I’m not sure there even are rules for shrunken heads anywhere in D&D. I’d love to be proven wrong, because I’d love to see someone else’s take on these curious and unique little items.
First, it might be helpful to take a closer look at the real-life history and meanings behind shrunken heads. These were special objects with a very specific purpose to a very specific group of people. Not sure what it is that causes morbid fascination, but shrunken heads definitely provoke that reaction in me.
Anyway, they were created for a number of reasons; warnings to enemies, spiritual fetishes to protect you from revenge, a boast of high status. A shrunken head is not simply some curio or trinket. They are objects of real power.
New Magic Item: Shrunken Heads
This humanoid head has been shrunken, blackened and infused with magical power. It’s long hair is festooned with beads and braided into a handle; the eyes and mouth are sewn shut and the nose sealed. Most disturbing of all, this tiny head bears so many distinct features from the creature that contributed it, that it is easily recognizable. Each shrunken head varies slightly from the next; just as the individuals that donated the heads differ from one to the other.
While all shrunken heads serve a similar purpose, individual heads tend to have a variety of powers, based on the creature that donated the head (referred to hereafter as the ‘donor’).
All shrunken heads may benefit from the following list of powers.
- function as a holy symbol, and grant a +1 on all Turn/Rebuke attempts where it is used as- or presented with- divine focus.
- begin to grumble quietly (comparably audible to a whisper) whenever another creature of it’s type comes within 100ft.
- grant anyone brandishing it openly a +2 morale bonus to Intimidate skill checks. This bonus increases to +6 against creatures who share a type with the shrunken head.
- may be affixed to an intelligent magic item (like a keychain) in order to grant that item speech. The item speaks through the shrunken head and gains all of it’s powers.
- speak with dead as the spell, at will, but only on dead creatures of the same type as the donor. The head serves as ‘translator’ for the spell.
- +2 to save DCs for any spell targeting a creature of the same type as the donor when added as a spell focus.
- sending as the spell, at will, but can only target others who have a shrunken head with this power. The heads themselves convey these messages.
Shrunken heads donated by clerics, adepts, or other priestly types can benefit from the following list of powers.
- use turn/rebuke undead 1 additional time per day
- +1 CL on spells of a domain accessible to the donor of the head
- 1x/day, recall a divine spell of any level which you have already cast that day, as a standard action.
Shrunken heads donated by wizards, sorcerers, or other mage-like types can benefit from the following list of powers.
- +1 CL on spells of a school accessible to the donor of the head
- 1x/day, recall an arcane spell of any level which you have already cast that day, as a standard action.
- bestow curse 1x/day, as the spell, but only on a touched target of the same type as the donor.
Where applicable, spell effects have a DC equal to the HD of the donor.
Shrunken heads have 1 power per 4 HD of the donor. These are selected by the creator at the time of creation and cannot be changed.
Newly created shrunken heads retain their powers for 1d4+1 weeks; after this time, their magic fades and they become little more than a macabre curiosity. Openly displaying a powerless shrunken head still grants you a +1 morale bonus on intimidate checks; this increases to +2 on Intimidate checks made against a creature that shares the type of the donor.
Only Humanoids, Monstrous Humanoids, and Giants may become donors. The ritual has no effect on other types of heads. DMs may rule that certain Aberrations (like Mind Flayers), Magical Beasts (like manticores) and Undead (like vampires) have anatomy that suits the head-shrinking process and may become donors. As a rule of thumb, only things with at least a mostly humanoid face can become a shrunken head.
NOTE: shrunken heads do not give off a magical aura as normal magic items do; they give off the exact same aura as a mindless Undead of the same size.
Cost (macabre curiosity): 50gp
Cost (per power): 2,500gp
Cost (cleric/wizard): +1,800gp
Weight: 2lbs
Shrinking Heads – An Atypical DIY Project
Creating a shrunken head differs from creating other magic items in that no magic item creation feat is required. The intrinsic magic of the ritual binds a small bit of the donor’s soul to the shrunken head. Subtle variations on the ritual result in different powers, and the donor’s soul fragment supplies the power.
Step 1. Learn the ritual of head-shrinking: This should be difficult at best. DMs are encouraged to offer this knowledge as a reward to the PCs. Perhaps the reward for a steamy jungle adventure?
Step 2. Kill something with a head: A straightforward process with which the PCs are very familiar. The head must not be damaged in any way, so note that cure light wounds (or similar spell) cast on a mangled cadaver noggin, restores it to perfect condition.
Step 3. Sever that head: Heal or Survival check, DC: 12. This is required to avoid damaging the part you’re after; the skin of the head.
Step 4. Skin the head: Craft (Leatherworking) or Survival check, DC: 15. Failure ruins the attempt and mangles the head. This takes a day’s work (8 hours).
Step 5. Keep the skin; offer the rest of the head to the gods. This takes a Knowledge (Religion) check DC: 25, with a ritual that takes a full 24 hours. Failure causes the gods to become offended; they take the head and send a serpent to punish you, which ruins and ends the attempt. DMs are encouraged to scale said serpent to the PCs (but make sure it’s damn strong).
Step 6. Sew or pin shut the eyes, nose and mouth. Craft (Sewing) or Craft (Leatherworking), DC: 15. This check may be re-tried any number of times, but each attempt (successful or not) takes 8 hours.
Step 7. Carefully boil the head to begin shrinking process. Craft (Leatherworking) DC: 20 or Craft (Cooking) DC: 20; failure ruins and ends the attempt, reducing the head to rubbery goo. This step takes about a day (8 hours of careful boiling and cooling)
Step 8. Scrape remaining flesh away from skin. Heal DC: 20 or Survival DC: 20; failure ruins and ends the attempt, reducing the head to sliced ribbons. This step takes about a day (8 hours of careful knife and pumice stone work)
Step 9. Stuff head with hot rocks and sand to continue shrinking process, sew head shut. Craft (Art) and Craft (Sewing) DC: 20. This check may be re-tried any number of times, but each attempt (successful or not) takes 8 hours.
Step 10. Finish shaping head with hot rocks; apply decorations and markings. Craft (Art) DC: 20. This check may be re-tried any number of times, but each attempt (successful or not) takes 8 hours.
Step 11. Tie hair into handle or attach handle (shrunken heads must be worn and displayed visibly to be effective)
Step 12. Smoke head over a fire to finish shrinking process and blacken head. Craft (Cooking) or Survival check DC: 20. Failure ruins and ends the attempt, reducing the head to smoldering charcoal.
Step 13. Show the head to another person (one who did not see you making it) to finalize the ritual and activate the head, transforming it into a shrunken head. Select powers as described above and roll to determine for how many weeks it will function before becoming useless.
Skills checks need not be performed by a single character, as shrunken heads are usually made in batches by a group of warriors working together.
The knowledge of shrunken head creation is a rare and closely guarded secret, even in the lands from which they originate. Most of those who practice head-shrinking are known for violence and aggression. DMs are encouraged to make this knowledge obtainable only by way of an epic jungle (and possibly ancient ruins) dungeon.
Handy list of bad guys that might practice head-shrinking:
orcs, trolls, certain giants, humans, goblins, yuan-ti, unseelie (evil) fey, primitive/tribal necromancers, well-studied mid- to high-level wizards, experienced and well-travelled artificers, demons, jungle- or tribal-versions of everything, whatever else you think would work.
If any of this looks cool, feel free to take it, use it and amend it to your heart’s content. Whatever you do, enjoy!
-L. Doderman (shrunken heads are pretty brutal when you think about it)