Bonechain (Priest Spell)

A bonechain spell causes a chain of skeletons under the caster's control to suddenly spring from scattered bones. It requires special preparation in the form of material components. For each link in the chain, the priest must have one bone from a de­ceased human or humanoid creature. Any bone can be employed, although tradition prefers finger or rib bones. Each bone must come from a separate creature: the spell fails the instant a second bone from the same creature is activated. The maximum number of bones usable in the spellcasting is equal to the priest's experience level. Each bone can be placed up to 20 feet from any other bone employed in the spell. A distance of greater than 20 feet negates the continuation of the bonechain.
When the spell is cast, at the point where each bone is placed, a skeleton springs up and will do the bidding of the priest casting the spell, automat­ically fighting the nearest enemy of the priest, if appropriate. Skeletons activate rapidly and se­quentially from the bone nearest the caster out­ward, at the rate of 5 per round. Each activated skeleton has a minimum of 5 hit points, but is oth­erwise a normal animated skeleton. Concealed or covered bones might be used. Bones buried in earth, hidden in plasterwork or within wooden paneling, and so on, can spring forth as skeletons: bones buried below foot-thick marble slabs could not (the DM decides doubtful cases). Skeletons an­imated by a bonechain remain in existence until the dawn following the casting of the bonechain spell, unless destroyed earlier.
This spell was specifically developed to enable ambushes, with bones planted in the ground in a circle or column, and for protection, with ranks of bones hidden in alcoves, urns and the like along corridors and passages.
The material components for the spell are the bones employed and an unholy symbol of Iuz.
Notes: Granted by Iuz the Evil of the World of Greyhawk setting.
Category:Priest Spells
Category:Spells from Priest's Spell Compendium
Category:Spells