Flameskull (CR 4)

Tiny Undead
Alignment: Always lawful evil
Initiative: +8 (+4 Dex, +4 Improved Initiative); Senses: darkvision 60 ft., Listen +10, and Spot +10
Languages: Common, Draconic, Infernal, and one or two ancient languages no longer in common use, such as Loross


AC: 19 (+2 size, +4 Dex, +3 natural), touch 16, flat-footed 15
Hit Dice: 4d12 (26 hp); DR: DR 5/bludgeoning
Fort +1, Ref +5, Will +5
Speed: Fly 50 ft. (good)
Space: 2-1/2 ft./0 ft.
Base Attack +2; Grapple -10
Attack: Fire ray +8 ranged touch
Full Attack: 2 fire rays +8 ranged touch
Damage: Fire ray 1d8 fire
Special Attacks: Fire ray, spell-like abilities
Abilities: Str 3, Dex 18, Con -, Int 11, Wis 12, Cha 14
Special Qualities: fast healing 2, immunity to cold, fire, and electricity, rejuvenation, SR 19, turn resistance +4, undead traits
Feats: Alertness; Improved Initiative
Skills: Concentration +9, Hide +19, Listen +10, and Spot +10
Advancement: 5-8 HD (Tiny)
Climate/Terrain: Any
Organization: Solitary or company (3-12)
Treasure/Possessions: None

Source: Lost Empires of Faerûn

A human skull wreathed in evil green flame hovers in the air. Emerald gleams of malice dance in its eye sockets.

Flameskulls are undead guardians created from the fresh skulls of humanoid spellcasters. Deathless, intelligent, and vigilant, these creatures are often found guarding hidden hoards and secret chambers centuries after the clerics or wizards who created them have died.

A flameskull resembles a human skull, complete with jawbone, surrounded by eerie green flames. Its fiery aura illuminates an area as well as a torch does, but the flameskull can voluntarily reduce its radiance to a barely visible, pale green flicker when it wishes to do so. Sometimes strange, sinister runes are etched into its bony surface.

A flameskull can be created from the corpse of a humanoid spellcaster by means of a create undead spell (caster level 14th).

Flameskulls speak Common, Draconic, Infernal, and one or two ancient languages no longer in common use, such as Loross or Thorass.

Combat

Flameskulls are resistant to many types of magic but vulnerable to melee and missile attacks. They go to great lengths to stay out of sword's reach and tend to attack intruders with their fire rays and spells from a safe elevation. If need be, however, they can be fearless combatants, since they know that they are likely to rejuvenate in a few days even if smashed to bits.

Fire Ray (Su): Range 20 feet. A flameskull can shoot two fire rays as a standard action.

Spell-Like Abilities: At will - detect magic, mage hand, ray of frost (+8 ranged touch); 3/day - blur, magic missile, ray of exhaustion (+8 ranged touch; DC 15); 1/day - fireball (DC 15), mirror image. Caster level 4th.

Fast Healing (Ex): A flameskull heals 2 points of damage each round, so long as it has at least 1 hit point remaining.

Rejuvenation (Su): A destroyed flameskull rejuvenates at its full normal hit points in 1 hour, even if smashed to pieces. To prevent rejuvenation, its remains must be sprinkled with a vial of holy water or subjected to a dispel magic, dispel evil, or remove curse spell. The flameskull's caster level is 14th for the purpose of a dispel check.

Undead Traits: A flameskull is immune to mind-affecting effects, poison, sleep effects, paralysis, stunning, disease, death effects, and any effect that requires a Fortitude save unless it also works on objects or is harmless. It is not subject to extra damage from critical hits, nonlethal damage, ability damage to its physical ability scores, ability drain, energy drain, fatigue, exhaustion, or death from massive damage. It cannot be raised, and resurrection works only if it is willing. It has darkvision out to 60 feet.