Medium undead (lich), any evil alignment
Armor Class 17 (natural armor)
Hit Points 135 (18d8 + 54)
Speed 30 ft.
Proficiency Bonus +7
Proficiency Bonus +7 (5th Edition Advanced Mode)
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 (+0) | 16 (+3) | 16 (+3) | 20 (+5) | 14 (+2) | 16 (+3) |
Saving Throws Con +10, Int +12, Wis +9
Saving Throws Con +10, Int +12, Wis +9, Cha +10
Skills Arcana +19, History +12, Insight +9, Perception +9
Damage Resistances cold, lightning, necrotic
Damage Immunities poison; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks
Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, frightened, paralyzed, poisoned
Senses truesight 120 ft., passive Perception 19
Languages Common plus up to five other languages
Challenge 21 (33,000 XP)
Legendary Resistance (3/Day). If the lich fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead.
Rejuvenation. If it has a phylactery, a destroyed lich gains a new body in 1d10 days, regaining all its hit points and becoming active again. The new body appears within 5 feet of the phylactery.
Spellcasting. The lich is an 18th-level spellcaster. Its spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 20, +12 to hit with spell attacks). The lich has the following wizard spells prepared:
- Cantrips (at will): mage hand, prestidigitation, ray of frost
- 1st level (4 slots): detect magic, magic missile, shield, thunderwave
- 2nd level (3 slots): detect thoughts, invisibility, Melf’s acid arrow, mirror image
- 3rd level (3 slots): animate dead, counterspell, dispel magic, fireball
- 4th level (3 slots): blight, dimension door
- 5th level (3 slots): cloudkill, scrying
- 6th level (1 slot): disintegrate, globe of invulnerability
- 7th level (1 slot): finger of death, plane shift
- 8th level (1 slot): dominate monster, power word stun
- 9th level (1 slot): power word kill
Turn Resistance. The lich has advantage on saving throws against any effect that turns undead.
ACTIONS
- Paralyzing Touch. Melee Spell Attack: +12 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 10 (3d6) cold damage. The target must succeed on a DC 18 Constitution saving throw or be paralyzed for 1 minute. The target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.
LEGENDARY ACTIONS
The lich can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options below. Only one legendary action option can be used at a time and only at the end of another creature’s turn. The lich regains spent legendary actions at the start of its turn.
- Cantrip. The lich casts a cantrip.
- Paralyzing Touch (Costs 2 Actions). The lich uses its Paralyzing Touch.
- Frightening Gaze (Costs 2 Actions). The lich fixes its gaze on one creature it can see within 10 feet of it. The target must succeed on a DC 18 Wisdom saving throw against this magic or become frightened for 1 minute. The frightened target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. If a target’s saving throw is successful or the effect ends for it, the target is immune to the lich’s gaze for the next 24 hours.
- Disrupt Life (Costs 3 Actions). Each non‐undead creature within 20 feet of the lich must make a DC 18 Constitution saving throw against this magic, taking 21 (6d6) necrotic damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.
5th Edition Advanced Mode
Limiting the power of a character and making the overall difficulty of the game harder, does not reduce the creativity, indeed it does quite the opposite.
The Game Master has the option to use any and all of the instances proposed in this guide, or just some of them according to their preference.
It is the lack of something that move and motivate characters, not the abundance of it
DESCRIPTION
A lich is a powerful undead spellcaster who has achieved immortality by transferring their soul into a phylactery, a magical container that protects it from harm. A lich retains all the abilities it had in life, but also gains enhanced physical and magical defenses, as well as a paralyzing touch and a frightening gaze. A lich’s body is a withered and skeletal corpse, often adorned with regal or arcane garments and jewelry. A lich’s eyes glow with a malevolent light, and its voice is cold and harsh. An aura of cold and darkness radiates from the lich, which makes it an ominous and fearsome sight.
COMBAT
A lich is a formidable opponent in combat, using its high intelligence and vast knowledge of magic to outwit and overpower its enemies. A lich can cast a variety of spells, ranging from offensive spells like fireball and disintegrate, to defensive spells like shield and globe of invulnerability, to utility spells like dimension door and scrying. A lich can also use its legendary actions to cast cantrips, paralyze a creature with its touch, or frighten a creature with its gaze. A lich is resistant to many types of damage, immune to poison and nonmagical weapons, and can turn undead creatures to its side. A lich can also use its legendary resistance to succeed on a saving throw that it would otherwise fail. The only way to permanently destroy a lich is to find and destroy its phylactery, which can be hidden anywhere in the multiverse.
HABITAT / SOCIETY
A lich is usually a solitary creature, preferring to pursue its own goals and interests without interference from others. A lich may have minions or allies that serve it willingly or under coercion, such as undead, cultists, or other evil beings. A lich may also seek out other liches for cooperation or competition, depending on their personalities and agendas. A lich’s lair is typically a well-guarded and hidden location, such as a dungeon, a tower, or a tomb, where it can conduct its experiments and research in peace. A lich may also have access to other planes of existence, such as the Shadowfell or the Astral Plane, where it can find more resources or secrets.
A lich has no need for food, water, air, or sleep, as it sustains itself by draining the life force of living creatures. A lich may also feed on the souls of those it kills, trapping them in its phylactery or using them for other nefarious purposes.
A lich has cast aside its place as a living being by choice and now wants as little to do with the world of men as possible. From time to time, however, a lich’s interest in the world at large may be reawakened by some great event of personal importance.
When a lich does decide to become involved with the world beyond its lair, its keen intelligence makes it a dangerous adversary. In some cases, a lich will depend on its magical powers to accomplish its goals. If this is not sufficient, however, the lich is quite capable of animating a force of undead troops to act on its behalf. If such is the case, the lich’s endless patience and cunning more than make up for the inherent disadvantages of the lesser forms of undead which it commands.
ECOLOGY
A lich has no natural predators or enemies, except for those who oppose its evil schemes or seek to destroy it. A lich may also have rivals or enemies among other powerful beings, such as dragons, demons, or gods. A lich has no interest in the natural balance of life and death, and may seek to disrupt it for its own benefit or amusement. A lich may also have a specific goal or obsession that drives its actions, such as acquiring more power, knowledge, or artifacts.
The lich is not a thing of this world. Although it was once a living creature, it has entered into an unnatural existence that defies the laws of nature and magic.
Lich is employed as material component to empower the following spells: