Lich Strategy


Advice

Shadow Lodge

Getting to the end of a major campaign and it looks like we're up against a cabal of liches, possibly with miscellaneous undead allies. I've been nominated as our group's one-person equipment committee and could use some advice on what items might be useful in this fight. It's a group of seven 13th level characters, with a per-character budget of roughly 10-20K for this final fight.

I don't want to introduce too much player knowledge into character preparations, but we do know a bit about the major offenses and defenses of Liches. We've also fought several of the liches individually, so we know a bit about their individual abilities. Advice would be much appreciated, though I'd also appreciate if people avoided bringing up stats from the Bestiary for the aforementioned player/character knowledge issue.

Paralyzing touch:
Remove Paralysis to cure the affected, or Freedom of Movement to make someone immune for the duration. Rings of Freedom of Movement would make someone totally immune to paralysis and other effects, but are a little pricey.

DR:
Undead in general often have DR against silver, good, or weapon types such as bludgeoning. Oils of Versatile Weapon and Align Weapon will probably be important here.

Spells:
Dispel Magic could be crucial, but given that the liches are at least our level the dispel and counterspelling checks might be difficult. Defenses against Dispel Magic could be equally important on our side, though I have no idea how best to deal with that. Rings of Counterspelling can provide a get-out-of-pain-free card if carefully chosen based on what we know to be the liches' favourite spells.

Defenses against specific spells include Shield (one of the liches likes Quickened Magic Missile), Resist Energy, See Invisibility, and Death Ward. A Dictum tore through us in one encounter – not sure how to deal with that one.

Undead Traits:
Seems like a no-brainer to load up on effects that specifically hurt undead. Might even be worth it to add the Bane enhancement on the weapon of any PC who can afford the +1 boost.

Of course, I don't want to load up too much on the anti-undead, because we think the cabal is headed by a Worm that Walks and I'm pretty sure they're vermin type.

Shadow Lodge

Pathfinder Adventure Path, Lost Omens, Rulebook, Starfinder Adventure Path Subscriber

Disintegrate, fort save that works on those pesky undead wizards :D

*edit Also polymorph any object works wonders as they are not immune.

Grand Lodge

While focusing on the bestiary traits is one thing, you're neglecting the most important part of the threat you face.

They're CASTERS. If they manage to keep you busy with undead cannon fodder, the spells incoming are going to be your biggest threat.


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Weirdo wrote:

Getting to the end of a major campaign and it looks like we're up against a cabal of liches, possibly with miscellaneous undead allies. I've been nominated as our group's one-person equipment committee and could use some advice on what items might be useful in this fight. It's a group of seven 13th level characters, with a per-character budget of roughly 10-20K for this final fight.

I don't want to introduce too much player knowledge into character preparations, but we do know a bit about the major offenses and defenses of Liches. We've also fought several of the liches individually, so we know a bit about their individual abilities. Advice would be much appreciated, though I'd also appreciate if people avoided bringing up stats from the Bestiary for the aforementioned player/character knowledge issue.

** spoiler omitted **

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Hide from undead is a 1st level cleric spell and can be heightened to great effect. It affects one target / level, and cannot be pierced even with true seeing. It allows a Will save for sentient undead to notice you, but if they fail, no sense at all can perceive you (not even blindsense/sight, tremorsense/sight, or scent).

+1 disruption weapons are useful, since it's a DC 14 Fortitude save or die on every hit landed, regardless of DR. That's a 5% chance to destroy an undead creature with every hit landed (if you fighter hits the undead 5 times with a mace of disruption, then the undead has to save vs being destroyed 5 times, and it can always roll a 1).

Disrupting weapon is a higher level cleric spell that makes a weapon of your choice force a save or die every time they are hit, and the DC is equal to your spell save DC, but it only functions on undead who have equal or fewer HD than the caster level of the spell. Ioun stones, prayer beads, death knell, and other options can push your caster level much higher than normal.

Druids in your party should look at their high level light spells, such as sunray and sunburst. They're pretty brutal to undead, and has a Reflex save vs blinding (undead are immune to most blinding effects because they are immune to Fortitude saves, but Sunburst can burn the eyes out of your liches).

Spell immunity is a cleric spell that allows you to to choose a certain number of spells to be outright immune to if they allow spell resistance. This will crush your party's vulnerability to Dictum and similar spells. In fact, consider buying a scroll of communal greater spell immunity to buff your entire party with immunity to your least favorite spells.

A +1 ghost touch net or +1 ghost touch mancatcher is a damn good investment if your lich friends like turning incorporeal, or have incorporeal minions. Also, consider getting some method to use ethereal jaunt on your party at least 1-2/day or as consumables, in case the liches want to use projected image + ethereal jaunt or similar tricks to fight you by proxy. You can just turn ethereal too and fight them on their own level (which forces them to waste their spells trying to avoid you only for you to follow easily).

Black tentacles with as many caster level buffs as you can stand can really screw up a lich's day, since even if they have the CMD feat, their CMD is probably not all that great, and getting them grappled with black tentacles (a no save, no SR spell) can mean the end for them.

Drink some elixirs of seeing (+10 Perception for 1 hour, 250 gp), which will offset some of the lich's Stealth. An elixir of hiding (+10 Stealth for 1 hour, 250 gp) negates their +8 racial to Perception.

If you have time to plan, consider using some high level scrolls or other consumables. Consider using simulacrum to create proxy-PCs to draw fire from the liches, and consider producing groups of low-level (6th maybe) copies of your casters to spam spells like magic missile and acid arrow at the liches. Beware such tactics used by the liches as well. A proper lich will employ many illusions, proxies, and other bad tricks.

Have at least 1 antimagic field spell prepared, in case the liches lure you into a room filled with summon monster traps. You do not want to be fighting liches while a room is dumping 1-6 demons into their service every round on the round. AMF can be used to get close enough to disable the traps while winking out summons. Alternatively, consider scrolls of mage's disjunction to destroy the traps quickly.

Be prepared to flee. Liches are no joke, and fighting multiple liches is a daunting task. Having some contingency spells readied to go off if you're unable to take actions might be a good bet. Likewise, be prepared to greater teleport away to a location warded with private sanctum in case something goes wrong.

Shadow Lodge

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Christopher Van Horn & Ashiel: Thanks for all the suggestions! I'll hit the SRD to look up what I'm unfamiliar with and start making a consumables list (Ashiel, you already won me over on those on the Big Six thread).

I'm playing the druid and was definitely drooling over Sunbeam/Sunburst.

I've seen Black Tentacles in action and it is a thing of beauty.

Disruption over Bane(Undead). I have seen a powerful undead botch a low DC save-or-lose in a different campaign, though that was a variant polymorph object.

LazarX: I'm not neglecting spells. I've got a category up there for defense against specific or general spells, though it wasn't comprehensive.

Obviously it would be great to shut them down before they can cast. For that, we have a dedicated grappler. The first lich we ran into was put into a headlock and subsequently curb-stomped.

Deafness also gives a 20% failure chance on any spell with verbal components. Our sorc has an undead bloodline, so he can apply it to undead as if they were humanoids.

More general stuff: I'm especially worried about Dispel Magic from the liches given that we will probably be pre-buffing. Any thoughts about putting a high-level communal buff on the party solely for the purpose of soaking the "highest level effect first" on an area dispel?

Oh, and we're pretty sure one of the liches is an Arcane Archer, so Fickle Winds.


I'm going to assume that with seven 13th-level characters, you have at least one dedicated (full-CL / non-multiclass) cleric and wizard. If not, some of this won't apply, since you'll be short the necessary 7th-level spells.

Cleric Recommendations
7: greater scrying, summon monster VII
6: greater dispel magic, heal, heroes' feast, undeath to death, word of recall
5: mass cure light wounds, dispel evil, disrupting weapon, spell resistance, true seeing
4: death ward, dimensional anchor, freedom of movement, spell immunity

Wizard Recommendations
7: spell turning, summon monster VII, greater teleport, greater arcane sight, greater scrying, project image, control undead
6: antimagic field, greater dispel magic, globe of invulnerability, true seeing, greater heroism, contingency, undeath to death
5: break enchantment, wall of stone, overland flight, telekinesis
4: dimensional anchor, lesser globe of invulnerability, black tentacles, resilient sphere

Spell Rationale (in no particular order):
A) Disrupting weapon, undeath to death, and control undead help with the clearing of mooks - read their descriptions carefully, however, as they have some significant limitations.
B) Mass cure X wounds in most circumstances are crap - but you can target up to 13 creatures per casting, and if you know 90% or more of your foes are undead, it simultaneously heals your allies and harms your enemies - nothing to scoff at when better tactics are not forthcoming, especially since your cleric can likely spontaneously convert unneeded spells into them. Heal is the other end of the spectrum, but same tactic.
C) Spell resistance can be a double-edged sword, based on your GM's interpretation - but against a cadre of liches, probably worth it.
D) Dispel evil is useful if you know one or more of the liches is heavily into enchantment; spell immunity is great if you know some favored spells ahead of time (use greater scrying if possible to evaluate these - read the wizard-liches' spellbooks over their shoulders?) - make sure you cast it differentially on party members to shore up against the spells that would be worst for them.
E) Word of recall or greater teleport - get out of death free in case things go south. Beware of scry-n-fry retaliation at this level.
F) Dimensional anchor - stop them from using E.
G) Liches weigh very little and often have low CMD - use telekinesis, black tentacles, and summons to grapple them and otherwise push them around. They may all have freedom of movement... but they may not. You brought greater arcane sight to find out. ;)
H) Project image - I have line of sight, you do not.
I) Antimagic field - one wizard turns off 6 liches (though additionally himself), if they position poorly.

Generic Advice:
1) When possible, have your damage-dealers ready actions to interrupt spellcasting with an attack. At this level, concentration DCs will be very high if they hit.
2) Buff to the gills before combat and fight on grounds of your choosing. Spellcasters shine when prepared and in their sanctum. If the fight starts poorly, retreat, regroup, and try again.
3) Some access to quickened spells is mandatory at this level.
4) Scrolls of mass heal. See advice on mass cure X wounds above, with relation to simultaneously targeting allies and undead enemies.

PS: Ashiel ninja'd some of my suggestions while I was typing this, but I'll leave in for posterity / reinforcement. :)

Grand Lodge

Ashiel wrote:
Hide from undead is a 1st level cleric spell and can be heightened to great effect. It affects one target / level, and cannot be pierced even with true seeing. It allows a Will save for sentient undead to notice you, but if they fail, no sense at all can perceive you (not even blindsense/sight, tremorsense/sight, or scent).

Liches... Casters..... Good Will Saves in abundance.

Also note the following...

If a warded creature attempts to channel positive energy, turn or command undead, touches an undead creature, or attacks any creature (even with a spell), the spell ends for all recipients.


LazarX wrote:
Ashiel wrote:
Hide from undead is a 1st level cleric spell and can be heightened to great effect. It affects one target / level, and cannot be pierced even with true seeing. It allows a Will save for sentient undead to notice you, but if they fail, no sense at all can perceive you (not even blindsense/sight, tremorsense/sight, or scent).

Liches... Casters..... Good Will Saves in abundance.

Also note the following...

If a warded creature attempts to channel positive energy, turn or command undead, touches an undead creature, or attacks any creature (even with a spell), the spell ends for all recipients.

Do you really want them to see you coming? I think not. As for will saves in abundance, I've seen Fighters fail plenty of Fortitude saves, and I've seen casters get hosed by Will saves too. Having a good base save does not invulnerable make you (less your base saves are crazy good from multiclassing). Assuming 20th level, you're only +30% more likely to save than you are with your worst save. If our friendly neighborhood Lich has to make a DC 30 Will save, at 20th he's looking at maybe +24 (+12 base, +7 Wisdom, +5 resistance). That's good enough to fail 25% of the time. Totally worth casting heightened hide from undead for a 25% chance to ambush a Lich.

EDIT: It can also be used to annoy the lich during battle. Have someone pop a limited wish and give the lich -7 to his save before you have your entire team vanish to rebuff and regroup.


Weirdo wrote:
I'm especially worried about Dispel Magic from the liches given that we will probably be pre-buffing. Any thoughts about putting a high-level communal buff on the party solely for the purpose of soaking the "highest level effect first" on an area dispel?

Passively buffing against dispel magic can be done by boosting your CL. Look at candle of invocation, orange prism ioun stone, and strand of prayer beads. I'm sure there are other methods I'm missing, especially for arcane casters.

Ring of counterspells is great against a targeted greater dispel magic. Area dispels are trickier, but if you spread out you should be fine - it can only nail one spell per target per casting when used in this way. And if you have spell slots to burn, you can just layer on two castings of the key buffs - pretty sure that's legit.


Well really depends on what is the avaibility of items but since not specified I will assume there happens to be store that has everything for sale that isn't an artifact.

I will not go in to tactics since you just asked for equipment.

so 7x10-20k means 70k-140k of spending money that is a bundle to use for just one fight.

First Scrolls 3,825 gp for that one shot 9th level spell will make enemies cry.
Mind blank, communal will get 3 4hours and 4 3 hours worth of immunity to scrying and +8 to saves against mind effecting which will make casters sad.
Time stop would be nice if your arcane caster has good summoning ability or can otherwise make good use of that time.
Meteor Swarm, not that great but if they have mountains of crittes as meat shield this will take mountains of them down and put some decent hurt in to the liches as well if positioned right.
Mage's Disjunction, when you need those buffs down NOW
Heal Mass, Yeah heall most of your group and put a world of hurt to the undead at the same time.
Might want to get even wish or miracle to find their phylacteries. Those should pierce pretty much any means of blocking divination they have at their disposal.

There are more than likely more than few others that would be good just some examples that came to mind of the top of my head.

Bag of holding+portable hole, If you are going down might as well take them with you.

Necklace of Fireballs Type VII throw it at their feet blast it with fire with +7 save it shouldn't make it, 58d6 damage hurts...a lot. For under 9k a piece it's dirt cheap too. If you have means to get fire immunity to even one character you just got yourself a suicide bomber who is not actually committing suicide.

I guess this all could be summed up as consumables are great.


I've found anti-caster strategies to work best. Summons, grappling, black tentacles, tanglefoot bags.

And make sure you've got the right weapons.


Oh yeah, another one you definitely want is spell turning. Lots of it. Not only does it protect you from any spell that is targeted (including spells that have multiple targets, IIRC), but it turns it against the caster. It's good stuff when a lich chucks something bad and you bounce it back. Even if the lich is immune or saves, it's a spell that didn't hit you.

EDIT: Also the globe of invulnerability spells block all spells of X level or lower (4th or lower for greater, IIRC). That will basically shut down any metamagic shenanigans, because metamagic feats and rods do not increase the level of the spell unless it is Heighten.

So if the lich tries to hit you with something like dazing acid arrow, you can just shrug it off.


Scrolls of sunburst should clear a lot of undead and certainly and wraith of vampire minions. Given your group is lvl 13 buying scrolls with 8th level spells should not be an issue. Used properly it will clear undead en mass. Just dont blind your party :P


Weirdo wrote:

Christopher Van Horn & Ashiel: Thanks for all the suggestions! I'll hit the SRD to look up what I'm unfamiliar with and start making a consumables list (Ashiel, you already won me over on those on the Big Six thread).

I'm playing the druid and was definitely drooling over Sunbeam/Sunburst.

Since you're a druid, consider picking up a Dazing metamagic rod. You can crush liches with these things. Many of your druid spells either target Reflex saves or offer no saving throw or SR at all. Likewise, any damage caused by a spell bypasses DR.

If you can hit the lich with a spell like dazing fire storm, and make it stick (limited wish before it for the -7 to the save) and you will probably have the battle won, because the Lich will be dazed for so many rounds unable to take actions, and will continue to burn for 4d6 damage on each round while dazed and forced to make more saves vs being dazed. It's a Reflex save, so likely not the Lich's bag baby.

Shadow Lodge

You guys are incredible. The high level spell suggestions are especially appreciated, as almost all my play experience is in low-to-mid levels and I am mostly unfamiliar with spells above level 6.

Mobius - No dedicated cleric or wizard, I'm afraid.

The Heroes: Alchemist, Druid, Fighter/Paladin (grappler), Rage Prophet, Fighter (with sunder), Sorcerer (undead bloodline), Arcane Trickster, Summoner (might not make it to the final battle)

Plus four cohorts, all level 11: wizard, cleric, assassin, ranger. Not sure if we'll be able to pull in the cohorts for the assault. We usually only field 4 characters per game, so this is taxing the DM. They'll at least be able to help us prep or maybe hold off mooks off-screen.

The villains (as far was we can tell classes): Sorc, Arcane Archer, Wizard, Oracle, Alchemist, Bard.

Unfortunately we don't have the luxury of choosing our battlefield and fleeing might not even be an option. A reasonably reliable source indicated that they are in fact only vulnerable within their sanctum. (also where they keep the phylacteries). The whole place is riddled with anti-teleportation magic.

Ashiel wrote:
LazarX wrote:

Also note the following...

If a warded creature attempts to channel positive energy, turn or command undead, touches an undead creature, or attacks any creature (even with a spell), the spell ends for all recipients.

Do you really want them to see you coming? I think not. As for will saves in abundance, I've seen Fighters fail plenty of Fortitude saves, and I've seen casters get hosed by Will saves too. Having a good base save does not invulnerable make you (less your base saves are crazy good from multiclassing). Assuming 20th level, you're only +30% more likely to save than you are with your worst save. If our friendly neighborhood Lich has to make a DC 30 Will save, at 20th he's looking at maybe +24 (+12 base, +7 Wisdom, +5 resistance). That's good enough to fail 25% of the time. Totally worth casting heightened hide from undead for a 25% chance to ambush a Lich.

Plus, the Alchemist lich has a poor Will save. He failed his last one against my Heal.

Mass Heal would be glorious if the cleric cohort is available for the caster level check, or if someone else can make the UMD.

Ashiel wrote:
Since you're a druid, consider picking up a Dazing metamagic rod. You can crush liches with these things. Many of your druid spells either target Reflex saves or offer no saving throw or SR at all. Likewise, any damage caused by a spell bypasses DR.

We have a shared Lesser Dazing Rod. I'll see if we can upgrade.

Morbios wrote:
And if you have spell slots to burn, you can just layer on two castings of the key buffs - pretty sure that's legit.

Normally yes, but the DM house ruled against it. Of course, that means the liches can't use that strategy on us.


Use any means necessary to control the battlefield: Wall spells, Fog, Transmute rock to mud, Stone shape come to mind.

Gather intelligence on your foes. Divination can be useful. Like many of them are spontaneous spellcasters seek their spells list and prepare against. What are their tactics? Save or die? Damage? Save or suck? Summoning?

For the crowd of critters maybe you can use Polymorph Any Object to create a rain or pond of holy water? If your DM authorizes it maybe some barrels of gunpower?

I would also suggest to link the party via telepathy (Telepathic Bond) so you can concert together if you are separated in this big cataclysmic battle. And if the bard uses a massive amount of language dependent spells and you are willing to go that far you can deafen (Blindness/Deafness) the whole party and prepare all your spells with Silent Spell or use some rods.

Be prepared to find their phylacteries and destroy them, riding the world of their evil influence and so doing your hero job.


Weirdo wrote:

Mobius - No dedicated cleric or wizard, I'm afraid.

The Heroes: Alchemist, Druid, Fighter/Paladin (grappler), Rage Prophet, Fighter (with sunder), Sorcerer (undead bloodline), Arcane Trickster, Summoner (might not make it to the final battle)

Most of the key spells you should be able to get via scrolls for the sorcerer / trickster, pre-buffs from the cohorts, or spell list overlap with druid / alchemist / summoner. And they're not all mandatory, of course - just a starting point to customize for your party.

Weirdo wrote:
The villains (as far was we can tell classes): Sorc, Arcane Archer, Wizard, Oracle, Alchemist, Bard.

Be careful around that archer, tagging spell effects to arrows he shoots can be a nightmare (I'm looking at you, antimagic field). That one is a bard makes me laugh a little - I'm assuming he's archetyped, or at least has a way to affect his undead brethren with his mind-affecting performances... otherwise, half his special abilities are somewhat wasted. Heroes' feast will help against his dirge of doom and frightening tune, and it works fine in scroll form.

Weirdo wrote:
Unfortunately we don't have the luxury of choosing our battlefield and fleeing might not even be an option. A reasonably reliable source indicated that they are in fact only vulnerable within their sanctum. (also where they keep the phylacteries). The whole place is riddled with anti-teleportation magic.

I would strongly consider astral projection (via scroll or some bound nightmares), then. Have the absent party members and cohorts guard the bodies of those who project, using telepathic bond or sending to alert you if your sanctum gets bushwhacked. If your projections die, you get 2 negative levels - but better than dying in truth.

Regarding anti-teleportation, see if you can find out the exact mechanism. If it's fiat (they can teleport and you can't), it's going to be rough - hopefully your GM isn't that heavy-handed. If it affects them as well, grappling and wall spells (notably wall of stone) just got a lot better. Divide, incapacitate, and take them apart piecemeal.

Side note: if they've used forbiddance, be prepared to take some damage when entering. And you won't be able to summon into the area, but I'm unsure based on the wording if it prohibits summoned creatures from just walking in. Through some liberal use of telepathic bond, arcane eye, and summoning, you could just stand outside and send in waves of disposable minions... though that's a little cheesy and arguably not very heroic. ;)

Good luck!


Have your arcane casters pick up the Pit line of spells.
Create Pit
Spiked Pit
Acid Pit
Hungry Pit

All of these spells are available to the Sorcerer and Summoner, depending on their level. They are excellent for shutting down people with low reflex saves, which the Liches are likely to have by virtue of being casters. You can even use the lower level ones to shut down the mooks. Drop a Create Pit in a group of mooks and watch them all pile in.

Keep in mind too, the Pits are created via an extradimensional space, so they can't just Teleport or Dimension Door out because you can't teleport across planar boundaries.

Hit one of the Liches with an Acid Pit and then have your grappler (if possible) toss another in, then throw in a Necklace of Fireball and have the Sorcerer shoot a fireball in and you're likely to destroy two of them with that combo right there. If not, they'll be severely damaged and out of the fight for a number of rounds. Or you could even roll in a Flaming Sphere and just let it sit there as the Liches burn.


Just wanted to point out that I'm pretty sure being inside a non-sealed extra-dimensional space doesn't stop you from teleporting, since you are just within extra-space that exists within the plane. For example, you're on on the plane "bag of holding", you are on the material plane, and you can climb out of the pit, so you could teleport out of it to, because at the very least one has to admit that (even if they see extra-dimensional spaces as other planes entirely instead of simply extra-space in their location akin to flat-space in Ultraviolet) you'd still be just as much in the material plane as the pit (seeing as there is a gaping hole).


I see what you're saying, but the line from Extradimensional Spaces that says, "These spells and magic items create a tiny pocket space that does not exist in any dimension" leads me believe it's technically a planar boundary. But it could go either way and should be a GM approved tactic.

But on second thought, if the Pits are still part of the Material, then they are also subject to the anti-teleportation magic the whole stronghold is covered in. Though I'm sure the Liches are keyed in as exceptions, I'm sure.


Grr, website went down for me again shortly after I submitted the last post, so I can't edit it.

Another thing that makes me think Teleport doesn't work to escape the Pit Spells is this like from the Rope Trick spell.

Rope Trick wrote:
Creatures in the extra-dimensional space are hidden, beyond the reach of spells (including divinations), unless those spells work across planes.

But at the same time, I will admit the extra-dimensional space of Rope Trick is "outside the usual multiverse of extra-dimensional spaces". It's odd though, that even though it's outside the usual multiverse, Rope Trick is still subject to all the same rules all the other extra-dimensional spaces are.


Are you sure your GM wants you to fight them?
I mean someone in your group should know about "philactelies" (if not, I won't tell you, but you should do some investegating).

If this is really meant to be a straight up fight, and those liches are played fairly in regards of their int, and are not totally taken by surprise, you will get creamed.
Perhaps you can manage to take them one by one.

Or did you just forget to check a room and passed on the magic thingamagic that has a constant antimagic aura?

Perhaps the best idea would be to all pitch in and buy yourself a solid golem who takes them apart, and you fight the vermin.

Shadow Lodge

Richard Leonhart wrote:

Are you sure your GM wants you to fight them?

I mean someone in your group should know about "philactelies" (if not, I won't tell you, but you should do some investegating).

If this is really meant to be a straight up fight, and those liches are played fairly in regards of their int, and are not totally taken by surprise, you will get creamed.
Perhaps you can manage to take them one by one.

Or did you just forget to check a room and passed on the magic thingamagic that has a constant antimagic aura?

Perhaps the best idea would be to all pitch in and buy yourself a solid golem who takes them apart, and you fight the vermin.

We know about the phylacteries. However, destroying the phylactery doesn't automatically destroy the lich, it only ensures that the lich will stay dead. So we're going to have to fight them and then destroy the phylacteries before they reform. The phylacteries are somewhere in the sanctum, but we've scarcely gotten past the front door and thus did not have the opportunity to look for any suspicious objects.

We're hoping to fight them one-on-one or in pairs, and have defeated them in such encounters previously. Our characters are above average in power thanks in part to generous ability score generation and loot (our DM kindly dropped a hoard on us recently). Our fighter near-solo'd an Ecorche (CR 16) last week.

We are expecting the DM to leverage as much tactics as his own above-average but not genius intelligence allows. We are hoping to minimize their tactical ability by exploiting mental weaknesses where we can find them. For example, the lich alchemist has a feud with the PC alchemist and is likely to attack the latter even if more tactically advantageous targets present themselves. The wizard is dangerously overconfident. The sorcerer has been at odds with the cabal in the past and has a soft spot for the PC Summoner - we might not have to fight him at all.

The golem is also a very good idea and I'll see if one could be obtained.

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