Magical Skulls - Dawn of the Sungod

Caldur tossed him once more across the room.  Edgar slammed against the wall and slumped to the flood.  "I grow tired of you." Caldur frowned. "It's a shame too... you're the only one to give me any sport at all!"  He walked over to the golden mace that glowed with an inner radiance.  "Where ever did you pick up a holy weapon such as this?  I supposed you looted it from some tomb like this one."  He squatted down next to the mace, holding his hand just above its grip and squinting into its light.  "Pity it's just going to have to sit here for now.  I suppose it wont even collect dust, will it?"


Caldur turned to look at Edgar, and found him pulling himself on his one unbroken arm toward a backpack in the corner.  "Oh, now what could you want in there?  A healing potion?  Or even some holy water?  Let's see shall we?"  He stepped over to the backpack and picked it up just out of Edgar's reach.  Right on top he finds a small vial of holy water.  "We'll dispose of that, yes?  We wouldn't want anyone to get hurt."  Caldur poured the holy water on the broken man at his feet.  "Feel better?"  Looking back in the bag Caldur notices the sparkle of amber.  Reaching in he pulls out a small carved amber skull, just big enough to fill his hand.  "Now that's gorgeous!"  He squats down and holds the skull in front of Edgar's face.  "You have to tell me..." Caldur says softly "where did you get this!  It's exquisite craftsmanship."


Edgar smiles through broken teeth and says "Pelor's temple in Afar.  It's called Dawn"  With that final syllable the amber skull begins to glow with a blinding light that lasts only a few seconds.  As the light fades the skull drops to the ground next to a pile of ash.  Edgar lays still, breathing slowly through the pain, thinking about the healing potion that Alan always kept on him, hoping it survived the vampire's assault. 

Dawn of the Sungod is a carved amber skull about 3 inches in diameter.  Once per day, after having been exposed to the first rays of the morning sun the Dawn of the Sungod can release the morning light in a single round, damaging or destroying creatures vulnerable to natural sunlight. The Dawn of the Sungod may instead be used to release daylight more slowly, acting as if emanating a light spell with a 6 hour duration.  The  sunlight may be stored indefinitely before being used for either power.  The command words are "Dawn" for the sunburst, and "Radiance" for the light spell.

Magical Skulls - Frostbite

"Frostbite once ruled these lands with an icy talon.  It was me and my men that brought you freedom from that wyrm not twenty winters ago!" The clan-chief bellowed slamming his drinking horn onto the rough table.   Spittle collected in his beard as he raged at the pair before him.  


Wrapped in furs Freydora stood calmly at the chiefs rage.  "And we've honored you for that service for the last two decades." The raven-haired female said softly.  "Now it is time for you to move on."


"You impudent little..." The chief grabbed his double bladed axe from the wall. "I'll teach you a lesson in respect!"


Freydora stepped back, tossing the furs off, revealing a dragonskull strapped to her back.  She tugged the thin ropes holding it on, and it swung down to her side.  She scooped it up, holding it by it's eyesocket out toward the chief.  "Leave this place, and do not return."


He laughed, and raised the axe, and was slammed back against the wall by by an icy blast. 

Frostbite is an enchanted white dragon skull and jawbone.  The skull can be used to cast Icy Blast (as lightnight bolt cast by a 7th level caster) once per day.  The jawbone can be removed from the skull and used as a pair of dagger +1/+3 vs cold/arctic creatures. 

Magical Skulls - Stygian Lantern

Rufus walked slowly on, the soft tapping of his shovel marking his going as he made his nightly rounds.  George, his constant companion, sniffed helpfully at the base of an ash tree.  The lantern squeaked a little as it rocked with each step, it's yellow light casting shadows among the tombstones.  

"Come on boy, only a little more to go, and then we can fry up those sausages we got from Miss Sims."  

George's golden tail wagged gently back and forth, and his mouth watered at the thought of sausages. 


They walked a little bit further on before the lantern light began to flicker, and as it did the color shifted to more reddish tones.  George let out a soft wine.  Rufus, made a slow circle, holding the lamp out in front of him.  One of the graves, a fresh one, gave off a reddish glow and the ground began to push upward.  Rufus walked toward the grave, arriving just as the zombie got it's head above ground.  "Margaret, go back to sleep." Rufus said, squatting down just out of the braineater's reach, the lantern between them.  "Go on now.  There's nothing for you up here."


The zombie grunted, it's eyes drooping, and it squirmed back under the dirt.  Rufus returned the dirt to the grave with his shovel.  "I know I ask you this every time, but why would anyone ever put a graveyard over a Hellmouth?  I'll never understand some people."  He sighed as he tapped down the dirt one last time. "Lets go get those sausages." he said as he patted George on the head.

 

The Stygian Lantern is a magical lamp made of black iron and a human skull.  In all respects it functions as a normal lantern.  In addition while in the presence of undead the lantern's light will become red (detect undead 30' constantly).  This will reveal even invisible undead by causing them to glow with a reddish nimbus.  It will also allow the bearer to turn undead as a 3rd level cleric.

Magical Skulls - Zarathos the Flame Warrior

It was the perfect time and place for an ambush; twilight, along the bottom of a small valley trail.  The trees provided cover, and the moderately steep hills limited the escape possibilities.  Unfortunately for Ulrick, he realized this moments too late.  The rustling of leaves heralded the goblins trap, and while they aren't much trouble in small numbers, Ulrick found himself surrounded by significantly more than a small number. 


"No move!  No move!" Several of them called out.  "Wants your gold" one of them snarled "an we maybe not cuts you."


It was a tempting offer, or it might have been if only to avoid the bother, but Ulrick was carrying many times more than he was willing to part with.  He had a deal to conclude after all.  "Very well" he said, and reached into the bulging sack at his side.  A simple skull was all that he removed, and in the moment before he tossed it to the ground, the assembled goblins became slightly more wary of their trapped mark.


The skull rolled a few feet, and came to rest under the filthy boot of a goblin, who looked down at the skull, and then up to Ulrick with a quizzical expression.  His look quickly shifted to surprise, and then pain and the skull (and his boot) caught fire.


The flaming skull rose up from the ground, and a body formed beneath it.  Clad in black spiked leather, the figure whipped a chain around, and smashed it into the nearest goblin.  

Zarathos was once a great human warrior.  During his time he defeated all those who stood in his path, gathered an army under his banner, conquered several small boarder kingdoms, becoming one of the mightiest warlords who've ever lived.  As time passed he challenged mightier and mightier foes, slaying dragons, and demons.  Eventually he raised the ire of several lesser demon princes who jointly dragged him into the abyss.  To the dismay of his abductors, Zarathos' soul was already so blackened that he became a demon prince himself, and he slew them all.  He went on to lead armies of demons before he was stopped by the Paladin Citadel and his band.  Stopped, but not destroyed.  Zanathos' spirit has been contained within his own burning skull, and he can be brought forth to fight for whoever owns his skull.  

The Skull of Zarathos is an evil enchanted skull.  Once per day the bearer of the Skull of Zarathos can summon the spirit of Zarathos to fight for them.  Due to his defeat and confinement Zarathos' power is greatly diminished from his time as a demon prince, and he will fight (roll a d4 and use the stats for a hill(1), stone(2), frost(3) or fire(4) giant) for no more than 10 rounds.  His chain is +3/+5 vs Demons, and can be used as if it has a range of 10'.  The Skull of Zarathos also has a power score like a magical sword of 16 and an alignment of Chaotic (or Chaotic Evil), and it will attempt to take control of whoever wields it, as would a magical sword.  It will also make an attempt every day at sunset.  Should Zarathos gain control he will take over the body of the wielder, rather than manifest as a separate individual, and will remain in control until the next sunrise.

Magical Skulls - Spell Thief

Rathgar bashed his shield into the face of the gnoll that charged him from the side.  Nimble ducked under Rathgar's blade and around his flank to stick the dazed gnoll with his dagger, just as Rathgar's blade finally made it's way around to cut into it's shoulder, dropping him to the ground.  Feris, pulling an evil looking arrow from his thigh summoned a protective barrier around himself.  The dead gnoll's fellows drew back from the adventurers, forming a tight line between them and their pack leader, all the while, cackling that hidious laugh of theirs.   

The jackle faced wokan, protected by her hunting party, reached into a sack and removed a tentacled skull.  She slipped her fingers into the four puncture holes in the back of the skull and held it in front of her. 


Feris could feel the pressure inside of his head.  It was looking for something.  "She's in my head... GET HER OUT!" he yelled.  Rathgar drew a throwing ax, and lobbed it at the wokan.  One of her pack got in the way, causing a mere glancing blow.  Nimble whipped a dagger at her, managing only to nick her ear.  


She smiled as blood began to flow down the side of her face, making her fur even more disgusting.  The tentacles of the skull stretched forward as if reaching out to something, and the wokan pulled the skull backward.


Feris heaved forward and dropped to one knee.  The wokan swung the skull back toward the adventurers and suddenly Feris started talking.  "In the First Dynasty, under the rule of Empress Sato, there was considerable misery for those not of human blood.  And woe to those who shared blood with non-humans.  It was a dark time, let me tell you!"  Feris' face scrunched up and he looked at Rathgar and Nimble for help, yet continued talking.  "Yet at the same time it was an era of unity for those people under her fist..."


Rathgar grabbed the babbling wizard "Lets go!" Nimble was right behind him as the gnolls began to advance. 

Spell Thief is an enchanted illithid skull.  Skull has 4 puncture holes in the back and 4 rubbery tentacles remain attached to the beak.  When used it allows an arcane caster to scan the memorized spells of a rival arcane caster, 1 spell per round, starting with the lowest level spells.  If the user of Spell Thief finds a useful spell they may steal it from the victim, and the next round cast it at the level of the victim.  Once Spell Thief has stolen a spell it will not function with either of it's abilities until the next midnight.  

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Can you believe that there isn't a picture of an illithid skull out there?  At least not one I could find.  So, I made my own!  That makes this the first post ever of my own art!

Magical Skulls - Winterkill

The room was cold.  A thin layer of frost covered every surface.  Delicate ice ferns seemed to grow across stone and glass, and in the far corner of the room a spider's web was captured in this unnatural winter's embrace.  

The goblin's feet made soft crunching noises as it stepped cautiously into the frozen room and looked around.  His clan-mates stood outside the door, unwilling to leave the summer warmth of the ruin for the unnatural cold.  Goosebumps covered his arms, and his breath came out in billowing white clouds. The glass-doored cabinet was completely frosted over, but he knew that shiny trinkets were often kept in such displays.  He opened the door, and saw what he had hoped.  Numerous knickknacks filled the shelves.  He grinned, his wicked teeth showing gaped and yellowed.  Then he saw it looking back at him; a crystal skull, swirling with cold.  He shivered from that cold visage, and his crooked teeth began to chatter.  


"What is it?" Pell called out to him.


Shaking near uncontrollably he closed the doors.  "Nothing, it's already been looted."  He turned away from the cabinet.  "Lets go, this place is cursed."

"Cursed!?" His clan-mates hissed and backed away. 

Winterkill is an enchanted crystal skull that always appears to have a blizzard blowing inside of it.  With the proper command word, the bearer of Winterkill can summon forth a very localized snowstorm 3 times/day lasting for 10 minutes.  This snowstorm reduces viability to 5', reduces movement to half, and causes 1d4 points of cold damage every round that a creature is in it.  This snowstorm occupies an area of 120'x120'x120'.  The bearer of Winterkill suffers from none of these effects, and will never have their vision impaired by winter weather. 

Magical Skulls - Fido

The woods were quiet as Nimble sat with his back to the fire.  The usual host of crickets and night birds chirped and hooted, but nothing larger seemed to be moving anywhere near the camp.  Opposite Nimble a faintly luminous form also sat unmoving, looking out into the dark.  Rathgar lay still upon his bedroll, dead to the world, yet his hand still gripped the blade that rested at his side.  Feris rolled over when the fire popped, cracking one eye and mumbed out "Go to sleep Nimble.  Fido's watching the camp." and then pulled his blanket back up and was again asleep.  


Nimble sighed and looked over his shoulder at the glowing dog-thing with the rune carved skull clearly visible inside it's head.  "You guys will do anything to get out of keeping watch..."

Fido is a canine skull that has been enchanted to act as a magical guardian for a camp.  When a party wishes to use this item they must first put out a bowl of water and a small hunk of meat.  The owner then commands "Fido, Guard!" and a guardian spirit, in the form of a canine will appear, with the skull floating inside of it's head.  The visual form of the spirit will correspond with that of the skull, but the spirit itself will be the same whether the skull was from a Mastiff or a Pomeranian.  The guardian spirit will be active for 6 hours per day and can only be summoned once a day.  Failure to put out the food and water will result in a wasted summoning.  The guardian spirit uses the same stats as either a wolf or dire wolf (50/50 chance when found) with the following exceptions:
armor class is improved by 1, moral is 12, they can naturally see invisible creatures, and they count as enchanted animals. 

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Today is the first in a week long (at least) series of posts inspired by a Paladin in Citadel's post about magical skulls in Dungeons and Dragons.