Pimp my lich

[Bungus]

Level 20 arcane caster, with a focus on necromancy. Possibly a few levels of PrC in there as well (any suggestions? Archmage?)

Formerly human, maximized intelligence.

Some good high level spells to use on them. Should it go specialized caster or not? If it specializes on necromancy, which schools does it exclude?

Thanks

 

[Theroc]

Well, the Dread Necromancer becomes a Lich for essentially free at level 20.

It's from the book Heroes of Horror.

I'm not sure what precisely you're asking, so sorry if my suggestion makes no sense.

 

[Runestar]

How do you plan to have the lich fight? Debuff them while your minions swarm them, blast them with direct damage, use save-or-die/suck spells???

If it specializes on necromancy, which schools does it exclude?

Assuming it is an npc meant to be pitted against the PCs, it would be easier to first determine what spells you plan on using against them, then banning the schools which contain none/very few of those spells.

 

[Darklone]

Complete Arcane or mage has that nice little necromancy feat... you pay some cash and enhance your blasterspells. Cute.

 

[Bungus]

Well, the Dread Necromancer becomes a Lich for essentially free at level 20.

It's from the book Heroes of Horror.

I'm not sure what precisely you're asking, so sorry if my suggestion makes no sense.

I just wanted to use the lich to maximum effect as a baddie. Not sure if I should go blast the PCs with level 8/9 spells, wear them out with evil minions and go for "save or die" spells at the end, etc.

 

[Bungus]

How do you plan to have the lich fight? Debuff them while your minions swarm them, blast them with direct damage, use save-or-die/suck spells???



Assuming it is an npc meant to be pitted against the PCs, it would be easier to first determine what spells you plan on using against them, then banning the schools which contain none/very few of those spells.

I was thinking more "blast" them and/or save-or-die type spells. What do you mean by "suck", though? I think it cheapens the encounter if the players know there are no save-or-die spells out there. Or, do you mean, "suck" ability scores/levels?

From the Book of Vile Darkness, there are the Corrupt Spell and Vile Spell metamagic feats. Corrupt changes half the damage of a spell to Unholy damage, while Vile changes have the damage of a spell to Vile damage. Can those two feats be combined and have a (for example) a Corrupt & Vile fireball that does 5d6 Unholy damage and 5d6 Vile damage?

 

[Bungus]

Complete Arcane or mage has that nice little necromancy feat... you pay some cash and enhance your blasterspells. Cute.

Black Lore of Moil?

Add a rune-carved bone to the spell components to add negative energy damage to a spell?

 

[Darklone]

Right, that one. Pretty amusing ...

Watch out for Deathward btw.... many nice necro spells are useless against this standard buff. But perhaps minions with wands of Greater Dispel Magic help ?

 

[Runestar]

Spells without saves are always nice, though you may want to ensure that their effects are not too debilitating. Tempting as it may be to maze the party cleric the first chance you get, it would not be fun for that player to effectively sit out the entire fight in another dimension.

You have waves of exhuastion, which you can sculpt (so that is possibly the entire party starting out as exhauasted). Hit them with chained greater dispel magic, Split-rayed enervations, quickened empowered ray of enfeeblement on the fighter,

Save or suck spells include stuff like billaro's iron bands, which hold you if you fail your reflex save or entangle you even if they succeed (and I think it combos great with chain spell, even if the DC sucks for a 3rd lv spell). Though on 2nd though, there don't seem that many of them, and even fewer that are higher lv.

 

[Bungus]

Right, that one. Pretty amusing ...

Watch out for Deathward btw.... many nice necro spells are useless against this standard buff. But perhaps minions with wands of Greater Dispel Magic help ?

well, if the lich takes "archmage" as a PrC, it can also do counterspelling mastery. Quicken a few spells as counters when the PCs try their own dispel magics and turn the dispel back on its caster.