Vecna, the Archlich
Medium Undead, neutral evil
- Armor Class 21
- Hit Points 443(40d8 + 267)
- Speed 30ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 15 (+2) 16 (+3) 18 (+4) 24 (+2) 24 (+7) 19 (+4)
- 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 26
- Languages Common, Draconic, Elvish, Infernal
- Challenge 26 (90000 XP) Proficiency Bonus +8
Legendary Resistances (5/day) If Vecna fails a saving throw, he can choose to succeed instead.
Undying If Vecna is slain, his soul refuses to accept its fate and lives on as a disembodied spirit that fashions a new body for itself after 1d100 years. Vecna's soul can fashion a new body even if its old body was burned to ash or otherwise obliterated. When the new body is complete, Vecna regains all his hit points and becomes active again. Vecna's new body appears anywhere within 100 miles of where Vecna was slain. Additionally, Vecna's soul is active even when dead, as such, in a 10-miles radius around the place where Vecna was slain, the territory becomes haunted, if a creature tries to astral travel while in this place, Vecna can try to possess the body as if using the "Magic Jar" spell. Such an effect can also be triggered by trying to contact Vecna through arcane means within a 100-mile radius of his place of death, the definitive list is left to the DM's discretion.
Unusual Nature Vecna doesn't require air, food, drink, or sleep.
Limited Magic Immunity Through the use of magic rituals and occult researches, Vecna has acquired a partial immunity to magic effects of certain kind. Any spell of 2nd level or lower has disadvantage on its attack roll when targeting Vecna. Additionally, Vecna is immune to the effect of the following spells : "Soul Cage", "Modify Memory".
Permanent Magical Enchantements Vecna is constantly under the effect of certain spells, those are "Levitate", "Jump", "Water Walk". If those spells are dispelled, they are deactivated during 1d10 minutes.
Feats Vecna possesses the following feats as explained in the rule books. "War Caster", "Alert", "Resilient(Con)", "Observant", "Telepathic", "Elemental Adept(Acid, Cold)".
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. Each time a creature fails the saving throw, Vecna regains 10 hit points.
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 77 (6d8 + 50) 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 at the start of Vecna's next turn and acts immediately after Vecna in the initiative order. The zombie is under Vecna's control.
Spellcasting Vecna casts one of the following spells, requiring no material components and using Intelligence as the spellcasting ability (spell save DC 23):
Cantrips (at will): Chill Touch, Acid Splash, Mage Hand, Ray of Frost
1st level (6slots): Detect Magic, Magic Missile, Shield, Mage Armor, Ray of Sickness
2nd level (6slots): Detect Thoughts, Invisibility, Mirror Image, Hold Person
3rd level (5slots): Animate Dead(as an Action), Fireball, Dispel Magic, Fly, Hypnotic Pattern, Counterspell
4th level (5slots): Blight, Dimension Door, Banishment, Charm Monster
5th level (4slots): Cone of Cold, Synaptic Static, Hold Monster, Scrying(as an Action)
6th level (4slots): Chain Lightining, Create Undead(as an Action), Disintegrate, Scatter
7th level (3slots): Finger of Death, Plane Shift, Forcecage, Power Word Pain, Project Image, Simulacrum
8th level (3slots): Antimagic Field, Mind Blank
9th level (2slots): Invulnerability, Time Stop, Gate, Prismatic Wall, Wish, Time Ravage
Bonus Action
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. For each creature taking this damage, Vecna regains 45 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.
Legendary Actions
Vecna has 5 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. Vecna regains spent legendary actions at the start of its turn.
Lower Spellslinging (Costs 1 action) Vecna casts a cantrip or a first level spell.
Mass Life Drain (Costs 3 Actions) Each non-undead creature within 25 feet of Vecna must make a DC 19 Constitution saving throw against this magic, taking 28 (8d6) necrotic damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. Additionnally, Vecna regains half of the damage inflicted.
Afterthoughts (Costs 2 Actions) Vecna makes an attack with Afterthought.
Break Formation (Costs 4 Actions) Vecna casts Scatter, affecting up to 8 creature in a 60 feet range. This is considered spell casting and is for all intent and purposes considered a 5th level spell.
Additional Possession
Vecna carries three small wooden stick engraved with a Glyph of Warding. They can be activated by breaking them, activating the enscribed spell.
Stck of Life When snapped, the user is affected by the spell "Regenerate".
Stick of Sight When snapped, the user is affected by the spell "Foresight".
Stick of Time When snapped, the spell "Time Stop" is activated.
It is to be noted that the sticks are items, merely enchanted by a Glyph of Warding, as such, a genius rogue might be able to steal the Archlich himself.
How to run Vecna, the Archlich
Though Vecna has yet to reach Apotheosis, he is still the mightiest Lich in existence and the one who would go on to become the god of secrets and magic. Being one of the main author of the Book of Vile Darkness surely shows how powerful the wizard has grown to be over the years, with few beings able to tie his ankles in terms of magical knowledge and arcane prowess.
As shown in his stat block, Vecna is not a rash man, though his ego is present, he is not blinded by it. As such he shall be considered a looming threat, a monster who is known to be the vilest and most evil of all liches. In his cruelty, he is worse than Orcus, the Prince of Undeath, for where the Demon longs for only the silence of others and the supremacy of his will, Vecna actively takes pleasures and marvels in seeing those he consider lower than himself die, cry and wither away. And they are all below him, gods and mortals alike. For he his Vecna, and he shall vanquish all who bother the Archlich.
In running Vecna, it translates as being a real nuisance. Vecna being obsessed with secrecy and information, he shall always understand and never underestimate the importance of espionnage. As such, once Vecna learns of the player character, he will start to hinder their progress, sending ennemies and lieutenants to them, but he will not play with them, he will spend some time researching their strengths and weaknesses and send an almost unbeatable threat. You, as a DM, should make it clear to the player that it is not a being made to be felled by them at this time, they should be pushed to their limits and fear for their lives. For example, a group of level 15 adventurers being noticed by Vecna will probably be faced by a Death Knight and a Skull Lord, sent by the Archlich with crucial information on the characters.
The group, having overcome that trial and fled, shall then deal with the threat at hand, secure their loved ones and hold on to the hope and faith in themselves and their divine.
Once such things have happened, however, Vecna will not just forget, he will understand that adventurers, strong enough to outsmart him and his lieutenant, are a menace and should be dealt with accordingly. And though Vecna himself might be dealing with other businesses, being a wizard comes with many perks.
The first one being Scrying, this spell should be used by Vecna to track the players and hinder their progress, hunting them down mercilessly, imposing on them tough battles and even tougher moral choices. It will be made with taunts, provocation and mockery with spells like Project Image, telling the players how their choice to not surrender themselves to the Archlich has sealed the fate of boys and girls in many villages as his choosen orchestrates acts of horrid nature to the most defensless. It is to be duely noted that the "Dread Counterspell" Ability of Vecna has no range limitations, as such, it can and should be used through the Scying sensor quite regularily in order to not only remind the players of Vecna's gaze, but also to toughen the encounters.
Simulacrum is the next stage, the players have grown to be Vecna's main opponent, they should at least be of 17th/18th level now, and he is intent on slaughtering them. At all times, without pause, there should be the Simulacrum of Vecna, scrying on them, hunting them. If destroyed, the Archlich will make a new one in 1d8 days, depending on when he finds time.
Finally, Wish. Wish is bla bla bla. Yeah, it is the mightiest spell a wizard can cast, we know. But Wish is also the most important ressource for one who wants to become a god. For it is a joker. Vecna will not used the alternate cast of Wish except if there is litteraly no other choices. Even if another god comes down, incarnate with heaven's fury and the wrath of the sky with him, it should not necessarily be enough to cast Wish in such ways. Vecna can find a way to deal with that. Even death is not enough. Vecna will come back, and he knows it, what is 100 years compared to reshaping the world itself? Only true destruction would threaten Vecna enough to use Wish in such a way. Also, let's make it clear that Vecna's Simulacrum Wish is no different from his.
Yet this is not the true might of Wish. Words only butcher the intent and a wish can be twisted. But duplicating any sell of 8th level or lower cannot. As such, Vecna can effectively cast any spell which is not from the wizard spell list and not higher than the 8th level. Such spells which are to be noted are : Resurrection, Tsunami, Simulacrum, Symbol. All of those are cast in only one action.
In terms of Combat
Vecna should be using his abilities the utmost potential, as a DM, do not hesitate to take some time to think about your best course of action. Vecna is a final threat, one where it is okay and acceptable to put a challenge so great that TPK is probable as the soon to be god tries to annihilate the party. Having reached the epic levels, your players should understand that where the stakes where the kingdom or the people before, they were helped by armies of brae men, kings and queens of honorable statut. Not anymore, they stand before darkness, pitch black and unending, and they stand alone. Thought they are cheered one, it is up to them to be the pillars of hope and beacons of light in the coming dark times. And such thing can only be accomplished by overcoming true challenge.
Vile Teleport the ability should be used not only on players but also on Vecna's summons, granting him a great deal of hit points regeneration.
On various Buffs be careful not to use all the buffs at the same time, for a simple upcast of "Dispel Magic" could be devastating.
Simulacrum it is not obvious for players without special senses, abilities to detect undead rather than construct or True Sight to distinguish Vecna from his Simulacrum.
True Sight a player using True Sight being affected by the spell another time becomes blind, Vecna might try to trap a player with a Glyph of Warding engraved with the True Sight spell, simply pushing him onto it or a teleportation.
Necromancy Vecna being a necromancer and regaining hit points when a creature fails to escape the Fear effect of Flight of the Damned, he probably keeps weak creatures who the players might have to get rid of to prevent Vecna from using them.
Magic Items are a great source of power and the Archlich knows it. As such, he might carry some on his person. Such items might be : Robe of the Archmagi, Staff of the Magi, Talisman of the Sphere
Ioun Stone can be of great help, maybe the Archlich as some, like a Mastery, Protection, Regeneration or Awarness stone.
Please, do understand these items should not be abused, Vecna should not have them all, or else, your players better be really exceedingly well prepared. Magic items are made to give a twist to the encounter, and as such, be given to your monsters sparingly. Vecna holding in his possession a Robe or Staff of the Magi and a Ioun Stone of Awarness might just be enough. And though the items listed here were Legendary, less rare items can be a huge boon!
Epic Boons if your players are that strong, and they are unstopable, you could give Vecna some Epic Boons, but do note it is a suggestion, and not an advice.