Kelganth
CREATURE 19Male tomb giant lich
A wizard whose insatiable desire for arcane power eclipsed their mortal life, the lich is a truly devious and versatile spellcaster.
To gain more time to complete their goals, some desperate spellcasters pursue immortality by embracing undeath. After long years of research and the creation of a special container called a phylactery, a spellcaster takes the final step by imbibing a deadly concoction or casting dreadful incantations that transform them into a lich. While most undertake this drastic plan to continue their work or fulfill some long-term plan, others become liches because they fear death or to fulfill some malevolent purpose, such as long-sworn revenge. Regardless, the result is permanent and carries with it the potential to alter history-both that of those who transform themselves and of the countless mortals that will inevitably suffer as a result of a lich's new power.
After its metamorphosis, a lich often finds some quiet place to dwell, typically protected by a variety of guardians and traps, for two primary purposes. First, a lich requires solitude in order to plan its elaborate schemes, and second, few mortals (if any) deign to interact with these legendarily corrupt necromancers. One reason begets the other, as the self-imposed isolation of a lich often drives the lich insane, further solidifying its separation from civilization. The longer a lich lives, the more meticulous a planner it becomes, secreting itself within a labyrinth of deadly puzzles, misdirection, and monsters. A lich's servants and guardians are absolutely loyal, either due to their nature (such as constructs or other undead) or as a result of compulsion using powerful magic. Many liches go mad, in time, and the nature of a lich's lair is a good indicator of the undead's current mental state.
For all the protections it arrays around itself, a lich will go to greater lengths to guard its phylactery, as it knows that the destruction of this magical container spells doom for the lich. A lich is notoriously difficult to bargain with, though the threat of damaging its phylactery is a sure way to gain the upper hand in such a negotiation.
Lifesense allows a monster to sense the vital essence of living and undead creatures within the listed range. The sense can distinguish between the vitality energy animating living creatures and the void energy animating undead creatures, much as sight distinguishes colors.
60 feet. DC 43 Will
A creature that first enters the area must attempt a Will save.
Regardless of the result of the saving throw, the creature is temporarily immune to this monster's Frightful Presence for 1 minute.
Critical Success The creature is unaffected by the presence.
Success The creature is Frightened 1.
Failure The creature is Frightened 2.
Critical Failure The creature is Frightened 4.
A creature with void healing draws health from void energy rather than vitality energy. It is damaged by vitality damage and is not healed by vitality healing effects. It does not take void damage, and it is healed by void effects that heal undead.
The tomb giant turns the spiritual tide on a creature that has just died, temporarily transforming it into a volatile vessel of void energy. The tomb giant touches a creature that died in the past 24 hours, infusing its flesh and bone with void energy. Once during the next hour, the tomb giant can spend a single action (from any distance) to release this void energy from the corpse in an explosion that deals 11d12 void damage in a 15-foot burst (DC 41 basic Fortitude); if not released before the end of the hour, the energy dissipates harmlessly. The tomb giant can't use Font of Death while a previous corpse remains infused.
A creature damaged by Kelganth's hand Strike is Doomed 1 and must succeed at a DC 41 Fortitude save. The creature becomes Paralyzed for 1 round on a failure. On a critical failure, the creature is paralyzed permanently, falls Prone, and seems dead. A DC 25 Medicine check reveals that the victim is alive.
If a reaction would disrupt Kelganth's spellcasting action, he attempts a DC 15 flat check. On a success, the action isn't disrupted.
The monster picks up a rock within reach or retrieves a stowed rock and throws it, making a ranged Strike.