Skull Speech

This spell imbues a skull (of tiny size or larger) with the ability to speak a message the next time a specified event occurs. The message, which must be 25 or fewer words long, can be in any language known by you and can be delivered over a period of 10 minutes. The jaw will move according to the words articulated. However, the skull cannot utter verbal components, use command words, or activate magical effects.

The spell functions when specific conditions are fulfilled according to your command as set in the spell. Commands can be as general or as detailed as desired, although only visual and audible triggers can be used. Triggers react to what appears to be the case.

Disguises and illusions can fool them. Normal darkness does not defeat a visual trigger, but magical darkness or invisibility does. Silent movement or magical silence defeats audible triggers. Audible triggers can be keyed to general types of noises or to a specific noise or spoken word. Actions can serve as triggers if they are visible or audible. A Skull Speech cannot distinguish alignment, level, Hit Dice, or class except by external garb.

The range limit of a trigger is 15 feet per caster level, so a 6th level caster can command a Skull Speech to respond to triggers as far as 90 feet away. Regardless of range, the skull can respond only to visible or audible triggers and actions in line of sight or within hearing distance.

This spell can be made permanent with a permanency spell for 5,000 gp.