[3.5] BEG Lich build [Archive] - Giant in the Playground Forums

Biffoniacus_Furiou

2014-03-20, 12:11 AM

A Lich is CR +2, and I try to give spellcaster bosses higher level spells than the PCs on general principle. A 13th level Lich is CR 15, so Party Level +4 with a few meat shield minions versus a six-character party should be fair for a boss fight.

What books have you restricted this to, if any?

The party is going to have a huge action advantage on him, so I'd do the following (this is one for the ages):

He began as a Dread Necromancer (HoH) with the feats Versatile Spellcaster (RotD) and Magical Training (PGtF) for a spellbook and a few 0-level Wizard spells. This allowed him to add more spells to his spellbook per the Rules Compendium and cast them using Dread Necro spell slots via Versatile Spellcaster. He invested heavily into researching necromancy and the undead, and it resulted in an ever increasing taint score (HoH). Eventually he sought undeath to escape the maddening deformities caused by the evil taint, becoming a lich. He has two flaws (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/buildingCharacters/characterFlaws.htm) (Insomniac and Hot Blooded (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=258440#30) which have no drawbacks as a Lich) for two extra feats, and his Taint score gives him yet another feat. He possessed much of the Corpsecrafter line of feats in LM at the time, and had at least eight levels in Dread Necromancer, along with Arcane Disciple: Evil and made use of Fell Energy (http://dndtools.eu/feats/dragon-compendium--109/fell-energy-spell--3357/) Desecrate with an evil altar present. While becoming a lich does not specify what spells, if any, are involved in the process, it doesn't specifically say that it doesn't involve any spells, and undead are generally created through the use of necromancy spells so upon his transformation into a lich he gained the benefits of all of those things (+10 hp/level, +4 enhancement to Str and Dex, +4 initiative, +10 ft. land speed, +2 natural armor, +4 turn resistance). He eventually started taking the Tainted Scholar prestige class (HoH), which meant his spellcasting was now based on his taint score instead of any ability score. Realizing he could better cast all these spells he learned via more traditional methods, he retrained (PH2 chapter 8) his class levels and feats, becoming a Wizard 5/ Incantatrix 7/ Tainted Scholar 1.

He went with Domain Wizard (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/variantCharacterClasses.htm#wizardVariantDomainWiz ard) (Transmutation) with the Elf Generalist Wizard 1 substitution level from RotW. Use this Wizard variant (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/variantCharacterClasses.htm#wizard) to get Improved Initiative instead of Scribe Scroll, and trade his Wizard 5 feat for the Planning domain's power per Complete Champion to get Extend Spell. Say he visited the Otyugh Hole in CS to get Iron Will without spending a feat on it. He has eleven feats of his choosing, which include Snowcasting (FB), Flash Frost Spell (PH2), Energy Substitution: Electricity (CA), Born of the Three Thunders (CA), Fell Drain Spell (LM), Fell Frighten Spell (LM), Fell Weaken Spell (LM), Sudden Widen (CA), Heighten Spell, Earth Sense (RoS), and Earth Spell (RoS). He used all of these to modify a Detect Magic spell and used Permanency with it, so all he needs to do is concentrate to activate it. The effect that occurs when he concentrates is as follows:
Snowcast, Heightened, Flash Frost, Fell Drain, Fell Frighten, Fell Weaken, Sudden Widened, Energy Substitution: Electric, Three Thunders, Permanencied Detect Magic

Detect Magic (DC 18 + ability mod, SR: No, caster level 20th):
Snowcast: gains the cold subtype.
Sudden Widen: doubles the area, +0 metamagic.
Heighten + Earth Spell: cast from a 7th level spell slot, counts as an 8th level spell at +7 caster level.

Permanency (caster level 15th):
Heighten Spell + Earth Spell: cast from a 7th level spell slot, counts as an 8th level spell at +2 caster level.

The following were all added to the Detect Magic later via Metamagic Effect from Incantatrix:
Flash Frost: +16 cold damage to anyone in the area, covers the area in ice forcing Balance checks to avoid falling prone.
Fell Drain: creatures damaged gain one negative level, no save.
Fell Frighten: creatures damaged become frightened for ten rounds, no save.
Fell Weaken: creatures damaged take a -4 penalty to Strength for ten rounds, no save.
Energy Substitution: Electric: changes cold subtype and damage to electric.
Three Thunders: changes the damage to half electric half sonic, creatures damaged must make a Fort save vs stun, creatures stunned must make a Reflex save or fall prone.

Whenever he concentrates on Detect Magic, he creates a 120-ft. cone-shaped emanation which covers the area in ice, forcing anyone attempting to move through to make a DC 10 Balance check or fall prone. Anyone who runs or charges in the area must instead make a DC 20 Balance check or fall prone. It deals 8 Electric damage and 8 Sonic damage to everyone in the area. Anyone who takes damage from it automatically gains one negative level, takes a -4 penalty to their Strength score for ten rounds (doesn't stack with itself), and becomes Shaken or has their existing fear condition elevated one step for ten rounds, none of which permits a saving throw. Anyone who takes damage from it must also make a Fortitude save or be stunned for 1 round, and anyone stunned by it must make a Reflex save or be knocked prone.

After casting the above abomination of thunder and necromancy, and then making it permanent, he retrained (or hired an NPC Psion to Psychic Reformation) most of those feats away. His current feats are as follows:
Iron Will (OH), Improved Initiative (W1), Corpsecrafter (F), Destruction Retribution (F), Retributive Spell (1), Item Familiar (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/magic/itemFamiliars.htm) (3), Snowcasting (T), Extend Spell (W5), Energy Substitution: Electric (6), Persistent Spell (Icx1), Invisible Spell (9), Born of the Three Thunders (Icx4), Lifesense (12), and Fell Frighten Spell (Icx7)

His highest ability score is Cha, since he began his career as a Dread Necromancer and only became a Wizard once he could cast spells based on his taint score. I'd say his Int started at 10, with +2 race, +2 lich, and +2 age gives him Int 16. His Cha started at 15, +2 lich, +2 age, and +3 levels makes it Cha 22. Wis started at 11, +2 age and +2 lich makes it 15 (he needed at least 12 for before lich for Arcane Disciple: Desecrate). Con started at 8 because it's now a nonability (retrained to that if necessary). That leaves Str 13, -3 age leave it at 10, and Dex 14, -3 age makes it 11. So including the benefits of Dread Necro and Corpsecrafter, he'll have Str 14, Dex 15, Con -, Int 16, Wis 15, Cha 22. He has 13d12+130 hp, +7 total natural armor, +8 total turn resistance, 40 ft. land speed, and all the benefits of being both an Elf and a Lich. Note that I did not have him Dark Chaos Shuffle his four elven marital weapon proficiency feats for four additional useful feats, but if he were capable of casting 8th level spells he would definitely have done this. His Corruption and Depravity taint scores (which his spellcasting is based off of) can be as high as you want it to be, just be careful not to make it so high that the PCs fail every saving throw against his spells.

His Spellcraft skill is 16 ranks, +16 for the Item Familiar's invested skill ranks, +2 synergy, +3 Int, and a +10 Competence bonus from a custom upgrade to his Item Familiar. That's a total of +47, so he can take ten and make the DC 57 to use Metamagic Effect or Cooperative Metamagic to add Persistent Spell to a 7th level spell. Note that you can use Cooperative Metamagic on your own spells outside of combat since the action economy system only exists during initiative. He can use both Cooperative Metamagic and Metamagic Effect each six times per day, his daily persistent spells are as follows:
Invisible Persistent Fell Drain Fell Frighten Energy Sub: Electric Three Thunders Fire Shield twice (fire and cold versions) (4th, 4th, six uses), Snowcast Invisible Persistent Fell Drain Fell Frighten Energy Sub: Electric Three Thunders Death Armor (6th, one use), Persistent Ray Deflection (4th, one use), Persistent Friendly Fire (4th, one use), Snowcast Invisible Persistent Fell Drain Fell Frighten Energy Sub: Electric Three Thunders Cloud of Knives (6th, one use), Persistent Dimension Jumper (5th, one use), Persistent Greater Anticipate Teleportation (6th, one use), Persistent Invisible Shield (7th), Extended Overland Flight (5th), Lesser Rod of Extended Heart of Air (2nd), Lesser Rod of Extended Heart of Water (3rd), Lesser Rod of Extended Greater Mage Armor (3rd), Superior Resistance (6th), Energy Immunity: Fire (7th), and Energy Immunity: Acid (7th). He also has Arcane Sight, Read Magic, See Invisibility, and Tongues via Permanency.

For skills, he should have max ranks in Spellcraft and Concentration, plus any prerequisites, and the Swift Concentration skill trick from Complete Scoundrel. Note that he can use that to maintain concentrate on his permanent Detect Magic for the entire encounter by only spending a swift action every round. His items should include a Lesser Metamagic Rod of Extend, a Ring of Enduring Arcana, costly spell focus and spell component items, and whatever other necessary items (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=187851) he can afford, in addition to his Item Familiar. The Item Familiar started as a Ring of Protection +1 for 2,000 gp, he upgraded it himself to a Ring of Invisibility with a +1 Deflection bonus to AC added, plus a +10 Competence bonus to Spellcraft. Do the shrink-item-tin-foil-hat-trick, and put cloth patch-shrunken pools of lava on the underside of it so if another creature is trapped under it with him he can Dimension Jump out and then use the command word to unshrink the lava, filling the underside of the dome.

His Incantatrix prohibited school is Enchantment. His prepared spells should include a good mix of crowd controls and hazards (Invisible Web, Invisible Black Tentacles, Fell Drain Fell Frighten Invisible Kelgore's Grave Mist, Fell Drain Fell Frighten Acid Arrow, etc.), plus a few defensive/utility spells (Greater Invisibility, Teleport, Greater Dispel Magic), and of course something for dealing damage (Disintegrate, Enervation, Fireball, Thunderlance, etc.).

Tactics: Every round should look something like the following:
Concentrate on the permanent Detect Magic (swift action), 5-ft. step and spin the Detect Magic in a circle, hitting everyone within 120 ft. of him (free action), cast whichever spell would gain him the greatest advantage (if using Dispel, do it before hitting them with the Detect Magic) (standard action), Item Familiar activates its Ring of Invisibility on him (Item Familiar's standard action), Dimension Jump 30 ft. (move action).

He should have a few undead minions. Just make them Dire Bat Zombies and similar, they're mostly there for the opponents to waste actions and Destruction Retribution can damage opponents as well as heal him and his other undead minions. Opponents that are extremely low CR shouldn't have much impact on the encounter level, if any at all, especially considering they're only present due to the boss's capabilities.