Next. A skull named Yorick.
Skull of the Black Bard (Unique, Attuned, Intellegent, Possibly Artifact)
Once upon a time, there was a dark and fell lich called The Grim Jester. Originally a Bard, The Grim Jester is one of the few of that tradition who mustered the power to follow the dark ritual to the pinnacle of Undeath. A short lived Dark College rose up around him, the College of Bones, so named because like the Grim Jester it's adherents were Bards who focused on Necromancy.
Yorick was perhaps the Grim Jester's most ardent acolyte. What is unknown now, is if he was trying to surpass his master by jumping to Demi-lich, or if he somehow thought Demi-lich was a step BEFORE regular Lich. Either way, Yorick devised and executed a complex ritual that he believed would grant him that state. Using an arcane device he chopped off his own head into a flensing pot, caught his own soul in two gems, and the device shoved the two gems into the clean empty eyesockets, and triggered a powerful necromantic spell.
It, of coarse, didn't actually work right.
The Skull of the Black Bard is an intellegent magic item, with the personality and memories of Yorick. It is, however, bound to it's attuned user. Yorick is Chaotic Neutral, and while he won't break laws or commit crimes for no reason or just to get the owner in trouble, he WILL do it if he thinks it's funny. And as a necromancer who cut his own head off, his sense of humor tends towards the gruesome. "Look, it's funny, I turned the priest into a blood ooze!"
Unless stowed in a pack or secured by a tether, Yorick floats of his own accord around his current owner. He functions as a magic staff, granting the owner the power to cast spells.
Yorick possesses 10 charges, regaining 1d6+4 charges each night at midnight. He can cast the following spells at the owners command, using the owners stats to determine DC's, etc.
1 charge - false life
1 charge - inflict wounds
3 charges - animate dead
4 charges - blight
5 charges - antilife shell
6 charges - harm
Inflict wounds and Animate Dead may be upcast normally by spending one extra charger per level to a max of 6 charges on one spell.
If the last charge on Yorick is spent, Roll a d20. On a 1 Yorick achieves apothasis and becomes an actual demi-lich. Any undead under your command are under his command instead.
Finally, You may command Yorick to spend a charge to grant you or an ally Bardic Inspiration. Yorick can do this up to 4 times between long rests (each costing a charge) and grants a d10 inspiration die.
Next Item: a pair of pants
