Lich's Phylacteries

[Chaosvii7]

Can you turn an already magic item(such as bracers of armor, or a stat-boosting wondrous item) into a Lich's phylactery for the materials cost and man-hours? Arguably the lich would reappear where the item was pilfered from him, and his slowly regenerating corpse would not constantly follow the party around until he was back at fighting strength, but I think that's a pretty reasonable way to make a phylactery nevertheless.

To that effect, what are some phylacteries you've encountered or created that were interesting, piqued your curiosity, or demonstrated cunning and clever skill?

[ericgrau]

The rules (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/lich.htm) are vague, but IMO it should work if:

The existing magic item is a wondrous item. With other crafting feats in addition to craft wondrous item maybe you could argue for other items too.
The item is a box (with strips of magical writings), ring, amulet or similar item. That means something of fantasy world significance IMO. Bracers don't look like they have enough mojo IMO. IMO other possible items include a phylactery, a wonderfully shaped helmet, a sword covered in runes, a staff with a crystal tip, and full plate armor shaped to look like some kind of creature. With enough fluff you might make arguments for other items.
You pay an extra 50% for the phylactery cost. For this reason it may be cheaper to make the phylactery first and then by 50% extra for the additional enchantments added later. Or if the magic item enchantments are related enough to the phylactery then there is no 50% cost increase. Perhaps abilities related to souls, or refuge abilities that transport you to the phylactery before you are destroyed or that shield the phylactery, or etc.

Since there aren't any hard and fast rules this is all the realm of the DM, even more so than usual.

[Crake]

You pay an extra 50% for the phylactery cost. For this reason it may be cheaper to make the phylactery first and then by 50% extra for the additional enchantments added later. Or if the magic item enchantments are related enough to the phylactery then there is no 50% cost increase. Perhaps abilities related to souls, or refuge abilities that transport you to the phylactery before you are destroyed or that shield the phylactery, or etc.

iirc the rules for multiple item abilities say that the most expensive ability remains the same price (most likely the phylactery ability) and that every additional cheaper ability is multiplied by 1.5

[Marnath]

The rules (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/lich.htm) are vague, but IMO it should work if:

The existing magic item is a wondrous item. With other crafting feats in addition to craft wondrous item maybe you could argue for other items too.
The item is a box (with strips of magical writings), ring, amulet or similar item. That means something of fantasy world significance IMO. Bracers don't look like they have enough mojo IMO. IMO other possible items include a phylactery, a wonderfully shaped helmet, a sword covered in runes, a staff with a crystal tip, and full plate armor shaped to look like some kind of creature. With enough fluff you might make arguments for other items.
You pay an extra 50% for the phylactery cost. For this reason it may be cheaper to make the phylactery first and then by 50% extra for the additional enchantments added later. Or if the magic item enchantments are related enough to the phylactery then there is no 50% cost increase. Perhaps abilities related to souls, or refuge abilities that transport you to the phylactery before you are destroyed or that shield the phylactery, or etc.

Since there aren't any hard and fast rules this is all the realm of the DM, even more so than usual.

Libris Mortis page 151 has the rule.


A phylactery cannot be part of another magic item,
nor may additional magical properties be built into it.

[dwlc2000]

The rules never said that you coudn't.

[Blackhawk748]

my best phylactery was an Abjurium box that was disguised as a normal mahogany jewelry box with my "actual" phylactery in it with was a stylized glass necklace

[dascarletm]

Do what my player did, make the phylactery a silver piece with a slough of magical defences/aura altering/hiding effects on it so that it looked just like a normal sp. to any moderate level or lower caster. Hire a pesant not in your area to dig a ditch and pay him with that sp. Let it fall away into the economic system, and, in the meantime, inspire a new campaign where the level ones come across this mystical silver piece that is immune to any damage they can cause to it.:smallamused:

[Blackhawk748]

very nice, i did the same to the box by hiding its aura and mundanely disguising it, i mean whose gonna think the phylactery is a box? my other idea was i have several rooms filled with adamantine bricks, and one of them is my phylactery

[dascarletm]

very nice, i did the same to the box by hiding its aura and mundanely disguising it, i mean whose gonna think the phylactery is a box? my other idea was i have several rooms filled with adamantine bricks, and one of them is my phylactery

Daniel Smith, one of a long line of adamantine smiths. Renowned for their never-ending supply of adamantine obtained by his great-great-great grandfather Robbert Smith, an adventurer, finds himself perplexed when one bar refuses to be worked into a longsword. It feels strange in his hands.....

[Golden Ladybug]

Well, considering that an 11th+ Level Caster would be expected to have access to Plane Shift either at the time of their ascent to Lichdom, or shortly thereafter, I feel like a fun Phylactery to have would be a Riverine Coffin (inside another Coffin, of course, which is bound in Chains of Adamantine forged as a single unit; no locks. You have to consider Style), which would then be placed inside an Inner Plane of your choice. Preferably, one of the ones that is most inimical to life.

Good choices would be the any of the Elemental Planes, the Positive and Negative Energy Planes, the Para-Elemental Plane of Magma or the Quasi-Elemental Planes of Lightning, Radiance or Vacuum.

If you are killed, you reform in the perfectly safe Coffin you've prepared for yourself in 1d10 Days and prepare spells from the Backup Spellbook you keep in there (along with a stock of distractions such as rubix cubes, hefty novels you never have time to read normally, puzzles, Magic Item crafting you've been meaning to get around to, etc. Wouldn't do to be bored as you reform).

Then Plane Shift out, and rain horrible vengeance upon those who caused you the inconvenience of dying.

The best part about the Riverine Coffin is that it doesn't need to be decked out with Enchantments (if you subscribe to the Libris Mortis Ruling, which I do), since its plenty durable already. You can put the rest of the necessary Enchantments onto the outer Coffin and the Chains.

[ShurikVch]

Jannys Shadowgaunt, the drow lich, (find her somewhere on wizards.com) have a phylactery in the form of spider-shaped greater iron golem.