Rod of the Scarecrow (Patreon)

Rod, uncommon

This wooden rod has a small stuffed scarecrow head on its end. You can use an action while holding the rod to speak its first command word. When you do, the rod's head transforms into a full scarecrow and leaps from your hand, landing in an unoccupied space that you can see within 5 feet of you and balancing on the rod. The summoned scarecrow uses the zombie's statistics with the following changes:

• The scarecrow is a construct, instead of undead, and can't understand any languages.
• The scarecrow holds a farmer's sickle. It can use its action to make two attacks with its sickle (+3 to hit). On a hit, it deals 1d4 + 1 slashing damage.
• Small and Tiny beasts have disadvantage on attack rolls against the scarecrow.

The scarecrow obeys your mental commands (no action required by you) and takes its turn immediately after yours. If you don't issue any commands, it defends itself from hostile creatures, but otherwise takes no actions. The scarecrow remains for 1 hour or until it dies or you use an action to speak its first command word again. The scarecrow reverts to the rod form at the end of the duration.

You can use a bonus action to speak the rod's second command word. If you're holding the rod, each creature within a 15-foot cone must succeed on a DC 13 Wisdom saving throw or be frightened of you for 1 minute or until it takes damage. Small and Tiny beasts have disadvantage on the saving throw. If the scarecrow is summoned when you speak the command word, each creature within 15 feet of it must make the saving throw instead.

Once a command word has been used, it can't be used again until the next dawn.

One to light the pyres, one to hew the wheat,
one to guard the harvest, one to feel its heat.
Yet still the fields are empty, the ground is stained in red,
for what your soul will harvest, is better left unsaid.
And all that you had wished for, lies buried with the dead.

—From The Creation of the Strawman, as written by Crowback Freda