Medium undead, lawful evil
Armor Class 18 (plate)
Hit Points 105 (14d8 + 42)
Speed 30 ft.
Proficiency Bonus +5
Proficiency Bonus +6 (5th Edition Advanced Mode)
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 (+2) | 16 (+3) | 17 (+3) | 16 (+3) | 15 (+2) | 21 (+5) |
Saving Throws (suggested) Int +8, Wis +7, Cha +10
Skills Athletics +7, History +8, Perception +12, Stealth +8
Damage Resistances cold, necrotic; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks
Damage Immunities poison
Condition Immunities blinded, charmed, deafened, exhaustion, frightened, poisoned, stunned, unconscious
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 22
Languages the languages it knew in life
Challenge 15 (13,000 XP)
Legendary Resistance (3/Day). If the skull lord fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead.
Master of the Grave. While within 30 feet of the skull lord, any undead ally of the skull lord makes saving throws with advantage, and that ally regains 1d6 hit points whenever it starts its turn there.
Evasion. If the skull lord is subjected to an effect that allows it to make a Dexterity saving throw to take only half the damage, the skull lord instead takes no damage if it succeeds on the saving throw, and only half damage if it fails.
Spellcasting. The skull lord is a 13th-level spellcaster. Its spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 18, +10 to hit with spell attacks). The skull lord knows the following sorcerer spells:
- Cantrips (at will): chill touch, fire bolt, mage hand, poison spray, ray of frost, shocking grasp
- 1st level (4 slots): magic missile, expeditious retreat, thunderwave
- 2nd level (3 slots): mirror image, scorching ray
- 3rd level (3 slots): fear, haste
- 4th level (3 slots): dimension door, ice storm
- 5th level (2 slots): cloudkill, cone of cold
- 6th level (1 slot): eyebite
- 7th level (1 slot): finger of death
ACTIONS
- Multiattack. The skull lord makes three bone staff attacks.
- Bone Staff. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d8 + 3) bludgeoning damage plus 14 (4d6) necrotic damage.
LEGENDARY ACTIONS
The skull lord can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options below. Only one legendary action option can be used at a time and only at the end of another creature’s turn. The skull lord regains spent legendary actions at the start of its turn.
- Bone Staff (Costs 2 Actions). The skull lord makes a bone staff attack.
- Cantrip. The skull lord casts a cantrip.
- Move. The skull lord moves up to its speed without provoking opportunity attacks.
- Summon Undead (Costs 3 Actions). Up to five skeletons or zombies appear in unoccupied spaces within 30 feet of the skull lord and remain until destroyed. Undead summoned in this way roll initiative and act in the next available turn. The skull lord can have up to five undead summoned by this ability at a time.
5th Edition Advanced Mode
Limiting the power of a character and making the overall difficulty of the game harder, does not reduce the creativity, indeed it does quite the opposite.
The Game Master has the option to use any and all of the instances proposed in this guide, or just some of them according to their preference.
It is the lack of something that move and motivate characters, not the abundance of it
DESCRIPTION
A skull lord is a terrifying undead creature that commands many types of lesser undead. It has a skeletal humanoid appearance, but with two extra skulls on each side of the central one. The central skull is adorned with a crown, and the other two skulls have different expressions and abilities. The skull lord carries a powerful staff of bone that has a small skull on both ends. The staff can unleash blasts of necrotic energy or be used as a melee weapon. The skull lord is a master of dark magic and can cast various spells, such as finger of death, cone of cold, and ice storm. The skull lord is also very perceptive and intelligent, and can speak all the languages it knew in life.
COMBAT
A skull lord is a formidable opponent in combat, as it can summon and lead several undead minions, such as skeletons or zombies. The skull lord can also use its staff to attack or defend itself, or cast spells from a distance. The skull lord has a range of immunities and resistances to various types of damage and conditions, such as poison, cold, necrotic, and nonmagical weapons. The skull lord also has three special abilities that correspond to each of its skulls: summon undead, spit bone shards, and tear bone. The summon undead ability allows the skull lord to create up to five undead creatures within 30 feet of it, which obey its commands and act on its initiative. The spit bone shards ability allows the skull lord to shoot a spray of sharp bones from one of its side skulls, dealing piercing damage to anyone in a 15-foot cone. The tear bone ability allows the skull lord to rip a bone from an enemy within 5 feet of it, dealing necrotic damage and healing one of its undead allies.
HABITAT / SOCIETY
A skull lord usually dwells in the Shadowfell, a dark and gloomy plane of existence that mirrors the Material Plane. The skull lord seeks out dark ritualistic knowledge and claims patches of territory around the shadowy passages of the Shadowfell. Only incredibly skilled necromancers can have a hold over a skull lord, as they are very independent and ambitious. A skull lord may also form alliances with other powerful undead or evil creatures, such as liches, vampires, or nightwalkers. A skull lord may occasionally venture into the Material Plane, either by following a portal or being summoned by a necromancer. In that case, the skull lord may seek to create a lair in a place that is rich in death and decay, such as a graveyard, a crypt, or a battlefield.
ECOLOGY
A skull lord is an unnatural creature that does not belong to any natural cycle of life and death. It does not breathe or sleep, and does not require any nourishment from food or drink. It feeds on the life force of living beings, either by killing them with its spells or staff, or by draining their souls with its tear bone ability. A skull lord can also create more undead by using its summon undead ability or by performing dark rituals with corpses. A skull lord is an enemy of all living things, especially those who oppose its plans or challenge its authority. A skull lord may also have rivals among other undead or evil beings who covet its power or territory.