Pimp my lich

[Bungus]

It depends. If the lich knows how threatening the party is it might open with Time Stop, Gate, Wall of Force to buy some time to buff up while the party fights a balor or whatever the lich wants to call in. If the party is threatening but not worth the XP cost of a calling version of Gate, it can just use the Time Stop to buff up (provided it doesn't use some sort of divination every morning to find out whether it should cast any short-term buffs that day and if so when, or otherwise have information about exactly when the party will be showing up) or summon a bunch of minions with Summon Monster spells, or Create Greater Undead, or Symbol of Insanity, or Prismatic Sphere, or Mind Fog or other cloud conjurations that do nasty things... and that's just quickly browsing the PHB spell list.

Or a personal favourite of mine: Time Stop. Dimension Door out of Line of Sight of the party (but: within line of sight of where it was standing, more than True Seeing range away), Quickened Invisibility and Project Image of itself where it was standing the next round (this guarantees that the lich can pull it off within 2 rounds, which is the minimum duration of Time Stop). Take the skill trick from Complete Scoundrel that makes one spell "read" as another with spellcraft and have it seem to cast Mislead instead of Time Stop. True Seeing dude sees that it is only an illusion, confirming that Mislead was what was cast... but somehow the lich can't be seen with True Seeing. The party is likely to be confused by this tactic (if Mind Blank or Nondetection defeats True Seeing in your rules interpretation, that's what they are likely to assume has happened, provided they know about that interaction) and will probably (assuming they make their Spellcraft check) ignore the Projected Image for long enough that the Lich can buff up and then start taking the party on from the Projected Image.

Thanks - the lich has a lair, so the party will be engaged by some minions in the beginning, anyhow. Once the minions are engaged, the lich will be able to judge the party's strengths and buff up, when needed.

Good idea on foiling the True Seeing with the skill trick. Thanks!

 

[Runestar]

You can also consider summoning monsters during timestop. Look out for those with a ton of SLAs usable at-will to spam. Bone devils (SM7) can be pretty obscene. With SM9, you can summon 1d4+1 of them, and have them all spam wall of ice every round to clog up the battlefield.

A colossal centipede is not a bad idea for grappling the spellcaster (assuming there is sufficient room in your lair and the wizard does not already have freedom of movement).

Elementals appear to have the most hp (if you need meatshields). This should help take the heat off you and give you sufficient breathing room to cast your other key spells.

 

[Bungus]

You can also consider summoning monsters during timestop. Look out for those with a ton of SLAs usable at-will to spam. Bone devils (SM7) can be pretty obscene. With SM9, you can summon 1d4+1 of them, and have them all spam wall of ice every round to clog up the battlefield.

A colossal centipede is not a bad idea for grappling the spellcaster (assuming there is sufficient room in your lair and the wizard does not already have freedom of movement).

Elementals appear to have the most hp (if you need meatshields). This should help take the heat off you and give you sufficient breathing room to cast your other key spells.

good idea - summon monster 9 to get several bone devils, then cast something that prevents the good guys from summoning their own allies.

If the lich summoned a balor, does it still explode for 100 pts of damage upon its "death", or is that only for its real death, and not when it is summoned/called?

 

[Runestar]

Its death throes would still work, assuming you could find some way of summoning in a balor. Gating is more likely.

 

[Elethiomel]

good idea - If the lich summoned a balor, does it still explode for 100 pts of damage upon its "death", or is that only for its real death, and not when it is summoned/called?

According to my interpretation of the rules text for Gate, if you use Gate to call in a Balor it will be just as if the Balor travelled to the Prime Material Plane through normal planar travel, and hence will do its death throes properly upon expiring.

 

[Bungus]

Its death throes would still work, assuming you could find some way of summoning in a balor. Gating is more likely.

Thanks - I had meant "gate" - just a temporary brain lapse when I was reading summon monster in the prior post.

 

[NewJeffCT]

It depends. If the lich knows how threatening the party is it might open with Time Stop, Gate, Wall of Force to buy some time to buff up while the party fights a balor or whatever the lich wants to call in. If the party is threatening but not worth the XP cost of a calling version of Gate, it can just use the Time Stop to buff up (provided it doesn't use some sort of divination every morning to find out whether it should cast any short-term buffs that day and if so when, or otherwise have information about exactly when the party will be showing up) or summon a bunch of minions with Summon Monster spells, or Create Greater Undead, or Symbol of Insanity, or Prismatic Sphere, or Mind Fog or other cloud conjurations that do nasty things... and that's just quickly browsing the PHB spell list.

Or a personal favourite of mine: Time Stop. Dimension Door out of Line of Sight of the party (but: within line of sight of where it was standing, more than True Seeing range away), Quickened Invisibility and Project Image of itself where it was standing the next round (this guarantees that the lich can pull it off within 2 rounds, which is the minimum duration of Time Stop). Take the skill trick from Complete Scoundrel that makes one spell "read" as another with spellcraft and have it seem to cast Mislead instead of Time Stop. True Seeing dude sees that it is only an illusion, confirming that Mislead was what was cast... but somehow the lich can't be seen with True Seeing. The party is likely to be confused by this tactic (if Mind Blank or Nondetection defeats True Seeing in your rules interpretation, that's what they are likely to assume has happened, provided they know about that interaction) and will probably (assuming they make their Spellcraft check) ignore the Projected Image for long enough that the Lich can buff up and then start taking the party on from the Projected Image.

Good ideas there - I like the Wall of Force and Balrog gate-in idea. Unless the players know they're going up against the lich, they will think the Balrog is the main opponent they're up against. The players focus all their attacks, spells, etc on the balrog, and when they finally defeat it and survive the exploding balrog, in walks the lich to finish off the weakened party.

And, your second idea is pretty devious. I like it.

 

[Bungus]

Good ideas there - I like the Wall of Force and Balrog gate-in idea. Unless the players know they're going up against the lich, they will think the Balrog is the main opponent they're up against. The players focus all their attacks, spells, etc on the balrog, and when they finally defeat it and survive the exploding balrog, in walks the lich to finish off the weakened party.

And, your second idea is pretty devious. I like it.

good point on the players thinking the balor is the main foe.

 

[Muaadeeb]

Another idea - since the LICH is immune to poison and disease..what about stocking the lich's lair with yellow mold and every other kind of toxic subtance which the players will be forced to step on, breathe etc....

 

[Particle_Man]

An illusionist lich can be very annoying. We fought one once in 1st ed. and I am *still* not certain that we really killed it and really destroyed its phylactery.

And how can one not love Project Image as a way to draw some Novas out of the way?