Skulduggery Pleasant

Skulduggery Pleasant wasn't always a skeleton—he was once a renowned sorcerer of considerable vanity who spent decades perfecting his appearance and mastery over the elemental forces. His obsession with looking impeccable led him to experiment with forbidden magic that promised eternal youth and beauty, but the ritual backfired catastrophically, stripping away his flesh and leaving only his skeletal frame. Rather than despair at his transformation, Skulduggery discovered that his new form was remarkably resilient and that his magical abilities had intensified a thousandfold. He channeled his considerable wit and charm into a new identity, realizing that his skeletal appearance could be either concealed or weaponized depending on the situation, and he began adorning himself with the finest tailored suits and accessories available. Within a few years, his reputation as an investigator spread through both magical and mundane circles, sought after for his uncanny ability to solve the unsolvable and his talent for reading people—and their secrets—with unnerving accuracy. What began as a means of distraction from his own existential crisis evolved into a genuine passion for uncovering truth and meting out justice in his own chaotic fashion, though his methods often bent the rules beyond recognition. Skulduggery operates in the moral gray areas where most dare not tread, taking cases that official authorities won't touch and employing tactics that would make conventional detectives blush with scandal. His sarcastic demeanor masks a genuine fascination with human nature and the mysteries that plague both the magical and non-magical worlds, and his sharp tongue has proven as effective a weapon as the infernos he conjures from his fingertips. Despite his undead state, he maintains an almost dandy-like appreciation for the finer things in life—quality clothing, witty banter, and the thrill of a complex case—making him an unlikely but utterly unforgettable force in the world of

Strength

10, modifier +0

Dexterity

18, modifier +4

Constitution

16, modifier +3

Intelligence

20, modifier +5

Wisdom

16, modifier +3

Charisma

18, modifier +4

Inferno Blast

Ranged Spell Attack: +10 to hit, range 120 ft., one target. Hit: 4d10 fire damage.

Elemental Control

Choose an element (fire, earth, water, air). Create a 20 ft. radius effect, dealing 3d8 damage.

Skeletal Strike

Melee Attack: +9 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 2d10 + 4 slashing damage.

Detect Secrets

Skulduggery can sense hidden objects or creatures within 60 ft. as a bonus action.

Quick Wit

Skulduggery can impose disadvantage on an enemy's next attack roll as a reaction.

Dandy's Charm

Charm a target within 30 ft. to make a Wisdom saving throw (DC 17) or be charmed for 1 minute.

Ethereal Presence

Skulduggery can move through objects and creatures as if they were difficult terrain.

Flame Manipulation

He can cast fire spells without material components, enhancing his elemental magic.

Charming Wit

Enemies have disadvantage on saving throws against his charm effects.

Skeletal Resilience

He is immune to poison and disease, and resistant to necrotic damage.

strength

+0

dexterity

+9

intelligence

+10

wisdom

+8

constitution

+8

charisma

+9

Flame Surge

Skulduggery can unleash a wave of fire in a 30 ft. cone. Each creature must make a DC 17 Dexterity saving throw, taking 6d6 fire damage on a failed save, or half as much on a success.

Evasive Maneuver

Skulduggery can take the Disengage action and move up to half his speed without provoking opportunity attacks.

Witty Retort

Skulduggery can make a Deception check against a creature's Insight. On a success, the target is incapacitated until the end of its next turn.

fire

bludgeoning

piercing

slashing from nonmagical attacks

poison

necrotic

charmed

frightened

poisoned