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View Full Version : [3.5] A few questions about being a Lich



Malicte
2009-08-19, 06:34 PM
So, the character I'm currently playing is about to become a lich. This is neat. However, I don't know that much about liches outside of the SRD. I'm looking for a few things:

1. Answered More rules about lichdom. I recall reading a discussion about a lich gaining use of an item placed next to his phylactery as if he was wearing it, but I don't know where this is from, and would like to know, as it sounds incredibly useful.

2. The setting is Planescape, and I want to find a clever way to hide and protect my phylactery. I'm looking for epic suggestions for such. When my character picks up the lich template, he will likely be a Conjurer 3/Master Specialist 2/Arachnomancer (Drow of the Underdark version) 1/Master Specialist 1/Fatespinner 2/whatever I take in the next two levels, but it will be full progression. My banned schools are enchantment and evocation. Assume I can gain access to any level-appropriate spell effect with enough time, the party archivist can do the same, and that the character is extremely paranoid.

3. Is it possible for me to voluntarily lower my Fear Aura? It seems like it could be annoying if I'm not interested in panicking every commoner my character encounters.

4. Assuming I have the spell Spectral Hand active, can I use it to deliver my inherent touch attack (in addition to a spell)?

Any help/answers will be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Jade_Tarem
2009-08-19, 06:46 PM
So, the character I'm currently playing is about to become a lich. This is neat. However, I don't know that much about liches outside of the SRD. I'm looking for a few things:

1. More rules about lichdom. I recall reading a discussion about a lich gaining use of an item placed next to his phylactery as if he was wearing it, but I don't know where this is from, and would like to know, as it sounds incredibly useful.

2. The setting is Planescape, and I want to find a clever way to hide and protect my phylactery. I'm looking for epic suggestions for such. When my character picks up the lich template, he will likely be a Conjurer 3/Master Specialist 2/Arachnomancer (Drow of the Underdark version) 1/Master Specialist 1/Fatespinner 2/whatever I take in the next two levels, but it will be full progression. My banned schools are enchantment and evocation. Assume I can gain access to any level-appropriate spell effect with enough time, the party archivist can do the same, and that the character is extremely paranoid.

3. Is it possible for me to voluntarily lower my Fear Aura? It seems like it could be annoying if I'm not interested in panicking every commoner my character encounters.

4. Assuming I have the spell Spectral Hand active, can I use it to deliver my inherent touch attack (in addition to a spell)?

Any help/answers will be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

1. A lot of lichdom is up to the interpretation of the group playing it. Some groups say that a lich gets one phylactery for eternity, and if it's destroyed, too bad. Others say that a lich can make a new one if his old one goes the way of his lungs. Still others say that a lich is destroyed when its phylactery is destroyed. One group even said that a lich would slowly go insane when it's phylactery was trashed - talk to your DM about it.

2. Some suggestions:

A. Force Chest + Bottom of Ocean - if anyone wants to get at it, they can deal with the crushing damage and Krakens first.

B. Force Chest + protection from scrying + Orbit - if anyone wants to get at it, too bad. They'll have to find it the hard way. In space. That's going to be nearly impossible - meanwhile, if you die, you need only regenerate in space and bust a silent teleport back to somewhere nicer.

C. Make the phylactery appear to be a useless piece of jewelry - a ring, perhaps. Use Nystul's magic aura to conceal its magic properties, and use another one to give some random toy of yours a powerful necromantic aura. Wear this thing around your neck, and make a habit of fiddling with it nervously whenever things go bad. Whatever group might kill you and take your stuff will sell the ring for five gold and take the useless gizmo to Norm Abrahm's Phylactery Incenerator. A week later, you respawn right as some poor young lad proposes to the girl of his dreams and begin plotting your vengeance.

3. You can almost certainly suppress it at will.

4. I don't know. Probably not. DnD tends to be sticky about trying stuff like that, but then I don't use spectral hand much.

Cedrass
2009-08-19, 06:48 PM
Hum, I am sorry to "high jack" this thread, but I am wondering something: How do you handle one of your player becoming a Lich exactly? I mean he gets a template so how do you handle is XP and such?

Jade_Tarem
2009-08-19, 06:51 PM
IIRC, he acts as though he's four levels higher than the group. That means, when XP is being divvied up, he gets his share of the xp as though the entire group were four levels higher - everyone else gets normal xp. Eventually, they'll catch up.

I could be wrong, though.

Malicte
2009-08-19, 06:51 PM
Hum, I am sorry to "high jack" this thread, but I am wondering something: How do you handle one of your player becoming a Lich exactly? I mean he gets a template so how do you handle is XP and such?

In my case, the DM wants me to use the savage progression for the template found here. (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/sp/20031212a) Failing that, I suspect you'd simply count him as a party member of class level + 4 (the LA on the template) and adjust XP accordingly?

Cedrass
2009-08-19, 06:54 PM
In my case, the DM wants me to use the savage progression for the template found here. (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/sp/20031212a) Failing that, I suspect you'd simply count him as a party member of class level + 4 (the LA on the template) and adjust XP accordingly?

Oh that is actually pretty awesome! Converting a template to a class does not seem that hard either. Thank you very much for showing me this!

Myrmex
2009-08-19, 07:04 PM
1. You are thinking of the Demilich, from the Epic Handbook. It's a pretty baller template.

Malicte
2009-08-19, 07:21 PM
Ah, so I am... well that's sad. I guess I'll actually have to hunt people down for my items when they kill me. But, looking at the picture for a demilich, this begs a question. What happens if you have an awakened Hydra demilich? Is there just one head? Is there a SWARM of heads? Inquiring minds want to know.

erikun
2009-08-19, 07:24 PM
B. Force Chest + protection from scrying + Orbit
When I read this, I said to myself: "That won't work! The lich needs a new body to inhabit or he's stuck in his phylactery!"

That's when I realized I'm still in 2nd Edition mode, even after nearly a decade of 3.5e. >_>

Also, you'll need to ask your DM if it will work. Some worlds don't have outer space, while in some it's just the Astral outside the local sphere. (Good luck getting home after regenerating!) Some DMs will allow you to do so, just to watch your body burn to a crisp upon re-entry. :smalltongue:

Malicte
2009-08-19, 07:35 PM
Well, what are the mechanical effects of a vacuum? I don't need to breathe. Certainly the cold won't bother me, and all it would take is a scroll of teleport taped to the thing to get back down. Also, it's a hilarious suggestion, and that deserves bonus points.

Jade_Tarem
2009-08-19, 07:39 PM
Well, what are the mechanical effects of a vacuum? I don't need to breathe. Certainly the cold won't bother me, and all it would take is a scroll of teleport taped to the thing to get back down. Also, it's a hilarious suggestion, and that deserves bonus points.

Space does not work that way. (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/SpaceIsCold)

While sticking a thermometer into the void will tell you that nothing is colder than space, that's an artifact of how thermometers work - contrary to science fiction of many kinds, you do not turn into a popsicle the moment you head out the airlock.

Really, the biggest probelm you might face would be a particularly vicious DM ruling that portions of your skeletal structure are still subject to explosive decompression, causing hp damage. Micrometeors might also enter the equation.

The last thing I saw concerning DnD and vacuum had something called "void damage," I don't remember how it worked, though.

Malicte
2009-08-19, 07:44 PM
...turn into a popsicle...explosive decompression...Micrometeors...

These are all probably things that any player who suggests such a thing deserves, as well.

Myrmex
2009-08-19, 07:44 PM
Space does not work that way. (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/SpaceIsCold)

While sticking a thermometer into the void will tell you that nothing is colder than space, that's an artifact of how thermometers work - contrary to science fiction of many kinds, you do not turn into a popsicle the moment you head out the airlock.

Really, the biggest probelm you might face would be a particularly vicious DM ruling that portions of your skeletal structure are still subject to explosive decompression, causing hp damage. Micrometeors might also enter the equation.

The last thing I saw concerning DnD and vacuum had something called "void damage," I don't remember how it worked, though.

Actually, it can be quite cold in space, as long as you are in something's shadow that isn't radiating heat. Take Mercury, for example. One side it is unbelievably hot, the other is almost Absolute Zero. Venus, right next door, is a nearly homogeneous sauna, thanks to its thick atmosphere.

The epic spell Chained to the Sky has rules for being in space.

erikun
2009-08-19, 07:46 PM
...all it would take is a scroll of teleport taped to the thing to get back down.
Well, the first time anyways. You'd better glue a spellbook to it or have the Spell Mastery feat for a repeat trip. :smallwink:

And yeah, cold damage wouldn't technically apply in void, as there's nothing to transmit your heat onto. I'm not quite sure what damage you'd run into up there - probably nothing too dangerous to a lich during a short trip.

Malicte
2009-08-19, 07:48 PM
Nailed to the Sky suggests that being in eternal orbit is 2d6 fire, 2d6 cold, and 1d4 "damage" from the vacuum each round. That's nothing a lich can't handle. It's also wrong, but this IS D&D.

Edit: If I die with some spells still left uncast, do I reform with them still ready and waiting? If so, simply leave a teleport prepared and uncast each day.

Shinizak
2009-08-19, 08:05 PM
Ah, so I am... well that's sad. I guess I'll actually have to hunt people down for my items when they kill me. But, looking at the picture for a demilich, this begs a question. What happens if you have an awakened Hydra demilich? Is there just one head? Is there a SWARM of heads? Inquiring minds want to know.

I had a long topic about this, the end conclusion was that a single head would be the demi-lich while the rest simply acted as a normal hydra of it's type minus one head. However, if the skull of the demi lich was destroyed, then it would create a second demi-lich head exactly the same as the first, just as though it had been cleaved off.

Jade_Tarem
2009-08-20, 01:28 AM
Actually, it can be quite cold in space, as long as you are in something's shadow that isn't radiating heat. Take Mercury, for example. One side it is unbelievably hot, the other is almost Absolute Zero. Venus, right next door, is a nearly homogeneous sauna, thanks to its thick atmosphere.

The epic spell Chained to the Sky has rules for being in space.

I was referring to vacuum. Even in Mercury's shadow, you have to radiate your heat away if you want to get cold - it might happen eventually, but you don't get converted into a snowman in a matter of minutes. Once you're actually touching things, it's a different story.

Also, Venus has less in common with a sauna than a sulfuric boiling hurricane. :smalltongue:

Thanks for bringing up Chained to the Sky, though - I'd forgotten what it was called and how it worked.

quick_comment
2009-08-20, 01:34 AM
Space is very, very cold, but it is also a very good insulator.

After enough time in space, you will indeed freeze solid. But it would take quite some time.