Part of the Crew. If a creature has died as a result of its Cackling Touch curse, the corpse will rise from the dead as a zombie in 24 hours. The zombie will be under the jolly roger's telepathic control, sharing its initiative & following its orders during combat. This can be prevented by resurrecting the creature or by casting the Funeral Rite option of the Ceremony spell followed by a traditional burial at sea. Gentle Repose will also delay the transformation for the spell's duration.

Part of the Ship. If the jolly roger drops to 0 HP, its body transforms into a putrid sea mist that immediately returns to its ship. It will take seven days for the jolly roger to reconstitute its physical form, forcing the vessel to lay at anchor while its master recovers. The ship's crew of zombies still follow the jolly roger's telepathic orders during this recovery. If the vessel is destroyed during this period, the jolly roger is permanently destroyed.

Similarly if the ship is destroyed, the jolly roger's HP is reduced to 37 (5d8 + 15) 5d8+15 & it must find a suitable vessel to make its new ship within seven days. If it fails to do so by either finding a ship sunk within the past seven years or slaughtering the entire crew of a new ship, the jolly roger is permanently destroyed. Also, if the jolly roger drops to 0 HP before it claims a new ship, it is permanently destroyed.

Turn Resistance. The jolly roger has advantage on saving throws against any effect that turns undead.

Undead Nature. The jolly roger doesn't require air, food, drink, or sleep.