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.
Dispelling Venom: When it deals poison damage to a creature, any spell effects that are of second level or lower are removed from the creature.
Second Skin. When the Anathema Lich drops to 0 hit points, to sheds its skin and regains 150 hit points back and regains 1d12 levels of spell slots.
Magic Resistance. The anathema has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
Ophidiophobia Aura. Any creature of the anathema’s choice, other than a snake or a yuan-ti, that starts its turn within 30 feet of the anathema and can see or hear it must succeed on a DC 17 Wisdom saving throw or become frightened of snakes and yuan-ti. A 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 this aura for the next 24 hours.
Six Heads. The anathema has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks and on saving throws against being blinded, charmed, deafened, frightened, stunned, or knocked
unconscious.
Spellcasting. The lich is an 17th-level spellcaster. Its spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 20, +12 to hit with spell attacks). The lich has the following wizard spells prepared:
Cantrips (at will): mage hand, prestidigitation, chill touch, poison spray
1st level (4 slots): detect magic, magic missile, shield, ray of sickness, arms of hadar
2nd level (3 slots): crown of madness, darkness, invisibility, mirror image, wither and bloom
3rd level (3 slots): animate dead, counterspell, fear, fireball, summon undead
4th level (3 slots): blight, dimension door, polymorph
5th level (3 slots): cloudkill, summon draconic spirit, enervation
6th level (1 slot): circle of death, soul cage
7th level (1 slot): finger of death, plane shift
8th level (1 slot): dominate monster, power word stun, abi-dalzim's horrid wilting
9th level (1 slot): shapechange
Turn Resistance. The lich has advantage on saving throws against any effect that turns undead.
Multiattack (Anathema Form Only). The anathema lich makes two claw attacks, and it can make one cantrip, or one Flurry of Bites attack.
Claw (Anathema Form Only). Melee Weapon Attack: + 10 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 13 (2d6 + 4) slashing damage.{"diceNotation":"1d20+10","rollType":"spell","rollAction":"Claw"}[/rollable] to hit, reach 10 ft., one creature. Hit: 13 (2d6+4) poison damage. The target must succeed on a DC 18 Constitution saving throw or be poisoned 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.
Flurry of Bites. Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 10 ft., one creature. Hit: 27 (6d6 + 4) piercing damage plus 14 (4d6) poison damage.
Melee weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 27 (6d6+4) poison damage.
Shapechanger. The anathema can use its bonus action to polymorph into a Huge venomous snake, or back into its true form. Its statistics are the same in each form. Any equipment it is wearing or carrying isn’t transformed. It also cannot be forced into another form, such as the polymorph spell.
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.
Flurry of Bites (Costs 2 Actions). The lich uses its Flurry of Bites.
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 (4d6) necrotic damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.
Lair and Lair Actions
An Anathema lich’s Lair
An Anathema lich often resides in the city it ruled over.
Everything about a lich’s lair reflects its keen mind and wicked cunning, including the magic and mundane traps that secure it. Its Yuan-Ti soldiers prowl the grounds, perhaps concerned with their leader's descent but too frightened to fight against.
An Anathema 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:
- 3 venomous snakes crawl into the area and enter the initiative tracker.
- 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 anathema lich pulls down a wave of poison filling an area of 20 ft radius. the spirits of creatures that died in its lair. Those caught in the area must succeed on a DC 18 Constitution saving throw, taking 24 (8d6) poisondamage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a success. The wave then disappears.
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