Destrying a Lich's Phylactary

[nittanytbone]

An integral part of becoming a lich is creating a magic phylactery in which the character stores its life force. As a rule, the only way to get rid of a lich for sure is to destroy its phylactery. Unless its phylactery is located and destroyed, a lich reappears 1d10 days after its apparent death.

Each lich must make its own phylactery, which requires the Craft Wondrous Item feat. The character must be able to cast spells and have a caster level of 11th or higher. The phylactery costs 120,000 gp and 4,800 XP to create and has a caster level equal to that of its creator at the time of creation.

The most common form of phylactery is a sealed metal box containing strips of parchment on which magical phrases have been transcribed. The box is Tiny and has 40 hit points, hardness 20, and a break DC of 40.

Other forms of phylacteries can exist, such as rings, amulets, or similar items.

My players have just come into possession of the phylactary of a certain lich (the Ghostlord from RHOD).

How can such an item be destroyed by characters of 7th & 8th level? I think it should not be as hard to destroy as an artifact, but it should not be easier than sundering a shield bought at the five and dime.

THOG SMASH!

A break DC of 40 is pretty hard core. If the fighter (16 STR) buffed with Bull's Str (20 STR), and got two aid another attempts (+4), and used a crowbar (+2 more), and had Guidance running (+1 more), and rolled a "20," he'd still only get a DC 32.

THOG HIT IT AGAIN... AND AGAIN... AND AGAIN!

Hardness 20 isn't hard to bypass. The fighter, enlarged, with a borrowed greatsword, does 3d6+14 (power attack)+9 STR. Easily does more than 20 points of damage, bypassing the hardness.

However, an iron weapon has only hardness 10. Can it do damage to the phylactary? I.E., can mundane steel items sunder adamatine ones? It seems... lame... to just hit an incredibly expensive and powerful item over and over with a greatsword, as well. I imagine many meanspirited liches would devise some sort of nasty curse or trick to foil such an obvious approach.


THE MAGICAL APPROACH

A targeted dispel magic will only suppress the item for 1d4 rounds. Not long enough.

Antimagic Field would suppress the phlactary for longer than Dispel Magic.

Mage’s Disjunction would definitely work, but seems like overkill.

THE QUEST APPROACH

Any method that destroys an artifact should also work for a phylactary. Grinding it in the stones of the earth, having it consumed in the fires of an ancient red dragon, casting it into the heart of Mount Doom, etc. etc. So I could devise a suitable side-quest to destroy the thing.

GREAT, ITS GONE... NOW WHAT?

Once the phylactery is gone, the lich cannot reform if slain. So it is vulnerable to permanent death.

Can the lich make another phylactary? I'd say no, not without a Wish or Miracle to call back the lost life essence.

Would the lich sally forth, determined to avenge itself on the adventurers at all costs? Or would it be more likely to cower in a deep hole, afraid of permanent death? I imagine the latter, combined with indirect strikes and plots is probably more likely.

 

[Diirk]

As noted, simply hitting it is the easiest way to destroy it. You also do not need any specific hardness weapon to be able to damage it, so long as you can do enough to get through the hardness. A lich with a destroyed phylactery cannot create a new one, and will not reform if killed again.

 

[Intrope]

Buy enough acid to immerse it (10d6 damage/round). At 10 gp/flask of acid, you may have to shell out 200-300gp to immerse it (it's as big as a cat!). That's still quite cheap, though.

I don't think the rules actually cover what happens if the lich is still active when the phylactry is destroyed. IMO, the lich would die outright: that's it's 'real' essence; the body's just a convenience.

You'll have to decide how this works in your world, naturally.

 

[darthkilmor]

As noted, simply hitting it is the easiest way to destroy it. You also do not need any specific hardness weapon to be able to damage it, so long as you can do enough to get through the hardness. A lich with a destroyed phylactery cannot create a new one, and will not reform if killed again.

That is until his evil cleric cohort raises/resurrects him after he's slain. Or whatever other plot-worthy contingency any lich worth his salt should have in place.

 

[Shin Okada]

Yes, bashing is the easiest way to break the phylactery. It is not meant to be unbreakable. It is meant to be hidden in safe place and that hardness and hp is there for a lich who does not trust anyone or any hiding method and actually wears the phylactery himself. Or to ensure that rats and bugs do not bite and damage the phylactery when it is in unattended hidden room of a dungeon.

But usuallly, it is hidden. If you are a DM, you should know this is an exceptional case and it is a part of the story plot. If you are just one of players, at least you should read the letter and guess something from it.

 

[eamon]

I'm positive that in plain vanilla D&D you cannot kill a lich merely by destroying its phylactery. In any case, in the RHoD adventure the OP is running the plot will not make nearly as much sense if that's how you do choose to interpret it.

 

[Shin Okada]

I'm positive that in plain vanilla D&D you cannot kill a lich merely by destroying its phylactery. In any case, in the RHoD adventure the OP is running the plot will not make nearly as much sense if that's how you do choose to interpret it.

Yes. To kill a lich you must destroy the lich and break the phylactery, or break the phylactery first and then destroy the lich.

Still, the phylactery is the most important thing for a lich and thus can be used as a plot item
. And actually, in Red Hand of Doom, it is working. I don't write more as I dont reveal the detail of that graeat adventure module here and spoil the fun of possible players.

 

[Dross]

It seems... lame... to just hit an incredibly expensive and powerful item over and over with a greatsword, as well. I imagine many meanspirited liches would devise some sort of nasty curse or trick to foil such an obvious approach.

There is that clause about breaking items with inappropriate weapons, I think a sword against a stone wall is the example used. An axe is better than a sword, but personally a hammer would be the best.

Mage’s Disjunction would definitely work, but seems like overkill.

See my sig

 

[Darklone]

Mind over matter. That's what our psio said after the group buffed the strength cleric as much as possible and he tried to break it.

Then the psion walked by, levitated it high... and dropped it. Falling damage is huge in D&D

You might even levitate something else and let it drop on the Phyl.

 

[Quartz]

If yo're intent on destroying it, can you Summon or find a Rust Monster?