Demilich, Advanced

Tiny undead, neutral evil

Armor Class 21 (natural armor)
Hit Points 172 (23d4 + 115)
Speed 0 ft., fly 30 ft. (hover)

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
10 (+0)	10 (+0)	20 (+5)	23 (+6)	20 (+5)	23 (+6)

Saving Throws Constitution +12, Intelligence +13, Wisdom +12
Skills Arcana +13, History +13, Perception +12, Religion +13
Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from magic weapons
Damage Immunities necrotic, poison, psychic; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical weapons
Condition Immunities charmed, deafened, exhaustion, frightened, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, prone, stunned
Senses truesight 120 ft., passive Perception 22
Languages All, telepathy 120 ft.
Challenge 24 (62,000 XP)

Special Traits

• Annulment. If the demi-lich is subjected to an effect that allows it to make a saving throw to take only half damage, it instead takes no damage if it succeeds on the saving throw, and only half damage if it fails.
• Legendary Resistance (3/day). If the demi-lich fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead.
• Spellcasting. The demi-lich is an 18th level spellcaster. Its spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 21, +13 to hit with spell attacks). It has the following 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): acid arrow, detect thoughts, invisibility, 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 slot): disintegrate, globe of invulnerability
• 7th level (1 slot): finger of death, plane shift
• 8th level (1 slot): dominate monster, power word stun
• 9th level (1 slot): power word kill
• Turn Immunity. The demi-lich is immune to effects that turn undead.

Actions

• Drain Life. Each non-undead creature within 10 feet of the demi-lich must make a DC 17 Constitution saving throw against this magic, taking 21 (6d6) necrotic damage, and the demi-lich regains hit points equal to the total dealt to all targets.
• Soul Shatter (Recharge 6). The demi-lich emits a string of vile words of power. All creatures within 30 feet of the demi-lich that it can see must succeed on a DC 17 Constitution saving throw or drop to 0 hit points. On a successful save, the creature takes 22 (4d10) psychic damage and is frightened until the end of its next turn.

Legendary Actions

The demi-lich can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options below. Only one legendary action option can be used at a time and only at the end of another creature’s turn. The demi-lich regains spent legendary actions at the start of its turn.

• Flight. The demi-lich can move up to its full movement speed and does not invoke opportunity attacks while doing so.
• Bone Dust. Blinding bone dust swirls magically around the demi-lich. Each creature within 5 feet of the demi-lich must succeed on a DC 17 Constitution saving throw or be blinded until the end of the creature’s next turn.
• Frightening Glare (Costs 2 Actions). The demi-lich targets one creature it can see within 60 feet of it. If the target can see the demilich, it must succeed on a DC 17 Wisdom saving throw against this magic or become frightened until the end of the demi-lich’s next turn. If the target fails the saving throw by 5 or more, it is also paralyzed for the same duration. A target that succeeds on the saving throw is immune to the Dreadful Glare effect for the next 24 hours.
• Profane Curse (Costs 3 Actions). The demi-lich targets one creature it can see within 30 feet of it. The target must succeed on a DC 17 Wisdom saving throw or be magically cursed. Until the curse ends, the target has disadvantage on ability checks, attack rolls, and saving throws. The target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the curse on a success.

About

What at first appears to be a simple uninteresting humanoid skull suddenly rises from its resting place, turning slowly in your direction to reveal gems inset in its eye sockets and jaw, and releasing a maniacal cackle.

A demi-lich is an advanced lich of great power. When the life force of a lich ceases to exist and the material body finally decays (often after centuries of undeath), the soul lingers in the area and slowly over time possesses all that remains of the lich – its skull. The eye sockets and teeth of a demi-lich-possessed skull transform into clear gemstones (each worth 1,000 gp). The skull contains a single gemstone in each eye socket and six gems in place of its teeth.

A demi-lich rarely if ever wanders from its place of origin (i.e., the final resting place of its body when it was a true lich). Content to remain hidden and oblivious to the outside world, a demi-lich spends its time contemplating its past life, its accomplishments, as yet unachieved goals, and exploring strange mysteries of the cosmos. These creatures are solitary by nature and rarely associate with other creatures, including other undead unless it is employing such creatures to further some unfinished goal.

Demi-lich lairs are usually well-hidden dungeons and caverns consisting of winding corridors, deadly pitfalls, and intricate traps (some that would even bring a tear to Grimmy’s eye).

A demi-lich appears as a simple humanoid skull seated amid a pile of bones and dust. In each eye socket is a single gemstone, and in its mouth, in place of its teeth, are six more gemstones.

A demi-lich sits idly in its lair until touched or bothered at which point it rises vertically and uses its wail of the banshee power against the opponent it deems most threatening. On its next turn, the demi-lich uses its trap the soul ability against an opponent. It spends the remainder of combat alternating between its wail of the banshee, bestow curse, and trap the soul abilities.