Demilich (5e Sorcerer Archetype)

## **Demilich**

Long ago, you were a powerful spellcaster, potentially one of the best around, and before you had succumbed to the foul grasps of death, you became a lich. However, in some way, you had failed to feed enough souls to your phylactery, and due to that, are rendered to just a sentient skull. Even in this state, however, your magic has not left you, and you are still a powerful spellcaster, even if your spells have weakened from your lichhood.

### **Enduring Existence**

Starting at 1st level, when you choose this origin, you are just a skull without a body. You retain any bonuses or features of your race, and are still considered to be of that race and type. You gain immunity to poison and disease, you do not require food, air, or water, and you no longer age. You can regain hit points as if you were a living creature. Your walking movement speed is 0, and cannot be increased. You have a flight (hover) speed equal to half of your movement speed plus five feet. You also count as a Tiny creature for the sake of grappling, carrying capacity, and the amount of space you take up, but otherwise count as a creature of the same size as your race.

Your spells do not have somatic components anymore, instead requiring a verbal component if the spell did not require one beforehand. You count as an arcane focus. If a creature tries to use you as an arcane focus, and acts against your wishes, you can force them to obey you. The creature must make a Wisdom saving throw against your spell save DC. On a failed saving throw, they are compelled to act as you wished during their next turn. If they succeed, they are immune to this effect for 1 minute.

Spells that can detect undead or deal additional effects to undead affect you, however healing spells do not count you as undead, and you are immune to being turned. If you exit this form, such as through *polymorph* or Wild Shape, you lose these restrictions and benefits until you transform back.

### **Sharing Magic**

At 6th level, if a creature uses you as an arcane focus, you can use your reaction to the creature casting a spell of a slot level you have to expend a spell slot of your own. This cannot be used to cast spells above 5th level.

### **Howling Death**

By 14th level, your screeches are as terrifying as a banshee's. As an action, you can spend 5 sorcery points to screech as loud as you can. Creatures within 30 feet of yourself that can hear you must make a Constitution saving throw, being frightened for 1 minute on a failure. A creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on a success.

### **Lich**

Beginning at 18th level, even without souls, your training of magic has brought back your body. As an action, you can shift between your demilich form and a humanoid form, which still appears somewhat undead. This humanoid form retains the same statistics as your demilich form, but is not subject to the penalties and benefits of being a demilich. This humanoid form appears as a member of your original race, and you cannot change how it looks after you transform into it for the first time. While in your demilich form, your flight speed is doubled.