Monstrous Compendium Vol. 1: Spelljammer Creatures
Frozen Sick
D&D Beyond Basic Rules
Basic Rules (2014)
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Monstrous Compendium Vol. 1: Spelljammer CreaturesFrozen SickD&D Beyond Basic RulesBasic Rules (2014)Sign in to view your library & saved favorites.
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Are there explicit rules against it? It's for my homebrew game, of course. But if I ever run into a rules lawyer, I would like to at least exploit the rules as written. It really fits the theme of my campaign, and I'd like to know if anyone think this would make any future players at my table upset or start spouting fiery rules language at me. Does any one know if a "soul" counts as a "creature". Another thing, if a Lich enters the Negative Energy Plane and dies, or even sacrifices himself there, do they reform still on their original plane? If so, my plan was for the Nightwalker, which results from the lich entering the Negative Energy Plane, to be caught by the Lich's Diviner cohort. I know this became a lot, but I'd really like an honest and informative answer. Thank you so much!
There's no rule against a soul container having the shape of a flask of iron, but the rules don't treat souls as creatures and thus they can't be targeted by an iron flask. As for a lich going diving in the negative energy plane, it probably doesn't release a nightwalker.
Thanks for the reply, Pantagruel666! Hmmm... I hate hand-waving things... I understand the whole soul/creature thing, but I suppose my question should have been can a legendary or wondrous item be made into a phylactery, are there explicit rules against? Also, of course a soul would not be "captured" in the same way as the Iron Flask captures a creature, because wouldn't a "soul" be compelled to enter the item based on the ritualistic nature of a phylactery creation? My lich BBEG is a Transmutation Wizard... Heh... I am just trying to make this make sense, because the theme of my campaign must take precedence! I enjoy exploiting RAW, and I floccinaucinihilipilify RAI. Is there anyone else who can definitively tell me, with sources, that my idea is not possible, or do I have to hand-wave this? And the lich thing... Who can tell me that? Does a lich activate a Nightwalker stepping into the Negative Energy Plane? Authoritative answers only please. Thanks!
Like most monster abilities, no, there are no hard and fast rules.
Yep. The process of lichdom is entirely lore, not rules, and left for the GM to determine.
More importantly, if you want to make sure all the fun things you want to do as a GM are backed by explicit rules, you're making things harder for yourself in an already hard task for no good reason. The DM is definitionally authoritative for the table, especially when it comes to world-building. You can just do things. The lore is not rules. The lore is usually incomplete and open-ended. (Heck, the rules are oft incomplete and open-ended.)
Perfect. That makes complete sense. I figured as much. It's just more satisfying to find an exploit... I enjoy rules because I think it guides creative thinking and finding connections. Call me crazy, but that's fun to me. Thanks for you time and answer!
I don't think you need to give your players the whole shpiel about Nightwalkers and the Negative Planes. It can be as easy as a summoning ritual, a quick sacrifice, and BOOM! your very own Nightwalker.
He doesn't have much besides the skin on his bones. Me: I'll take the skin on his bones, then.
"You see a gigantic, monstrous praying mantis burst from out of the ground. It sprays a stream of acid from it's mouth at one soldier, dissolving him instantly, then it turns and chomps another soldier in half with it's- "
"When are we gonna take a snack break?"
If as DM you'd like an Iron Flask be a phylactery you sure can, this even if a rule was saying otherwise so feel free to do as you want.