Homebrew Animated Skull Species Details

With piercing eyes and a shackled mind, linked and confined to following orders from its master. This disembodied skull moves around heeding the word of the necromancer who brought it to life. Animated Skulls are revived skulls from fallen creatures who have been resurrected to follow and serve, merely a husk with merely a piece of soul left in it.

Conditionally Caged

Most of the time, Animated Skulls lack any semblance of a personality, rarely speaking unless ordered to respond to certain conditions. Although under certain conditions, a piece of the Animated Skull's personality may be seen, either if their master orders it to or dies. Possessing only a fraction of its' living self's soul, the Animated Skull may have pieces of the old personality it had in life or have lost it all, but it is not uncommon for released Animated Skulls to forge themselves a new personality and life once freed.

Animated Skulls from their 'birth' are unable to remember any aspect from their previous life, even if ordered to by its master or freed.

Without a Place in the World

Due to their nature, Animated Skulls are often looked at as evil, unnatural creatures. But Animated Skulls often keep pieces of their interests and without ever knowing of their past lives resume their path. Once an Animated Skull is free, it is not rare to find a previous wizard wishing to go back into magical tomes or a fallen soldier awkwardly attempting to pick up a sword in its mouth. But even when some of them desire to do good, rare are settlements who are welcoming of such creatures. As such, most Animated Skulls who are free are hermits, isolated from the world at large.

Animated Skull Traits

As an Animated Skull, you may in many settlements be looked at as a monster

Lacking Body

Only items that can be equipped on the head can be worn by an Animated Skull.

Undead Nature

Due to their necrotic origins, the Animated Skull doesn't require Air, Food, Water or Rest to survive. They still need to properly rest to regain abilities.

Magical Self

The magical necrotic energy flows through you naturally, as such you do not need a Spell Focus to be able to cast magics. Upon casting spells blue flames appear in your eyes.

Additionally, if a spell requires the somatic component you may cast it, but only if you are able to move your head around.

Defense of the Damned

Your tiny size as well as your lack of weight allows you to more easily avoid attacks. Your base AC is 12 plus your Dexterity modifier.

Psionic Grasp

Inherent powers from your old master allows you to telekinetically move small objects within a 5ft radius from you such as a sword. Objects further away from 5ft of you cannot be interacted with in this manner.

Inaccessible Bloodstream

As an undead, your bony exterior and lack of organs protect you well against foreign substances. You have immunity to poisons.

Undead Curse

As an undead creature, you are affected by spells and abilities targeting undeads, such as the Turn Undead ability.

Age

Animated Skulls don't age due to their innate necrotic energy flowing through them. Rare are Animated Skulls who knows their true age.

Alignment

Once freed, Animated Skulls can possess a variety of alignments, often translating from their old living self, although it is not uncommon to see them fall bitter and resentful from their fate due to how they are perceived by other people. As such, they tend to fall slightly more on the Chaotic and Evil spectrum.

Size

Animated Skull are about 0.7 feet in length and 0.5 feet wide. They tend to weight approximately 2.2 pounds. Your size is Tiny.

Speed

You do not walk. You have a base flying speed of 30 and naturally can hover.

Flight

You have a flying speed of 30 feet.

Languages

You can speak, read, and write Common.