (1.4lbs x 0.5 = 0.7lbs) and losing 1.4lbs for a total weight of 99lbs (100lbs +0.4lbs - 1.4lbs = 99lbs) and would require 1lb (0.7lbs) of mithral (60gp).

A crystal skull crown would have the character gaining 3lbs (2.4lbs x 1.25 = 3lbs) and losing 2.4lbs for a total weight of 101lbs (100lbs +3lbs - 2.4lbs = 100.6lbs) and would require 3lbs of crystal (90gp). The forearms would have the character gaining 2lb (1.4lbs x 1.25 = 1.75lbs) and losing 1.4lbs for a total weight of 100lbs (100lbs +1.75lbs - 1.4lbs = 100.35lbs) and would require 2lb (1.75lbs) of crystal (60gp).

Normal: Characters gain no additional benefits to their unaugmented skeleton, nor do they have inherent item slots.

Special: This operation must be performed by one or more characters with at least 8 ranks in Heal who are willing and able to alter you to take this feat. The DC for the heal check is 15 and it takes an hour to replace the relevant parts. A DC 25 heal check may be performed to complete the operation in 10 minutes. A relevant DC 15 craft check is also necessary, though no additional time is required. You may fill these requirements yourself, if you are able, though with a +10 to the DC.

Due to the nature of this feat, the operation causes no discomfort, nor does it cause the character to fall unconscious. As such, this is not a stressful situation and the operating character may take 10 to the relevant skill checks.

There is no experience requirement for the operation, but the experience costs for enchanting an item are the same as if a normal item were crafted.

If the material selected is a metal, the character is always considered to be wearing metal armor for the purposes of druid class restrictions, and the following spells: Heat Metal, Chill Metal, Repel Metal or Stone. Generally, the altered physiology is concealed below the skin of the receiver, but even in the case that it is not these body parts are enchanted such that they are not subject to magical rusting. Prothstetics removed from a character fade away and new prothstetics (made of the same material containing the same item enchantments) are restored to their original place. The fading happens 1 second after disconnect from the character and is instant. Restoration of the augmentation is likewise instant and causes no discomfort or damage (though the removal might).

As an additional effect, when you select this feat you gain the effects of the Fortification armor augmentation from the DMG. This Fortification effect is considered an extraordinary ability. Multiple selections of this feat are added together for total effect on critical strike negation. The requisite XP cost of crafting is always detracted from the receiving characters XP total, not the crafters.