Rings of the Archlich (5e Equipment)

The Rings of the Archlich

Wondrous Item, artifact (requires attunement by a warlock)

There was once a young man who had struck an infernal pact with a succubus, believing it was the only way he could gain the power he needed to battle the forces of evil that was plaguing his world. Over the years he earned the reputation as a great monster hunter, but no matter how much he tried, he never found the satisfaction he so desperately craved. Realizing his time was coming to an end, he used his mastery of dark magic to turn himself into an archlich in order to extend his existence and carry on his life's work.

Prior to his transformation, however, he had created a powerful artifact—which would later come to be known as the rings of the archlich—as a precursor to his bid for immortality; an experiment that lead to the creation of his first phylactery. Once he had transmogrified himself into his new form, he sought out someone worthy to carry on his good work, gifting him his beloved relic. It has been passed down to others, stolen, and otherwise claimed by many others since then. It's current whereabouts are unknown.

It's name is a bit of misnomer. The rings of the archlich are actually a single item; a silver bracelet connecting to five rings by a number of links that resemble finger bones. It is designed to be worn on the left—and only the left—hand, and it has the power to adjust to the size of any hand it is placed on despite how it looked before.

Random Properties. The Rings of the Archlich has the following random properties:

• 2 minor beneficial properties
• 1 major beneficial property

Aura of Palpable Evil. For as long as you are attuned to and wearing the rings, you give off a palpable aura of evil (as an undead creature). While this has no mechanical effect, you do cause spells and effects such as a paladin's divine sense or a detect evil and good spell to give a (potentially) false reading if you are within their radius. Such effects are unable to pinpoint you exactly even if they normally could, but your presence registers nevertheless.

Broadened Arcana. While wearing the rings, the duration of any divination or transmutation spells you cast upon yourself is doubled. You also gain proficiency with the Arcana skill, or expertise if you already possess it. Lastly, you may choose one cantrip from any spell list when first attuning to the rings, and you may cast as if it were one of your warlock cantrips.

Eyes of the Damned. You gain the Devil's Sight eldritch invocation, granting you the ability to see normally in any kind of darkness out to a range of 120 feet. If you already possess this invocation, you may choose another eldritch invocation in its place that you meet the prerequisites for. If the rings of the archlich are destroyed or you lose attunement to it, you lose access to this invocation.

Glamered Guise. You gain the Mask of Many Guises eldritch invocation, granting you the ability to use disguise self at will. You can use this invocation to only affect the rings, allowing them to assume the appearance of any type of handwear you can imagine. As normal, these changes to appearance are superficial and they do not change the weight and functionality of anything they affect.

Guarded Essence. While attuned to the rings, your Constitution increases to 20 unless it is already 20 or higher. You also gain proficiency with Constitution saving throws if you are not already.

Mood Swings. Each morning at dawn while you are attuned to the rings and actively wearing them, one of your personality traits randomly changes by rolling on the table below. This trait override any conflicting personality trait, ideal, bond, or flaw. You can choose which of your two traits is overriden each morning.

Phylactery of Life. If you die while attuned to and wearing the rings of the archlich, your soul enters it unless it already houses one. You can choose to remain in the rings, respond to (or refuse) a resurrection attempt, or depart to the afterlife. As long as your soul is in the rings, you can telepathically communicate with any creature within 5 feet of it. They cannot prevent this telepathic communication. For as long as your soul is contained within the rings, you can be brought back to life with spells such as revivify or resurrection without requiring a material component. If your body has been destroyed, nothing short of a true resurrection, wish, divine intervention, or similar magic can bring you back to life. You can remain within the rings for up to 100 years, after which your soul automatically departs for the afterlife.

Shielded Hand. The rings of the archlich can act as a physical shield. While attuned to them, you gain a bonus to your Armor Class equal to one-half your proficiency bonus, rounded down. This is in addition to the normal AC bonus of a shield. You can complete the somatic component of your spells while wearing the rings in the same way that the War Caster feat allows you to do so while wielding a normal shield, though this benefit does not extend to other shields or weapons unless you possess said feat. You are considered proficient with the rings as a shield even if you are not normally proficient with shields.

Spellguardian. You gain a +1 bonus to saving throws while attuned to the rings. In addition, anyone casting a dispel magic directed at you, a spell you cast, or any item currently in your possession has the DC of their casting ability check increased by your Charisma modifier. You may also cast counterspell or a dispel magic spell of your own once without using a spell slot. You can't do so again until you finish a short or long rest.

Strengthened Pact. Your bond with your otherworldly patron strengthens while wearing the rings. You gain a bonus to the attack rolls, damage rolls, and saving throw DCs of your warlock cantrips, spells, and arcanuum equal to one-half your proficiency bonus (rounded down). The rings may also act as an arcane focus for your warlock cantrips, spells, and arcanuum.

Tongue of the Damned. You can read, write, and speak Abyssal while attuned to the rings. You can also cast tongues without expanding a spell slot. Once you use this feature, you cannot do so again until after you finish a short or long rest

The Unseen. While attuned to the rings, you are under the continuous protection of a nondetection spell, rendering you immune to divination magic such as locate creature or true seeing, or being perceived through magical scrying sensors.
Destroying the Rings of the Archlich. To destroy the rings of the archlich, it must first be empty of any soul it may be housing. Next, you must persuade, trick, or otherwise convince a lich to use its paralyzing touch upon the artifact. If done willingly by both the currently attuned owner and the lich, the touch automatically succeeds and renders the rings vulnerable for 24 hours. The rings must then be freely given to an evil outsider. If they accept the "gift", it explodes in a hellish spectacle, dealing 20d10 fire damage to anyone within 30 feet of it, destroying the rings in the process.

Mood Swing Personality Traits

2d6 Roll	Personality Trait
2	I have become obsessed with tracking down and slaying a monster. If I hear so much as a rumor that one may be near, I will forsake whatever it is I'm doing to hunt it down, and I will not be satisfied until at least one is laying dead beneath my boot.
3-5	It's an achievement to bring down these beasts, and I deserve to display my triumphs. I collect and proudly show off the trophies of my quarry, grotesque as many of them may be.
6-8	I don't know what came over me... (The last trait you replaced returns to its previous descriptor.)
9-10	I often find myself mimicking the sounds and speech of animals and monstrosities alike, consciously or not.
11-12	I have pursued and immersed myself in the habits of my quarry so often that I have adopted some of their behaviors.

4.00

(one vote)

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