Bonehilda

Bonehilda is an NPC that was introduced in The Sims: Makin' Magic and later returned in The Sims 3: Supernatural and The Sims 4: Paranormal Stuff. The "Bone" in her name refers to her being a skeleton. Her name may also be a pun on Brunhild/Brunhilda, a powerful figure from Norse and Germanic mythology. She is considered to be the first skeleton in The Sims series even though skeletons were not made playable until The Sims 4: Jungle Adventure.

The Sims: Makin' Magic
There are two versions of Bonehilda in the game. One is the janitor on the Magic Town lots A Spooktacular Spot and Vernon's Vault. The other can be bought on residential lots as a magical (and much cheaper) equivalent of Servo. This version of Bonehilda is literally a "skeleton in the closet".

If the "skeleton maid" version of Bonehilda is in her closet, clicking on the closet will give the "Knock" interaction. Selecting this will cause the selected Sim to go to the closet and knock on it, which will bring Bonehilda out to do chores. The selected Sim does not have to have magic to do this.

While the "skeleton maid" version of Bonehilda is generally equivalent to Servo, there are significant differences:

Things Bonehilda does that Servo doesn't

 * Bring in the newspaper.
 * Feed a baby. Somehow, she manages to do this without waking the baby.

Things Servo does that Bonehilda doesn't

 * Entertain visitors. In fact, non-magical visitors will freak out if they see Bonehilda in action, and a hired maid will quit. A walking skeleton is one thing in Magic Town, and quite another in someone's home!
 * Garden.
 * Serve food.

Misc. differences

 * Bonehilda seems to place a higher priority on repairing. She'll probably repair a broken dishwasher or sink before trying to use it.
 * Players can send Bonehilda back to her closet by clicking on her or the closet and selecting "Dismiss".

Bonehilda also has a few quirks. If a bar is present, she'll take a drink before heading back to her closet. Naturally, the drink will flow through her and leave a puddle on the floor. If tombstones are present, she may wave to one of them before going back to her closet. She is also a fan of the Grim Reaper, and will try to get his autograph if he appears while she's out of her closet.

The Sims 3: Supernatural
Bonehilda made a comeback in The Sims 3 in The Sims 3: Supernatural, where she plays a similar role to the one she had in Makin' Magic. She will act like a maid, keeping the lot clean and cooking meals. She will also act like a babysitter/pet-sitter. While she will teach pets tricks, she can't actually take care of babies and toddlers, so she is not a good replacement for the babysitter. Should a fire start anywhere on the Lot, she will attempt to put it out. She stays inside the Bonehilda Living Quarters, which can be bought in the alarms section of buy mode, or the Miscellaneous area under Entertainment.

In order for Bonehilda to do chores, a Sim must "Awaken Bonehilda" at her living quarters. The Sim will wave a key, which causes her to come out. This is a remote action that can be performed anywhere on the lot. There are only two ways for Sims to interact with Bonehilda: "Dismiss Bonehilda" will allow her to go back to her living quarters, while "Chat with Bonehilda" will allow a Sim to simply chat with her.

It seems she has been based on the Grim Reaper's coding, as aging her (via cheats) will result in a 100% black skin tone female Sim (with normal flesh and bones), just like the Grim Reaper's skin tone. She repairs broken objects and often gets electrocuted, which shows her as a singed Sim. This can be fixed by sending her back into her coffin and re-summoning her. Bonehilda will always have the same voice: Voice 2 with the lowest pitch. She also can never do the 'Try for Baby' interaction with other Sims without mods.

Things Bonehilda will do

 * Chat. This counts as socializing. Loners are not disturbed, and Supernatural Fans get a bonus.
 * Clean. Pools of water, dirty cabinets and appliances, food left out in the open, burned carpeting, rake leaves, making beds, etc.
 * Drink. She will not only drink nectar if the bottle is open (leaving behind a puddle), but if a Sim tends a bar, she will stand at the counter and consume every drink available one after another. It's a good idea to dismiss her temporarily if the player plans on serving them at a party. She will also sometimes use the bubble bar if there is one on the lot.
 * Prepare food. Although she won't serve the food to guests, she will prepare and stock the fridge with easy, normal-quality meals for Sims.
 * Protect. When a burglar is on the lot, she will immediately fight the burglar off and win, even with the burglar alarm.
 * Put out fires. A capable firefighter, Bonehilda will rush to extinguish a flame.
 * Repair. She will repair any broken appliance free of charge.
 * Steal clothes. Oddly, she will steal the clothes of a skinny dipping Sim, causing them to gain an embarrassed moodlet.
 * Swim. Bonehilda can swim with other Sims in the household, splash them, and have breath holding contests with them.
 * Train dogs. In The Sims 3: Pets, Bonehilda will teach dogs tricks if she has nothing else to do. This makes her an easy way to have a trained dog.
 * Work in groups. Bonehilda's Living Quarters may be purchased and awoken multiple times.

Things Bonehilda will not do

 * Build relationships. Although Sims may chat with Bonehilda, she cannot develop a friendship with a Sim or show up in the relationships panel.
 * Charge a fee. She will not stop working until Sims tell her to and won't ask for money. The cost of her structure does add to the bills, though.
 * Child care. Although she will attempt to interact with toddlers and babies by holding them or giving them a bottle, it seems these interactions are broken and she will do neither. Bonehilda is not a capable replacement for a babysitter. However, Sims are not required to call a babysitter if Bonehilda is at home when no adults are present.
 * Entertain. Bonehilda will not entertain or socialize with guests.
 * Garden. Bonehilda will not garden in any way.
 * Laundry. In The Sims 3: Ambitions, Bonehilda will neither clean clothes, nor collect dirty clothes from the ground, but will repair a broken washing machine.
 * Rest. Bonehilda will never sleep, nap or relax on a bed and won't leave the lot or be distracted. If there is nothing else for her to do, she will return to her living quarters and wait for the next job.

Interactions with Sims

 * The Chat with Bonehilda option will count as socializing.
 * While doing various activities, like watching TV on the sofa, Sims can ask Bonehilda to join. This will often start a chat.
 * Loners will not have the Enjoying Solitude moodlet disturbed by Bonehilda.
 * Cowards and the neurotic will immediately flee the room if they see Bonehilda, even if they're also brave.
 * Supernatural fans will get a socialization bonus from Chat with Bonehilda.
 * Supernatural skeptics will get a Scared moodlet from being in the same room as Bonehilda. This moodlet lasts 3 hours and detracts 25 points. Unlike a coward or neurotic, Sims will not flee the room and being brave will protect them from the moodlet.
 * Toddlers, babies, and children do not automatically fear Bonehilda, unless they are also neurotic or a coward. If they are, they will get scared, but toddlers will not flee the room.
 * Toddlers will sometimes be interacted with by Bonehilda, who will attempt to pick them up or give them a bottle. It seems like these interactions are broken, as she will do neither.
 * If Bonehilda is out of her closet, she will interact with a toddler and a baby a lot. Neurotic babies will not get the "Scared" moodlet.
 * If Bonehilda is seen by the maid while the maid is working, the maid will act shocked, say "I won't let you turn me into the dead!", and immediately quit working for the household. Bonehilda must be out of her living quarters and in view of the maid for this to happen.

The Sims 4: Paranormal Stuff
Bonehilda returns in The Sims 4: Paranormal Stuff. This version of her does not come with a coffin in build mode. Instead, Sims with level 3 or higher in the medium skill can summon her using a seance table or a seance circle.

Like in previous games, Bonehilda can do normal tasks maids do such as cleaning, cooking and repairing at no cost to the household. After cleaning, Bonehilda will hang around for a bit and entertain herself, allowing Sims to get to know her. Bonehilda is very useful to have around while living in a haunted house, where she can help keep the place tidy and fend off ghosts while the residents are preoccupied with the house's spirits. If a Sim summons her while doing Paranormal Investigator gigs, she can act as a bodyguard to protect them from the evil ghost Temperance.

Sims performing the "Ghastly Ritual" séance have a small chance of becoming Bonehilda for a temporary time.

Bonehilda appears human when she is nude, such as when cheats are used to add her to the household and make her shower or bathe. This, however, will fix itself as soon as she exits the shower/bathtub. Unlike most other fully "costumed" Sims, Bonehilda's human appearance is always the same. She has long red hair, green eyes, a light skin tone, and an average body type.

Things Bonehilda will do

 * Chat. Bonehilda can chat like any other Sim and has all the normal social dialogue interactions. Sims can build both friendly and romantic relationships with her as well as see her in their relationship panel.
 * Child care. Bonehilda will tend to babies and help them with their needs. She will also help toddler Sims with their needs and help them build skills.
 * Clean. She will mop pools of water, clean dirty cabinets and appliances, put away food left out in the open, put away toys, etc.
 * Drink. Bonehilda can drink glasses of water, which will go right through her and leave puddles on the floor.
 * Garden. Bonehilda will water any plants that need it, and she will also plant crops that are placed in planter bowls. However, gardening is a lower priority for her than cleaning.
 * Help with homework. Bonehilda will help any child or teen Sim with their homework.
 * Laundry. If Laundry Day Stuff is installed, Bonehilda will wash clothes that are already placed in a wash tub or a washing machine and put them up on a clothesline afterwards, but she seems to ignore hampers. She also repairs broken washing machines and dryers.
 * Prepare food. Bonehilda will prepare food for Sims.
 * Protect. Bonehilda can protect your house from mischievous specters and Temperance.
 * Repair. She will repair any broken appliance free of charge.
 * Swim. Bonehilda can swim with other Sims in the household, but she will not do so autonomously; she has to be called into the pool by a household member.
 * WooHoo. Bonehilda can WooHoo with any adult Sim. However, she will not get pregnant.

Things Bonehilda will not do

 * Charge a fee. Bonehilda does not charge Simoleons for her services. Only level 3 in the medium skill is required to summon her.
 * Greet guests. Bonehilda will not greet any guest at the door, but can socialize with them if they have already been invited inside.
 * Remove cursed objects. Bonehilda is not able to clean up or remove any cursed object at a haunted house.
 * Rest. Bonehilda does not need to rest or sleep. When she is done working and socializing she will disappear from the lot. She can be summoned again afterwards.
 * Work in groups. Only one Bonehilda can be summoned at a time, unless cheats or mods are used.

Interactions with Sims

 * Bonehilda will cause some Sims to get tense in her presence for the first time.
 * Sims can gain sentiments with Bonehilda such as being good friends or having a grudge against.
 * If a maid sees Bonehilda while they are working, they may quit, saying "Nope! Nope! Nope! I did not sign up for this. You'll never take me alive!" before fleeing from the lot.

Simology
Skills=
 * The Sims 4

Trivia

 * In The Sims 4: Paranormal Stuff, if Sims ask Bonehilda about her career, she will say that she works at a company called Makin' Magic Maid Mausoleum, which is a reference to her first appearance in The Sims series.
 * Bonehilda has some cross-pack integration in The Sims 4. If Get Famous is installed, she will start off with a pristine reputation; if Snowy Escape or City Living is installed, she will have the chopstick savvy reward trait; and if Get to Work is installed, she will have four points in the baking skill.
 * Bonehilda, along with Agnes Crumplebottom are the only NPCs from The Sims and it's expansion packs to make an appearance in any of the sequels to The Sims.

Gallery

 * -| The Sims: Makin' Magic=