There's something that's been bothering me for years about the Demilich presented in the Epic Level Handbook and added to RAW (and quoted here for reference):
Demilich
Size/Type: Diminutive Undead
Hit Dice: 21d12+3 (139 hp)
Initiative: +7 (+3 Dex, +4 Improved Initiative)
Speed: Fly 180 ft. (perfect)
Armor Class: 51 (+4 size, +3 Dex, +5 natural armor, +8 bracers of armor, +2 ring of protection, +21 insight)
Base Attack/Grapple: +10/-2
Attack: Touch +35 melee (10d6+20 plus paralyzing touch)
Full Attack: Touch +35 melee (10d6+20 plus paralyzing touch)
Space/Reach: 1 ft./0 ft.
Special Attacks: Trap the soul, fear aura, paralyzing touch, 21st-level wizard spellcaster, Perfect Automatic Still Spell, spell-like abilities
Special Qualities: Magic immunity, phylactery transference, turn resistance +20, DR 15/Epic and bludgeoning, undead traits, acid resistance 20, fire resistance 20, sonic resistance 20, immune to cold, electricity, polymorph, and mind-affecting attacks.
Saves: Fort +10, Ref +12, Will +17
Abilities: Str 10, Dex 16 (with gloves), Con Ø, Int 39 (with headband), Wis 24, Cha 20
Skills: Concentration +25, Craft (alchemy) +34, Hide +35, Knowledge (arcana, religion, the planes) +34, Knowledge (history) +26, Listen +27, Move Silently +23, Search +34, Sense Motive +27, Spellcraft +36, Spot +27
Feats: Brew Potion, Combat Casting, Craft Wondrous Item, Enlarge Spell, Heighten Spell, Improved Initiative, Lightning Reflexes, Maximize Spell, Quicken Spell, Scribe Scroll, Spell Penetration, Toughness
Epic Feats: Automatic Quicken Spell, Blinding Speed, Improved Spell Capacity (10th), Tenacious Magic (any)
Environment: Any
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 29
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: Neutral evil
Advancement: By character class
Demiliches speak the languages they knew as liches and as living creatures.
A demilich’s natural weapons are treated as epic for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.
Combat
Trap the Soul (Su)
A demilich can trap the souls of up to eight living creatures per day. To use this power, it selects any target it can see within 300 feet. The target is allowed a Fortitude saving throw (DC 36). If the target makes its saving throw, it gains four negative levels (this does not count as a use of trap the soul). If the target fails its save, the soul of the target is instantly drawn from its body and trapped within one of the gems incorporated into the demilich’s form. The gem gleams for 24 hours, indicating the captive soul within. The soulless body collapses in a mass of corruption and molders in a single round, reduced to dust. If left to its own devices, the demilich slowly devours the soul over 24 hours—at the end of that time the soul is completely absorbed, and the victim is forever gone. If the demilich is overcome before the soul is eaten, crushing the gem releases the soul, after which time it is free to seek the afterlife or be returned to its 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 effective against the level loss on a successful save. The DC is Charisma-based
Fear Aura (Su)
Demiliches are shrouded in a dreadful aura of death and evil. Creatures of less than 5 HD in a 60-foot radius that look at the demilich must succeed at a Will save (DC 19) or be affected as though by fear as cast by a 21st-level caster. The DC is Charisma-based.
Paralyzing Touch (Su)
Any living creature a demilich touches must succeed at a Fortitude save (DC 36) or be permanently paralyzed. Remove paralysis or any spell that can remove a curse can free the victim. The effect cannot be dispelled. Anyone paralyzed by a demilich seems dead, though a successful Spot check (DC 20) or Heal check (DC 15) reveals that the victim is still alive.
Spells
The demilich can cast any spells it could cast as a lich. This sample demilich was a 21st-level wizard (spells per day: 4/12/8/7/7/7/7/6/6/3). The last three spell slots are 10th-level slots and available for 0-9th level metamagic spells.
Perfect Automatic Still Spell (Ex)
A demilich can cast all the spells it knows without gestures.
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 all 36. The DC is Charisma-based.
Magic Immunity (Ex)
Demiliches 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.
Phylactery Transference (Su)
Headbands, belts, rings, cloaks, and other wearable items kept in close association with the demilich’s phylactery transfer 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. The sample demilich “wears” bracers of armor +8, headband of intellect +6, pink Ioun stone, ring of wizardry I, ring of protection +2, and gloves of Dexterity +2.
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, nonlethal damage, ability damage, ability drain, or energy drain. Negative energy heals. Not at risk of death from massive dam-age, but destroyed at 0 hit points or less. Darkvision 60 ft. Cannot be raised; resurrection works only if creature is willing.
Immunities (Ex)
Demiliches are immune to cold, electricity, polymorph, and mind-affecting attacks.
What bothers me is related to the items in red in the description. How can the demilich use its spell-like ability of Harm to heal itself, when Harm isn't one of the three spells described as being able to affect the thing? Seems like this is very poor editing on the part of WotC in the initial release of the material. I've done searches over the years, and maybe my search fu is weak, but I've not found a discussion of this anywhere. And I've been reading the epic stuff lately and finally just decided to make a post.
So, any thoughts on this apparent discrepancy? My own are that this was just a poorly thought out edit, and that the demilich cannot use Harm to heal itself, because it is IMMUNE TO MAGIC.
Demilich
Size/Type: Diminutive Undead
Hit Dice: 21d12+3 (139 hp)
Initiative: +7 (+3 Dex, +4 Improved Initiative)
Speed: Fly 180 ft. (perfect)
Armor Class: 51 (+4 size, +3 Dex, +5 natural armor, +8 bracers of armor, +2 ring of protection, +21 insight)
Base Attack/Grapple: +10/-2
Attack: Touch +35 melee (10d6+20 plus paralyzing touch)
Full Attack: Touch +35 melee (10d6+20 plus paralyzing touch)
Space/Reach: 1 ft./0 ft.
Special Attacks: Trap the soul, fear aura, paralyzing touch, 21st-level wizard spellcaster, Perfect Automatic Still Spell, spell-like abilities
Special Qualities: Magic immunity, phylactery transference, turn resistance +20, DR 15/Epic and bludgeoning, undead traits, acid resistance 20, fire resistance 20, sonic resistance 20, immune to cold, electricity, polymorph, and mind-affecting attacks.
Saves: Fort +10, Ref +12, Will +17
Abilities: Str 10, Dex 16 (with gloves), Con Ø, Int 39 (with headband), Wis 24, Cha 20
Skills: Concentration +25, Craft (alchemy) +34, Hide +35, Knowledge (arcana, religion, the planes) +34, Knowledge (history) +26, Listen +27, Move Silently +23, Search +34, Sense Motive +27, Spellcraft +36, Spot +27
Feats: Brew Potion, Combat Casting, Craft Wondrous Item, Enlarge Spell, Heighten Spell, Improved Initiative, Lightning Reflexes, Maximize Spell, Quicken Spell, Scribe Scroll, Spell Penetration, Toughness
Epic Feats: Automatic Quicken Spell, Blinding Speed, Improved Spell Capacity (10th), Tenacious Magic (any)
Environment: Any
Organization: Solitary
Challenge Rating: 29
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: Neutral evil
Advancement: By character class
Demiliches speak the languages they knew as liches and as living creatures.
A demilich’s natural weapons are treated as epic for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.
Combat
Trap the Soul (Su)
A demilich can trap the souls of up to eight living creatures per day. To use this power, it selects any target it can see within 300 feet. The target is allowed a Fortitude saving throw (DC 36). If the target makes its saving throw, it gains four negative levels (this does not count as a use of trap the soul). If the target fails its save, the soul of the target is instantly drawn from its body and trapped within one of the gems incorporated into the demilich’s form. The gem gleams for 24 hours, indicating the captive soul within. The soulless body collapses in a mass of corruption and molders in a single round, reduced to dust. If left to its own devices, the demilich slowly devours the soul over 24 hours—at the end of that time the soul is completely absorbed, and the victim is forever gone. If the demilich is overcome before the soul is eaten, crushing the gem releases the soul, after which time it is free to seek the afterlife or be returned to its 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 effective against the level loss on a successful save. The DC is Charisma-based
Fear Aura (Su)
Demiliches are shrouded in a dreadful aura of death and evil. Creatures of less than 5 HD in a 60-foot radius that look at the demilich must succeed at a Will save (DC 19) or be affected as though by fear as cast by a 21st-level caster. The DC is Charisma-based.
Paralyzing Touch (Su)
Any living creature a demilich touches must succeed at a Fortitude save (DC 36) or be permanently paralyzed. Remove paralysis or any spell that can remove a curse can free the victim. The effect cannot be dispelled. Anyone paralyzed by a demilich seems dead, though a successful Spot check (DC 20) or Heal check (DC 15) reveals that the victim is still alive.
Spells
The demilich can cast any spells it could cast as a lich. This sample demilich was a 21st-level wizard (spells per day: 4/12/8/7/7/7/7/6/6/3). The last three spell slots are 10th-level slots and available for 0-9th level metamagic spells.
Perfect Automatic Still Spell (Ex)
A demilich can cast all the spells it knows without gestures.
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 all 36. The DC is Charisma-based.
Magic Immunity (Ex)
Demiliches 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.
Phylactery Transference (Su)
Headbands, belts, rings, cloaks, and other wearable items kept in close association with the demilich’s phylactery transfer 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. The sample demilich “wears” bracers of armor +8, headband of intellect +6, pink Ioun stone, ring of wizardry I, ring of protection +2, and gloves of Dexterity +2.
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, nonlethal damage, ability damage, ability drain, or energy drain. Negative energy heals. Not at risk of death from massive dam-age, but destroyed at 0 hit points or less. Darkvision 60 ft. Cannot be raised; resurrection works only if creature is willing.
Immunities (Ex)
Demiliches are immune to cold, electricity, polymorph, and mind-affecting attacks.
What bothers me is related to the items in red in the description. How can the demilich use its spell-like ability of Harm to heal itself, when Harm isn't one of the three spells described as being able to affect the thing? Seems like this is very poor editing on the part of WotC in the initial release of the material. I've done searches over the years, and maybe my search fu is weak, but I've not found a discussion of this anywhere. And I've been reading the epic stuff lately and finally just decided to make a post.
So, any thoughts on this apparent discrepancy? My own are that this was just a poorly thought out edit, and that the demilich cannot use Harm to heal itself, because it is IMMUNE TO MAGIC.
