Destrying a Lich's Phylactary

[Drowbane]

From what little I know of the RHOD, I'd use it as a bargaining piece.

Others above have covered how easy it is to destroy a phylactery once it has been located.

 

[UltimaGabe]

I don't think the rules actually cover what happens if the lich is still active when the phylactry is destroyed. IMO, the lich would die outright: that's it's 'real' essence; the body's just a convenience.

That is not at all the case. If it were, the second-to-last adventure of the Age of Worms adventure path would be completely pointless- the entire adventure is based around destroying a dracolich after finding its phylactery in the previous adventure. If they could kill him by destroying the phylactery (which most players do immediately upon finding it), the following adventure would be absolutely pointless.

Anyway, if that were the case, wouldn't all Liches carry their phylacteries on them? I mean, if someone finds it they're dead anyway, so why not require them to be killed before the players could find it?

 

[werk]

Anyway, if that were the case, wouldn't all Liches carry their phylacteries in them? I mean, if someone finds it they're dead anyway, so why not require them to be killed before the players could find it?

FTFY

 

[Intrope]

That is not at all the case. If it were, the second-to-last adventure of the Age of Worms adventure path would be completely pointless- the entire adventure is based around destroying a dracolich after finding its phylactery in the previous adventure. If they could kill him by destroying the phylactery (which most players do immediately upon finding it), the following adventure would be absolutely pointless.

Anyway, if that were the case, wouldn't all Liches carry their phylacteries on them? I mean, if someone finds it they're dead anyway, so why not require them to be killed before the players could find it?

Well, just because an adventure interpreted it as doing no harm to the lich doesn't make it part of the rules; I don't know of anything in the RAW that says one way or the other.

If it would ruin the adventure, then it's not a good idea to have it work that way--I just think it ought to.

And even if it kills the lich, I could see the lich hiding it--if you can't find it, he's unkillable! And being a powerful spellcaster, he may be able to hide it very well indeed.

I've also seen a related theory, that the phylactry contains the 'human' parts of the lich (all the mortal attachments that he sacrificed to become a lich) and therefore they can't carry it around; it's unbearbly painful, in the emotional sense. (Kind of like Mum-ra and mirrors). As a result, they almost always hide it to protect themselves from it, too.

 

[Shin Okada]

The text in MM is somewhat vague. But Libris Mortis is describing how it works (in P.151) much clearlly. Destroying the phylactery does not harm the lich by itself. But if a lich without phylactery is slain, it is destroyed forever. And a lich cannot re-construct a broken phylactery.

 

[Intrope]

The text in MM is somewhat vague. But Libris Mortis is describing how it works (in P.151) much clearlly. Destroying the phylactery does not harm the lich by itself. But if a lich without phylactery is slain, it is destroyed forever. And a lich cannot re-construct a broken phylactery.

Huh! Well, I can sort of see how that would work; the phylactry isn't where the lich's soul is--it's sort of a private, 1-soul 'afterlife'. I'd prefer that it actually *be* the lich's soul, rather than a hidy-hole for it, but that works well enough I guess.

And if it's irreplacable (and you can credibly threaten the lich!) it becomes a serious bargaining chip.

Interesting thought: don't carry the phylactry around--the lich may come looking for it! Instead, ditch it in the positive material plane, or give it to a powerful outsider from the planes of good. That way, you can bargain without it in your possesion!

 

[Shin Okada]

Interesting thought: don't carry the phylactry around--the lich may come looking for it! Instead, ditch it in the positive material plane, or give it to a powerful outsider from the planes of good. That way, you can bargain without it in your possesion!

Actually, you cannot bargain with the lich if you cannot retrieve and give it back to the said lich. That is the tool of negotiation. Positive Material plane is not a safe place for usual living creatures, too. And powerful good outsider will crush the phylactery and suggest PC to destroy the lich forever, instead of acting as a safe-deposit while PCs are negotiationg with him. So those methods are almost no different from breaking the phylactery IMHO.

Of course, PCs may use bluff and pretend to "have the phylactery in the safe place". But that is another story.

 

[UltimaGabe]

FTFY

I actually thought of that after I posted it, but I decided to leave it the way it was.

 

[Sylrae]

Can a lich use his phylactery if its in another plane? and when he does use it - how does it work. If I put the psylactery in a bag of holding, does he need access to a body he can take over (like a dracolich) - to get up? (Assuming I have the phylactery and hte lich is dead).

I think I'm gonna houserule the *no new phylacteries, and just make them very expensive.*

Putting the Phylactery inside you (if youre the lich is a hilarious idea).

What the hell does a phylactery look like and how big is it?

 

[domino]

Just get an adamantine chisel and hammer away at it.

Edit: Wait, adamantine ignores hardness less than 20. Won't be enough then.