You touch a skull and infuse it with necrotic energy. The skull sprouts scorpion-like legs and a tail, and gains the ability to move and act like a scorpion under your command. The skull has a speed of 30 feet and can climb difficult surfaces, including upside down on ceilings, without needing to make an ability check.

On each of your turns, you can use a bonus action to mentally command any creature you made with this spell if the creature is within 60 feet of you (if you control multiple creatures, you can command any or all of them at the same time, issuing the same command to each one). You decide what action the creature will take and where it will move during its next turn, or you can issue a general command, such as to guard a particular chamber or corridor. If you issue no commands, the creature only defends itself against hostile creatures. Once given an order, the creature continues to follow it until its task is complete.

The skull has an AC of 15 and a number of hit points equal to twice your spellcasting level. It can take the Dash, Disengage, and Dodge actions, as well as a Sting attack that you can command as a bonus action on your turn. The Sting attack uses your spell attack bonus and deals 1d8 piercing damage plus 1d4 poison damage on a hit.

The skull remains animated for the duration of the spell or until it drops to 0 hit points. If you lose concentration on the spell, the skull immediately becomes inanimate.

The skull has the following traits:

Scorpion Skull

Armor Class: 15
Hit Points: Twice your spellcasting level (the hit points are determined when you cast the spell)
Speed: 30 ft., climb 30 ft.

STR: 6 (-2) DEX: 14 (+2) CON: 10 (+0) INT: 1 (-5) WIS: 10 (+0) CHA: 1 (-5)

Damage Vulnerabilities: Bludgeoning
Damage Immunities: Poison
Condition Immunities: Exhaustion, Poisoned
Senses: Darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 9
Languages: Understands the languages of its creator but can’t speak.

Actions

Sting. Melee Weapon Attack: your spell attack modifier to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 1d8 piercing damage plus 1d4 poison damage.

At Higher Levels: When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 4th level or higher, you can animate one additional skull for each slot level above 3rd. Each skull must come from a different creature and requires a separate skull component. You can command any number of skulls with the same bonus action.