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7 months ago ::
Dec 10, 2012 - 11:33AM
#1
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Date Joined:
Nov 28, 2012
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In my current campaign the BBEG is going to end up being a lich.
I am looking for some intresting ideas for a phylactery.
He was a former king/wizard who went mad and had to have a Silver Dragon and several dozen Elves "take him out".
I was thinking of maybe his crown, but that seems kinda lame. The PC are already going after another crown in the campaign. Although I might if I do use the crown idea I could always have them get the phylactery and think it is the crown they are looking for. Knowing my party they would sell it, would could be fun for them to deal with.
And does a phylactery have any marking or anything on it so you know that it is a phylactery? Would it say have an aura if dectect magic was casted on it? Or is it just considered to be a mundane object?
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7 months ago ::
Dec 10, 2012 - 11:47AM
#2
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Date Joined:
Jul 21, 2004
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I believe it's generally accepted that a lich's phylactery would set off all sorts of alarms. At the same time, a lich would know this and if it wasn't so arrogant as not to care, it would take steps to make its phylactery something that only it would recognize the significance of.
Collaborate with your players on this, and I bet they'll come up with an idea that will have you gobsmacked in its brilliance, and also have the advantage of being something they're all bought into.
Personally, I'd like to see a phylactery that's a person.
[N]o difference is less easily overcome than the difference of opinion about semi-abstract questions. - L. Tolstoy
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7 months ago ::
Dec 10, 2012 - 11:50AM
#3
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Date Joined:
Apr 27, 2010
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I wouldn't do the 'crown' thing again, especially if you're already having the PCs hunt for one. My suggestion is to make it original. For example, a phylactery I used once was another creature's heart; specifically, the heart of an NPC close to the PCs. Now, the NPC didn't know, as the whole thing was done via a ritual, and their memory of the event was erased. The NPC in question began experiencing increasing nightmares when the BBEG Lich 'died' several times, and a cryptic scrap of the ritual scroll eventually led to the PCs discovering the horrible truth- the had to either kill their friend and take their heart, or find a way to remove/replace it without killing them, and then destroy it...needless to say it was a very crazy adventure. My players loved it.
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7 months ago ::
Dec 10, 2012 - 12:32PM
#4
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Or maybe a construct made specifically to be the mage's phylactery? If the wizard has a lot of constructs before and after becoming an undead, then just the one that happens to be the strongest (a lich wouldn't want to use one of the weaker ones, right?) won't stand out as much. Not quite as crazy as what Tech-Priest did (BTW, awesome), but could be interesting
A character sheet is a player's love letter to the DM. If someone wants to do something and they want to do it well, let them. Encourage them. Have fun with it. -Unknown
An adventure is a DM's love letter to the players. If the DM wants something to happen in the game, let it. Encourage the DM. Have fun with it. -Centauri I'd love for input as to what it should be rather than arguments against why I shouldn't have it at all. -lialwyn Best defense that I've read in favor of having alignment systems as an option
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However, if some people are heavily benefiting from the inclusion of alignment, then it would behoove those that AREN'T to listen up and pay attention to how those benefits are being created and enjoyed, no? -YagamiFire
But equally important would be for those who do enjoy those benefits to entertain the possibility that other people do not value those benefits equally or, possibly, do not see them as benefits in the first place. -wrecan
That makes sense. However, it is not fair to continually attack those that benefit for being, somehow, deviant for deriving enjoyment from something that you cannot. Instead, alignment is continually attacked...it is demonized...and those that use it are lumped in with it.
I think there is more merit in a situation where someone says "This doesn't work! It's broken!" and the reply is "Actually it works fine for me. Have you considered your approach might be causing it?" than a situation where someone says "I use this system and the way I use it works really well!" and the back and forth is "No! It is a broken bad system!" because the former posits that improvement could be made...the latter only undermines the enjoyment of the person who is using alignment. -YagamiFire
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7 months ago ::
Dec 10, 2012 - 12:40PM
#5
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Date Joined:
Jul 21, 2004
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(a lich wouldn't want to use one of the weaker ones, right?)
Why not? If the location and identity of the phylactery is know, the battle's basically lost. This lich might do well to have a special construct designed to evade detection and location until a loyal servant can retrieve it.
[N]o difference is less easily overcome than the difference of opinion about semi-abstract questions. - L. Tolstoy
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7 months ago ::
Dec 10, 2012 - 12:42PM
#6
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You wanna be sneaky? Have the phylactery be a useful, valuable magic item, like an Amulet of Protection or Belt of Giant Strength or somesuch, and put it in the Lich's treasure horde. The PCs will put it on and walk around for the rest of their careers protecting the Lich's backside without even knowing it.
Another day, another three or four entries to my Ignore List.
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7 months ago ::
Dec 10, 2012 - 12:55PM
#7
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Date Joined:
Jul 17, 2010
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Salla's approach could be VERY sneaky and incredibly fun to play through.
Have you ever heard of Koschei the Deathless? It's an old Russian Folk tale, but it applies to a lich and phylactery.
Koschei hid his heart to keep him from dying. Look it up on Wikipedia, but what's interesting about it is that he hid his heart in a very common object- a needle or an egg. You could have the Phylactery be any trinket type macguffin, one the players will see and likely sell. Which eventually makes it way back to your BBEG. You could even have the players come across it again, such that they loot the same macguffin, and you describe it exactly the same, but without pointing out that it IS the same trinket.
Another idea is to follow the Horcruxes from Harry Potter.
If you have the phylactery as something carefully guarded, it's too obvious what it is. If you want to plant the obvious loaded gun, go for it. If you'd rather lead them on for a while, tell them there is a phylactery and let them try to figure out what it is.
Salla's idea of giving it to the Players as a very useful magic item is genius. Maybe it's a Diamond Cincture that has an additional onyx gemstone. Your player cna use the Diamond Cincture as is, but the extra gemstone is the lich's phylactery. When he dies, the extra gem cracks and release his spirit. Could really freak out the players during that encounter.
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7 months ago ::
Dec 10, 2012 - 1:25PM
#8
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You wanna be sneaky? Have the phylactery be a useful, valuable magic item, like an Amulet of Protection or Belt of Giant Strength or somesuch, and put it in the Lich's treasure horde. The PCs will put it on and walk around for the rest of their careers protecting the Lich's backside without even knowing it.
So when he resurrects, he would be right next to them? That is brilliant.
A character sheet is a player's love letter to the DM. If someone wants to do something and they want to do it well, let them. Encourage them. Have fun with it. -Unknown
An adventure is a DM's love letter to the players. If the DM wants something to happen in the game, let it. Encourage the DM. Have fun with it. -Centauri I'd love for input as to what it should be rather than arguments against why I shouldn't have it at all. -lialwyn Best defense that I've read in favor of having alignment systems as an option
Spoiler:
Show
However, if some people are heavily benefiting from the inclusion of alignment, then it would behoove those that AREN'T to listen up and pay attention to how those benefits are being created and enjoyed, no? -YagamiFire
But equally important would be for those who do enjoy those benefits to entertain the possibility that other people do not value those benefits equally or, possibly, do not see them as benefits in the first place. -wrecan
That makes sense. However, it is not fair to continually attack those that benefit for being, somehow, deviant for deriving enjoyment from something that you cannot. Instead, alignment is continually attacked...it is demonized...and those that use it are lumped in with it.
I think there is more merit in a situation where someone says "This doesn't work! It's broken!" and the reply is "Actually it works fine for me. Have you considered your approach might be causing it?" than a situation where someone says "I use this system and the way I use it works really well!" and the back and forth is "No! It is a broken bad system!" because the former posits that improvement could be made...the latter only undermines the enjoyment of the person who is using alignment. -YagamiFire
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7 months ago ::
Dec 10, 2012 - 1:29PM
#9
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Date Joined:
Mar 29, 2005
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There's a lich in my setting who made a phylactery out of a special artifact called the Chalice of Time. This particular chalice is the only source of time-magic in the entire setting, and it has no beginning and no end, tending to hop around in time. An objective observer would note that the chalice actually exists in all points in time, and has been created and destroyed several times throughout history.
And a lich has tied his immortality to it.
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7 months ago ::
Dec 10, 2012 - 1:32PM
#10
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Date Joined:
May 19, 2011
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There's a lich in my setting who made a phylactery out of a special artifact called the Chalice of Time. This particular chalice is the only source of time-magic in the entire setting, and it has no beginning and no end, tending to hop around in time. An objective observer would note that the chalice actually exists in all points in time, and has been created and destroyed several times throughout history.
And a lich has tied his immortality to it.
I did something similar for a one-shot, where a Lich stashed his phylactory at the end of time, long after any sentient life still exists, so there's no real way to reach it, so it's effectively indestructible. On the other hand, since he ressurects there every time, he needed a time portal ritual in order to actually get back.
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