Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 rico_huerta Mar 04, 2010 1:18:23	So I'd like to introduce a reoccuring lich for my players to have to face through their journeys as the next encounter.  I have the lich statted out and some future plans for her, but I don't know the best way to do the battle.  I'll give you the ideas I've thought of and any other ideas are welcome. 1) The lich appears as she did in life, running away when she gets too low in HP (I think this will be the hardest one for them to realize they need to do something more the next time they meet her) 2)The lich appears as she did in life at first, running away when she gets too low in HP, but dropping the appearance of life at some point in the battle (maybe as she runs). 3)She fights to the "Death" only to reappear at a later time. 4)??? Thanks for any and all help
#2 Krusk Mar 04, 2010 10:49:40	Not 100% sure on how liches work in 4e, but back in 3.5 they required the destruction of their phylactery before death is final. Until then, if you kill them they simply respawn near it. (Some sources say they need a fresh corpse near it, some don't use your imagination) This makes them great reoccurring villains. They don't need to run, and have some awkward "I ran away" moment of disappointment for the PCs. Bonus points if the PCs/players don't know about the respawning. They think they have won, but when they make it back to town a week later, things are just as bad.
#3 MWSAber Mar 04, 2010 11:46:35	Short answer: All of the above 1: A lich should be smart enough to run when needed 2: a good way to show "there is more to the story" 3. This is what happens when 1 and 2 fail 4.  Have them reappear 1-2 Character Levels later or some significant distance away to make the characters wonder how she got there so quickly.
#4 kronikalkoholik Mar 04, 2010 13:18:12	You could also have the characters meet the Lich while it's alive, even mortally wound it so it has to go for lichdom.
#5 grumpycelt Mar 04, 2010 22:49:55	The lich has stored her original body and keep it pickeled in vinegar to prevent it from rotting. She's also stored clones of herself in vinegar as well, to keep them from rotting. The PCs detect the scent of vinegar before the meet her. Eventually the react to the scent of pickels and olives and what not, even if she is no where near them.
#6 rodyle Mar 07, 2010 12:39:21	If you truly want to inspire fear into the hearts of your players, make her fight to the death the first time, and when they are low on health, make her rise again. The goal is to make your players want to run from her as soon as they realize they cannot win. This may seem like a strange thing to do, but almost getting their **** kicked by it will make the villain much more real and intimidating.
#7 Krusk Mar 07, 2010 15:41:46	If you truly want to inspire fear into the hearts of your players, make her fight to the death the first time, and when they are low on health, make her rise again. The goal is to make your players want to run from her as soon as they realize they cannot win. This may seem like a strange thing to do, but almost getting their **** kicked by it will make the villain much more real and intimidating. Or they will be really annoyed that you threw an encounter at them that was way out of line. If you want it to be pre-ordained that they fail, drop the illusion of chance (Dice rolls, that you DM fiat to not be good enough and have the enemy raise). Right after the PCs drop her the first time, go into narrative mode "Your axe cleaves the head from its shoulders. It floats back onto the body, and she grins. You realize running is the best option now. She laughs as you guys run to make it back out the entry way." Dex checks to roll out the closing tomb door.
#8 rico_huerta Mar 07, 2010 17:18:29	I don't want the players to run...I want them to somehow realize what they are fighting isn't what they think it was at first.  They don't need to be scared at all, they just need to know that something is now angry at them and even if they beat this encounter it will come back unless they truly destroy it.
#9 lordmorbis Mar 08, 2010 9:01:40	The lich has stored her original body and keep it pickeled in vinegar to prevent it from rotting. She's also stored clones of herself in vinegar as well, to keep them from rotting. The PCs detect the scent of vinegar before the meet her. Eventually the react to the scent of pickels and olives and what not, even if she is no where near them. Bonus points if you open a jar of pickles every time they fight the Lich, to the point that you can open a jar when the Lich is not nearby and the players get worried.
#10 thecapn Mar 08, 2010 20:34:41	The Lich could always give some parting words as it "dies" the first time, hinting that they haven't truly defeated it yet. Complete with evil laugh. "This is not yet the end..." "Until next time..." "I will have my revenge..." etc, etc.
#11 TwitchTheBard Mar 08, 2010 21:07:56	I had a recurring lich in a game for higher level characters once.  The lich wasn't even the BBEG... it's phylactary was being held by an evil warlord and the warlord was using the lich for scouting and subtrefuge missions against the enemy kingdom.  So what if the lich died?  The Cat Came Back The Very Next Day.  It took the party long enough, but after a few levels they found the phylactary and seized it from the Warlord thus turning the lich and giving them the ally they needed to beat the BBEG.  Afterwards they had a huge fight about freeing the lich, or destroying it permanently.  All in all a fun time.