Shiva-Nergal

Shiva-Nergal

Medium Lich, Wizard, Neutral Evil

Armor Class 22 (natural armour / +4 increase through Abererant Sceptre)

Hit Points 220 10d20+40

Speed: 30 ft

STR

11
( +0 )

DEX

16
( +3 )

CON

16
( +3 )

INT

21
( +5 )

WIS

18
( +4 )

CHA

17
( +3 )

Saving Throws Con +10, Int +12, Wis +8

Skills Arcana +20, History +12, Insight +9, Perception +9, Medicine +8, Religion +8

Damage Resistances Cold, Lightning, Necrotic

by Colonel 101

Damage Immunities Poison, Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing from nonmagical weapons not made of pure iron

Condition Immunities Charmed, exhaustion, grappled, paralysed, petrified, poisoned, prone, restrained, unconscious

Senses Truesight 120 ft, passive Perception 19

Languages Common (all European / Eurasian), Abyssal, Infernal, Dwarvish, Draconic, Elvish, Gnomish, Deep Speech, Primordial, Elemental, Celestial.

Challenge Rating 24

Proficiency Bonus +7

Description

An ancient being, Shiva-Nergal was originally one of the First Men during the Hyperborean Age. As a child he was taught the basics of magic, and along with a handful of his tribe, survived the death of both his parents & the majority of his tribe. This was done by a ghoul attack were the aggressors had Lilith's Sigil upon themselves.
Given time, the teachings of the gods whose names he adopted, and the teachings of both the Devil and Baba Yaga, he attained Lichdom. He studied this all the while travelling north to the City of the Dead in the Ural Mountains. Since the original attack he harbours a hatred of the weakness of living forms, and the vampires that feed on it. Looking to the destruction of all life, and the starvation of the vampirekin, he regularly meddles in the affairs of both causing havoc wherever he can.

Ideals

The world deserves to perish. The frailty of life is no such way to live.

Bonds

Only in magic, and the Necrocult, do I gain the power I seek.

Flaws

I do not consider anyone but us liches of the Council of Thirteen as superior.

Suggested Environments

Ural Mountains, the City of the Living Dead.

Spellcasting. Shivs-Nergal uses Intelligence as his spellcasting ability (spell save DC 22, +14 to hit with spell casting ability) and is 20th level. Shiva-Nergal has the following spells available:
1st level (4 slots): Alarm, Detect Magic, False Life, Fog Cloud, Magic Missile, Ray of Sickness, Shield, Thunderwave

At will: Cantrips: Chill Touch, Mage Hand, Prestidigitation, Ray of Frost

1/day: 8th Level: Clone, Dominate Monster, Feeblemind, Power Word Stun
9th Level: Imprisonment, Power Word Kill, Wish

2/day: 6th Level: Circle of Death, Create Undead, Disintegrate, Globe of Invulnerability, Guards and Wards
7th Level: Etherealness, Finger of Death, Plane Shift, Simulacrum

3/day: 2nd Level: Crown of Madness, Detect Thoughts, Hold Person, Invisibility, Melf's Acid Arrow, Mirror Image, Phantasmal Force
3rd Level: Animate Dead, Bestow Curse, Counterspell, Dispel Magic, Fear, Feign Death, Fireball, Remove Curse, Vampiric Touch
4th Level: Banishment, Blight, Dimension Door, Locate Creature, Phantasmal Killer, Wall of Fire

Legendary Resistance (5/Day). If Shiva-Nergal fails a saving throw, he can choose to pass it instead.
Rejuvenation. Shiva-Nergal has a phylactery and gains a new body in 1d10 days if his present body destroyed. He regains all lost hit points and become active again. His new body appears within 5 feet of the phylactery.
Turn Resistance. Shiva-Nergal has advantage on saving throws any effect that turns undead.
Undead Nature. Shiva-Nergal doesn't require air, food, drink, or sleep.
The Aberrant Sceptre. This sceptre increases Shiva-Nergal's spell casting  to hit by +2, increases his AC by +4, and spell save DC by +2 as well.
Crown of Death. The crown that Shiva-Nergal wears has a glyph on the inside of it, along with one corresponding on both his phylactery & Aberrant Sceptre. If reduced to 0 Hit Points the glyph is activated, and all these items are teleported to a 40 ft by 40 ft by 40 ft room held in a pocket dimension in the Far Realms.There he can regenerate with the Phylactery. The only way to stop this is to get the phylactery and either destroy it, remove it from the Material Plane to an alternative dimension, or destroy the glyph on it. Shiva-Nergal will be aware of these though.....

Actions

Paralysing Touch. Melee Spell Attack +12 to hit, reach 5 ft, one creature. Hit 13 4d6 cold damage. The target must succeed on a DC 20 Constitution saving throw or be paralysed for 1 minute. The target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect of on itself on a success.
The Aberrant Sceptre. Melee Weapon Attack +12 to hit, reach 5 ft, one creature. Hit 19 3d12 psychic damage. The target must succeed on a DC 20 Wisdom saving throw or be knocked unconscious for 1 minute. The target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.

Reactions

Aberrant Sceptre Spell. Shive Nergal can cast one of the following four spells in response to an attack at the full 9th level: Counterspell, Feeblemind, Mirror Image, OR Wall of Force.

Legendary Actions

Shiva-Nergal can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options below. Only one legendary action option be used at a time and only at the end of another creature's turn. Shiva-Nergal regains spent legendary actions at the start of his turn.
Cantrip. Shiva-Nergal casts a cantrip. Paralysing Touch (Costs 2 Actions). Shiva-Nergal uses his Paralysing Touch. Aberrant Sceptre Strike (Costs 2 Actions). Shiva-Nergal strikes with his Aberrant Sceptre. Frightening Gaze (Costs 2 Actions). Shiva-Nergal fixes his gaze on one creature he can see within 15 feet of himself. The target must succeed on a DC 20 Wisdom saving throw against this magic or become frightened for 1 minute. The frightened target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on a success. If a target's saving throw is successful or the effect ends for it, the target is immune to Shova-Nergal's gaze for the next 24 hours. Raise / Summon Undead (Costs 2 Actions). Shiva-Nergal raises or summons 2d6 undead creatures of Challenge Rating no greater than 3, appearing in any empty spaces within 10 feet of him. They attack immediately after Shiva-Nergal in Initiative order. Disrupt Life (Costs 3 Actions). Each non-undead creature within 25 feet of Shiva-Nergal must make a DC 20 Constitution saving throw against this magic, taking 21 6d6 necrotic damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

Lair Actions

On initiative count 20 (losing initiative ties), Shiva-Nergal can take a lair action to cause one of the following magical effects; Shiva-Nergal can't use the same effect two rounds in a row.

• Shive-Nergal a d8 and regains a spell slot of that level or lower. If he has no spent spell slots of that level or lower, nothing happens.
• Shiva-Nergal targets one creature he can see within 30 feet of himself. A crackling cord of negative energy tethers him to the target. Whenever Shiva-Nergal takes damage, the target must make a DC 20 Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, Shiva-Nergal takes half damage (rounded down), and the target takes the remaining damage. This tether lasts until initiative count 20 on the next round or until Shiva-Nergal or the target is no longer in Shiva-Nergal's lair.
• Shiva-Nergal calls forth the spirits of creatures that died in his lair. These apparitions materialise and attack one creature he sees within 60 feet. The target must succeed on a DC 20 Constitution saving throw taking 52 15d6 necrotic damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

Shiva-Nergal lives in the tower at the centre of the City of the Living Dead. Surrounded by unearthly death magic, and the lost souls & living dead, he draws on this to fuel his dreams of conquest and destruction. So saturated is this region he can easily bend it to warp its very fabric to his will.

Related Plots

• Mountains to Climb