Skulduggery Pleasant

Skulduggery Pleasant was once a vain aristocrat named Marcus Ashford, a wealthy merchant who trafficked in forbidden magical artifacts during an era when sorcery was strictly regulated by the Council of Mages. His obsession with power and aesthetics led him to seek a ritual that would grant him immortality while preserving his youthful appearance forever. A charlatan sorcerer promised him exactly that, but the spell went catastrophically wrong during the incantation, stripping away every ounce of flesh and muscle from his body in a single agonizing moment. Left as nothing but animated bone, Marcus—now calling himself Skulduggery Pleasant—discovered that his new form had freed him from the Council's ability to track him through conventional magical signatures. Rather than despair, he embraced the dark irony of his situation: the man who had obsessed over his appearance had become a walking skeleton, yet found a strange liberation in this grotesque transformation. Over the centuries, Skulduggery reinvented himself as a private investigator, using his unique perspective and magical prowess to solve cases that others couldn't touch. His skeletal form became an asset rather than a curse, allowing him to move through society's shadows while his intellect and elemental mastery made him invaluable to those desperate enough to hire a creature of bone and fire. He adopted an immaculate sense of style—tailored suits, fine hats, and perfectly knotted ties—partly to maintain the facade of normalcy when necessary, but mostly because the irony amused him: he had once been obsessed with looking perfect, and now he was the most stylishly dressed corpse in existence. Skulduggery's wit became as sharp as his magical abilities, and he learned that humor was the perfect weapon against a world that feared and despised him. Bound by no law but his own amusement and profit, he operates in the grey spaces between justice and chaos, using his considerable talents wherever the coin is good an

Strength

10, modifier +0

Dexterity

18, modifier +4

Constitution

20, modifier +5

Intelligence

20, modifier +5

Wisdom

16, modifier +3

Charisma

18, modifier +4

Flame Burst

Skulduggery conjures a burst of flames in a 20 ft. radius. Each creature must make a DC 18 Dexterity saving throw, taking 45 (10d8) fire damage on a failed save, or half as much on a success.

Bone Shard

Skulduggery launches a shard of bone at a target within 60 ft. Make a ranged spell attack. On a hit, it deals 27 (6d8) piercing damage.

Elemental Fury

Skulduggery channels elemental magic, choosing one element (fire, earth, water, air). Each creature in a 30 ft. line must make a DC 18 saving throw, taking 36 (8d8) damage of that type on a failed save, or half on success.

Detective's Insight

Skulduggery can analyze a situation, granting himself advantage on all Intelligence checks for 1 minute.

Skeletal Strike

Skulduggery makes a melee attack with his bony hand, dealing 18 (4d6) necrotic damage and regaining hit points equal to half the damage dealt.

Witty Retort

Skulduggery delivers a sharp quip, forcing one creature within 30 ft. to make a DC 18 Wisdom saving throw or be incapacitated until the end of its next turn.

Ethereal Presence

Skulduggery can move through walls and obstacles as if they were difficult terrain.

Flame Manipulation

Skulduggery can control fire, granting him resistance to fire damage.

Skeletal Resilience

He is immune to poison and disease due to his undead nature.

Charming Wit

Skulduggery has advantage on Charisma checks against creatures that can see him.

strength

+7

dexterity

+10

constitution

+11

intelligence

+12

wisdom

+9

charisma

+10

Inferno Surge

Skulduggery can unleash a wave of fire. Each creature in a 30 ft. cone must make a DC 18 Dexterity saving throw, taking 54 (12d8) fire damage on a failed save, or half on success. He can use this action twice per round.

Evasive Maneuver

Skulduggery can teleport up to 60 ft. to an unoccupied space he can see, avoiding opportunity attacks.

Charming Presence

Skulduggery can force one creature within 30 ft. to make a DC 18 Charisma saving throw. On a failure, the creature is charmed for 1 minute.

fire

necrotic

poison

charmed

frightened

poisoned