monster

False Lich

CR 21

Medium Undead, Neutral Evil

Reveal Stat Block

Armor Class

18 (natural armor)

Hit Points

199 (21d8 + 105)

Speed

30 ft.

str

dex

con

int

wis

cha

Traits

Legendary Resistance (3/Day).If the false lich fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead.

Magic Resistance.The false lich has advantage on saving throws against spells and magical effects.

Actions

Multiattack.The false lich makes two Death Rend attacks and uses Bloodcurdling Lament if available.

Death Rend.ms 14 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. ({@damage 3d10 + 7) necrotic damage.

Bloodcurdling Lament 5.The false lich emits a hideous shriek charged with malignant energy. Each creature within 30 feet of the false lich must succeed on a 22 Wisdom saving throw or have the frightened condition for 1 minute. While frightened in this way, a creature also has the unconscious condition. An affected creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.

Legendary Actions.The creature can take 3 legendary actions...

Spiteful Teleport.The false lich, along with anything it is wearing or carrying, teleports to an unoccupied space it can see within 60 feet of itself. It then makes one Death Rend attack if possible.

Cast a Spell (Costs 2 Actions).The false lich uses Spellcasting.

False Lich

Occasionally, liches create nefarious magical copies of themselves to fool enemies, to guard treasure, or for other inscrutable reasons.

To create a false lich, a lich binds a shred of its life force to a corpse in a profane ritual. This transforms the corpse into a near-identical copy of the lich with immense necrotic power and some of its creator's arcane prowess. The creator then embeds enchanted gemstones into the corpse's eye sockets; the gems allow the false lich to trap creatures' souls and transfer the souls to its creator.

A false lich often gradually gains a sense of self-identity. While many false liches remain steadfastly loyal to their creators, others resent their creators for imprisoning and abandoning them.