Quartz 5

3 min read

publish: true
aliases:

  • Skull Banner
    created: 2026-03-09T12:15:33.889-04:00
    modified: 2026-03-09T12:15:33.889-04:00
    published: 2026-03-09T12:15:33.889-04:00
    tags:
  • ttrpg-cli/compendium/src/5e/valdaspire24extras
  • ttrpg-cli/subclass/captain/skull-banner
    cssclasses:
  • json5e-class
    obsidianUIMode: preview

Skull Banner

Captain: Subclass Feature
Source: Valda’s Spire of Secrets Extras (2024)

Class and Feature Progression

LevelPBFeatures
1st+2
2nd+2
3rd+2Skull Banner
4th+2
5th+3
6th+3Undead Horde
7th+3
8th+3
9th+4
10th+4Sacrificial Thralls
11th+4
12th+4
13th+5
14th+5Necromantic Burst
15th+5
16th+5
17th+6
18th+6
19th+6
20th+6

Command a Loyal Undead Cohort

Captains who fly the Skull Banner are grim heralds of an Undead tide. Their Cohorts and followers are shambling corpses or ethereal ghosts, hellbent on consuming and corrupting the living. Necromancers by any other name, Captains of the Skull possess little of the arcane talent beyond what is necessary to command an Undead army; little else is needed to make them formidable adversaries.

Subclass Features

Undead Cohort (Level 3)

Instead of initiating a Cohort, you can perform a ritual over the course of 8 hours, which can be done during a Long Rest, to animate an Undead Cohort. Choose its stat block: Corporeal Undead or Incorporeal Undead. You also choose what kind of Undead it is, such as a zombie or ghost, appropriate for the stat block.

Horrific Strike [Maneuver] (Level 3)

When you hit a creature with an attack using a Melee weapon or an Unarmed Strike, you can expend one Battle Die as a Bonus Action to terrify the target. Add the Battle Dice to the attack’s damage roll. The target has the Frightened condition until the end of your next turn.

Undead Horde (Level 6)

As a Bonus Action, can cast Animate Dead without a spell slot targeting the corpse of a Medium or Small Humanoid that has died within the last minute. When you cast the spell in this way, the Undead counts as your Cohort for your Captain features and uses your Charisma for its attack and damage rolls. This Undead lasts for 10 minutes, after which it crumbles into dust.

Sacrificial Thralls (Level 10)

Whenever you are targeted by an attack while an Undead you control is within 5 feet of you, you can take a Reaction to command it to dive in the way of the attack, causing the attack to target the Undead instead.

Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a Short or Long Rest unless you expend one Battle Die (no action required) to restore your use of it.

Necromantic Burst (Level 14)

As a Magic action, you can release a burst of negative energy in a 30-foot Emanation centered on a corpse you can see within 60 feet of yourself. Each creature you choose within the Emanation makes a Constitution saving throw against your Maneuver save DC, taking 10d8 Necrotic damage on a failed save or half as much damage on a successful one. Undead you control within the Emanation gains Temporary Hit Points equal to half of the Necrotic damage dealt.

Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a Long Rest.

Graph View

Backlinks