Lich

[oslecamo]

Lich



Prerequisites
To become a lich, the character must meet the following requirements

Feats: Craft wondrous item
Spells: Able to cast Spells and caster level 11 or higher.
Special: Must create a Phylactery. See page 168 of the monster manual for the requirements a lich must meet to construct its phylactery, except the total price is just 12 000 GP, and doesn't demand exp payment (you're already puting your soul inside of it after all).
HD:d12

Level	BAB	Fort	Ref	Will	Special
1st	+0	+0	+0	+2	Fell magic, Dark touch, Undying body, Fell defense
2nd	+1	+0	+0	+3	Dark refuge, Undying terror, Improved dark touch, Dark Mind

Skills: 2+int mod. A lich has no class skills

Proficiencies: A Lich gains proficiency with their dark touch

Features:

Undying Body:Unlike other monster classes, the Lich doesn't lose his racial ability modifiers, but he does gain undead traits:

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* No Constitution score.
* Darkvision out to 60 feet.
* Immunity to all mind-affecting effects (charms, compulsions, phantasms, patterns, and morale effects).
* Immunity to poison, sleep effects, paralysis, stunning, disease, and death effects.
* Not subject to critical hits, nonlethal damage, ability drain, or energy drain. Immune to damage to its physical ability scores (Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution), as well as to fatigue and exhaustion effects.
* Heals naturally.
* Immunity to any effect that requires a Fortitude save (unless the effect also works on objects or is harmless).
* Uses its Charisma modifier for Concentration checks.
* Not at risk of death from massive damage, but when reduced to 0 hit points or less, it is immediately destroyed, unless it has activated it's fast healing ability.
* Not affected by Raise Dead and reincarnate spells or abilities. Resurrection and True Resurrection can affect undead creatures. These spells turn undead creatures back into the living creatures they were before becoming undead.
* Liches don't need to breath, eat, or sleep. However, a Lich may do any of the three if desired.

It is an undead creature of the same size as previously. Do not recalculate saves and skill points. In addition, a lich's current and future hit dice become d12s and they gain a Nat armor bonus equal to their highest mental stat mod, overwriting any previous natural armor. If the lich  already had a bigger Natural armor bonus, instead increase it by 2. Finally the Lich gains a racial bonus on  Hide, Listen, Move Silently, Search, Sense Motive, and Spot checks equal to half its HD.


Fell Magic: A lich who takes further levels in a spellcasting class can count his lich levels as levels of that class for purposes of CL and for the purposes of learning new spells and getting new spell slots. So for example, a lich 2 wizard 11 who took another level of wizard could choose to have CL 14, get 1 6th level spell slot, and 1 7th level slot. He wouldn't get the spell slots of a wizard 12 however.

Dark Touch: A lich gains a touch attack that deals damage equal to 1d8+ the lich's ability bonus of the ability score its spellcasting is based on. A lich with multiple spellcasting classes uses the class with the highest ability bonus.


Fell Defense: The unholy magic that animates the lich begins to ward off certain attacks. They gain electricity resistance, cold resistance, and a bonus on saves against polymorphing equal to their hit dice. They also gain  DR/magic and bludgeoning equal to half their HD. If they already had a DR that is needs bludgeoding and/or magic to bypass, it increases by half their HD.

Dark Refuge: At second level, a lich Gains the ability to retreat into their phylactery when their body is destroyed. While in it's phylactery, a lich can see and hear out to a radius of 120ft but cannot take any actions. After 1d10 days, the lich will form a new body near its phylactery that is identical to its previous form.


Undying Terror: A second level lich gains an aura of fear that effects any enemies in a 5ft per HD radius. Any enemy inside that radius must make a will save (DC10+1/2HD+the lich's spellcasting ability modifier) or be shaken for 1 round per HD of the lich. If the creature has fewer than half the liches HD(rounded down), then the creature becomes panicked instead and is still shaken for 1 round on a successful saving throw. A creature that makes a successful saving throw is immune to this ability for 24 hours. This can affect even creatures normally immune to fear, but they gain a +5 bonus on their saves. The lich may produce a smaller radius than maximum if it wishes so, to a minimum of 5 feets.

Improved Dark Touch: Any creature hit by the dark touch of a second level lich must make a fortitude saving throw(DC10+1/2HD+spellcasting ability mod) or become paralyzed. This paralysis last until removed, either by a remove paralysis spell or magic that can remove a curse. The paralyzed creature appears dead but a DC20 spot check or a DC15 heal check will reveal the creature is still alive

Dark Mind: At 2nd level the Lich gains an extra +2 to a mental ability score of its choice.

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Malevolent Lich.
Loses: Dark Refuge
Gains: Corpse Refuge.
At 2nd level a Malevolent Lich who is destroyed  retreats into its phylactry. If there's a corpse that's not been dead for more than 10 days, and that dead body is of the Malevolent Lich's original size, within 30 feet, the Malevolent Lich can transfer its powers into it over a 24 hour process. If not interrupted, the corpse becomes a new Malovelent Lich, with all the properties of the previous. If no proper corpses are nearby, the Malevolent Lich will remain trapped inside its Phylactry.


Suel Lich.
Loses: Dark Refuge
Gains: Take Over
At 2nd level a Suel Lich sacrifices its Phylactery to gain the Incorporeal subtype. Once per round, an ethereal Suel Lich can merge its body with that of a creature on the Material Plane. This effect is similar to that of a magic jar spell (caster level equal to the Suel Lich's Hit Dice), except that no receptacle is required and the other creature's soul is sent to their afterlife. To use this ability, the Suel Lich must use a standard action while adjacent to the intended victim, trying to move into the target's space, but doing so does not provoke attacks of opportunity. The target can resist the attack with a successful Will save (DC 10+1/2HD + the Suel Lich's highest mental stat mod). If failed, their soul is sent to the afterlife and their body will be dead if the Suel Lich willingly ends the effect or is otherwise removed. A creature that successfully saves is immune to that same Suel Lich's's Take Over for 24 hours, and the Suel Lich cannot enter the target's space. If the save fails, the Suel Lich vanishes into the target's body.

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Phylactry Possession
Prerequisite: Dark Refuge or Malevolence class abilities.
Benefit: While inside your phylactry, you can replicate Magic Jar as the spell as a 1 hour ritual, except you must target a corpse that's not been dead for more than 24 hours.  Your phylactry's normal recuperation method is halted while you're possessing the corpse.

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When making the lich it took a while to decide how to handle the spellcasting. In the end I went with the same method used for other monsters designed to multiclass into spellcasting classes. I also made their fear aura more useful, so it can affect creatures above 6HD.

Contributed by Crafty Cultist from GITP

[oslecamo]

Demilich



Prerequisites
To become a Demilich, the character must meet the following requirements

Spells: Be a spellcaster of 21st level or higher.
Special: Must have both Lich prc levels. Must craft its own Soul Gems (described below)

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Liches have phylacteries that allow them to reappear 1d10 days after their apparent death, as do Demiliches. Demiliches also have eight soul gems, each of which acts like a phylactery in its own right. If all the soul gems, as well as the Demilich’s phylactery, are not destroyed after a demilich is downed, the demilich reappears 1d10 days after its apparent death. The soul gems also allow the Demilich to use its most devastating ability, Capture the Soul (see the class below). Each Demilich must make its own soul gems, which requires the Craft Wondrous Item feat. Each soul gem costs 120,000 gp and 4,800 XP to create and has a caster level equal to that of its creator at the time of creation. Soul gems appear as egg-shaped gems of wondrous quality. They are always incorporated directly into the concentrated form of the Demilich.

HD:d12

Level	BAB	Fort	Ref	Will	Feature
1	+0	+0	+0	+2	Demilich Body,  Perfect Magic, Phylactery Transference , +1 Int, +1 Wis, +1 Cha
2	+1	+0	+0	+3	Warded Bone, Endless Library, Dark Immunity,  +1 Int, +1 Wis, +1 Cha
3	+1	+1	+1	+3	Fell Senses,  Harvest Touch, Dark Immunity, +1 Int, +1 Wis, +1 Cha
4	+2	+1	+1	+4	Essence of Terror, Fell Insight, Dark Immunity,  +1 Int, +1 Wis, +1 Cha
5	+2	+1	+1	+4	Beyond the Material, Magi Supremacy,  Dark Immunity,  +1 Int, +1 Wis, +1 Cha
6	+3	+2	+2	+5	Capture the Soul, Tenacious Magic, Dark Immunity, +1 Int, +Wis, +1 Cha

2 Skill points+Int mod per level, quadruple at 1st level. Class skills: none.

Proficiencies:A Demilich doesn't gain any new proficiencies


Features:

Demilich Body: Unlike other monster classes, the Demilich maintains most of its previous racial traits except as noted here.

The demilich chooses a part of its body (usually the skull, but hands or spines are also relatively popular choices). The Soul Gems are incrustated in that part of the Demilich at first level of this class and then the rest of its body permanently crumbles to dust. This makes the Demilich to be reduced three size categories, gaining all apropriate bonus and penalties except for ability score and natural armor changes.

Obviously the Demilich can't move normally anymore, but instead it can magically float  with perfect maneuverability at a speed of 30 feet per Demilich level, up to 180 feet at 6th level. It can also use Disguise or Hide to stand perfectly still and pretend it's an inanimate object, opposed by observer's Spot checks.

If the selected body part was capable of a natural attack, the Demilich retains it, but loses any other natural weapons. Dark touch can always be used regardless of the part chosen, simply by flying towards its target and contacting them. It can also project a magic voice if it no longer has a jaw, for both communication and spellcasting.

Finally the demilich is now immune to any effects that would cut off parts from its body, like Vorpal.

Perfect Magic: The Demilich keeps improving its base magic capabilities. Levels from this class stack with the highest caster class the Demilich has for caster level purposes (note that epic spellcasters don't gain new spell slots or spells known anyway).

In addition it no longer needs any somatic components for its spells.

Phylactery Transference:Headbands, belts, rings, cloaks, and other wearable items kept in close association with the demilich’s phylactery transfer all their benefits to the demilich no matter how far apart the demilich and the phylactery are located. The standard limits on types of items utilized simultaneously still apply. This also includes spell components.

Ability Score Increase: The Demilich gains +1 to Int, Wis and Cha at all levels, for a total of +6 Int, +6 Wis and +6 Cha at 6th level.


Warded Bone:The Demilich's body has been filled with protective enchantments so many times it has become saturated with them. At 2nd level the Demilich gains resistance to Fire, Acid, Sonic and Turning equal to its HD, and its DR improves to DR/epic and bludgeoning.

Endless Library: After centuries or even millenia, the Demilich can effortesslly use a wide variety of magic. At 2nd level the Demilich can cast the following spells as SLAs at will [Astral Projection, Create Greater Undead, Create Undead, Death knell, Enervation, Greater Dispel Magic, Harm (usually used to heal itself), Summon Monster I-IX, Telekinesis, Weird]. Save DCs are 10+1/2 HD+Cha mod, and any limits on CL are removed.

In addition the Demilich can use  Greater Planar Ally as a SLA 2/day.

Dark Immunity:The Demilich progressively becomes completely immune to certain problems even normal undeath doesn't automatically escape. At every level but 1st pick one of the following options
-Immunity to Cold.
-Immunity to Electricity.
-Immunity to Polymorph and any other effects that would change its chape against its will.
-Immunity to any effects that would make it act against its will, like Control Undead and Rebuke/Command, but not Turning/Feints or any effect that simply makes the Demilich unable to act.

Fell Senses: No longer hindered by a clunky skeleton, Demiliches move whitout drawing notice while carefully observing their surroundings. At 3rd level the Demilich gains a racial bonus equal to its HD on Hide, Listen, Move Silently, Search, Sense Motive, and Spot checks.
 
Harvest Touch:A simple caress on the jeweled bone ruins the greatest heroes. At 3rd level the Demilich's touch attack now deals 1d8 per HD plus Main Mental Stat mod damage, and the target needs to make a Fort save with DC 10+HD+Main Mental Stat mod or become permanently paralyzed. Remove paralysis or any spell that can remove a curse can free the victim. The effect cannot be dispelled. Anyone paralyzed by a demilich seems dead, though a successful Spot check (DC 10+HD+Main mental stat mod) or Heal check (DC 10+1/2HD+Main Mental Stat mod) reveals that the victim is still alive. Even those immune to paralyzis can be affected by this, but they gain a +5 bonus on their saves.

Essence of Terror:At 4th level the Demilich is surrounded by a pure aura of dread and fear. Enemies with less than half its HD are automatically panicked unless they're immune to fear (in which case they get the save, but whitout the +5 bonus anymore). Other enemies are panicked in a failed save and shaken in a sucessfull save unless they're immune to fear (they're still panicked if they fail the save).

In addition creatures suceeding on their saving throws against this effect no longer gain immunity against the demilich's fear aura for 24 hours, and must save again next turn.

Fell Insight:The Demilich's mind becomes even more cold and calculating, planning every move several steps ahead. At 4th level it gains an Insight bonus to AC and attack rolls equal to its HD.

Beyond the Material:The Demilich mind moves almost on its own, barely recognizing it's still enclosed in a physical vessel. At 5th level it gains Blinding Speed and Automatic Quicken Spell as bonus Epic Feats even if it doesn't meet the prerequisites. If it already had them, it may select another Epic Feats it qualifies for on a 1 for 1 basis.

Magi Supremacy: Very few can hope to suceed against a Demilich in a contest of raw magic. At 5th level a Demilich is immune to all magical and supernatural effects, except as follows. A shatter spell affects a Demilich as if it were a crystalline creature, but deals half the damage normally indicated. A Dispel Evil spell deals 3d6 points of damage (Fort save for half damage). Holy Smite spells affect Demiliches normally. It may still let benefical magics and supernatural effects affect it as it wishes.

Otherwise it laughs at magic. It slips trough entangles and animated tentacles, orbs harmlessly dissipate over it, force effects could as well not be there, and so on.

Capture the Soul: At 6th level the Soul Gems have finally fully crystalized into the Demilich, and they can now be used for their true dark purpose.

A demilich can trap the souls of up to eight living creatures per day. To use this power, as a standard action it selects any target it can see within 300 feet. The target is allowed a Fort saving throw (DC 10 + demilich’s HD + demilich’s highest Mental Stat modifier). If the target makes its saving throw, it gains four negative levels, or two negative levels if it was immune to such effect (this does not count as a use of trap the soul). If the target fails its save, the soul of the target is instantly drawn from its body and trapped within one of the gems incorporated into the demilich’s form. The gem gleams wickedly for 24 hours, indicating the captive soul within. The soulless body collapses in a mass of corruption and molders in a single round, reduced to dust. If left to its own devices, the demilich slowly devours the soul over 24 hours—at the end of that time the soul is completely absorbed, and the victim is forever gone unless the Demilich decides to release it from the darkest pits of its mind, something it can never be forced to do unwillingly. The Demilich recovers all lost HP and any harmfull effects on it are removed when this happens.

In addition the  The Demilich gains all memories and knowledge of the consumed soul, including even those that were tampered with magic or simply forgoten by the original being. From the first baby cry to the last breath, the Demilich now has the full reportoire of its life.


 If the demilich is overcome before the soul is eaten, crushing the gem releases the soul, after which time it is free to seek the afterlife or be returned to its body by the use of either resurrection, true resurrection, clone, or miracle.

Despite the name, Capture the Soul can be used just fine on constructs and other such "soulless" beings, in which case it captures its essence.

Tenacious Magic: The Demilich's magic prevails. At 6th level it gains Tenacious Magic as a bonus Epic Feat.


Comments

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I had already done quite a few number of epic monsters, but this is the first one I do that already starts on epic.

Overall, the demilich was already filled with lots of abilities. Numerous immunities and resistances, bonus feats, lots of SLAs, you name it!

Still added a few custom abilities here and there. Replaced immunity to mind-affecting (already granted by being an undead thank you very much) by immunity to "dirty tricks to get undeads under your control". Also improved Trap Capture the Soul by removing most limitations, and added the extra benefit of learning everything your poor victims did, even if they themselves don't remember it anymore. Not that much brute power, but brutally efficient if you know how to use it.

Epic usefull feats (and kinda useful at that) plus +6 to mental scores helps rounding it up.

Now I would really like to see a Demilich pretending it is some kind of artifact while leting itself be "wielded" by a group of adventurers.

So if you want to play a flying pimped piece of bone, the Demilich's for you!

[Saxavarius]

It is an undead creature of the same size as previously. Do not recalculate saves and skill points. In addition, a lich gains a natural armor bonus equal to the ability bonus they use for spellcasting and all current and future hit dice become d12s

In addition they gain a Nat armor bonus equal to their highest mental stat mod, overwriting any previous natural armor. If the lich  already had a bigger Natural armor bonus, instead increaseit by 2.

Do you gain the bonuses from both or just the better number?

[oslecamo]

Typo fixed, you only gain it once.

[Yogibear41]

If I am say a cleric, and I use dark magic on a level when I first gain spells of a particular level do I lose my domain spell of that level forever since I only ever gain 1 domain spell slot for that level?

[oslecamo]

Correct. You can prevent that by juggling with the levels a bit, cleric 1-11/lich 1/cleric 12/lich 2.

[Yogibear41]

I don't suppose that could be applied to a prestige class that was 8/10 casting to just skip the dead levels ha ha 

[oslecamo]

I don't see how it could work, since the progression only happens on the lich levels themselves.

[Zanos]

Does Magi Supremacy render the Demilich immune to dispelling?

And when you gain the Tenacious Magic bonus feat at 6th level, does it apply to all your spells, or do you have to pick one?

[oslecamo]

Yes to dispelling from spells, but not from other sources.

Tenacious magic works as the basic epic feat, so you have to pick a spell.

[Yogibear41]

Can you make iteratives with the touch attack or is it limited to once per round, no matter what your BAB is?  Does the Touch attack use negative energy?  Can he heal himself with it?

[oslecamo]

No, no, and no.

[Starmage21]

Would you consider adding a Malevolence-like class feature? Back in the 2e days liches had the ability to possess bodies that were within range of their phylactery and they used the physical body a lot like Malevolence or Magic Jar describes and they didnt regenerate new bodies at all. They could become trapped if no body was available to possess nearby their phylactery.

I'm fairly certain that the "regenerate a new body" was a 3e+ thing. But Suel Liches (Drag mag) were given Malevolence and they dont make phylacteries at all.

Where would be a good place to put it as an ACF otherwise?

[TC X0 Lt 0X]

By bodies you mean dead bodies correct?
It could be solid as a feat Id think.

Malevolence
Some liches can attach their souls to fallen bodies...
Prerequisite: Lich 2nd, Dark refuge class feature, Magic Jar on spells known list
Benefit: In a 1 hour process a lich who is residing in his phylactery (usually do to his body being destroyed), can transfer his soul into a nearby body, as Magic Jar, but the body must be dead. After a sufficient amount of time has passed, he may regenerate his original body as normal, abandoning the possessed body.

a quick potential right up.

[oslecamo]

Added feat and ACF.

[Starmage21]

By bodies you mean dead bodies correct?
It could be solid as a feat Id think.

Malevolence
Some liches can attach their souls to fallen bodies...
Prerequisite: Lich 2nd, Dark refuge class feature, Magic Jar on spells known list
Benefit: In a 1 hour process a lich who is residing in his phylactery (usually do to his body being destroyed), can transfer his soul into a nearby body, as Magic Jar, but the body must be dead. After a sufficient amount of time has passed, he may regenerate his original body as normal, abandoning the possessed body.

a quick potential right up.

In the Encyclopedia Magica it says the body must be recently dead. So this would be pretty close.

[TC X0 Lt 0X]

So with bodies recently being dead (died within 10 days), would you want Gentle Repose to extend the time the body could be used?

It is kind of a edge case really, but I imagine it would be a little more convenient for a lich to keep a Gentle Repose trap on top of his spare corpse while adventuring so he doesn't have to go and get a new corpse stocked every 10 days in his phylactery crypt on some demiplane hidden under a two dozen wards and spells =P

[Starmage21]

I think that by the time you can take the lich class, having a preserved body on hand is probably a moot point because its something you can definitely do easily. I think your write-up is fine as a result, because I see no need to force extra book keeping on players, especially players already playing a spellcasting class.

Suel Liches get the actual Malevolence ability that Ghosts do. It functions like Magic Jar, except the host life essence doesnt go into a receptacle, it just dies. You can kill the body, but the lich isnt harmed. To kill the lich, you have to harm its incorporeal form while its not possessing a body. Suel Liches dont have phylacteries.
See Dragon #339, page 58-60.

[oslecamo]

An ACF means actually losing something. If any old pile of bones woukd do, then the Malevolent Lich would be strictly superior to a vanilla Lich simply because it'll always regenerate faster without any real extra work.

Added Suel Lich ACF.