Invincible Lich

[Tharkon]

What would happen if a Lich stored its phylactery in a bag of holding, portable hole or similar unique portal to extradimensional space and then destroy that portal?

If the Lich's body was destroyed it would reform in the extra-dimensional space from which the Lich could escape with a Plane Shift spell. But its enemies can't enter the space with such a spell since they don't know about its existence, and you can't plane shift to a plane you don't even know exists. The FAQ even state you can't plane shift (and definitely not teleport) into such spaces at all, only out of them since they aren't specific planes.

How would you destroy this Lich?

 

[Agannazar]

Find the bag of holding and destroy it?

 

[Jack Simth]

What happens to the contents of a tiny pocket universe that only exists because of a magic item when the magic item gets destroyed?

That's a really good way for a lich to get permanently deaded, depending on the DM.

 

[Dandu]

A Bag of Holding disabled by an AMF is cut off from the pocket dimension, but the link can be reestablished when the AMF goes away.

 

[Tharkon]

Ok, maybe a bag of holding was a bad example.

But going by a portable hole...

This hole can be picked up from inside or out by simply taking hold of the edges of the cloth and folding it up. Either way, the entrance disappears but anything inside the hole remains.

So the lich opens the hole, steps in drops its phylactery, picks up the hole from the inside closing the portal, folds it and drops it there, then plane shifts out of the space.

The only way in the hole is trough an item that is already inside the hole. So even the lich itself can only access the phylactery by destroying its own body, if I am right.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Since the phylactery isn't meant to make a lich completely unkillable, I figure that destroying the hole would sever the connection between the phylactery and the lich -- so, at best, he has to get cracking on making a new one ASAP.

 

[Dandu]

So the lich opens the hole, steps in drops its phylactery, picks up the hole from the inside closing the portal, folds it and drops it there, then plane shifts out of the space.

The only way in the hole is trough an item that is already inside the hole. So even the lich itself can only access the phylactery by destroying its own body, if I am right.QUOTE]Amazing. Wheels within wheels.

 

[Pergentile]

Uh... the folded cloth of the portable hole is still there, and just pretty much becomes the phylactery, because if the players destroy it...

If you want good ways to protect a phylactery, just ask.
Nail it to the Sky.

 

[Ymdar]

I think by RAW the trick the OP suggested would work if you've just stabbed the bag of holding: "If a bag of holding is overloaded, or if sharp objects pierce it (from inside or outside), the bag immediately ruptures and is ruined, and
all contents are lost forever."

The wording puts it in a way that contents are not destroyed but only lost. Also the MM doesn't point out where the lich starts to reform, so it doesn't need to reform near the phylactery (except for Pathfinder where the body reforms nearby the phylactery).

 

[airwalkrr]

I would have to presume the contents of the portable hole are accessible via the Astral Plane in some form or fashion. It would be a difficult quest to find the pocket dimension and a way inside it, but if we're talking about a lich as an opponent for the PCs then we are talking about PCs who probably have the means to locate the phylactery. I would probably allow a limited wish to plane shift someone inside the pocket dimension once the PCs know such a place exists. Hence unless the lich took some other steps to guard its phylactery, good-bye lich.