George, Jon, Rob, any of the rest of you reading this...GO AWAY!
In spoilers here so my players don't glean something before they get out of here.
Actually, the lich had created himself a hideaway set within some mountains far away, reachable only via teleportation (or mining); however, he has been trapped there all these centuries, because he lost his spellbook when he was struck down, and has been stuck with the spells he had memorized still on that day.
The idea I have ultimately is that the lich had managed to get a dragon to attempt to unearth his crypt, but the dwarven kingdom in the same area ended up fighting and killing the creature. Years later, the lich has decided upon a more subtle method for his extrication, and has convinced that dragon's son to seek out spells for him, and to wreak enough havoc as to prevent any concerted effort to stop the dragon, while at the same time, leaving clues behind to a hidden tomb full of lost treasure within the mountains, with the idea that the dwarves take the bait and excavate the lich's tomb themselves. At that point, he still is somewhat powerless, and so lays a trap to ensnare the dwarves entering the most obvious part of his lair, possessing, eventually, the dwarven king, whom he drives to, among other things, collect powerful spells from across the land to refill the lich's spellbook.
And that's why I'm here. I want a spellbook of spells for an 11th level wizard, but filled with only spells he wouldn't have used up during the battle. Obviously, any major teleportation spells are out, as would be most of the big-time offensive stuff.
I DO know that I want him to have Magic Jar, and he should have some Necromancy-themed spells as well, but otherwise I'm at something of a loss. He should have some way of communicating with creatures at some distance, maybe influencing them, but all without being able to reach or see them (except perhaps via scrying). Welcoming all suggestions for either individual spells that would facilitate this plan, or for whole spellbook suggestions.
Thanks in advance!
I don't understand this premise at all.
He's trapped in a cave without his spellbook, but he can still cast spells? Does he have Spell Mastery for just the spells he died with?
I mean, if he's influencing dragons and crap from within the cave, he's obviously got powerful magic.
Now you're talking about a spellbook filled only with spells he wouldn't have used up during a battle. Why? It's not like the spell comes out of the book when he memorizes it or casts it.
And he must have been a stupid Lich. How did he get into this place where he's trapped? If he teleported in, why would he not have memorized two teleports? Did he forget he'd have to leave? And if he reformed there, why, knowing that he might one day reform in a place like that, did he not leave a copy of his spellbook in there? Or at the very least, a scroll of Teleport?
I just don't see how this works...
I don't understand this premise at all.
He's trapped in a cave without his spellbook, but he can still cast spells? Does he have Spell Mastery for just the spells he died with?
I mean, if he's influencing dragons and crap from within the cave, he's obviously got powerful magic.
Now you're talking about a spellbook filled only with spells he wouldn't have used up during a battle. Why? It's not like the spell comes out of the book when he memorizes it or casts it.
And he must have been a stupid Lich. How did he get into this place where he's trapped? If he teleported in, why would he not have memorized two teleports? Did he forget he'd have to leave? And if he reformed there, why, knowing that he might one day reform in a place like that, did he not leave a copy of his spellbook in there? Or at the very least, a scroll of Teleport?
I just don't see how this works...
I was thinking that he wrote a new spellbook while trapped of the spells he still had prepared.
Hmm...yeah, it would have been smart to have two teleports prepared, and to have a second copy of his spellbook in his recluse...maybe he was cocky? Or his primary spellbook got destroyed, somehow, and he ended up taking the copy he had without spending the time to rewrite it before setting off again? I'll admit that you have some very good points that I hadn't considered.
Maybe there was originally an exit that could be used normally, by foot, but an earthquake occurred and filled it in while he was away? That could explain why he didn't think to have teleport contingencies there. Yes?
I was thinking that he wrote a new spellbook while trapped of the spells he still had prepared.
Hmm...yeah, it would have been smart to have two teleports prepared, and to have a second copy of his spellbook in his recluse...maybe he was cocky? Or his primary spellbook got destroyed, somehow, and he ended up taking the copy he had without spending the time to rewrite it before setting off again? I'll admit that you have some very good points that I hadn't considered.
Maybe there was originally an exit that could be used normally, by foot, but an earthquake occurred and filled it in while he was away? That could explain why he didn't think to have teleport contingencies there. Yes?
I think you need to stop worrying about the details and work on the premise first.
What I think you want is a story about an evil creature buried under the ground that uses minions outside to try and free him, and ultimately attempts to trick the PCs into freeing him.
So, the next question is, does this creature have to be a lich?
No? Then it could just be a powerful outsider--like a demon/daemon/devil or something with custom powers that let it do exactly what you want (long distance communication/influence over beings it can't interact with otherwise). It could be under the earth for so ridiculously many reasons, I couldn't possibly list them all.
Yes? Then you need another explanation. You have to find someway to block his teleportation. Forbiddance would be the obvious choice to block his escape, but how did it get there? A rival? You said a dwarven city was above it--maybe they ended up digging around the chamber--like their treasury vault or something--and they put a forbiddance effect up on their vault that just happened to encompass the room, too? I don't know, this is a lot trickier.
Alright, so I may be wrong, but isn't a lich reformed close to his phylactery? Him having buried it in said mountain, could miners of some kind have found it, think it valuable and shiny and place it in a vault of theirs with said forbiddance cast upon it for some reason. As for his spellbook, it was either locked away in a separate vault or something like that.
Then again, for some reason, the place is abandoned and he's locked away.
Just a thought.
Clearly I need to give some more thought to how the lich has found himself in this situation, but he's there--I've already been building up to it, and have written quite a bit surrounding this situation and character.
So, leaving aside the logistics of how and why...I would still appreciate suggestions for his spellbook.
There are certainly events, however unlikely, that he may have come to be in this predicament. I appreciate the feedback on that bit, and am going to give some thought to how this all transpired, but I still have a lich trapped within a tomb of his own making, short of spells, and unable to escape directly.
Maybe the hideaway for his phylactery WAS open to someone on foot, or airborne, without needing to teleport, and he never had the ability to do so, and a cave-in blocked his egress.
The game (and world) I'm running is for an E6 campaign, so most creatures are limited to level 3 spells, with a few level 4 and 5 available as spell-like abilities after a great deal of study (many feats and "epic" levels). I've decided that mortal humanoids and similar creatures are restricted to level 6 at max, while some monstrous creatures can gain more HD than that, but not MANY more (an adult, or mature adult dragon would be the pinnacle of draconic aging). Lichdom would lift that cap, allowing a person to expand beyond mortal limits. Still, spells of level 4 and 5 would be incredibly rare, while level 6 spells would be tied up in elaborate rituals that require study, expense, skill, and cooperation, or would be entirely unheard of, as would some level 4 and 5 spells, even.
Perhaps the entrance to the place requires Flying up into the mountains and coming straight down a long drop...maybe hidden, even in some way from the few prying eyes that might be at the height to notice such an entrance. Again, something could have blocked off that exit, and he without the means of getting through so much stone and earth on his own?
As for the spellbook, he could have had only a partial spellbook sequestered with his phylactery...maybe he learned some new spells while abroad and didn't have a chance to return? Or whatever incident caused the blocking off of his hideout also destroyed the book he had there?
The really important facets of all of this are:
-lich is stuck within a tomb-sanctuary of his own making, unable to get out
-he somehow gains the add of a dragon outside of this place to try and help him escape
-he has few, if any, truly dangerously offensive spells, and must employ subtlety and subterfuge once he IS freed so he may safely build up his power (Magic Jar on a powerful figure whom he may use to find and amass power enough to stand on his own, safely)
I suppose there are other ways of conducting this, but his having only a partial spellbook seemed the best to me at the time. I'm willing to fill in the gaps, however unlikely. Besides, the party is probably not going to acquire all of this information, so those doubtful turns of events won't necessarily be apparent, and even if they were, I'm not sure anyone in the party would wonder much about them. Out of character, a couple of my friends might, but most of their characters aren't especially learned in such things. And of course there is always the staple, "it happens because STORY/PLOT."
Alright, well, trying not to get many offensively powerful spells was more difficult than I thought, so I tried not to be brutal, yet still give him options to be effective. This is assuming an INT of 22 and human. Probably not the greatest spell list, but like I said, I was trying to be nice to the players a bit. This also assumes he didn't copy or purchase any spells whatsoever... so there's that.
Mage Armor
Infernal Healing
Magic Missile
Vanish
Illusion of Calm
Ray of Enfeeblement
Burning Hands
Cause Fear
Grease
Unseen Servant
Color Spray (Assuming Human)
Silent Image (Assuming Human)
2nd lv.
Create Pit
Defending Bone
Blindness/Deafness
Invisibility
Mirror Image (Assuming Human)
Detect Thoughts (Assuming Human)
3rd lv.
Animate Dead, Lesser
Vampiric Touch
Fly
Slow
Haste (Assuming Human)
Fireball (Assuming Human)
4th lv.
Bestow Curse
Animate Dead
Shadow Conjuration
Wall of Ice
Beast Shape 2 (Assuming Human)
Acid Pit (Assuming Human)
5th lv.
Magic Jar
Symbol of Pain
Wall of Force
Teleport
Dominate Person (Assuming Human)
6th lv.
Create Undead
Contingency
Of course all of this can change / be changed. Good luck.
Thanks, that looks pretty good.
All of the (assuming human) bits are assuming the wizard favored class bonus?
Yes indeed it is.
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I'm kind of bothered by the idea that you're running E6, where the PCs can never have more than 3rd level spells, but you're giving this Lich 6th level spells. That's a ridiculous gap. I like E6 a lot, but this just feels wrong.
I think your situation would be much better served by keeping 3rd level spells as the hard cap, and then giving the Lich some special abilities (SP and SU). I mean, finding a spellbook with level 6 spells in it is like giving the players a spellbook with a big middle finger drawn on every page.
With no 5th level spells, teleport is not an option at all. Being trapped is possible in that kind of a world. I think a difficult twisty corridor that has to be accessed from above is a great idea.
What if he was flying over the mountain in question and he dropped his phylactery and it fell down into the chamber and he couldn't get to it?
Yeah...I'm still in the process of figuring the spells out. Not sure how I want to run that with the lich: whether he has a few spell-like abilities for level 4, 5 and 6 spells, or actually has access to them, or what. Honestly, my intent, is for the players to not face the lich directly for quite a while, and to have some preparations made available to help level the playing field a little bit (see below).
In any case, that's also part of the reason I want him to not have powerful offensive spells, at least not for a while: so while he WILL have some very powerful magic, it won't be of much use in a fight, keeping the playing field a little more even.
E6 characters are able to get up to 4th level spells as spell-like abilities via feats after a while, and I may give them limited access to 5th level spells. I'm also employing rituals (whatever they were called in Unearthed Arcana), some of which replicate higher level spells, but require research, expensive components, skill checks and possibly cooperation. I intend for them to find/research one that will give them a leg up against the lich eventually, or take him down a peg, so they aren't so dramatically outmatched.
As it is, we don't have a wizard in the party, so the spellbooks aren't too much of a middle finger.
I think a difficult twisty corridor that has to be accessed from above is a great idea.
Something occurs that prevents him flying out is a possibility. A change in weather patterns, or an elemental rift, that causes a powerful downdraft? An avalanche or earthquake sealing the passage?
Still, I like the idea of the limited spellbook. Why it is limited bears some thought, but that's a separate matter.