Devon
First Post
Hi, folks,
I had an idea for a new approach to the lich, and came up with the template below.
I still need to finetune the creation of the "Mechanical Body," but how does it look so far?
- Devon
Steel Lich
While some spellcasters seek refuge from mortality within the shadowy folds of undeath, others turn to engineering and artifice to create for themselves a mechanical harbor for their brilliant but often warped minds. These "steel liches," as they are called, are usually accomplished in the art of construct creation, and may already have a retinue of golems or mechanical servitors.
While the standard lich gains supernatural powers in keeping with her relationship with negative energy, the steel lich focuses on strength and durability, shoring up the weaknesses common to the spellcasting classes, becoming, if anything, more suited to melee combat than a traditional lich.
Creating a Steel Lich
"Steel lich" is a template that can be added to any humanoid creature (referred to hereafter as the "character"), provided it can create the required mechanical body (see Mechanical Body, below). The creature?s type changes to "construct." It uses all the character?s statistics and special abilities except as noted below.
Hit Dice: Increase to d10. The character gets no bonus or penalty to its hit point total based on its former Constitution score.
Speed: Same as the character. If the character could originally fly using her own wings, her maneuverability class is reduced one category unless she, when crafting the mechanical body, succeeds at a Craft check to recreate the wings (DC 25 + 1 per 10 ft. of Fly speed - Size modifier to AC).
AC: The steel lich has +12 natural armor -- this does not stack with any other bonuses for natural armor.
Damage: Characters without natural weapons gain a slam or claw attack (their choice; see table below).
Size Damage
Fine -
Diminutive 1
Tiny 1d2
Small 1d3
Medium-size 1d4
Large 1d6
Huge 2d8
Gargantuan 2d6
Colossal 2d8
Special Attacks: A steel lich retains class-related special attacks, loses any specific to their original race, and gain those listed below. Saves have a DC of 10 + 1/2 steel lich?s HD + steel lich?s Charisma modifier unless noted otherwise.
Spells: The steel lich can cast any spells it could cast while alive.
Additional Special Attacks:
The steel lich gains one of the special attacks listed below.
Breath Weapon (Su): A steel lich of Tiny size or bigger can belch forth one of the following effects as a standard action, once per day: cone of superheated steam, cone of fire, cone of ice, cone of sleep gas (as the sleep spell without the number of targets), cone of sonic energy, cone of slow gas (as the slow spell), line of acid, or line of lightning. Breath weapons that mirror spell effects at the steel lich's level or 5th-level, whatever is higher. The breath weapon's save DC is 10 + 1/2 steel lich's HD.
Creature Size Line Length* Cone Length** Damage
Tiny 30 ft. 15 ft. 1d6
Small 40 ft. 20 ft. 2d6
Medium-size 60 ft. 30 ft. 3d6
Large 80 ft. 40 ft. 5d6
Huge 100 ft. 50 ft. 7d6
Gargantuan 120 ft. 60 ft. 11d6
Colossal 140 ft. 70 ft. 15d6
*A line is always 5 feet high and 5 feet wide. **A cone is as high and wide as its length.
Increased Claw Damage (Ex): Long, metal claws add another die of the damage to the steel lich's claw attacks. Thus, a claw attack dealing 1d6+2 points of damage each would deal 2d6+2 points of damage instead.
Haste (Sp): After it has engaged in at least 1 round of combat, the steel lich can haste itself once per day as a standard action. The effect is the same as the haste spell cast by a spellcaster of the steel lich's hit dice.
Metal Projectiles (Ex): The steel lich can fire a metal spike, needle, or similar metallic projectile as a standard action. This attack has a range increment of 30 feet. Each projectile deals damage equal to the steel lich's base claw attack (with no Strength modifier, see Damage above) and threatens a critical hit on a natural attack roll of 20. The steel lich can fire a number of projectiles equal to twice its level before its supply of ammunition is depleted.
Projectiles can be coated with Injury or Contact poison -- see page 80 of the DMG for damage and cost of various poisons.
A steel lich can have a grenadelike weapon instead of metal projectiles; these behave exactly as described on pages 114 and 138 of the Player?s Handbook for grenadelike weapons and grenadelike weapon attack rules. The steel lich can "hurl" a number of grenadelike weapons equal to its level before its supply of ammunition is depleted.
Special Qualities: A steel lich retains class-related special qualities, loses any specific to their original race, and gains those listed below, as well as the construct type.
Darkvision, 120 ft.
Damage Reduction (Su): The steel lich?s mechanical body gives it the hardness of a metallic object, equivalent to damage reduction 10/--.
Immunities (Ex): Steel liches are immune to cold, polymorph, and mind-affecting attacks.
Additional Special Qualities: A steel lich gains one of the following additional special qualities for every 3 character levels or HD:
Damage Resistance (Ex): The steel lich uses stronger metals and alloys to add 5 to its hardness. This can be chosen multiple times to increase the amount of damage resistance.
Energy Resistance (Su): The steel lich enchants its body with protective magics, gaining acid, fire, electricity or sonic resistance 10 (choose one). This can be chosen multiple times to give the steel lich more than one type of resistance or to increase the amount of resistance to a particular type. For instance, a steel lich could have acid resistance 10 and electricity resistance 10, or electricity resistance 20.
Fast Healing (Su): The steel lich enchants its mechanical body to automatically repair damage, granting it Fast Healing 2. Unlike normal Fast Healing, the steel lich can reattach severed limbs as a move-equivalent action. This can be taken multiple times to increase the rate by 2.
Fly (Su): The steel lich can fly as the spell, as a free action, at a speed of 30 feet.
Repair Touch (Sp): Similar to a paladin, the touch of a steel lich can magically repair damage to mechanical constructs, including itself. Each day the steel lich can repair a total number of hit points equal to twice its hit dice in damage. The steel lich may choose to divide her curing among multiple recipients, and she doesn't have to use it all at once. Repair touch is a spell-like ability whose use is a standard action.
Spell Resistance (Su): The steel lich gains spell resistance equal to 11 + its Hit Dice, to a maximum of SR 25.
Saves: Same as the character, with modifiers for their new ability scores.
Abilities: A steel lich gains +8 to Strength, +4 to Dexterity and +2 to Intelligance and Charisma, but being a construct, it has no Constitution score.
Skills: A steel lich receives a +6 racial bonus to Listen, Search, and Spot checks. Otherwise same as the character.
Feats: Same as the character
Climate/Terrain: Any land and underground
Organization: Solitary or troupe (1 steel lich, plus 7-12 constructs, any variety)
Challenge Rating: Same as the character + 4
Treasure: Standard coins; double goods; double items
Alignment: Any
Advancement: By character class
Mechanical Body
An integral part of becoming a steel lich is creating a magically driven mechanical body in which to store its life force, akin to that for an automaton. Inside the cranium or chest cavity is a magical gem which serves as the seat of the steel lich's consciousness -- if this is destroyed, the steel lich is killed.
Each steel lich must make its own mechanical body, which requires the Craft Wondrous Item feat. The character must be a sorcerer or wizard of at least 11th level. The mechanical body costs 120,000 gp and 4,800 XP to create and requires the spells animate object, major fabrication, soul jar, and stoneskin.
[edit: modified Spell Resistance per comments]
I had an idea for a new approach to the lich, and came up with the template below.
I still need to finetune the creation of the "Mechanical Body," but how does it look so far?
- Devon
Steel Lich
While some spellcasters seek refuge from mortality within the shadowy folds of undeath, others turn to engineering and artifice to create for themselves a mechanical harbor for their brilliant but often warped minds. These "steel liches," as they are called, are usually accomplished in the art of construct creation, and may already have a retinue of golems or mechanical servitors.
While the standard lich gains supernatural powers in keeping with her relationship with negative energy, the steel lich focuses on strength and durability, shoring up the weaknesses common to the spellcasting classes, becoming, if anything, more suited to melee combat than a traditional lich.
Creating a Steel Lich
"Steel lich" is a template that can be added to any humanoid creature (referred to hereafter as the "character"), provided it can create the required mechanical body (see Mechanical Body, below). The creature?s type changes to "construct." It uses all the character?s statistics and special abilities except as noted below.
Hit Dice: Increase to d10. The character gets no bonus or penalty to its hit point total based on its former Constitution score.
Speed: Same as the character. If the character could originally fly using her own wings, her maneuverability class is reduced one category unless she, when crafting the mechanical body, succeeds at a Craft check to recreate the wings (DC 25 + 1 per 10 ft. of Fly speed - Size modifier to AC).
AC: The steel lich has +12 natural armor -- this does not stack with any other bonuses for natural armor.
Damage: Characters without natural weapons gain a slam or claw attack (their choice; see table below).
Size Damage
Fine -
Diminutive 1
Tiny 1d2
Small 1d3
Medium-size 1d4
Large 1d6
Huge 2d8
Gargantuan 2d6
Colossal 2d8
Special Attacks: A steel lich retains class-related special attacks, loses any specific to their original race, and gain those listed below. Saves have a DC of 10 + 1/2 steel lich?s HD + steel lich?s Charisma modifier unless noted otherwise.
Spells: The steel lich can cast any spells it could cast while alive.
Additional Special Attacks:
The steel lich gains one of the special attacks listed below.
Breath Weapon (Su): A steel lich of Tiny size or bigger can belch forth one of the following effects as a standard action, once per day: cone of superheated steam, cone of fire, cone of ice, cone of sleep gas (as the sleep spell without the number of targets), cone of sonic energy, cone of slow gas (as the slow spell), line of acid, or line of lightning. Breath weapons that mirror spell effects at the steel lich's level or 5th-level, whatever is higher. The breath weapon's save DC is 10 + 1/2 steel lich's HD.
Creature Size Line Length* Cone Length** Damage
Tiny 30 ft. 15 ft. 1d6
Small 40 ft. 20 ft. 2d6
Medium-size 60 ft. 30 ft. 3d6
Large 80 ft. 40 ft. 5d6
Huge 100 ft. 50 ft. 7d6
Gargantuan 120 ft. 60 ft. 11d6
Colossal 140 ft. 70 ft. 15d6
*A line is always 5 feet high and 5 feet wide. **A cone is as high and wide as its length.
Increased Claw Damage (Ex): Long, metal claws add another die of the damage to the steel lich's claw attacks. Thus, a claw attack dealing 1d6+2 points of damage each would deal 2d6+2 points of damage instead.
Haste (Sp): After it has engaged in at least 1 round of combat, the steel lich can haste itself once per day as a standard action. The effect is the same as the haste spell cast by a spellcaster of the steel lich's hit dice.
Metal Projectiles (Ex): The steel lich can fire a metal spike, needle, or similar metallic projectile as a standard action. This attack has a range increment of 30 feet. Each projectile deals damage equal to the steel lich's base claw attack (with no Strength modifier, see Damage above) and threatens a critical hit on a natural attack roll of 20. The steel lich can fire a number of projectiles equal to twice its level before its supply of ammunition is depleted.
Projectiles can be coated with Injury or Contact poison -- see page 80 of the DMG for damage and cost of various poisons.
A steel lich can have a grenadelike weapon instead of metal projectiles; these behave exactly as described on pages 114 and 138 of the Player?s Handbook for grenadelike weapons and grenadelike weapon attack rules. The steel lich can "hurl" a number of grenadelike weapons equal to its level before its supply of ammunition is depleted.
Special Qualities: A steel lich retains class-related special qualities, loses any specific to their original race, and gains those listed below, as well as the construct type.
Darkvision, 120 ft.
Damage Reduction (Su): The steel lich?s mechanical body gives it the hardness of a metallic object, equivalent to damage reduction 10/--.
Immunities (Ex): Steel liches are immune to cold, polymorph, and mind-affecting attacks.
Additional Special Qualities: A steel lich gains one of the following additional special qualities for every 3 character levels or HD:
Damage Resistance (Ex): The steel lich uses stronger metals and alloys to add 5 to its hardness. This can be chosen multiple times to increase the amount of damage resistance.
Energy Resistance (Su): The steel lich enchants its body with protective magics, gaining acid, fire, electricity or sonic resistance 10 (choose one). This can be chosen multiple times to give the steel lich more than one type of resistance or to increase the amount of resistance to a particular type. For instance, a steel lich could have acid resistance 10 and electricity resistance 10, or electricity resistance 20.
Fast Healing (Su): The steel lich enchants its mechanical body to automatically repair damage, granting it Fast Healing 2. Unlike normal Fast Healing, the steel lich can reattach severed limbs as a move-equivalent action. This can be taken multiple times to increase the rate by 2.
Fly (Su): The steel lich can fly as the spell, as a free action, at a speed of 30 feet.
Repair Touch (Sp): Similar to a paladin, the touch of a steel lich can magically repair damage to mechanical constructs, including itself. Each day the steel lich can repair a total number of hit points equal to twice its hit dice in damage. The steel lich may choose to divide her curing among multiple recipients, and she doesn't have to use it all at once. Repair touch is a spell-like ability whose use is a standard action.
Spell Resistance (Su): The steel lich gains spell resistance equal to 11 + its Hit Dice, to a maximum of SR 25.
Saves: Same as the character, with modifiers for their new ability scores.
Abilities: A steel lich gains +8 to Strength, +4 to Dexterity and +2 to Intelligance and Charisma, but being a construct, it has no Constitution score.
Skills: A steel lich receives a +6 racial bonus to Listen, Search, and Spot checks. Otherwise same as the character.
Feats: Same as the character
Climate/Terrain: Any land and underground
Organization: Solitary or troupe (1 steel lich, plus 7-12 constructs, any variety)
Challenge Rating: Same as the character + 4
Treasure: Standard coins; double goods; double items
Alignment: Any
Advancement: By character class
Mechanical Body
An integral part of becoming a steel lich is creating a magically driven mechanical body in which to store its life force, akin to that for an automaton. Inside the cranium or chest cavity is a magical gem which serves as the seat of the steel lich's consciousness -- if this is destroyed, the steel lich is killed.
Each steel lich must make its own mechanical body, which requires the Craft Wondrous Item feat. The character must be a sorcerer or wizard of at least 11th level. The mechanical body costs 120,000 gp and 4,800 XP to create and requires the spells animate object, major fabrication, soul jar, and stoneskin.
[edit: modified Spell Resistance per comments]
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