Page 204 - Monster Manual [11th Print]

L I C H its phylactery means the possibility of eternal death,
a lich usually keeps its phylactery in a hidden, well­
Liches are the remains of great wizards who embrace guarded location.
undeath as a means of preserving themselves. They Destroying a lich's phylactery is no easy task and
further their own power at any cost, having no interest often requires a special ritual, item, or weapon. Every
in the affairs of the living except where those affairs phylactery is unique, and discovering the key to its
interfere with their own. Scheming and insane, they destruction can be a quest in and of itself.
hunger for long-forgotten knowledge and the most Lonely Existence. From time to time, a lich might be
terrible secrets. Because the shadow of death doesn't stirred from its single-minded pursuit of power to take
hang over them, they can conceive plans that take years, an interest in the world around it, most often when some
decades, or centuries to come to fruition. great event reminds it of the life it once led. It otherwise
A lich is a gaunt and skeletal humanoid with lives in isolation, engaging only with those creatures
withered flesh stretched tight across its bones. Its eyes whose service helps secure its lair.
succumbed to decay long ago, but points of light burn Few liches call themselves by their former names,
in its empty sockets. It is often garbed in the moldering instead adopting monikers such as the Black Hand or
remains of fine clothing and jewelry worn and dulled by the Forgotten King.
the passage of time. Magic Collectors. Liches collect spells and magic
Secrets ofUndeath. No wizard takes up the path to items. In addition to its spell repertoire, a lich has ready
lichdom on a whim, and the process of becoming a lich access to potions, scrolls, libraries of spellbooks, one
is a well-guarded secret. Wizards that seek lichdom or more wands, and perhaps a staff or two. It has no
must make bargains with fiends, evil gods, or other foul qualms about putting these treasures to use whenever
entities. Many turn to Orcus, Demon Prince of Undeath, its lair comes under attack.
whose power has created countless liches. However, U n dead N a ture. A lich doesn't require air, food,
those that control the power of lichdom always demand drink, or sleep.
fealty and service for their knowledge.
L
A lich is created by an arcane ritual that traps the A r n H ' s L A I R
wizard's soul within a phylactery. Doing so binds the
soul to the mortal world, preventing it from traveling A lich often haunts the abode it favored in life, such as
to the Outer Planes after death. A phylactery is a lonely tower, a haunted ruin, or an academy of black
traditionally an amulet in the shape of a small box, but magic. Alternatively, some liches construct secret tombs
it can take the form of any item possessing an interior filled with powerful guardians and traps.
space into which arcane sigils of naming, binding, Everything about a lich's lair reflects its keen mind
immortality, and dark magic are scribed in silver. and wicked cunning, including the magic and mundane
With its phylactery prepared, the future lich drinks a traps that secure it. Undead, constructs, and bound
potion of transformation-a vile concoction of poison demons lurk in shadowy recesses, emerging to destroy
those who dare to disturb the lich's work.
mixed with the blood of a sentient creature whose A lich encountered in its lair has a challenge rating of
soul is sacrificed to the phylactery. The wizard falls 22 (4 , 000 XP).
1
dead, then rises as a lich as its soul is drawn into the
phylactery, where it forever remains. LAIR ACTIONS
Soul Sacrifices. A lich must periodically feed souls to On initiative count 20 (losing initiative ties), the lich
its phylactery to sustain the magic preserving its body can take a lair action to cause one of the following
and consciousness. It does this using the imprisonment magical effects; the lich can't use the same effect two
spell. Instead of choosing one of the normal options rounds in a row:
of the spell, the lich uses the spell to magically trap
the target's body and soul inside its phylactery. The • The lich rolls a d8 and regains a spell slot of that level
phylactery must be on the same plane as the lich for or lower. If it has no spent spell slots of that level or
the spell to work. A lich's phylactery can hold only lower, nothing happens.
one creature at a time, and a dispel magic cast as a • The lich targets one creature it can see within 30 feet
9th-level spell upon the phylactery releases any creature of it. A crackling cord of negative energy tethers the
imprisoned within it. A creature imprisoned in the lich to the target. Whenever the lich takes damage,
phylactery for 24 hours is consumed and destroyed the target must make a DC 18 Constitution saving
utterly, whereupon nothing short of divine intervention throw. On a failed save, the lich takes half the damage
can restore it to life. (rounded down), and the target takes the remaining
A lich that fails or forgets to maintain its body with damage. This tether lasts until initiative count 20 on
sacrificed souls begins to physically fall apart, and the next round or until the lich or the target is no lon-
might eventually become a demilich. ger in the lich's lair.
Death and Restoration. When a lich's body is • The lich calls forth the spirits of creatures that died in
broken by accident or assault, the will and mind of its lair. These apparitions materialize and attack one
the lich drains from it, leaving only a lifeless corpse creature that the lich can see within 60 feet of it. The
behind. Within days, a new body reforms next to the target must succeed on a DC 18 Constitution saving
throw, taking 52 (15d6) necrotic damage on a failed 411
lich's phylactery, coalescing out of glowing smoke that
issues from the device. Because the destruction of save, or half as much damage on a success. The appa-
ritions then disappear.

LICH
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