Lich
2014Medium undead, Lawful Neutral Chaotic Evil
Armor Class 17
Hit Points 135 ()
Speed 30 ft.
Initiative
Saving Throws CON +10, INT +12, WIS +9
Skills Arcana +19, History +12, Insight +9, Perception +9
Damage Resistances cold; lightning; necrotic
Damage Immunities poison; bludgeoning, piercing, slashing from nonmagical attacks
Condition Immunities charmed; exhaustion; frightened; paralyzed; poisoned
Senses truesight 120 ft., passive Perception 19
Languages Common plus up to five other languages
Challenge 21 (33,000 XP)
Legendary Resistance (3/Day). If the lich fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead.
Rejuvenation. If it has a phylactery, a destroyed lich gains a new body in days, regaining all its hit points and becoming active again. The new body appears within 5 feet of the phylactery.
Turn Resistance. The lich has advantage on saving throws against any effect that turns undead.
Spellcasting. The lich is an 18th-level spellcaster. Its spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 20, with spell attacks). The lich has the following wizard spells prepared: Cantrips (at will): mage hand, prestidigitation, ray of frost 1st level (4 slots): detect magic, magic missile, shield, thunderwave 2nd level (3 slots): detect thoughts, invisibility, Melf's acid arrow, mirror image 3rd level (3 slots): animate dead, counterspell, dispel magic, fireball 4th level (3 slots): blight, dimension door 5th level (3 slots): cloudkill, scrying 6th level (1 slots): disintegrate, globe of invulnerability 7th level (1 slots): finger of death, plane shift 8th level (1 slots): dominate monster, power word stun 9th level (1 slots): power word kill
Actions
Paralyzing Touch. Melee Spell Attack: , reach 5 ft., one creature. cold damage. The target must succeed on a DC 18 Constitution saving throw or be paralyzed for 1 minute. The target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.
Legendary Actions
Cantrip. The lich casts a cantrip.
Paralyzing Touch (Costs 2 Actions). The lich uses its Paralyzing Touch.
Frightening Gaze (Costs 2 Actions). The lich fixes its gaze on one creature it can see within 10 feet of it. The target must succeed on a DC 18 Wisdom saving throw against this magic or become frightened for 1 minute. The frightened target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. If a target's saving throw is successful or the effect ends for it, the target is immune to the lich's gaze for the next 24 hours.
Disrupt Life (Costs 3 Actions). Each non-undead creature within 20 feet of the lich must make a DC 18 Constitution saving throw against this magic, taking necrotic damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.
Lair Actions
On initiative count 20 (losing initiative ties), the lich can take a lair action to cause one of the following effects; the lich can't use the same effect two rounds in a row:
Death Emanation. The lich rolls a and regains a spell slot of that level or lower. If it has no spent spell slots of that level or lower, nothing happens.
Spirit Drain. The lich targets one creature it can see within 30 feet of it. A crackling cord of negative energy tethers the lich to the target. Whenever the lich takes damage, the target must make a DC 18 Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, the lich takes half the damage (rounded down), and the target takes the remaining damage. This tether lasts until initiative count 20 on the next round or until the lich or the target is no longer in the lich's lair.
Undead Summon. The lich calls forth the spirits of creatures that died in its lair. These apparitions materialize and attack one creature that the lich can see within 60 feet of it. The target must succeed on a DC 18 Constitution saving throw, taking necrotic damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a success. The apparitions then disappear.
Regional Effects
A lich's lair might have any or all of the following magical effects in place: If the lich is destroyed but its phylactery remains, these effects persist until the phylactery is also destroyed.
Undead Corruption. Creatures within 1 mile of the lich's lair that die become undead skeletons or zombies (the lich's choice) under the lich's control after days.
Intelligence Network. The lich can take actions to project its awareness to a 5-mile radius around its lair. The lich can't be surprised while it has this awareness.
Planar Shift. If a creature friendly to the lich is reduced to 0 hit points within the lair, that creature automatically stabilizes and gains 1 hit point in hours.