Post/Author/DateTime	Post
dmbassa 11-07-07, 12:56 PM	Hey, I need thorough documentation on how a PC can become a Lich, or preferably a Demi-Lich. Thanks, dmbassa
MarkusTay63 11-07-07, 01:07 PM	If I'm not mistaken, you need to be a Lich for a REALLY long time BEFORE you become a demi-lich. The Lich template is under 'Lich' in the Monster Manual. Just use that and sit around for about a thousand years. ;)
Suin Bahhar 11-07-07, 02:10 PM	At 20th level the dread necromancer, the variant sorcerous necromancer class, becomes a lich.
Old Sage 11-07-07, 07:02 PM	Seek out a copy of 2e's Van Richten's Guide to the Lich. 'Tis the most detailed source.
Lord Karsus 11-08-07, 01:34 PM	Seek out a copy of 2e's Van Richten's Guide to the Lich. 'Tis the most detailed source. -An excellent, excellent book, as are all of the others in that series.
KruniacZio 01-28-08, 06:02 PM	YOU do not become a demi-lich. A demi-lich is not something you want to become, I assure you. Many would-be liches dont understand that unlike Vampires, Liches have a limited life span. They WILL die eventually. Sometimes, however, instead of dying, they become a Demi-Lich. A state of undeath beyond undeath beyond death. Its a completely alien mentality, and unless you can roleplay on the level of an Elder Thing, I dont suggest you try. That having been said, they are floating frickin skulls. You cant get any cooling than that. :D
ikki 01-28-08, 08:30 PM	epic level demilich is something you do want to become.... sucking souls, retaining all spells, summoning mosnters at will, astral travel etc... And thats at cl 21. And iirc some 7 more phylacetries you need to make ;) Ps: eberron has introduced demiliches that retain their limbs. Called ancient masters or some such..
Kenzuki 01-29-08, 02:31 PM	Anyone find it funny that a Demilich is considered more powerful than a Lich?:D
MarkusTay63 01-29-08, 02:39 PM	Well, 'Demi' does mean 'less then' or 'partial', and a frickin' skull is definately less then an entire skeleton or corpse. ;) So physically, the appelation is correct, but yeah... power-wise it is VERY weird.
Thinblade 01-29-08, 02:52 PM	According to the Encyclopedia Magica, a caster must create a potion that contains: 2 drops arsenic 1 drop belladonna 1 quart yearling unicorn blood (slain by wyvern venom) 1 quart demihuman blood (slain by phase spider) 1 quart vampire blood 1 humanoid heart (slain by arsenic and belladonna) Reproductive glands from 7 giant moths 1 pint phase spider venom 1 pint wyvern venom Mix under the light of a full moon and drink within seven days. If you survive (roll on Table of Nastiness), then you can create your phylactery.
dmbassa 01-29-08, 04:54 PM	Thanks for the potion ingredients listing, man! Also, could someone give me a (somewhat) detailed outline of what needs to be done before you can complete the actual ritual, thus becoming the Lich? I got this for now: 1. Acquite Ritual texts 2. Acquire Blacksmithing skills (for creating the phylactery) 3. Acquire Gemcutting skills (also for creating the phylactery) 4. Create the (nastiness) Potion 5. Complete the Ritual Is that all, or are there more?
Charles Phipps 01-29-08, 05:11 PM	I just refer to them as "Lich Kings." ;-) I also make it a point that the pure energy form of them is their real form and the Skull is just their amulet.
Thinblade 01-29-08, 06:49 PM	1. Acquite Ritual texts 2. Acquire Blacksmithing skills (for creating the phylactery) 3. Acquire Gemcutting skills (also for creating the phylactery) 4. Create the (nastiness) Potion 5. Complete the Ritual 1 is absolutely necessary. This is not something you make by chance, especially since most of the ingredients will kill you easily. So this step is as hard as you the DM want to make it. Either tracking down hard to find texts, interrogating existing lich, or whatever. Have fun here. 2 and 3 actually aren't needed. A phylactery can be anything. A gauntlet, gem, scepter, rock, whatever. The only two requirements are that it must not bear any kind of existing enchantment, and if man-made it must be of high quality. It does not have to be forged by the lichnee (what you call someone who has successfully drunk the potion). To enchant it, you need the following spells: enchant an item (remember, this is 2e, with different magic item crafting rules. For 3e, I'd reccomend Craft Wondrous Item), then Trap the Soul (% of it taking per casting is 50% + 5%/level over 11th), then Nulathoe's Ninemen (a 2e spell that strengthened objects: you could insist on spell research, or more quests to find it), then finally magic jar. Once magic jar was cast, the lichnee enters the phylactery with is life force (this is automatic). Upon entering the phylactery, a lichnee immidiately loses a level and must rest for 1d6+1 days, but does not become a lich. That happens the first time the lichnee is killed. His life force is yanked into the phylactery, where it then tries to possess a nearby and newly dead corpse (30 days dead within 90 feet). The corpse gets a saving throw, with an penalty increasing the closer the corpse's alignment was to CE (starts off at -0 for any good). If the phylactery is too well hidden, the lichnee might never have a corpse to possess. Many lichnee commit suicide to get around this problem, as their own body saves at -10. Once a saving throw is missed (lichnee only gets one chance to possess a body other than his own), he rises immidiately as a lich with all the benefits and drawbacks. 4 we know about. 5 is covered in 2 and 3. Hope this helps. If this is a player going for this, really play up the research and questing parts. It should not be easy to learn how, and then it should be even harder to actually do it. 2e used to have all sorts of fun with magical item creation, forcing the players to get strange and sometimes impossible components. Do the same here.
dmbassa 01-30-08, 12:50 AM	Thanks, man! Yeah, it's one of my players. He's playing a 9th level cleric with his character, and aims to become a Lich, then retire his character and let his Lich serve as a villain for upcoming campaigns. So, you enchant the phylactery with the spells, and when the phylactery is ready, you quaff the potion... and hope for the best? :)
dmbassa 01-30-08, 01:10 AM	According to the Encyclopedia Magica, a caster must create a potion that contains: Which volume, and what's the potion's name? 1 quart demihuman blood (slain by phase spider) LOL! That's just hillarious. How the hell does one catch a phase spider!? :D
Thinblade 01-30-08, 01:56 AM	It's on page 874 of the Enclyclopdeia Magica Volume 3 called Potion of Lichdom. Note that it says you have to be an 18th level wizard to create the potion. You're going to have to convert the spells into a divine form (Trap the Soul, for instance, is Sorc/Wiz 8), and your player is going to have to nearly double in level. But then, many characters are obsessed with death, and avoiding it, so having your long-term goal to become a lich is completely believable. And actually, you generally make the potion first, since dying at any point before you've transferred your soul to the phylactery ruins the process and you have to start over. So a would-be lich first brews and survives the potion, then creates the phylactery. Also, if you can get it, Van Richten's Guide to the Lich is a great resource for lich of any kind. Pretty much anything with Van Richten's name on it is great, though be warned: your players will hate you. I know we've tried to steal my DM's copies several times just to make the pain stop. :)
Thinblade 01-30-08, 01:58 AM	LOL! That's just hillarious. How the hell does one catch a phase spider!? :D I'd sit back and watch the player try to figure that out, myself.
MarkusTay63 01-30-08, 10:18 AM	The title of this thread gave me a concept for a new type of villain/monster - the Lich-DUMB. Basically, when an Orcish Shaman achieves sufficient level... :dancin:
dethmetal 01-30-08, 12:19 PM	The title of this thread gave me a concept for a new type of villain/monster - the Lich-DUMB. Basically, when an Orcish Shaman achieves sufficient level... :dancin: That'd be an interesting plot twist, a Lich dies, but the only corpse around for it to possess is an Orc or some other Goblinoid. It spends the rest of it's unlife being riddiculed by it's lich-ey peers.
MarkusTay63 01-30-08, 12:39 PM	Actually, I was picturing some mentally deficient Orc Shaman finding a Netherese Tome - one with the magical formulae for becoming a Lich. The creature casts a simple 'comprehend languages' spell, reads the book, and Voila! Instant 'stupid-Lich'. :D Now, imagine this 'thing' uniting a few tribes, with them worshipping him as some kind of demi-god - the adventure becomes easily scaleable to any level, depending on just how 'stupid' you want to play the main villain. Also, the idea of an Orc that smells so bad that other Orcs find it offensive just tickles my evil DM funny bone.
Thinblade 01-30-08, 01:17 PM	A slight twist on this is a lichnee who's gone through all the steps, but before he dies he gets a Hat of Stupidity stuck on his head. Then he gets run through. Voila! A lich with the intelligence of a drooling toddler. Your race may vary.
dethmetal 01-30-08, 02:08 PM	Actually, I was picturing some mentally deficient Orc Shaman finding a Netherese Tome - one with the magical formulae for becoming a Lich. The creature casts a simple 'comprehend languages' spell, reads the book, and Voila! Instant 'stupid-Lich'. :D Now, imagine this 'thing' uniting a few tribes, with them worshipping him as some kind of demi-god - the adventure becomes easily scaleable to any level, depending on just how 'stupid' you want to play the main villain. Also, the idea of an Orc that smells so bad that other Orcs find it offensive just tickles my evil DM funny bone. That is not a bad little story hook.
Aspiring_Lichlord 03-09-08, 09:50 PM	1 quart demihuman blood (slain by phase spider) 1 pint phase spider venom this might be a stretch, or painfully (un)obvious, but can't you just extract the phase spider venom (from said phase spider) and use the venom to kill said demihuman? logically (and technically) the demihuman is still being killed by the phase spider, only indirectly.
Thinblade 03-09-08, 11:50 PM	As a DM, I wouldn't have a problem with that, though you would need more phase spider venom for its own part of the formula. On the other hand, we *are* talking about your one chance at immortality, here. How much you want to monkey with the recipe is up to you (and how much such corner cutting affects your chances is up to the DM).
dmbassa 03-10-08, 02:28 AM	this might be a stretch, or painfully (un)obvious, but can't you just extract the phase spider venom (from said phase spider) and use the venom to kill said demihuman? logically (and technically) the demihuman is still being killed by the phase spider, only indirectly. That's actually what we did. The cleric went on a small adventure to find some phase spiders, and managed to slay two of them. He extracted the venom from their poison glands, and later on beat a half-orc unconscious, and through force, applying the poison to his bloodstream, thereby killing him. Cheers, Bassa
Crazedventurers 03-10-08, 08:11 AM	According to the Encyclopedia Magica, a caster must create a potion that contains: 2 drops arsenic 1 drop belladonna 1 quart yearling unicorn blood (slain by wyvern venom) 1 quart demihuman blood (slain by phase spider) 1 quart vampire blood 1 humanoid heart (slain by arsenic and belladonna) Reproductive glands from 7 giant moths 1 pint phase spider venom 1 pint wyvern venom Mix under the light of a full moon and drink within seven days. If you survive (roll on Table of Nastiness), then you can create your phylactery. Sounds very much like the formula Ed devised and was printed in REF5 Lords of Darkness. I guess they just lifted it for the 2E Magic Encyclopedias. Damian
Aspiring_Lichlord 03-10-08, 12:42 PM	And with more monkeys... it also doesn't say anything about using magic/anitoxin/potions to increase your chances of surviving the potion of nastiness, but then again you have to wonder how those extra magic forces and chemicals are going to mess with the PoN...
Thinblade 03-15-08, 11:00 PM	The way I see it, the potion to become a lich isn't a poison, even though it's made with them. It is its own unique thing, and there isn't anything else that interfaces with it to improve chances or whatever. In fact, if a player of mine *did* try to use an anti-toxin or whatever, I'd just have it nullify that poisons in the potion, rendering the whole thing useless. You want the power, you've got to take the risk.
Thinblade 03-15-08, 11:02 PM	Actually, I think the first time I saw the recipe, or one much like it, was in an old Dragon. I don't remember the number, but it had a skeleton in a forest glade with a unicorn standing nearby on the cover. It was easier for me to find my EM, though, than dig through my old Dragons. Sounds very much like the formula Ed devised and was printed in REF5 Lords of Darkness. I guess they just lifted it for the 2E Magic Encyclopedias. Damian