Skeleton

Skeleton
A skeleton dances out from the darkness!
Relatives	The protagonist (creator, determinant)
Affiliation	The protagonist (master, determinant)

Inflicted phobias
Phobias	Necrophobia

Biographical information
Date of birth	1590 (determinant)
Place of birth	Dungeons of Fear & Hunger (determinant)

Physical description
Species	Undead

Spiritual Information
Soul	Lesser soul

Item drops
Steal	(Tobacco) (Opium Powder)

Battle Theme
“Muted Aggression”

Warning! Spoilers ahead! Proceed at your own risk!

"Ack! Ack!"
- The Skeleton's catchphrase.

Skeletons are enemies and potential recruitable party members in Fear & Hunger. They are creatures born from powerful necromancy, a power originated from Gro-goroth's Blood magic.

Lore

"A simple reanimated skeleton. The necromancy needs to be stronger in them to animate mere dust and bones, thus their strength is also greater than ghouls."
- The New Gods when asked about skeletons.

Skeletons are just products of necromancy; there's no greater meaning to their existence. Since necromancy is a spell originated from Gro-goroth's Blood magic, a certain level of affinity with the god of destruction is required to learn this spell.

It is stated that they are far superior than ghouls, as the magic that keeps their bodies of bone and dust alive is far more powerful than the one present in their more fleshy counterparts. There is currently no greater origin as to why they can be animated with blood magic or any other piece of information about the skeletons's past.

Personality

While at first hand they appear to be mindless creatures, Skeletons do have a personality. They value their own life and will raise their guard in self-defense if the player says "Prepare to die", unlike ghouls who give up and let themselves get killed. However, their instinct for self-preservation is not powerful enough to allow them to defy their masters' wishes, as they will still allow themselves to be sacrificed at Ritual circles.

They also appear to have a sense of humor and a playful personality. Speaking to a skeleton ally will cause them to reply by shouting "Ack! Ack!". One of the skeletons rattles its bones and somehow flexes its arm while another does a dance, which the player can join along in if desired.

Gameplay traits

Stat	Starting Value
Attack	16
Defense	16
M.Attack	16
M.Defense	16
Agility	10
Luck	32

• Is AI-controlled.
• Does not need to eat, meaning Hunger mechanics do not apply for them.
• Has 16 Attack instead of the regular 30.
• Can use Sword, Mace, and Eastern Sword weapon types.
• Has no Equipment/Armor restrictions.
• Has no assigned Phobia.
• Is immune to the following status effects: bleeding, anal bleeding, poison, terror, blindness, parasites, mind loss, ruination and soul binding.
• Cannot be chosen to form Marriages or Marriages (Fusion).
• Can be sacrificed at ritual circles.
• Will not turn against the party when wielding Miasma.

Skeletons are significantly better allies than Ghouls, their ability to use weapons and armor makes them better tanks and damage dealers. Their usefulness is only further increased by the fact that they have a multitude of status immunities (they still can be pollinated though). Their inability to starve or lose sanity is very useful, as it allows the player to save items for more urgent occasions. Skeletons can also learn spells through the use of scrolls and they will randomly cast them during battle, though this can backfire as some spells do not work or are not effective against certain enemies.

The skeleton's arm can be removed in a pinch to create a Skeletal arm, which is a +25 Attack weapon that the girl and Demon Kid can use.

They are one the few party members that are still available on Hard Mode, being also the best ally one can have on this difficulty.

Location & recruiting

Skeletons are not encountered as characters normally. To recruit a Skeleton, the player must first learn the skill Necromancy, which can be learned at the Hexen Table at the cost of one Lesser soul (after the player has gained two levels of affinity with Gro-goroth). Alternatively, the player can use an Ancient book or an empty scroll and type: "O LORD", "TEACH", "NECROMANCY".

Once the player has Necromancy, they must use it on a skeleton lying somewhere in the dungeon. This will cost them 30 Mind and prompt a coin flip, which will give the player a Skeleton party member if they are successful, but produce a hostile Skeleton instead if they fail. The Skeleton will only become hostile the first time the player fails, if they fail again, the skeleton will simply not be resurrected and the player will have to cast the spell again.

If the player gains the skill Greater blood magic, they will be able to raise Skeletons without the need for a coin flip and the necessary mind cost to use the spell will also be reduced. The skill belongs to the Enlightenment skill tree, meaning that they will need an Enlightened soul first.

The three Skeletons found in-game are as follows:

• Level 3 - basement.
• Level 7 - Catacomb, near the entry point from the thicket.
• In Present Ma'habre, go toward the Temple of Torment.
  • When you enter the Ancient City Back Alley, go down the stairs and go into the first open doorway.

Battle

Stats

Body part	HP	Blunt	Slashing	Piercing	Fire	Otherworldly	Ev. Rate	Magic Ev.	Resistances
Head	20	120%	100%	100%	100%	100%	50%	40%	None
Torso	175						5%	None
Right Arm	20						5%	None
Right Leg	20						5%	None

Skills

Body Part	Skill	Effect	Condition	Chance	Success Rate
Torso	Tackle	Deals 8-12 Blunt damage.	Armless	100%	100%
Right Arm	Scratch	Deals 9-11 Slashing damage. 30% chance of applying the Infected Arm and Infected Leg status effects.	Always	100%	100%
Right Leg	Skeleton Kick	Deals 16-24 Blunt damage.	Always	100%	86%

Strategy

If any of the player's party members have the Counter-magic skill, it can be used to undo the magic that keeps the Skeleton alive, killing them immediately. If the player's party does not have Counter-magic, the best way to defeat them is to first destroy their arm and then aim for their torso.

Item drops

If the player uses the Steal skill on them, they will gain one Tobacco or one Opium Powder. By using a soul stone on their body, the player can gain a Lesser soul.

Dialogue

See Skeleton's dialogue.

Trivia

• Some of those interactions may be references to skeletons in popular culture/the game's roleplay session:
  • The skeleton rattling his bones may be a reference to the "Don't Rattle Me Bones" skeleton board game.
  • The skeleton dancing may be a reference to the old roleplay in the Discord, where Seril had found a dancing skeleton companion.

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