AC 20 (natural armor)
HP 159 (29d4 + 87; bloodied 79)
Speed 0 ft., fly 30 ft. (hover)
Proficiency +6; Maneuver DC 21
Saving Throws Str +6, Con +9, Int +13, Wis +12, Cha +11
Skills Arcana +13, Perception +12, Stealth +13
Damage Immunities necrotic, poison, psychic; damage from nonmagical weapons
Condition Immunities charmed , deafened , fatigue , frightened , paralyzed , petrified , poisoned , prone , stunned
Senses truesight 60 ft., passive Perception 22
Languages understands the languages it knew in life but doesn’t speak
Avoidance. If the demilich makes a saving throw against an effect that deals half damage on a success, it takes no damage on a success and half damage on a failure.
Legendary Resistance (5/Day). If the demilich fails a saving throw , it can choose to succeed instead. When it does so, one of the five tiny warding gems set on its forehead or teeth shatters.
Undead Nature. A demilich doesn’t require air, sustenance, or sleep.
ACTIONS
Devour Soul. The demilich targets one creature within 120 feet, forcing it to make a DC 17 Wisdom saving throw . On a success, or if all the large soul gems on the demilich’s skull are occupied, the creature takes 40 necrotic damage, and the demilich regains the same number of hit points. If the target fails its saving throw and there is at least one unoccupied soul gem on the demilich’s skull, the demilich regains 40 hit points, and the target dies instantly. Its soul is trapped in a soul gem on the demilich’s skull, visible as a tiny, creature-shaped mote of light. While its soul is trapped, a creature can’t be restored to life by any means. A soul that remains in a soul gem for 30 days is destroyed forever. If the demilich is defeated and a soul gem crushed, the creature is restored to life if its body is within 100 miles. A creature that succeeds on a saving throw against this effect is immune to it for 24 hours.
A demilich begins combat with one or two empty soul gems.
LEGENDARY ACTIONS
The demilich can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options below. Only one legendary action can be used at a time and only at the end of another creature's turn. The demilich regains spent legendary actions at the start of its turn.
Cranial Transposition. The dust surrounding the demilich falls to the ground. The demilich and a nonmagical, unattended skull within 30 teleport, switching places. Until the demilich moves or attacks, it is indistinguishable from a nonmagical skull, and the dust composing the demilich’s wraithlike body doesn’t reform around it.
Dust Storm (Costs 2 Actions). The dust of the demilich’s body swirls in a 30-foot radius around the demilich. Each creature in the area makes a DC 17 Constitution saving throw . On a failure, the creature takes 21 (6d6) necrotic damage and is blinded until the end of its next turn. The demilich then moves up to its speed.
Ringing Laugh (Costs 2 Actions). Each creature within 60 feet that can hear the demilich makes a DC 17 Wisdom saving throw . On a failure, a creature is frightened until the end of its next turn.
Telekinesis. The demilich targets a Huge or smaller creature or an object weighing up to 1,000 pounds within 60 feet. If the target is a creature, it must succeed on a DC 17 Strength saving throw . Otherwise, the demilich moves the target up to 30 feet in any direction, including up. If another creature or object stops the target’s movement, both take 10 (3d6) bludgeoning damage. At the end of this movement, the target falls if it is still in the air, taking falling damage as normal.
Combat
The demilich stays immobile unless intruders take actions that threaten it or its treasure hoard. It then flies into the air, taking care to stay at least 50 feet above enemies. It uses Devour Soul on each of its turns, targeting its biggest threat. It uses Telekinesis and Ringing Laugh when it’s able to do so from a distance. If creatures are within 30 feet of it, it uses Dust Storm and tries to move away. When reduced to 40 hit points or fewer, it uses Cranial Transposition to swap places with a decoy skull (if one is available) to give the impression that it has been defeated. It will not willingly leave its lair.
Legends and Lore
With an Arcana or Religion check, characters can learn the following:
DC 15 A demilich is what remains of a lich after all but the skull has crumbled to dust. It has forgotten its spells but is still dangerous.
DC 20 A demilich can trap a creature’s soul in a gem set on its skull. Destroying the gem is the only way to rescue the trapped creature.
Demilich Lair Features
Each demilich carefully prepares its tomb to ward off or trap intruders. Choose or roll one or more of the following lair features for the chamber containing the demilich:
1 The first time on a creature’s turn that it moves at least 5 feet without flying, it disturbs the yellow mold that covers every surface.
2 Whenever a creature other than the demilich tries to use a teleportation or planar travel effect, the effect fails, and the creature takes 22 (4d10) force damage.
3 The lair is crammed with traps of every type. If a character ends its turn without having moved, it is targeted by a trap. The trap has a +10 attack bonus and deals 10 (3d6) damage. Roll a d6 to determine the trap’s nature and damage type: 1 dart trap (poison), 2 swinging blade (slashing), 3 crossbow bolt (piercing), 4 electrified surface (lightning), 5 gout of flame (fire), 6 collapsing ceiling segment (bludgeoning, and the creature’s space becomes difficult terrain ).
4 Heaps of skulls set with false gems make the floor difficult terrain . The demilich can Hide among the skulls as a bonus action.
Sinister Riddles in a Demilich Dungeon
1 "We build castles and hold up the sea. We measure your days of mortality." (Sand)
2 “This house can be bought but the dweller won’t pay. You hope and you pray that the dweller will stay.” (coffin)
3 “The thief evades the watchman's eye, the guard dog's nose, the lich's curse. He finds the treasure, picks the lock, but he is killed by a part reversed. What killed the thief?" (trap)
4 “By the window all night weeping, with each tear your life goes seeping. Wax as you wane! What are you? Explain!” (candle)
While a lich ’s unnatural semblance of life can last for millennia, the passing centuries blunt its ambitions and crumble its bones to dust. A demilich is what remains when a lich’s body and spirit have all but decomposed, leaving behind only a gem-encrusted skull and perhaps a few bone shards. The demilich lies dormant and dreams of past glories or arcane mysteries. Only an immediate threat against itself or its treasure hoard can rouse it to unleash the arcane energies it once mastered.
Swirling Dust. When a demilich isn’t active, it is indistinguishable from an inanimate gemmed skull lying amidst bone powder. When it moves or attacks, the dust of its former body swirls around it in a wraithlike form that gestures as if casting spells.
Soul Gems and Warding Gems. An ancient lich can extend its unnatural lifespan by binding its soul to one or two flawless gems set in its skull, usually in its eye sockets. When a jeweled lich’s bones finally molder past recognition, these soul gems preserve its skull and prevent its soul from passing on.
The demilich can use these gems to trap and devour the souls of those who interrupt its repose. Each devoured soul increases the demilich’s power and prolongs its existence. A soul gem looted from a defeated demilich can be sold for 10,000 gp or more.
A demilich’s skull is often set with up to five smaller gems, often on its forehead or teeth. These gems are warded to protect the demilich against enemy spells. Each warding gem is worth 1,000 gp.
Soul Vessel. The demilich preserves the soul vessel it used as a lich —usually a small item such as a box or amulet. If the demilich is destroyed while its soul vessel survives, the demilich reforms around the vessel in 1d10 days. A demilich can be permanently defeated only by destroying its soul vessel.
Trapped Lair. Demiliches take great care to protect their final resting place. The approach to a demilich’s lair is laden with traps and patrolled by undead and construct guards. Riddles guide explorers to (or away from) the demilich’s innermost sanctum. Their lairs are often warded against teleportation and planar travel. Many demiliches fill their lairs with decoy skulls plastered with impressive-looking (but worthless) jewels.
1 A trapdoor in a tomb, ziggurat, or barrow
2 A door set in the mouth of a giant skull
3 A cryptic message etched into a wall, such as “Endless Life through the Doors of Death”
4 A riddle indicating which object contains a key to a magically locked door
Demiliches are found in well-hidden lairs in any environment.
CR 17–22 demilich
Treasure 2 gems set in skull (10,000 gp each), 40 inanimate skeletons with gemmed eyes (80 gems worth 50 gp each), mirror of life trapping (used as one of the lair’s defenses), 1 plate armor with a golden gauntlet (while attuned to the armor, the wearer can cast cure wounds at 3rd-level, 1/day)
CR 23–30 demilich with stone guardian ; demilich with 2 or 3 skeletal champions ; demilich with 1 or 2 elementals
Treasure 2 gems set in skull (10,000 gp each), 500 pp, 2,300 gp, spell scroll of plane shift , spell scroll of maze , sphere of annihilation (used as one of the lair’s defenses)
CR 31–40 Demilich Mastermind
Treasure 4 gems set in skull (50,000 gp each), Ioun stone of greater absorption