Friday, April 8, 2016

D&D 5e: Lich Lair Traits

I've mentioned this before when I talked about black dragons, but I'll say it again. I love lair actions and large-area effects of lairs of bad guys in D&D 5th edition. I find them very inspirational and interesting.

So I took it upon myself to add a couple to another creature I like - the Lich.




As written, the D&D lich has several lair actions, but no lair traits or regional traits. Here are three of each.

Lair Traits

A lich's lair might have any or all of the following effects in place.

• The first time a non-evil creature enters the tombs area, the creature takes 16 (3d10) necrotic damage.*

• Undead in a lich's lair have advantage against features that turn undead and on attacks against anyone who attempts to turn them or who has attempted to do so in the past hour.

• Healing magic is at disadvantage within the confines of the lich's lair.

Regional Traits

The region around a lich's lair is warped by the creature's undead presence, causing any or all of the following effects.

• The area around a lich's lair takes on an aspect of death; grass is browned and partly withered; trees and bushes are stunted, hollowed by rot, and browned or leafless; water is ill-tasting; animals forced to stay in the area become emaciated, sickened, and unable to eat properly.

• Dead left within 6 miles of the lich's lair rot twice as fast. Buried corpses rapidly rise to the surface even if well-buried, through unnatural storms, shifting earth, or all-too-quick wind erosion.

• Skulls seem to turn and stare at anyone within 6 miles of a lich's lair, and out of the corner of one's eye they seem to glint and glow.

If the lich is destroyed, these effects end after 2d6 days.



I think those make a lich in the area a bit more entertaining. And it's easy to mistake a demi-lich's tomb for a lich's tomb, if you pay too close attention to the damaging game effects . . .

* This is identical to a demi-lich's effect, so that taking necrotic damage isn't a clue to the nature of the lich within.

5 comments:

  1. Healing magic does not usually require a d20 roll to hit, so giving it disadvantage doesn't really seem to do anything.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The intent was roll twice take the lower for healing rolls.

      Delete
  2. Nice. I just did anyone receiving Healing Magic must make a DC15 CHA save or the effect fails.

    ReplyDelete
  3. This is perfect, exactly what I’ve been looking for! Always thought it was weird that vampires and dragons had regional effects, but not liches. Thank you!

    ReplyDelete

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