Skull Mage

Medium-Size Aberration
Hit Dice: 7d8+7 (38 hp)
Initiative: +4
Speed: 30 ft.
AC: 20 (+10 unstable body)
Attacks: 2 Claws +5
Damage: Claws 1d4
Face / Reach: 5 ft. by 5 ft. / 5 ft.
Special Attacks: Dimension door, repulsion, skull missile
Special Qualities: Death spiders, immunities, unstable body
Saves: Fort +3 Ref +2 Will +6
Abilities: Str 10 Dex 11 Con 12 Int 14 Wis 12 Cha 15
Skills: Concentration +7, Knowledge (arcana) +8, Listen +7, Scry +8, Spellcraft +8, Spot +7
Feats: Improved Initiative, Quicken Spell-Like Ability (dimension door)

Climate / Terrain: Any land and underground
Organisation: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 7
Treasure: No coins, double items
Alignment: Always chaotic evil
Advancement: 8-15 HD (medium-size)

A skull mage looks like a wizard wearing robes and a skull mask, which has the horns of a ram. Skull mages with more than ten hit dice have black robes and blood red masks, while those with less hit dice wear red robes and skull masks of bleached bone. Each skull mage robe is adorned by mystic runes, which may be holding the thing together, but no one has ever managed to remove the robe from a skull mage and find that out.

The skull mage has a completely alien mind and has in fact been believed to be completely mindless. On the other hand, their ability to systematically destroy foes and even conduct experiments on both living and dead, makes that highly unlikely.

Skull mages are usually found thinking thoughts incomprehensible by human and insect, or attacking anything in sight right away. Occasionally a skull mage might have established and be using an laboratory for unspeakable foul experiments of black magic, that give even some of the more evil races of the world a pause.

Combat

Skull mages are pretty intelligent beings and will try to destroy the most powerful foes first, particularly those with ranged weapons and those with spells or psionic powers. The creature teleports around, using its dimension door ability and attacks from all directions. If it is in range of a close combat foe, it uses its repulsion ability to get them away and follow with skull missiles. Skull mages avoid close combat whenever possible. They carry useful magical items with them, but no coins, not understanding their value.
   Death Spiders (Ex): When a skull mage is slain, its body dissolves and two small monstrous spiders crawl out of their robe, which were part of their body before.
   Dimension Door (Sp): The skull mage can teleport a short distance, as though using the spell of the same name. (Caster level = HD, 7th, DC 15) This ability is usable at will.
   Immunities (Ex): Skull mages are immune to mind-affecting effects, poison and paralysis.
   Repulsion (Sp): At will, the skull wizard may use this ability, which forces all creatures standing within a 10 feet. radius of it is hurled backwards 30 feet, receiving falling damage as though they had fallen the distance hurled. This is a force effect.
   Skull Missile (Sp): Usable at will, this ability causes a skull to be shot at the target, which explodes in a 10 foot burst and deals 3d6 points of damage to all within the area. (Medium range, caster level = HD, 7th), DC 15)
   Unstable Body (Ex): The body of a skull mage is made of jelly and / or partially extradimensial, making the thing hard to hit and adding +10 to its AC. The skull mage has to save against death from massive damage, when receiving 25 points of damage from a single attack, or its body dissolves and the skull mage is instantly slain.

Background

Sages believe, that the skull mages are made by evil archmages and similar creatures. They are usually found guarding places ruled by evil overlord with great magical skill and by abyssal fiends. When several skull mages are present, they do not attack each other, but they do not care if one of their number is in the way when attacking an enemy.

Making a skull mage requires two small monstrous spiders and a medium-size ooze. The maker must be evil and have access to the spells animate dead, dimension door, fireball and gust of wind and the Craft Wondrous Items and Craft Magic Arms and Armour feats. Assembling the creatures, the robe and the skull mask costs 5,000 GP to create. The ritual drains 200 XP from the caster. Skull mages never attack their creators.