Becoming a Lich. [Archive] - Wizards Community

Becoming a Lich. [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Meep326
07-17-07, 02:28 AM What is the price/process for the potion to become a Lich, I can't find any information on this. Sorry, if there's a thread aboot this but I couldn't find one on the first few pages.
Dead_Weasel
07-17-07, 02:44 AM First of all, when you want to find something the Search function works wonders.

Second of all, Link (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/lich.htm)

Lich Characters

The process of becoming a lich is unspeakably evil and can be undertaken only by a willing character. A lich retains all class abilities it had in life.

The Lich’s Phylactery

An integral part of becoming a lich is creating a magic phylactery in which the character stores its life force. As a rule, the only way to get rid of a lich for sure is to destroy its phylactery. Unless its phylactery is located and destroyed, a lich reappears 1d10 days after its apparent death.

Each lich must make its own phylactery, which requires the Craft Wondrous Item feat. The character must be able to cast spells and have a caster level of 11th or higher. The phylactery costs 120,000 gp and 4,800 XP to create and has a caster level equal to that of its creator at the time of creation.

The most common form of phylactery is a sealed metal box containing strips of parchment on which magical phrases have been transcribed. The box is Tiny and has 40 hit points, hardness 20, and a break DC of 40.

Other forms of phylacteries can exist, such as rings, amulets, or similar items.
Meep326
07-17-07, 03:18 AM Second of all,
But, I thought you had to drink the 'Lichbrew' or 'Potion of Lichdom' or something to become a lich, that's what I'm looking for, I know about the Phlactery, it's the Potion to become the Lich I need to know about.
snakeman830
07-17-07, 09:18 AM But, I thought you had to drink the 'Lichbrew' or 'Potion of Lichdom' or something to become a lich, that's what I'm looking for, I know about the Phlactery, it's the Potion to become the Lich I need to know about.

The correct answer to the actual process of becoming a lich is: Whatever your DM says it is. When they say the process is unspeakably evil, it's usually best not to go into specifics.
Witch
07-17-07, 09:32 AM Second edition went into the details of such a potion. It involves these ingredients:

- Arsenic (2 drops of the purest distillate)
- Belladonna (1 drop of the purest distillate)
- Blood (1 quart of blood from a dead unicorn yearling infant killed by wyvern venom)
- Blood (1 quart from a dead demihuman slain by a phase spider)
- Blood (1 quart from a vampire or a being infected with vampirism)
- Heart (the intact heart of a humanoid killed by poisoning; a mixture of arsenic and belladonna must be used)
- Reproductive glands (from seven giant moths dead for less than 10 days, ground together)
- Venom (1 pint or more, drawn from a phase spider less than 30 days previous)
- Venom (1 pint or more, drawn from a wyvern less than 60 days previous)

(Thanks to Phaedros at Dicefreaks whose post I could still find; I'd need to ask him what exactly the 2E sources are, though.)
420
07-17-07, 12:49 PM But, I thought you had to drink the 'Lichbrew' or 'Potion of Lichdom' or something to become a lich, that's what I'm looking for, I know about the Phlactery, it's the Potion to become the Lich I need to know about.

Not sure about older sources but in 3rd edition the only potion mentioned is the "dracolich brew" used to make a dracolich.

Also, despite the description in the SRD I don't think the process that baelnorns or archliches go through is "unspeakably evil" since they retain their good alignment.

Lastly, liches must consume larvae (easily obtained from night hags) in order to maintain their lich body and powers.

-420
Mirtek
07-17-07, 01:33 PM (Thanks to Phaedros at Dicefreaks whose post I could still find; I'd need to ask him what exactly the 2E sources are, though.)
The 2e Lords of Darkness supplement has the whole procedure.
Becoming a Lich

To become a lich, a magic-user or magic-user/cleric must attain at least the 18th level of experience as a magic-user. The candidate for lichdom must have access to the spells magic jar, enchant an item, and trap the soul. Nulathoe’s Ninemen, a fifth-level magic-user spell (detailed in the FORGOTTEN REALMS boxed set) which serves to preserve corpses against decay, keeping them strong and supple as in life, is also required. The process of attaining lichdom is ruined if the candidate dies at any point during it. Even if successful resurrection follows, the process must be started anew. The process involves the preparation of a magical phylactery and a potion. Most candidates prepare the potion first and arrange for an apprentice or ally to raise them if ingestion of the potion proves fatal. Preparation of the phylactery is so expensive that most candidates do not wish to waste all the effort of its preparation by dying after it is completed but before they are prepared for lichdom. The nine ingredients of the potion are as follows:

Arsenic (2 drops of the purest distillate)
Belladonna (1 drop of the purest distillate)
Blood (1 quart of blood from a dead virginal human infant killed by wyvern venom)
Blood (1 quart from a dead demihuman slain by a phase spider)
Blood (1 quart from a vampire or a being infected with vampirism)
Heart (the intact heart of a humanoid killed by poisoning; a mixture of arsenic and belladonna must be used)
Reproductive glands (from seven giant moths dead for less than 10 days, ground together)
Venom (1 pint or more, drawn from a phase spider less than 30 days previous)
Venom (1 pint or more, drawn from a wyvern less than 60 days previous)

The ingredients are mixed in the order given by the light of a full moon, and must be drunk within seven days after they combine into a bluish glowing, sparkling black liquid. All of the potion must be drunk by the candidate, and within 6 rounds will produce an effect as follows (roll percentile dice):

Lichnee Potion Table
01-10 All body hair falls out, but potion is ineffective (the candidate knows this). Another potion must be prepared if lichdom is desired.
11-40 Candidate falls into a coma for 1d6 + 1 days, is physically helpless and immobile, mentally unreachable.
Potion works; the candidate knows this.
41-70 Potion works, but candidate is feebleminded, Any failed attempt to cure the candidate’s condition is 20%
likely to slay the candidate.
71-90 Potion works, but candidate is paralyzed for 2d6 + 2 days (no saving throw, curative magics notwithstanding). There is a 30% chance for permanent loss of 1d6 Dexterity points.
91-96 Potion works, but candidate is permanently deaf (01-33), dumb (34-66), or blind (67-00). The lost sense can only be regained by a full or limited wish.
97-00 Death of the candidate. Potion does not work.

The successfully prepared candidate for lichdom can exist for an indefinite number of years before becoming a lich. He will not achieve lichdom upon death unless preparation of his or her phylactery is complete. A successfully prepared candidate may appear somewhat paler of skin than before imbibing the potion, but cannot mentally or magically be detected by others as ready for lichdom. The candidate, however, is always aware of readiness for lichdom, even if charmed or insanity or memory loss occurs. (A charmed candidate can never be made to reveal where his phylactery is Š although he could be compelled to identify what the phylactery
is, if shown it.)

The phylactery may take any form it may be a pendant, gauntlet, scepter, helm, crown, ring, or even a lump of stone. It must be of inorganic material, must be solid and of high-quality workmanship if man-made, and cannot be an item having other spells or magical properties on or in it. It may be decorated or carved in any way desired for distinction.

Enchant an item is cast upon the phylactery (this is one of the rare cases in which this spell can be cast on unworked material), a process requiring continual handling of the phylactery for a long time, as described in the PLAYER’S HANDBOOK. The phylactery must successfully make its saving throw as noted in the spell description. It must be completely enchanted within nine days (not the 24 hours normally allowed by the spell). Note that the additional spell times given in the enchant an item spell description are required.

When the phylactery is thereby made ready for enchantment, the candidate must cast trap the soul on it. Percentile dice are rolled; the spell has a 50% chance or working, plus 6% per level of the candidate (or caster, if it is another being) over 11th level. The phylactery glows with a flickering blue-green faerie fire-like radiance for one round if it is successfully receptive for the candidate’s soul.

The candidate then must cast Nulathoe’s Ninemen on the phylactery, and within one turn of doing so, cast magic jar on it and enter it with his life force. No victim is required for this use of the magic jar spell. Upon entering the phylactery, the candidate instantly loses one experience level along with its commensurate spells and hit points. The soul and lost hit points remain in the phylactery, which becomes AC 0 and has those hit
points henceforth. The candidate is now a lichnee, and must return to his own body to rest for 1d6 + 1 days. The ordeal of becoming a lichnee is so traumatic that the candidate forgets any memorized spells of the top three levels available to him, and cannot regain any spells of those levels until the rest period is complete. (Candidates usually then resume a life of adventuring to regain the lost level.)

The next time the lichnee candidate dies, regardless of the manner or planar location of death, or barriers of any sort between corpse and phylactery, the candidate’s life force will go into the phylactery. For it to emerge again, there must be a recently dead (less than 30 days) corpse within 90 feet of the phylactery. The corpse may be that of any creature, and must fail a saving throw vs. spell to be possessed. If it makes its saving throw, it will never receive the lich.

If the creature had 3 hit dice or fewer in life, it saves as a zero-level fighter. If it had 3 + 1 hit dice or greater in life, it saves as if it were alive, with the following alignment modifiers: LG, CG, NG: + 0; LN, CN, N: - 3; LE, - 4; NE: - 5; CE: -6. The candidate’s own corpse, if within range, is at -10, and may have been dead for any length of time. The lichnee may attempt to enter his own corpse once per week until succeeding. (A phylactery too well-hidden might never offer the lichnee a corpse to enter. Many lichnee commit suicide to save themselves such troubles.) When the lichnee enters its own corpse, it rises in 1d4 turns as a full lich, with all memorized spells and all undead abilities as described in this book and the MONSTER MANUAL.

If the lichnee enters another’s corpse, he is limited to the corpse’s living strength, and will have no more than 4 hit dice. The intelligence and wisdom of the lichnee candidate are preserved, and the corpse will rise after 1d3 turns of apparent continuing death (the lichnee’s presence being undetectable during this time) as a wight. This wightish body cannot drain life energy, and will be telepathic if it could speak in life. If it could cast spells when alive, the lichnee may cast already memorized spells, or study and cast new ones, of up to fourth level (clerical, magic-user or both, according to the candidate’s original class abilities). In the wightish body, the lichnee will seek his own body.

Thanks to the potion ingested earlier, the candidate’s own corpse can only be destroyed by failing a save - as if it were the living candidate, just prior to death - against a disintegrate spell. Even if the body is burned or dismembered, its ashes or pieces will radiate an unlimited-range locate object to the lichnee. He may well encounter difficulties in regaining his body parts, but if and when he does so, he will eat them.
Seven days after ingesting any part of the candidate’s original body, the wightish lichnee body will metamorphose into a body similar to the candidate’s original one, and manifest full lich powers and abilities (reroll hit points using eight-sided dice).
Sildatorak
07-17-07, 02:46 PM Second edition went into the details of such a potion. It involves these ingredients:
That can't be it. I can speak it.

Seriously, though, unless one of the Van Richten's guides covered it, I think all that 2e official dealt with was that the potion was lethal to the caster. You had to make a saving throw (or system shock roll, I don't recall off the top of my head and my 2eMM is boxed up someplace), if you failed you were dead (unresably so), and if you succeeded you were undead.
peteyrock
07-17-07, 02:55 PM I understand that to create a phylactery, one has to have a caster level of at least 11th. What about Paladins? Would that count as caster levels?
Morwen
07-17-07, 03:10 PM I understand that to create a phylactery, one has to have a caster level of at least 11th. What about Paladins? Would that count as caster levels?

Paladins have a caster level equal to half of their Paladin level. So you'd need to be a 22nd level Paladin in order to create a phylactery.
peteyrock
07-17-07, 03:12 PM Paladins have a caster level equal to half of their Paladin level. So you'd need to be a 22nd level Paladin in order to create a phylactery.

Thanks.
HuManBing
07-17-07, 03:34 PM Also, the Larva requirement is just one of several official ones that I've seen. I know that the Van Richten's Guide to the Lich has another possible ritual involving deadly potions and a sentient creature's heart, whereby the lich burns the heart and then sprinkles the ashes into its body and eye sockets.

Use whichever one you or your DM likes more!
420
07-17-07, 08:14 PM I understand that to create a phylactery, one has to have a caster level of at least 11th. What about Paladins? Would that count as caster levels?

To become a lich, a magic-user or magic-user/cleric must attain at least the 18th level of experience as a magic-user.
Pretty sure it has to be arcane caster levels not divine.

-420
Dead_Weasel
07-17-07, 10:04 PM A lich is an undead spellcaster, usually a wizard or sorcerer but sometimes a cleric or other spellcaster, who has used its magical powers to unnaturally extend its life.

The correct answer to the actual process of becoming a lich is: Whatever your DM says it is. When they say the process is unspeakably evil, it's usually best not to go into specifics.

Pretty much - if you want detail, it falls to you to fill in the blank. Each lich is different - since each person is unique - so as long is the process is evil, unpleasant and ultimately lethal it ought to work. Points for originality.
Morwen
07-18-07, 02:52 AM Pretty sure it has to be arcane caster levels not divine.

-420

Liches are not arcane-only. Clerics can become liches too, although wizard and sorcerer liches are more common.
Sildatorak
07-18-07, 04:15 PM I understand that to create a phylactery, one has to have a caster level of at least 11th. What about Paladins? Would that count as caster levels?With the practiced caster feat, they can do it at level 14. They won't be a paladin for very long if they do it, though.
Meep326
07-18-07, 06:00 PM With the practiced caster feat, they can do it at level 14. They won't be a paladin for very long if they do it, though.
They changed to Paladin of Slaughter or the other one, or thay can switch all of one level of paladin for levels of Blackguard. They could become a Lich for a good reason, such as to further their life to protect their hometown.
Witch
07-18-07, 06:02 PM No, they couldn't. The process to become a lich is unspeakably evil. Paladins don't do that stuff. Your other suggestions work, though.
Meep326
07-18-07, 06:45 PM There's the good lichs described in Monsters of Faerun.
Witch
07-18-07, 08:40 PM That's a result from people believing that good needs an equivalent for everything that evil has. In my opinion, the only good liches that should exist are redeemed evil ones. And they should be rare. If the process to become it isn't unspeakably evil, it shouldn't be called a lich, in my opinion. I really don't like the rush to make undead good.
skydin
07-18-07, 08:52 PM exactly, there dont need to be good liches, because theres A- good clerics who think undead are the bane of all things and must be imediately distroyed. and B- druids that think unlife is unnatural and is sucking the life from life, and therefor will kill any undead they get into contact with. and of course the countless monsters who would kill them for being what they are, or for not understanding them (ogres arent real smart so...)
420
07-19-07, 12:53 AM exactly, there dont need to be good liches, because theres A- good clerics who think undead are the bane of all things and must be imediately distroyed. and B- druids that think unlife is unnatural and is sucking the life from life, and therefor will kill any undead they get into contact with. and of course the countless monsters who would kill them for being what they are, or for not understanding them (ogres arent real smart so...)

That all depends on if you want negative energy associated with evil in your game as discussed in this thread: Why are undead regarded as evil? (http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?t=849074)

-420
skydin
07-19-07, 01:03 AM i suppose you have a point, i dont really see undead as evil. after all, all life has positive energy animating it in some measure, and not every living thing is good is it?
Meep326
07-19-07, 01:57 AM exactly, there dont need to be good liches, because theres A- good clerics who think undead are the bane of all things and must be imediately distroyed. and B- druids that think unlife is unnatural and is sucking the life from life, and therefor will kill any undead they get into contact with. and of course the countless monsters who would kill them for being what they are, or for not understanding them (ogres arent real smart so...)
You are like one of the people in my game.

DM (Me): You see a goblin step onto the road ahead of you. He --
PC: I charge him drawing my weapon because all Goblins are evil (definatly not in my world, just so happened that this one was).
skydin
07-19-07, 02:08 AM um...nowhere in the quoted matirial did i state what I felt about undead and evil in general, i just said that liches and all undead in general have plenty of good counterparts without needing good liches in the mix.

and while i am chaotic, i almost always play CE, so it would be more like this.

DM: you see a goblin step onto the road ahead of you, he-
skydin: i use a scroll of charm on him, and i pull a collar out of my backpack, since all goblins are weak and easily broken.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Meep326 07-17-07, 02:28 AM	What is the price/process for the potion to become a Lich, I can't find any information on this. Sorry, if there's a thread aboot this but I couldn't find one on the first few pages.
Dead_Weasel 07-17-07, 02:44 AM	First of all, when you want to find something the Search function works wonders. Second of all, Link (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/lich.htm) Lich Characters The process of becoming a lich is unspeakably evil and can be undertaken only by a willing character. A lich retains all class abilities it had in life. The Lich’s Phylactery An integral part of becoming a lich is creating a magic phylactery in which the character stores its life force. As a rule, the only way to get rid of a lich for sure is to destroy its phylactery. Unless its phylactery is located and destroyed, a lich reappears 1d10 days after its apparent death. Each lich must make its own phylactery, which requires the Craft Wondrous Item feat. The character must be able to cast spells and have a caster level of 11th or higher. The phylactery costs 120,000 gp and 4,800 XP to create and has a caster level equal to that of its creator at the time of creation. The most common form of phylactery is a sealed metal box containing strips of parchment on which magical phrases have been transcribed. The box is Tiny and has 40 hit points, hardness 20, and a break DC of 40. Other forms of phylacteries can exist, such as rings, amulets, or similar items.
Meep326 07-17-07, 03:18 AM	Second of all, But, I thought you had to drink the 'Lichbrew' or 'Potion of Lichdom' or something to become a lich, that's what I'm looking for, I know about the Phlactery, it's the Potion to become the Lich I need to know about.
snakeman830 07-17-07, 09:18 AM	But, I thought you had to drink the 'Lichbrew' or 'Potion of Lichdom' or something to become a lich, that's what I'm looking for, I know about the Phlactery, it's the Potion to become the Lich I need to know about. The correct answer to the actual process of becoming a lich is: Whatever your DM says it is. When they say the process is unspeakably evil, it's usually best not to go into specifics.
Witch 07-17-07, 09:32 AM	Second edition went into the details of such a potion. It involves these ingredients: - Arsenic (2 drops of the purest distillate) - Belladonna (1 drop of the purest distillate) - Blood (1 quart of blood from a dead unicorn yearling infant killed by wyvern venom) - Blood (1 quart from a dead demihuman slain by a phase spider) - Blood (1 quart from a vampire or a being infected with vampirism) - Heart (the intact heart of a humanoid killed by poisoning; a mixture of arsenic and belladonna must be used) - Reproductive glands (from seven giant moths dead for less than 10 days, ground together) - Venom (1 pint or more, drawn from a phase spider less than 30 days previous) - Venom (1 pint or more, drawn from a wyvern less than 60 days previous) (Thanks to Phaedros at Dicefreaks whose post I could still find; I'd need to ask him what exactly the 2E sources are, though.)
420 07-17-07, 12:49 PM	But, I thought you had to drink the 'Lichbrew' or 'Potion of Lichdom' or something to become a lich, that's what I'm looking for, I know about the Phlactery, it's the Potion to become the Lich I need to know about. Not sure about older sources but in 3rd edition the only potion mentioned is the "dracolich brew" used to make a dracolich. Also, despite the description in the SRD I don't think the process that baelnorns or archliches go through is "unspeakably evil" since they retain their good alignment. Lastly, liches must consume larvae (easily obtained from night hags) in order to maintain their lich body and powers. -420
Mirtek 07-17-07, 01:33 PM	(Thanks to Phaedros at Dicefreaks whose post I could still find; I'd need to ask him what exactly the 2E sources are, though.) The 2e Lords of Darkness supplement has the whole procedure. Becoming a Lich To become a lich, a magic-user or magic-user/cleric must attain at least the 18th level of experience as a magic-user. The candidate for lichdom must have access to the spells magic jar, enchant an item, and trap the soul. Nulathoe’s Ninemen, a fifth-level magic-user spell (detailed in the FORGOTTEN REALMS boxed set) which serves to preserve corpses against decay, keeping them strong and supple as in life, is also required. The process of attaining lichdom is ruined if the candidate dies at any point during it. Even if successful resurrection follows, the process must be started anew. The process involves the preparation of a magical phylactery and a potion. Most candidates prepare the potion first and arrange for an apprentice or ally to raise them if ingestion of the potion proves fatal. Preparation of the phylactery is so expensive that most candidates do not wish to waste all the effort of its preparation by dying after it is completed but before they are prepared for lichdom. The nine ingredients of the potion are as follows: Arsenic (2 drops of the purest distillate) Belladonna (1 drop of the purest distillate) Blood (1 quart of blood from a dead virginal human infant killed by wyvern venom) Blood (1 quart from a dead demihuman slain by a phase spider) Blood (1 quart from a vampire or a being infected with vampirism) Heart (the intact heart of a humanoid killed by poisoning; a mixture of arsenic and belladonna must be used) Reproductive glands (from seven giant moths dead for less than 10 days, ground together) Venom (1 pint or more, drawn from a phase spider less than 30 days previous) Venom (1 pint or more, drawn from a wyvern less than 60 days previous) The ingredients are mixed in the order given by the light of a full moon, and must be drunk within seven days after they combine into a bluish glowing, sparkling black liquid. All of the potion must be drunk by the candidate, and within 6 rounds will produce an effect as follows (roll percentile dice): Lichnee Potion Table 01-10 All body hair falls out, but potion is ineffective (the candidate knows this). Another potion must be prepared if lichdom is desired. 11-40 Candidate falls into a coma for 1d6 + 1 days, is physically helpless and immobile, mentally unreachable. Potion works; the candidate knows this. 41-70 Potion works, but candidate is feebleminded, Any failed attempt to cure the candidate’s condition is 20% likely to slay the candidate. 71-90 Potion works, but candidate is paralyzed for 2d6 + 2 days (no saving throw, curative magics notwithstanding). There is a 30% chance for permanent loss of 1d6 Dexterity points. 91-96 Potion works, but candidate is permanently deaf (01-33), dumb (34-66), or blind (67-00). The lost sense can only be regained by a full or limited wish. 97-00 Death of the candidate. Potion does not work. The successfully prepared candidate for lichdom can exist for an indefinite number of years before becoming a lich. He will not achieve lichdom upon death unless preparation of his or her phylactery is complete. A successfully prepared candidate may appear somewhat paler of skin than before imbibing the potion, but cannot mentally or magically be detected by others as ready for lichdom. The candidate, however, is always aware of readiness for lichdom, even if charmed or insanity or memory loss occurs. (A charmed candidate can never be made to reveal where his phylactery is Š although he could be compelled to identify what the phylactery is, if shown it.) The phylactery may take any form it may be a pendant, gauntlet, scepter, helm, crown, ring, or even a lump of stone. It must be of inorganic material, must be solid and of high-quality workmanship if man-made, and cannot be an item having other spells or magical properties on or in it. It may be decorated or carved in any way desired for distinction. Enchant an item is cast upon the phylactery (this is one of the rare cases in which this spell can be cast on unworked material), a process requiring continual handling of the phylactery for a long time, as described in the PLAYER’S HANDBOOK. The phylactery must successfully make its saving throw as noted in the spell description. It must be completely enchanted within nine days (not the 24 hours normally allowed by the spell). Note that the additional spell times given in the enchant an item spell description are required. When the phylactery is thereby made ready for enchantment, the candidate must cast trap the soul on it. Percentile dice are rolled; the spell has a 50% chance or working, plus 6% per level of the candidate (or caster, if it is another being) over 11th level. The phylactery glows with a flickering blue-green faerie fire-like radiance for one round if it is successfully receptive for the candidate’s soul. The candidate then must cast Nulathoe’s Ninemen on the phylactery, and within one turn of doing so, cast magic jar on it and enter it with his life force. No victim is required for this use of the magic jar spell. Upon entering the phylactery, the candidate instantly loses one experience level along with its commensurate spells and hit points. The soul and lost hit points remain in the phylactery, which becomes AC 0 and has those hit points henceforth. The candidate is now a lichnee, and must return to his own body to rest for 1d6 + 1 days. The ordeal of becoming a lichnee is so traumatic that the candidate forgets any memorized spells of the top three levels available to him, and cannot regain any spells of those levels until the rest period is complete. (Candidates usually then resume a life of adventuring to regain the lost level.) The next time the lichnee candidate dies, regardless of the manner or planar location of death, or barriers of any sort between corpse and phylactery, the candidate’s life force will go into the phylactery. For it to emerge again, there must be a recently dead (less than 30 days) corpse within 90 feet of the phylactery. The corpse may be that of any creature, and must fail a saving throw vs. spell to be possessed. If it makes its saving throw, it will never receive the lich. If the creature had 3 hit dice or fewer in life, it saves as a zero-level fighter. If it had 3 + 1 hit dice or greater in life, it saves as if it were alive, with the following alignment modifiers: LG, CG, NG: + 0; LN, CN, N: - 3; LE, - 4; NE: - 5; CE: -6. The candidate’s own corpse, if within range, is at -10, and may have been dead for any length of time. The lichnee may attempt to enter his own corpse once per week until succeeding. (A phylactery too well-hidden might never offer the lichnee a corpse to enter. Many lichnee commit suicide to save themselves such troubles.) When the lichnee enters its own corpse, it rises in 1d4 turns as a full lich, with all memorized spells and all undead abilities as described in this book and the MONSTER MANUAL. If the lichnee enters another’s corpse, he is limited to the corpse’s living strength, and will have no more than 4 hit dice. The intelligence and wisdom of the lichnee candidate are preserved, and the corpse will rise after 1d3 turns of apparent continuing death (the lichnee’s presence being undetectable during this time) as a wight. This wightish body cannot drain life energy, and will be telepathic if it could speak in life. If it could cast spells when alive, the lichnee may cast already memorized spells, or study and cast new ones, of up to fourth level (clerical, magic-user or both, according to the candidate’s original class abilities). In the wightish body, the lichnee will seek his own body. Thanks to the potion ingested earlier, the candidate’s own corpse can only be destroyed by failing a save - as if it were the living candidate, just prior to death - against a disintegrate spell. Even if the body is burned or dismembered, its ashes or pieces will radiate an unlimited-range locate object to the lichnee. He may well encounter difficulties in regaining his body parts, but if and when he does so, he will eat them. Seven days after ingesting any part of the candidate’s original body, the wightish lichnee body will metamorphose into a body similar to the candidate’s original one, and manifest full lich powers and abilities (reroll hit points using eight-sided dice).
Sildatorak 07-17-07, 02:46 PM	Second edition went into the details of such a potion. It involves these ingredients: That can't be it. I can speak it. Seriously, though, unless one of the Van Richten's guides covered it, I think all that 2e official dealt with was that the potion was lethal to the caster. You had to make a saving throw (or system shock roll, I don't recall off the top of my head and my 2eMM is boxed up someplace), if you failed you were dead (unresably so), and if you succeeded you were undead.
peteyrock 07-17-07, 02:55 PM	I understand that to create a phylactery, one has to have a caster level of at least 11th. What about Paladins? Would that count as caster levels?
Morwen 07-17-07, 03:10 PM	I understand that to create a phylactery, one has to have a caster level of at least 11th. What about Paladins? Would that count as caster levels? Paladins have a caster level equal to half of their Paladin level. So you'd need to be a 22nd level Paladin in order to create a phylactery.
peteyrock 07-17-07, 03:12 PM	Paladins have a caster level equal to half of their Paladin level. So you'd need to be a 22nd level Paladin in order to create a phylactery. Thanks.
HuManBing 07-17-07, 03:34 PM	Also, the Larva requirement is just one of several official ones that I've seen. I know that the Van Richten's Guide to the Lich has another possible ritual involving deadly potions and a sentient creature's heart, whereby the lich burns the heart and then sprinkles the ashes into its body and eye sockets. Use whichever one you or your DM likes more!
420 07-17-07, 08:14 PM	I understand that to create a phylactery, one has to have a caster level of at least 11th. What about Paladins? Would that count as caster levels? To become a lich, a magic-user or magic-user/cleric must attain at least the 18th level of experience as a magic-user. Pretty sure it has to be arcane caster levels not divine. -420
Dead_Weasel 07-17-07, 10:04 PM	A lich is an undead spellcaster, usually a wizard or sorcerer but sometimes a cleric or other spellcaster, who has used its magical powers to unnaturally extend its life. The correct answer to the actual process of becoming a lich is: Whatever your DM says it is. When they say the process is unspeakably evil, it's usually best not to go into specifics. Pretty much - if you want detail, it falls to you to fill in the blank. Each lich is different - since each person is unique - so as long is the process is evil, unpleasant and ultimately lethal it ought to work. Points for originality.
Morwen 07-18-07, 02:52 AM	Pretty sure it has to be arcane caster levels not divine. -420 Liches are not arcane-only. Clerics can become liches too, although wizard and sorcerer liches are more common.
Sildatorak 07-18-07, 04:15 PM	I understand that to create a phylactery, one has to have a caster level of at least 11th. What about Paladins? Would that count as caster levels?With the practiced caster feat, they can do it at level 14. They won't be a paladin for very long if they do it, though.
Meep326 07-18-07, 06:00 PM	With the practiced caster feat, they can do it at level 14. They won't be a paladin for very long if they do it, though. They changed to Paladin of Slaughter or the other one, or thay can switch all of one level of paladin for levels of Blackguard. They could become a Lich for a good reason, such as to further their life to protect their hometown.
Witch 07-18-07, 06:02 PM	No, they couldn't. The process to become a lich is unspeakably evil. Paladins don't do that stuff. Your other suggestions work, though.
Meep326 07-18-07, 06:45 PM	There's the good lichs described in Monsters of Faerun.
Witch 07-18-07, 08:40 PM	That's a result from people believing that good needs an equivalent for everything that evil has. In my opinion, the only good liches that should exist are redeemed evil ones. And they should be rare. If the process to become it isn't unspeakably evil, it shouldn't be called a lich, in my opinion. I really don't like the rush to make undead good.
skydin 07-18-07, 08:52 PM	exactly, there dont need to be good liches, because theres A- good clerics who think undead are the bane of all things and must be imediately distroyed. and B- druids that think unlife is unnatural and is sucking the life from life, and therefor will kill any undead they get into contact with. and of course the countless monsters who would kill them for being what they are, or for not understanding them (ogres arent real smart so...)
420 07-19-07, 12:53 AM	exactly, there dont need to be good liches, because theres A- good clerics who think undead are the bane of all things and must be imediately distroyed. and B- druids that think unlife is unnatural and is sucking the life from life, and therefor will kill any undead they get into contact with. and of course the countless monsters who would kill them for being what they are, or for not understanding them (ogres arent real smart so...) That all depends on if you want negative energy associated with evil in your game as discussed in this thread: Why are undead regarded as evil? (http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?t=849074) -420
skydin 07-19-07, 01:03 AM	i suppose you have a point, i dont really see undead as evil. after all, all life has positive energy animating it in some measure, and not every living thing is good is it?
Meep326 07-19-07, 01:57 AM	exactly, there dont need to be good liches, because theres A- good clerics who think undead are the bane of all things and must be imediately distroyed. and B- druids that think unlife is unnatural and is sucking the life from life, and therefor will kill any undead they get into contact with. and of course the countless monsters who would kill them for being what they are, or for not understanding them (ogres arent real smart so...) You are like one of the people in my game. DM (Me): You see a goblin step onto the road ahead of you. He -- PC: I charge him drawing my weapon because all Goblins are evil (definatly not in my world, just so happened that this one was).
skydin 07-19-07, 02:08 AM	um...nowhere in the quoted matirial did i state what I felt about undead and evil in general, i just said that liches and all undead in general have plenty of good counterparts without needing good liches in the mix. and while i am chaotic, i almost always play CE, so it would be more like this. DM: you see a goblin step onto the road ahead of you, he- skydin: i use a scroll of charm on him, and i pull a collar out of my backpack, since all goblins are weak and easily broken.