The Lich's Phylactery

Paragon Artifact (Head Slot)

This small crystal skull contains the immortal soul of the lichdrow Asterlix.

Property: You gain +2 to Arcana and Dungeoneering.

Property: You gain +2 to Perception and Insight checks made against undead.

Property: You gain resist 10 necrotic.

Property: Utility Power (STD Action) * Daily

 ----- Effect: Until your next extended rest, Asterlix can answer up to 3 questions as if you had used the Consult Oracle ritual.  You can spread these questions out over the course of the day.

Background

In life, Asterlix was a minor mage of House Despana, a minor noble house in the famed drow city Menzonbarrenzan.  Dissatisfied with his lot in life, Asterlix sold his soul to Asmodeus, the King of Hell, for vast arcane powers.  But though Asterlix received the power that Asmodeus promised, he cheated the King of Hell by transforming himself into a lich, thus preventing his soul from ever passing into Hell so long as his phylactery remains intact. 

Upon his defeat in battle, Asterlix’s phylactery passes into the hands of his conquerors, becoming a powerful arcane artifact for one strong enough to wield it.

Goals

Ideally, Asterlix would like to regain control of his phylactery, reconstitute his body, and slay the phylactery’s wielder and his or her companions.  Failing that, Asterlix fears being consigned to Hell.  He will serve his phylactery’s wielder if he must in order to stay out of the hands of Asmodeus or one of the arch-devil’s ilk.  Thus, this artifact’s concordance states should not be thought of as agreement and/or liking for its possessor.  Instead, the wielder slowly comes to dominate Asterlix, gaining control of the lichdrow’s powers despite Asterlix’s best efforts to thwart the wielder’s efforts.

Use

To use the Lich’s Phylactery, one need only hold it up to one’s forehead.  The phylactery then embeds itself, melding with wielder’s skull above the brow-line.  Once emplaced, the Lich’s Phylactery is visible and obvious to casual observers.  After emplacement, the Lich’s Phylactery can only be removed only during an Extended Rest.  If its wielder removes it, the Phylactery immediately resets its Concordance score to zero.

Concordance Factors    /    Effect

 - Owner gains a Level    +1d10

 - Owner is undead          +2

 - Owner is drow               +1

 - Owner is Evil                  +1

 - Owner is a Ritual Caster     +2

 - Owner is an Arcane Class   +1
 - Owner kills a Devil    +1 (max once/day)

 - Owner is Eladrin                     -1

 - Owner is knocked unconscious by a devil (max once/day)         -2

 - Owner is planning to turn Asterlix's soul over to Asmodeus or a rival archdevil.        -5

Pleased (16+)

Property: You gain resist 15 necrotic.

Property: Attack Power (STD Action: Charm, Psychic) * Daily

-- ATK: Ranged 5 (1 creature you can see); INT, WIS, or CHA + 6 vs. Will

 ----- Hit: The TGT is stunned (save ends).

 ----- Aftereffect: The TGT is Dazed (save ends)

Satisfied (12 - 15)

Property: You gain darkvision.

Property: Attack Power (STD Action: Charm, Psychic) * Daily

-- ATK: Ranged 5 (1 creature you can see); INT, WIS, or CHA + 4 vs. Will

 ----- Hit: The TGT is Stunned to the end of your next turn.

 ----- Aftereffect: The TGT is Dazed (save ends).

Normal (5 - 11)

 - The Lich's Phylactery functions as written in the intro.

Unsatisfied (1 - 4)

Property: You gain resist 5 necrotic instead of resist 10.

 - You cannot use the Phylactery's Consult Mystic Sages property.

Angered (Concordance < 1)

Property: You gain vulnerable 5 necrotic instead of resist 10.

 - You cannot use the Phylactery's Consult Mystic Sages property.

Moving On

If the Lich’s Phylactery is Unsatisfied or Angered for more than two levels, Asterlix regains control of the artifact and uses it to reconstitute his body.  He then attempts to kill his former host and rebuild his powerbase in the most convenient local location.

If the Lich’s Phylactery is in the Normal or Satisfied state at the time when it moves on, it leaves its host with a permanent +3 to Arcana checks made during divination rituals as well as permanent necrotic resistance (resist 5 necrotic).  If the Lich’s Phylactery is Pleased, the necrotic resistance is Resist 10 instead of Resist 5.

If the Lich’s Phylactery moves on because its wielder gives it to Asmodeus or another arch-devil, the wielder still gains the permanent +3 to Arcana checks made during divination checks.  However, instead of necrotic resistance, the Arch-devil should award the wielder with fire resistance or a specific divine boon.