Converting Monsters from Polyhedron Magazine

[demiurge1138]

Neat! You're right. Taking some out of the lich column and some from the demilich column should be pretty good.

 

[freyar]

Should we make this a template applied to a lich, like the demilich? Might save us some writing... I don't think this should be epic, unlike the demilich, but it should retain all the lich's abilities. In particular, I think it should still have the paralyzing touch and normal phylactery.

 

[Shade]

Should we make this a template applied to a lich, like the demilich? Might save us some writing... I don't think this should be epic, unlike the demilich, but it should retain all the lich's abilities. In particular, I think it should still have the paralyzing touch and normal phylactery.

Sounds like a good start. One thing that differs is this has total lack of movement, and it sounds like the "phylactery" is simply the ground on which it lies. Shall we retain those features? The lack of mobility could be an interesting angle, where the semilich relies on using its guile and magic to convince other creatures to carry it around.

Also, it was described as having turn immunity, while the demilich has "only" +20 turn resistance. Meet somewhere between at +10 or so, or just grant it immunity?

 

[freyar]

But it flies around when approached, so the lack of movement is kind of weird. Maybe it has a fly speed, but only a few rounds per day?

Like the 3.5 demilich, I'd like this to keep the same phylactery it had as a lich. It really reads like it's supposed to be an in-between stage. Shouldn't have the magic-item-phylactery-linking ability, though.

How about +12 turn resistance, 1/2 way between lich and demilich?

 

[Shade]

That may be a good approach.

Let's start looking at the demilich enhancements...

Size: Medium and Large liches become Diminutive demiliches, Huge liches become Small demiliches, Gargantuan liches become Medium demiliches, and Colossal liches become Large demiliches.

That blueprint should work here as well.

AC: The demilich retains the lich's +5 natural armor bonus and gains an insight bonus to AC equal to its Hit Dice, as well as probable size adjustment to AC (for example, +4 for its new Diminutive size for a previously Medium lich).

If we allow the insight bonus, I'd suggest basing it off Cha modifier, rather than HD.

Attacks: The demilich gains an insight bonus equal to its Hit Dice as a bonus on its touch attacks.

Again, would Cha modifier be a good intermediate? Or maybe half Hit Dice?

Damage: The demilich gains an enhanced touch attack over that of its previous lich form (it now uses its entire flying skull to make the touch attack), including paralyzing touch. The demilich's touch attack uses negative energy to deal 10d6+20 points of damage to living creatures (no saving throw). Liches with other natural attacks lose them.

Definitely lose the other natural attacks, not sure about the additional negative energy damage, although we could halve it.

Trap the Soul (Su):

Drop.

Fear Aura (Su):

Paralyzing Touch (Su):

Both same as lich.

Perfect Automatic Still Spell (Ex): A demilich can cast all the spells it knows without gestures.

That is probably necessary.

Spell-Like Abilities: At will--astral projection, create greater undead, create undead, death knell, enervation, greater dispel magic, harm (usually used to heal itself), summon monster I-IX, telekinesis, weird; 2/day--greater planar ally. Demiliches use these abilities as casters of a level equal to their spellcaster level, but the save DCs are equal to 10 + demilich's HD + demilich's Charisma modifier.

Most of those are way too over-the-top.

 

[demiurge1138]

Agreed to the OTT of the SLAs for the most part--but I think we should give them a few, maybe 3/day or 1/day. Like greater dispel magic, create undead and create greater undead. Telekinesis would also make sense.

 

[Shade]

Added what we've got so far to Homebrews.

How about...

Spell-Like Abilities: 3/day—create undead, death knell, enervation, greater dispel magic, telekinesis; 1/day—create greater undead, harm (usually used to heal itself). Semiliches use these abilities as casters of a level equal to their spellcaster level, but the save DCs are equal to 10 + semilich's HD + semilich's Charisma modifier.

 

[demiurge1138]

Those SLAs look good!

 

[Shade]

Let's look at the rest of the demilich template...

Damage Reduction (Su): A demilich loses any previous damage reduction and instead has damage reduction 15/epic and bludgeoning. Vorpal weapons, no matter their enhancement bonus, ignore this damage reduction but do only half damage to a demilich (demiliches cannot be beheaded).

Liches are 15/bludgeoning and magic. We might want to just stick with that, and retain the vorpal bit.

Immunities (Ex): Demiliches are immune to cold, electricity, polymorph, and mind-affecting attacks.

Same as lich.

Magic Immunity (Ex): Demilichs are immune to all magical and supernatural effects, except as follows. A shatter spell affects a demilich as if it were a crystalline creature, but deals half the damage normally indicated. A dispel evil spell deals 3d6 points of damage (Fort save for half damage). Holy smite spells affect demiliches normally.

Liches have no magic immunity, or even spell resistance. Perhaps we could give them a permanent form of the spell immunity spell (rendering immunity to the effects of one specified spell for every four levels it has)?

Phylactery Transference (Su): Headbands, belts, rings, cloaks, and other wearable items kept in close association with the demilich's phylactery tranfer all their benefits to the demilich no matter how far apart the demilich and the phylactery are located. The standard limits on types of items utilized simultaneously still apply.

Thoughts on this?

Resistances (Ex): Demiliches have acid resistance 20, fire resistance 20, and sonic resistance 20.

Liches have none of these. We could go with resistance 5 or 10 as part of the transition.

Turn Resistance (Ex): A demilich has +20 turn resistance.

A lich has +4. Meet in the middle at +12, or is that too epic? Maybe just +8?

Abilities: A demilich gains +10 to Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma.

Liches have +2 to those scores. Add +4 to all?

Skills: Demiliches receive a +20 racial bonus on Hide, Listen, Move Silently, Search, Sense Motive, and Spot checks. Otherwise, same as the lich (this overlaps with the previous racial bonus gained by the lich; it does not stack).

Liches have +8 to those scores. How about +12 (overlapping)?

Epic Feats: Demiliches gain the feats Blinding Speed, Tenacious Magic, and Automatic Quicken Spell.

Since this isn't epic, I think we should dump these.

 

[demiurge1138]

+8 turn resistance, retaining the vorpal thing, no epic feats, +12 to skills and the spell immunity ability all sound appealing.