Beheading a Lich [Archive] - Wizards Community

Beheading a Lich [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Ethereal Traveler
10-24-03, 06:39 PM Scenario: I know that undead are immune to critical hits but heres a What If. . . if a group were to somehow sever the head of a lich off of its body, would the head and body be able to function seperately?
Cunning Linguist
10-24-03, 06:53 PM From all the Zombie movies I have seen.. I'd give it a 50/50 chance of still working.

Dawn of the Dead: No
Army Of Darkness: Yes
Versus: sometimes

It has to be a DM call on this one I'd say, the body would most become a mindless undead, the head.. could cast verbal spells..

but would it have two attacks?
Would the body be looking for the head?

It raises several questions..
Another Gnome
10-24-03, 07:32 PM At least one of the parts -would- remain functional since undead in general can't be destroyed by chopping their head off. But I doubt there's an actual rule on what part would be the working one.

Personally, I'd pick the head in case of a lich (as they're intelligent and, well, demiliches are lich heads...), but for skeletons and zombies and the like, I'd say the body survives. Dunno about something like mummies and wights, though.

Still, assuming it won't cause power abuse, and for obvious comic relief, the undead-head-yelling-orders-to-its-blind-body approach would be good enough for me as well.
Savras
10-25-03, 10:21 AM I would say the lich can act as always- only it's head and body are separate.

Once they are together, he may "reunite" them as a ME action.

If he casts a spell with V only- the point of origin is the head, otherwise- the body.

Savras
Zanan
10-26-03, 10:12 AM Vendui!

Actually, this is a question often adressed in my rounds as well. Not the lich-beheading, but the sneak-attack against corporal and not-just-bones sort of undead.

Anyway, the problem as far as I am concerned does not lie in the beheading attempt, but the rules which allow this. IF you can try and behead a lich in combat (not if it is helpless and what have you) you may also behead any being who's got a head for more than it sitting atop of its torso. Hence, apart from vorpal blades, I usually dissallow beheading attempts as almost any creature who looses its head will be dead, regardless of the number of HP it has or how many HP of damage the beheading attempt actually inflict. It would also place fighters and their kin into an almighty powerful position if compared to other classes. And there are enough sneaky players around who will bypass a attack penalty of even -8 or -10 for the beheading attempt by e.g. taking a class of sorcerer and using true strike.

As in: if a character is helpless, even a lich, beheading it will kill it (for it is in essence the same as if you bash it to death, only that the latter needs more time). Beheading in a fact ... no-way. Not a lich, not a human, not an orc.
Savras
10-26-03, 11:48 AM I assumed we were talking of vorpal weapons... I am all against Called Shots.

Savras
PhaedrusXY
10-26-03, 02:22 PM We chopped Szass Tam's hand off once in a game, and it tried to choke the guy who chopped it off. :angel: I think it was mainly for comic relief, but I don't see anything explicitly against it in the rules.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Ethereal Traveler 10-24-03, 06:39 PM	Scenario: I know that undead are immune to critical hits but heres a What If. . . if a group were to somehow sever the head of a lich off of its body, would the head and body be able to function seperately?
Cunning Linguist 10-24-03, 06:53 PM	From all the Zombie movies I have seen.. I'd give it a 50/50 chance of still working. Dawn of the Dead: No Army Of Darkness: Yes Versus: sometimes It has to be a DM call on this one I'd say, the body would most become a mindless undead, the head.. could cast verbal spells.. but would it have two attacks? Would the body be looking for the head? It raises several questions..
Another Gnome 10-24-03, 07:32 PM	At least one of the parts -would- remain functional since undead in general can't be destroyed by chopping their head off. But I doubt there's an actual rule on what part would be the working one. Personally, I'd pick the head in case of a lich (as they're intelligent and, well, demiliches are lich heads...), but for skeletons and zombies and the like, I'd say the body survives. Dunno about something like mummies and wights, though. Still, assuming it won't cause power abuse, and for obvious comic relief, the undead-head-yelling-orders-to-its-blind-body approach would be good enough for me as well.
Savras 10-25-03, 10:21 AM	I would say the lich can act as always- only it's head and body are separate. Once they are together, he may "reunite" them as a ME action. If he casts a spell with V only- the point of origin is the head, otherwise- the body. Savras
Zanan 10-26-03, 10:12 AM	Vendui! Actually, this is a question often adressed in my rounds as well. Not the lich-beheading, but the sneak-attack against corporal and not-just-bones sort of undead. Anyway, the problem as far as I am concerned does not lie in the beheading attempt, but the rules which allow this. IF you can try and behead a lich in combat (not if it is helpless and what have you) you may also behead any being who's got a head for more than it sitting atop of its torso. Hence, apart from vorpal blades, I usually dissallow beheading attempts as almost any creature who looses its head will be dead, regardless of the number of HP it has or how many HP of damage the beheading attempt actually inflict. It would also place fighters and their kin into an almighty powerful position if compared to other classes. And there are enough sneaky players around who will bypass a attack penalty of even -8 or -10 for the beheading attempt by e.g. taking a class of sorcerer and using true strike. As in: if a character is helpless, even a lich, beheading it will kill it (for it is in essence the same as if you bash it to death, only that the latter needs more time). Beheading in a fact ... no-way. Not a lich, not a human, not an orc.
Savras 10-26-03, 11:48 AM	I assumed we were talking of vorpal weapons... I am all against Called Shots. Savras
PhaedrusXY 10-26-03, 02:22 PM	We chopped Szass Tam's hand off once in a game, and it tried to choke the guy who chopped it off. :angel: I think it was mainly for comic relief, but I don't see anything explicitly against it in the rules.