Legendary Resistance (3/Day). If the lich 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.
Spellcasting. The lich is an 18th-level spellcaster. Its spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 20, +12 to hit with spell attacks). The lich has the following wizard spells prepared:
Cantrips (at will): mage hand, prestidigitation, ray of frost
1st level (4 slots): detect magic, magic missile, shield, thunderwave
2nd level (3 slots): acid arrow, detect thoughts, invisibility, mirror image
3rd level (3 slots): animate dead, counterspell, dispel magic, fireball
4th level (3 slots): blight, dimension door
5th level (3 slots): cloudkill, scrying
6th level (1 slot): disintegrate, globe of invulnerability
7th level (1 slot): finger of death, plane shift
8th level (1 slot): dominate monster, power word stun
9th level (1 slot): power word kill
Turn Resistance. The lich has advantage on saving throws against any effect that turns undead.
Paralyzing Touch. Melee Spell Attack: +12 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 10 (3d6) cold damage. The target must succeed on a DC 18 Constitution saving throw or be paralyzed for 1 minute. The target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.
The lich 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 lich regains spent legendary actions at the start of its turn.
Cantrip. The lich casts a cantrip.
Paralyzing Touch (Costs 2 Actions). The lich uses its Paralyzing Touch.
Frightening Gaze (Costs 2 Actions). The lich fixes its gaze on one creature it can see within 10 feet of it. The target must succeed on a DC 18 Wisdom saving throw against this magic or become frightened for 1 minute. The frightened target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. If a target’s saving throw is successful or the effect ends for it, the target is immune to the lich’s gaze for the next 24 hours.
Disrupt Life (Costs 3 Actions). Each non-undead creature within 20 feet of the lich must make a DC 18 Constitution saving throw against this magic, taking 21 (6d6) necrotic damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.
A Lich’s Lair
A lich 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 construct secret tombs filled with powerful guardians and traps.
Everything about a lich’s lair reflects its keen mind and wicked cunning, including the magic and mundane traps that secure it. Undead, constructs, and bound demons lurk in shadowy recesses, emerging to destroy those who dare to disturb the lich’s work.
A lich encountered in its lair has a challenge rating of 22 (41,000 XP).
Lair Actions
On initiative count 20 (losing initiative ties), the lich can take a lair action to cause one of the following magical effects; the lich can’t use the same effect two rounds in a row:
- The lich rolls a d8 and regains a spell slot of that level or lower. If it has no spent spell slots of that level or lower, nothing happens.
- The lich targets one creature it can see within 30 feet of it. A crackling cord of negative energy tethers the lich to the target. Whenever the lich takes damage, the target must make a DC 18 Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, the lich 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 lich or the target is no longer in the lich’s lair.
- The lich calls forth the spirits of creatures that died in its lair. These apparitions materialize and attack one creature that the lich can see within 60 feet of it. The target must succeed on a DC 18 Constitution saving throw, taking 52 (15d6) necrotic damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a success. The apparitions then disappear.
still a well prepared caster. absolutely terrifying
liche just tpk like always
The way the Lich's damage immunities is worded, are they completely immune to all poison damage or just non magical damage? So for example would ray of sickness work because its poison from a magic spell?
It is immunity to all poison damage
Imagine 9 of these ... each one specialized in mastering a different school of magic
i hear you have to set up a ritual and drink a potion really hard to pull of, but that makes sense for that level of power.
"To become a lich, you must take an object of great importance to you, and make it a vessel for souls using dark evil magic described in the book of vile darkness. then you must make a Lich's potion, this is the hard part, it requires 2 drops of arsenic, 1 drop of belladonna juice, 1 Quart of Dead unicorn blood, killed by Wyvern Venom, 1 quart of blood from a dead demi-human, slain by a phase spider, 1 quart of vampire blood, the full intact heart of a humanoid, killed by poison, the reproductive glands of 5 giant moths ground together, 1 pint of phase spider venom, 1 pint of wyvern venom. These ingredients must be added exactly in order, all within the light of a full moon. the potion is a thick black sparkling liquid and must be drunk within 7 days after creation. When drunken, you will die. after which, so long as your phylactery is on your person at all times, you will be brought back from death 1d6 days afterward, and be an immortal Lich with all of the benefits." At least that's it in my campaign lol.
Lichess be better than Chess.com
These are really powerful, but if you consider that they have 20 Intelligence, paranoia, and eternity to prepare, they shouldn't be possible to defeat at all.
have the party face against 10 liches with individual initiatives for each of them, they will NEVER forgive you
Not in their lair. The trick to defeating a lich is to draw them out. A well prepared lich in their stronghold is unkillable. They'll have glyphs of warding everywhere, powerful monsters to wear down the party, traps galore, etc.
However, cut off their access to souls, or steal something important to them, or harass the outside of their fortress enough that you become a problem. Threaten them in some way and force them to exit their prepared killing space, and fight the battle on your terms, or at the very least, not on their own. Then, all you have to do is make it through that killing space and take out their phylactery before they reform, otherwise you get to do the whole thing again, except this time the lich knows what you're up to.
liches are snitchers
How could you get immortality through Clone?
Not directly, but you can have your clone be a younger version of yourself.
Yes it does. You can make your clone as young as you want. It notably also allows you to make True Polymorth undispellable.
The lich fell into a ditch, had to get more than one stitch, his name was Mitch, and he had to scratch an itch.
Behold, modern poetry.
how do you become a lich? asking for a friend
I have a quick question for you my friend, would you say these spell tweaks would be too strong if I were to incorporate these changes into a playable lich race?
Spell selection should largely be a choice based on class, not on race in my opinion. A race that somehow grants access to spells of level 1-9 would be way too strong (again, in my opinion). This is a high-CR monster for a reason, in large part based off its spell capabilities. Be careful granting that to just anyone (due to race). Good luck.
I appreciate it my friend. Thank you for the advice