Best Way to Find the Phylactery

[Natural20]

Xykon throws himself at the rift, blows himself up, then regenerates 1d10 days later right where the phylactery is. Problem solved.

What could possibly go wrong? :smallcool:

[Hacktor]

He would lose 1d10 days of watching TEEVO :P

[Prak]

and crafting items, and visiting wrath upon his underlings, and finding Redcloak, and finding O-Chul and V, and figuring out who stole his kills.


And he doesn't know for a fact what exactly would happen if he had an intimate encounter with the rift.

[Porthos]

Xykon throws himself at the rift...

And *bang*, Xykon is devoured by The Snarl.

No more Xykon.

Remember, the last time this happened, Xykon was destroyed by the protections set on the Gate by Dorukan and NOT by the Rift itself. (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0114.html)

Or to put it another way:

Gate ≠ Rift. :smallcool:

[Atcote]

That, and he grows back gradually, so if someone finds the phylactery while he's still regenerating - if someone finds it, and they're an enemy, they'll most certainly find some way to destroy it utterly (and we don't know how long it's been enchanted with abjurations). However, if he's seperate from it, and it gets destroyed WITHOUT his soul being inside it, it just means that, basically, he's a 'mortal' undead. One chance is better than none.

[dragoncmd]

and crafting items, and visiting wrath upon his underlings, and finding Redcloak, and finding O-Chul and V, and figuring out who stole his kills.


And he doesn't know for a fact what exactly would happen if he had an intimate encounter with the rift.

I'm willing to bet that he wouldn't have anything worse than being destroyed normally. The rift de-creates whatever enters it, but since a lich's soul is in the plath-thingamabobber thers no reason he shouldn't be able to ressurect. Now if I'm wrong about his soul being stored there instead of his body, the rift may be the magic "kill Xykon in one round" item.

[Mystic Muse]

Xykon still has his soul. it's only out of him if he dies. even if that isn't the way it works the snarls UNMAKES the thing it doesn't destroy it.

destroy = chance of coming back
unmade= your very existence is erased

[Porthos]

I'm willing to bet that he wouldn't have anything worse than being destroyed normally. The rift de-creates whatever enters it, but since a lich's soul is in the plath-thingamabobber thers no reason he shouldn't be able to ressurect. Now if I'm wrong about his soul being stored there instead of his body, the rift may be the magic "kill Xykon in one round" item.

Slight SoD Spoilers:We know that Xykon's soul is in his body when he's up and walking around. At least that's what Xykon claims.

We also know that The Snarl devours the soul of anyone it slays. Not even the mightiest of magics (Epic or Deity) can return to life a person who has been killed by The Snarl. So if Xykon's soul is in his body, it will be devoured when The Snarl kills him.

Besides, if you're Xykon, would you really be willing to risk your Immortal Soul on a gambit like this? We're not exactly talking about the loose change at the bottom of one of his pouches here, you know. :smallamused:

[Grey Watcher]

Given the level of uncertainty about what would happen to him, I don't think Xykon's willing to chance using the Rift for his quasi-suicide. If he WERE to use such a tactic, the sensible thing would be to unequip all his magic items, dismiss all his defensive buffs, and target himself with damaging spells until he blows up.

Of course, I doubt Xykon's willing to do that to himself, or be essentially helpless for up to 10 days while his body regenerates. Especially when there's an escaped Paladin and elf who SHOULD (in Xykon's view) be dead, and a kill-thief lurking somewhere about.

[Generic Name #6]

Of course, I doubt Xykon's willing to do that to himself, or be essentially helpless for up to 10 days while his body regenerates. Especially when there's an escaped Paladin and elf who SHOULD (in Xykon's view) be dead, and a kill-thief lurking somewhere about.

I'm sure he also realizes that Redcloak and the hobgoblins wouldn't be in a terrible hurry to find him and the phylactery.

[ancev]

Xykon throws himself at the rift, blows himself up, then regenerates 1d10 days later right where the phylactery is. Problem solved.


Use a screening divination in the undergound and watch where this scrying don't work. here there are a philactery.

Ops, due to Cloister screening could not work :) ? bwahahah, evil retort in himself.

[Zanaril]

Couldn't he kill himself then have Redcloak scry for him when he starts to regenerate?

[Atcote]

Couldn't he kill himself then have Redcloak scry for him when he starts to regenerate?

Same problem of old; for 1d10 days, he's not Xylon the Lich, he's technically the phylactery. Although, it IS divine magic... Maybe it could filter soul from object?

[Cizak]

Xykon throws himself at the rift

And Xykon is no more. Remember, The Snarl destorys the soul of those it kills. I don't think Xykon's soul would be fast enough to get into the pswhatitscalled.


Or am I being comepletely off here? I don't play DnD, so I don't know. Does a lich have a sould before the body is destroyed or does it pop up when he/she is?

[Atcote]

And Xykon is no more. Remember, The Snarl destorys the soul of those it kills. I don't think Xykon's soul would be fast enough to get into the pswhatitscalled.


Or am I being comepletely off here? I don't play DnD, so I don't know. Does a lich have a sould before the body is destroyed or does it pop up when he/she is?

This is partly a house ruling, but having this conversation during a 3.5 game I played ended up with us deciding that a Lich's soul is in its body when the Lich is up and walking - that's what keeps its personality and abilities within a now deceased body. It's only in the phylactery when it is destroyed.

[Snake-Aes]

Sacrificing minions, is there anything it can't do?

[randomy]

get xykon to kill himself and regenarate. bam, he has his bobble. but of course if he's in a whale when he regenarates he can just blast himself out.

[Kornaki]

get xykon to kill himself and regenarate. bam, he has his bobble. but of course if he's in a whale when he regenarates he can just blast himself out.

The problem isn't regenerating into a whale, the problem is if something happens to digest the phylactery, or crush it. he's screwed. Not even like "I'm inside a whale" screwed, more like "Oh crap I actually just killed myself. Now I'm dead" screwed.

Not to mention the possibility of starting to regenerate, and then being digested before he can finish. Based on his first death it's a fairly continuous process, which means he very well could die again before being able to defend himself

[randomy]

but that phylactery must about 10 dozen protection spells on it.
and xykon is a big walking bag of bones

[Foryn Gilnith]

Won't do much good if the phylactery is held by the Resistance, or an aquatic elf colony, or some aboleths, or a mental superpowered Kraken (http://www.dandwiki.com/wiki/SRD:Kraken)...

[randomy]

but then redcloak can scry on xykon and then they can go save him if he's in the hands of humanoids but the kraken...i have no idea

[silvadel]

Can you soul-bind a lich without destroying its phycatlery?

[randomy]

i think so

[Porthos]

get xykon to kill himself and regenarate. bam, he has his bobble.

Xykon is unimpressed with your logic. (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0662.html) :smallamused:

And, really, are you going to be the one who tells Xykon that he isn't thinking things through? :smalltongue:

[Pyron]

While Xykon might never consider the possibility, I'm starting to think that actually blasting himself into dust and reappearing next to his phylactery could be a tactic worth thinking about.

Even if it'll take 1d10 days to fully materialize a body, Xykon will become fully aware of his surrounding when he's in the phylactery almost instantly. He is also capable of speech, and he knows Still Spell. It's possible that he can be nothing more than a skull yet able to cast his spells.

Still Ghostform can get him outside of the belly of any creature.
Still Fly (or mobility) and Still Meteor Swarm can blast any said creature.
Still Domination if the phylactery falls into any humanoid hands.
Still Teleport might possibly work (depending on where he appears at).

One downside I can think of is there might be chance that Xykon's phylactery gets destroyed before this happens. But, with the number of protections spells placed on the things that seems unlikely.

[DarkDain]

Long time (loooong time) reader, first time poster ;o. cast Cone of Cold on all the exits as soon as possible, summon water elemental's to scour the sewer, they should be able to find it quickly. If that doesnt work, get someone who can use 'detect evil', i dont think xykon would even think of protecting it from that, as it was only referenced along time ago that xykon's Crown became evil simply because he wore it. Find any low level paladin prisoner you have to Detect Evil for it then.

Failing at that, send water elementals deep into the sewer, to watch all exits, then summon air elemental to torrent the water out of the sewers.

Also on a side note, were the protection spells actually SPELLS on the amulet, or were they built into it? You'd think spells casted on it would wear off after the caster was killed, soul or no soul.

[Trizap]

Xykon throws himself at the rift, blows himself up, then regenerates 1d10 days later right where the phylactery is. Problem solved.

What could possibly go wrong? :smallcool:

as 662 just pointed out: what if a serpent has eaten the phylactery in the meantime?

[mec]

Also on a side note, were the protection spells actually SPELLS on the amulet, or were they built into it? You'd think spells casted on it would wear off after the caster was killed, soul or no soul.

:xykon: Hey RedCloak!
:redcloak: What now?
:xykon: What's the duration on all those protection spells you cast on the phylactery?
:redcloak: Ten years, you know that.
:xykon: What if the caster dies before then?
:redcloak: Oh no ... you wouldn't ....
:xykon: Hey Tsukiko, get ready to cast Animate Dead in a couple of rounds.

[Kish]

You'd think spells casted on it would wear off after the caster was killed, soul or no soul.
In some stories, but that's no part of D&D.

[tKircher]

Destroying himself wouldn't really work, even if he could Still cast. Think about this for a second, they KNOW where the phylactary is. The sewers. Block the sewer exits, make sure it hasn't exited to the ocean yet, and comb it with minions.

To my mind, it'll take D10 days to do that, and it's safer.

[Zolem]

Also on a side note, were the protection spells actually SPELLS on the amulet, or were they built into it? You'd think spells casted on it would wear off after the caster was killed, soul or no soul.

There is a lovly list of perminant magical traps and wards that can be placed on items in D&D, these properties are inherant, perminant, and usualy undispelable.

[Pyron]

Destroying himself wouldn't really work, even if he could Still cast.

Care to give some insight on why it wouldn't work?

BTW, there is no if (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0653.html) regarding Still Spell.


Think about this for a second, they KNOW where the phylactary is. The sewers. Block the sewer exits, make sure it hasn't exited to the ocean yet, and comb it with minions.

That's easier said than done.

How many sewer exits do you expect to come across in a large city? Can the goblin army effectively block them all well enough to prevent the phylactery from slipping through the rushing water. It's going to take a lot more resources and manpower than you can imagine. Finally, how can they make it's not in the ocean?

It might be safer, but it's going to be a logistical nightmare.

[DarkDain]

Care to give some insight on why it wouldn't work?

BTW, there is no if (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0653.html) regarding Still Spell.



That's easier said than done.

How many sewer exits do you expect to come across in a large city? Can the goblin army effectively block them all well enough to prevent the phylactery from slipping through the rushing water. It's going to take a lot more resources and manpower than you can imagine. Finally, how can they make it's not in the ocean?

It might be safer, but it's going to be a logistical nightmare.

do they really NEED blocked? Its a sewer, probably have a control station to seal it off. Its only a necklace, it'll drift through the undercurrents slowly, and it might even snag something. Sending half a dozen water elementals to find it should be easy.

OR in classic gaming fashion, some sewer monsters will find it and take it to their horde. Xykon only needs to slay the rat-man king.

[Dork Lord]

but that phylactery must about 10 dozen protection spells on it.
and xykon is a big walking bag of bones

As far as I can tell, Liches are not immune to acid damage. Being inside the belly of some beast would mean taking acid damage every round. Which means that as soon as a tiny bit of his skull starts to regenerate, the acid destroys it over and over again. Xykon would have to wait until the beast eh... passes the phylactery and be fully aware as he experiences the entire digestive process firsthand. I'm not sure he'd ever be the same after that. :smalleek:

[Fcannon]

Keep in mind, there's a small chance that the phylactery has been destroyed, there's some pretty powerful stuff in a dnd ocean. While I really doubt that's what happened, if it did then killing himself would land Xykon in the Big Fire Below. Not a risk he's willing to take.