Background was a cave system with very limited resources (previously few dead bodies to spare) and the Lich was both rather low on the power scale and Artificer-themed (so no "just spellcasting the party to death) and a Kobold.
So he fought/thought more like an engineer, not a powerful necromancer.
Highlights included:
Lair filled with Carbon Monoxide (I let the party notice symptoms and retreat, it was more of an area dental tool than a trap)
freezing the flooded exit tunnel so the party had to tunnel through ice, making them vulnerable to an ambush
installing an artifact that would flash-freeze said flooded tunnel with the party inside
a “main entry” labyrinth to the lair that was rigged to collapse
a side entry with a hidden, massive door that tried to crush the party and did manage to separate them
one-time sigils that would create a zone of Web, Darkness and, again, flash-freeze the intruders (and the undead defenders delaying them)
a remote body with his true body walled off in a tunnel behind the wall it can escape even if it loses
Seriously though I love your ideas. This is what really frustrates me about high level play. At that point your enemies aren’t only powerful they tend to be incredibly intelligent. If you play your liches and dragons smart the party shouldn’t even stand a chance unless they are overwhelmingly powerful or happen to catch the enemy way off guard.
Or perhaps I’m just not clever enough to make that work lol.
I literally ran this for my group just now.
Background was a cave system with very limited resources (previously few dead bodies to spare) and the Lich was both rather low on the power scale and Artificer-themed (so no "just spellcasting the party to death) and a Kobold.
So he fought/thought more like an engineer, not a powerful necromancer.
Highlights included:
Lair filled with Carbon Monoxide (I let the party notice symptoms and retreat, it was more of an area dental tool than a trap)
freezing the flooded exit tunnel so the party had to tunnel through ice, making them vulnerable to an ambush
installing an artifact that would flash-freeze said flooded tunnel with the party inside
a “main entry” labyrinth to the lair that was rigged to collapse
a side entry with a hidden, massive door that tried to crush the party and did manage to separate them
one-time sigils that would create a zone of Web, Darkness and, again, flash-freeze the intruders (and the undead defenders delaying them)
a remote body with his true body walled off in a tunnel behind the wall it can escape even if it loses
a few, highly upgraded undead
Lmao
Seriously though I love your ideas. This is what really frustrates me about high level play. At that point your enemies aren’t only powerful they tend to be incredibly intelligent. If you play your liches and dragons smart the party shouldn’t even stand a chance unless they are overwhelmingly powerful or happen to catch the enemy way off guard.
Or perhaps I’m just not clever enough to make that work lol.
I’m not even your player and I already hate it, you glorious bastard!
If the players knew that carbon monoxide is flammable it could have played out quite differently.
My players loved and hated it both, but made it through without any deaths (a few death saves, though) and even got the Lich proper.