Lich --- where is the Phylactery?

Thanee

First Post

• Sep 22, 2002

• #1

Ok, we had encountered and beaten a Lich today (actually a Dracolich, but since we had no Monsters of Faerûn available, we just used the regular Lich rules).

Now the question came up, where does that Phylactery thingie have to be (the description almost seems to imply, that the Lich has to carry it with him, but that would be rather silly).

So, can it just be anywhere, and does the Lich just form a new body after d10 days next to his Phylactery?

How is this supposed to work?

We decided, that he could have it stashed away anywhere. Since our Loremaster was quite knowledgeable about Liches, we knew about this stuff and could enlisten the help of a friendly Diviner, who could locate the Phylactery, so that we could destroy the Lich's essence before he came back.

Bye
Thanee

 

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W

Wolfwood

First Post

• Sep 22, 2002

• #2

Any kind of lich can indeed hide it's phylactery anywhere it wants. The thing about a Dracolich is that it needs at least the corpse of a reptile or another dragon near it's phylactery to become it's new host.
It then has to make a CHA test for the body to accept the spirit. If the it suceeds and the body is a dragon's corpse then you hav a new dracolich. If it is a reptile of sorts then it becomes a protodracolich for 2d4 days unless it can consume 10% of it's former body.

 

Thanee

First Post

• Sep 22, 2002

• #3

Fair enough, then we basically did this right!

There was no reptile corpse near the Phylactery, but enough room to have one there (which would have been there, of course, if we had the book, or better, if the player who actually has the book would have been around ).

But a regular Lich just forms a new body, right?

Bye
Thanee

 

C

Cerubus Dark

First Post

• Sep 22, 2002

• #4

Thanee said:

Fair enough, then we basically did this right!

There was no reptile corpse near the Phylactery, but enough room to have one there (which would have been there, of course, if we had the book, or better, if the player who actually has the book would have been around ).

But a regular Lich just forms a new body, right?

Bye
Thanee

Click to expand...

Not quite, there has to be a body near by for the spirit to take over.

 

Thanee

First Post

• Sep 22, 2002

• #5

Ahh... I think now I understand how it works...

The Phylactery is meant to be strapped to the forehead or forearm of the NEW body!

Doh!

Ok, now that actually makes sense...

Thanks all!

Bye
Thanee

 

B

Bob5th

First Post

• Sep 22, 2002

• #6

Well as a DM my players have fought a Lich and his phylactery was on the other side of the world in some room filled with corpses. And furthermore he had someone hide it for him and then killed that person so he has no idea where it is.

 

Umbran

Mod Squad

Staff member

Supporter

• Sep 22, 2002

• #7

Thanee said:

The Phylactery is meant to be strapped to the forehead or forearm of the NEW body!

Click to expand...

Not as far as the MM is concerned, no.

The MM states that the typical phylactery has the straps so that the lich can wear it. Mind you, actually wearing the thing is dumb. There's nothing in the lich template that says this is at all required. Nor do the rules stipulate that a normal lich needs a new body to inhabit. He simply reappears near the phylactery.

 

Thanee

First Post

• Sep 22, 2002

• #8

And furthermore he had someone hide it for him and then killed that person so he has no idea where it is.

Click to expand...

Smart lich that!

We enlistened the help of a diviner, that used ritual magic (nothing from the books, more of an ad hoc thing) to trace the lich's life force, from the corpse to the phylactery, that was how we found out about its location (which would otherwise be pretty hard, unless we used some means to contact a deity, a wish or something similar to obtain that information).

Bye
Thanee

 

Last edited: Sep 22, 2002

Dagger75

Epic Commoner

• Sep 22, 2002

• #9

I thought it would be stupid for a lich to carry there Phylactery on them.

I just assumed they apeared next to there Pylactery, well mine will anyway.

 

Tewligan

First Post

• Sep 23, 2002

• #10

Cerubus Dark said:

Not quite, there has to be a body near by for the spirit to take over.

Click to expand...

I don't think so. If I recall correctly, the MM just says that the lich reforms, with no need of a "vessel" body. Mind you, it would make sense to need a host corpse, but that's not what the rules say.