The PHYLACTERY... how deep does the rabbit hole go...?

[Bjørn Røyrvik]

Meant to write 'From 2e to 3e'. Typo.

Liches were originally 18th+ level casters. From 3.0 lichdom became available at 11th level.

[Yqatuba]

UnArcaneElection wrote:

Kasoh wrote:

The most famous lich in Golarion is Tar-Baphon and no one knows where his phylactery is or what it is. Or anything about it, except that he has one, because lich.

{. . .}

Do we know for sure that he has just one?

He's also MR 10, meaning his phylactery is a major artifact. So, even if someone finds it they can't do anything until they learn the trick to destroying it.

[Claxon]

EldonGuyre wrote:

It's partially a level of scale. 11th level is hardly a "scrub" in the world I run, where creatures in double digit CR tend to be somewhat rare. Humans of that level and beyond are also notably rare.

That meshes with PF1 lore anyways, as at level 11 you qualify for the spell Legend Lore.

People and threats of level 11 are "legendary".

[Meirril]

EldonGuyre wrote:

It's partially a level of scale. 11th level is hardly a "scrub" in the world I run, where creatures in double digit CR tend to be somewhat rare. Humans of that level and beyond are also notably rare.

Every metropolis and most large cities in Golorian have a group of level 10-14 NPCs who rule over the city. They aren't exactly a dime a dozen.

But when you start talking about monsters, a CR 12 monster is a big deal to a level 9 party, a decent opponent to a level 12 party, and filler for a level 15 party.

Last I checked, Liches are used as monsters.

When you think of a lich, what other monsters do you put on the same pedestal? Do you think a lich is the equal of a Catobleps? A clockwork golem? A purple worm? Is a lich the direct equal of a roper? Those are all CR 12 monsters.

When someone says a Demon or a Devil attacked the village it could mean anything. The introduction of low CR outsiders shifted the nature of outsiders. It use to be that you'd only encounter those sort of creatures at mid to high level. Now you need to ask what kind of devil because it could be the town is being attacked by CR 3 devils that the guards might be able to defeat. Or it could be a Pit Fiend.

Hopefully Pit Fiend doesn't become a template.

[zza ni]

if i remember correctly old school lichs (and i think also 'demi-lichs' which were higher up the food chain even with that misleading name) could trap souls in gems-teeth (part of the process to change into a lich was replacing some of their teeth with gems) and as such had to have the ability to cast spells of that power level ( trap the soul in 2ed ad&D. 8th level spell).

i still have the hard copy somewhere around my house, but it's not in English so i can't really link a scan to it.

this wiki info page has a nice breakdown on lichs, along with some of the changes it went.

edit:
sorry remembered it wrong, it's part of turning a lich into a demi-lich that needed replacing it's teeth with gems. here is a link
" In order to attain the status of a demilich, a lich must have replaced 5-8 (1d4+4) of its teeth with gems. Each of these gems now serves as a powerful magical device which can trap the soul of its adversaries. The physical body of someone hit with the demilich's spell collapses and rots away in a single round. Once it has drained the life essence from the most powerful member of the party, the skull sinks back to the floor. If it continues to be challenged, the demilich can repeat this attack until all of its gems are filled. An amulet of life protection will prevail over the gem, but the character's body will perish regardless."

[VoodistMonk]

The actual phylactery creation rules are intentionally vague...

Normally the recipes for item creation are pretty straightforward.

The feats and cost required are there, but the spells needed are not listed because they don't want to restrict Liches to specific spell lists...

I do suspect that the level 11 requirement is the threshold for spells like Magic Jar, Possession, and stuff like that... but to list them as required locks in certain classes that have access to the list with that spell on it.

It definitely seems like you would have to have access to at least one of a certain list of spells that span multiple lists, like:

Animate Dead
Create Soul Gem
Create Undead
Create Undead, Greater
Magic Jar
Marionette Possession
Possession
Possession, Greater
Soul Bind
Trap the Soul

But they leave it completely ambiguous with must be able to cast spells... not even a specific level of spells, just have to have a Caster Level of 11.

[Bjørn Røyrvik]

Here are the actual lichdom rituals from back in the day:

Dragon Magazine # 26
- Must be 14th level or higher
- Magic Jar, Trap the Soul, Enchant an Item
- must create the phylactery with at least 2000 cp worth of materials (insert 1e ad hoc crafting rules). The phylactery is called a 'jar'.
- create a potion consisting of:
- 2 pinches pure arsenic
- 1 pinch belladonna
- phase spider venom less than 30 days old
- wyvern venom less than 60 days old
- blood of a dead humanoid infant killed by phase spider venom
- blood of a dead humanoid infant killed by a mixture of arsenic and belladonna
- the heart of a virgin humanoid killed by wyvern venom
- 1 quart vampire blood
The potion is mixed by the light of a full moon, added to each other in the order listed.

Roll percentile dice!
% result
1-10 all hair falls out. no other result
11-40 coma 2-7 days, but potion works
41-70 Feebleminded. Each attempt to remove the feeblemind has 10% chance of killing target. Potion works
71-90 Paralyzed 4-14 days, 30% chance of 1d6 Dex drain. Potion works
91-96 Permanently deaf, dumb or blind. Wish to remove condition. Potion works
97-00 Dead. Hope you can be resurrected.

This version doesn't create new bodies, it inserts the soul of the lich into corpses near the phylactery. Corpses receive a saving throw, modified by their in life alignment. Lich can retry once per week until successful on its own corpse, but other corpses are immune after a successful save. If in a body other than its own, the lich has limited abilities until it finds the remains of its original body and consumes those. The only way to completely destroy the original body is to disintegrate it. Returning to a jar costs a level and if its level went lower than 11 the lich died the next time it is returned to the jar. They cannot level up or use scrolls.

Wizard's Spell Compendium
Mostly the same as above, but they added Nulathoe's Ninemen to required spells and a 100 000+ gp research cost.
The ingredients are the same as above except that they removed the infant blood (wussies!) and change them to:
- heart of a humanoid killed by the arsenic/belladonna mixture
- reproductive organs of 10 giant moths, dead less than 10 days.

Potion is sparkling black with blusish radiance and must be drunk within 7 days of creation, and over the course of six rounds the changes occur. Once a potion works, you don't die or transform quite yet. Craft the phylactery in no more than nine days (insert 2e crafting rules), using EAI, then TtS, and NN and MJ within 10 minutes of each other. Your soul is drawn into the phylactery and you lose one level and the top three spell levels are wiped clean from your memory until you have rested 1d6+1 days in your own body. Now you are a lichnee (I'm not quite dead, sir) until you die. After this, the same as the DrMg version, including failure chance for potion. No mention of inability to increase level or use scrolls. Phylactery can be anything.

Van Richten's Guide to Liches
Phylactery must be an amulet worth at least 1500 gp, The interior (it must be able to contain things) is engraved with the wizard's sigil and filled with silver. Spells required are Enchant an Item, Permanency, Magic Jar and Reincarnation.
The potion is less specific, but said to contain arsenic, belladonna, nightshade, heart's worry, the blood of any number of rare venomous creatures, then the following spells must be cast: wraithform, cone of cold, feign death, animate dead, permanency. No fancy table, just a System Shock to survive the process and hope you don't fail because if you do you are dead and gone for good. No Wish can help you now.

[zza ni]

that is exactly what i have only not in an English format. thx ;)

[VoodistMonk]

All rituals leading to Lichdom should require the blood of infants!!!

[Senko]

I am bemused by the concept of a feebleminded lich. I agree the ritual should generally be as evil as possible.

[EldonGuyre]

Bjørn Røyrvik wrote:

Meant to write 'From 2e to 3e'. Typo.

Liches were originally 18th+ level casters. From 3.0 lichdom became available at 11th level.

All good. I'm old school, myself, started with the white box.

[EldonGuyre]

Meirril wrote:

EldonGuyre wrote:

It's partially a level of scale. 11th level is hardly a "scrub" in the world I run, where creatures in double digit CR tend to be somewhat rare. Humans of that level and beyond are also notably rare.

Every metropolis and most large cities in Golorian have a group of level 10-14 NPCs who rule over the city. They aren't exactly a dime a dozen.

But when you start talking about monsters, a CR 12 monster is a big deal to a level 9 party, a decent opponent to a level 12 party, and filler for a level 15 party.

Last I checked, Liches are used as monsters.

When you think of a lich, what other monsters do you put on the same pedestal? Do you think a lich is the equal of a Catobleps? A clockwork golem? A purple worm? Is a lich the direct equal of a roper? Those are all CR 12 monsters.

When someone says a Demon or a Devil attacked the village it could mean anything. The introduction of low CR outsiders shifted the nature of outsiders. It use to be that you'd only encounter those sort of creatures at mid to high level. Now you need to ask what kind of devil because it could be the town is being attacked by CR 3 devils that the guards might be able to defeat. Or it could be a Pit Fiend.

Hopefully Pit Fiend doesn't become a template.

Liches have really always been templates, even before templates. they're all individuals, and all of them were 11th level spellcasters at one time, whether or not they were liches then.

Don't get me wrong, I love the incredible earthshakers like the great classic liches, but not all of them need to be campaign end bosses.

[EldonGuyre]

zza ni wrote:

if i remember correctly old school lichs (and i think also 'demi-lichs' which were higher up the food chain even with that misleading name) could trap souls in gems-teeth (part of the process to change into a lich was replacing some of their teeth with gems) and as such had to have the ability to cast spells of that power level ( trap the soul in 2ed ad&D. 8th level spell).

i still have the hard copy somewhere around my house, but it's not in English so i can't really link a scan to it.

this wiki info page has a nice breakdown on lichs, along with some of the changes it went.

edit:
sorry remembered it wrong, it's part of turning a lich into a demi-lich that needed replacing it's teeth with gems. here is a link
" In order to attain the status of a demilich, a lich must have replaced 5-8 (1d4+4) of its teeth with gems. Each of these gems now serves as a powerful magical device which can trap the soul of its adversaries. The physical body of someone hit with the demilich's spell collapses and rots away in a single round. Once it has drained the life essence from the most powerful member of the party, the skull sinks back to the floor. If it continues to be challenged, the demilich can repeat this attack until all of its gems are filled. An amulet of life protection will prevail over the gem, but the character's body will perish regardless."

You're referring to Acererak, the beast of a demi-lich from the killer dungeon by Gygax himself, Tomb of Horrors.

That thing is multiple TPKs waiting to happen.

[EldonGuyre]

VoodistMonk wrote:

All rituals leading to Lichdom should require the blood of infants!!!

Infant...what, though? ;)

[Yargoyle AKA Endarire]

Are we talking things interesting to the story or things that an appropriately-played and probably paranoid caster who became or is about to become a Lich would likely do?

Story-wise, do whatever.

Mechanics-wise, you make a safe house far from you - probably on another plane - where you treat this like a video game respawn point. Imagine you're playing Minecraft on Hardcore mode. You've just barely escaped death but lost all your gear. What do you do? Likely, you have a well-stocked place ready for you to make a spare phylactery (or many spares, eventually, should the need arise), reflect, recover, and return to the world at large as you choose.

[Bjørn Røyrvik]

EldonGuyre wrote:

VoodistMonk wrote:

All rituals leading to Lichdom should require the blood of infants!!!

Infant...what, though? ;)

Humanoids. Says right there in the description. Sounds like a good use for goblin babies if ever I've heard one.

I'm unclear on the development of the word 'humanoids' in regards to D&D but I suspect that at the time the Dragon Magazine version was written it referred to humans and what would later be called demihumans. Humanoids in the sense of non-human and non-demihuman races came a bit later, IIRC.

EldonGuyre wrote:

Don't get me wrong, I love the incredible earthshaker

Who doesn't love a 200 meter tall steammech?

[VoodistMonk]

Come to think about it...

It's not the level of spell you can cast, at all...

Caster Level 11 is a lifetime knowledge requirement related to the actual ritual... it's literally impossible to even scam your way into the knowledge of this ritual before this level... literally impossible for you to acquire the necessary knowledge in the time you have existed.

Obviously some variation of Create Soul Gem/Magic Jar/Trap The Soul/Soul Bind should be required... probably should be using those 8th level spells as a prerequisite... but they don't...

You can apparently make punk weak b!tch Liches... and it's sad.

[avr]

Bard 11 liches get no respect. It's sad. Probably inspires some really tortured poetry.

[Bjørn Røyrvik]

I always pictured them as Keith Richards.

[Mudfoot]

Does an SLA count as a caster level? If so, a rogue 11 can do it with a Minor Magic cantrip.

[VoodistMonk]

Mudfoot wrote:

Does an SLA count as a caster level? If so, a rogue 11 can do it with a Minor Magic cantrip.

No. The template says that you must be able to cast spells, and you must have a Caster Level of 11 or higher.

[VoodistMonk]

For the higher level Liches, do you think that it would be possible to incorporate the gem used to contain the life force of a powerful outsider (via the Trap the Soul spell) into the actual phylactery?

Would the value of the gem/soul trapped within count towards the required cost of the phylactery?

When the adventurers destroy the phylactery, they release the powerful outsider which has been tasked with killing whomever released it...

Ha(x3)!!!

[Mudfoot]

template wrote:

The character must be able to cast spells and have a caster level of 11th or higher

but not

The character must be able to cast spells with a caster level of 11th or higher.

So...Gnome 1st level adept / 10th commoner.

[EldonGuyre]

Mudfoot wrote:

template wrote:

The character must be able to cast spells and have a caster level of 11th or higher

but not

The character must be able to cast spells with a caster level of 11th or higher.

So...Gnome 1st level adept / 10th commoner.

..is a 1st level caster.

[UnArcaneElection]

Suddenly, I just realized that the answer has been staring me in the face, hidden in plain sight:

The place for a Lich to hide their phylactery is in a rabbit hole.

[VoodistMonk]

You would probably want to be a spellcaster that didn't rely on spellbooks, preferably Charisma based, because Undead.

Say a Sorcerer...

What if you have the Imperious Bloodline and become a Lich before the level 20 capstone, but still reach the level 20 capstone?

This paradox can actually come up with multiple classes through various methods.

On a separate note, can the phylactery be a construct?

If so, could a level 20 Sorcerer with the Impossible Bloodline make his own body his own phylactery?

[EldonGuyre]

VoodistMonk wrote:

You would probably want to be a spellcaster that didn't rely on spellbooks, preferably Charisma based, because Undead.

Say a Sorcerer...

What if you have the Imperious Bloodline and become a Lich before the level 20 capstone, but still reach the level 20 capstone?

This paradox can actually come up with multiple classes through various methods.

On a separate note, can the phylactery be a construct?

If so, could a level 20 Sorcerer with the Impossible Bloodline make his own body his own phylactery?

I see no reason why not, to all questions, but would think if the lich is his own phylactery, once he dies, it's pretty much over.

[VoodistMonk]

For sure, might even seem counterintuitive, but the flavor of an immortal Undead Construct that uses Bloodline magic is rich and wonderful... it ain't got no blood!

Maybe he/she/it doesn't do anything too hideous to draw the attention of adventurers who would want to kill it.

Until one day, all the pieces of its evil plan are in place, a plan that has been in the works for decades.

Or, just have it be a high level NPC the party has to interact with, but isn't in a position to kill... say this 20th level Sorcerer Construct Lich is the King/Queen/ruler of a nation that the party has to pass through or open diplomatic relations with.

[Mudfoot]

EldonGuyre wrote:

Mudfoot wrote:

template wrote:

The character must be able to cast spells and have a caster level of 11th or higher

but not

The character must be able to cast spells with a caster level of 11th or higher.

So...Gnome 1st level adept / 10th commoner.

..is a 1st level caster.

Nope. At least not for these purposes. Because

gnome wrote:

Gnome Magic: ... Gnomes with Charisma scores of 11 or higher also gain the following spell-like abilities: 1/day—dancing lights, ghost sound, prestidigitation, and speak with animals. The caster level for these effects is equal to the gnome’s level.

So the gnome casts spells because adept, and has a caster level of 11 because 11th level. And if a gnome gets really, really bored (and as a 10th level commoner, he will), he might feel that bleaching is not enough.

[VoodistMonk]

I could see Gnomes being interested in Lichdom to avoid the Bleaching, for sure.

However, I believe that the Gnome Magic Caster Level only applies to the Gnome Magic SLA's... not spells from other sources.

[Dragonchess Player]

It took me a bit to dig up this discussion from 2011. In addition to the measures in the post referenced, a mage's private sanctum and permanency can make it even harder to discover the phylactery's location.

[Ryze Kuja]

How about something like this:

A demiplane that only the Lich knows how to get to, protected by Alarm, Mage's Private Sanctum, Forbiddance, and a veritable minefield of Symbols of Death that are hidden via mundane, non-magical means (so enemies get within 60 ft and then get pulverized by multiple Symbols at once). On the demiplane, he's erected a field of 10+ large pyramids, and each of these pyramids holds a single 20ft x 20ft room that can only be teleported into (the pyramids are "mostly" completely solid, and designed to inflict maximum damage by shunting you out of the pyramid when you fail to teleport to the right spot; in each of 20ft x 20ft rooms, the Lich has placed a single undead creature, and they've all been imbued with the Touch spell Imprisonment and have standing orders to touch anyone besides himself who teleports into the room). Only one of these 10+ pyramids holds the "correct" 20ft x 20ft room. The Lich has cleverly disguised this single 20ft x 20ft room as a completely empty room (except for the one undead with the Imprisonment spell), except this is where he hides his Secret Chest spell (he holds the secret chest miniature on his person though), filled with several spellbooks, some equipment/clothing, his favorite childhood teddy bear, and a couple wands and scrolls, and of course his phylactery. Every 60 days or less (at completely random intervals, never establishing a pattern), he returns to the chest to re-cast the spell Secret Chest and check to make sure his Symbol of Death minefield is still in tact, as well as add a few new ones each time he visits.

The Lich walks around with a Contingency in place at all times, that "if he is ever slain or captured, his miniature Secret Chest is sent via Astral Travel back to that one room in the pyramid and the Secret Chest spell is discharged." Once the Secret Chest is discharged, this allows him to respawn next to the Phylactery with all his stuff.

[EldonGuyre]

Mudfoot wrote:

EldonGuyre wrote:

Mudfoot wrote:

template wrote:

The character must be able to cast spells and have a caster level of 11th or higher

but not

The character must be able to cast spells with a caster level of 11th or higher.

So...Gnome 1st level adept / 10th commoner.

..is a 1st level caster.

Nope. At least not for these purposes. Because

gnome wrote:

Gnome Magic: ... Gnomes with Charisma scores of 11 or higher also gain the following spell-like abilities: 1/day—dancing lights, ghost sound, prestidigitation, and speak with animals. The caster level for these effects is equal to the gnome’s level.

So the gnome casts spells because adept, and has a caster level of 11 because 11th level. And if a gnome gets really, really bored (and as a 10th level commoner, he will), he might feel that bleaching is not enough.

The caster level for these effects is equal to the gnome's level...

What caster level is he for the purpose of creating a phylactery?

1st.

[VoodistMonk]

Dragonchess Player wrote:

It took me a bit to dig up this discussion from 2011. In addition to the measures in the post referenced, a mage's private sanctum and permanency can make it even harder to discover the phylactery's location.

Oh man, there's some good ideas covered in there.

I like the Coven idea... or any other concept that involves Liches guarding other Liches' phylacteries.

I didn't want to complicate this thread, but I was absolutely thinking that the clockwork Lich (level 20 Sorcerer with the Impossible Bloodline capstone before turning into a Lich) could either act as the phylactery of other Liches, or act as a safety deposit box and incorporate their phylacteries into its clockwork body. A mechanical Lich god, that gains power from the ever increasing number of Lich souls stored within the gears and mechanisms of its clockwork body.

[Loren Pechtel]

VoodistMonk wrote:

Dragonchess Player wrote:

It took me a bit to dig up this discussion from 2011. In addition to the measures in the post referenced, a mage's private sanctum and permanency can make it even harder to discover the phylactery's location.

Oh man, there's some good ideas covered in there.

I like the Coven idea... or any other concept that involves Liches guarding other Liches' phylacteries.

I didn't want to complicate this thread, but I was absolutely thinking that the clockwork Lich (level 20 Sorcerer with the Impossible Bloodline capstone before turning into a Lich) could either act as the phylactery of other Liches, or act as a safety deposit box and incorporate their phylacteries into its clockwork body. A mechanical Lich god, that gains power from the ever increasing number of Lich souls stored within the gears and mechanisms of its clockwork body.

Would a lich trust another lich to secure it's phylactery????

[VoodistMonk]

@Loren Pechtel,

Probably not...

Well, probably not a mechanical Lich god thing.

But a Coven of anything already has a pretty powerful bond. There are immortal hags that could probably see having a Lich in their Coven as an advantage.

[VoodistMonk]

A high level spellcaster could easily have a Cohort... that they, in turn, guide through the process of becoming a new Lich...

So yes, I actually think it's possible for Liches to trust Liches with their phylacteries...

In fact, given the importance of the phylacteries to all of them, I think it's possible that they are the most trustworthy guardians of all.

We are all in this together, once adventurers start getting their hands on phylacteries...

And now, a secret (yet shared) demiplane, with a mechanical Lich god storing a multitude of Lich souls as a singular (all-powerful) phylactery/immortal construct Guardian could suddenly make sense.

This is not a bank of All the Lich souls, only those that willingly participate. So killing the mechanical Lich god, doesn't end all the Liches... only those who are part of this evil "cult". So every other Lich in any other story is unaffected.

However, the idea of a clockwork Lich god, that incorporates the phylacteries of other Liches into its own mechanical structure, along with its own phylactery, as part of it's very being is fun to toy with.

Tar-Baphon did it wrong... he tried to force his way into being a God.

The clockwork Lich is going to become a God of the Liches without interference from the true deities of Golarion. Not trying to ascend, but eventually will possess the power of the gods, so play the long game, all we have is time...

[Senko]

VoodistMonk wrote:

A high level spellcaster could easily have a Cohort... that they, in turn, guide through the process of becoming a new Lich...

So yes, I actually think it's possible for Liches to trust Liches with their phylacteries...

In fact, given the importance of the phylacteries to all of them, I think it's possible that they are the most trustworthy guardians of all.

We are all in this together, once adventurers start getting their hands on phylacteries...

And now, a secret (yet shared) demiplane, with a mechanical Lich god storing a multitude of Lich souls as a singular (all-powerful) phylactery/immortal construct Guardian could suddenly make sense.

This is not a bank of All the Lich souls, only those that willingly participate. So killing the mechanical Lich god, doesn't end all the Liches... only those who are part of this evil "cult". So every other Lich in any other story is unaffected.

However, the idea of a clockwork Lich god, that incorporates the phylacteries of other Liches into its own mechanical structure, along with its own phylactery, as part of it's very being is fun to toy with.

Tar-Baphon did it wrong... he tried to force his way into being a God.

The clockwork Lich is going to become a God of the Liches without interference from the true deities of Golarion. Not trying to ascend, but eventually will possess the power of the gods, so play the long game, all we have is time...

I'm now picturing that as the ultimate point of the whispering way. Where the phylacteries are being gathered as part of a long term plan by the clockwork lich to eventually use all these powerful spellcasters souls to jumpstart themselves into godhood.

[VoodistMonk]

@Senko

The play for power is there, the plan is foretold...

You have an army...

It starts, hundreds of years ago, with a Cohort...

Your willingness to escort your followers into Lichdom is seductive to alluring to certain people...

Eventually, resistance is futile...

This is the way...

You have to understand that the original level 20 Sorcerer/Impossible Bloodline Lich with Leadership/Cohort is the beginning of a chain of mistrust... the origin of a diabolical cult/coven...

[UnArcaneElection]

^I wonder if that's partly how the story of Eox went (perhaps even starting before they hosed their own atmosphere with their superweapon).

[VoodistMonk]

UnArcaneElection wrote:

^I wonder if that's partly how the story of Eox went (perhaps even starting before they hosed their own atmosphere with their superweapon).

Story of Eox...?

Further research on my behalf is clearly needed.

[Cornebre]

Lich Vigilante Warlock with the talents:
Safe house and Guise of Life.

"Me? A lich? You must be mistaken! Isn't it funny Lord Bearinton?"
"Rrrrrr"

(Worst if the lich take all disguise talent like Everyman...)

[VoodistMonk]

The Liches' Union.

Come one, come all..

We are an all-inclusive, willing body of members...

Place your trust, your soul, your phylactery, in Lord...

He/She/It will guide and protect us into a glorious future!

PS. Eox level story is ripe for the picking...

[Senko]

UnArcaneElection wrote:

^I wonder if that's partly how the story of Eox went (perhaps even starting before they hosed their own atmosphere with their superweapon).

https://pathfinderwiki.com/wiki/Eox

[VoodistMonk]

I couldn't edit my previous post, so:

There is still an argument/contention of the security of a/the phylactery/phylacteries...

The Liches' Union.

Come one, come all...

We are an all-inclusive, willing body of members...

Place your trust, your soul, your phylactery, in Lord...

He/She/It will guide and protect us into a glorious future!

PS. Eox level story is ripe for the picking...

Absolutely NO party wants to engage in the hunt of MULTIPLE phylacteries... this is a guaranteed rabbit hole that no sane adventurer descends...

[VoodistMonk]

Ryze Kuja wrote:

How about something like this:

A demiplane that only the Lich knows how to get to, protected by Alarm, Mage's Private Sanctum, Forbiddance, and a veritable minefield of Symbols of Death that are hidden via mundane, non-magical means (so enemies get within 60 ft and then get pulverized by multiple Symbols at once). On the demiplane, he's erected a field of 10+ large pyramids, and each of these pyramids holds a single 20ft x 20ft room that can only be teleported into (the pyramids are "mostly" completely solid, and designed to inflict maximum damage by shunting you out of the pyramid when you fail to teleport to the right spot; in each of 20ft x 20ft rooms, the Lich has placed a single undead creature, and they've all been imbued with the Touch spell Imprisonment and have standing orders to touch anyone besides himself who teleports into the room). Only one of these 10+ pyramids holds the "correct" 20ft x 20ft room. The Lich has cleverly disguised this single 20ft x 20ft room as a completely empty room (except for the one undead with the Imprisonment spell), except this is where he hides his Secret Chest spell (he holds the secret chest miniature on his person though), filled with several spellbooks, some equipment/clothing, his favorite childhood teddy bear, and a couple wands and scrolls, and of course his phylactery. Every 60 days or less (at completely random intervals, never establishing a pattern), he returns to the chest to re-cast the spell Secret Chest and check to make sure his Symbol of Death minefield is still in tact, as well as add a few new ones each time he visits.

The Lich walks around with a Contingency in place at all times, that "if he is ever slain or captured, his miniature Secret Chest is sent via Astral Travel back to that one room in the pyramid and the Secret Chest spell is discharged." Once the Secret Chest is discharged, this allows him to respawn next to the Phylactery with all his stuff.

I absolutely love this. And I think this hellscape of pyramids is the mechanical Lich God's library of Lich souls, only accessible by a tuning fork within its clockwork body.

For every Lich soul in the library, there are 100 pyramids on the plane... only your highest paying customers are stored in the library and given a fork to their exact safety deposit box/pyramid.

The rest of the Liches' phylacteries are in the actual Lich god itself as inner workings of its clockwork existence.