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Boris the Dread Lich

Boris was once a master of the Iron School of Magic. He feared death not because of the end, but because it was an interruption. He found a way to automate his resurrection, though every death chips away at his sanity, leaving him obsessed with the number of times he has fallen and risen.

Monsters
Medium undead · CR 15 · Unique

Boris the Dread Lich

A persistent, recurring undead archmage inspired by the Dungeon Crawl Stone Soup unique boss. He is defined by his mastery of physical conjuration and his refusal to remain dead.
AC17
HP165/165
CR15
Init
STR
DEX
CON
INT
WIS
CHA
ConditionsNone

Combat

AC 17 · HP 165 · CR 15

Boris the Dread Lich

Medium undead (lich), neutral evil
Armor Class17 (Natural Armor)
Hit Points165 (22d8 + 66)
Speed
30 ft. walk,
30 ft. fly (hover)
STR
DEX
CON
INT
WIS
CHA
Saving ThrowsCONINTWIS
SkillsArcanaHistoryPerception
Damage Resistances
Cold,
Lightning,
Necrotic
Immunities
Poison,
Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing from Nonmagical Attacks,
Charmed,
Exhaustion,
Frightened,
Paralyzed,
Poisoned
Weaknesses
Vulnerability to Bludgeoning damage from Adamantine weapons
Senses
Truesight 60 ft.,
Passive Perception 17
Languages
Common,
Draconic,
Abyssal,
Infernal
Challenge15
Proficiency Bonus+5
I'll Be Back. If Boris is destroyed, he gains a new body in days, regaining all his hit points and becoming active again. This body appears in a random safe location within the dungeon. He retains all memories of his previous deaths.
Legendary Resistance (3/Day). If Boris fails a saving throw, he can choose to succeed instead.
Turn Resistance. Boris has advantage on saving throws against any effect that turns undead.

Spells

Mage Hand (cantrip, conjuration). Standard utility.
Ray of Frost (cantrip, evocation). Slowing ray.
Shield (level 1, abjuration). +5 AC reaction.
Misty Step (level 2, conjuration). Bonus action teleport.
Counterspell (level 3, abjuration). Interrupt casters.
Animate Objects (level 5, transmutation). Animates the blades in the Hall.
Disintegrate (level 6, transmutation). Massive damage.

Actions

Iron Shot. Ranged Spell Attack: to hit, range 90 ft., one target. Hit: 38 () bludgeoning damage. This counts as a magical weapon attack for the purpose of overcoming resistance. The target must succeed on a Strength saving throw or be knocked prone.
Orb of Destruction. Boris conjures a 1 foot diameter sphere of pure destructive energy and hurls it at a point he can see within 120 feet. The orb travels in a straight line. If it hits a creature, it explodes. If it reaches its destination without hitting a creature, it explodes. Every creature within a 10 foot radius of the explosion must make a Dexterity saving throw. On a failure, a creature takes 55 () force damage. On a success, it takes half damage. This damage increases by for every 20 feet the orb traveled.
Paralyzing Touch. Melee Spell Attack: to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 10 () cold damage. The target must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or be paralyzed 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

Blink of the Dying. When Boris takes damage that would reduce him to 0 hit points but not kill him outright (such as through Disintegrate), he can use his reaction to teleport up to 30 feet to an unoccupied space he can see.

Legendary Actions

At Will Spell. Boris casts a cantrip or uses Iron Shot.
Move. Boris moves up to his speed without provoking opportunity attacks.
Focused Orb (Costs 3 Actions) (costs 3 actions). Boris uses Orb of Destruction.
Role
Solo Elite Spellcaster
Built for
12-14

Gear

  • The Iron Core (Wondrous Item, Priceless)An orb of dense, magical iron used to focus his Iron Shot.
  • Robes of the Recurring (Wondrous Item, 5000 gp)Grants resistance to non-magical damage.

Feats

War Caster
Spell Sniper

Augmentations

Undead Nature: Does not require air, food, drink, or sleep.

Notes for the game master

Boris should be played as a glass cannon who uses his high mobility and Shield spell to survive while dealing massive single-target damage.
His Orb of Destruction is most dangerous at long range.

Tactics

  1. Opening

    Boris begins by casting Animate Objects on the swords surrounding the party, then uses Misty Step to gain distance.

  2. Mid-fight

    He cycles between Iron Shot to knock targets prone and Orb of Destruction to punish grouped enemies or those far away.

  3. End of the fight

    If low on health, he uses Disintegrate on the most threatening target before attempting a final Orb of Destruction point-blank.

  4. Retreat

    Boris never retreats in the traditional sense; he mocks the party, telling them he will see them in his next life as he fights to the bitter end.

How it fights

Prioritize targets wearing heavy armor with Iron Shot to knock them prone.
Use movement and fly speed to stay out of melee reach.
Target casters with Counterspell to prevent them from locking him down.

Who it attacks first

Clerics (highest threat to undead)
Wizards/Sorcerers
Melee Fighters

Works well with

Flying Weapons: The weapons in the Hall of Blades act as fodder while Boris snipes from the back.
Narrow Corridors: Force enemies into a line for the Orb of Destruction.

How to beat it

Silencing spells
Grappling/Restraining
Adamantine weapons (bypass his durability)

Ways to avoid a fight

Boris can be bargained with if the players offer knowledge of other 'uniques' or historical artifacts.
He may trade information about the dungeon for a clean, honorable death.

Ecology

Boris appears as a tall, gaunt figure in tattered, ink-stained robes. His skin is like yellowed parchment stretched over a sharp-angled skull. He carries no staff, instead clutching a heavy iron orb in one hand. His eyes are not glowing orbs, but deep pits of absolute void that occasionally flash with the silver glint of steel.

Behavior

Boris is calm and remarkably conversational for a lich. He treats every encounter like a repetitive chore, often sighing about how many 'versions' of the party he has already buried in his previous incarnations.

How it lives

As a lich who has 'perfected' the art of return, Boris does not require a traditional phylactery hidden in a remote location. Instead, his soul is tethered to the fundamental concept of the Dungeon itself.

Lair

The Hall of Blades: A long, marble corridor filled with hundreds of floating, sentient weapons. Boris stands at the end of this hall, guarding a glowing Rune of Zot.

Habitat
Ancient ruins, magical vaults, and specifically the Hall of Blades.

Signs that it is near

Perfectly round iron spheres embedded in stone walls
Faded inscriptions on walls counting 'Lives Lost'
The smell of ozone and cold iron
A chilling voice whispering 'Not you again' through the air

Tags

Unique,
Recurring,
Spellcaster

Lore

Boris was once a master of the Iron School of Magic. He feared death not because of the end, but because it was an interruption. He found a way to automate his resurrection, though every death chips away at his sanity, leaving him obsessed with the number of times he has fallen and risen.

What drives it

To prevent anyone from claiming the Rune and to continue his endless cycle of life, death, and simulated mastery over adventurers.

After the fight

Upon his death, Boris's body crumbles into iron filings and fine ash. His voice echoes one last time: 'I'll see you at the bottom of the pits, little ones. I'm faster at returning than you are at walking.'

“He feared death not because of the end, but because it was an interruption.”
From its lore

Variants

Spectral Boris: A CR 12 version encountered early on.
Lich King Boris: CR 21 version with 9th-level spells like Meteor Swarm (reskinned as Iron Storm).

Hooks

Plot hooks

The party encounters Boris three levels ago and killed him, yet he stands before them again.
A local king wants the 'Iron Core' Boris carries to build a legendary siege engine.
Boris contacts the party in their dreams, asking them to help him find a way to stay dead.

How to use it

Recurring Villain
Vault Guardian
Final Boss of a Dungeon Level

Treasure

1d6 + 2 Large Diamonds (500gp each)
A manual of Golem Construction
The Iron Core (acts as a +2 Arcane Focus)

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