understands all languages it knew in life but can't speak
Actions
Shortsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d6 + 2) piercing damage.
Shortbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, range 80/320 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d6 + 2) piercing damage.
How skeletons fight
A skeleton is a disciplined undead soldier: AC 13, 13 hit points, and a shortsword or shortbow at +4 for 1d6 + 2. Unlike zombies, skeletons move at a normal 30 feet and shoot from range, so a line of skeleton archers behind a door or across a pit is a real threat to a low-level party.
Their weakness is bludgeoning damage: they’re vulnerable to it, so maces, warhammers, clubs and quarterstaffs deal double damage. A cleric with a mace or a monk’s fists shatter them.
Running skeletons at the table
Shoot first. Skeletons don’t mind standing in formation and loosing arrows at the party round after round.
Guard things. They follow orders exactly and never sleep, which makes them ideal tomb guards and sentries.
Mix them with zombies. Zombies soak up hits in front; skeletons shoot from behind.
Common questions
Do skeletons take double damage from bludgeoning weapons?
Yes. They’re vulnerable to bludgeoning damage, so maces, hammers, clubs, quarterstaffs and unarmed strikes deal double. Shatter is thunder damage, not bludgeoning.
How many skeletons for a party of four 1st-level characters?
A skeleton is CR 1/4, worth 50 XP. By the Dungeon Master’s Guide’s encounter math, two are Easy, three are Hard and four are Deadly.
Are skeletons immune to poison?
Yes, to poison damage, the poisoned condition and exhaustion.
Can a cleric destroy skeletons with Turn Undead?
From 5th level, yes: Destroy Undead destroys CR 1/2 or lower undead that fail the save, and skeletons are CR 1/4.
Can skeletons talk?
No. They understand the languages they knew in life but can’t speak.
How are skeletons made?
Animate Dead raises a skeleton from a pile of bones of a Medium or Small humanoid.
CR 1. An incorporeal undead that drains life through walls.
How many skeletons for a fight?
A skeleton is worth 50 XP. Using the 2024 encounter budgets (SRD 5.2), this is how many skeletons fit each difficulty for a party of four characters of the same level. A dash means even one would be over the budget.
Party level
Low
Moderate
High
1st
4
6
8
2nd
8
12
12+
3rd
12
12+
12+
Budgets add up every monster’s XP, so you can swap some for other creatures of the same total. Try other party sizes and mixes in the encounter calculator.
How the skeleton compares at CR 1/4
Against the 31 other challenge 1/4 monsters in the SRD 5.1, the skeleton has more hit points than 10 of them, which makes it a little frailer than most at its CR. See every CR 1/4 monster.
Statistic
Skeleton
CR 1/4 average
Armor Class
13
11.7
Hit points
13
15
Best attack bonus
+4
+4
Skeleton 2024 stat block
The 2024 Monster Manual revised the skeleton, and the SRD 5.2 carries the new stat block. What changed:
