Phylacterys?

[SaibenLocke]

First time posting sorry if it's a repeat. My question is can anyone use a phylactery or can only the lich who created it? I.E Phylactery of Change.

PHYLACTERY OF CHANGE
The wearer of this item can invoke a polymorph self ability with an indefinite duration (or until the phylactery is removed, destroyed, or dispelled). A new form can be adopted once per day. The wearer can assume his natural form without limitation, however. Caster Level: 7th; Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, polymorph self; Market Price: 11,200 gp; Weight: —.
Source: Arms and Equipment

[Karnith]

There's a difference between a Lich's phylactery and normal (well, "normal" as far as magic items go, anyway) phylacteries. A Lich's phylactery will only function for the Lich that created it, while normal phylacteries only have the restrictions on use present in the item's description (but likewise do not have the properties of a Lich's phylactery).

For the Phylactery of Change, there are no such restrictions, and hence anyone may use it.

[SaibenLocke]

Thanks Karnith. I thought that it was something like that but we could find anything on it in the books so I figured I'd ask.

[Zweisteine]

As far as I know, a lich may only use their own personal phylactery, created by them when they became a lich.

Seeing as the phylactery is the house of the lich's soul, there probably is no way to use a different one.

Of course, there might be (in an obscure sourcebook or a given game) a ritual that would allow a lich to move his soul to another specially prepared object. the inherent problems with this are that two lich's would be unable to share a phylactery, and to remove a lich's soul from a phylactery, it must be destroyed, so it could not be used by another.

There is a way (a spell, I believe) for a lich to have multiple phylacteries, but the inability to share, or to remove the soul from one, it would not be useful in this regard.

[Greenish]

"Phylactery" is a box tied to your forehead:
http://www.ldsces.org/content/images/manuals/ot-in-1/19-11.gif

It doesn't have to be a magic item, and it certainly isn't a specific magic item any more than, say, a hat is. All liches may have phylacteries, but not all phylacteries have liches.

[Karnith]

There is a way (a spell, I believe) for a lich to have multiple phylacteries, but the inability to share, or to remove the soul from one, it would not be useful in this regard.
Aumvor's Fragmented Phylactery (an Epic Spell in Champions of Ruin, p. 37) allows a Lich to separate her phylactery into multiple objects. Is that what you were thinking of?

[Duke of Urrel]

The SRD's list of wondrous items (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/wondrousItems.htm) includes two phylacteries: the Phylactery of Faithfulness and the Phylactery of Undead Turning, neither one of which is likely to have been made by a lich.

[Alefiend]

"Phylactery" is a box tied to your forehead

Head or arm, going by the Orthodox Jewish tradition of wearing tefillin (which has both). In a broader sense, phylactery is just a synonym for amulet.

[Lanaya]

A lich's phylactery and the various magic items with 'phylactery' in their name have nothing in common except for sharing a word. A phylactery of change is a magic item with a fancy name, it's got nothing to do with a lich's soul hidey-place.

[Shadowknight12]

I cannot add anything meaningful to the conversation, so I'll go for etymology.

The word phylactery comes from the Greek phulassein, which means to guard, and then from phulakterion, which means amulet.

There's nothing special about the word itself. It's just a fancy term for amulet.

[Greenish]

Head or arm, going by the Orthodox Jewish tradition of wearing tefillin (which has both). In a broader sense, phylactery is just a synonym for amulet.But that's not as funny as a forehead box.

…I'm imagining a pirate that combines a miniature treasure chest and an eyepatch.

[Chronos]

And in fact, the lich description states that the typical lich's phylactery is in fact a box worn on the forehead and containing magical writings.

Don't ask why a lich would keep its phylactery on its person where it could be easily destroyed by anyone who destroyed the lich.

[Sception]

Most liches in most situations are more trustorthy and competant guards for their phylactory than any traps, minions, dungeons, or defensive spells they can create or contract at any given time.

[Greenish]

The only time having phylactery is important is if you're slain. :smallamused:

[TuggyNE]

And in fact, the lich description states that the typical lich's phylactery is in fact a box worn on the forehead and containing magical writings.

Wait, where does it say they wear it? All I see in the SRD is that it's a small box with magical writings inside.


Most liches in most situations are more trustorthy and competant guards for their phylactory than any traps, minions, dungeons, or defensive spells they can create or contract at any given time.

Yes and no. There are two cases to consider that the lich wishes to prevent: one in which the lich is temporarily destroyed, and then their phylactery found and destroyed, and the other in which the phylactery is destroyed first and then the lich destroyed at leisure. Certainly it is helpful to ensure that, if the phylactery comes under attack or is in immediate danger of attack, the lich can be on hand with enough time to unleash their full force. However, it is also preferable that if the first case happens, the job of the attackers is not made easier than necessary. And after all, if the lich is already destroyed, clearly that protection was not enough.

All in all, then, a lich is best served having alarms and delaying traps and guards, as well as various wards to prevent bypassing the delays and alarms, and using the alerts to prepare for a fight some distance away from the actual phylactery and with the phylactery not only concealed, but also duplicated in various dummy enclosures.

[Thurbane]

Aumvor's Fragmented Phylactery (an Epic Spell in Champions of Ruin, p. 37) allows a Lich to separate her phylactery into multiple objects. Is that what you were thinking of?
This probably isn't a revelation to anyone, but am I alone in thinking JK Rowling totally ripped the idea of "horcruxes" from the lich's phylactery in D&D?

[Malimar]

This probably isn't a revelation to anyone, but am I alone in thinking JK Rowling totally ripped the idea of "horcruxes" from the lich's phylactery in D&D?

That, or the Slavic folk tale of Koschei the Deathless, off of whom D&D's lich was ripped.

[Greenish]

This probably isn't a revelation to anyone, but am I alone in thinking JK Rowling totally ripped the idea of "horcruxes" from the lich's phylactery in D&D?The idea of hiding a part of yourself to avoid death seems pretty old (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/SoulJar). For that matter, Gygax ripped liches from Gardner Fox (and demi-liches from Fritz Leiber), if wikipedia is to be believed. Recycling is a grand ol' tradition.

[Chronos]

Quoth TuggyNE:

Wait, where does it say they wear it? All I see in the SRD is that it's a small box with magical writings inside.
This might be one of the cases where the SRD doesn't include as much detail. I don't have the 3.5 Monster Manual, but from 3.0:

The most common form of phylactery is a sealed metal box containing strips of parchment on which magical phrases have been transcribed. This typically has a leather strap so that the owner can wear it on the forearm or head.

Although, interestingly, the sample lich doesn't include the phylactery in its "magic items carried".

[Dr. Azkur]

All liches have phylacteries, but not all phylacteries have liches.

So using this in my sig.

[WarPixie]

I understand that a lich's phylactory is commonly carried on them, but does it have to be within a certain range of the lich? I want the phylactory to be hidden in a city that the party typically has been charged with defending and then have to destroy a major landmark to get to the lich's phylactory, but my lich will be traveling all over. Does the phylactory have to be close to him?

[Segev]

There is no requirement that the phylactery be anywhere near the lich. The only considerations are whether the lich can protect it if somebody finds it, and the fact that he regenerates a new body somewhere near it within 1d10 days of his body being destroyed.

[ZamielVanWeber]

One of the example liches in Libris Mortis hides his phylactery on the Astral Plane. In high OP it is common to hide them on your own personal demi-plane. Just place it somewhere where you want a new body to appear.