Lich (Dungeons & Dragons)

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Dungeons & Dragons creature
The lich-deity Vecna, as shown on the cover of Die Vecna Die! (Wizards of the Coast, 2000)
Lich
Alignment Any evil
Type Undead
Source books
First appearance
Image Wizards.com image
Stats OGL stats

In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, the lich is an undead creature; a spellcaster who seeks to defy death by magical means.

Contents

[edit] Ecology

A lich converts itself into a skeletal creature by means of necromancy, storing its soul in a magical receptacle called a phylactery. In some sources the method of becoming a lich is referred to as the Ritual of Endless Night. The lich creation process is often described as requiring the creation and consumption of a deadly potion which is to be drunk on a full moon; although the exact details of the potion are described differently in various sources, the creation of the potion almost universally entails acts of utter evil, such as using as an ingredient the blood of an infant slain by the potential lich's own hand, or other, similarly vile components. The potion invariably kills the drinker but if the process is successful he rises again some days later as a lich. Occasionally, this metamorphosis occurs by accident as a result of life-prolonging magic.

Unlike most other forms of undead creatures, the lich retains all of the memories, personality, and abilities that it possessed in life — but it has a virtual eternity to hone its skills and inevitably becomes very powerful. Like other powerful forms of undead (such as a vampire or mummy), a lich has unnatural powers owing to his state. For example, he can put mortals in a paralyzed state of hibernation with a touch, making them seem dead to others, and can, through his typically powerful magical spells, summon other lesser undead to protect him. Liches can radiate an aura of horror which can send weak-willed would-be foes to flight. The lich is capable of sustaining tremendous physical damage, and is immune to disease, poison, fatigue and other effects that affect only the living. However, despite all his undead "gifts", a lich's most valuable resources are his vast intellect, his supreme mastery of sorcery and limitless time to research, plot and scheme.

Since a lich's soul is mystically tied to its phylactery, destroying its body will not kill it. Rather, its soul will return to the phylactery, and its body will be recreated by the power keeping it immortal. Thus the only way to permanently destroy a lich is to destroy the phylactery as well. Therefore, the lich will generally be extremely protective of the priceless item. The phylactery, which can be of virtually any form (the default form is a metal box filled with rune-covered papers, but it usually appears as a valuable amulet or gemstone), will often be hidden in a secret place and protected by powerful spells, charms, monsters and/or other servants; the phylactery itself is usually of magical nature, meaning its destruction will generally be little easier than attaining it.

[edit] Alignment

Depending on the method of becoming a lich, a lich can be of any alignment, retaining whatever alignment it had in life.

Liches are mostly evil but there are references of good liches.

The reasons for good beings to become liches are limited but most of them come down to unfulfilled quests in life, guardianship over ancient evil and the oversight of future generations.

The process for being a good lich is more difficult to discover and in many campaign settings does not exist at all. In general, the process of becoming a lich has very evil requirements possibly making it hard for good people to retain a good alignment.

[edit] Liches in the Forgotten Realms

In the Forgotten Realms Arch-liches are liches from mortals who were divine casters of good alignment. Baelnorns are ancient elven liches who head noble families and aid communites through sage advice. While there are some records of these they are extremely rare and evil liches are far more prevalent. The abilities of good liches are somewhat diminished as well.

[edit] Notable liches

Liches are usually among the most powerful undead creatures in almost any setting in which they appear, and are one of the most powerful non-unique undead creatures in the D&D game.

[edit] Deities

Several D&D gods were liches before becoming deities; these gods include:

[edit] Non-divine liches

  • Acererak, of the World of Greyhawk campaign setting.
  • Arklem Greeth, Arcane Archmage of the Forgotten Realms setting.
  • Azalin, the lord of Darkon in the Ravenloft campaign setting.
  • Boretti, Necromancer-King, ruler of a rogue army in Acheron, from Planescape: Planes of Law manual.
  • Dragotha, powerful dracolich in the World of Greyhawk campaign setting.
  • Harthoon, chief diplomat and castellan of Orcus (from the Book of Vile Darkness and Fiendish Codex I: Hordes of the Abyss).
  • Larloch the Ultra-Lich, last Netheril arcanist from the Forgotten Realms setting.
  • Szass Tam, the de-facto ruler of Thay in the Forgotten Realms campaign setting.
  • Thessalar, of the World of Greyhawk campaign setting. Creator of the thessalmonster.
  • Redeye, the lich that rules over the Lizard Marsh. Appeared in the adventure module Under Illefarn.
  • Sammaster, First Speaker of the Cult of the Dragon in the Forgotten Realms setting.
  • Tordynnar Rhaevaern, baelnorn from the Forgotten Realms setting.
  • The Twisted Rune Lords: Jymahna, Kartak Spellseer, Priamon Rakesk, Rhangaun, Sapphiraktar the Azure (dracolich), and Shangalar the Black, all from the Forgotten Realms campaign setting.
  • Vol, nearly a deity. The driving force behind the Blood of Vol religion. Eberron campaign setting.
  • The Witch-King Zhengyi, from The Bloodstone Pass modules and the last two books of The Sellswords trilogy by R.A. Salvatore.
  • Zrie Prakis, subordinate and former lover of the wizard Cassana in the novel Azure Bonds.

[edit] Notable Dungeons & Dragons style liches in other media

[edit] Other forms of liches

Still in the Dungeons & Dragons universe, one can also encounter the Archlich. Archliches are good liches which are able to memorize spells through intuitive nature and do not need spellbooks; they also do not become demiliches (see below) but remain in their form for eternity. The first occurrence of an archlich is in the AD&D Spelljammer accessory Lost Ships.

If a lich exists long enough, it may reach a point where it feels it cannot learn any more in its present state and seeks other avenues to attain knowledge. The lich's interest turns away from the physical realm, and its soul voluntarily leaves its undead form and phylactery, using astral projection to travel across other planes of existence. The magics preserving the lich's body against the ravages of time weaken, usually causing the body to gradually deteriorate until only a skull or even a single skeletal hand remains; this advanced form of lich is known as a demilich. Despite its ruined body, a demilich is far from powerless; if disturbed, the skull will levitate and suck the souls from nearby living creatures. The most notable demiliches are Acererak, found in the classic adventure Tomb of Horrors, and Kangaxx, one of the most powerful adversaries in the PC game Baldur's Gate 2: Shadows of Amn.

Other races also have their own special versions of the lich, which are not necessarily evil; for example, an Elf from the Forgotten Realms setting can become a baelnorn (often elves who take upon themselves the duty of overseeing and/or protecting their house), or an Illithid can become an illithilich, also known as an alhoon. A dragon can also become a dracolich. Dracoliches are greatly feared, for they are far more powerful than ordinary liches. A dracolich that became a demilich would be an extremely powerful monster, even by dragon standards. Lichfiends are evil outsiders that achieve lichdom.

Other variant liches exist. Baneliches, extremely powerful priests of the Forgotten Realms deity Bane, grow in power every 100 years of their continued existence. Dry liches are desert-dwelling liches, the end result of the Walker in the Wastes prestige class. Psiliches are powerful users of psionic powers, who have used non-magical means to achieve this state of undeath.

The Suel Imperium also had its own form of liches, the Suel lich — powerful wizards who learned the secrets of transferring their souls from one body to the next — at the cost of the bodies burning out in brief periods.

[edit] References


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