Aye that be true.
And since I love it so much, my ever evolving variation on the Akalich.
Lich King/Queen (Skeletus Rex/Regina)
A lich king/queen is an undead spellcaster, usually a wizard or sorcerer but sometimes a cleric or other spellcaster, who has used it's magical powers to unnaturally extend it's life and has grown so ancient, that it's bones have been fossilized and imbued with incredible physical, spiritual, and supernatural power.
A lich king/queen is a gaunt and skeletal humanoid devoid of flesh. Its eyes have long ago been lost to decay. The macabre processes of becoming an lich king/queen require the base creature to have existed as a lich for at least ten thousand years. Even the least of these creatures was a powerful person in life, so they often are draped in once-grand clothing.
Multiclass fighters or clerics may still bear the armor of a warrior. Like its body, however, the garb of a lich king/queen shows all too well the weight of years. Decay and corruption are its constant companion. It is only the rarest of lich kings/queens, and the most vain, that maintain their flesh and, with it, the semblance of life.
As a rule, these creatures are scheming and, some say, insane. They hunger for ever greater power, long-forgotten knowledge, and the most terrible of arcane secrets. Because the shadow of death does not hang over them, they often conceive plans taking years, decades, or even centuries to come to fruition.
Free to roam distant planes, lich kings/queens seek to discover all the secrets of the multiverse, and beyond, applying themselves to the study of epic spells, the location of unique artifacts, and the keys to release and control imprisoned abominations. Many pursue plans far deeper, which may eventually win them control of vast stretches of the multiverse, or even grant them the sparks of godhood.
Lich kings/queens are the same height they were in life.
Lich kings/queens speak the languages they knew in life and any languages they have learned since then.
Creating a Lich King/Queen
“Lich king/queen” is a template that can be added to any humanoid (referred to hereafter as the base creature) that has become a lich (rather than adding to it, overlapping with this previous template), though it is assumed any such character has been a lich for millennia before becoming an lich king/queen. (Lich kings/queens of other kinds of creatures, such as dragons, exist, but use different templates.)
A lich king/queen has all the base creature’s statistics and special abilities except as noted here.
Size and Type: Size is unchanged, though the lich king/queen may acquire virtual size categories due to it's terrifying physical strength. Type is unchanged.
Hit Dice: A lich king/queen use d20’s for Hit Dice and has maximum hit points per die.
Speed: All movement speeds increased tenfold. A lich king/queen acquires a fly speed equal to three times it's base land speed, with perfect maneuverability.
Armor Class: As the base creature, except, as noted here.
- Deflection Bonus (Ex): A lich king/queen gains a deflection bonus to it's armor class equal to it's Charisma modifier.
- Insight Bonus (Ex): A lich king/queen also gains an insight bonus to it's armor class equal to it's Wisdom modifier.
- Natural Bonus (Ex): A lich king/queen also gains a natural armor bonus equal to it's Hit Dice or the base creature’s natural armor bonus, whichever is better.
Attack: A lich king/queen has a touch attack that it can use once per round. If the base creature can use weapons, the lich king/queen retains this ability. A creature with natural weapons retains those natural weapons. A lich king/queen fighting without weapons uses either it's touch attack or it's primary natural weapon (if it has any). A lich king/queen armed with a weapon uses it's touch attack or a weapon, as it desires. A lich king/queen gains an insight bonus to attack rolls equal to it's Wisdom modifier. A lich king/queen's natural weapons are treated as epic and evil aligned for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.
Full Attack: A lich king/queen fighting without weapons uses either it's touch attack (see above) or it's natural weapons (if it has any). If armed with a weapon, it usually uses the weapon as it's primary attack along with a touch as a natural secondary attack, provided it has a way to make that attack (either a free hand or a natural weapon that it can use as a secondary attack).
Damage: A lich king/queen without natural weapons has a touch attack that uses negative energy to deal 2d20 points of damage for every Hit Dice of the lich king/queen (no save) to living creatures. The lich king/queen adds it's Charisma modifier to the damage. A lich king/queen with natural weapons can use it's touch attack or its natural weaponry, as it prefers. If it chooses the latter, the touch attack deals 2d20 points of additional damage for every Hit Dice of the lich king/queen (no save) on one natural weapon attack. If the lich king/queen elects to do so, it may also divide this additional damage amongst several natural weapon attacks.
Special Attacks: A lich king/queen retains all the base creatures special attacks and also gains those described below. Save DCs are equal to 10 + 1/2 the lich king/queen's Hit Dice + the lich king/queen's Charisma modifier unless otherwise noted.
- Dread Aura (Su): A lich king/queen is shrouded in an aura of death, fear, and weakness. Any creature within a radius equal to 100 ft. + 10 ft./Hit Dice, is affected as if by a symbol of death, symbol of fear, and a symbol of weakness, however there are no hit point limits for these effects. All targets must make a Fortitude save every round they are within the area to avoid the effect. A lich king/queen need not be seen for the effect to occur, nor need the lich king/queen's victims even be aware of the lich king/queen's presence. A lich king/queen can elect to change the trigger, as a free action each round, although it is typically designed to target the lich king/queens enemies.
- Overshadow (Su): As a standard action, a lich king/queen can sacrifice one of it's captured immortal spirits to wrap a shroud of death around a single opponent. This attack deals damage equal to the lich king/queen's own full hit point total (no save) and has a range of 100 ft. + 10 ft./Hit Dice.
- Spell-like Abilities: At will - alter self, animate dead, astral projection, create greater undead, create undead, death knell, destruction, enervation, greater dispel magic, greater teleport, harm, plane shift, slay living, summon monster I–IX, telekinesis, weird; 3/day - greater planar ally, wail of the banshee, wish; 1/day - ruin; 1/week - momento mori. The save DCs are Charisma-based.
- Spells: Same as the base creature.
- Stasis Touch (Su): As temporal stasis except it is a supernatural ability. Any creature touched by a lich king/queen must make a Fortitude save or be placed in suspended animation. Anyone placed in suspended animation by the lich king/queen seems dead, though a successful Spot check (DC 40) or Heal check (DC 30) reveals that the victim is still alive. Furthermore, although completely incapacitated mentally, physically, spiritually, and temporally the victim remains completely and horrifyingly aware of it's surroundings and the passage of time, though it is incapable of doing anything about it.
- Trap the Soul (Su): A lich king/queen can trap the souls/spirits of up to twenty-four living creatures per day. A lich king/queen can trap even immortal souls/spirits. To use this power, it selects any target within 1,500 feet. The target is allowed a Fortitude save. If the target makes it's save half it's levels are drained (this does not count as a use of trap the soul). If the target fails it's save, it's soul/spirit is trapped within one of the lich king/queen's 24 phylacteric ribs. The soulless/spiritless body collapses in a mass of corruption and molders in a single round, reduced to dust. If left to it's own devices, the lich king/queen slowly devours mortal souls/spirits and souls/spirits of weaker than demi-deity stature over 24 hours—at the end of that time the soul/spirit is completely absorbed, and the victim is forever gone. If the lich king/queen is overcome before the soul/spirit is eaten, crushing the rib releases the soul, after which time it is free to seek the afterlife or be returned to it's body by the use of either resurrection, true resurrection, clone, or miracle. A potential victim protected by a death ward spell is not immune to trap the soul, but receives a +5 bonus on its Fortitude saving throw and is unaffected by the level loss on a successful save. Those souls/spirits of capture immortals of demi-deity or above are used to fuel the lich king/queen's overshadow and rejuvenation abilities.
Special Qualities: A lich king/queen retains all the base creatures special attacks and also gains those described below.
- Damage Reduction (Ex): A lich king/queen gains damage reduction equal to its Hit Dice (rounded down to the nearest multiple of 5).
- Immunities (Ex): A lich king/queen is immune to acid, cold, electricity, and fire damage.
- Immunity to Magic (Ex): A lich king/queen is immune to all spells, spell-like abilities, and supernatural effects except as follows (though it can use spells, spell-like abilities, and supernatural effects on itself without hindrance):
- A dispel evil spell deals 1 point of damage per spell level to the lich king/queen.
- Holy smite affects the lich king/queen normally.
- A shatter spell affects the lich king/queen as if it were a crystalline creature, but deals only half normal damage (then apply sonic resistance).
- Phylactery Transference (Su): Any items kept in close proximity (within 1 foot per Hit Dice) of a lich king/queen's phylactery transfer all their benefits to the lich king/queen regardless of the distance between the lich king/queen and it's phylactery. The standard limits on types of items utilized simultaneously still apply.
- Phylactery/Phylacteric Ribs (Ex): A lich king/queen has a phylactery in which it stores it's life force. If the lich king/queen's phylactery is not destroyed after a lich king/queen is destroyed, the lich king/queen reappears 1d10 days after it's apparent destruction. A lich king/queen also has twenty-four phylacteric ribs, each of which acts like a phylactery in its own right. If each phylacteric rib is not destroyed after a lich king/queen is destroyed, the lich king/queen reappears 1d10 days after its apparent destruction. As each phylacteric rib is part of the lich king/queen's natural form, should it's phylactery, or even one rib, survive, each of it's phylacteric ribs will reappear as part of the lich king/queen when the lich king/queen reappears. This makes lich kings/queens notoriously difficult to permanently destroy. A lich king/queen must recreate it's actual phylactery in the event it is destroyed, although it is unlikely to bother with such trivialities. Each phylacteric rib allows the lich king/queen to use its most devastating ability, Trap the Soul (see above), as well as all abilities reliant upon it's Trap the Soul ability.
- Phylacteric Transference (Su): Any items kept in close proximity (within 1 foot per Hit Dice) to the lich king's/queen's phylactery transfer all their benefits to the lich king/queen regardless of the distance between the lich king/queen and it's phylactery. Standard limits on types of items apply.
- Rejuvenation (Ex): When a lich king/queen is destroyed, it immediately rejuvenates to full hit points, by sacrificing one of the immortal souls/spirits trapped within it's phylacteric ribs. Typically a lich king/queen will have 2d12 captured immortal souls/spirits within it's phylacteric ribs when encountered. Only the souls/spirits of true immortals (demi-deities and above) can bestow the ability to rejuvenate upon the lich king/queen.
- Sonic Resistance (Ex): A lich king/queen has sonic resistance 100.
- Turn Resistance (Ex): A lich king/queen has turn resistance +100.
- Undead Traits: Immune to poison, sleep, paralysis, stunning, disease, death, effects, necromantic effects, mind-affecting effects, and any effect requiring a Fortitude save unless it also works on objects. Not subject to critical hits, subdual damage, ability damage, ability drain, or energy drain. Negative energy heals. Not at risk of death from massive damage, but destroyed at 0 hit points or less. Darkvision 60 ft. Cannot be raised; resurrection works only if creature is willing.
Saves: Same as the base creature.
Abilities: A lich king/queen gains +50 to Strength, Dexterity, Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma. As an undead creature a lich king/queen has no Constitution score.
Skills: Lich kings/queens receive a +100 racial bonus on Hide, Listen, Move Silently, Search, Sense Motive, and Spot checks.
- Maven (Ex): A lich king gains maximum skill ranks in all skills it knows.
- Omnicompetent (Ex): A lich king/queen knows all skills.
Feats: A lich king/queen gains the Eschew Materials, Quicken Spell, Silent Spell, and Still Spell feats for free.
Epic Feats: A lich king/queen gains the Blinding Speed, Ignore Material Components, and Tenacious Magic feats for free.
Environment: Negative Energy or Negative Quasi-Elemental Plane.
Organization: Solitary.
Challenge Rating: Same as the base creature +50.
Treasure: Quadruple standard.
Alignment: Any evil.
Advancement: Same as the base creature.
Level Adjustment: Same as the base creature +75.