Undead (Dungeons & Dragons) - Boneclaw

The boneclaw is an undead creature which can be used by Dungeon Masters as allies or enemies of the player characters. In the game, they resemble humanoids who are half skeletal and half without skin, with their sinew and muscle exposed. The most prominent feature of the boneclaw are its claws; its three, bony fingernails seem to grow and shrink randomly between two to ten feet long, and are razor sharp. They are constructed using a secret magical ritual to hunt and kill living creatures

Whether to sadistically end the lives of the innocent, or due to being in the service of a necromancer or such who commands them to do so, the purpose of boneclaws in the Dungeons & Dragons game is to eviscerate the living with their claws. Though they often grow and retract as they please, the Boneclaw can take full control of the length of its claws, and attacks by sneaking into the range of a foe and then lashing out with a claw growing at the speed of lightning, and skewering them through the heart.

Boneclaws speak Common and, in 3rd edition, Abyssal. They are evil in alignment.

Boneclaws in the Forgotten Realms campaign setting were created by Szass Tam to protect Thayan enclaves.

Boneclaws in Eberron were created by Droamite necromancers working for the daughters of Sora Kell from ogre magi.

The boneclaw appears in the Monster Manual for 4th edition.