Chillblain: Lich Librarian is one of 6 NPCs who accompany the arcane subclasses in Secrets of the Tome
We’ve looked at the archetypes (subclasses) in the upcoming Secrets of the Tome, and we’ve previewed the introduction chapter. As we mentioned in last week’s archetypes article, each archetype is exemplified by a particular NPC. This week, let’s look at those NPCs.
Professor Omega: Purveyor of Patent Medicines (CR 4) showcases the Huckster Artificer. A seller of strange devices and patent medicines, Professor Omega has produced an astonishing number of gadgets, inventions, and discoveries. His method? Quick iteration. He truly lives his motto, “move fast and break things.” After he breaks things, he has to move fast to stay ahead of an angry mob. Once upon a time, Professor Omega’s tonics and charms were famous worldwide. However, after the rather explosive demonstration of one of his cure-alls, he took to the Wasteland “until all this blows over.” He didn’t realize it’s easier to enter the Wasteland than it is to leave!
Brother Joney: Wandering Storyteller (CR 6) illustrates the Talespinner Bard. As a child, Joney Wheelwright was, unsurprisingly, raised to the trades. His father, a tough man, insisted on teaching him the same business that he himself had learned. Nonetheless, young Joney had a passion for song and storytelling, always sneaking off to hear musicians play, and he had a gift for learning songs by heart after just one hearing. When Joney was fifteen, he could no longer limit himself to the tales of his small town. He ran away, leaving his father behind - although it is said that before the old man died, Joney returned to hear his story one last time. For many years now, Brother Joney has traveled the planes, always hungering for new tales.
Arketon: Blind Moonseer (CR 5) accompanies the Moon Priest Cleric. Arketon is a grimlock Moon Priest who appears to have found some way of transcending the usual human-like lifespan of their people. Their face, despite being eyeless, is a compassionate one of indeterminate age, and when in their wolf guardian form, they have soft blue eyes alight with that same compassion, seeming to allies and innocents more like a large, friendly dog than a fearsome predator. Arketon, like most Moon Priests, is pro-social and community-focused, seeing bringing hope to even the denizens of the wasteland as an important duty. They seek prophetic omens that bring good tidings and defend those around them from evil.
Sinopa: Blood Hunter (CR 7) highlights the Reverant Druid. Sinopa is a survivalist and a pragmatist, with no malicious intent but entirely willing to sacrifice others if it keeps her alive. Threats are to be killed, allies are to be protected or used, and nature is to be revered and honored. A remnant of old ways, Sinopa has outlived her kindred, and if any among her druid circle still live she has not seen them in centuries. Through the green she felt one of their calls, but it brought her here to the desolate Wasteland.
Verena Astacal: Warlock of the Chained King (CR 9) introduces us to the Chained Warlock. Verena Astacal views herself as a liberator and a heroine in the making. Her homeland is ruled by a council of nobles who overthrew their royal family fifty years ago. The aristocracy that arose in the kingdom’s place has become a quagmire of politics where power rarely flows to positive ends. And with deadlock in the courts, those with wealth can’t affect much change in the world, so they turn inward with their fortunes. Verena sees the rich and powerful as cruel, decadent, and hedonistic chaff that must be cast aside for a true, central authority. One that could never be cruel, decadent, or hedonistic. In truth, she has become as cruel and single-minded as the people she seeks to depose, and her patron’s demands have only made it worse in the past few years. If she’s ever able to get her way, she’ll simply replace a council of insular aristocrats with a dark queen who is as wicked or worse.
And finally, let’s showcase the entire entry for the last of these NPCs, Chilblain, the lich librarian who shows us the Undying Wizard archetype. Yes, that’s the one that lets you turn into a lich.
Chilblain: Lich Librarian
“Ah, Ambrose’s lost play. A first edition! The play is utter trash, of course, but an important historical find. What do you want in exchange—besides your lives, of course?”
Once the preeminent scholar in the world’s most glorious library, Chilblain’s soul was crushed when the library was burned. With nothing to lose, Chilblain followed the path of the Undying, becoming a lich. She came to the Wasteland in search of the thousands of books that were lost in the fire. Over the centuries, she has reconstructed a Wasteland replica of her beloved library, although many of its original titles still elude her grasp.
Finding Chilblain: Chilblain resides in the Crawling Library, a perfect replica of her lost library—except that it walks on hundreds of metal legs. It marches, slowly and eternally, over the mountains of the Shambles, keeping just ahead of the Outer Rim and the Gyre behind it. For those whom Chilblain welcomes inside, the Crawling Library counts as a haven.
Dealing with Chilblain: The Crawling Library is one of the most complete archives in the multiverse, with many books that can’t be found anywhere else. Researchers may be able to find unique tomes and spellbooks (many of which contain rare spells). Despite its excellence as a library, Chilblain is still eager for replacements for the hundreds of volumes lost when her library burned. She’d offer unique rare spells and tomes—perhaps even her copy of the Book of the Undying—in exchange for a rich enough trove. Woe betide those who come into her library without something valuable to trade; they rarely leave alive.
Chilblain Challenge 10
Medium undead
AC 12 (15 with mage armor)
HP 119 (14d8 + 56; bloodied 59)
Speed 30 ft.
Initiative Dex +3 (13), Insight +3 (13), Perception +7 (17)
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
12 (+1) 16 (+3) 18 (+4) 20 (+5) 16 (+3) 16 (+3)
Proficiency +4; Maneuver DC 15
Saving Throws Str +1, Dex +3, Con +4, Int +9, Wis +7, Cha +3
Skills Arcana +9, History +9, Perception +7, Religion +9
Damage Immunities necrotic, poison
Condition Immunities fatigue, paralyzed, poisoned
Senses passive Perception 17
Items Book of the Undying
Languages Common, Deep Speech, Draconic, Ignan, Infernal
Protective Rune. Chilblain’s vestments are warded with a protective rune. When she fails a saving throw, she can use a reaction to expend the rune, succeeding on the saving throw instead.
Contingency. When Chilblain takes damage, her soulfire shield spell activates (no action required). While the spell is active, Chilblain has resistance to radiant damage and a creature within 5 feet of her takes 2d8 necrotic damage when it hits her with a melee attack.
Spellcasting. Chilblain is a 14th-level spellcaster. Her spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 17, +9 to hit with spell attacks). She has the following wizard spells prepared:
Cantrips (at will): lich bolt, mage hand, prestidigitation
1st level (4 slots):Chilblain’s frost shield, mage armor
2nd level (3 slots):Chilblain’s blindness and deafness of the grave, Chilblain’s freezing hold person
3rd level (3 slots):Chilblain’s whiteflame fireball, Chilblain’s tiny study nook
4th level (3 slots):Chilblain’s trans-dimension door, Chilblain’s soulfire shield
5th level (3 slots):Chilblain’s hungry cloudkill, Chilblain’s truename scrying
6th level (1 slots):Chilblain’s magnetic chain lightning, Chilblain’s chained contingency
7th level (1 slots):Chilblain’s rousing sequester
Rejuvenation. If she has a soul vessel, when Chilblain is destroyed she gains a new body in 10 days, regaining all of her hit points. Her new body forms within 10 feet of the soul vessel.
Undead Nature. Chilblain doesn’t need air, sustenance, or sleep.
ACTIONS
Lich Bolt (Cantrip; V, S).Up to three creatures within 60 feet must succeed on DC 17 Dexterity saving throws or take 10 (3d6) lightning damage. The damage increases by 1d6 if there are 2 targets and 2d6 if there is one target.
Chilblain’s whiteflame fireball (3rd-Level; V, S, M).Frost streaks from Chilblain to a point within 120 feet and explodes in a 20-foot radius, spreading around corners. Each creature in the area makes a DC 17 Dexterity saving throw, taking 21 (6d6) cold damage on a failed save or half damage on a success.
Chilblain’s magnetic chain lightning (6th-Level; V, S, M).A creature within 120 feet, along with up to 3 additional creatures within 30 feet of it, must each make a DC 17 Dexterity saving throw, taking 45 (10d8) lightning damage on a failed save or half damage on a success. Creatures holding metal objects or wearing metal armor make their saving throw against this spell with disadvantage. Each creature that fails its saving throw against the spell is either pushed up to 90 feet toward or 60 feet directly away from Chilblain.
Wizard Archetype: Undying
Many wizards are content to pass on at the end of their natural life, gaining immortality through fame and their magical accomplishments. Not you! You plan to gain immortality by not dying—or at least not permanently dying. You are determined to become a lich.
The path to lichdom is a hard one. There will be sacrifices along the way (maybe literally!) But think of all that extra time you’ll have to study!
Forbidden Lore
The Undying subclass is about slowly transforming into a monster: a lich. As such, it requires buy-in from the Narrator and your gaming group.
The secrets of lichdom are well-hidden by previous generations of undead monsters jealous of their knowledge. Your Narrator may rule that you can’t take this subclass unless you find a copy of the fabled Book of the Undying. If you find the book after choosing a wizard subclass, you can swap out your existing subclass for the Undying subclass.
Unblinking Focus
When you choose this archetype at 2nd level, you no longer need to sleep, devoting those wasted hours to study. While taking a long rest, you can study instead of sleeping. While studying, your eyes glow faintly, casting dim light for 5 feet, and you are unaware of your surroundings beyond that radius. The same effects that would awaken a sleeper (such as being shaken) end your study session.
At the end of a long rest, if you were undisturbed you can select one of the following options, depending on the book you read:
Spell Study. If you study your spellbook, you can prepare an additional number of wizard spells written in your spellbook equal to your proficiency bonus.
Skill Study. If you study a book that teaches a specific skill, until your next long rest you gain a skill specialty of your choice from that skill.
Lich Bolt
Also at 2nd level, you learn the lich bolt cantrip, or another wizard cantrip of your choice if you already know lich bolt.
Dead Alive
Starting at 6th level, you become gaunt and unhealthy-looking as your body begins to die. You no longer need to breathe and you gain resistance to necrotic damage. Additionally, you require half the usual amount of Supply.
Tireless Researcher
Also at 6th level, when you study instead of sleeping during a long rest, you gain the following options:
Research Study: If you have access to a well-supplied library with appropriate texts, you can make progress in a Research downtime activity as if you had spent one day doing so.
Spellcraft Study: If you have access to a well-supplied arcane laboratory, you can make progress in a Spellcraft downtime activity as if you had spent one day doing so.
Protective Rune
Starting at 10th level, at the end of each long rest you can inscribe a visible, floating rune in the air within inches of your body. When you fail a saving throw, you can use a reaction to expend the rune. If you do, you succeed on the saving throw instead. The number of runes you can inscribe increases to 2 at level 17.
Tongueless Utterance
Starting at 14th level, unless a spell has only a vocal component, you can cast it without providing a vocal component.
Book of the Undying
Also at 14th level, you gain a copy of the Book of the Undying if you didn’t already possess one. You become attuned to your Book of the Undying, and your attunement to this item doesn’t use an attunement slot.