I'm writing a side encounter/location that my party will most likely get to at level 8. It's basically the tower that used to belong to a diviner turned lich, but after a group of adventurers managed to partially damage its phylactery before being slain, it has been left in a miserable, tortuous state. It can still feed its phylactery and reincarnate through it, but it no longer has the knowledge to cast spells or repair the broken soul box. I was thinking of giving this broken lich the statistics of a bodak, since I just got Volo's Guide very recently and am just itching to use it, but bodaks are relatively low CR to be a boss for a level 8 party, so how do I make it more interesting without simply adding more hit points/monsters? (I'm intending for this encounter to be Hard or Medium, since this is more of a side encounter than one of the main 3 big ones I've been cooking up.) All suggestions are welcome.
Since it's a former wizard, maybe you could give it some spells. Shield and Mage Armor would give it some much needed protection, but it might cast all the way up to third level or higher at your discretion (not sure off the top of my head what would balance it).
You could also add traps or environmental hazards for the characters to navigate. Maybe the bodak is on the far side of a deep pit, maybe parts of its lair are filled with obscuring smoke (that, if it has spells, it could misty step into and effectively disappear), maybe the tower itself batters the adventurers or tries to shake them prone, etc.
Ok, I've been tinkering a bit with the bodak statblock and i think I've got something for the tower encounter. I already know what to fill the surrounding encounters leading up to it with (mostly darklings, vampiric mists, shadow mastiffs, and maybe a few sorrowsworn), so I'm more concerned about this encounter overall
Aura of Annihilation. The remnant can activate or deactivate this feature as a bonus action. While active, the aura deals 5 necrotic damage to any creature that ends its turn within 30 feet of the remnant. Undead and fiends ignore this effect.
Death Gaze. When a creature that can see the remnant’s eyes starts its turn within 30 feet of the remnant, the remnant can force it to make a DC 13 Constitution saving throw if the remnant isn’t incapacitated and can see the creature. If the saving throw fails by 5 or more, the creature is reduced to 0 hit points, unless it is immune to the frightened condition. Otherwise, a creature takes 16 (3d10) psychic damage on a failed save.
Unless surprised, a creature can avert its eyes to avoid the saving throw at the start of its turn. If the creature does so, it has disadvantage on attack rolls against the remnant until the start of its next turn. If the creature looks at the remnant in the meantime, it must immediately make the saving throw.
Sunlight Hypersensitivity. The remnant takes 5 radiant damage when it starts its turn in sunlight. While in sunlight, it has disadvantage on attack rolls and ability checks.
Legendary Resistance (1/Day). If the remnant fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead.
Rejuvenation. If it has a phylactery, a destroyed lich gains a new body in 1d10 days, regaining all its hit points and becoming active again. The new body appears within 5 feet of the phylactery.
Actions
Fist.Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d4 + 2) bludgeoning damage plus 9 (2d8) necrotic damage.
Withering Gaze. One creature that the remnant can see within 60 feet of it must make a DC 13 Constitution saving throw, taking 22 (4d10) necrotic damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.
Legendary Actions
The remnant can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options below. Only one legendary action option can be used at a time and only at the end of another creature's turn. The remnant regains spent legendary actions at the start of its turn.
Slam. The remnant makes a fist attack.
Killing Stare (Costs 2 Actions). The remnant uses its Withering Gaze. If the target fails its Constitution saving throw by 5 or more, it becomes paralyzed until the start of its next turn.
Imprisonment (Costs 3 Actions). The remnant attempts to feed its phylactery by targeting one creature it can see within 30 ft. and casting imprisonment, requiring no components. Intelligence is its spellcasting ability for this spell (spell save DC 9). Instead of choosing one of the normal options of the spell, the lich uses the spell to magically trap the target’s body and soul inside its phylactery. The phylactery must be on the same plane as the lich for the spell to work. A lich’s phylactery can hold only one creature at a time, and a dispel magic cast upon the phylactery releases any creature imprisoned within it, as well as any amount of radiant damage dealt to the damaged phylactery. A creature imprisoned in the phylactery for 24 hours is consumed and destroyed utterly, whereupon nothing short of divine intervention can restore it to life.
Lair and Lair Actions
A Lich Remnant’s Lair
A lich remnant often haunts the abode it favored in life, such as a lonely tower, a haunted ruin, or an academy of black magic. Alternatively, some liches, before the degradation of its phylactery, construct secret tombs filled with powerful guardians and traps.
Everything about a lich’s lair reflects the keen mind and wicked cunning it once had, including the magic and mundane traps that secure it. Although the lich remnant lacks the cunning to even craft simple traps, it can perfectly recall the wards it has made before.
Lair Actions
On initiative count 20 (losing initiative ties), the remnant takes a lair action to cause one of the following effects; the remnant can’t use the same effect two rounds in a row:
The remnant swivels its gaze towards its damaged phylactery, if it can see it. If it and the phylactery are within 30 ft. of each other, both regain 10 hit points.
The remnant's tower shakes violently. Each creature standing on or in the tower must succeed on a DC 13 Dexterity saving throw or fall prone. The remnant and creatures allied to it automatically succeed on the saving throw.
The remnant targets one creature it can see within 30 feet of it. A crackling cord of negative energy tethers the remnant to the target. Whenever the remnant takes damage, the target must make a DC 13 Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, the remnant takes half the damage (rounded down), and the target takes the remaining damage. This tether lasts until initiative count 20 on the next round or until the remnant or the target is no longer in the remnant’s lair.
The Damaged Phylactery
The lich remnant's damaged phylactery is a barrel-sized box made out of bone and glass, a Medium object with an AC of 15, 30 hit points, immunity to poison, psychic, and necrotic damage, resistance to cold, fire, lightning, and nonmagical bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage, and vulnerability to radiant damage. It has the lich remnant's Aura of Annihilation trait, which is always active.
Whenever the phylactery takes 5 or more non-radiant damage from a single source, a shadow is summoned in an unoccupied space within 5 feet of the phylactery. Each shadow has a hit point maximum of 1.
If the phylactery is permanently destroyed, the lich remnant loses its lair and legendary actions.
Think of it in concentric tiers with the main villain In the middle. Each layer/ring in the plot weakens the team until the demolich/bodak is a worthy for. the slavers A4 module,very old but a favorite of mine, brings the characters in stripped of all armor and equipment. They have to use their wits to overcome
who is the antagonist in the story? Maybe someone or something other than the demilich/bodak
hmm, that actually gives me an idea. basically what i've mapped out (not physically yet) is that the "dungeon" is a high, wide tower surrounded by a maze made out of mortared bone, which can only be entered into at night (the glow from the center of the tower evokes strong winds to prevent flying intruders). Perhaps if they can't get to the inside of the tower before morning, they will find the dungeon disappearing with the night, to prevent too many rests.
Just a notation on terms. Demilich is a very particular thing in D&D and relates to how a Lich prepares itself for engaging in far planar excursions. The Tomb of Horrors is the first time a Demilich is encountered and it is quite clear that the Demilich has a kind of watchdog like method of operation. It won't do anything to you unless you disturb it, and then if you do it seriously messes you up. Like Deck of Many Things Level screwjob. But, hey...no one told you to touch the thing.
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I'm writing a side encounter/location that my party will most likely get to at level 8. It's basically the tower that used to belong to a diviner turned lich, but after a group of adventurers managed to partially damage its phylactery before being slain, it has been left in a miserable, tortuous state. It can still feed its phylactery and reincarnate through it, but it no longer has the knowledge to cast spells or repair the broken soul box. I was thinking of giving this broken lich the statistics of a bodak, since I just got Volo's Guide very recently and am just itching to use it, but bodaks are relatively low CR to be a boss for a level 8 party, so how do I make it more interesting without simply adding more hit points/monsters? (I'm intending for this encounter to be Hard or Medium, since this is more of a side encounter than one of the main 3 big ones I've been cooking up.) All suggestions are welcome.
Since it's a former wizard, maybe you could give it some spells. Shield and Mage Armor would give it some much needed protection, but it might cast all the way up to third level or higher at your discretion (not sure off the top of my head what would balance it).
You could also add traps or environmental hazards for the characters to navigate. Maybe the bodak is on the far side of a deep pit, maybe parts of its lair are filled with obscuring smoke (that, if it has spells, it could misty step into and effectively disappear), maybe the tower itself batters the adventurers or tries to shake them prone, etc.
Good luck!
Wizard (Gandalf) of the Tolkien Club
You could always take a Bodak, give it max hitpoints, legendary resistances, legendary actions and/or lair actions to make it tougher.
"Not all those who wander are lost"
Man, I cannot see the word Bodak without thinking of Cardi B.
"Not all those who wander are lost"
Ok, I've been tinkering a bit with the bodak statblock and i think I've got something for the tower encounter. I already know what to fill the surrounding encounters leading up to it with (mostly darklings, vampiric mists, shadow mastiffs, and maybe a few sorrowsworn), so I'm more concerned about this encounter overall
Aura of Annihilation. The remnant can activate or deactivate this feature as a bonus action. While active, the aura deals 5 necrotic damage to any creature that ends its turn within 30 feet of the remnant. Undead and fiends ignore this effect.
Death Gaze. When a creature that can see the remnant’s eyes starts its turn within 30 feet of the remnant, the remnant can force it to make a DC 13 Constitution saving throw if the remnant isn’t incapacitated and can see the creature. If the saving throw fails by 5 or more, the creature is reduced to 0 hit points, unless it is immune to the frightened condition. Otherwise, a creature takes 16 (3d10) psychic damage on a failed save.
Unless surprised, a creature can avert its eyes to avoid the saving throw at the start of its turn. If the creature does so, it has disadvantage on attack rolls against the remnant until the start of its next turn. If the creature looks at the remnant in the meantime, it must immediately make the saving throw.
Sunlight Hypersensitivity. The remnant takes 5 radiant damage when it starts its turn in sunlight. While in sunlight, it has disadvantage on attack rolls and ability checks.
Legendary Resistance (1/Day). If the remnant fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead.
Rejuvenation. If it has a phylactery, a destroyed lich gains a new body in 1d10 days, regaining all its hit points and becoming active again. The new body appears within 5 feet of the phylactery.
Fist. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d4 + 2) bludgeoning damage plus 9 (2d8) necrotic damage.
Withering Gaze. One creature that the remnant can see within 60 feet of it must make a DC 13 Constitution saving throw, taking 22 (4d10) necrotic damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.
The remnant can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options below. Only one legendary action option can be used at a time and only at the end of another creature's turn. The remnant regains spent legendary actions at the start of its turn.
Slam. The remnant makes a fist attack.
Killing Stare (Costs 2 Actions). The remnant uses its Withering Gaze. If the target fails its Constitution saving throw by 5 or more, it becomes paralyzed until the start of its next turn.
Imprisonment (Costs 3 Actions). The remnant attempts to feed its phylactery by targeting one creature it can see within 30 ft. and casting imprisonment, requiring no components. Intelligence is its spellcasting ability for this spell (spell save DC 9). Instead of choosing one of the normal options of the spell, the lich uses the spell to magically trap the target’s body and soul inside its phylactery. The phylactery must be on the same plane as the lich for the spell to work. A lich’s phylactery can hold only one creature at a time, and a dispel magic cast upon the phylactery releases any creature imprisoned within it, as well as any amount of radiant damage dealt to the damaged phylactery. A creature imprisoned in the phylactery for 24 hours is consumed and destroyed utterly, whereupon nothing short of divine intervention can restore it to life.
Lair and Lair Actions
A Lich Remnant’s Lair
A lich remnant often haunts the abode it favored in life, such as a lonely tower, a haunted ruin, or an academy of black magic. Alternatively, some liches, before the degradation of its phylactery, construct secret tombs filled with powerful guardians and traps.
Everything about a lich’s lair reflects the keen mind and wicked cunning it once had, including the magic and mundane traps that secure it. Although the lich remnant lacks the cunning to even craft simple traps, it can perfectly recall the wards it has made before.
Lair Actions
On initiative count 20 (losing initiative ties), the remnant takes a lair action to cause one of the following effects; the remnant can’t use the same effect two rounds in a row:
The Damaged Phylactery
The lich remnant's damaged phylactery is a barrel-sized box made out of bone and glass, a Medium object with an AC of 15, 30 hit points, immunity to poison, psychic, and necrotic damage, resistance to cold, fire, lightning, and nonmagical bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage, and vulnerability to radiant damage. It has the lich remnant's Aura of Annihilation trait, which is always active.
Whenever the phylactery takes 5 or more non-radiant damage from a single source, a shadow is summoned in an unoccupied space within 5 feet of the phylactery. Each shadow has a hit point maximum of 1.
If the phylactery is permanently destroyed, the lich remnant loses its lair and legendary actions.
Think of it in concentric tiers with the main villain In the middle. Each layer/ring in the plot weakens the team until the demolich/bodak is a worthy for.
the slavers A4 module,very old but a favorite of mine, brings the characters in stripped of all armor and equipment. They have to use their wits to overcome
who is the antagonist in the story? Maybe someone or something other than the demilich/bodak
hmm, that actually gives me an idea. basically what i've mapped out (not physically yet) is that the "dungeon" is a high, wide tower surrounded by a maze made out of mortared bone, which can only be entered into at night (the glow from the center of the tower evokes strong winds to prevent flying intruders). Perhaps if they can't get to the inside of the tower before morning, they will find the dungeon disappearing with the night, to prevent too many rests.
Just a notation on terms. Demilich is a very particular thing in D&D and relates to how a Lich prepares itself for engaging in far planar excursions. The Tomb of Horrors is the first time a Demilich is encountered and it is quite clear that the Demilich has a kind of watchdog like method of operation. It won't do anything to you unless you disturb it, and then if you do it seriously messes you up. Like Deck of Many Things Level screwjob. But, hey...no one told you to touch the thing.