---
Lich - Paragon Path
Flavour Text Goes Here
Requirements : Arcane power source, Mastery of the Craft Magic Item ritual
11th Necrotic Master : You can add the Necrotic keyword to any power you know. Any damage it deals is also of the Necrotic type.
11th Spellmaster : You can expend an action point to regain the use of any Encounter power.
16th Mantle of Undeath : You gain the (Undead) origin keyword tag.
Powers
Necromantic Aura - Lich 11th Attack
You wear the shadow of death like a cloak, all within it's reach feel the chill of the grave.
Encounter * Arcane, Stance, Necrotic
Standard Action - Personal
Effect : You deal 5 necrotic damage to any living creature within 2 squares of you at the beginning of each of your turns, starting on the next one. This power lasts until you dismiss it as a Free Action, the encounter ends, or you enter a new Stance.
Walk The Undead Road - Lich 12th Utility
The life leaks out of your body, your pale skin stretches over the bones close beneath the surface and your heart stops beating. You are undead.
Daily * Arcane, Polymorph
No Action - Personal
Effect : You gain immunity to Disease and Poison, resistance 10 to Necrotic damage and regeneration 10. Your regeneration does not function if you have taken Radiant damage the last turn. You are considered to be of the (Undead) origin type while under the effects of this power. If you die while under the effects of this power, you may expend all remaining healing surges to burst into mist instead, reforming at the end of the encounter at your bloodied hp. You are unable to use any daily powers until you have taken an extended rest, at which point you regain daily powers and healing surges as normal.
Frostburn - 20th Attack
You call upon the feeling of cold death familiar to those who spend any time in crypts. You twist it to your will, causing the chill of the dead to be felt by all.
Daily * Arcane, Cold, Necrotic, Implement
Standard Action - Burst 2 within 20
Attack : Int vs Fort
Hit : 3d8 + Int Cold and Necrotic damage. The burst then creates a zone that lasts until the end of the Lich's next turn. The zone is considered difficult terrain. Any creature that starts its turn within the zone takes 10 cold and necrotic damage. The lich can sustain or dismiss the zone as a minor action.
Necromantic Aura - Lich 11th Attack
You wear the shadow of death like a cloak, all within it's reach feel the chill of the grave.
Encounter * Arcane, Stance, Necrotic
Standard Action - Personal
Effect : You deal 5 necrotic damage to any living creature within 2 squares of you at the beginning of your turn.
Which turn? Beginning of the next turn? For how long? Until the end of the encounter? (I vote yes on that one, it's like starting up an aura.)
Walk The Undead Road - Lich 12th Utility
The life leaks out of your body, your pale skin stretches over the bones close beneath the surface and your heart stops beating. You are undead.
Daily * Arcane, Polymorph
No Action - Personal
Effect : You gain immunity to Disease and Poison, resistance 10 to Necrotic damage and regeneration 10. Your regeneration does not function if you have taken Radiant damage during your turn. You are considered to be of the (Undead) origin type while under the effects of this power. If you die while under the effects of this power, you may expend all remaining healing surges to burst into mist instead, reforming at the end of the encounter, at your bloodied hp. You are unable to use any daily powers until you have taken an extended rest, at which point you regain daily powers and healing surges as normal.
Very... interesting. After looking at some Vampire paragon paths and such, I can't say that this isn't balanced. It could probably use some work, but it looks pretty good out of the box.
Frostburn - 20th Attack
You call upon the feeling of cold death familiar to those who spend any time in crypts. You twist it to your will, causing the chill of the dead to be felt by all.
Daily * Arcane, Cold, Necrotic
Standard Action - Burst 2 within 20
Attack : Int vs Fort
Hit : 3d8 + Int Cold and Necrotic damage. The burst then creates a zone that lasts until the end of the Lich's next turn. The zone is considered difficult terrain. Any creature that starts its turn within the zone takes 10 cold and necrotic damage. The lich can sustain or dismiss the zone as a minor action.
Is that 10 Cold + 10 Necrotic, or is it 10 total that happens to be both types? I'm pretty sure you mean the latter, but clarification would be helpful. I'd even be willing to say you should bump that up to a Burst 3, but if you do that the damage either needs to be lower, or the inhabitants should be able to attempt a save.
Which turn? Beginning of the next turn? For how long? Until the end of the encounter? (I vote yes on that one, it's like starting up an aura.)
Yeah it's a stance so it lasts until you exit it or the end of the encounter, but I'll clarify when it deals damage.
Very... interesting. After looking at some Vampire paragon paths and such, I can't say that this isn't balanced. It could probably use some work, but it looks pretty good out of the box.
That's the main power I think needs some work, the "when you die" things usually seem to be reserved for Epic Destinies.
Is that 10 Cold + 10 Necrotic, or is it 10 total that happens to be both types? I'm pretty sure you mean the latter, but clarification would be helpful. I'd even be willing to say you should bump that up to a Burst 3, but if you do that the damage either needs to be lower, or the inhabitants should be able to attempt a save.
10 of both types. Mostly I took that power from the Lich itself, maybe I could make the burst larger but include an attack roll on those within it in order to be affected? Could make for a neat change in flavour too, grasping arms of the dead dragging people down and clawing at them etc.
It seems underpowered, honestly. The 16th level feature is weird too - for 5 levels you're a lich who's not undead? And Spellmaster isn't very thematic to the whole lich thing. Plus, I see nothing about your phylactery as a lich. I see that Craft Magic Item is required, which presumably is for the phylactery, but you don't seem to gain the benefits of it. Pretty much the whole point of being a lich is to avoid dying at all with the help of a phylactery.
Yeah for a few levels you're more someone who's approaching lichedom. This is why I posted it heh, gotta work these kinks out.
Also I took Spellmaster straight from the template, though it works slightly differently (and rather unbalancedly for a PC, possibly) for the monster Lich.
Maybe I could just add another 11th level thing where he gains the Undead origin, getting a different 16th level power, and I'd have to change the Utility...
Okay, what do we think of...
Requirements : Add "As part of gaining this Paragon Path, you must create a Phylactery, you do not gain the features of this Paragon Path until it is completed."
Features : Add
11th Mantle of Undeath : You gain the (Undead) origin keyword tag. Immunity to Poison damage and Disease, Resist 10 Necrotic damage, regeneration 10, this regeneration does not function if you have taken Radiant damage during last turn.
16th
With Mantle of Undeath getting the Utility rolled in as well, we have to make a new one :
Death Never Dies - Lich 12th Utility
Insert awesome-sauce flavour text
Daily - Arcane, Healing (?)
Immediate Interrupt - Personal
Trigger : You die.
Special : You may use this power even if affected by a condition that would ordinarily prevent you from using a power, other than this special limitation. To use this power, you must have created a Phylactery, and it must be in working condition, though it need not be in your possession.
Effect : If you would die, you can instead either vanish into dust, reforming at the end of the encounter at your bloodied hit point total, unable to use daily powers until you take an extended rest, you reform in the square of your death, or in the nearest unoccupied square if it would be dangerous for you to reform in that square. Or you may instead choose to reform the next day at sundown at the location of your Phylactery (see below), if you choose this form of resurrection, you return at full health with all powers and healing surges recovered. Should you die again after using this power, but before recovering it, you reform at the location of your phylactery the next day at sundown, as usual.
Then of course, the new magic item.
Lich's Phylactery - Level 11
Wondrous Item - 9,000gp
Special : You cannot buy a Phylactery, they must be crafted by the candidate for Lichedom personally. If the Lich's Phylactery is ever destroyed, the Lich suffers no ill effects, other than being unable to resurrect using his Death Never Dies power.
Effect : The Lich's Phylactery is the focus of the Lich's Death Never Dies Power. You cannot be the target of a Raise Dead ritual while the Phylactery exists in working order. Should the Phylactery be destroyed and you are Resurrected, you lose the benefits of the Lich Paragon Path until you make another.
Better? Worse? Ideas for 16th level Feature? Also, does 12th level HAVE to be a utility? Because I could swap the 11th level encounter power for the 12th level utility then, and it'd make even MORE sense.
I've not heard any before
I've not heard any before
-There aren't any specific to Liches, but there's the entire 'PP' thing.
-There aren't any specific to Liches, but there's the entire 'PP' thing.
I...see...
11th Necrotic Master : You can add the Necrotic keyword to any power you know. Any damage it deals is also of the Necrotic type.
11th Spellmaster : You can expend an action point to regain the use of any Encounter power.
16th Mantle of Undeath : You gain the (Undead) origin keyword tag.
I would possibly swap Mantle of Undeath and Necrotic Master. Either that, or give them the (undead) keyword AND Necrotic Master at 11, and at 16 give them their immunity to disease and poison and resistance to necrotic. Don't forget the darkvision, though... um... (undead) and darkvision at 11, Necrotic and immunities/resistances at 16?
Either way, I like Spellmaster at 11. Perhaps limit it to any arcane encounter power.
Necromantic Aura - Lich 11th Attack
You wear the shadow of death like a cloak, all within it's reach feel the chill of the grave.
Encounter * Arcane, Stance, Necrotic
Standard Action - Personal
Effect : You deal 5 necrotic damage to any living creature within 2 squares of you at the beginning of each of your turns, starting on the next one. This power lasts until you dismiss it as a Free Action, the encounter ends, or you enter a new Stance.
Erm... I don't think you get Stance-keyword attack powers...? Make it a close burst, let it be range 5 like the template's, and give it sustain minor. You could also break with the template at this point and let it scale -- 1d8+INT or CHA modifier necrotic, or something.
Walk The Undead Road - Lich 12th Utility
The life leaks out of your body, your pale skin stretches over the bones close beneath the surface and your heart stops beating. You are undead.
Daily * Arcane, Polymorph
No Action - Personal
Effect : You gain immunity to Disease and Poison, resistance 10 to Necrotic damage and regeneration 10. Your regeneration does not function if you have taken Radiant damage the last turn. You are considered to be of the (Undead) origin type while under the effects of this power. If you die while under the effects of this power, you may expend all remaining healing surges to burst into mist instead, reforming at the end of the encounter at your bloodied hp. You are unable to use any daily powers until you have taken an extended rest, at which point you regain daily powers and healing surges as normal.
Wall of text crits reader for 40 necrotic damage! Since we're working some of this stuff into the PP features, you can really pare it down to "You gain regeneration 10. This effect ends if you take radiant damage". Make it an encounter power with the Stance keyword.
Frostburn - 20th Attack
You call upon the feeling of cold death familiar to those who spend any time in crypts. You twist it to your will, causing the chill of the dead to be felt by all.
Daily * Arcane, Cold, Necrotic, Implement
Standard Action - Burst 2 within 20
Attack : Int vs Fort
Hit : 3d8 + Int Cold and Necrotic damage. The burst then creates a zone that lasts until the end of the Lich's next turn. The zone is considered difficult terrain. Any creature that starts its turn within the zone takes 10 cold and necrotic damage. The lich can sustain or dismiss the zone as a minor action.
You forgot the "Zone" keyword. Also, make it INT or CHA, since Warlocks would want to take the path as well. I was going to recant on my earlier suggestion to make the aura a sustain minor, too, but there's nothing really imcompatable with the concept that the lich throws down his frostburn in front of him, and then stands there with his aura and his frostburn both just wailing on anyone who tries to get close to him. After all, if they get close enough to him to make him want to move, his frostburn probably isn't doing much good anymore.
I would take the "If you're about to die" feature of the utility power and make it specifically part of the phylactery. Make the phylactery a magic item (neck, head, or wonderous, any would be fine) whose feature (beyond the defense bonuses, if it's a neck item) is either a Daily or Healing-Surge power that, as an immediate interrupt (trigger: an attack would reduce you to 0 hit points), removes you from the encounter (like the cleric power Astral Refuge, but until the end of the encounter). I agree about making the actual crafting of the phylactery part of the requirements for the PP and the restriction against buying one.
I have no idea about how this might balance, but a Lich paragon path seems like a very workable idea.
---
Lich Paragon Path
Flavour Text Goes Here
Requirements : Arcane Power Source, Mastery of the Craft Magic Item ritual, must have created a Phylactery as part of gaining this Paragon Path.
11th Mantle of Undeath : You gain the (Undead) origin tag and Darkvision.
11th Spellmaster : You can spend an action point to regain the use of any Arcane Encounter power.
16th Necrotic Master : You can add the Necrotic keyword to any power you know. Any damage it deals is also of the Necrotic type. You gain immunity to disease and poison and Resist Necrotic 10.
Necromantic Aura - 11th Lich Attack
You wear the shadow of death like a cloak, all within its reach feel the chill of the grave.
Encounter * Arcane, Necrotic
Standard Action - Close Burst 5
Effect : All living creatures within the burst suffer 5 necrotic damage.
Sustain Minor : You can sustain this power until the end of the encounter. Living creatures within Close Burst 5 suffer 5 necrotic damage.
Walk The Undead Road - 12th Lich Utility
The necrotic energy that infuses your pale skinned carcass gives new life to your deathly form.
Encounter * Arcane, Stance
Standard Action - Personal
Effect : You gain Regeneration 10 until the end of the encounter. This effect ends if you take radiant damage.
Frostburn - 20th Lich Attack
You call upon the deathly cold of the crypts to infuse an area, bringing all within it closer to the source of this fell energy.
Daily * Arcane, Cold, Necrotic, Zone, Implement
Standard Action - Burst 2 within 20
Attack : Int vs Fort or Cha vs Fort
Hit : 3d8+Int or Cha mod Cold and Necrotic damage. The burst then creates a zone that lasts until the end of the Lich's next turn. The zone is considered difficult terrain. Any creature that starts its turn within the zone takes 10 Cold and Necrotic damage. You may dismiss the zone as a free action.
Sustain Minor : The zone persists.
New Magic Item
Lich's Phylactery - Level 11
Wondrous Item - 9,000gp
Special : You cannot buy a Lich's Phylactery, it must be crafted by the candidate for the Lich Paragon Path and it's properties only function for this crafter. If the Lich's Phylactery is ever destroyed, the Lich suffers no ill effects and is able to create another.
Property : If you die, and after 10 days have not been the subject of a successful Raise Dead ritual, you immediately reform adjacent to or within the square containing your Phylactery with all items you had with you at the time of your death.
Power (Daily) : Immediate Interrupt. Trigger Action : You drop to 0 hit points or lower. You may use this power even if affected by a condition that would normally prevent you from using a power. When this power activates, you burst into mist, reforming at the end of the encounter. You may spend any number of healing surges while waiting to reform.
Destroying a Lich's Phylactery : A Lich's Phylactery has 40 Hit Points, and Resist All 20. It is immune to effect of any ritual that would drain the magic from it, such as that of the Disenchant Magic Item ritual.
Necromantic Aura - 11th Lich Attack
You wear the shadow of death like a cloak, all within its reach feel the chill of the grave.
Encounter * Arcane, Necrotic
Standard Action - Close Burst 5
Effect : All living creatures within the burst suffer 5 necrotic damage.
Sustain Minor : You can sustain this power until the end of the encounter. Living creatures within Close Burst 5 suffer 5 necrotic damage.
Hm... still seems a little underpowered, especially since it's a standard action... You're probably going to have to break the template here:
Necromantic Aura - Lich Attack 11
You unleash a pulse of darkness, drawn from the grave, and even after it fades, its chill lingers in the bones of your foes, corrupting them from the inside out.
Encounter * Arcane, Implement, Necrotic
Standard Action - Close burst 5
Target: Each enemy in burst
Attack: Intelligence or Charisma vs. Fortitude
Hit: 2d8 + Intelligence or Charisma modifier necrotic damage
Effect: Until the end of your next turn, an enemy who enters or starts its turn within 5 squares of you takes 5 necrotic damage.
Sustain Minor: Until the end of your next turn, an enemy who enters or starts its turn within 5 squares of you takes 5 necrotic damage.
Also, I forgot to mention this before, make the level 12 utility power a minor or free action.
Hmmm.. how about:
Life's a Lich, and then you never die.
Also, I didn't see anything about the philac.. phylact.. prophylactic, err.. the thing needs to hold his soul and regenerate his body that generally looks like a gem or a little box.
Hm... still seems a little underpowered, especially since it's a standard action... You're probably going to have to break the template here:
Necromantic Aura - Lich Attack 11
You unleash a pulse of darkness, drawn from the grave, and even after it fades, its chill lingers in the bones of your foes, corrupting them from the inside out.
Encounter * Arcane, Implement, Necrotic
Standard Action - Close burst 5
Target: Each enemy in burst
Attack: Intelligence or Charisma vs. Fortitude
Hit: 2d8 + Intelligence or Charisma modifier necrotic damage
Effect: Until the end of your next turn, an enemy who enters or starts its turn within 5 squares of you takes 5 necrotic damage.
Sustain Minor: Until the end of your next turn, an enemy who enters or starts its turn within 5 squares of you takes 5 necrotic damage.
Also, I forgot to mention this before, make the level 12 utility power a minor or free action.
Consider that stolen
Hmmm.. how about:
Life's a Lich, and then you never die.
Also, I didn't see anything about the philac.. phylact.. prophylactic, err.. the thing needs to hold his soul and regenerate his body that generally looks like a gem or a little box.
Check the rewrite a few posts above your own.
Also, I didn't see anything about the philac.. phylact.. prophylactic, err.. the thing needs to hold his soul and regenerate his body that generally looks like a gem or a little box.
-Ah, jokes about Lich PPs and phal...Well, you know. ;)
(Phylactery, made to look provocative, for the sake of the joke)
Also, Raise Dead shouldn't work on an undead lich. Their only method of returning to the material world should be the through their phylactery. Also, NPC liches return to life after 1d10 days, not a flat 10 days, so I would probably have PC liches work the same. If you want it to be even less strict, you could have a PC lich roll a d10 every day that passes after s/he dies; if the result is less than or equal to the number of days since s/he died, s/he regenerates next to his/her phylactery.
I would probably add something to balance the lich's ability to get resurrected for free. Something like, "If you take Radiant damage while unconscious, or the attacked that reduced you to zero or fewer HP dealt Radiant damage, your next death saving throw has a -5 penalty. If you fail this saving throw, you automatically die, regardless of how many failed death saving throws you have already." But to make that a bit less harsh, I'd probably add in something like the Warforged racial power to take the better of 10 or your dice roll on death saving throws.
Well I'm trying to stick as close to the template as feasible, and the only negative effect Radiant damage has on a Lich is it negates his regeneration for a round, not kills him instantly.
Also, Raise Dead shouldn't work on an undead lich. Their only method of returning to the material world should be the through their phylactery. Also, NPC liches return to life after 1d10 days, not a flat 10 days, so I would probably have PC liches work the same. If you want it to be even less strict, you could have a PC lich roll a d10 every day that passes after s/he dies; if the result is less than or equal to the number of days since s/he died, s/he regenerates next to his/her phylactery.
The reason I made it 10 days is to balance the free resurrection at all. Most adventuring companies are going to want their Controller back before the week and a half of time is lost and will Raise Dead him normally.
When s/he is Raise Dead'ed, his soul joins his body, then races back off to the Phylactery, to keep him undead. So s/he's alive for an instant before rejoining the ranks of the undead.
I originally had a sentence that says if you were Raise Dead'ed while your phylactery was destroyed, you returned as a living creature, but it made the description really long...
Well I'm trying to stick as close to the template as feasible, and the only negative effect Radiant damage has on a Lich is it negates his regeneration for a round, not kills him instantly.
Yes, but NPCs don't fall unconscious and have to make death saving throws when their HP is depleted, so there'd be no point of WotC putting that sort of info in the template. ;)
The reason I made it 10 days is to balance the free resurrection at all. Most adventuring companies are going to want their Controller back before the week and a half of time is lost and will Raise Dead him normally.
When s/he is Raise Dead'ed, his soul joins his body, then races back off to the Phylactery, to keep him undead. So s/he's alive for an instant before rejoining the ranks of the undead.
I originally had a sentence that says if you were Raise Dead'ed while your phylactery was destroyed, you returned as a living creature, but it made the description really long...
Well, it doesn't really mean anything since this whole subject is fictional, but I don't think Raise Dead works that way. :P Anyway, I'd rather use a system that fits the theme than one that is simply convenient in this case, but hey, it's your Paragon Path.
Yes, but NPCs don't fall unconscious and have to make death saving throws when their HP is depleted, so there'd be no point of WotC putting that sort of info in the template. ;)
Well...I can't refute that, really. Perhaps I'll steal that part of the Warforged entry, but make it you can't take 10 or your better if you dropped to 0 or lower as a subject of Radiant damage.
Well, it doesn't really mean anything since this whole subject is fictional, but I don't think Raise Dead works that way. :P Anyway, I'd rather use a system that fits the theme than one that is simply convenient in this case, but hey, it's your Paragon Path.
Yeah might just change it to 1d10 days to auto-revive. It'll be like gambling, 8 hour ritual, or take the risk that s/he's going to revive the next dusk... I just don't want to negate the usability of the Raise Dead ritual, it could lead to the Lich just being left behind because they rolled too high on the revive roll.
Okay, how's this look.
11th Mantle of Undeath : You gain the (Undead) origin tag and Darkvision. When you roll a death save, you can take the better of your die roll or 10 as the result. You still die at your negative hit point total. You cannot take 10 if you dropped to 0 or lower hit points as a result of radiant damage.
And the Property of the Liches Phylactery.
Property : If you die, and after 1d10 days have not been the subject of a successful Raise Dead ritual, at dusk, you immediately reform adjacent to or within the square containing your Phylactery at full hit points, healing surges, and all powers recovered.
Yeah might just change it to 1d10 days to auto-revive. It'll be like gambling, 8 hour ritual, or take the risk that s/he's going to revive the next dusk... I just don't want to negate the usability of the Raise Dead ritual, it could lead to the Lich just being left behind because they rolled too high on the revive roll.
Well, using the "roll a d10 every day" method I described makes relying on the phylactery slightly less risky, I think.
Also, if you're worried about the lich getting left behind, might I point out that a defeated lich revives at his phylactery with all of his belongings. And might I further point you towards this item from the Adventurer's Vault:
Well, using the "roll a d10 every day" method I described makes relying on the phylactery slightly less risky, I think.
Also, if you're worried about the lich getting left behind, might I point out that a defeated lich revives at his phylactery with all of his belongings. And might I further point you towards this item from the Adventurer's Vault:
So just 7 levels of being left behind then? I could see adventuring Liches just hiding their phylactery among their companions belongings, or just downright giving it to one of them to protect.
Not necessarily 7. It could be as low as 3 if you give it out as a treasure parcel at level 14, or even less. There's no reason you can't give out a level 18 item earlier than the standard treasure parcel would, as long as you remember to replace a level 18 item with a lower-level item.