[I wonder if PFRPG’s fossil golem is inspired by the art above, or if it’s parallel development. Or if there’s a skeleton monster with skulls for hands out these somewhere that both of them are drawing from. Incidentally, I changed the name from “flesh thrasher” to “skeletal thrasher” with golems in mind–shouldn’t a flesh thrasher be fleshy? I’ve taken that mentality to a variant, included below.]
Skeletal Thrasher This chimerical skeleton stands
twice as tall as a man and is roughly humanoid, composed of the bones of a
dozen different monstrous beasts. Each of its arms ends in a massive, fanged
skull.
Skeletal
thrashers are composite undead horrors constructed from the bones of animal and
monstrous predators. Dinosaur bones are a favorite if their masters can get
them, but any manner of skeletons will do. A skeletal thrasher has in place of
hands fanged skulls, giving it three powerful bites. The first skeletal
thrashers were constructed by serpentfolk necromancers in the distant past, but
the secrets of their creation have spread far and wide since the serpent
empire.
Most
skeletal thrashers are created by necromancers as guardians, a task at which
these monsters excel. They are capable of collapsing into a pile of seemingly
inarticulated bones and snapping back into shape in an instant. Skeletal
thrashers are barely more intelligent than the animals from which they are
constructed, but can follow more complicated orders than either ordinary
skeletons or golems. The resemblance between fossil golems and skeletal
thrashers is notable—which was first created is the subject of some debate
among arcane scholars.
A
skeletal thrasher can be created by a create
undead of 14th caster level or higher. A symbol of pain spell must be cast as part of the creation ritual,
and the material component for that spell must also be provided.
Flesh Thrashers Flesh
thrashers are a variant form of skeletal thrashers composed out of multiple
partially rotten corpses stitched together. A flesh thrasher has DR 10/slashing
instead of DR 10/bludgeoning, loses the immunity to cold and electricity and
the discorporate ability, but gains the stench special attack (20 ft. radius,
sickened 1 minute, Cha-based DC).
Dinosaur-based skeletal thrashers are seen under the command of troglodytes on Cannehr. They are usually used as shock troops for assaults against the azkat.
Shores of Swords 