Use Magic Device vs phylactery

[Ettina]

What happens if a character tries to Use Magic Device on a lich's phylactery? (They know it's magical, but not what it actually does.) I'm thinking it fizzles, does that sound right?

[KillianHawkeye]

Yes. A phylactery doesn't have any use that can be activated, it's simply a magical receptacle for somebody's soul. It doesn't really DO anything for anyone else.

[ATHATH]

Yes. A phylactery doesn't have any use that can be activated, it's simply a magical receptacle for somebody's soul. It doesn't really DO anything for anyone else.
This is probably correct, but Rule of Cool might cause/allow the UMD'er to hijack the phylactery (by becoming the "owner" of it and "using" it, which would assumedly stick his soul in it) and become a lich (possibly with the appropriate alignment change) himself.

[Dagroth]

This is probably correct, but Rule of Cool might cause/allow the UMD'er to hijack the phylactery (by becoming the "owner" of it and "using" it, which would assumedly stick his soul in it) and become a lich (possibly with the appropriate alignment change) himself.

That would probably require a pretty high UMD check... minimum DC 30 (Emulate an Alignment), unless you're already Evil. Minimum DC 25 (Emulate a Race), though technically Liches aren't a Race.

Must be able to cast spells (Emulate a Class Feature) & be an 11th level spellcaster (Minimum 3rd level spells, since a Bard could qualify?)

What would the Disable Device DC be for a Trap the Soul trap? That might be relevant to this situation...

[Segev]

If there is any ability to UMD a phylactery, it would be at the moment the rogue died. If successful, the rogue would return in 1d10 days. He may or may not be undead with or without the lich template.

[Bronk]

I think it might be possible to use the phylactery, but only if it hasn't already been used.

Since they're personalized, it would require a DC40 UMD check to emulate a specific individual.

If the character was a wily and thrifty almost-lich with a high UMD check, they could bogart the phylactery for themselves.

If the character were alive, their life force would now be trapped inside the phylactery, and they would die. They could be resurrected though, since their soul isn't in there, just their 'life force'.

[Pleh]

I say treat it like a horcrux. Use intelligent item rules and have it mirror the lich's intelligence. I'd let the player make Use Magic Device to produce Bluff and Diplomacy effects.

[Crake]

That would probably require a pretty high UMD check... minimum DC 30 (Emulate an Alignment), unless you're already Evil. Minimum DC 25 (Emulate a Race), though technically Liches aren't a Race.

Must be able to cast spells (Emulate a Class Feature) & be an 11th level spellcaster (Minimum 3rd level spells, since a Bard could qualify?)

What would the Disable Device DC be for a Trap the Soul trap? That might be relevant to this situation...

Those requirements to be a lich aren't actually template requirements, they're the requirements to make the phylactery. So technically anyone can become a lich, if someone else helps them construct the phylactery.

That said, the phylactery itself doesn't actually do anything. It's the lich's rejuvenation ability that does all the work, but it is tied to the phylactery's existence, rather than actually be granted by the phylactery itself.

[Mordaedil]

Technically, it's just a necklace that houses the soul of the Lich, so uh, I think UMDing it just means you wear it and it does nothing.