There are some caveats though: she may die again if healed by magic but can regenerate on her own, she needs magical maintence on her body or she will decay, and strangest of all, she has begun to fall in love with the necromancer who raised her, but if he touches her, she starts to rapidly decay. 2e Bone Detach You may spend an action to remove a limb and use it as a tool or melee weapon. However, Ezzie has resistance to poison damage, resistance to necrotic damage, and is immune to being exhausted or poisoned. However I can say that they are experienced players full of uncommon magic items, some of them have even rare items. Yet it can still be difficult to convince others of such a things, or to even implement how non-evil, or even good-aligned undead can work in a setting. Undead creatures under this effect may also be healed using magic that heals the living, and spells such as sleep can also work on the affected undead. They could theoretically be souls that good people might even line up and thank the Lich for removing. If a creature attempts to turn the archlich, and the archlich succeeds its saving throw, it can, as a reaction turn the caster and up to six other creatures of its choosing. Ideal: Purpose. It is far easier to consider deathless as a subtype of undead if you are willing to remove the conditional negative energy requirement, as was recently done for Eberron. The archlich can choose to take up to half of its current hp in damage but can use the same points of damage to distribute hitpoints evenly across any creatures of its choice within 30 feet of it. This spell can also be used to revive undead creatures. These can be ignored, but if it seems to be a non-functional boon for the character, it could be traded for the removal of a certain drawback such as reducing a vampire's sunlight sensitivity or need to be invited into a place. Tarian makes two long-ranged attacks when using shortbow. A creature that was poisoned is cured of poison. Speed 30 ft. (SRD page 325), A lich must periodically feed souls to its phylactery to sustain the magic preserving its body and consciousness (MM p. 203). [7] Compared to other types of liches, baelnorn were far less greedy and power-hungry. and what template did you apply to the new characters ?. @Trish Thank you by the way; I think I want to grab a copy of Neuromancer now. You can see 60 feet into the Ethereal Plane when you are on the Material Plane and vice versa. Mindless undead do have the original soul or the soul of another dead, but are still temporary and are laid to rest once their job is done. The work put into this has been off-and-on since the campaign itself has been on hold for a year, but I am satisfied with my . Connect and share knowledge within a single location that is structured and easy to search. Those unknowing of him may try to don the armor, only to become possessed by him as long as they wear the armor. She starts to curiously observe the people from afar who did it, and the more goodness she sees the more she is motivated to have hope. The target must succeed on a DC 20 Constitution saving throw or be paralyzed for 1 minute. Her undead body is no longer, but her ghost remains in Spellgaurd. Knowledge is their passion, knowledge is their raison-d'etre. If you are playing in an evil campaign, non-evil undead can be interesting foes. Tons of reasons. The Monster Manual lists the alignment of a Lich as 'Any Evil,' but it also tells DMs that this is the 'Default' and they should be willing to. 3. The spartoi can be killed in this state if it takes cumulative massive damage, is attacked with a critical hit, or takes more than 20 damage from a magical weapon. Heavy Crossbow. What should I follow, if two altimeters show different altitudes? A Lich is a very specific being, distinct from a supercomputer with a brain upload, a. Hunting down evil undead and necromancers can provide an opportunity for an alliance to form between undead hunters and undead undead hunters. This template covers the very basics of what it means to be a vampire, so the benefits and costs are minimal. The church grim will do its best to scare and fight off intruders such as grave robbers and unscrupoulus necromancers. Baelnorn are elves who have sought undeath to serve their families, communities, or other purposes (usually to see a wrong righted, or to achieve a certain magical discovery or deed). Unearthed Arcana also offers up the Revenant Sub-Race: @guildsbounty That one perma-kills you when you finish your quest, and doesn't feel very party-friendly to me. Nyx has a pool of healing power that she can use to restore a total of 70 hit points. Immortal Souls. Necrotic Blessing (3/Day). If you fall to 0 hit points again, you have advantage on death saving throws, if you die, you are no longer possessed. It takes 5 (1d8) force damage if it ends its turn inside an object unless it intends to inhabit or move that object. So it goes. The ritual isn't used often because of these limitations, and has only been used in desperation such as when a kingdom is too depleted (most likely due to the dragon) to afford adequate resurrection and more troops. However, despite all his undead "gifts", a baelnorn (like a lich) counts his vast intellect, his supreme mastery of wizardry and limitless time to research and plan, as his greatest resources. Example: Ezzie's ordeal has taken a toll on her natural gnome resistances and cunning she looses the Gnome Cunning trait. Armor Class 17 (natural armor) Older baelnorn lost most of their hair, bulk, and even skin, appearing as little more than skeletons, although they would not degrade further than this. In one official 5e adventure (not gonna spoil!) If the creature cannot move any farther, it must use their Dodge action. As an option you may have the following trait instead of Sunlight Sensitivity and cannot have Sunlight Hypersensitivity as your additional vampire weakness: Nocturnal. Dexter strikes me as Lawful Evil. Your reasons vary, perhaps you have unfinished business, seek revenge, or still cannot accept that you died. Her spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 17, +9 to hit with spell attacks). The process that creates and sustains a lich requires them to destroy the souls of others. They can be found among the objects they dillgently guard and care for and will do what they can to make sure such treasures do not fall into decay. Little did she know that each bite would "taint" her body in some way slowly. How does an undead cope with seeing themselves stagnate, yet the world around them, and the social connections constantly change? As normal, you can't increase an ability score above 20 using this feature. 3rd Edition Statistics[2][3] Humanoid This spell may activate if you die due to a circumstance that skips death saving throws, but your body must remain intact enough to be useful or else the possession does not work and the spell cannot be activated. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5ft, one target. The ritual to become an archlich is long and painful, and one has to go through periods of time depriving one's self of certain pleasures. She tried to venture into the surface world cities looking for a place for her to settle and study the arcane, but there was still that prejudice that barred her. The church grim can move through other creatures and objects as if they were difficult terrain. At first I was shocked and scared of such a being that was obviously undead, but my mother reassured me that he is a guardian of knowledge to the elves, his undeath is a holy gift rarely given to elves by the gods; it is his sacred duty to remember and record events that will be history so that the knowledge and lessons learned will not be forgotten with generations to come. If the gods become involved in this debate it could even threaten to shatter many faiths or the cosmos as a whole. Tarian would conceal his undeath underneath clothes and herbs to move into the city that slaughtered the necromancer to find more answers. You are now proficient with Constitution saving throws and gain proficiency in Arcana (Intelligence). When the living and undead openly interact, it may change laws and customs to adjust. You do not require food, drink, or air, at least not in the same way the living do. Also, my basic concept is that the Baelnorn is corrupted in an otherwordly manner. The baelnorn uses its Example: Ezzie was killed in an adventure from a green dragon's poisonous breath, but was not eaten. He had a wife and children who loved him. First off,as others have pointed out, to become a Lich you must undergo an extremely evil process. You regain consciousness the next turn after this spell activates. Hit: 15 (1d8 + 10) piercing damage, or 16(1d10 + 10) slashing damage if used with two hands. The only way a death knight can escape such a fate is to redeem itself. Ghoul Stride. The damage increases by 1d8 if the target is a fiend. Claw Attack. Some of them have magical powers, but most are unintelligent and lack any society or language. You use this trait a number of times equal to your Constitution modifier, and regain expended uses after a short or long rest. One might be able to use magic to somewhat restore these pleasures however. When a creature attacks a target Nyx can see within 5 feet of her excluding herself, she can impose disadvantage on the attack roll as long as she has a shield equipped. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5ft., one target. The target's hit point maximum is reduced by an amount equal to the necrotic damage dealt, and you regain hit points equal to that amount of damage. Nyx was the only slain in that battle to be able to rise back to the world of the livingbut as a vampire, still thirsting for the blood of her enemies and those who would dare try to destroy her homeland, and those who commit great evils. If your undead type is immune to being charmed or made to fall asleep, it will be redundant with racial traits like Fey Ancestry. Most archliches are wizards, but there have been instances of clerics or warlocks becomeing archliches. These undead see undeath as something closer to life than to death, an undead creature is not a walking corpse, but a body refusing to die. You can frighten other creatures to paralysis with your glare. Archliches understand that they may be targetted by do-gooder adventurers who belive them to be evil liches, or agents of gods who despise the undead, or worse gods or demon lords who despise undead who aren't under their influence. Putting Skaven from Warhammer into D&D 5e v2.0. Ethereal Sight. What could such a settlement be like? 3rd level (2 slots): aura of vitality, revivify Aside from these adjustments, there can also be rules and regulations on necromancers and other creatures who can tamper with the undead: A necromancer may only attempt to control undead who are already under control of another creature, and seek to release control of that undead after it is no longer nessiscary. Legendary Resistance (3/Day). They are foe to both the do-gooders who seek to vanquish all undead with extreme prejudice and those who seek to use undeath to enslave others and bring ruin to the world. Turn Living or Undead. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5ft., one target. That means that for the time being, all liches are evil subject to a DM ruling otherwise at a given table. Stack Exchange network consists of 181 Q&A communities including Stack Overflow, the largest, most trusted online community for developers to learn, share their knowledge, and build their careers. Powerful forces of evil that lord over undeath can see non-evil undead as threats to their own rule and thus seek to eliminate them. There are many who wish to play undead characters, and some options have appeared in D&D and in other game systems. Your bite attack targets one creature within a range of 5 feet, and uses your Dexterity modifier to hit. 3rd level (3 slots): animate dead, counterspell, dispel magic, fireball These spirits may have already consorted with creatures of the inner or outer planes or gods without fully becoming extraplanar creatures yet. Undeath that is more reliable than other means of extension of self can be embraced to carry out long term goals and watch their legacies unfold. If she travels, she will hide a casket inside a bag of holding. Almost all of the green elf Audark clan were wiped out fighting Venominhandar in 249DR. After Venom's mate was killed 33 years later, the twelve remaining Audarks, in their grief, appealed to the high mages of Cormanthor to become baelnorns. The spartoi makes two melee attacks. A given action can be chosen only once during a turn unless otherwise specified. Some undead creatures abhor other undead creatures, so any class features such as paladin class features that give bonuses to targeting undead may not break the theme of the character. Something happened though; your original soul returned and now you inhabit the remains of your body, locked in a form that inspires dread to others even if you don't intend to. Example: Being more active at night, Ezzie's druidic magic has increased her affinity to creatures like bats, spiders, moths, and cats. The baelnorn regains spent legendary actions at the start of its turn. The baelnorn can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options below. The OP wanted a solution for how to create a good lich. In another published adventure, there is a lich who is in very bad shape due to not feeding his phylactery but can be restored with a certain spell without the need to sacrifice any souls, though he is evil, the incident shows there may be another way. This way of mediating a player character's undeath is by replacing racial traits and exchanging them for traits from undead types; that is the type of undead the player character has become if they choose to be a specific type of undead. The archlich can also cast speak with dead at will without spending a spell slot. The redeemed death knight adds 6 to the AC of another creature within 5 ft. of it that it can see against one melee attack that would hit that creature. Common, Elven A necropolis might have no vegetation and be blighted, however it is entirely possible for one to have some vegetation for decoration or as a resource for making items. If the target is a Medium or smaller creature, it must succeed on a DC 15 Strength saving throw of be knocked prone. Sunlight Vulnerability. Good or neutral characters tend to answer this question also being about power, but moreso a sign of dedication to a greater cause than any sort of megalomaniac goals. By the time the world became more accepting, and she found a more accepting place that would teach her, she was already well past her prime. Hit: 10 (3d6) cold damage. For more information, please see our They were called spartoi in legend, but the name still applied to skeletal undead created by a ritual that either was the one in the legend, or inspired by the legend, which came first is lost to history. Darkvision. Dragonborn can have necrotic breath weapons, eladrin are locked in winter, fire genasi are more reminiscent of smoke than fire, tieflings are resistant to necrotic damage if their undead type does not are some good examples. You may choose to reanimate the creature with the necropolitan features listed in page (xx). Racial Traits: You can add racial traits to an NPC. Replace them with the undead type's resistances and immunities in addition to the basic undead immunity to poison condition and poison damage. Bone Attack. Sometimes significantly. The projection cannot attack (but may still cast spells that deal damage) or carry solid objects. Undead Pack Tactics. The baelnorn may also attempt to summon one shambling mound with a 40 percent chance of success. It took centuries to earn his trust, but he was there when the town was under seige, he was there when a plaugue struck the land, and he was there when an evil lich launched an undead army to the town. Protection. So I want to create a stat block for a Baelnorn in 5e. In addition, you have resistance to cold, lightning and necrotic damage; immunity to poison damage; and immunity to the poisoned condition. So here are the Skaven stat blocks I've been working on. Spellcasting. If Tarian is tracking other creatures, he can learn their exact number, their sizes, and how long ago they passed through an area. Ancient Necromancy. Example: Ezzie would have lost her natural forest gnome dexterity, but as a wight it has only enhanced it, so her forest gnome bonus of +1 Dexterity has become a higher +2 bonus to Dexterity as a wight. Before you say, "What? Most undead that heroes encounter are hostile enemies to take down, so how would non-evil undead work in a campaign? Focused Conjuration. Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, range 100/400 fr., one target. Your party has been hired to find the culprit. It may not happen for centuries, millennia, or even millions of years, but it could still happen eventually. Organizations and settlements have to be vigilant about the possibility of spies in their midst who may heed to such powers, even those who are fully sapient for there are foul undead who serve tyranny at their own will. History[5] If an elf wished to become a baelnorn, it had to be for their clan's benefit, and the Coronal, the High Mages, and the elders of the clan had to agree. This back cover can serve as an easy to find, easy to read place for you to do just that. The inhabitants are former undead minions hiding from the evil necromancer that rose and enslaved them. He infiltrated the city of Luskan, brought a kind of order to its lawlessness, and declared himself its secret lord. [5][7], Baelnorns had the unique power to send a wraith-like projection of themselves out to meet with or converse with others, or to scout an area. Statblock5e provides an easy way to display a creature statblock that looks almost exactly like the statblocks from the 5th edition D&D Monster Manual. The existence of good liches is harder to justify with the new requirement that liches feed souls to their phylacteries, yet there is still hope for them. Here are some ideas and hooks. In most D&D settings, no, there cannot be a non-evil lich because nearly-all undead are innately evil and the lich in particular is generally well known for being super-evil. Turn Resistance. Your type changes to undead. For example, it could put mortals in a paralyzed state of hibernation with a touch, making them seem dead to others, and could, through their typically powerful magical spells, summon other lesser undead as well as turn undead. Undead who may spread disease might be given accommodation to control disease spread, or be restricted away from the living. The berries wither and rot away if they have not been consumed within 24 hours of the casting of this spell. This is what happened with a certain ghoul in an evil necromancers horde of undead. 6th level (2 slots): contingency, globe of invulnerability, investitude of flame You find out that the holy relic was used to slay an evil lich centuries ago; paranoia and panic is starting to spread in the city in fear the lich lord has somehow returned. Mr. Bodoni can disattach a limb he is not using at the moment such as a leg, arm, or even just a hand, and wield it as a melee weapon that causes bludgeoning damage. If a magical effect is made to exclude undead from its effects such as antilife shell, they still do not count as undead. You cannot gain any new equipment unless it is specifically designed for incorporeal creatures. Celestials are creatures native to the Upper Planes. Later it also appeared in the same 3e book Monsters of Faern as the baelnorn did and both were described on the same page. You gain proficiency in Stealth if you are not proficient already. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5ft., one target. Evil necromancers may desire to control spirits of the dead or force them from the afterlife. Hit 6 (1d6 + 3) piercing damage. Due to this difference, the abilities and characteristics of an archlich slightly differ. The gaurdian spirit is invisible, but can cease being invisible and back at will. The archlich rolls a d8 and regains a spell slot of that level or lower. Divine Smite. Hit: 5 (1d10) piercing damage, (Yes, the restless champion is so metal it can use a greatsword in one hand, but with a penalty.). No other green elves subsequently became baelnorns, so it was unknown whether all green elves would undergo a similar transformation or if this was a unique occurrence.[31]. Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. A Breath Weapon that deals 2d6 damage of the same type of the resistance above, and this damge increases to 3d6 for a Dragonborn of CR 6, 4d6 to CR 11, and 5d6 to CR 16 or higher . The Order does allow members to form seemingly independent adventuring parties with undead members, in hopes that having undead heroes will inspire people to have a better opinion of them, and to send a message to the evil undead and necromancers that they will not be representative of undead and necromancy. Personality Traits: You dont need a working body to enjoy life, you just gotta be humerus! Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5ft., one target. I use 'her' for the Lich as it feels more natural to me (it's feminine in french) there is no other reason. Hit: 6 (1d6 +3) piercing damage. *Conjuration spell of 1st level or higher. Perhaps her original reason for living forever was eternal love and she realizes it's warped and stupid. Add details and clarify the problem by editing this post. Hi @LeRoiduSilence, and welcome to the site! If your hand is also thrown, alone or with your arm, it can move back to you at a speed of 10 ft. -What would you grant your players if they go down that path, in order to keep it interesting and balanced? Fortunately the city is rather cosmopolitanthere is a weird person in each corner of the city, and Mr. Bodoni wears an amulet that protects him against turning and smites. It may seem cowardly or selfish to deny death to some, but others would insist its only a natural or a well-deserved reaction depending on what goes on the outer planes. Cookie Notice Perhaps she only has one year, or a few months and in that case that's also interesting from a roleplay point of view; because for all we know what awaits a lich after death is not pleasant in the least. Failure to do so causes you to loose 1 Intelligence and 1 Constitution for each day you go without eating your requirement of carrion. 4th level (1 slot): staggering smite. An archlich is a powerful spellcaster of any humanoid race, whom like the evil-aligned lich has chosen to pursue immortality by becoming a powerful undead being. Another possibility is to trade it for turn or command resistance against such abilities. As an undead creature, most attempts to heal you fail. 8th level (1 slot): antimagic field You release a bonechilling mist that makes the living feel dead. Evil never rests, and thus there are some champions who fight against it whose sheer will never let them rest either. Turn Living or Undead. Soon she would prove herself worthy and open the door for other half-orcs. She became twice rare, a half-orc and undead, but she would be proud of it. The idea of transcending mortality for some can be very compelling and even spiritual. 9th level (1 slot): time stop. There are jobs that undead can do that are too hazardous to the living. Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, range 100/400 ft., one target. They will use their status and connections to help an undead seek a mutually beneficial solution, for example if a neutral-aligned ghoul has been terrorizing people in a village, a member will re-locate the ghoul and help it temper its hunger; the villagers will be told the ghoul has been killed. Regeneration. Perhaps if she wasn't killed, she would have become corrupted with the evil essence of the Abyss. You are immune to being exhausted and immune to being poisoned. 2nd level (3 slots): hold person, lesser restoration You sever the forces that bind an undead creature under control. She still retains her +2 in Intelligence as it is a basic gnome racial trait. Incorporeal Movement. Can my evil pirate character remain evil under the new Adventurers League rules? This can cause some ire in heirs, especially when it comes to royalty; a king may become a lich to secure his place on the throne, which would encourage other royalty to kill him for the throne if he isnt planning on letting it go. 7th level (2 slots): project image, teleport Need to come up with a compelling story/character development based reason for this in-character goal. lf she takes radiant damage, this trait doesn't function at the start of her next turn. A sending can push against or move small things, so it may push its finger through sand or ashes to write a message, or turn a page of an open book, but it has insufficient mass to carry things. Baelnorn Condition Immunities: Blinded Charmed Deafened Exhaustion Frightened Grappled Incapacitated Invisible Paralyzed Petrified Poisoned Prone Restrained Stunned Unconscious. This guide assumes a soul is a type of spirit, and when it comes to discussing the spirits of the dead, the two are interchangeable. Magic Resistance. Defend. Baelnorn are extremely rare, but well revered members of elven communities who became undead through a consensus by elven leaders and permission from the elven gods. The redeemed death knight has a pool of healing power that it can use to restore a total of 95 hit points. Many baelnorn not only can wield power over undead, but some who were highly attuned to nature in life continue doing so despite their "unnatural" existence. Only one legendary action option can be used at a time and only at the end of another creature's turn. Then lastly there will be some guidelines on adjusting class features to undead characters. and the nobles around have been scrambling to hide her vampirism for the populace knowing that she had become a vampire would make everyone riot to kill her. She brought me to see an ancient, withered figure, clad in the finest of robes and ornamentation that rivaled nobles. Mindless undead that somehow do have the soul of the individual are treated with respect. The only good undead is a slain one!" Only a god of righteous giant predatory creatures can appreciate such a thing. What were the most popular text editors for MS-DOS in the 1980s? Maybe even those who did not choose to be undead eventually find a strange sort of gnosis or peace in being undead and so do not wish to be resurrected for real. The description in the MM seems to indicate that yes, all liches are necessarily evil: Wizards that seek lichdom must make bargains with fiends, evil gods, Obviously it's up to your GM to accept it.. or not =). P.S. If damage reduces the archlich to 0 hit The Knights of the Restless have to remain hidden in most parts of the world due to the already high stigma placed on undead in many places, so they do operate in cells and smaller groups dedicated to to their cause in a local area.