Dungeon Oddities: Skull Totem
New Year’s Resolution: Post a new resource every day for a year. That’s the goal anyway, we’ll see how close we get. Maybe it will be every weekday. Or maybe we’ll do some reposts. But here goes!
We’re beginning with the first entry of a new “Dungeon Oddities” collection. Weird things to add to a dungeon/cavern/ruins which can be nothing or have strange effects on any encounter there.
Skull Totem
Necromancy, Powers, Undead
A pillar of skulls stands in the chamber. Possible effects (roll a d8 or choose):
- Upon a trigger (such as the presence of a character who uses divine power or on the use of such magic) the skulls animate and float about the room biting all.
- The skulls, still possessing their tormented souls, give the characters distracting visions while in the room.
- A necromancer is able to see the area via the skulls and is able to direct nearby foes of the party.
- The skulls amplify the power of undead creatures in the area. Some special skulls may bestow specific powers: a troll skull grants a foe regeneration, etc.
- A creature hides in the pile of skulls. It waits for an opportunity to attack: when the PCs are being overwhelmed by other foes or if they let their guard down to examine the area.
- If light touches any of the skulls, it transforms into a skull golem. (Treat as a skeleton/golem hybrid creature.)
- One of the skulls is special: a necromancer’s familiar observing the PCs. It flees if discovered.
- The skulls were foes of a great warrior-king, whose body rests here. His spirit can be awoken under specific circumstances…