Where would you hide your phylactery

[Jack Simth]

I also like the 'make it something so magical no one will destroy it' idea, but is it allowed to be a magical object? Aside from the fact that it holds your soul?

Unspecified in RAW. It's your Phylactory. Craft Wondrous Item is the required feat for making it, so it's not unreasonable to assume it's... a Wondrous Item. Under the Creating Magic Items section of the SRD, there's a nifty section:

ADDING NEW ABILITIES

A creator can add new magical abilities to a magic item with no restrictions. The cost to do this is the same as if the item was not magical. Thus, a +1 longsword can be made into a +2 vorpal longsword, with the cost to create it being equal to that of a +2 vorpal sword minus the cost of a +1 sword.

If the item is one that occupies a specific place on a character’s body the cost of adding any additional ability to that item increases by 50%. For example, if a character adds the power to confer invisibility to her ring of protection +2, the cost of adding this ability is the same as for creating a ring of invisibility multiplied by 1.5.

(Emphasis added)

So if it's a magical item, it can be stacked with other things. It's not expressly called out as being a magic item, but it uses most the same rules, so...

 

[ExMachina]

So if it's a magical item, it can be stacked with other things. It's not expressly called out as being a magic item, but it uses most the same rules, so...

However, per Libris Mortis pg 151, the phylactery cannot be part of another magical, nor may additional magical properties be built into it.

To add a non-sequitur to this, how long does it take to craft the phylactery? DO you just pay the 120,000ish and xp and that's it? Or do you have to spen ~250 days to make it?

 

[Jack Simth]

However, per Libris Mortis pg 151, the phylactery cannot be part of another magical, nor may additional magical properties be built into it.

To add a non-sequitur to this, how long does it take to craft the phylactery? DO you just pay the 120,000ish and xp and that's it? Or do you have to spen ~250 days to make it?

Ah, okay; consider my statement amended: Unspecified in Core RAW.

 

[Storyteller01]

Make a magical artificial heart, give it to a king or queen with the promise of immortality and eternal youth, then after they accept tell them "as long as I live, you live...".

Odds are, no one will look there. If the lich dies, the leader dies, and the phylactery is smack dab inside a new body. And you now have a monarch with a HUGELY vested interest in keeping you alive, with a kingdom will to fight (and usually die) for them.


In a 2nd ed adventure written by TSR, a green dracolich had his built into a dragon's bane sword named 'Dragon's lair' (anyone casting legend lore would probably has heard Dragon Slayer) that was hidden in his treasure.

 

[Legildur]

Oh dear, Proctological humor aside I have nothing.

I am very disappointed that it took as long as 18 posts to arrive at this one..... I thought it was an obvious answer that at least deserved reference (like Blightersbane politely achieved) embedded within a serious answer.

 

[Kurotowa]

First I make the phylactery as a ring. It's traditional, and if it's good enough for Sauron it's good enough for me. Then I put the ring on my familiar. He's the one creature I know I can trust absolutely. If I'm a Lich I'm powerful enough my familiar is pretty bright, so I explain that protecting the ring is his first priority. Should a fight ever start to go badly I'll switch to delay and distract while my familiar flees to safety. Nobody bothers to stop and frag the familiar these days. Even if I lose the fight, my loyal familiar will have taken me to a safehouse where I can reform and grab my backup equipment. Then I can spend a decade planning how to get my best gear back with a sidedish of nice cold revenge. Being immortal lets you do that.

Any location, no matter how well hidden or secured, can be breached by determined and inventive adventurers. A familiar is a smart, mobile, loyal guardian that can avoid adventurers and keep my phylactery safe.

 

[fafhrd]

Nystul's magic aura the thing, stick it in the pommel of a plain ol' +1 sword and sell it on the open market. The sword is eternally passed around to henchmen, 1st level losers and others who aren't a threat.

 

[isoChron]

The question I always asked myself is, what would you see/know if you examine the phylactery via Analyse Dweomer or Detect Magic or Identify ???
School ? Strength ? Spells inside ?
Do you know you found a phylactery or are you left in the dark.

 

[ElectricDragon]

Here's my version:

1. Cast Polymorph Any Object to change the sealed metal box phylactery into a metal picture frame (permanent duration).
2. Commission or otherwise acquire a very expensive painting.
3. Commission or paint 8-10 copies of the original painting.
4. Build or commission 8-10 copies of the metal frame phylactery.
5. Research a version of Nystul's Magic Aura that is or can be made permanent. (Spell Mastery of this spell is important, too).
6. Cast new version of Nystul's Magic Aura on phylactery/picture frame.
7. Frame all paintings, making sure to put a fake in the phylactery frame.
8. Build secret room with several dead bodies and spare copies of spell books and secondary magic items/equipment.
9. Study secret room extensively.
10. Permanently seal up secret room with Wall of Stone spell (Teleport is main entrance).
11. Decorate lair with various paintings; make sure to place phylactery painting closest to secret room.

To hide something well; put it in plain sight.

Ciao
Dave

 

[Jack Simth]

Slight problem with using Polymorph Any Object on your Phylactory.....

"Target: One creature, or one nonmagical object of up to 100 cu. ft./level"

Whatever else your Phylactory is, it is, most definately, magical.