New Monster: Skeletal Mage

"Die!" the hollow voice hissed from the darkened hall, followed by a bright green blast that flamed down the hall.

"Down!" Rathgar yelled over his shoulder as he crouched behind his shield. The green flared as the ball of energy bounced off it.

Nimble tossed a dagger into the darkness, while Allianora downed a potion of darkvision. Feris pointed his wand underneath Rathgar, and followed Nimble's dagger with a lightning bolt. The bolt illuminated a skeletal figure at the end of the hall.

Dry raspy words in a dark tongue echoed down the hall, and Rathgar and Feris found themselves grasped by inky black lines of energy emanating from the walls.

Skeletons, clad in rusty armor, and clutching ancient weapons marched into the light of Rathgar's shield, their weapons raised to strike the held men.

Allianora held forth her golden pendant, now glowing with a holy light, and the skeletons crumbled as its rays fell upon them, the rusty arms and armor clanging dustily to the ground.

Skeletal Mage
Armor Class: 7
Hit Dice: 4**** (M)
Move: 90' (30')
Attacks: 1 touch or spell blast
Damage: 1d6 + Special, or 1d8
No. Appearing 1d4 (1d6)
Save As: F4
Morale: 12
Treasure Type: E
Intelligence: 13
Alignment: Chaotic
XP Value: 275

Monster Type: Undead, Enchanted (Uncommon)
Wizards and Wokan killed by necromatic or demonic magics are sometimes raised as undead magic-users, abominations that channel the mystical forces they harnessed in life. They still seek the arcane secrets they sought in life, and jealously attack any magic user, hoping to take their knowledge, and will focus all their energies on defeating their "rivals".

Skeletal Mages can launch a blast of raw arcane energy every other round for 1d8 points of damage (save vs spells for half damage), and they can cast spells as a 4th level wokan, though they often have rare or unusual spells that are not widely known. Skeletal Mages can also touch for 1d6 points of damage, and a -2 penalty to their attack rolls.

Skeletal Mages are often accompanied by a troop of normal skeletons

Any magic user killed by a Skeletal Mage will be raised as a Skeletal Mage under the thrall of the slayer. All others will be raised as normal skeletons, also under the control of the Skeletal Mage.