Wiz18 Lich vs. four 12th level characters

[Arnwyn]

Thanks for the input so far, everyone.

The lich won't have any minions for the final showdown, but the castle does belong to said lich. The PCs won't be aware that there is a lich in the castle, and the lich knows the castle inside and out. The PCs are trying to find someone within the lich's stronghold. The lich has access to PHB spells only, but the lich will have it's full spell roster prepared when the PCs arrive.

As far as I can tell, the lich does not have to be a Wiz18 (and based on the responses on this thread, will likely not be one, either). I'm thinking of adjusting him down to a Wiz15, maybe.

 

[Altamont Ravenard]

When / How will they encounter the lich? Does the lich know they are coming? Does the lich have minions? Will the lich be in her defended lair? Do the characters know what they'll be fighting? Will the lich have access to all her spells?

Answer these questions, then we'll be able to make sensible predictions...

AR

 

[The Thayan Menace]

Liches Are a Hell of a Drug ....

If the lich is well played (appropriate for its Int) then they're dead dead dead.

Agreed; this is definite TPK territory.

 

[ThirdWizard]

I made good use of a Mystic Theurge Lich. He still got to be high level, without the very high level spells, but with better preparations and more versatility. So, less raw power, and more variety, and it worked very well for me. You could think of that as an option.

 

[Conaill]

The lich won't have any minions for the final showdown, but the castle does belong to said lich. The PCs won't be aware that there is a lich in the castle, and the lich knows the castle inside and out.

In that case, it's safe to assume the Lich will know the PC's are there, and they PC's are hosed anyway - even with a Wiz15.

Why does this guy not have any minions and/or magic items anyway, if he's inside his own castle?

 

[Aust Diamondew]

Even if the lich has only half of his spells prepared and only NPC level gear he could still more likley than not wipe out a well prepared party of level 12 characters unless they caught him completely off gaurd.

I recommend scaling him back to level 15 as you suggested.

 

[painandgreed]

Could be that the lich wants to be "destroyed". Party is given information on the location of the philactery and go destroy it and have the final showdown with the lich and destroy him. Everybody is happy,t he lich is gone and their patron rewards them handsomely and hires bards to sing songs about how the lich was destroyed in a desparate battle. All the other high level parties that wanted to destroy the lich give up and go home. Only later (at a much higher level) does the party discover that their patron who gave them the information was actually the lich tricking everybody into thinking he was dead. Then they get to fight him for real.

 

[Storm Raven]

As far as I can tell, the lich does not have to be a Wiz18 (and based on the responses on this thread, will likely not be one, either). I'm thinking of adjusting him down to a Wiz15, maybe.

Even as a Wiz15, he's probably more than a match for the PCs. At that level he has one base 8th level spell slot, and two base 7th level spell slots. He probably has an Intelligence in the 22-24 range (he probably started high, put most of his level based advancements into Intelligence, gets the bonus from being a lich, and has at least one Intelligence enhancing item). That means that the PCs are likely to have to make several saves in the DC 24-25 range (at the very least, without considering things like Spell Focus). Can the party wizard or rogue survive a DC 24 finger of death? How will the party fare against a DC 24 prismatic spray, or with a a DC 25 scintillating pattern (while the lich buffs up).

 

[Thanee]

Why does this guy not have any minions and/or magic items anyway, if he's inside his own castle?

Maybe the lich is paranoid?

Bye
Thanee

 

[JoeGKushner]

Almost all of it is going to depend on the spells that the lich has. At 18th level, he's got access to 9th level spells. Another part of it is how stupid is the lich? Has he been able to use his magic in an effective manner in protecting himself? Has me made spells permanent upon his being in order to insure his fighting power is at it's most?

Note that the lich's CR should be adjusted as well since it's a template that's based on a class and most classes have a built in assumption that they will be equipped per the DMG.