Alternative lich [Archive] - Wizards Community

Alternative lich [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Jimmy P
04-30-04, 12:00 PM Whilst looking through the Monster Manual at Lich, I decided 'Why should evil casters have all the fun?' and started thinking.

Why is a lich evil? Placing your soul in a gem isn't evil, coming back to life isn't evil. It's just the animating corpses and the nasty ablities that makes them evil. I am trying to work on versions of the lich for positive energy (animated spiritual strength), elemental versions and shadow liches.

They all have similar requirements; the creation of a phylactery,l animating the chosen materiel, a level adjustment and a few abilities. I am unsure how exactly to do this though. All help appreciated.
incarnadine
04-30-04, 12:06 PM That has been answered by the Monsters of Feyrune book.

There are several variations of the Lich and one is a good aligned lich which I think looses his Frightening Presence.
Wako
04-30-04, 02:06 PM There are several variations of the Lich and one is a good aligned lich which I think looses his Frightening Presence.

And any coolness factor... :rolleyes:
Melles, Lord of Badgers
04-30-04, 06:53 PM And any coolness factor... :rolleyes:

A lich can be cool and not be scarey! err... scarey enough for the frightful presence that is:b:
Wizzy of Eros
05-01-04, 07:16 AM Isn't there anymore information about good liches beyond the monsters of feyrune book?
Lasrifriir
05-01-04, 08:11 AM Not that I'm aware of. Most people here at the boards try to ignore that they exist :D .
Jimmy P
05-01-04, 02:44 PM So there's a good alighed one, that's ok. Any elemental ones?

Perhaps using the word 'lich' was misleading. The idea I had was similar in that they have a phylactery(sp? In fact can anyone spell that without having to look it up?), and a few abilities but rather than animating corpses they do it with elemental matter, or similar.
Joe Gold
05-01-04, 04:17 PM Originally posted by Wizzy of Eros
Isn't there anymore information about good liches beyond the monsters of feyrune book?

Savage Species mentions that if you want a Lich of a non-evil alignment, just remove the fear aura.

If "coolness" had to chose between a fear aura and Animate Dead as a spell-like ability... poor fear aura.
Feathercircle
05-03-04, 09:13 AM Originally posted by Jimmy P
So there's a good alighed one, that's ok. Any elemental ones?
.

Ah, 2nd edition Ravenloft had an Elemental Lich, but it used the twisted elements of the Demiplane of Dread (blood, pyre, grave, mist...) and are thoroughly evil..

I don't really see why a psionic lich would necessarily be evil, though- you mix up a really noxious potion, transfer all of your powers one by one to your phylactery, drink, and hope you wake up undead instead of just dead. Or something similar to that, I don't quite remember.

Anyway, it isn't the negative energy that makes a lich evil (remember, balenorn (those Faerunian good liches you mentioned) still run on negative energy, as do good-aligned ghosts and similar undead). What makes a lich evil is, as the monster manual states, the process needed to become one, which is "unspeakably evil".

Different processes can waive or eliminate that alignment requirement. My own campaign features a type of good-aligned clerical liches who act as champions and guardians for the resident goddess of mercy- the components the prospective lich must gather include things like phoenix feathers and rare herbs and unicorn blood and so forth, all of which must be given willingly- and even then, if they begin the process and the goddess judges them and finds them not pure of heart enough, it'll fail and they'lll be dead...

Anyway, the process, whether it involves slaughtering innocents, a holy pilgrimage, psionic meditation, or something even more esoteric, is what determines what sort of lich you'll end up with- if you have to do evil things to become a lich, only evil characters will undergo the process (or at least, non-evil characters will have become evil by the time they reach that point). If lichdom happens just through an absentminded wizard using life-extending spells a time or three two many, who doesn't even notice that he's dead, they might not have to be any alignment in particular.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Jimmy P 04-30-04, 12:00 PM	Whilst looking through the Monster Manual at Lich, I decided 'Why should evil casters have all the fun?' and started thinking. Why is a lich evil? Placing your soul in a gem isn't evil, coming back to life isn't evil. It's just the animating corpses and the nasty ablities that makes them evil. I am trying to work on versions of the lich for positive energy (animated spiritual strength), elemental versions and shadow liches. They all have similar requirements; the creation of a phylactery,l animating the chosen materiel, a level adjustment and a few abilities. I am unsure how exactly to do this though. All help appreciated.
incarnadine 04-30-04, 12:06 PM	That has been answered by the Monsters of Feyrune book. There are several variations of the Lich and one is a good aligned lich which I think looses his Frightening Presence.
Wako 04-30-04, 02:06 PM	There are several variations of the Lich and one is a good aligned lich which I think looses his Frightening Presence. And any coolness factor... :rolleyes:
Melles, Lord of Badgers 04-30-04, 06:53 PM	And any coolness factor... :rolleyes: A lich can be cool and not be scarey! err... scarey enough for the frightful presence that is:b:
Wizzy of Eros 05-01-04, 07:16 AM	Isn't there anymore information about good liches beyond the monsters of feyrune book?
Lasrifriir 05-01-04, 08:11 AM	Not that I'm aware of. Most people here at the boards try to ignore that they exist :D .
Jimmy P 05-01-04, 02:44 PM	So there's a good alighed one, that's ok. Any elemental ones? Perhaps using the word 'lich' was misleading. The idea I had was similar in that they have a phylactery(sp? In fact can anyone spell that without having to look it up?), and a few abilities but rather than animating corpses they do it with elemental matter, or similar.
Joe Gold 05-01-04, 04:17 PM	Originally posted by Wizzy of Eros Isn't there anymore information about good liches beyond the monsters of feyrune book? Savage Species mentions that if you want a Lich of a non-evil alignment, just remove the fear aura. If "coolness" had to chose between a fear aura and Animate Dead as a spell-like ability... poor fear aura.
Feathercircle 05-03-04, 09:13 AM	Originally posted by Jimmy P So there's a good alighed one, that's ok. Any elemental ones? . Ah, 2nd edition Ravenloft had an Elemental Lich, but it used the twisted elements of the Demiplane of Dread (blood, pyre, grave, mist...) and are thoroughly evil.. I don't really see why a psionic lich would necessarily be evil, though- you mix up a really noxious potion, transfer all of your powers one by one to your phylactery, drink, and hope you wake up undead instead of just dead. Or something similar to that, I don't quite remember. Anyway, it isn't the negative energy that makes a lich evil (remember, balenorn (those Faerunian good liches you mentioned) still run on negative energy, as do good-aligned ghosts and similar undead). What makes a lich evil is, as the monster manual states, the process needed to become one, which is "unspeakably evil". Different processes can waive or eliminate that alignment requirement. My own campaign features a type of good-aligned clerical liches who act as champions and guardians for the resident goddess of mercy- the components the prospective lich must gather include things like phoenix feathers and rare herbs and unicorn blood and so forth, all of which must be given willingly- and even then, if they begin the process and the goddess judges them and finds them not pure of heart enough, it'll fail and they'lll be dead... Anyway, the process, whether it involves slaughtering innocents, a holy pilgrimage, psionic meditation, or something even more esoteric, is what determines what sort of lich you'll end up with- if you have to do evil things to become a lich, only evil characters will undergo the process (or at least, non-evil characters will have become evil by the time they reach that point). If lichdom happens just through an absentminded wizard using life-extending spells a time or three two many, who doesn't even notice that he's dead, they might not have to be any alignment in particular.