Lich of War

[Jallorn]

This post will likely be edited many times.

I am creating a Warmage Lich with an Item Familiar phylactery. I haven't determined yet whether it's going to be a fluff quality or actually have some sort of crunch behind it, but the weapon is going to be a soul devouring weapon as well.

This (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=226240) is the sheet upon which I am building the Lich. I am making him am ECL 20 character.


So.... do you need help with something? What is the purpose of posting this? :smallconfused::smallconfused:

Just general ideas and suggestions. Even just a simple "this seems cool" is nice. I might later expand it into creating a villain, but for now it's just an exercise in character building.

Morningstar name votes

Soulmerger 0
Soulfeeder 0
Soulsaver 0
Merger of Souls 1
Soulstealer 0
Soulereaver 0
Dissolution 0
Terminus 0
Quietus 0
Devourer of Warriors 1

[Private-Prinny]

Nothing suggests that a phylactery cannot be a weapon, but it seems like a dangerous prospect.

[Jallorn]

Ok then, I'll be editing the first post to declare what it is I'm setting out to do.

[Dr.Epic]

Nothing suggests that a phylactery cannot be a weapon, but it seems like a dangerous prospect.

Rust monster; all I'm gonna say.

[Jallorn]

Rust monster; all I'm gonna say.

Crystal. :smalltongue:

[AslanCross]

Rust monster; all I'm gonna say.

Weapons don't have to be made of metal.

[Morph Bark]

Crystal. :smalltongue:

Shatter?

DANGER DANGER WILL ROBINSON.

[PersonMan]

Rust monsterDragon; all I'm gonna say.

Fixed for higher levels.

[senrath]

Shatter?

DANGER DANGER WILL ROBINSON.

I think Shatter only works on non-magical items.

[Morph Bark]

I think Shatter only works on non-magical items.

In that case, sonic energy is still a pretty big problem...

[Jallorn]

Ok, moving away from why phylactery-as-a-weapon is a bad idea...

[Lord Vampyre]

Personally, I would make the phylactery a large gem of some sort that is placed in the pommel of the sword. The gem could imbue the weapon with whatever magical properties you want when it is attached. This would protect the phylactery from the potential destruction of the weapon.

As an added benefit, if the player's or whoever we're to realize the location of the phylactery, they may mistake the actual weapon rather than the more localized gem in the pommel. This would give the lich a second chance to return after the destruction of the weapon.

[Jallorn]

Personally, I would make the phylactery a large gem of some sort that is placed in the pommel of the sword. The gem could imbue the weapon with whatever magical properties you want when it is attached. This would protect the phylactery from the potential destruction of the weapon.

As an added benefit, if the player's or whoever we're to realize the location of the phylactery, they may mistake the actual weapon rather than the more localized gem in the pommel. This would give the lich a second chance to return after the destruction of the weapon.

Well, it's a morningstar, but still, that's a good idea. Consider the gem as the Phylactery, but the gem + weapon as the item familiar.

[KillianHawkeye]

So.... do you need help with something? What is the purpose of posting this? :smallconfused::smallconfused:

[Jallorn]

So.... do you need help with something? What is the purpose of posting this? :smallconfused::smallconfused:

Just general ideas and suggestions. Even just a simple "this seems cool" is nice. I might later expand it into creating a villain, but for now it's just an exercise in character building.

On another note, I will be editing the above into my first post.

[Yukitsu]

Make it a lode stone.

[Jallorn]

Make it a lode stone.

I don't understand?

[Jallorn]

So I've got a few ideas for the weapon's name, and I'm going to list them here and in my first post for the playground to vote. Sometime tomorrow I'll stop the voting. Suggestions are acceptable too.

Soulmerger 0
Soulfeeder 0
Soulsaver 0
Merger of Souls 1
Soulstealer 0
Soulereaver 0
Dissolution 0
Terminus 0
Quietus 0
Devourer of Warriors 1

Yes I know it's very formulaic. I might add more later.

[Yukitsu]

I spelled it wrong.


Stone of Weight (Loadstone)
This stone appears to be a dark, smoothly polished stone. It reduces the possessor’s base land speed to one-half of normal. Once picked up, the stone cannot be disposed of by any nonmagical means—if it is thrown away or smashed, it reappears somewhere on his person. If a remove curse spell is cast upon a loadstone, the item may be discarded normally and no longer haunts the individual.

[Jallorn]

I spelled it wrong.

That's some nice cheese. I don't really like the speed penalty however. It also doesn't explain what happens if both lich and phylactery are destroyed.

[Yukitsu]

That's some nice cheese. I don't really like the speed penalty however. It also doesn't explain what happens if both lich and phylactery are destroyed.

At the same time, or seperately?

If it's at the same time, yeah, you're kinda boned. If you think it likely, spread rumours about a broken whatever, that will become the legendary whatever if re-built, then make the loadstone phylactery out of aurorum. Hopefully an intrepid adventurer will rebuild your phylactery for you one day.

Alternatively, hope the hero forgets to leave it on the ground before he destroys it, thus loadstone cursing himself.

[Jallorn]

At the same time, or seperately?

If it's at the same time, yeah, you're kinda boned. If you think it likely, spread rumours about a broken whatever, that will become the legendary whatever if re-built, then make the loadstone phylactery out of aurorum. Hopefully an intrepid adventurer will rebuild your phylactery for you one day.

Alternatively, hope the hero forgets to leave it on the ground before he destroys it, thus loadstone cursing himself.

That last time would be hilarious. Seconds before the hero receives a remove curse spell, the lich reappears, snatching the lodestone moments after the spell has been cast and then blasting the cleric. :smallcool:

[Lord Vampyre]

As far as names go, I prefer the simple Devourer of Souls or Eater of Souls. This names are somewhat cliche, and have been used alot, but the message is clear. Or perhaps use something like Soulstealer, using your formula.

But honestly, I can't say that the names you've come up with so far have caught my ear. They're alright, just not grabbing. They just don't seem to have the right ring to them. Try switching them around. Merger of Souls has a much better ring than Soulmerger, IMO. Which given the current options, is the one I would take.

[Runestar]

Lich pretty much cripples any spellcaster build because of its debilitating LA. Maybe you should just go necropolitan instead?

I mean, your build doesn't really seem very inspiring or cool. So we take a warmage and slap an undead template on it?

[KillianHawkeye]

Soul Reaver

You can't argue with the classics! :smallwink:

[Jallorn]

Lich pretty much cripples any spellcaster build because of its debilitating LA. Maybe you should just go necropolitan instead?

I mean, your build doesn't really seem very inspiring or cool. So we take a warmage and slap an undead template on it?

This is an example of what I do not want. You should never go on a thread and tell someone their idea is bad or dumb. Unless it's suicidally stupid. And even then exercise some restraint.

[aivanther]

Everbright is better than crystal, it keeps the stupid shatter spells away and you shrug at rust monters.

stupid reading spell description AFTER posting

[Fouredged Sword]

If you want a weapon with a crystal on it, do exactly that. Get a weapon crystal from the MiC and use it. Transfer it to several weapons if you want and it will carry over to them. If the weapon is broken, just take the crystal with you and make a new weapon.

[Flickerdart]

A Folugub instantly liquefies crystals. You want to avoid that.

[Theodoriph]

A Folugub instantly liquefies crystals. You want to avoid that.

A Folugub?? Is Wizards running out of monster names?


Just a random thought...to cast magic jar you need a large gem or crystal. I imagine your morningstar would count. So you could like rent out room in your phylactery! It'd be a huge tourist attraction.

[Yukitsu]

That last time would be hilarious. Seconds before the hero receives a remove curse spell, the lich reappears, snatching the lodestone moments after the spell has been cast and then blasting the cleric. :smallcool:

I see my spelling error has propogated itself. :smallcool:

I think that would actually be a pretty cool story if you could trick players into falling for it while DMing.

[Flickerdart]

A Folugub?? Is Wizards running out of monster names?
It's not a new monster by any means - it was part of 3E Psionics, and I would imagine 2E as well.

[Runestar]

This is an example of what I do not want. You should never go on a thread and tell someone their idea is bad or dumb. Unless it's suicidally stupid. And even then exercise some restraint.

Well, you wanted suggestions, I gave one. If you don't appreciate criticisms, then maybe you should have made it clear right from the very start, because your thread sure isn't the first I have leveled similar "advice", and I already was exercising some degree of restraint. :smalltongue:

[Ravens_cry]

Heh, when I think of a Lich of War, I think of a cadaverous Julius Caesar whose entire life, and unlife, has been the study and practise of tactics and strategies.
He likes hopeless causes because they are the trickiest to work out. Be careful though, he may be able to give you what you need, but not what you want.
You are just one more pawn on his board.

[Roc Ness]

Ooh, I know a good name for a Lich's weapon! :smallbiggrin:

FALL

[Jallorn]

Well, you wanted suggestions, I gave one. If you don't appreciate criticisms, then maybe you should have made it clear right from the very start, because your thread sure isn't the first I have leveled similar "advice", and I already was exercising some degree of restraint. :smalltongue:

There is a difference between criticism and telling someone not to go through with their idea. The basic idea of this thread is to create a lich. It's probably not for anything, so although I want to make him well, I want to make him within the constraints of my idea. Your idea of criticism is to go on a thread and say that the basic premise of the thread is bad. This is, at least in my experience, a playground nono. I may or may not be aware of how weak the Lich is compared to a full caster, but it doesn't matter, because I've decided to make a lich for fun.

Also, to quote Xykon:
:xykon:I used to think spells equal power, too, back when I was alive. I've learned a lot since then. You know what does equal power? Power. Power equals power. Crazy, huh? But the type of power? Doesn't matter as much as you'd think. It turns out everything is oddly balanced. Weird, but true. For example: ...Right now, power takes the form of a +8 racial bonus to Listen skill checks.

[Delcan]

I don't know much about optimizing 3.5, but I do know that a lich warblade sounds like a pretty fun idea.

As for the soul-sucking weapon itself - don't go with Soul Reaver, it's taken. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legacy_of_Kain:_Soul_Reaver) Try to step away from the words "soul", "eat", and "spirit", as they're largely overused and just sound cheesy when you say them aloud. When naming a weapon, you gotta give it something that sticks in the mind - which means simple, but evocative.

A thesaurus can help. Running a thesaurus check for "end" or "terminal" gives some interesting ideas to run off of: "Dissolution", "Terminus", and "Quietus" are all some pretty evocative words to play off of, or use as the name itself.

Soul-sucking swords have a pretty healthy history behind them - most of them aren't just weapons, but minds of their own as well. If you want to make a really scary villain, make the sword a power in and of itself - give it spell-like abilities and attacks that it can use independently of its wielder. If you characterize the weapon as something just as nasty as its wielder, it will definitely draw a lot of attention. And if it's an artifact (as soul-stealing weapons are wont to be), the party may find themselves confronted with a duo of horrific power, only _one_ of which can be killed - and him, only temporarily!

If you want to do some reading up on soul-hungry swords, I recommend looking up some of the Elric saga by Michael Moorcock, for Stormbringer (the classic literary example), or the Soul Calibur series of video games, for Soul Edge. Both are powerful weapons with a lot of personality, and both have a tendency to act of their own will.

[Hurlbut]

Devourer of Warriors

[Harperfan7]

Your phylactery weapon could be a glassteel weapon with blueshine and a permanencied harden spell. If you cast energy immunity: sonic on yourself and made the weapon a spellblade weapon (disintegrate), you might be a redneck, er, set.

Most of that comes from magic of faerun btw.

[Hurlbut]

and dwarvencrafted for more hardness and hitpoints and bonuses to saving throws :)