"Advanced" Template Atop Skeleton Template Does Not Increase Charisma/Wisdom

[Armando Penblade]

So, strictly speaking, the Advanced Template should increase all ability scores by 4, while the Skeleton Template says it will reset Cha/Wis to 10. It appears that these do not stack correctly, as the skeleton's Wisdom and Charisma stay at 10, not increasing from Advanced.

Now, in a case where an advanced creature becomes a skeleton, that would make sense (its advanced stats are reset to the skeleton template's listing). However, if it's just an advanced skeleton (a really hardy undead), shouldn't the advanced template stack atop skeleton and raise the Wis and Cha over 10?

When making a Human Skeleton, then applying Advanced, I only get 10 wis/cha, however. In fact, I can't find any way to reliably modify those two stats once the Skeleton template is applied; even using the Adjust tab doesn't work.

[risner]

Advanced doesn't tell you whether or not it is inherited or acquired.

I've always though of it as inherited. You have an advanced T-Rex. Not a normal T-Rex with an advanced - skeleton template.

In this case the Wis/Cha advancement of the Advanced template is ignored when the acquired template of skeleton is applied.

Ultimately it is up to the GM. I will point out that I just did a DB search of all monster published by Paizo. There is no example of an advanced skeleton creature.

[Armando Penblade]

Technically, http://www.d20pfsrd.com/bestiary/mon...ced-megaraptor exists, though it was in Paizo's 3.5 material. However, since 3.5 Skeletons had a similar mechanic (Wis set to 10), it appears that at that time, Paizo believed that Advanced would improve statistics otherwise statically set by a template.

Moreover, at the very least, Hero Lab could just not lock the score from further modification after applying the template so that GMs could more easily make the choice themselves; as it is, I don't see a way--short of creating a custom template--to do this.

[risner]

Originally Posted by Armando Penblade

Technically, http://www.d20pfsrd.com/bestiary/mon...ced-megaraptor exists, though it was in Paizo's 3.5 material.

Yes that was a 3.5 monster in the 3.5 Monster Manual.

Keep in mind that 3.5 didn't have a template called Advanced Creature. That skeleton was a specific custom one-off creation. Maybe it was the source of inspiration of the simple template that Pathfinder has.