Bad to the bone

You summon a skele‑thug clad in worn leather, dark sunglasses, and wielding a spectral baseball bat. The skele‑thug appears in an unoccupied space you can see within range and acts immediately after your turn. It obeys your verbal commands (no action required).

Skele‑Thug

• AC: 13

• HP: 15

• Speed: 30 ft.

• Attack: Uses your spell attack modifier for its attack rolls.

Homerun. Melee Weapon Attack: your spell attack modifier to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 2d6 Bludgeoning damage.
On a hit or after 3 misses, the skele‑thug vanishes, leaving behind a faint guitar riff. The target must succeed on a Constitution saving throw against your spell save DC or suffer a bone‑related lingering injury (DM’s choice, such as a broken arm or cracked skull). If your table does not use lingering injury rules, the target instead has disadvantage on Strength‑based attack rolls and ability checks for one minute.

Once the skele‑thug disappears, the spell ends.

At Higher Levels: Bigger and Badder

When you cast this spell using a higher‑level spell slot, you summon badder skele‑thugs, each still vanishes after its first successful hit or after missing three times.

• 4th level, Zombie's Best Friend: The bat is pierced with jagged nails. On a hit, the target takes an extra 1d6 Piercing damage.

• 5th level, The Slasher: The bat is wrapped in razor wire. On a hit, the target takes an extra 1d6 Slashing damage and must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or become Wounded and take 1d4 Necrotic damage at the start of each of its turns until it regains hit points or itself or an ally uses an action to press the wound.

• 6th level, Crack Them Ribs: The skele‑thug’s swing is so brutal it leaves them breathless. On a hit, the target’s speed is reduced to 0 until the end of its next turn.

• 7th level, Bone Rider: The skele‑thug arrives riding a roaring spectral "Two-Wheeled Contraption". It can move up to 60 ft. when it appears, ignoring difficult terrain, and creatures it drives by (passes within 5 ft.) must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw against your Spell save DC or take 2d6 Bludgeoning damage

• 8th level, Infernal Engine: The "Two-Wheeled Contraption" leaves a trail of flames. Any creature that starts its turn in the trail takes 1d6 Fire damage.

• 9th level, Rattle Em Boys: When the skele‑thug would vanish, it instead leans on its bat, lights a cigar, and calls forth a full skeletal gang. Roll 1d6 + 1; that many skele‑thugs appear in unoccupied spaces of your choice within 10 feet of the gang leader.
  Each summoned skele‑thug uses the Zombie’s Best Friend. They act immediately, obeying your verbal commands (no action required). Each remains until the end of your next turn, or until it either hits a creature with an attack or misses three times, whichever comes first.
  When the gang departs, all hostile creatures within 30 feet of the gang leader must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw against your spell save DC or become frightened until the end of their next turn.

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"Now when I walk the streets
Kings and queens step aside"