4E Phane lich (Template added by me)

[InaVegt]

Well, the excerpt about customization told us that if you add two templates to a standard creature, but just the hit points of one of these templates, and double the hit points you get, you should get a creature of roughly solo creature strength. Thus, I concluded that if you add a template to an elite creature, but instead of adding hit points as told, just double hit points, you get another solo creature.

As I managed to find an elite creature (Phane) and a template which can be added to it (Lich), I decided to try it out to see what a solo creature is like, of course, this solo creature is also in the epic level range, so it's gonna be quite strong.

Base creature

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Phane
Level 26 Elite Controller
Large immortal magical beast
XP 18,000
Initiative +23 Senses Perception +25; darkvision
HP 478; Bloodied 239
AC 41; Fortitude 38, Reflex 41, Will 38
Resist insubstantial
Saving Throws +2
Speed 10, fl y 10
Action Points 1
MeleeTemporal Touch (standard; at-will)
Reach 2; +29 vs. Reflex; 2d8 + 10 damage, and the target is slowed until the end of the phane’s next turn. The phane shifts 4 squares before or after making this attack.
RangedWizening Ray (standard; at-will)
Ranged 10; +29 vs. Fortitude; 2d6 + 9 damage, and the target is dazed and weakened (save ends both). Aftereffect: The target is weakened (save ends). The target appears elderly until the effects of the wizening ray end.
Close BurstWizening Tempest (standard, usable only while bloodied; at-will)
Close burst 1; phanes are immune; +29 vs. Fortitude; 2d6 + 10 damage, and the target is stunned (save ends). Aftereffect: The target is dazed and weakened (save ends both). The target appears elderly until the effects of the wizening tempest end.
Temporal Fugue (minor; at-will)
By moving backward and forward in time, a phane can remove one effect afflicting it.
Alignment Unaligned
Languages Supernal
Str 24 (+20)
Dex 30 (+23)
Wis 25 (+20)
Con 23 (+19)
Int 28 (+22)
Cha 22 (+19)

Template

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Prerequisite: Level 11, Intelligence 13
Lich
Elite Controller or Artillery
(undead)
XP Elite
Senses Darkvision
Defenses +2 AC; +4 Fortitude, +4 Will
Immune disease, poison
Resist 5 + 1/2 level necrotic
Saving Throws +2
Action Point 1
Hit Points +8 per level + Constitution score (controller) or
+6 per level + Constitution score (artillery)
Regeneration 10. If the lich takes radiant damage, its regeneration doesn’t function on its next turn.
POWERS
Spellmaster (minor; recharge [5,6])
The lich regains the use of an expended encounter power.
Necromantic Aura (Necrotic) aura 5
Any living creature that enters or starts its turn in the aura takes 5 necrotic damage.
Necrotic Master
The lich can convert any attack power it has to necrotic.
Change a power’s energy keyword to necrotic, or add necrotic energy to an attack power that doesn’t normally deal energy damage.

Phane Lich
Level 26 Solo Controller
Large immortal magical beast (undead)
XP ???
Initiative +23
Senses Perception +25; darkvision
HP 956; Bloodied 478
AC 43; Fortitude 42, Reflex 41, Will 42
Immune: Disease, poison
Resist insubstantial; necrotic (18)
Saving Throws +2?
Speed 10, fl y 10
Action Points 1?
Regeneration 10. If the lich takes radiant damage, its regeneration doesn’t function on its next turn.
Melee: Temporal Touch (standard; at-will)
Reach 2; +29 vs. Reflex; 2d8 + 10 damage, and the target is slowed until the end of the phane’s next turn. The phane shifts 4 squares before or after making this attack.
Ranged: Wizening Ray (standard; at-will)
Ranged 10; +29 vs. Fortitude; 2d6 + 9 damage, and the target is dazed and weakened (save ends both). Aftereffect: The target is weakened (save ends). The target appears elderly until the effects of the wizening ray end.
Close Burst: Wizening Tempest (standard, usable only while bloodied; at-will)
Close burst 1; phanes are immune; +29 vs. Fortitude; 2d6 + 10 damage, and the target is stunned (save ends). Aftereffect: The target is dazed and weakened (save ends both). The target appears elderly until the effects of the wizening tempest end.
Temporal Fugue (minor; at-will)
By moving backward and forward in time, a phane can remove one effect afflicting it.
Necromantic Aura (Necrotic) aura 5
Any living creature that enters or starts its turn in the aura takes 5 necrotic damage.
Necrotic Master
The lich can convert any attack power it has to necrotic.
Change a power’s energy keyword to necrotic, or add necrotic energy to an attack power that doesn’t normally deal energy damage.
Alignment Unaligned
Languages Supernal
Str 24 (+20)
Dex 30 (+23)
Wis 25 (+20)
Con 23 (+19)
Int 28 (+22)
Cha 22 (+19)

[Human Paragon 3]

The Lich template doesn't really seem to add much to the Phane beyond a boatload of HP. The regen is nice, but the necrotic aura is probably all but meaningless at the epic level of play. Unless the PCs have a vulnerabillity to necrotic energy for some reason, the lich's ability to add Necrotic energy to attacks is likewise meaningless.

Perhaps worst of all, the Lich's best power (spell mastery) is not applicable to the Phane whatosever, since all of its powers are at will, none are daily or per encounter. Maybe if some other advancement added a per encounter abillity it would be a worthy solo encounter, but as it stands this is just a bag of HP that can deal out status effects and isn't particularly dangerous otherwise.

This isn't to say that your excersise is without merit. On the contrary, I think you've demonstrated that 4e, as robust a system as it is, is still not a simple matter of cutting and pasting, plugging in a formula and letting a rip. DM creativity will still be a very strong factor in how the encounters are created, and it will take some skill to see how the various abilities and templates fit to gether to form a challenge for the PCs.

[Mewtarthio]

Yeah, there's no guarantee that a template will actually strengthen the monster considerably. They have the recommended roles, but you have to consider why those roles were recommended before you add the template. For instance, Lich (iirc) was recommended for Controller and Artillery opponents. This was probably because those roles both prefer not to have enemies near them (hence the Necrotic Aura) and because they rely on encounter powers (hence Spell Mastery). The Phane has none of that: It's a Controller (iirc), but it also has its own powers (Temporal Touch and Wizening Tempest) to discourage opponents from moving to close, and it doesn't use any encounter powers. The Lich template is redundant.

EDIT: Except, of course, for the ability to make bad puns off of "a lich in time," but I'd really rather not go there.

[Jothki]

The phane seems like it'd be a lousy solo opponent, as well. From the looks of its powers it has a lot of bark but very little bite, so it would need outside help to be able to significantly harm the players.

[hamishspence]

Which is why, as it stands, its an elite. A Phane + an elite brute would be a nasty pairing.