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Dalin · 02-19-2019, 03:34 PM

I haven't run a game with a lich since the Tomb of Horrors (a long, long time ago), but here are some quick thoughts off the top of my head:

A lich that just wants to be alone could be nearly invulnerable, lairing in a pocket dimension or something that only it could access with its custom spells. But why would anyone care about such a loner lich?

The main reason a lich would have an accessible "dungeon" at all is that it is up to something that requires contact with the regular world. Maybe it is engaged in research and needs books or rare reagents. Maybe it needs bodies to raise into minions (or worse). Maybe it has political aspirations (or it may already be the power behind the throne). Maybe it needs to consult with sages, wizards, and clerics. Maybe it wants to be worshipped by mortal beings (to achieve godhood?). Figuring out the main goals of the lich help to indicate both its points of contact with the real world (book merchants, etc.) and what types of powers it may have. A political lich, for example, may have lots of mind control spells.

These bits may also indicate likely locations for the dungeon (or one of many dungeons). Perhaps it has a secret hideout beneath the largest library in the kingdom and the rare collections librarian is in its employ (see the library crawl thread for other possibilities here). Perhaps it is connected with an evil temple and has a lair there. Maybe it needs to tap into the raw energy of a volcano to power its Domination Device.

Then I would think hard about what type of adventure would be fun for the players and what type of vulnerabilities their PCs might be able to plausibly take advantage of. Maybe they have a mystical gadget that gives them an edge (lich kryptonite). Maybe the lich has a time limit before it must complete a ritual; this gives the PCs a reason to hurry, but it also means that the lich is busy and provides a plausible explanation for why a genius might make mistakes. Maybe there's another major entity gunning for the lich so the PCs aren't on its radar.

I know this is short on specific tactics and whatnot, but this is how I would unpack the problem. The details emerge from the intersection of the lich's story and the stories of my specific PCs.

02-19-2019, 03:34 PM	#2
Dalin Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Saint Paul, MN	Re: Lich in a dungeon I haven't run a game with a lich since the Tomb of Horrors (a long, long time ago), but here are some quick thoughts off the top of my head: A lich that just wants to be alone could be nearly invulnerable, lairing in a pocket dimension or something that only it could access with its custom spells. But why would anyone care about such a loner lich? The main reason a lich would have an accessible "dungeon" at all is that it is up to something that requires contact with the regular world. Maybe it is engaged in research and needs books or rare reagents. Maybe it needs bodies to raise into minions (or worse). Maybe it has political aspirations (or it may already be the power behind the throne). Maybe it needs to consult with sages, wizards, and clerics. Maybe it wants to be worshipped by mortal beings (to achieve godhood?). Figuring out the main goals of the lich help to indicate both its points of contact with the real world (book merchants, etc.) and what types of powers it may have. A political lich, for example, may have lots of mind control spells. These bits may also indicate likely locations for the dungeon (or one of many dungeons). Perhaps it has a secret hideout beneath the largest library in the kingdom and the rare collections librarian is in its employ (see the library crawl thread for other possibilities here). Perhaps it is connected with an evil temple and has a lair there. Maybe it needs to tap into the raw energy of a volcano to power its Domination Device. Then I would think hard about what type of adventure would be fun for the players and what type of vulnerabilities their PCs might be able to plausibly take advantage of. Maybe they have a mystical gadget that gives them an edge (lich kryptonite). Maybe the lich has a time limit before it must complete a ritual; this gives the PCs a reason to hurry, but it also means that the lich is busy and provides a plausible explanation for why a genius might make mistakes. Maybe there's another major entity gunning for the lich so the PCs aren't on its radar. I know this is short on specific tactics and whatnot, but this is how I would unpack the problem. The details emerge from the intersection of the lich's story and the stories of my specific PCs.