Vecna (/ˈvɛknɑː/ VEK-nah)

The Whispered One Vecna , The Arch-Lich

Vecna was a once-human king and lich from Oerth who ascended to godhood. While he was once considered the most powerful lich to dwell on that world, over the ages he spent in undeath Vecna became maligned across the multiverse, and was considered the scourge of all civilization.

“Evil is not an absence of good. … It is not a choice. … Evil is one of two forces in the cosmos, an agency locked in eternal struggle against its antithesis. … Only good and evil exist. And not even a hair's width of space separates them.”
— Vecna

Divine Domains

Portfolio: Evil secrets
Domains: Arcana Domain, Death Domain, Knowledge Domain.

Artifacts

Book of Vile Darkness
Eye of Vecna
Hand of Vecna
Sword of Kas

Divine Symbols & Sigils

Tenets of Faith

“The cult of Vecna teaches that Vecna was cursed by gods who were jealous of his power. … Vecna confronted his own death and imprisoned it in a castle on the gray sands of an alien world, where it wails in eternal torment.”
— A member of the Zarovan tribe of Vistani.

Worshippers

The cult of Vecna acted in secret for much of the Arch-Lich's existence and were emboldened upon his ascension to godhood. They were a wholly evil group, that brought in new members via blackmail and coercion. Like their god, these malevolent clerics sought to uncover lost arcana—especially on the plane of dreams and the Shadowfell— and exploit secret information to accumulate power and gain control over others.
Vecna attracted among his worshipers a notable number of kenkus, half-fiends, and even some neogi. Some morally-corrupt practitioners of psionics also offered their veneration to Vecna.
Among Vecna's worshipers was a secret society referred to as the Halls of Secrets. They believed that knowledge was the most pure form of power, and only those that made the effort to fully understand the nature of that knowledge were worthy of the power that accompanied it. They maintained anonymity while parsing through all the accumulated knowledge in their possessions, in order to fully assess and judge its value. It only attracted members that were unconcerned with morality or ethics.
The Eyes of Vecna was an order of Vecna's followers that strove to keep knowledge and secrets from those considered unworthy to possess them. It operated in small cells of a handful of individuals.

Physical Description

General Physical Condition

As a deity, Vecna appeared as a decrepit lich missing his left hand and left eye.

Identifying Characteristics

Missing his left eye and hand.

Special abilities

Vecna possessed a number of tremendous powers, including the ability to paralyze others with his touch, inherently cast a variety of powerful spells, and alter reality at will. He was immune to disease, disintegration, mind-controlling powers, and a variety of other debilitating effects. His sensory perception extended far beyond that of mortal beings, up to a range of 10 miles (16 kilometers), and could similarly perceive anything within the same range as any of his worshipers. He could also feel whenever someone uncovered, disclosed, or otherwise wrote down any secret that contained information that could affect the lives of five hundred people or more.
At any time Vecna could craft any variety of magic, so long as it was valued at 30,000 gp or less.

Specialized Equipment

Vecna carried with him a +5 unholy dagger named Afterthought and protected himself with bracers of armor and a powerful cloak of resistance. He also carries the Book of Vile Darkness at all times. In fact he sculpted his Lich form, so it fits within his rib cage.
While not among his possessions per se, there existed two powerful artifacts in the multiverse that drew their power from his undead body: his eye and his left hand. For those who sought these artifacts, accessing their power required vicious acts of self-mutilation, either by gouging out one's own eye or forcibly removing one's left hand.
The current location of either of these Artifacts is currently unknown.
Even items Vecna wore as a mortal, such as a set of his robes absorbed tremendous magical power from the undead lord and bestowed a fraction of it upon future wearers.

Mental characteristics

Personal history

Mortal Life

Vecna's early life was clouded in legend and contradiction. Most accounts stated that he was originally a human wizard from Oerth, although some reports claimed that he was a Half-Elf. After having become an extremely powerful wizard, Vecna began to fear for his own mortality, an obsession some say was triggered by the death of his mother.
One theory states Vecna was taught by Orcus how to achieve undeath, eventually leading to his becoming one of the most powerful liches in existence. Another spoke of Vecna experimenting upon hundreds of innocent mortals to formulate a ritual to absorb power from the various planes of existence and channel it into his own decrepit body, while a third put forth the idea that the mortal Vecna learned the secrets of lichdom from a being known as "the Serpent", believed to have been a personification of magic itself. Regardless of how it began, Vecna's path to becoming a lich was said to be the first instance of a mortal possessing the willpower to sacrifice their own body for such a feat.

Rise to Power

In one of his earliest battles, Vecna was nearly destroyed by clerics of the Oerthian god Pelor, but was spared annihilation by one of his most trusted lieutenants—and former apprentice— the half-demon called Acererak. In truth, Acererak arranged for Vecna to be ambushed in order to gain favor with his master and position himself closer to Vecna's most treasured secrets.
After Vecna became aware of Acererak's treachery, he vowed to never let his esoteric knowledge be compromised again. Vecna's zeal for secrecy and ever-growing power led to him being worshiped as something of a god, even before any form of ascension. From among his most-fervent devotees arose the heartless paladin named Kas.
Over time Vecna conquered a vast expanse northwest of the Azure Sea on Oerth, forming the Occluded Empire. During his reign, Vecna trusted his lieutenant Kas with most administrative tasks, using necromantic magic to grant him unnatural longevity as a vampire and forging the powerful Sword of Kas as an instrument of his authority.

Death and Ascension

However, Vecna's evil manifested in the sword and seduced Kas into usurping and killing his master. According to one storyteller, Vecna had accumulated enough collective power and magic to achieve apotheosis by means of a ritual in his Rotted Tower, but Kas interrupted the ritual and attacked his master; the two engaging a tremendous battle. In the end Vecna gained the upper hand, but just as the lich moved to slay his former servant, Kas cut off his hand and plunged his sword into Vecna's left eye. Finally, a massive explosion destroyed the tower and shook the surrounding lands. According to others, Vecna banished Kas to the realm of Cavitius, but not in time to avoid his own destruction.
Regardless of the exact specifics, the only traces left of Vecna's physical body were his left hand and eye, which still carried a fragment of the lich's will. Their latent power turned them into the artifacts known as the Hand of Vecna and the Eye of Vecna.
Vecna's spirit endured, however, languishing across the planes and slowly gathering power from the surviving members of his cult; his name continued to instill fear in mortals, and it was said that, through his eponymous artifacts, his evil continued corrupting others. Small pieces of his withered remains scattered across existence, corrupting anyone with whom they came into contact.
After several centuries, Vecna amassed sufficient followers and worshipers among ambitious wizards to reach the status of demigod, and was accepted among the most corrupt powers of the Astral Sea. For failing him, he transformed his most powerful lieutenants into the first of the undead monstrosities known as skull lords. At this point, many, including Elminster, were aware of the threat of Vecna's ascension.

Vecna Dies, Again

Some time later, Vecna once again attempted to ascend to the status of greater deity via organizing a centuries-long plot culminating in his absorbing the essence of the demigod Iuz and also invading Sigil, from where he could exert control over the entire multiverse.
Vecna invaded the City of Doors, becoming the only deity in existence that successfully breached Sigil's defenses, and caused a great disturbance in the multiverse but was once again thwarted by adventurers and expelled from Sigil with assistance from the Lady of Pain. He had his essence separated from Iuz, but managed to retain the power of a lesser deity. Following Vecna's defeat, the Lady of Pain strengthened Sigil's defenses and reorganized the planar structure in order to repair the damage caused and to prevent such an event from ever happening again.

Travels Through Time

At some point in his existence Vecna managed to steal one of the original black obelisks created by the enigmatic group known as the Weavers. He used the powerful artifact to travel to essentially remove all trace of the Weavers from known history and stole all knowledge regarding the obelisk's creation. By some means, that information came into the hands of the arcanists of ancient Netheril.

Accomplishments & Achievements

The origins of Vecna's ascension to divinity was considered a great secret, fitting for the god that obsessed over them. One of the most outlandish, though widely believed, theories stated that Vecna's assault on Sigil granted him the will to restructure the multiverse as he saw fit.

Intellectual Characteristics

According to some, Vecna had an obsession with acquiring and maintaining secrets, believing them to be the source of true power. He was precise and calculating in his actions, but was at times prone to bouts of intense rage.

Morality & Philosophy

Vecna believed that every being in existence held a single secret that could be manipulated to bring about its destruction. Uncovering that secret and exploiting its truth were the key to gaining dominion over others.

Social

Reign

Over time Vecna conquered a vast expanse northwest of the Azure Sea on Oerth, forming the Occluded Empire. During his reign, Vecna trusted his lieutenant Kas with most administrative tasks, using necromantic magic to grant him unnatural longevity as a vampire and forging the powerful Sword of Kas as an instrument of his authority.

Contacts & Relations

According to Vecna's own accounts, his mortal mother was a wholly evil woman who sacrificed animals and consorted with monstrous beings. It was her cruelty that helped shape the man he was in life and undeath.
Vecna had something of a working relationship with Asmodeus, the powerful archdevil having offered the archlich use of his devil minions. Ironically, Asmodeus' servant Fierna stole a valuable secret from Vecna: that of how to directly travel between the Prime Material plane and the Nine Hells.
He had two known exarchs: Falazure the Night Dragon, and allegedly, Vocar the Disobedient, the latter of whom was rumored to possess a powerful secret regarding Vecna himself.

Enemies

Vecna was obsessed with taking revenge on his vampire lieutenant Kas for the legendary betrayal he committed against his master on Oerth.
The Whispered One was a sworn enemy of the Raven Queen, whom he envied for her unique abilities to tap into the flow of souls and to harvest knowledge. One of his goals was to overthrow the Queen and rule the entire Shadowfell from her Fortress of Memories. His servants constantly battled with the Raven Queen's Shadar-kai followers.
As a demigod, Vecna sought to attain dominion over time from the god Pelor, as it as a concept stood in opposition to the existence of lichdom, and was considered an enemy of the deity Hlal.

Speech

Raspy voice that nonetheless carries across a room

Divine Classification

Lesser Deity

Alignment

Lawful Evil

Honorary & Occupational Titles

Maimed Lord
The Arch-Lich
Master of the Spider Throne
The Whispered One
The Undying King
Lord of the Rotted Tower
The Chained God
Maimed God
Lord of the Hand and the Eye

Circumstances of Death

Was slayed temporarily by a party investigating Cientia Tower

Place of Death

Cientia Tower

Sex

Male

Presentation

Masculine

Eyes

Pright pink eys

Hair

Bald

Skin Tone/Pigmentation

Pale rotting

Quotes & Catchphrases

"I would congratulate you on your perseverance, but you won’t be alive long enough to appreciate it.”
"You have not stopped me. You have merely delayed the inevitable."

Known Languages

Vecna could speak multiple languages: Common, Draconic, Elvish, Infernal

VD

Vecna

Medium Undead (Wizard, Lawful Evil

Armor Class 18 (natural armor)

Hit Points 272 [32d8 + 128]

Speed: 29 ft

STR

14
( +2 )

DEX

16
( +3 )

CON

18
( +4 )

INT

22
( +6 )

WIS

23
( +6 )

CHA

16
( +3 )

Saving Throws Con +12, Int +14, Wis +15

Skills Arcana +22, History +14, Insight +15, Perception +15

Damage Resistances cold, lightning, necrotic

Damage Immunities poison; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks

Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, frightened, paralyzed, poisoned, stunned

Senses truesight 120 ft., passive Perception 25

Languages Common, Draconic, Elvish, Infernal

Challenge Rating 26

Proficiency Bonus +8

Vecna casts one of the following spells, requiring no material components and using Intelligence as the spellcasting ability (spell save DC 22):

At will: animate dead (as an action), detect magic, dispel magic, fly, lightning bolt, mage hand, prestidigitation

1/day: dominate monster, globe of invulnerability, plane shift (self only).

2/day: dimension door, invisibility, scrying (as an action)

Legendary Resistance (5/Day). If Vecna fails a saving throw, he can choose to succeed instead.

Special Equipment. Vecna carries a magic dagger named Afterthought. In the hands of anyone other than Vecna, Afterthought is a +2 dagger.

Unusual Nature. Vecna doesn’t require air, food, drink, or sleep.

Actions

Multiattack. Vecna uses Flight of the Damned (if available), Rotten Fate, or Spellcasting. He then makes two attacks with Afterthought.

Afterthought. Melee Weapon Attack: +13 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d4 + 5) piercing damage plus 9 (2d8) necrotic damage. If the target is a creature, it is afflicted by entropic magic, taking 9 (2d8) necrotic damage at the start of each of its turns. Immediately after taking this damage on its turn, the target can make a DC 20 Constitution saving throw, ending the effect on itself on a success. Until it succeeds on this save, the afflicted target can’t regain hit points.

Flight of the Damned (Recharge 5–6). Vecna conjures a torrent of flying, spectral entities that fill a 120-foot cone and pass through all creatures in that area before dissipating. Each creature in that area must make a DC 22 Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, the creature takes 36 (8d8) necrotic damage and is frightened of Vecna for 1 minute. On a successful save, the creature takes half as much damage and isn’t frightened. A frightened creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.

Rotten Fate. Vecna causes necrotic magic to engulf one creature he can see within 120 feet of himself. The target must make a DC 22 Constitution saving throw, taking 96 (8d8 + 60) necrotic damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. A Humanoid killed by this magic rises as a zombie (see the Monster Manual) at the start of Vecna’s next turn and acts immediately after Vecna in the initiative order. The zombie is under Vecna’s control.

Bonus Actions

Vile Teleport. Vecna teleports, along with any equipment he is wearing or carrying, up to 30 feet to an unoccupied space he can see. He can cause each creature of his choice within 15 feet of his destination space to take 10 (3d6) psychic damage. If at least one creature takes this damage, Vecna regains 80 hit points.

Reactions

Vecna can take up to three reactions per round but only one per turn.
Dread Counterspell. Vecna utters a dread word to interrupt a creature he can see that is casting a spell. If the spell is 4th level or lower, it fails and has no effect. If the spell is 5th level or higher, Vecna makes an Intelligence check (DC 10 + the spell’s level). On a success, the spell fails and has no effect. Whatever the spell’s level, the caster takes 10 (3d6) psychic damage if the spell fails.
Fell Rebuke. In response to being hit by an attack, Vecna utters a fell word, dealing 10 (3d6) necrotic damage to the attacker, and Vecna teleports, along with any equipment he is wearing or carrying, up to 30 feet to an unoccupied space he can see.

Lair Actions

Shadowplay. Vecna summons one shadow per character. Each shadow appears within 5 feet of a different character. The shadows follow Vecna’s commands (no action required) and last until he uses this lair action again or dies. A shadow acts during initiative count 20 after lair actions have been resolved.
Drain Life. Vecna casts enervation at 7th level. Vecna doesn't need to concentrate on the spell and the spell ends on initiative count 20 of the next round.
Mournful Dead. Wailing spirits swarm a 20-foot-radius sphere centered on a point in the lair that Vecna can see. Each creature in that area must succeed on a DC 18 Wisdom saving throw or take 28 (8d6) cold damage and have their movement speed reduced by 15 feet. A creature that succeeds on its saving throw takes half as much damage and doesn’t have their movement speed reduced.