Skullborn (5e Race)
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This page is incomplete and/or lacking flavor. Reason: A race shouldn't have only one subrace option. More subraces should be added or those traits should be incorporated into the main race. 22:32, 10 April 2025 (UTC)
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The Skullborn[edit]
A floating, sentient skull with a mysterious past and eerie presence
Physical Description[edit]
History[edit]
The Origin of the Skullborn: A History of Hollow Souls
The Skullborn are not born—they are made, emerging from the echoes of forgotten lives, the remnants of arcane experiments, or the grudges of the restless dead. Their origins are as varied as the skulls they inhabit, but all share one truth: they were once something else, and now they are something… other.
- The First Skullborn: A Cursed Legacy
Long ago, in the shadowed necropolises of a fallen empire, a cabal of lich-kings sought to create eternal servants. They bound the souls of their most defiant enemies into their own skulls, cursing them to linger without flesh, forever aware yet trapped in bone. These first Skullborn were meant to be mindless guardians, but some retained their will, breaking free when their masters fell.
Others believe the Skullborn were born from a failed mass resurrection—a grand spell meant to restore life to a battlefield, but instead, it left only floating, conscious skulls, the souls unable to fully return to their bodies.
- The Huskbound: A Dark Evolution
The Huskbound are a more recent and terrifying development. Some say they were created by a necromantic plague that devoured flesh but left the skulls alive. Others whisper of a demonic bargain—warriors who traded their bodies for immortality, only to become disembodied watchers, forced to steal corpses to interact with the world.
The most infamous Huskbound was Velshar the Hollow, a Skullborn warlord who grafted himself onto the bodies of fallen kings, ruling a shattered land through a dynasty of stolen corpses. His reign ended when his last body was burned, but some say his skull still whispers in the dark, waiting for a new vessel.
- Skullborn in the Modern Age
Today, Skullborn are rare but not unheard of. Some arise spontaneously, born from unfinished business, arcane accidents, or divine curses. Others are willingly created, as powerful necromancers or desperate souls seek immortality in undeath.
- *Scholarly Skullborn often serve as librarians or researchers, their undying minds perfect for endless study. - *Wandering Huskbound may be mercenaries, spies, or even healers, using corpses to interact with the living. - *Cursed Skullborn might seek redemption, revenge, or simply a way to regain what they’ve lost.
- Cultural Perspectives
- Necromancers see them as fascinating experiments or potential servants. - The Common Folk fear them as omens of death or restless spirits. - The Church of the Eternal Light declares them abominations, while the Cult of the Forgotten Dead reveres them as holy oracles.
===Society===The naming traditions of the Skullborn reflect their eerie, fragmented origins—echoes of past lives, necromantic experiments, or the macabre whims of undeath. Their names often carry a haunting weight, blending former identities, arcane titles, and the grim poetry of their existence.
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- 1. Names from Forgotten Lives (Echoes of the Past)
Many Skullborn retain traces of their mortal names, though time and decay have warped them into something darker. These names often sound like: - Broken Elegance: Valthes the Hollow, Liranne of the Shattered Mask, Dain the Unburied - Mournful Fragments: Maris-That-Was, Tolvund the Faded, Erevan No-Last-Name - Whispers of the Dead: The One Who Was King, She Who Lingers, The Forgotten Scholar
- Example: A Skullborn who was once a noble knight might now be called "Ser Jorick the Bonebound", while a murdered scholar could become "Velsha the Unfinished Thesis".
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- 2. Names Given by Necromancers (Property of the Undying)
Skullborn created in laboratories or necromantic forges are often branded with titles by their makers, reducing them to tools or experiments. These names are cold, functional, and dehumanizing: - Experimental Designations: Subject Gamma-7, The Fourth Iteration, Skull-That-Speaks - Arcane Cataloging: Vessel of Ythrak, The Lich’s Quill, The Black Crown’s Sentinel - Mocking Labels: Chatterbone, The Failed One, Hollowtongue
- Example: A Skullborn who escaped a necromancer’s workshop might reject their given name ("Specimen Nine") and adopt a new one ("Karvik the Unshackled").
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- 3. Self-Chosen Names (The Reforged Identity)
Some Skullborn reject their past entirely, choosing names that reflect their new existence—sometimes poetic, sometimes ominous: - Bone and Shadow: Glimmer-in-the-Dark, The Last Echo, Wraithbone - Memento Mori: No-Face, The Smiling Skull, Hollowgaze - Darkly Whimsical: Tattersoul, Sir Rattle, Lady Nevermourned
- Example: A Huskbound who puppeteers corpses might call themselves "The Stitchborn King", while a Skullborn seeking redemption might name themselves "Oathkeeper".
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- 4. Titles Earned in Undeath
As Skullborn persist through the ages, they often gain epithets based on their deeds: - The Restless Scholar (a Skullborn archivist) - The Wandering Dirge (a mournful Huskbound bard) - The Black Crown’s Herald (a lich’s undead messenger) - The Laughing Death (a jovial but deadly Skullborn assassin)
The Skullborn Names[edit]
- Cultural Naming Traditions
- Noble Skullborn might keep their old family names, now rendered ironic (House Duskcrown, The Bleakblood Line). - Huskbound often adopt the names of the bodies they wear ("I am Goran today. Yesterday, I was Elissa."). - Cultist Skullborn take on sacred undead titles (The Voice of the Crypt, The Final Witness).
Echoes of the Past: Althea the Unmourned, Dain of the Lost Clan, Tevos No-Last-Rites, Sylria-That-Was
Necromantic Labels: The Seventh Vessel, Chains That Speak, The Lich’s Quill, Subject Omega
Reborn Names: Shadegrip, Nevermore, Rustbone, Dirgewhisper
Earned Titles: The Bone Oracle, The Hollow Judge, The Wandering Wail, The Smiling Revenant
**Player Naming Prompt Ideas
- "What do they call you in the dark?" (Names given by those who fear them.) - "What was carved into your skull?" (Experimental or cursed markings.) - "Do you remember your true name?" (A buried identity clawing its way back.)
The Skullborn Traits[edit]
A floating, sentient skull with a mysterious past and eerie presence
Ability Score Increase. Your Intelligence score increases by 2 and your Charisma score increases by 1.
Age. Skullborn do not age conventionally, as they are already undead (or magically preserved). They can exist indefinitely unless destroyed.
Alignment. The Skullborn, as sentient undead (or magically preserved beings), are unbound by mortal morality in the traditional sense. Their alignment tendencies are shaped by their origins, memories, and the nature of their existence—ranging from tragic scholars to vengeful revenants. However, their undead state imposes certain psychological and metaphysical inclinations. * Common Alignment Tendencies
(Most Skullborn lean toward these alignments)
- Lawful Neutral – Many Skullborn cling to order, rituals, or unfinished purpose, especially those who were scholars, knights, or bound by necromantic contracts.
- Neutral Evil – Some embrace their unnatural state, seeing living beings as temporary, fragile things to be used (especially Huskbound who steal corpses).
- True Neutral – Those who reject both life and death, existing as detached observers, archivists, or wanderers without allegiance.
- Rare but Possible Alignments
- Chaotic Neutral – Skullborn who revel in their freedom, playing tricks or indulging in macabre humor. - Lawful Evil – Lich-bound enforcers or those who serve undead lords with fanatical loyalty. - Neutral Good – A rare few fight against their nature, seeking redemption or protecting the living (often those who remember their past lives vividly).
- Alignment Restrictions (Optional Rules for Darker Tones)
If you want to emphasize the unnatural psychology of undeath, consider these soft restrictions:
- No Innocently Good (Rare LG/CG): Most Skullborn struggle with empathy—they may protect others, but often out of duty, obsession, or guilt, not pure altruism.
- No Chaotic Good (Unusual): Their existence is too anchored in death for true CG’s free-spirited idealism.
- Huskbound Lean Evil: Those who steal bodies often develop a detached, utilitarian view of the living.
Size. Skullborn are Small, as their floating skull is the size of a humanoid head.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 0 feet. You have a flying speed of 30 ft.
Darkvision. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light.
Undead Nature. You are considered an Undead for the purposes of spells and effects (such as *cure wounds* harming you and *chill touch* healing you, if your DM allows). However, you are still a living consciousness and are not inherently evil.
Bonebound Resilience. You have resistance to necrotic damage and vulnerability to bludgeoning damage (your skull is tough but can crack under heavy blows).
Floating Caster. You can perform somatic components of spells even without hands, as your magic is channeled through your skull. Additionally, you can hold one small object (such as a wand or a dagger) in your jaw or float it nearby with telekinesis.
Eerie Presence. You have proficiency in either Intimidation or Arcana (your choice).
Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and one other language of your choice. *Despite lacking vocal cords, your voice manifests as an eerie, echoing whisper.
Subrace. Huskbound
Huskbound[edit]
Corpse Puppeteer. As an action, you can attach yourself to the severed neck of a Medium or Small humanoid or monstrous corpse that has been dead for no longer than 24 hours. While attached:
- You control the corpse as if it were your own body, gaining its physical limbs and appendages.
- You lose your flying speed but gain the corpse’s base walking speed (if any).
- You retain all your mental ability scores (Int, Wis, Cha) but use the corpse’s physical ability scores (Str, Dex, Con).
- You cannot benefit from the corpse’s racial traits (e.g., a dead elf’s Trance or a dwarf’s Poison Resistance).
- The corpse has 1 HP—if it takes any damage, it collapses, and you detach (landing safely in an adjacent space).
- You can detach as a bonus action, causing the corpse to collapse.
Necrotic Symbiosis. - You can cast False Life once per long rest without material components, and when attached to a corpse, the temporary HP is applied to the corpse instead of you.
- If the corpse is destroyed while you’re attached, you take 1d6 necrotic damage from the backlash.
Creeping Horror. - You gain proficiency in Stealth (your hollow, rattling movements make you unnaturally quiet when attached to a body).
Random Height and Weight[edit]
| Base Height |
Height Modifier* |
Base Weight |
Weight Modifier** |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1′ 0'' | +1 | 5 lb. | × (5) lb. |
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*Height = base height + height modifier | |||
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