I know the title is weird. I'm deeply sorry. But to the matter at hand. I have a little extra room in my dungeon that is the resting place of a very old and long dead mage. He has a body but it's of course, slowly decaying over time. I don't wanna send a wraith at my level 3 (or 4 if they can complete a full long rest) players. I was thinking a lich because one of the players is a long time veteran and he knows not to **** with a lich at 3rd level. Buuuuut they still need a chance to kill the ****er. I was thinking a lich who is still reforming, and so he is far from full power. Or a lich, which transformating was halted for all those years. I want him to wake up as ( or if) they enter the chamber. Give them a task to bring something or do something I dunno yet, to or for him. But of course he is one of those guys who are like: "Do this or I will kill you like the ant you are". And I of course want him to be mortal, and not the second strong enemy they had to run from. Plus he can move so it's a little harder to run from this guy XD. So I was hoping that someone here would have an idea for what to do. I'm really trying to keep this from the monster manual so it isn't all homebrew but I am willing to chance a monster. And if needed I can still create a monster, but I'm aiming for the books (mostly). Thanks in advance! ^^
Use the wraith and just adjust the damage done on a hit. I usually use the average damage for all monster, but in your case instead of using 21 necrotic for the wraith use 10 or less. Also lessen the save to have hit max HP lowered on a hit.
You can have a way to defeat them not through combat as well. If it is a Lich reforming then a phylactery must be nearby. When they start getting trashed in combat they could use a hint to instead just find and destroy the soul while avoiding the big bad. Makes it so your 3rd level party can feel accomplished at killing a much bigger threat without you having to obviously pull punches or depower them.
Weeeelll. I was hoping I didn't have to mention it because then people get all fed up with it but there are only 2 players. A wizard and a ranger. The ranger's bear has a maximum of 40 hit points. The bear has the most hit points out of both the players xD soooo I'm not sure. A clever lich (which is every lich) which just cloudkill or finger of death oooor power word: kill. Plus then the lich would reform in a few days and hunt them down. I was thinking of a lich who didn't complete his transformating for "becoming" a lich. So is far to weak to channel the higher level spells. And one of the players said that he wanted a little more action. There was 1 fight, that was quickly over. The first one for the day was a huge construct. It was wwwwwwwaaaaaaaay to powerful for them. And both players were clever enough to dart inside and not fight it. Don't get me wrong! It's not a bad idea, but I was hoping for something "lich like" as I like the idea of liches being powerful and VERY RARE as it's not every wizard who becomes a lich. Let alone survive the transformation.
Also. This crypt is in a temple to an old and forgotten race. So he wouldn't be able to keep up with containing it with souls. Sorry if I just ripped apart your aid! Sorry! But I will take it into the tool box anyway! Maybe I can use it for another time ^^ So thank you! ^^
You could use a wight that can cast a few spells that you pick. I wouldn't be too worried about using a Wraith if the characters are level 3-4, unless the players are very inexperienced they will be able to defeat it even if its only 2 character. Not without great risk, but the kind of NPC you are aiming for should be extremely dangerous. Why else would they be intimidated into running its errands?
Well I most of the time want my players to be able to turn down a request. This will be a lethal opponent, and a dangerous one at that (I hope) but it's not always that you're willing to give an evil looking undead his old tome back. The biggest problem for them (I think) is that he can drain them of resources, and they are gonna (hopefully) fight something else before they encounter him. But they cannot go to a long rest safely at the place they are now, so their hit points will be lower (I'm expecting) when they meet him.
But it is a fair point. Though I have a neutral good ranger, and helping an undead get his book back.. might not be his favored thing to do. xD But it is a good point. One that I'm first now thinking of. Though it still would be a little weird if a lich couldn't get his book back. But I'll think about it. It's a fair point...yeah. Thanks! ^^
Just an Idea: The deathlock is less powerfull then a lich, but is still a kind of undead caster. It also come with 2 levels of power: Regular at CR 4 and Mastermind at CR 8, wich is nothing compared to the regular lich's CR 21. It comes from Mordenkainen if you want look it's stats up, but it functions like a warlock with few spell slots but regains them easely, so that is to take in consideration.
I could only get a glimpse of it's stat in a really weird way but it seemed perfect. I'll try to see if I can't print out it's stats. I am going for MTOF anyway as Zariel is in there ^^. Thank you for the help! This might be it! ^^
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I know the title is weird. I'm deeply sorry. But to the matter at hand. I have a little extra room in my dungeon that is the resting place of a very old and long dead mage. He has a body but it's of course, slowly decaying over time. I don't wanna send a wraith at my level 3 (or 4 if they can complete a full long rest) players. I was thinking a lich because one of the players is a long time veteran and he knows not to **** with a lich at 3rd level. Buuuuut they still need a chance to kill the ****er. I was thinking a lich who is still reforming, and so he is far from full power. Or a lich, which transformating was halted for all those years. I want him to wake up as ( or if) they enter the chamber. Give them a task to bring something or do something I dunno yet, to or for him. But of course he is one of those guys who are like: "Do this or I will kill you like the ant you are". And I of course want him to be mortal, and not the second strong enemy they had to run from. Plus he can move so it's a little harder to run from this guy XD. So I was hoping that someone here would have an idea for what to do. I'm really trying to keep this from the monster manual so it isn't all homebrew but I am willing to chance a monster. And if needed I can still create a monster, but I'm aiming for the books (mostly).
Thanks in advance! ^^
-Daergiel
Use the wraith and just adjust the damage done on a hit. I usually use the average damage for all monster, but in your case instead of using 21 necrotic for the wraith use 10 or less. Also lessen the save to have hit max HP lowered on a hit.
Yeah I thought about it. Not a bad idea though. ^^
You can have a way to defeat them not through combat as well. If it is a Lich reforming then a phylactery must be nearby. When they start getting trashed in combat they could use a hint to instead just find and destroy the soul while avoiding the big bad. Makes it so your 3rd level party can feel accomplished at killing a much bigger threat without you having to obviously pull punches or depower them.
Weeeelll. I was hoping I didn't have to mention it because then people get all fed up with it but there are only 2 players. A wizard and a ranger. The ranger's bear has a maximum of 40 hit points. The bear has the most hit points out of both the players xD soooo I'm not sure. A clever lich (which is every lich) which just cloudkill or finger of death oooor power word: kill.
Plus then the lich would reform in a few days and hunt them down. I was thinking of a lich who didn't complete his transformating for "becoming" a lich. So is far to weak to channel the higher level spells. And one of the players said that he wanted a little more action. There was 1 fight, that was quickly over. The first one for the day was a huge construct. It was wwwwwwwaaaaaaaay to powerful for them. And both players were clever enough to dart inside and not fight it. Don't get me wrong! It's not a bad idea, but I was hoping for something "lich like" as I like the idea of liches being powerful and VERY RARE as it's not every wizard who becomes a lich. Let alone survive the transformation.
Also. This crypt is in a temple to an old and forgotten race. So he wouldn't be able to keep up with containing it with souls.
Sorry if I just ripped apart your aid! Sorry! But I will take it into the tool box anyway! Maybe I can use it for another time ^^ So thank you! ^^
You could use a wight that can cast a few spells that you pick. I wouldn't be too worried about using a Wraith if the characters are level 3-4, unless the players are very inexperienced they will be able to defeat it even if its only 2 character. Not without great risk, but the kind of NPC you are aiming for should be extremely dangerous. Why else would they be intimidated into running its errands?
Well I most of the time want my players to be able to turn down a request. This will be a lethal opponent, and a dangerous one at that (I hope) but it's not always that you're willing to give an evil looking undead his old tome back. The biggest problem for them (I think) is that he can drain them of resources, and they are gonna (hopefully) fight something else before they encounter him. But they cannot go to a long rest safely at the place they are now, so their hit points will be lower (I'm expecting) when they meet him.
But it is a fair point. Though I have a neutral good ranger, and helping an undead get his book back.. might not be his favored thing to do. xD
But it is a good point. One that I'm first now thinking of. Though it still would be a little weird if a lich couldn't get his book back. But I'll think about it.
It's a fair point...yeah. Thanks! ^^
Just an Idea: The deathlock is less powerfull then a lich, but is still a kind of undead caster. It also come with 2 levels of power: Regular at CR 4 and Mastermind at CR 8, wich is nothing compared to the regular lich's CR 21. It comes from Mordenkainen if you want look it's stats up, but it functions like a warlock with few spell slots but regains them easely, so that is to take in consideration.
Dungeon Master in the world of Greyhawk,
Rawilow
I could only get a glimpse of it's stat in a really weird way but it seemed perfect. I'll try to see if I can't print out it's stats. I am going for MTOF anyway as Zariel is in there ^^.
Thank you for the help! This might be it! ^^