Skull Bearer (CR 12)
Medium Outsider (Evil)
Alignment: Always lawful evil
Initiative: +4 (Dex); Senses: Listen +11 and Spot +11
AC: 19 (+4 Dex, +5 natural), touch 14, flat-footed 15
Hit Dice: 10d8+40 (85 hp); DR: 25/silver
Fort +11, Ref +11, Will +10
Speed: 30 ft., fly 60 ft. (good)
Space: 5 ft./5 ft.
Base Attack +10; Grapple +6
Attack: 2 claws +16 melee
Full Attack: 2 claws +16 melee
Damage: Claws 1d6+7
Special Attacks/Actions: Eye rays +14 ranged touch, frightful presence, spells, summon flames, wounding
Abilities: Str 21, Dex 18, Con 19, Int 16, Wis 16, Cha 16
Special Qualities: fast healing, immunities, outsider traits, SR 18
Feats: Improved Critical (claw); Power Attack; Weapon Focus (claw)
Skills: Bluff +11, Concentration +14, Diplomacy +7, Gather Information +9, Hide +8, Intimidate +11, Knowledge (arcana) +11, Knowledge (war) +11, Listen +11, Move Silently +8, Read Lips +8, Search +9, Sense Motive +10, Spellcraft +13, Spot +11, and Use Magic Device +10
Advancement: By character class
Climate/Terrain: Any land or underground (Shannara)
Organization: Solitary, pair, or battalion (5-20)
Treasure/Possessions: Standard
Source:
Dragon #286
Eye Rays (Su): As a standard action, a skull bearer can fire rays from its eyes at a single target. This attack follows the rules for rays covered under Aiming a Spell in Chapter 10: Magic of the Player's Handbook. This attack has as a range of 100 feet and does 6d6 points of damage.
Wounding (Su): Treat skull bearer claws as if they had the weapon special ability wounding described Magic Weapon Abilities.
Frightful Presence (Su): This ability takes effect automatically when the creature attacks, charges, or flies overhead. It affects only opponents with fewer Hit Dice or levels than the creature has, and only those within 30 feet. The affected creature must make a successful Will save (DC 18) or become shaken. Success indicates that the target is immune to the creature's frightful presence for one day.
Spells (Sp): Skull bearers cast spells as 10th-level sorcerers (DC 13 + spell level).
Fast Healing (Ex): The creature regains hit points at a rate of 6 per round so long as it has 1. Fast healing does not restore hit points lost from starvation, thirst, or suffocation, and it does not allow a creature to regrow or reattach lost body parts.
Immunities (Ex): Skull bearers are immune to cold and electricity.
Skull Pendant (Su): Every skull bearer wears a pendant that appears to be a silver skull hanging on a thin silver chain. This pendant functions as an amulet of proof against detection and location and as a necklace of adaptation. A skull pendant disintegrates upon separation from its owner or its owner's death.
Skills: Skull bearers receive a +4 racial bonus to Hide, Intimidate, Listen, Move Silently, and Spot checks.
Outsider Traits: Darkvision 60 ft., cannot be raised or resurrected (though a wish or miracle spell can restore life).
Skull Bearer Characters: Skull bearers favor the sorcerer class.
Evil Subtype
A subtype usually applied only to outsiders native to the evil-aligned Outer Planes. Evil outsiders are also called fiends. Most creatures that have this subtype also have evil alignments; however, if their alignments change, they still retain the subtype. Any effect that depends on alignment affects a creature with this subtype as if the creature has an evil alignment, no matter what its alignment actually is. The creature also suffers effects according to its actual alignment. A creature with the evil subtype overcomes damage reduction as if its natural weapons and any weapons it wields were evil-aligned (see Damage Reduction).