Ashen Hollow
The Ashen Hollow was shaped in the Shadowfell by a Shadar-Kai archivist who grew tired of being seen. She fed decades of her own reflection into the staff until the wood forgot what she looked like, and it has worn a borrowed face ever since. Those who have studied it describe the sensation of gripping it as reaching into a cold drawer and finding a hand already there.
Mechanics
A staff woven from shadow and necrotic memory that conceals its wielder behind layered falsehood and punishes those who pierce the veil.
The Older Face
While holding this staff, you project a permanent illusion layered over your appearance, form, and aura. You choose the illusion's appearance when you attune to the staff; it cannot be changed without breaking and re-establishing attunement. The illusion is indistinguishable from a mundane disguise to passive inspection and does not require concentration. Any creature that uses an action to study you closely must succeed on a DC 18 Investigation check to determine that your appearance is false, and even on a success they perceive only that something is subtly wrong rather than seeing through to your true form. Creatures with truesight see through the illusion normally.
Void Recognition
Once per long rest, as an action, you channel the staff's necrotic awareness. Choose up to three creatures you can see within 60 feet. Each target must succeed on a DC 18 Wisdom saving throw or become Frightened of you until the end of your next turn and take 6d10 necrotic damage on a failed save, or half as much damage with no Frightened condition on a success. Creatures that fail this save also have their shadows stripped away for 1 hour: their shadows move independently and betray their emotional state to any creature that observes them, granting observers advantage on Insight checks against the affected creature for the duration.
DM Notes
The Older Face is a powerful social and stealth tool. DC 18 Investigation is high enough that most NPCs will never pierce it, and even those who roll well only get a vague sense of wrongness rather than true revelation. Consider having key antagonists with truesight or prepared magical detection as a counterplay option. Void Recognition deals up to 60d10 necrotic damage across three targets, which is high but once per long rest and on a generous DC 18 Wisdom save. The shadow-stripping effect is primarily a roleplay and information tool rather than a combat advantage, but it can meaningfully betray enemy morale or hidden loyalties. Both abilities reinforce the concealment and psychological control fantasy without overlapping mechanically.
Generated with: Level 13 · Sorcerer · Aberrant Mind · Staff · A theme that fits her character · Ancient / Mythic · Shadow / Necrotic · Very rare · No curses