Mysterious Skull (5e Equipment)

Artifact (Relic), very rare (requires attunement by a creature. Upon attuning, the user becomes Chaotic Evil, and this alignment change cannot be reversed unless a greater ritual is performed, such as greater restoration or divine intervention. Removing the skull while attuned causes intense psychic pain, forcing the user to succeed on a DC 18 Wisdom saving throw to willingly part with it.) A dark and enigmatic artifact, the Mysterious Skull hovers eerily around its bearer, suspended in the air by some unknown force. It whispers vile, tempting secrets to the attuned, filling their mind with the promise of immense power. The skull moves with an unsettling precision, constantly orbiting its user, never straying more than two feet from them, and defying any attempt to move it by outside means. It remains weightless, never adding burden to the bearer, yet its presence is felt as a constant, oppressive force. This artifact was forged by an unknown dark power, its creator shrouded in mystery and whispered among dark circles as "The Unwanted One," a figure erased from history, their name lost to time. The wielder gains the following benefits: Dark Empowerment: You gain a +1 bonus to damage dealt by necrotic, darkness, or evil-aligned spells, attacks, and abilities. Unholy Agility: You gain one additional reaction per round and your movement speed increases by 15 feet. Supreme Darkness: You gain resistance to necrotic and poison damage. However, your Armor Class is reduced by 3. This reduction can only be ignored by celestial or divine beings, and cannot be mitigated by other means. Aura of Dread: Creatures within 15 feet of you must succeed on a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw at the start of their turn or become frightened until the end of their next turn. While frightened, creatures take 1d6 psychic damage at the start of their turn. Sentient Malevolence & Curse: The Mysterious Skull is sentient (Intelligence 16, Wisdom 14, Charisma 20) and whispers vile secrets, urging its bearer to commit dark deeds. Upon attuning, you become Chaotic Evil, a change that cannot be undone except by Greater Restoration or similar magic. Each time you finish a long rest, you must make a Wisdom saving throw (DC 15). The DC increases by 1 each time you fail. On a failure of 5 or more, you take 7 (2d6) necrotic damage. If you fail three times before succeeding three, the Skull forces you into a violent frenzy when you take 30 or more damage, causing you to attack the source of that damage. If you succeed three times before failing three, you gain advantage on your next saving throw against the curse. The DC can never exceed 25. Destroying the Mysterious Skull. The artifact can only be destroyed by a celestial or similarly powerful being, and no magic or mortal force can restore it once destroyed.

---

Back to Main Page → 5e Homebrew → Equipment → Artifacts Back to Main Page → 5e Homebrew → Equipment → Cursed Items