Whirlbones
“Bone Devil” © Brian Williams
[From the Fighting Fantasy book Trial of Champions. Obviously, “bone devil” is taken in D&D and its derivative properties; I had to come up with a different name. The original didn’t actually have any wind based abilities, which seemed a shame. So I added some.]
Whirlbones CR 5 CE Undead This creature is a skeleton, held in shape but only partly articulated, in a column of swirling wind. Small twisters emerge from its eye sockets, and its bones rattle together in the gusts.
A whirlbones is a malevolent undead created when a mortal is killed by the wind. This could include victims of hurricanes or tornadoes, those that shipwrecked in windstorms, or those that were pushed to their death by mundane or magical gusts. Whirlbones hunger for the hearts of their victims, and hunt living prey, preferring sapient victims. They can be found anywhere, although are more common in areas of high wind.
A whirlbones at rest resembles a mere pile of skeletal remains, and they often lay quiescent in order to ambush prey. When they spring to life, their gaze can paralyze their victims, and the whirlbones can get down to the business of feasting on hearts. If a whirlbones is unable to paralyze all its foes, it relies on hit and run attacks, maintaining as much distance as it can while blasting away with hammering gusts of wind. They are smart enough to use their wind blasts to push enemies into hazards or over ledges if these are present in the terrain.
Whirlbones have little use for treasure, except as bait for curious victims. They prefer small items, like coins or gems, that they can carry easily from one place to another. Whirlbones rarely remain in one place for long, unless they are commanded by a spellcaster to serve as a guardian. They resent such treatment, and more than one necromancer has been killed by their whirlbones minions after getting careless.