Skeleton

Skeletons are exactly what they sound like: animated piles of bone controlled by a demon. Skeletons simply attack all living targets and continue to do so, never wavering until they are smashed to pieces.

Background[]

The demons of the Fade are jealous of the world they sense from across the Veil. They constantly push against the boundaries of the Fade, and when they finally cross over, they attempt to possess the first living creature they see. They are unable, however, to distinguish that which was once living from that which still is... in fact, a corpse provides an even more tempting target to a weaker demon as it has no will with which to resist the possession. The demon cannot rationalize why this is so; it only sees a target and grasps at the opportunity.

A skeleton is exactly that: a corpse animated by a possessing demon. Upon finding itself trapped within a body that cannot sustain it, the demon is driven insane... it seeks to destroy any life that it encounters, attacking without thought to its own welfare.

The exact names given to skeletons of this type vary according to the nature of the demons that possesses it. A "fanged skeleton" is a skeleton possessed by a hunger demon. These skeletons devour whatever life they encounter and often possess the ability to drain life energy and mana from their victims. A "shambling skeleton" is a slower-moving skeleton possessed by a sloth demon, able to bring entropic powers against its opponents, slowing them and even putting them to sleep. More powerful demons have been known to command skeletons, but at that level they are known by other names: revenants and arcane horrors, to name two.
—From Codex entry: Skeleton

The following characters, lore and events in this section are non-canon in Dragon Age and exist only within the Dragon Age tabletop RPG.

Skeletons are mindless creatures that wander aimlessly, or lie dormant near the site of their “first death” till living beings walk near. If they originally came from a battlefield and have a weapon, they will attempt to use it. Otherwise, they’ll simply claw at their foes with broken finger bones, gouging away any flesh they can reach.^[1]

Strategy[]

It's not uncommon for skeletons to attack in groups. All skeletons are immune to nature damage, flanking and blood mage spells, but are vulnerable to fire. As a result, avoid using Shale's natural crystals, Acid Flasks, Acidic Traps, and most poisons against them, in favour of their fiery equivalents.
Like corpses, skeletons like to lie on the floor in ambush, awakening to your party going deep enough into the room or some other trigger. They can't be targeted in that condition, but are still affected by AoE debuffs like Paralysis Explosion (skeletons will be targetable when they activate, but they won't rise until the paralysis ends). Casting other AoE like Tempest can also be a good idea, providing that they won't affect your party.

Variations[]

Skeletons are called different names depending on the weapons they fight with:

Skeleton archer – will provide ranged support with a longbow
Skeleton mage – extremely rare and are only present during boss encounters
Devouring skeleton – possessed by hunger demons; they attack with a sword and kite shield
Frenzied Devouring skeleton – encountered in Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening
Fanged skeleton – possessed by hunger demons; they attack with dual daggers
Ancient Fanged skeleton – encountered in Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening
Shambling skeleton – possessed by sloth demons; they attack with greatswords
Mangled Shambling skeleton – encountered in Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening

Note: Some skeletons encountered will lack any further labels and will often use the same skills, equipment and weapons as those named above.

Codex entries[]

Codex entry: Skeleton

Notes[]

Like corpses and other undead, the demon possessing a skeleton will likely die off once its host dies, as the skeleton lacks the lifeforce required for the demon to break through the Veil and go back into its Fade realm. As such, the heavily wounded skeletons will often leak the grayish-black substance (exactly the same as the one that makes up the body of the shade.)