The living skin (Session 21)

Stub-class article · First seen: s21 · Last seen: s22
The living skin (Session 21)
The living skin
Portrait of The living skin (Session 21).
Character
StatusDead
First seens21
Last seens22

The living skin is the creature that was sealed in the last cell of the cell block in the ridge temple, behind bars covered with fitted metal sheets, until Father Thomas unlocked it in session 21 [12][14]. What leapt out was, in the DM’s words, “a bag”: “It’s literally just skin.” [14][37]. It wraps itself round a victim’s face, grappling, blinding and suffocating them, and frightens onlookers by sight alone [22][26]. It smothered Father Thomas, Caelumn and Hugo in turn before Hugo’s natural 20 destroyed it in session 22 [10].

Overview

The living skin was locked in the last of three barred cells in the eastern wall of the ridge temple’s cell block, whose bars had been covered with metal sheets [12][13]. Father Thomas released it in session 21, the fight ran across the pause between sessions, and Hugo destroyed it in session 22 [14][10]. “Living skin” is the DM’s description of it, not a creature name, and the DM keeps its exact statblock out of the recap, so this page records what it looked like and what the party saw it do.

Appearance and demeanour

The DM struggled to describe it: what leapt out “can only be described as a bag” [14]. Asked about the hand pulling the bag over Thomas’s head, he said “The bag is it” [15]. Sliding off a victim it lay on the floor “like a python ready to strike”; under a blade it flapped like torn sailcloth, gripping it tightened “almost like a muscle”, it sprang like “an octopus trying to envelop a prey”, and cut it bled “a little bit of black goop” [16][17][18][19][20]. Before its release it rubbed against the metal over its bars, harder when the party shouted [12][21].

Abilities as played

  • Face-wrapping grab. On a hit it wraps its victim’s face for six to nine bludgeoning damage, leaving them grappled, blinded, restrained and suffocating [22][17][23].
  • Automatic squeeze. At the start of its turn it squeezes whoever it holds, seven bludgeoning damage in the first case [24][25].
  • Fear on sight. Onlookers who fail a Wisdom save are frightened [26].
  • Dragging and leaping. Forced to flee, it took Father Thomas with it unhindered; torn off, it slithered away and leapt again [27][28][19].
  • Escape. A Strength (Athletics) check as an action, which allies may help; Acrobatics was refused twice, and beating the DC by five would turn the grapple on the skin [29][30][31][32].
  • Treated as undead. “It’s living skin, so that’s fair to assume” [33]. It passed Father Thomas’s Toll the Dead on a natural 20 [34].

Relationships

  • The skinless corpse in its cell: a decayed, skinless body lay beside the unfinished word “help” on the wall. The table assumed the skin had once been his; nothing identifies him [35].
  • The other undead of the temple: none is stated to be linked to it.

Disposition towards the party

Hostile and relentless. It went for Father Thomas, then Caelumn, then Hugo, then Caelumn again, and fought until it was destroyed [22][36][17][23].

Notable quotes

“The bag is it. It’s hard to describe. It’s literally just skin.” — Nick (DM), [37]

“Yes, you can’t jump the skin off you.” — Nick (DM), [32]

“Okay. Yeah, you do that and as it does, it flails one last time before it falls to the ground.” — Nick (DM), [38]

History in the campaign

Session 21: The Hand That Points North

Main article: Session 21

Behind the north door Caelumn heard a faint scratching, and in the last cell something rubbed against the sheeted bars [1]. Father Thomas unlocked it and a bag of skin leapt into his face, going first and wrapping it for nine; Hugo and Caelumn were frightened by the sight [2]. Dissonant Whispers made it flee, dragging Thomas along, and it squeezed him for seven and six before a Command made it let go; it then wrapped Caelumn and shattered his Shield [39]. Hugo’s opportunity attack cut a chunk off it, and it passed a Toll the Dead save on a natural 20 as the session paused [40][41].

Session 22: The Dragon in the Statue

Main article: Session 22

The fight resumed mid-initiative against the “monster made out of pure skin” [42][43]. It wrapped Hugo’s face for six and squeezed for nine more, and a critical fumble, a natural 20 and Terry’s Silvery Barbs followed in one round [17][44]. Hugo tore it off on an Athletics 15, but it slid free and leapt on Caelumn, grappling and blinding him for nine [45]. Hugo’s natural 20 for 34 damage destroyed it [10]. Its cell held a skinless corpse beside the unfinished word “help” [35].

Status

As of session 23. Dead, destroyed by Hugo in session 22 [38][46]. What it was, where it came from and why it was sealed in are unknown. Hugo dragged the skinless corpse from the cell, and in the statue room Caelumn offered it to the voice as food; the DM narrated only a sigh [47][48].

See also

References

  1. ^ Session 21, line 1481-1486: Behind the north door, "a very faint scratching noise"; the last cell's bars are "covered with fitted metal sheets" and something rubs against them from the inside.
  2. ^ Session 21, line 1653-1676: Released: "what jumps into your face can only be described as a bag"; wraps Father Thomas's face; frightens Hugo and Caelumn by sight.
  3. ^ Session 21, line 1742-1787: Dissonant Whispers makes it flee with Father Thomas; "The bag is it. It's hard to describe. It's literally just skin."; "It's living skin, so that's fair to assume."; the automatic squeeze.
  4. ^ Session 21, line 1804-1845: Caelumn's Command makes it let go; it wraps Caelumn and shatters his Shield.
  5. ^ Session 21, line 1959-2038: Father Thomas's Command; Hugo's opportunity attack; Toll the Dead passes on a natural 20; the session pauses at the end of the round.
  6. ^ Session 22, line 64-80: The fight resumes mid-initiative; Hugo's last blow in session 21 is ruled a held action.
  7. ^ Session 22, line 108-143: The "monster made out of pure skin"; it wraps Hugo's face.
  8. ^ Session 22, line 190-215: The automatic squeeze; the critical fumble, the natural 20 and Terry's Silvery Barbs.
  9. ^ Session 22, line 312-363: Hugo rips it off; it leaps on Caelumn: "Yes, you can't jump the skin off you.".
  10. ^ Session 22, line 392-398: KILL: Hugo's natural 20, 34 damage; "it flails one last time before it falls to the ground".
  11. ^ Session 22, line 632-687: Its cell: "a corpse without skin" beside an unfinished "help".
  12. ^ Session 21, line 1486: Inline citation.
  13. ^ Session 21, line 1575: Inline citation.
  14. ^ Session 21, line 1653: Inline citation.
  15. ^ Session 21, line 1765-1766: Inline citation.
  16. ^ Session 21, line 1966: Inline citation.
  17. ^ Session 22, line 143: Inline citation.
  18. ^ Session 22, line 196: Inline citation.
  19. ^ Session 22, line 337: Inline citation.
  20. ^ Session 22, line 353: Inline citation.
  21. ^ Session 21, line 1561: Inline citation.
  22. ^ Session 21, line 1669: Inline citation.
  23. ^ Session 22, line 341: Inline citation.
  24. ^ Session 21, line 1783: Inline citation.
  25. ^ Session 22, line 198: Inline citation.
  26. ^ Session 21, line 1676: Inline citation.
  27. ^ Session 21, line 1756-1759: Inline citation.
  28. ^ Session 22, line 313: Inline citation.
  29. ^ Session 21, line 1787: Inline citation.
  30. ^ Session 21, line 1919-1920: Inline citation.
  31. ^ Session 22, line 192-194: Inline citation.
  32. ^ Session 22, line 361: Inline citation.
  33. ^ Session 21, line 1777: Inline citation.
  34. ^ Session 21, line 2035-2036: Inline citation.
  35. ^ Session 22, line 685-687: Inline citation.
  36. ^ Session 21, line 1845: Inline citation.
  37. ^ Session 21, line 1766: Inline citation.
  38. ^ Session 22, line 398: Inline citation.
  39. ^ Session 21, line 1742-1845: Inline citation.
  40. ^ Session 21, line 1969-1970: Inline citation.
  41. ^ Session 21, line 2035-2038: Inline citation.
  42. ^ Session 22, line 64: Inline citation.
  43. ^ Session 22, line 108: Inline citation.
  44. ^ Session 22, line 198-215: Inline citation.
  45. ^ Session 22, line 312-341: Inline citation.
  46. ^ Session 22, line 632: Inline citation.
  47. ^ Session 22, line 723: Inline citation.
  48. ^ Session 22, line 855-858: Inline citation.
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