Can a Lich store its Phalactery on a different plane? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Can a Lich store its Phalactery on a different plane? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
e7way
03-16-07, 11:55 AM Tonite we are fighting Zhengy the witch king without giving to many details the DM has suggested storing his phalactery on Thanatos ( i think its spelled right :) ) orcus' home plane.

Can Liches store their phalactery on a differnent plane of existance? It doesnt seem right to me. But i dont have i MM infront of me and i dont have the undead book as well.

If so why wouldnt every single lich do this? Travel to a different plane and store its phalactery in some long forgotten cavern 20 miles below the surface.
El_Machinae
03-16-07, 12:41 PM They wouldn't store it in an evil plane, because it's too likely to be abused by the denizens. They'd keep it hidden but close; they cannot protect it if it's too far away.

That said, they can easily store it on another plane.
CzarGarrett
03-16-07, 01:03 PM They can, but also realize, the Lich re-materializes where its phalactery is, so the other plane can't be too hostile for the Lich.

IE- It would be a great idea for a Lich to hide their phalactery on the Positive Energy plane (who would look for it there?) except for the whole death to Undead thing.
Ebonyte
03-16-07, 01:25 PM Well put above. The Lich will want to be able to reform where their most prized possesions and minions are, and will want to be sure that they can keep an eye on their phylactery. After all, if someone got hold of it, they could blackmail or control said lich. And for an immortal, probably arrogant being of immense power, can you imagine anything worse? A demon or devil would certainly try to control it. Keeping it well-guarded on the Materiel Plane is the best bet. Even a bag of holding or the like it vulnerable if there's an Ethereal Filcher of the like at the beck and call of their foes.
e7way
03-16-07, 02:46 PM I should have given you all some more back ground info on who Zhengy is his Orcus' right hand man or wizard. (20th level wizard and 8 level red wizard(he's the one who started the red wizards and a lich he's been arond for 4-500 years) He is Orcus' most powerful ally and spell caster. So the DM was thinking of putting the Phalactery in Orcus's palace under said Demons lock and key.

The question that I really wanted answered and maybe im just plain wrong. Is how is the Lich's essence crossing over to planar travel once destoryed? It just seems to Uber for the lich not to have his phalactery on the plane he exists on.
Holy_Beholder
03-16-07, 03:03 PM I think its okay for a lich to store it on a different plane, but consider. Put it on a good plane, and have someone blow it up. Put it on an evil plane, and have someone move it into the middle of an antimagic field, so you appear in chains. Elemental plane, and it is doomed. Material plane is actually probably the safest place for it, unless you have a demi plane run by some demigod, who is stuck in a trance, so all he can do is keep the plane up, until the PC's show up in it, when they have to face the demigod. And only a few DM's(myself among them) would do that.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
e7way 03-16-07, 11:55 AM	Tonite we are fighting Zhengy the witch king without giving to many details the DM has suggested storing his phalactery on Thanatos ( i think its spelled right :) ) orcus' home plane. Can Liches store their phalactery on a differnent plane of existance? It doesnt seem right to me. But i dont have i MM infront of me and i dont have the undead book as well. If so why wouldnt every single lich do this? Travel to a different plane and store its phalactery in some long forgotten cavern 20 miles below the surface.
El_Machinae 03-16-07, 12:41 PM	They wouldn't store it in an evil plane, because it's too likely to be abused by the denizens. They'd keep it hidden but close; they cannot protect it if it's too far away. That said, they can easily store it on another plane.
CzarGarrett 03-16-07, 01:03 PM	They can, but also realize, the Lich re-materializes where its phalactery is, so the other plane can't be too hostile for the Lich. IE- It would be a great idea for a Lich to hide their phalactery on the Positive Energy plane (who would look for it there?) except for the whole death to Undead thing.
Ebonyte 03-16-07, 01:25 PM	Well put above. The Lich will want to be able to reform where their most prized possesions and minions are, and will want to be sure that they can keep an eye on their phylactery. After all, if someone got hold of it, they could blackmail or control said lich. And for an immortal, probably arrogant being of immense power, can you imagine anything worse? A demon or devil would certainly try to control it. Keeping it well-guarded on the Materiel Plane is the best bet. Even a bag of holding or the like it vulnerable if there's an Ethereal Filcher of the like at the beck and call of their foes.
e7way 03-16-07, 02:46 PM	I should have given you all some more back ground info on who Zhengy is his Orcus' right hand man or wizard. (20th level wizard and 8 level red wizard(he's the one who started the red wizards and a lich he's been arond for 4-500 years) He is Orcus' most powerful ally and spell caster. So the DM was thinking of putting the Phalactery in Orcus's palace under said Demons lock and key. The question that I really wanted answered and maybe im just plain wrong. Is how is the Lich's essence crossing over to planar travel once destoryed? It just seems to Uber for the lich not to have his phalactery on the plane he exists on.
Holy_Beholder 03-16-07, 03:03 PM	I think its okay for a lich to store it on a different plane, but consider. Put it on a good plane, and have someone blow it up. Put it on an evil plane, and have someone move it into the middle of an antimagic field, so you appear in chains. Elemental plane, and it is doomed. Material plane is actually probably the safest place for it, unless you have a demi plane run by some demigod, who is stuck in a trance, so all he can do is keep the plane up, until the PC's show up in it, when they have to face the demigod. And only a few DM's(myself among them) would do that.