D&D 5E Master Lich Challenge

[Sacrosanct]

This is what I was getting at in my previous comment. In a prior campaign, I modified a Liche into something I called a Sea Liche (an Undead Lovecraftian Fish Person Wizard). The Sea Liche's resting place was in a temple on the back of a Leviathan. The Sea Liche could command the Leviathan to submerge, effectively drown/flooding everything.

Terrain, especially the lair, can really crank up difficulty with no changes to spells and ability.

Yep. A lich may or may not be a CR21, but if it's in its lair, it sure the heck is a CR22 or higher. Fighting an enemy that is effectively immortal and doesn't have to eat or breathe changes everything when you're on its home turf.

 

[MonkeyWrench]

so maybe try to polymorph the figter and barbarian into things with less then 100 HP and then power word kill

I'm pretty sure this would just cause them to revert to their normal forms with no ill effects.

 

[dave2008]

Hmmm...

*if* for some reason the lich can't charm/force/hire someone else to do it, and if it's confident its philactery will "bring it back", a suicide mission might be a valid strategy. In this case the lich's goal would not be to destroy the entire party (it might fail) but instead insure permanent harm by focusing all its effort on killing (*permanently*) one PC, or destroying/stealing magical items.

A series of hit and run/(die and reform) attacks might make more sense than a full on direct confrontation.

A variation on this idea: A quick hit an run (not hit and die). The party is frustrated, and builds a counter plan (bonus if the lich can spy on them while they do so, it might place a magical tracker/spy/etc while it attacks). So when the lich comes back and does the same, they follow him - but the lich is leading them into a trap.

You know your players and how they would react. So does the lich

Wow, you really don't want to respond to the OP. I think this is your 3rd reply and you have yet to respond to the actual request - a list of spells. The OP never asked for tactics or combat ideas, just a list of spells.

 

[dave2008]

OK, here is a first pass, without knowing the encounter set up it is hard to know though.


Cantrips: chill touch (replace prestidigitation, damage + stops healing)
1st
2nd
3rd vampiric touch (replace animate dead*, lichs have low HP and this does damage and heals the lich)
4th greater invisibility (replace dimension door, incredible useful for a lot of situations)
5th wall of force (replace scrying**, battelfield control)
6th Investiture of flame (replace globe of invulnerability, globe is only good against spells) provides immunity to fire and does damage melee attacks and allows an at-will fire attack for the duration)
7th teleport (replace planeshift - this guy is not retreating
8th Horrid Wilting (replace power wood stun if the PCs don't have resistance to necrotic damage, good range, decent damage)
9th Meteor swarm (average of 140 HP of damage to everyone in the party)

*the assumption is the lich has already animated all the dead it wants to.
** the assumption is the lich knows the PCs already and/or has other means of scrying

 

[Shardstone]

Wow, you really don't want to respond to the OP. I think this is your 3rd reply and you have yet to respond to the actual request - a list of spells. The OP never asked for tactics or combat ideas, just a list of spells.

That doesn't make his post any less hopeful. In fact, it gave me a few ideas.

 

[dave2008]

PS. this might help as well: http://slyflourish.com/deadly_lich.html

 

[dave2008]

That doesn't make his post any less hopeful. In fact, it gave me a few ideas.

Assuming you meant "helpful," I agree. However, Mouseferatu had a specific request and I find it odd to post in his/her thread 3 times without every responding to the OP

 

[Mouseferatu]

To answer a few questions:

The lich's scheme requires he be in this particular place--which is, according to legend, the spot where the gods stood while creating the world--to perform a certain potent magic. He has to be here, and he has no choice but to stand and fight when the PCs interrupt.

Despite not being in his lair, I'm still giving him his lair abilities, due to his age and sheer power. (I'm making a few other minor tweaks as well, but they don't affect the spell list question.) But it means he doesn't have the terrain advantage he might have if it was truly his home turf.

For reasons having to do with where he is and the magics he's attempting, he cannot count on his phylactery to save him.

 

[Fractal Rabbit]

To answer a few questions:

The lich's scheme requires he be in this particular place--which is, according to legend, the spot where the gods stood while creating the world--to perform a certain potent magic. He has to be here, and he has no choice but to stand and fight when the PCs interrupt.

Despite not being in his lair, I'm still giving him his lair abilities, due to his age and sheer power. (I'm making a few other minor tweaks as well, but they don't affect the spell list question.) But it means he doesn't have the terrain advantage he might have if it was truly his home turf.

For reasons having to do with where he is and the magics he's attempting, he cannot count on his phylactery to save him.

Well, then. Here are a couple of thoughts:

Symbol 7th Level: The Liche might have these prepared as defensive measures in advance. Have him make them Hopelessness . Charisma Save! Who ever sees that coming?! The Liche did... Bwa Ha Ha.

Weird 9th Level: Because this is exactly the kind of spell I picture a Liche casting. Especially if he knows the PCs and has insight (and a creature of its intelligence should...) into what they fear.

Target spell casters with Sunbeam: No one expects a Liche to cast this spell! It is a Constitution Save and if they fail, the spellcasters are blinded. Good luck targeting spells...suckers.

Legend Lore possibly combined with Major Image: granted, this one needs a bit of set-up. If the Liche, doesn't already know a very secret, personal detail about one of the PC, have them cast Legend Lore on a PC who might have done something that might damage their relationship with the group then have them broadcast it to the party like a giant hologram using Major Image. A manipulative, evil chess master type Liche would easily do this just before a battle to drive a wedge or two between allies.

Create Undead: Be sure to cast this the moment a PC is killed, if the Liche is so fortunate.

Additionally, the Liche should get some minions to standby (Vampire thralls, Ogre Skeletons, etc) and cast Haste on them immediately.

 

[Edwin Suijkerbuijk]

I'm pretty sure this would just cause them to revert to their normal forms with no ill effects.

you only revert back if your reduced to 0 HP in this case you just die.