Where would a lich have gates to?

Toj · Sep 26, 2003

In a current campaign I am running, the heroes have taken over a castle that used to belong to a lich. The lich has permanent gates within his castle that lead to various areas in the world. They are all in one room. The gates operate on passwords. You say the password and the gate 'opens' and then you step through and must say the password again to close the gate.

They party has two passwords at the moment (they found them in the Lich's journal).

Gate 1:This leads to the Dragontooth Caverns, which are very similar to the Undermountain from Forgotten Realms. The lich used the portal to go in and gather monsters etc for experiments.

Gate 2: This leads to the lair of a Red Dragon. The red dragon made a pact with the lich many 100's of years ago, basically in order for protection. The lich has been dead now for about 35 years and the Red Dragon has since forgotten about the lich, and the portal into his lair. The Red Dragon has also allied himself with a human wizard and his protector. The are their only little triad.

Currently the party has done a few excusions into the Gate 1, and they have only opened Gate 2 and looked inside. They saw what appeared to be a Dragon lair, and in their wisdom decided it was not a wise time to go in and look around.

There are 4 other gates. The party does not have passwords to any of them, but searching out the password, or discovering the magical way to open them will eventually come up. What are your ideas to what should be on the other side of these gates? What are your adventure ideas for these other gates. Should one lead to another ally, and that ally comes by for a visit?

Voadam · Sep 26, 2003

One might lead to the negative material plane. The lich could have used it to heal himself quickly or to power up evil items or gather negative material energy for rituals (including his original transformation). Of course living characters who go through the gates will be adversely affected by the environment.

A gate to Hell! For those special bargains. Sometimes it pays to visit them.

Elemental plane of fire to power up other items.

To a chamber in a ruler's castle somewhere. Who was the lich impersonating, or did he have an agent there who would report to him in person?

Nifft · Sep 26, 2003

Hades -- Mmmm, soulworms! So tasty, they go great with any spell.
Hell -- How else were the decorators going to get all the greensteel up here?
Shadow -- Where I've built my home away from home.
The Abyss -- A private layer, or one ruled by one of Orcus' minions.
Alternate Material Plane -- "Welcome ta Texas! Yew with them Ren Faire freaks?"

-- N

Aeolius · Sep 26, 2003

I'll second Hades. In 1e AD&D, liches were known to barter with night hags, to get fresh larvae.

Winternight · Sep 26, 2003

definitiv Negative energy plane
also plane of fire. (my lich (who used to be a wizards) has a small lair in the PoF but he also has an amulett of Fire protection (also for his cohort) )
he usally fled there waited for his pursuers to arrive and then finshed them of, while they took 3d6 damage per round.
He now has the gate open out of remembrance.

also
A kings private quarter ( he was counceler)
A big libary
a treasure hord room
a "training room" some wher inthe "undermountain, to keep in form
a grave yard/battle field
a one way gate to a room filled with vacuum od poisoneous gas and treasure (as a last present for intruders)
an other universum ( greayhawk, krynn, magnamund, ...)
an other universum ( our world !)

heck your the DM you made the lich where should i know where he has gates to?

Pants · Sep 26, 2003

Hades: Mmmm... souls
Thanatos: Hey, it's Orcus's layer in the Abyss.
Negative Energy Plane: It's the perfect spa for liches!
The Astral Plane: The lich has his own magical study floating in the Astral.

Dakkareth · Sep 27, 2003

Maybe one gate is not a full gate at all, but the precursory work on a gate designed to lead to some unimaginable place - maybe the Far Realm, maybe the Realm of the Gods, maybe something else alltogether ... it doesn't work yet, but still partially opening it has profound effects. For example in the Far Realm scenario everyone in the vicinity would have horrible visions (wis damage!) and maybe something slips through. In this state the characters would be unable to pass through. In an emergency the already accumulated power could be released at once creating a brief gate-like effect for one (and only one character) to pass through. Where he will end up can be decided by the DM, but it should be an appropriately impressing place.

frankthedm · Sep 27, 2003

A Lich gate would go to...

A cemetary!

sorry, bad joke.

Lord Ravinous · Sep 27, 2003

How bout a portal with an archway, and at the top of the archway, written in Abyssal (or Netheresse if your in FR) it reads Phylactary Chamber. Then when the PC's step through to kill off the Lich for good, they fall into an ocean of acid...or feindish dire maggots, depending on your style, then say "well boys...welcome to the Abyss. Now, make your swim check *insert evil laugh here*"