Level Up’s Archlich: The Mouthless One
With millions of people watching Stranger Things this month, you might be curious what the Level Up version of an archlich might look like. Well, we’re working on one for an as-yet-unannounced project, and we thought we’d give you a preview. If you want a truly challenging end boss, give it a try. Just don’t blame me if your characters learn secrets they weren’t meant to know.
The Mouthless One
Nothing is known about the Mouthless One’s life as a mortal, since all records and memories of it vanished when it ascended to lichdom. Scholars search for the Mouthless One’s origins in unaccountable gaps in historical records—an 80-year hiatus in an ancient dynasty here, an absence in a dusty portrait gallery there. The hunt is a keen one, because the archlich’s lair is said to hold uncountable secrets, as well as rare spells plundered from a multitude of worlds.
Thirst for Secrets. Like many undead, the Mouthless One has no need for air, sleep, or sustenance. The archlich’s only desire is for arcane secrets, and nothing is beneath or beyond this ambition: the Mouthless One has killed mages to gain possession of their research notes, toppled empires to win a closely guarded scroll, and even felled a god to plunder cosmic truths.
When violent methods are impractical, the Mouthless One employs a network of spies or trades secrets directly with adventurers. But sharing information with the Mouthless One is dangerous. A creature that publicizes one of its secrets usually ends up dead, their mouth replaced with a smooth expanse of flesh: a grim warning to the Mouthless One’s other confidants.
Immortality Through Knowledge. While most liches preserve their life force in a soul vessel, the Mouthless One has transcended the need for such crude methods. Any creature that has exchanged secrets with archlich becomes a sort of living soul vessel. If the Mouthless One is destroyed, it gains a new body in 1d12 months, regaining all its hit points. The new body forms within 1 mile of a creature that has learned a secret from the Mouthless One. The ritual required to permanently destroy the Mouthless One is a secret that it jealously guards.
Notes on the Stat Block
Note: you can compare this to the standard lich in the Monstrous Menagerie, which we previewed last year. The Monstrous Managerie is available worldwide in hardcover and PDF formats at this link.
The Mouthless One’s stat block is big! That’s because we want to present all the information you need to run the encounter, including spell descriptions, without sacrificing the arcane power you’d expect from the most powerful of all liches. Here are some of the Level Up game features we use to make sure the Mouthless One is a suitable challenge.
Elite Difficulty. When a legendary monster just isn’t tough enough for a truly epic showdown, Level Up uses elite monsters. An elite monster has twice the hit points and deals more damage than a standard monster of its Challenge Rating, but its defenses and DC values aren’t wildly out of reach, as would be the case with a higher-CR monster. This allows for a climactic but not impossible fight. For encounter-building purposes, an elite monster provides the challenge and XP of two monsters of its Challenge Rating.
Using Level Up’s encounter-building guidelines (which allow for slightly harder battles than the standard ones), the Mouthless One is an elite CR 26 monster, a hard matchup for five level 20 characters and a potentially deadly one for only four characters. Even without allies or servants to assist it, a battle against the Mouthless One is a suitably epic showdown.
Spells Included. The Mouthless One’s Spellcasting trait includes a large selection of spells, mostly ones that are useful in combat. (And of course, as a Supreme Ritualist, the Mouthless One is able to cast hundreds of other spells!) In Level Up, some of a monster’s spells can be reactions or bonus actions (for instance, expeditious retreat is a bonus action), so we don’t put the full Spellcasting list in the Actions section.
That’s not to say that we don’t include spells as actions! In fact, the Mouthless One has six fully-detailed spells listed among its actions, with everything you need to run them without going elsewhere to consult a spell description. We don’t include every spell or spell option; the Mouthless One might have cause to cast dispel magic, or to upcast cone of cold as a 6th-level spell, in which case you will have to look up the full spell description. But you could run an entire combat encounter with only the information in the stat block—without shortchanging the archlich as a spell-slinging master of magic.
Rare Spells. Level Up introduces a new idea: rare spells. These are twisted or improved variants of commonly known spells, and they can’t be learned automatically when you gain a level; instead, they must be researched or discovered as treasure. As befitting its role as master of arcane secrets, the Mouthless One can cast two rare spells: whisper maze, a variant of maze that traps its victim in a horrorscape, and power whisper kill, an even deadlier version of power word kill. Adventurers that find one of the Archmage’s spellbooks might learn these or other rare spells.
Bloodied. Every monster becomes bloodied when it has been reduced to half its hit points. While the bloodied state has no rules of its own, other rules can key off of it. In the Mouthless One’s case, it gains the ability to end negative conditions on itself while bloodied.
Story in the Stat Block. This is not a Level Up-only rule, but it’s an approach we try to stick to in our design. As much as possible, we want a monster’s stat block to tell its story. For example, as a villainous trader of secrets, the Mouthless One uses both the Whisper Maze spell and the Stunning Secret legendary action to pose agonizing dilemmas, allowing important campaign secrets to be revealed during combat.
The Mouthless One (Challenge 26)
Elite Legendary Medium undead (180,000 XP)
AC 21 (natural armor)
HP 630 (60d8 + 360; bloodied 315)
Speed 30 ft., fly 60 ft. (hover)
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
12 (+1) 18 (+4) 22 (+6) 26 (+8) 22 (+6) 20 (+5)
Proficiency +8; Maneuver DC 20
Saving Throws Str +9, Con +14, Int +16, Wis +14, Cha +13
Skills Arcana +16 (+1d6), History +16, Insight +14, Perception +14, Religion +16, Stealth +12
Damage Resistances cold, lightning
Damage Immunities necrotic, poison; damage from nonmagical weapons
Condition Immunities charmed, fatigue, frightened, paralyzed, poisoned, stunned, unconscious
Senses truesight 120 ft., passive Perception 24
Languages understands all languages but doesn’t speak, telepathy 120 ft.
Legendary Resistance (3/Day). The Mouthless One’s vestments are warded with three protective runes. When it fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead. When it does so, one of its protective runes disappears.
Spellcasting. The Mouthless One is a 20th level spellcaster. Its spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 24, +16 to hit with spell attacks). The Mouthless One has the following wizard spells prepared, which it can cast with no components:
Cantrips (at will): mage hand, message, prestidigitation
1st-level (4 slots): detect magic, expeditious retreat
2nd-level (3 slots): blindness/deafness, levitate
3rd-level (3 slots): animate dead, dispel magic
4th-level (3 slots): fire shield, greater invisibility
5th-level (3 slots): cone of cold, telekinesis
6th-level (2 slots): create undead, disintegrate
7th-level (2 slots): plane shift (self only), reverse gravity
8th-level (1 slot): whisper maze
9th-level (1 slot): power whisper kill
Supreme Ritualist. The Mouthless One can cast any commonly known spell from the wizard spell list as a ritual, even if it can’t usually be cast in this way.
ACTIONS
Touch of Death. Melee Spell Attack: +16 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 61 (7d8 + 30) necrotic damage. The Mouthless One can expend a 5th-level or lower spell slot to deal an additional 4 (1d8) necrotic damage for each level of the spell slot expended. If a humanoid is slain by this attack, its mouth is replaced with a smooth expanse of flesh until it is restored to life.
Arc Lightning. The Mouthless One targets up to 3 creatures within 60 feet. Each target makes a DC 24 Dexterity saving throw. On a failure, the target takes 56 (16d6) lightning damage.
Greater Invisibility (4th-Level; Concentration). The Mouthless One becomes invisible for 1 minute.
Cone of Cold (5th-Level). The Mouthless One blasts frost in a 60-foot cone. Each creature in the area makes a DC 24 Constitution saving throw, taking 36 (8d8) cold damage on a failure or half damage on a success.
Disintegrate (6th-Level). The Mouthless One disintegrates a target within 60 feet. A Large or smaller nonmagical object or creation of magical force, or a 10-foot-cube section thereof, is automatically destroyed. A creature makes a DC 24 Dexterity saving throw, taking 75 (10d6 + 40) force damage on a failed save. If reduced to 0 hit points, the creature is disintegrated along with its nonmagical gear and can be restored to life only with true resurrection or wish.
Reverse Gravity (7th-Level; Concentration). The Mouthless One reverses gravity in a 50-foot-radius, 100-foot-high cylinder within 120 feet. Unsecured objects, and unsecured creatures that fail a DC 24 Dexterity saving throw to grab a secured object, fall upward until they reach the top of the area, where they remain suspended. Creatures take falling damage if they strike a ceiling or other object. When the spell ends, affected objects and creatures fall back down.
Whisper Maze (8th-Level Rare Spell). The Mouthless One banishes a creature it can see within 60 feet to a labyrinthine demiplane, where it remains for 1 minute. When the spell ends, it reappears in the space it left or the nearest unoccupied space. The target can use its action to make a DC 24 Intelligence saving throw, ending the spell early on a success.
At any time, the target can end the spell early by revealing its darkest secret to the Mouthless One. After doing so, the target automatically fails saving throws made against the Mouthless One's spells. This effect is permanent until removed by a wish or similar magic.
Power Whisper Kill (9th-Level Rare Spell). A creature within 60 feet that the Mouthless One can see takes 100 damage. If the damage reduces the target to 0 hit points, it dies.
REACTIONS
Wrest Spell. When another creature within 60 feet that the Mouthless One can see casts a spell, the Mouthless One makes an Intelligence check against a DC of 10 + the spell’s level. On a success, the spell fails and the Mouthless One can cast the spell immediately without expending a spell slot.
LEGENDARY ACTIONS
The Mouthless One 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. It regains spent legendary actions at the start of its turn.
Elite Recovery (While Bloodied). The Mouthless One ends one negative effect currently affecting it. It can use this action as long as it has at least 1 hit point, even while incapacitated.
Share Mind. The Mouthless One targets a creature within 120 feet that knows at least one language. The target makes a DC 24 Wisdom saving throw. On a success, the target is immune to Share Mind for 1 hour. On a failure, the Mouthless One magically creates a mental link with the target until the end of the target’s next turn or until the Mouthless One uses Share Mind again. Until the link ends, the Mouthless One takes only half of all damage dealt to it (rounded down), and the target takes the other half. Furthermore, the Mouthless One can read the target’s surface thoughts.
Stunning Secret. The Mouthless One telepathically offers a tempting secret (see Mouthless One Secrets below) to a target under the effect of its Share Mind. The target can choose to learn the secret. If it does so, it is stunned until the end of its next turn.
Cast Spell (Costs 2 Actions). The Mouthless One casts a spell of up to 5th level.
Malign Transposition (Costs 2 Actions). The Mouthless One teleports up to 30 feet to a space it can see. If the space is occupied by a Medium or smaller creature, they both teleport, swapping places.
Combat
The Mouthless One uses its most powerful spells early in combat: power whisper kill, whisper maze, and disintegrate. It uses reverse gravity to keep multiple melee attackers at a distance. In melee, it makes touch of death attacks, expending spell slots to boost damage.
With its legendary actions, the Mouthless One keeps Share Mind running to punish attackers, changing subjects so it can offer a Stunning Secret to each foe. With its remaining legendary actions, it casts low-level spells like greater invisibility and cone of cold, and uses Malign Transposition when pinned down. When reduced to 100 hit points or fewer, the Archmage casts plane shift to escape.
That’s the stat block! But in Level Up, a monster’s entry is more than its stat block. A full monster entry would contain other useful random tables that allow you to generate a full encounter. In the archlich entry, you’ll be able to generate signs that the Mouthless One or another archlich is nearby (perhaps the adventurers find a mouthless corpse, or a rare book guarded by a glyph of warding); the archlich’s reason for being present (seeking to unravel the same mystery as the adventurers; seeking to punish a rogue agent who revealed one of its secrets; and so on). You’ll even find a list of names suitable for other archliches in your campaign.
Besides all that, we’ll give you encounter tables with monster groups suitable for different difficulties. For instance, if your group is running a group of six optimized characters, the Mouthless One on its own might be a pushover. Let’s see how you do against the Mouthless One and his trusty death knight lieutenants. We also provide pregenerated treasure. Archlich treasure, naturally, contains a lot of high-level scrolls, some of them containing rare and unique spells, and it might include other legendary items such a magic dagger or a robe of the archmagi—any of which the Mouthless One can use in combat.
And, given that secrets are central to the story of the Mouthless One and other archliches, you’ll find a random table of secrets that the archlich can use to tempt adventurers into its poisoned bargains.
Mouthless One Secrets
Choose or roll 1d8 to determine secrets possessed by the Mouthless One, or use a secret tailored to your campaign.
1 An ally of the adventurers has hidden motives and contemplates betrayal.
2 A god worshiped by one of the adventurers is threatened by a cosmic danger.
3 The parentage or ancestry of an adventurer is grander than they know.
4 The Mouthless One can grant a rare spell to a spellcaster.
5 A secret that would help the adventurers defeat one of their other enemies.
6 Destroying one of the adventurer’s adversaries will unleash an even greater threat.
7 The Mouthless One offers the location of a magical artifact.
8 The adventurers are pawns in a cosmic game, controlled by beings of a higher order.
Give our archlich a try and let us know how it goes!