Type: Item Creation
Source: Frostburn
You can create skull talismans, which carry spells within themselves (for more information on skull talismans, see page 112, Frostburn).
Prerequisite: Caster level 6th.
Benefit: You can create a skull talisman of any spell you know and that targets one or more creatures. Crafting a skull talisman takes one day. When you create a skull talisman, you set the caster level. The caster level must be sufficient to cast the spell in question and no higher than your own level. The base price of a skull talisman is its spell level x its caster level x 100 gp. To craft the talisman, you must spend 1/25 of this base price in XP and use up raw materials (mostly comprised of the rare metallic inks needed to inscribe the runes of power on the skull) costing one-half this base price.
When you create a skull talisman, you make any choices that you would normally make when casting the spell. Whoever destroys the skull is the target of the spell.
Any skull talisman that stores a spell with a costly material component or a XP cost also carries a commensurate cost. In addition to the costs derived from the base price, you must expend the material component or pay the XP when creating the skull talisman.
The skull to be used to create a skull talisman must be from a creature of at least Small size. A Small creature's skull can store a spell of up to 3rd level. A Medium creature's skull can store a spell of up to 6th level. A large creature's skull can store a spell of up to 9th level. The art of crafting skull talismans was perfected by neanderthal druids, but any spellcaster can learn the art of making these devices. Many view the act of creating or using a skull talisman as a distasteful activity, but neither in and of itself is it an evil act.