Epic Evil Lich

[atemu1234]

I've built a campaign world that is meant to essentially bring the characters from level 1 to level 30. Well, we've made it to level 24, and it looks like they're going to make it to 30, so I'm finally unveiling the villain of the piece.

There have been hints about something being wrong from the beginning; seers going mad and blind, undead increasing in number, mindless undead traveling in packs in an almost never before seen manner. The realms of men, elves, dwarves and halflings have long feared what this foretells.

Many centuries ago, a lich, lord of a realm of his own, threatened them all, and has returned. For the first time in centuries, the barren land of that realm has begun to host evil life once again.

What truly "unveils" it is the four emissaries- all are bodak creatures, riders, one sent to each realm, a former member of each race that rules there, a Paladin of Tyranny atop a Black Dragon, telling each realm to obey the lich or die. All refuse.

And so war begins. I'm still statting out the lich though (I want him to be a lich, not a demilich) so he should be around level thirty, from what I've planned.

[Fouredged Sword]

Well, you have to be a casting class. That is the start. Arcane or divine work. Cleric and wizard are both good options. At level 30, you have 4 LA, so 26 class levels are open to play with.

I say do both.

Wizard 5 / Ur-priest 2 / mystic thurge 8 / Incantrix X / abjurant champion x

This is a good mix of classes with the ability to throw around a lot of good metamagic. Focus items on removing ways to kill him.

Note, Lich's are weak to spellcasting solutions. One disjunction can kill them. Think through ways to ensure the soul remains safe, preferably on a selectively locked and selectively anti-magic dimi-plane with no material in it (you need a focus made from material of a plane to planeshift there) and trapped to all get out to prevent anyone from getting to it.

And I still don't know how to get around "I wish for the Phyancry of X. Disjunction!"

[atemu1234]

Note that I need a CR of 30, not an ECL of 30. So 28 class levels, if I'm not mistaken.

[Fouredged Sword]

Moar incantrix!!!!!!!!

[mealin]

Sounds like you want a Szass Tam?

[Phelix-Mu]

Something/Something/binder/Anima Mage. Refluff binder levels and such to use the trapped souls of powerful mortals instead of vestiges. When the lich is present, the ghostly prisoners float about him, faces contorted in tortured rictus, and power his binder and Anima Mage class features. Nice imagery, suitably malevolent, and hard for players to guess what is happen.

Bonus points if the characters know some of the trapped npcs, or at least recognize famous dead people bound to the evil will of the lich.

[True believer]

Wizard 5/ Ur-priest 2 / mystic thurge 8/ Pale master 7/ True necromancer 7

[FiendishCentaur]

My opinion: Keep it simple. If you want a real challenge for your players, and wish to keep the campaign going after they kill him, make him straight wizard and give him an exceptionally evil epic artifact that is allowing him to summon/control all those undead. Not only do the players have to defeat this uber-caster, but they then have another adventure hook to destroy the artifact.

[AvatarVecna]

Firstly, make use of the LA buyoff rules from UA; by ECL 30, you can buy off 4 points of it (assuming you extend the existing chart into epic levels). As I recall, you only have 4 points of LA to buy off anyway, so that works out perfectly (unless, of course, you wanted to template that mother, but that can get ridiculous fast). Wait, nevermind, you wanted CR 30. Well, the LA buyoff rules could still be useful. Anyway...

Secondly, Wizard 8 can't enter Ur-priest: it requires a base Fort save of +3, and Wizard gets that at 9th. With the right dip, however...

My suggested build: Human Monk 2/Wizard 3/Ur-priest 2/Mystic Theurge 8/Incantatrix 10/Archmage 3. Put tons of points into Int and Wis, and make sure you were Venerable before becoming a Lich, so you get those bonuses as well. You need human for the bonus feat; between the feat tax to enter Ur-priest and one of several feats that gets you Bluff as a class skill (necessary, considering the ranks required). Pick up Persistent Spell and Divine Metamagic for it, and you're golden. Archmage because it's awesome; Incantatrix because it's broken.

As for opponents wishing for your phylactery: I've been looking over the Wish spell, and I can't see how it would teleport your phylactery to them (at least, without them using the Other Powers stuff, which the DM can mess with). If you feel the need to defend against it, either employ contingency wishes, consequences for pushing the Wish spell beyond its safe limits, or epic spellcasting.

[Fouredged Sword]

I would consider the evolved undead template at least twice. +4 str, +4 cha, +2 natural armor, and fast healing 6 is rather nice, and he is supposed to be a really old lich.

[Belial_the_Leveler]

Note that I need a CR of 30, not an ECL of 30.

Cloud Giant: CR 11
Were-Roc: CR +5
Dry Lich: CR +2
Phrenic: CR +2
Unassociated Cleric 20: CR +10



If you want to build a scary lich with that high CR, go for broke with the monster rules. This guy has;

1) 55 HD. For all the feats, BAB, saves and skills you ever wanted.
2) Undead immunities and 1000 or so HP with buffs. Not bad.
3) Spell Resistance 65. No spell with SR: yes is going to hurt him any time soon.
4) Relatively good melee; his unbuffed strength is at minimum 58. Heroic array, inherents and bling could get that to 80+ easily.
5) Mental powers of doom. A CL 55 energy current that could deal 50d6 damage to a bunch of enemies at once every round for fifty-five rounds is one of his weakest powers.