Medium undead, lawful evil
- Armor Class
- 18 (plate armor)
- Hit Points
- 105 (14d8 + 42)
- Speed
- 30 ft.
- Challenge
- 15 (13,000 XP)
- Skills
- History +8, Stealth +8, Athletics +7, Perception +12
- Damage Resistances
- cold; necrotic; bludgeoning, piercing, slashing from nonmagical attacks
- Damage Immunities
- poison
- Condition Immunities
- blinded; charmed; deafened; exhaustion; frightened; poisoned; stunned; unconscious
- Senses
- darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 22
- Languages
- all the languages it knew in life
Traits
If the skull lord fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead.
While within 30 feet of the skull lord, any undead ally of the skull lord makes saving throws with advantage, and that ally regains 1d6 hit points whenever it starts its turn there.
If the skull lord is subjected to an effect that allows it to make a Dexterity saving throw to take only half the damage, the skull lord instead takes no damage if it succeeds on the saving throw, and only half damage if it fails.
Actions
The skull lord makes three bone staff attacks.
Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d8 + 3) bludgeoning damage plus 14 (4d6) necrotic damage.
Legendary Actions
The skull lord makes a bone staff attack.
The skull lord casts a cantrip.
The skull lord moves up to its speed without provoking opportunity attacks.
Up to five skeletons or zombies appear in unoccupied spaces within 30 feet of the skull lord and remain until destroyed. Undead summoned in this way roll initiative and act in the next available turn. The skull lord can have up to five undead summoned by this ability at a time.
Spellcasting
The skull lord is a 13th-level spellcaster. Its spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 18, +10 to hit with spell attacks). The skull lord knows the following sorcerer spells: