Skelesphere

Wondrous item (skeletoy), legendary

Skeletoys are objects that Underhell fiends use as their monstrous tools. Most of them are made up primarily of spinal columns and skulls, but other configurations also occur. Generally, mortals can’t use one of these items effectively unless they trick the skeletoy into believing they are fiends or acting under the direct orders of fiends; in such a case, the item will not oppose them until it realizes the truth. All skeletoys obey any fiend who commands them, or a minion acting on that fiend’s behalf. In case of conflicting commands, the skeletoy obeys the highest-ranking individual to give a command. All skeletoys have the same special purpose: to further the fiendish invasion and protect all Archlords.

This gigantic skull is composed of thousands of normal-sized skulls stitched together with indistinct fiendflesh. It never touches the ground, always levitating at least 6 inches up. To control it, you must climb inside it as if mounting a creature and use your action to speak its command word. The skelesphere can hold one Large or Huge rider or up to nine Medium or Small riders. A creature inside the skelesphere has half cover against attacks from outside the skelesphere.

The skelesphere is a Huge object with Armor Class 19, 100 hit points, and immunity to poison damage.

Flight. Until you dismount or a fiend speaks the command word, you control the skelesphere like a mount. The skelesphere has a flying speed of 60 feet. It can carry up to 600 pounds without slowing. It can carry up to 1,200 pounds at a speed of 30 feet. It can carry up to 2,400 pounds at a speed of 5 feet. It is immobile while it contains more than 2,400 pounds, but it doesn’t fall.

Launch Skull. As an attack while you control the skelesphere, you can touch one of the skulls composing the skelesphere to launch it as a ranged weapon attack. You can launch multiple skulls if you have the Extra Attack feature or another way to make multiple attacks on a turn. A skull has a normal range of 150 feet and a long range of 600 feet. The magic skull deals bludgeoning damage equal to 4d6 + your Dexterity modifier.

Skull Shrapnel. As an action while you control the skelesphere, you can touch five skulls in a pentagonal pattern to fire them at a point you can see within 150 feet. They instantly fly to that point and explode. Each creature within a 30-foot-radius sphere centered on that point must make a DC 19 Dexterity saving throw, taking 8d6 bludgeoning damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. This attack is considered magical for the purposes of overcoming resistance. In addition, the ground below that sphere is covered in bone shards.

A creature that enters any 5-foot square of bone shards must succeed on a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw or stop moving this turn and take 1 piercing damage from bone shards stuck in their feet or legs. Taking this damage reduces the creature’s walking speed by 10 feet until the creature regains at least 1 hit point. A creature moving through the area at half speed doesn’t need to make the save. A creature can clear a 5-foot square area of bone shards as an action.

Sentience. The skelesphere is a sentient neutral evil wondrous item with an Intelligence of 15, a Wisdom of 15, and a Charisma of 19. It has hearing and darkvision 120 ft.

The skelesphere can communicate telepathically with any creature within it and can speak, read, and understand Abyssal and Infernal.

If the skelesphere opposes you when you give it a command, it can choose a new target for the attack outside of itself within range.

Personality. The very intelligent skelesphere is ambitious and competitive. A creature the skelesphere can understand can trick the skelesphere into serving it without conflict until the next dawn with a successful DC 18 Charisma (Persuasion) or Intelligence (Arcana) check as an action so long as it is not obviously going against the skelesphere’s primary purpose. On a failed check, that creature can’t make the attempt again until the next dawn and any other non-fiend has disadvantage on attempts to use the same skill to influence that skelesphere.