Lich Lord

Woe to those who oppose a lich lord. Supreme commanders of legions of undead, these profane creatures are born with a psychotic hatred for all life. When a death knight swears eternal loyalty to a lich, it may speak a series of ancient oaths ringing with primordial evil. Ancient, dark magic then binds the death knight to the undead spellcaster, merging their essences into an undead monstrosity of martial power and runic magic. Now beyond redemption and nearly impossible to destroy, a lich lord appears as a dark knight wielding an evil blade. Its presence is pure malevolence, with only a pair of glowing eyes indicating a fearsome intelligence behind impenetrable armor.


LICH LORD

Medium undead, lawful evil


Armor Class 23 (magical plate)
Hit Points 563 (49d8 + 343)
Speed 30 ft.

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
30 (+10) 12 (+1) 25 (+7) 17 (+3) 29 (+9) 21 (+5)

Saving Throws Str +18, Con +15, Int +11, Wis +17, Cha +13
Skills Athletics +18, Insight +17, Intimidation +13, Perception +17, Religion +11
Damage Resistances cold, lightning, necrotic
Damage Immunities poison; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks
Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, frightened, paralyzed, poisoned
Senses truesight 120 ft., passive Perception 27
Languages understands all languages but can only speak to the dead
Challenge 27 (105,000 XP)


TRAITS

General of Undeath. Undead within 1 mile of the lich lord with a CR of 10 or lower are charmed for as long as they remain within the area. An undead charmed in this manner uses the lich lord’s proficiency bonus (+8) instead of its own and deals an additional 9 (2d8) necrotic damage on successful hits with its attacks.

Rejuvenation. If it has a phylactery, a destroyed lich lord gains a new body in 24 hours, regaining all its hit points and becoming active again. The new body appears within 5 feet of the phylactery.

Runic Warding. The lich lord is adorned with magical runes that grant it supernatural powers. At the start of each of its turns, the lich lord can choose to activate one of the following runes, which grant the lich lord the rune’s associated properties for as long as the rune remains active. When the lich lord activates a rune in this manner, any other currently active runes deactivate.

  • Gore. When the lich lord deals damage, it gains temporary hit points equal to the damage dealt (rounded down, minimum of 1).
  • Ice. The lich lord is surrounded in a thick storm of ice in a 60-foot radius sphere centered on the lich that moves with it. Living creatures in the area have their speed halved, and they cannot take bonus actions or reactions.
  • Oblivion. Spells and magical effects affecting the lich lord have their durations reduced to 1 round, and the lich lord takes half damage from spells.
  • Plague. When a living creature takes damage from the lich lord for the first time on a turn, it must succeed on a DC 25 Constitution saving throw or contract a deadly disease called “lich blight.” When a creature suffering from lich blight rolls damage dice, it instead rolls minimum damage. When a creature succeeds on this saving throw or the effect ends for it, it becomes immune to lich blight for 24 hours.
  • Shadow. The lich lord becomes invisible, and as a bonus action on each of its turns it can teleport to an unoccupied space it can see within 120 feet in dim light or darkness.

Soul Reaper. The lich lord’s weapons are magical. When the lich lord hits with a weapon attack, it deals an extra 36 (8d8) cold damage (included in the attack). If the lich lord kills a humanoid creature with a weapon attack, it can take a reaction to reap the creature’s soul. When the lich lord does so, the target is immediately raised as an undead completely loyal to the lich. The type of undead created depends on the CR or character level of the target.

  • CR/Level 1–6. Wight
  • CR/Level 7–12. Wraith
  • CR/Level 13+. Vampire

ACTIONS

Multiattack. The lich lord makes four attacks, or two attacks and takes one other action. The lich lord can forgo making one or more attacks it would make to gain an additional reaction for each attack it forgoes. These extra reactions last until the start of lich lord’s next turn.

Death Blast. Ranged Spell Attack: +17 to hit, range 300 ft., one target. Hit: 35 (4d12 + 9) necrotic damage.

Greatsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +18 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 17 (2d6 + 10) slashing damage and 36 (8d8) cold damage.

Runic Empowerment (Recharge 6). All of the lich lord’s runes become activated, and the lich lord gains their benefits according to its Runic Warding feature. All but one of these runes deactivate at the end of the lich lord’s next turn.


REACTIONS

Parry. When another creature the lich can see hits the lich with a melee attack, the lich can use its reaction to add 6 to its AC until the end of the current turn, potentially causing the attack to miss it.


Ref: TPKB1 p124