Skull Kid
Ocarina of Time made a giant impact when it was released in 1998. It was a giant leap forward into a 3D version of Hyrule, filled with designs and concepts we knew and loved from past Zelda games, rendered in more polygons and another plane. In the 20+ years that have followed, it's been re-released into every flagship Nintendo console.
But really, a better Zelda game came out just two years after Ocarina of Time. A rare direct sequel for the Zelda franchise, Majora's Mask used the same engine and the same Link, but the similarities stopped abruptly there. It was a darker story in a scarier world. It featured a ticking clock, grotesque character transformations, and a hapless innocent villain possessed by a powerful mask.
In 2000, it was the best game I'd ever played. It held that title for decades. I remember the gold cartridge and hologram decal vividly. I remember the first time I played the Song of Time to reset the clock and start the 72 hour window again. I remember painstakingly going through the entire Anju & Kafei quest for the wedding mask, the last one I needed for Fierce Deity Link.
And through all those things, the design of the main bad guy is the most vivid. The mask is perfect, a heart shaped purple, orange and green piece with giant yellow eyes, flashing through the dark. Worn by a simple Skull Kid – a simple creature we had seen playing the flute for us in 1998, now powerful enough to bring down the moon.
So how do we build him in Pathfinder 2e?
Keys to the Character
Behind the Masker
The Skull Kid's mischief is mostly just tricks and petty theft. Unfortunately, stealing the powerful Majora's Mask lead to a grim possession... and untold power.
Moonfall
Feeling betrayed by his friends and the world of Termina, the intrusive thoughts of the mask take over to the point where Skull Kid decides to end everything with a moon impact.
Soloist
In Ocarina of Time, Skull Kids mainly just play the flute. This one goes a bit further in performance, with dancing, howling and turning folks into Deku Kids.
Don't Tatl on Tael
Navi-like fairies make a return in Majora's Mask – a brother-sister pair who feel bad for the Skull Kid. But even they can see the Mask take over.
When you think about classes in tabletop RPGs like Pathfinder or Dungeons and Dragons, a few stereotypes probably come to mind at first. Rangers hunt and shoot arrows. Paladins wear big armor and love a god. Bards try to bang anything that moves, and a few things that don't.
One of the funnest things about making builds for Pop Culture Pathfinder is stretching the limits of a class in order to fit a pre-existing fantasy. Time and time again, it results in executions of a class that are so far outside that initial stereotype.
Bard is a good example of this. We have a kracken-summoning pirate, a gadget-skating DJ, and a literal talking head. Each of these builds uses the rules for bards in a way that delivers on the character fantasy unlike any other class could.
Skull Kid is another in that same vein. The performance focus, mischief and spellcasting available to a bard (with a Spell Trickster Dedication) can deliver on the Skull Kid fantasy in a way that no other class could, while also feeling nothing like a "stereotypical bard".
On the battlefield, Skull Kid uses every trick up his sleeve in his enchanter role, enfeebling enemies in some way or another every turn. And since the base bard kit is so supportive, he can even boost an ally now and then.
Out of combat, Skull Kid keeps using those tricks, alongside his thievery skills, to take anything he wants.
And, of course, if you see him steal he might drop a moon on you.
Build OVERVIEW
- Cool mask
- Powerful buffs and boons
- Multiple ways to compel enemies
- Deja vu
- Not super robust
- Deja vu
Ancestry
Stuffed Poppet
What is a Skull Kid? It's on the shorter side, wear's straw-like garments, has a bizarre beak..
In other words, I have no idea. But the rules for Poppets really fit the Skull Kid style, and they can look like really anything. A match made in Termina!
With the Poppet ancestry, Skull Kid gets access to a floaty flying speed, an enthralling dance, and even shiny eyes. There is a big downside, of course, with a Dexterity Flaw. But this version of Skull Kid relies more on Void Warps than arrow shots or rapier strikes. He's a magical creature, after all.
Background
Street Urchin
If this was the Ocarina of Time Skull Kid, maybe Magical Prodigy would fit better. But the Skull Kid of Termina is a wretch, a lonely urchin cast out by his friends. He steals what he needs to get by – and more, including Epona and the Mask.
This background gives a boost in Dexterity and the Pickpocket skill feat. That will come in handy for lifting other dangerous artifacts. Don't bring down any planets!
Class
Enigma Bard
Being a bard lets Skull Kid be his mischievous, performative stealth while actually accomplishing things in and out of combat. In fact, even though this build focuses on debilitating enemies, the base bard kit almost empowers allies by default. So, unlike the villain of the game, Skull Kid will be nice to hang out with.
The muse here is obvious: Majora's Mask. It is the enigma that fuels the bardic mystery for Skull Kid (whether he likes it or not, really).
To dial up the mischievous nature of the Skull Kid to the max, we take a Spell Trickster Dedication at level 2. This gives access to some very interesting alternate spells, almost all of which enchant the enemy in different ways, making it harder for them to do anything and easier for allies to do everything.
Skills & General Feats
Whether he's playing the flute in the Forest of Time, or dancing on top of a clocktower in Termina, the Skull Kid is a performer at heart. Using those skills opens up a lot of cool skill feats, allowing him to enthral, distract and impress people in and out of battle.
Meanwhile, the entire story of Majora's Mask begins with a theft... well, two actually. First the mask, then the horse. With legendary thievery, he can get started the same way in Pathfinder.
Legendary: Performance, Thievery
Master: Occultism
Expert: Athletics
Attribute Increases
Equipment
Suggested Starting Equipment
Key Spells
Changelog
