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.
thats really cool cause i am going to use it to slaughter my players and then take their stuff and dnce n ther bons and then i will murdr them and then they wil di
You can make the clone be a younger version of yourself so it does effectively save you from old age. Or at least if you die of old age your soul just goes into a younger body of yourself.
I think the reason wizards don’t opt for the clone spell is because of the costs of the spell followed by the risks associated with it. A clone is easier to destroy than a phylactory and you don’t get access to any extra abilities beyond the human capacity. As a lich, you gain access to new abilities and magical knowledge, and the risk to you is far less dangerous. Magic that “steals” a soul would outright kill a clone user, but it wouldn’t affect a lich.
I'm trying to pick out music for each Otherworldly Patron in case one of my players wants to try a warlock and wants to talk to their patron. I chose this for Undying. Any better suggestions?
you think this is strong, see mindflayer (Alhoon) lich. it has a callenge rating of 41 (27,000 xp)
This is actually a really good question.
Something that makes D&D Liches unique from other franchises is that they are hardly ever motivated by a simple aversion to death, because there are plenty of easier (and often less taboo) methods of extending life aside.
Clone as you pointed out, is the obvious option (see Manshoon). Since a prospective Lich is unlikely to care much about his social life, you could use Plane Shift to pack up and move somewhere you don’t age (like the Astral sea). An even cheaper option for unscrupulous mages is Magic Jar (which is essentially a bootleg phylactery).
So, someone passing over these options for Lichdom doesn’t just want to live longer. They wish to transcend the frailties of mortal flesh, and step beyond the gods-governed natural cycles of life. In other words, you become a Lich because it’s the closest thing to apotheosis available.
Well tonight's game looks to be intense to say the least!
According to the book, they feed their phylacteries through Imprisonment. Why don’t they have Imprisonment?!
DM for his heavily homebrewed campaign for three new players: No... No this isn't strong enough.
Additional 9th level spell slot: Added
More Spells to Choose From: Added
Robes of the Archmagi: Added
Extravagant Amounts of Magic Items: Added, Added, & Added
More that we have yet to see: Presumably Added
Party's Dead Cleric: In Progress
Since they're a wizard, and have probably been around for a long enough time to gather nearly every wizard spell, they almost certainly do have imprisonment, they just don't ever prepare it unless they know they're going to use it. The list given here is what they prepare on a day to day basis, not necessarily every single spell they know. Because of the long casting time, it's not good in a surprise emergency, so it's only ever necessary to use after you've captured somebody to imprison
I think you would have to be at least an 18th level wizard, sorcerer, or cleric (it's very rare for it not to be a wizard) then there's a complex ritual that can risk you not being strong enough and becoming a boneclaw instead. You'd also need a phylactery which according to https://forgottenrealms.fandom.com/wiki/Lich "While crafting the phylactery taxed the physical strength of the caster, the materials and components could easily exceed 120,000 GP. Overall, creating a phylactery was a very daunting task for anyone of arcane power." So I would probably apply similar rules to creating an Iron Golem, which requires a Manual of Iron Golems, so maybe there should be a magic Item called Manual of Lichdom. Anyways it's not that easy to become a Lich, also it's probably not a good idea because the rest of the party might kill you.
Do we have any information about Baelnorns at all? I see information from earlier editions online. But anything in 5 ed other than a passing mention in the sword coast guide.
There are three ways (As far as I know) to become a lich;
1. Make a deal with Orcus, demon prince of Undeath, who can tell you how to do it, this is how Vecna, God of Liches did it.
2. Find and read an artefact called The Book of Vile Darkness. This book was written by Vecna and the description says that "The book could hold a ritual that allows a character to become a lich or death knight."
3. In the adventure "The curse of Strahd" there is an ancient entity
trapped in a block of amber, inside of the amber temple
who can teach a player, although that is probably a bad idea.
Also maybe the Wish spell or a Cleric's Divine Intervention?
Is this a bad idea for 5 level 3s?
It depends on the context but in a straight fight, yes. To just talk to, it would be okay. Even if if they're just trying survive they most likely wouldn't make it.
Dont ever encounter it just try to flee its lair or something? it just watches, laughing madly...
Yep, I frankly have thought about that.
A regular lich is evil, however, so take note of it. For the inspiration, you can take it from this one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TwCk_HKsPM8
As for the stats, I'd say keep the race, as pretty much every Lich listed in many sources (wiki entries, etc.) has a "race" listed. Liches are also listed as "Wizard" class so a custom class would be just a waste of your precious time in my opinion. I think that it's just best to throw some "doesn't need to eat and drink" trait to them, perhaps with poison damage & poisoned status immunity and that'd be it to keep it balanced. Do not change the type of the character to "Undead" from "Humanoid" as that'd break the balance of enemy spells or attacks & cause friendly fire from party Clerics.
I'm still working on setting one nicely myself, as one of my lawful evil players is slowly nearing to lichdom.
This is what I’ve gotten from previous editions. Generally, a wizard needs to be able to cast 9th level spells to become a lich, but one could hypothetically get by with just 6th level spells by cutting corners or getting help.
The exact details of the process are intentionally vague, because it’s the kind of information that has detrimental effects just to have in your head. Usually the key elements are a sacrifice, a damning sin (willingly undertaken), and an extraplanar force. A poisonous mixture brewed from the blood of the innocent, is a staple. It’s generally an all or nothing thing.
For existing Liches, a lot of their traits (notably True Sight and some of their immunities) are actually the result of magical modifications, layered over their centuries of existence. Nevertheless, even new liches who just have Darkvision and resistance to physical damage are still brokenly powerful.
Actually a Ilithidlich has a cr of “only” 22.
Comment #AT if the first thing you thought of when you saw the lich was Adventure Time!