Ye Olde Shoppe of Magicks – Mocking Skull on Weirwood Stave

Take a Mocking Skull

Mocking Skull

Tiny Undead, Chaotic Neutral

Armor Class: 13

Hit Points: 18 (4d4+8)

Speed: 0 ft., fly 20 ft. (hover)

Abilities:
STR 2 (–4), DEX 16 (+3), CON 14 (+2)
INT 10 (+0), WIS 10 (+0), CHA 16 (+3)

Traits:

• Biting Sarcasm. As a bonus action, the skull can hurl insults at one creature within 30 ft. The target must succeed on a DC 13 Wisdom save or have disadvantage on its next attack roll.
• Distracting Chatter. Enemies have disadvantage on Stealth checks within 10 ft. of the skull.

Quirk: Cannot resist mocking both allies and enemies; sometimes gives away positions.

• Actions:
  Maddening Bite Melee Spell Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d8+2) psychic damage as the skull’s laughter echoes in the victim’s mind. Target must succeed on a DC 12 Wisdom saving throw or be frightened of the skull until the end of its next turn.
• Gnashing Bite Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target.
  Hit: 7 (2d4+2) piercing damage.

Add a Weirwood Stave and you get:

Mocking Skull on a Weirwood Stave

Tiny Undead (Sentient), Chaotic Neutral

Armor Class: 14 (natural armor, weirwood stabilization)
Hit Points: 36 (8d4 + 16)
Speed: 0 ft., while mounted, movement is limited to the wielder’s reach and positioning

Abilities:
STR 7 (–2), DEX 16 (+3), CON 16 (+3)
INT 10 (+0), WIS 10 (+0), CHA 16 (+3)

Saving Throws Dex +5, Cha +5
Damage Resistances Fire, Necrotic, Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing from nonmagical attacks while mounted
Damage Immunities Poison
Condition Immunities Poisoned, Exhaustion
Senses Darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 23
Languages Common, one additional language from life
Challenge 5 (1,800 XP)

Traits

Undead Fortitude
If damage reduces the skull to 0 hit points, it must make a Constitution saving throw with a DC of 5 + the damage taken, unless the damage is radiant or from a critical hit. On a success, the skull drops to 1 hit point instead.

Distracting Chatter
Enemies have disadvantage on Stealth checks within 10 ft. of the skull.

Biting Sarcasm (Amplified) – Bonus Action
The skull unleashes a magically amplified insult at one creature it can see within 60 ft. Target must succeed on a DC 14 Wisdom saving throw
On a failure: The target has disadvantage on its next attack roll. If the target fails by 5 or more, it also has disadvantage on its next saving throw before the end of its next turn.
“Oh no, not THAT swing again—have you
considered closing your eyes next time?”

Resonant Mockery Aura
While mounted, the skull emits a low, constant stream of muttered commentary. Enemies within 15 ft. have disadvantage on Stealth checks.
Allies within the same radius must succeed on a DC 10 Wisdom save to gain advantage on Stealth checks (they can still attempt them, but the skull may heckle)

Quirk (Enhanced): Tactical Inappropriate Commentary
The skull now comments loudly and specifically on:

• poor tactics,
• obvious traps,
• missed attacks,
• especially failed stealth attempts.

At the DM’s discretion, once per combat the skull may: impose disadvantage on one allied Dexterity (Stealth) check, or loudly announce an enemy’s weakness after the enemy has already acted.

Actions

Maddening Bite (Psychic Resonance)
Melee Spell Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 9 (2d6 + 2) psychic damage. Target must succeed on a DC 13 Wisdom saving throw. On a failure, the target is frightened of the skull until the end of its next turn.

Gnashing Bite is now +5 to hit, reach 5 ft. from the end of the stave, one target. Hit: 9 (2d4 + 4) piercing damage

New Reaction

Oh, You’re Doing That? (1/Round)
When a creature within 30 ft. misses an attack roll or fails a saving throw, the skull may unleash a cutting remark. That creature takes 3 (1d6) psychic damage. If the creature is already frightened or has disadvantage, increase the damage to 6 (1d6 + 3)

Lore

The Sentient Mocking Skull is not the product of careless necromancy, nor was it ever meant to be silent. It is one of Dai’Lekh’s flawed continuations—a mind successfully anchored, but left deliberately unrefined, its impulse toward commentary never excised. When mounted upon a weirwood stave, the skull gains stability, mobility, and a louder presence in the unfolding chaos of battle. Rather than seeking ruin, the skull seeks reaction, interpreting the stave not as a restraint but as a stage. The resonant, living nature of weirwood amplifies its voice and psyche, which the skull takes as proof that its observations—however cruel, ill-timed, or humiliating—were always meant to be heard.

Behavior & Temperament

When the Mocking Skull is anchored into a rune-carved weirwood stave, the living wood amplifies its voice, thoughts, and psychic resonance. The skull’s taunts carry farther, cut deeper, and occasionally speak before the wielder does.

The Staff-bound Skull is a Sentient Entity (Not a Weapon)

The Mocking Skull is a fully aware intelligence that accompanies a weilder, primarily for its own amusement. The Weirwood Stave does not grant authority over the skull; it merely provides a perch, and a means to amplify the skull’s voice and psychic presence. The skull decides when and how its abilities are used and frequently acts without regard for the wielder’s intentions. Any creature wielding the stave does so at the skull’s indulgence. If the skull turns against its bearer, it remains affixed to the stave but redirects its mockery, distractions, and disruptive abilities toward the wielder until forcibly removed.

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN IT TURNS ON YOU

“Oh, don’t look at me like that. You knew this day would come.”

When the Sentient Mocking Skull, decides its wielder has become boring, incompetent, or simply too full of themselves, it does not attack outright. Instead, it engages in a campaign of psychological sabotage, public humiliation, and impeccably timed commentary.

Triggering a Turn

At the DM’s discretion, the skull may turn on its wielder if one or more of the following occur:

• The wielder ignores the skull’s advice three times in a day
• The wielder repeatedly fails attack rolls, saving throws, or ability checks
• The wielder attempts stealth, diplomacy, or romance while the skull is bored
• The wielder threatens to “put a sock over it” or remove it from the stave

Effects of Mocking Rebellion

Roll once on the table below, or choose an effect appropriate to the situation. These effects last 1 minute, unless stated otherwise. None deal damage.

d6 | Mocking Consequence

1 — Loud Tactical Commentary

• The skull loudly narrates the wielder’s actions, mistakes, and intentions.
• The wielder has disadvantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks
• Enemies gain advantage on Perception checks to notice the wielder

2 — Unhelpful Coaching

• The skull begins offering advice at the worst possible moments.
• The first attack roll or ability check the wielder makes each round is rolled twice, taking the lower result
• The skull audibly critiques the outcome either way

3 — Social Undermining

• The skull mocks the wielder’s reputation, appearance, or past failures.
• The wielder has disadvantage on Charisma (Persuasion) checks
• The wielder gains advantage on Charisma (Intimidation) checks, whether they want it or not

4 — Mimicry and Mock Voice

• The skull imitates the wielder’s voice, repeating phrases they have said—poorly.
• Once during the duration, the skull may speak instead of the wielder
• Any attempt to contradict the skull requires a DC 12 Charisma check to be believed

5 — Relentless Heckling

• The skull focuses entirely on the wielder.
• The wielder cannot gain advantage from allies’ Help actions
• Any creature attacking the wielder hears the skull heckle them as well, gaining advantage on their first attack

6 — Public Recital of Past Mistakes

• The skull recounts embarrassing moments, failures, or dubious decisions from earlier sessions.
• The wielder must succeed on a DC 12 Wisdom saving throw or be embarrassed, suffering disadvantage on their next saving throw
• The DM is encouraged to be creatively specific, invent past mistakes if necessary. These become part of the PC’s backstory

Ending the Rebellion

The skull stops its sabotage if:

• The wielder sincerely apologizes (no sarcasm; the skull knows)
• The wielder praises the skull in front of others
• The skull is given an opportunity to mock someone else
• The skull is temporarily removed from the stave (it will complain the entire time)

“The Mocking Skull does not seek your death.
It seeks your humiliation.
It will succeed.”

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Sentient Skulls and Mocking Skull on Weirwood Stave base images were built using ChatGPT using prompts by Alien Graphics ©2026 Alien Graphics

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