Lovelorn Lich?

[Mercury]

Ok, so I have this kind of nifty idea for an adventure, but it is pretty weak so far, and I would like some opinions. What I am looking to do is to have the PCs get into a confrontation with a Lich, who is in someway wreaking havoc on a local town or something to that effect. At some point, either before, during, or after the battle, the PCS find out the Lich was wreaking havoc because he was recently left by his love. The PCs can either leave the plotline at this point, or follow it to the missed significant other. This significant other turns out to have been doing this charade for some time, and not just with the Lich. Apparently she( or possibly a doppelganger would be more fun), has been sleeping with the powerful people trying to amass her own personal power. All the men (or women as well if it is a doppelganger) have been left merely a shell of there former selves.

Ok, now that is the premise I have so far, but I have a few points I would like you help on.

1. How do I get the PC's to go after the lich in the first place? I think having them hired would be silly.

2. How should the PC's discover the liches plans. I was think he is clutching a love letter from her during the entire battle, or perhaps he protects a small chest during the battle. The PC's may think his phalectry is in it, instead it is items of hers and some letters.

3. Doppelganger, or heartbreaker female?

4. I think that is it right now, but if you have any other ideas, let me know.

Thanks.

Mercury

 

[Buttercup]

Well, the first problem is one of believability. I mean, who would get romantically involved with a Lich? :shudder:

I think a doppleganger would be best. What if it were a spy? It would try to get next to all sorts of powerful people to pry their secrets out of them. Now the only question is, why? Is it an agent for the doppleganger nation? Or is it a loyal citizen of some other government, and no one but the king knows what it really is? Maybe it grew up with the king, and they've been life long friends. The monarch keeps his friend's secret, and in return the doppleganger spies for king & country.

It's a cool idea. I've got a race of shape-shifters in my homebrew, and although the PCs don't realize it yet, they are scattered throughout human society.

 

[Moe Ronalds]

Anyone else imagining a Lich singing "She ****ing Hates Me"?

 

[Redevil621]

A regular dopleganger might be kind of silly too... normally dops r just for lower level intruege. but if u have MM2 there is an etheral dop, and in the FR monster book, there is a greater dop

In any case, it sounds like u might want to steer away from the Lich thing, ehh normally liches are pure forms of evil and if this ones a magic user, then im sure a dop will have no effect on it. A normal human might serve to be much better, maybe with his faithful cleric cohort who has a mass of undead to protect both of them as well. as far as the love thing goes.... ehh liches are imune to all mind effecting stuff, so they might be incapable of emotion all together depending on how far u want to take it, and why would this lich not just kill the dopp, im sure he knows of their scemes and stuff

 

[Xarlen]

Liches, and Intelligent undead are not immune to emotions.

On a scientific level, 'Emotions' are chemical, so anything that would trigger emotions from an outside source wouldn't work. However, if we look at an undead, there's a 'piece' fo the undead still there. I've seen vampires get pissed, Liches be arrogant or insulted, or Depressed. The emotions could be a 'mental' aspect to their very beings. Liches and vampires are not robots, using 'logical' thought since emotions are devoid to them otherwise.

There are Good and Neutral liches. I imagine that the person whom was with the lich could've been a necromancer (or posing as one), and thus there's that relation there. If nothing else, the Dop or human could've simply been a successful 'Yes man/woman'. Feeding the lich's ego, leading them on, so forth, so on. Consider it an 'addiction', a really bad relationship.

How about, Instead of a Doppleganger, it be a Succubus? There's the potential for Succubi to change their shape, so Incubi are possible (I could see a Succubi as a hermaphrodite, and simply is an Incubi or a Succubi by whatever form they take). So that way, instead of it being a Dop, or initially being either sex, it could be just a Demon.

I would imagine a Lich could still get jiggy, seeing as Polymorph would likely get them that 'flesh' back, and if they're a new lich, they would likely still remember those pleasures, and perhaps look to that.

Have you considered a 'Female' lich? So it might be a Male heartbreaker?

Also, some thoughts: The lich could be screaming the person's name, while tearing into the town. A letter inside the lich's robes (no doubt they'd search it).

 

[Guilt Puppy]

There are Good and Neutral liches. I imagine that the person whom was with the lich could've been a necromancer (or posing as one), and thus there's that relation there.

Heh, that does put a new spin on "necromancer"...

I would imagine a Lich could still get jiggy, seeing as Polymorph would likely get them that 'flesh' back, and if they're a new lich, they would likely still remember those pleasures, and perhaps look to that.

Hate to ruin that party, but you'll note that liches are immune to Polymorph. As a DM you could rule that it means they can't be unwillingly polymorphed, but I've always assumed that it was an intentional restriction (so that they'd be bound to their shape... otherwise, they become a lot more powerful, as any spellcaster of lich-appropriate level would likely have that ability at their disposal.)

 

[Xarlen]

Heh, that does put a new spin on "necromancer"...



Hate to ruin that party, but you'll note that liches are immune to Polymorph. As a DM you could rule that it means they can't be unwillingly polymorphed, but I've always assumed that it was an intentional restriction (so that they'd be bound to their shape... otherwise, they become a lot more powerful, as any spellcaster of lich-appropriate level would likely have that ability at their disposal.)

Actually, anything that is 'immune' can drop the 'immunity'. Just like Rakshasas are 'immune' to spells, yet can recieve their buff spells. It was discussed in another thread if a LIch could cast Poly on itself, and still have it work.

 

[Xarlen]

See here: http://enworld.cyberstreet.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=25711

It was concluded, near the bottom, that Immunity is a way that you say 'Unbeatble SR'. Polymorph Self has no SR.

Sorry to pop your bubble.

 

[CrazyMage]

This sounds like an advice column gone horribly wrong.

"Dear Lovelorn Lich..."