Keeping my Dry Lich... Dry

[Albions_Angel]

Hi all.

Planning on making my first Lich BBEG, and its going to be a dry lich. He is out of his element (literally) in that he is invading a frozen land (glaciers and permafrost, to my mind, are pretty arid). By the time the PCs come to face him, he will have picked up a few more levels, probably in Winterhaunt (because why not?) or else staying with cleric and picking up Mantle of the Icy Spirit and Mantle of the Firey Soul.

Im not looking to make the lich totally unkillable, but it seems to me he would have picked up SOME way of keeping the rain off him over the years. Necklace of Adaptation might work but I wondered if there was anything more substantial? There is the rod of escape but its got a really low duration.

Any thoughts?

[MisterKaws]

All Dry Liches have Walker in the Wastes 10(no 'but's allowed, see the template), so all of them have Greater Drought, which turns anything around them into a desert, so there isn't actually any rain around a Dry Lich unless they choose to suppress the aura, which is pretty tiring.

[Necroticplague]

Shouldn't the Greater Drought ability take care of this? Makes the place so swelteringly hot that water dries up.

[Albions_Angel]

Thats very true, but I saw him as suppressing it. I mean, sure, it causes low levels of water to evaporate, but do you seriously see a dry lich using it on top of a glacier? Thats a sure way to end up at the bottom of a 100 foot icy well filled with boiling water.

[MisterKaws]

Thats very true, but I saw him as suppressing it. I mean, sure, it causes low levels of water to evaporate, but do you seriously see a dry lich using it on top of a glacier? Thats a sure way to end up at the bottom of a 100 foot icy well filled with boiling water.

If he's on top of a tall glacier, the pressure should be low enough to make the water evaporate fairly easily.

[Seto]

If he's on top of a tall glacier, the pressure should be low enough to make the water evaporate fairly easily.

What about the ice melting/evaporating under his feet?

[martixy]

Why wouldn't Prestidigitation be enough?

[Albions_Angel]

If he's on top of a tall glacier, the pressure should be low enough to make the water evaporate fairly easily.

Ok, so here is the thing. The glacier doesnt stay frozen if he turns on his ability. Because it gets hot. So it melts.

Its already arid, he doesnt need the heat. And for flavour reasons, doesnt even want it.

Fine, he isnt getting rained on, but being in the snow and ice means he is at far more risk of water damage when encountering players than he would be elsewhere. In the desert, he is only at risk of water spells (for the purpose of water damage), but in the snow and ice, he is at danger from water AND fire spells.

Im just wondering if there is a "Bigby's Handy Umbrella" hiding somewhere in the spell books, or an item that keeps you dry from things that arnt direct water attacks (like create water isnt an attack so much as it is a watering can).

[MisterKaws]

What about the ice melting/evaporating under his feet?

Are you somehow implying that an 11th-level caster has no way of flight?

[Albions_Angel]

Are you somehow implying that an 11th-level caster has no way of flight?

No way? No. Of course he can fly. But he is a pretty poor WALKER in the Waste if he just hovers around. Standing is fun.

[DrMotives]

Isn't a dry lich a minimum 13th level caster, not 11th like a standard lich? Minor nitpick, sure, but 5th level caster to qualify plus 8 caster levels by the time the template is earned.

[MisterKaws]

No way? No. Of course he can fly. But he is a pretty poor WALKER in the Waste if he just hovers around. Standing is fun.

Air Walk?


Isn't a dry lich a minimum 13th level caster, not 11th like a standard lich? Minor nitpick, sure, but 5th level caster to qualify plus 8 caster levels by the time the template is earned.

It depends on how you interpret the requirements.

EDIT: Didn't see this before.


Ok, so here is the thing. The glacier doesnt stay frozen if he turns on his ability. Because it gets hot. So it melts.

Its already arid, he doesnt need the heat. And for flavour reasons, doesnt even want it.

If that's the case, this guy would lose his spells for going against his philosophy(making everything a scalding desert).

Just re-fluff the class as a "cold" version of it. Water entering the area would immediately freeze over.


Fine, he isnt getting rained on, but being in the snow and ice means he is at far more risk of water damage when encountering players than he would be elsewhere. In the desert, he is only at risk of water spells (for the purpose of water damage), but in the snow and ice, he is at danger from water AND fire spells.

Im just wondering if there is a "Bigby's Handy Umbrella" hiding somewhere in the spell books, or an item that keeps you dry from things that arnt direct water attacks (like create water isnt an attack so much as it is a watering can).

Just get some contingencies ready to dry up all water.

[Albions_Angel]

Kaws, look, I am pulling rule 0. I am the DM, my Lich CANNOT FLY. Happy now? For whatever reason, my lich is stuck on the ground. Maybe he bought boots of Tashe's Hideous Sticky Floor (Dont Ask Questions If You Dont Want To Hear The Answers), Wondrous Item, Strong Purple Stone Magic, CL >9000, 1gp.

Now, how do I go about getting him Primm's Magic Raincoat of Superior Dryness?

[DrMotives]

Ok, well maybe give him a Decanter of Endless Scotch. Very dry.

[MisterKaws]

Kaws, look, I am pulling rule 0. I am the DM, my Lich CANNOT FLY. Happy now? For whatever reason, my lich is stuck on the ground. Maybe he bought boots of Tashe's Hideous Sticky Floor (Dont Ask Questions If You Dont Want To Hear The Answers), Wondrous Item, Strong Purple Stone Magic, CL >9000, 1gp.

Now, how do I go about getting him Primm's Magic Raincoat of Superior Dryness?

First: read my edit.

Second: I want that item's description. Right. Now.

[Spore]

How about you go the opposite direction. Make things colder. If the ice does not thaw, it doesn't count as wet. And you should be secure. I am unfamiliar with the mechanical ways to do this but imagine a crystalline fortress atop the glacier.

[Albions_Angel]

Ok,

Boots of Tashe's Hideous Sticky Floor (Dont Ask Questions If You Dont Want To Hear The Answers), Wondrous Item, Strong Purple Stone Magic, CL >9000, 1gp.

These well used boots seem to have been to one tavern too many. As you walk across the floor, they cling to the earth, making slight, horrifying ripping noises as they are lifted. Just thinking about them makes you nauseous.

These boots suppress all flight, both magical and natural, and slightly resist movement (no penalty) as an Ex ability. Due to the tacky nature of the boots, the wearer must make a Fortitude save (DC 12) each day or become nauseated for as long as the boots are worn, and for 1d4 rounds after they are removed. A successful save makes the wearer immune for 24 hours. The boots create an audible ripping noise as they leave the ground, which confers a -2 penalty to move silently, and exude a faint smell of stale beer, bodily fluids and other unidentified substances, conferring a +4 bonus on creatures tracking the wearer by scent.
Additionally they can produce the effects of spider climb once per day for 10 rounds. Using this ability increases the move silent penalty to -8 and the scent bonus to +10, as well as forcing an immediate Fortitude save.
The boots can only be sold for 1gp or less, regardless of the price of similar items.

Primm's Magic Raincoat of Superior Dryness, Wondrous Item, Moderate Purple Stone Magic, CL 10, 14,000 gp.

The raincoat provides long lasting comfort and dryness, and superior absorption. It does nothing to keep off the rain, or otherwise protect against natural sources of water, but blocks one water or acid based spell per day of 3rd level or lower. The wearer cannot choose the attack. Instead, it blocks the first spell cast against the wearer.
Additionally, the cloak protects the user from incontinence and chaffing.
Lore Primm dedicated his life to researching spells to keep people dry. On this task he failed, largely due to an annoying beholder who wouldnt stop giving him unhelpful suggestions. However, by the time he died, he had developed a magical cloak to protect him from external attack. It was not particularly successful, but it did prove useful and protecting his robes from embarrassing stains...

[MisterKaws]

Ok,

Stuff

Loved it.

Also, it's not my fault that the game doesn't have items with water immunity.

If you really just want an umbrella, you could always DMM persist a Greater Floating Disk and put it upside down over your head...

[Necroticplague]

IIRC, Sandstorm actually does have umbrellas. Given the book, they're intended to block out the sun, but they should work for water as well.

[Albions_Angel]

Ill figure something out.

Thanks guys, and enjoy the boots :P

[Extra Anchovies]

Do you know what the largest desert in the world is? Antarctica. Most of the continent is almost always so cold that precipitation just doesn't happen. Maybe this particular dry lich has found or created a ritual to "reverse" their powers to desiccate the land by freezing water rather than evaporating it? A lot of hot-weather things have cold-weather analogues that could easily be added on top of or in place of the normal dry lich effects - local drought lowers the temperature, flesh to ice instead of flesh to salt, create ice golem (let them keep create sand golem, because they wouldn't forget how after the ritual), immunity to cold (in addition to immunity to heat). The weakness to water can stay as it is, as long as you read it as only applying to liquid water.


IIRC, Sandstorm actually does have umbrellas. Given the book, they're intended to block out the sun, but they should work for water as well.

See, this sort of thing is what I love about 3.5. It has rules for umbrellas.

[Braininthejar2]

Perhaps some tweaking with amulet of adaptation?

[MisterKaws]

Ill figure something out.

Thanks guys, and enjoy the boots :P

Rest assured, I will...

[Insert three-stage villainous laughter]

[Inevitability]

Control Weather to prevent it from raining at all?

[Fouredged Sword]

His best bet is to simply tar himself with sailor's pitch. A good solid coat of tar all over his body should pretty much waterproof him. Solid waterproof clothing is also an option for casual contact. Boots should protect him from stepping in puddles and such.

And remember, he is undead. Without his aura he won't be producing bodyheat. Without body heat he will only melt snow through compression and thus only on the bottom of his boots.

He could also do something weird. He could wrap himself in an ooze with an amulet of ooze riding.

[Zanos]

Ill figure something out.

Thanks guys, and enjoy the boots :P
In an attempt to be actually helpful, on pg 166 of Magic of Faerun, there's a magic item called the Travel Cloak. It, among other things, "sheds precipitation, keeping dry the area of the body covered by the cloak (head to kness)." 1200gp.

[Fouredged Sword]

In an attempt to be actually helpful, on pg 166 of Magic of Faerun, there's a magic item called the Travel Cloak. It, among other things, "sheds precipitation, keeping dry the area of the body covered by the cloak (head to kness)." 1200gp.

If you pair that with waders (those solid fishing trousers you see river fishrmen wear with the built in boots) you would be invincible.

[torrasque666]

If you pair that with waders (those solid fishing trousers you see river fishrmen wear with the built in boots) you would be invincible.
I'm now imagining Skeletor in waders and a poncho. It's.... oddly not terrifying.