Liches are undead spellcasters, usually wizards or sorcerer but sometimes clerics, who have used their magical powers to unnaturally extend their lives in the hopes of achieving true immortality.
Liches appear rotted and decayed, with their flesh pulled tight across their bones. They have red pinpoints for eyes, glowing out of the otherwise empty sockets. Most liches wear magical garb in some state of decay, and most carry magical staffs, wands, or other items.
Liches speak all the languages they could in life.
COMBAT
Though the touch of a lich is terrible to feel, any person who became a lich already desired to battle from a distance. If forced into combat, a lich will prefer to rain misery and pain down upon their enemies in the form of spells, relying on their fear aura, touch attacks, and any magical weapons they might possess if their spells cannot handle their foes. Of course, preferable to all of these is the use of summoned or controlled minions to combat anyone insane enough to battle an undead master of magic.
__Damaging Touch (Su): .
__Paralyzing Touch (Su): .
__Fear Aura (Su): .
__Spells: Liches are powerful spellcasters all, and can cast any spells they could in life.
__Turn resistance: A lich has +4 turn resistance.
__Damage reduction: A lich has damage reduction of 15/+1. Some liches instead enjoy DR 20/+2.
__Immunities: Liches are immune to cold, electricity, polymorph and mind-affecting spells.
__Lich Sight: Liches are immune to cold, electricity, polymorph and mind-affecting spells.
__Undead Control: Liches are the masters of the undead.
Spell Resistance: Liches 12 + the lich's HD.
__Pleasing Illusion(Su): The fallen wizard hides its undead form behind a pleasing face. Most male Unhallowed appear as elderly, but firm men of impressive stature with long, white beards and hair. Women, on the other hand, often appear as youthful, beautiful women, though either type may assume whatever form is most appropriate. Regardless, both gain the effective Charisma score of 20.
"Lich" is a template that can be added to any humanoid creature (the character), provided it can create the required phylactery. The creature's type changes to "undead." It uses all the character's statistics and special abilities except as noted here:
Hit Dice: increase to d12
Speed: Same as character
AC: +5 natural, or the character's natural, whichever is higher.
Damage: Creatures without natural weapons gain a touch attack that uses negative energy to deal 1d8+5 points of damage to living creatures; a Will save with a DC of 10+1/2 lich's hit dice+lich's Charisma modifier halves the damage. Creatures with natural weapons can use those, or the touch attack, as they prefer.
Special Attacks: The character retains all of their special attacks, plus gains the additional ones below. Saving throw DCs, where appropriate, are 10+1/2 lich's hit dice+lich's Charisma modifier.
Fear Aura: Creatures less than 5 hit dice within 60' of the lich must succeed at a Will save or be affected as though by fear cast at the Lich's level.
Paralyzing Touch: Any living creature the lich touches must succeed at a Fortitude save or be permanently paralyzed. Remove paralysis or any spell that can remove a curse can free the victim. This effect cannot be dispelled. Anyone paralyzed by the lich seems dead, but a spot check (DC 20) or heal check (DC 15) reveals that the victim is still alive.
Spells: The lich can cast any spells it could cast while alive.
Coldfire (Su): Baneliches can hurl balls of blue-green fire.
Despair (Su): Baneliches are the masters of the undead.
Doom Gaze (Su): Baneliches are the masters of the undead. Gain over time.
Dream Haunting (Su): Liches are the masters of the undead.
Grasp of Death (Su): Baneliches are the masters of the undead. Gain over time.
Grasp of Enfeeblement (Su): Baneliches are the masters of the undead. Gain over time.
Painwrack Gaze (Su): Baneliches are the masters of the undead. Gain over time.
Voice of Maleficence (Sp): Baneliches are the masters of the undead. Gain over time.
Special Qualities: The lich retains all of the character's special qualities, plus those listed below, and it gains the undead type.
Turn resistance: A lich has +4 turn resistance.
Damage reduction: A lich has damage reduction of 15/+1. Some liches instead enjoy DR 20/+2.
Immunities: Liches are immune to cold, electricity, polymorph and mind-affecting spells.
Lich Sight: Liches are immune to cold, electricity, polymorph and mind-affecting spells.
Undead Control: Liches are the masters of the undead.
Spell Resistance: Liches 12 + the lich's HD.
Other Salient Abilities: At least liches in Ravenloft get to benefit from these powers, and DMs can decide if they allow them in other games The number of abilities a lich can have depend upon their Intelligence score, as shown below:
Alternate Form (Su): Liches are the masters of the undead.
Animating Touch (Su): Liches are the masters of the undead.
Augmented Spellcasting (Ex): Liches are mighty sprllcasters all. They may prepare double the number of 1st, 2nd, and 3rd-level spells per day.
Bone Command (Su): Liches are the masters of the undead.
Chilling Wind (Su): Liches are the masters of the undead.
Fast Healing (Ex): The lich constantly draws upon the energies of its phylactery. The lich benefits from fast healing 5.
Magic Mimicry (Su): Liches are the masters of the undead.
Metal Immunity (Ex): Liches are the masters of the undead.
Poison Aura (Su): Liches are the masters of the undead.
Proxy Travel (Su): Liches are the masters of the undead.
Skull Scry (Su): Liches are the masters of the undead.
Undead Mastery (Su): Liches are the masters of the undead.
Vortex of Evil (Su): Liches are the masters of the undead.
Saves: Same as character.
Abilities: A lich gains +2 to Intelligence, Wisdom and Charisma. It has no Constitution score.
Skills: The lich gains +8 racial bonus to Hide, Listen, Move Silently, Search, Sense Motive, and Spot checks. Otherwise same as the character.
Feats: Same as the character.
CR: Same as the character +2
Treasure: Standard coins, double goods, double items.
Alignment: Any evil.
Advancement: By character class.
The Lich's phylactery
An integral part of becoming a lich is the creation of a phylactery in which to store it's life force. Unless the phylactery is destroyed, the lich will reappear 1d10 days after its apparent death.
Requirements: Craft Wondrous Item, Wizard, Sorcerer or Cleric level 11, 120,000 GP and 4,800 experience points, caster level equals the level of the creator at the time of creation. A typical phylactery is a small metal box containing strips of parchment with magical phrases written on them, and has a hardness of 20, 40 hit points and a break DC of 40, but the phylactery could also be a ring, amulet or similar item.
For those who do not want to just slap on a template all at once, especially if you already own Savage Species, here is the Savage Species Character Progression for the Lich.
The Lich Template Class
Feared by mortal beings for their malign magic, their intelligence, and their willingness to embrace undeath for a chance to live forever, liches are evil beings of great power. Though the lich template can be applied to a character all at once to achieve an instantaneous transformation from living to undead, allowing an enemy spellcaster to progress slowly as a lich can be even more useful to a DM. In that way, the NPC can return to foil the PCs time and again before achieving her full potential as a lich. Likewise, an evil character pursuing lichdom can experience the process in slow steps while continuing to adventure with her allies, rather than gaining all the template's powers at once and immediately surpassing her comrades in terms of sheer power.
The lich template class has two special requirements. First, the base character must have the Craft Wondrous Item feat so that she can make a phylactery to hold her life force. The would-be lich must craft her phylactery over time, as described below. Second, she must be able to cast spells at a caster level of 11th or higher. It is this power, coupled with the knowledge of the process required, that allows the transformation to occur.
| Lich Class Level | CR | Special | ||
| 1st | +0 | Int +2, natural armor +2, lich skills +2, damaging touch 1d6+5, paralyzing touch (1d4 rounds), resistances (cold 5, electricity 5) | ||
| 2nd | +1 | Natural armor +3, lich skills +4, damage reduction 5/bludgeoning and magic, damaging touch (1d8+5), fear aura (10-ft. radius), fortification (light), paralyzing touch (1d4 minutes), phylactery (1st stage), resistances (cold 10, electricity 10) | ||
| 3rd | +2 | Wis +2, natural armor +4, lich skills +6, damage reduction 10/bludgeoning and magic, fear aura (30-ft. radius), fortification (moderate), paralyzing touch (1d4 hours), phylactery (2nd stage), resistances (cold 20, electricity 20) | ||
| 4th | +2 | Cha +2, natural armor +5, lich skills +8, damage reduction 15/bludgeoning and magic, fear aura (60-ft. radius), immunities (cold, electricity, polymorph), paralyzing touch (permanent), phylactery (3rd stage), turn resistance +4, undeath |
Lich Template Class Features
All of the following are class features of the lich template class.
Ability Score Changes: The indicated ability score increases or decreases by the amount noted. These changes are cumulative. At first, a would-be lich gains an intellectual understanding of the process necessary to become a lich (represented by the Intelligence increase at 1st level). Then she gains the intuitive understanding of what the process entails (represented by the Wisdom increase at 3rd level). Finally, she gains a surge of confidence as the process is completed (represented by the Charisma increase at 4th level).
Natural Armor Replacement: At each level of the lich template class, the character uses either her existing natural armor bonus or the value given in Table SP-12, whichever is greater. A character that does not normally have a natural armor bonus (such as a human) is considered to have an initial natural armor bonus of +0 for the purpose of this ability. Thus, a human's natural armor bonus would become +2 at 1st level, +3 at 2nd level, +4 at 3rd level, and +5 at 4th level.
For example, a bugbear normally has a +3 natural armor bonus. Thus, a bugbear wizard 11 who chose to become a lich would gain no benefit from this ability until she attained 3rd level in the template class, since only then does the natural armor bonus granted by the template surpass that granted by her race.
Any item or effect that provides an enhancement bonus to natural armor functions normally for a lich -- that is, its bonus is added to the lich's base natural armor bonus. Thus, an amulet of natural armor +2 would give a bugbear wizard 11/lich 1 a total natural armor bonus of +5 (+3 base for bugbear, +2 from the amulet). That same bugbear as a wizard 11/lich 4 would have a natural armor bonus of +7 (+5 from the template class and +2 from the amulet).
Lich Skills: At 1st level, a lich gains a +2 racial bonus on Hide, Listen, Move Silently, Search, Sense Motive, and Spot checks. This bonus increases to +4 at 2nd level, to +6 at 3rd level, and to +8 at 4th level.
Damaging Touch (Su): At 1st level, a lich's touch deals 1d6+5 points of negative energy damage to any living target. A Will save (DC 10 + 1/2 lich's HD + lich's Cha modifier) halves this damage. A lich who attacks with a natural weapon may deal this damage in addition to the normal damage for that attack. When the lich reaches 2nd level, the damage for her touch increases to 1d8+5 points.
Paralyzing Touch (Su): Any living creature hit by a lich's touch attack must succeed on a Fortitude save (DC 10 + 1/2 lich's HD + lich's Cha modifier) or be paralyzed for 1d4 rounds. A lich who attacks with a natural weapon may deal this damage in addition to the normal damage for that attack. Remove paralysis or any effect that can remove a curse frees the victim, but the effect cannot be dispelled. Anyone paralyzed by a lich seems dead, though a successful DC 20 Spot check or DC 15 Heal check reveals that the victim is still alive.
At 2nd level, the duration of this effect increases to 1d4 minutes. At 3rd level, the duration increases to 1d4 hours. At 4th level, the effect is permanent until removed.
Resistances (Ex): At 1st level, a lich gains resistance to cold 5 and electricity 5. Each of these resistances increases to 10 at 2nd level and to 20 at 3rd level.
Damage Reduction (Su): At 2nd level, a lich gains damage reduction 5/bludgeoning and magic. Her natural weapons are treated as magic weapons for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction. Her damage reduction increases to 10/bludgeoning and magic at 3rd level and to 15/bludgeoning and magic at 4th level.
Fear Aura (Su): Beginning at 2nd level, a lich is shrouded in a dreadful aura of death and evil. Any creature in a 10-foot radius that looks at her must make a Will save if it is within 10 feet of her and has fewer than 5 HD. Failure means the creature is affected as though by a fear spell (caster level equals lich's character level). A creature that successfully saves cannot be affected again by the same lich's aura for 24 hours. The lich can negate the effect of her aura by concealing all of her withered flesh and hiding her glowing eyes, usually by means of clothing that covers her entire body coupled with some sort of deep cowled cloak or visored helmet.
The radius of this effect expands to 30 feet at 3rd level and to 60 feet at 4th level.
Fortification (Ex): When a lich attains 2nd level, her internal organs begin to shut down as she continues her metamorphosis into an undead creature and starts to transfer her life energy into her phylactery. Thus, she is treated as if she had the light fortification armor property (25% chance for any critical hit or sneak attack against her to become a normal attack). If she has any version of the fortification special ability from another source (such as a spell or magic item), use the better value. At 3rd level, she is treated as if she had moderate fortification (50% chance for any critical hit or sneak attack against her to become a normal attack).
Phylactery: To complete her transformation to a lich, the character must create a phylactery using the Craft Wondrous Item feat. The phylactery is crafted in three stages, and the lich transfers a bit more of her life force to it at each stage. It does not, however, grant her any of the normal benefits of a phylactery until it is fully completed.
Paying the cost of each stage of its construction is a prerequisite for the corresponding level in the lich template class. Thus, to take the 2nd level in this class, the lich must invest 40,000 gp and 1,600 XP in her phylactery. She must spend the same amount again to take the 3rd level, and once again to take the 4th level (for a total investment of 120,000 gp and 4,800 XP). She can complete the phylactery early if she wishes, though doing so does not grant her any additional abilities until she takes the appropriate levels in the template class.
For the purpose of determining item saving throws, the phylactery has a caster level equal to that of the lich at the time she completed the most recent stage of work. For example, if a human wizard 11/lich 1 crafts the first stage of her phylactery, it is caster level 11th. She gains three more wizard levels before finishing the second stage of construction, giving it caster level 14th. At that point, she takes the 2nd level of the template class. She then takes one more level of wizard and completes the phylactery, which is thereafter caster level 15th.
The most common physical form for a phylactery is a sealed metal box containing strips of parchment on which magical phrases have been transcribed. The box is a Tiny object with 40 hit points, hardness 20, and a break DC of 40. Other kinds of phylacteries can also exist, such as rings, amulets, or similar items.
Once the phylactery has been completed, the lich can avoid permanent destruction as long as her phylactery survives. If she dies or is destroyed, she reappears 1d10 days after her old body's death. She gains her new physical form by grafting her undead spirit to a humanoid corpse, mindless undead, or some weak-minded creature within a few miles of her phylactery. The new body has all the abilities and powers of her old one, though any items she used to carry are lost (probably taken by those who slew her old body). Likewise, any spells or effects bound to her old body with permanency do not spontaneously appear on her new one. Most liches who recover from death spend a year or more tracking down their items and learning more about their attackers, and it is not unusual for a lich to wait decades before exacting her revenge.
If the phylactery is destroyed while the lich is still active in a body, her undead life force automatically joins that body. She takes no penalties of any kind for that joining, but without a phylactery, she cannot recover if her body is subsequently destroyed. She may create a new phylactery to replace a lost one if she has the time and resources to do so.
Turn Resistance (Ex): At 4th level, a lich gains +4 turn resistance. She is treated as an undead with 4 more Hit Dice than she actually has for the purpose of turn, rebuke, command, or bolster attempts.
Immunities (Ex): A 4th-level lich is immune to cold, electricity, and polymorph, though she can still use polymorph effects on herself.
Undeath: Upon reaching 4th level, the lich becomes fully undead. Her type changes to undead, and she gains all the normal benefits and drawbacks that go with that type. She no longer has a Constitution score, so she loses any Constitution bonus or penalty to hit points, saving throws, and skills. She also becomes immune to many attacks (including critical hits and sneak attacks, rendering her fortification ability redundant), but she is subject to turn and rebuke attempts and is immediately destroyed if brought to 0 or fewer hit points (though her phylactery prevents "permanent" destruction). All of her Hit Dice (current and future) increase to d12s. (Rather than rerolling all her Hit Dice, just add 4 hit points for every d4 she previously had, 3 hp for every d6, 2 hp for every d8, and 1 hp for every d10.) In addition, her alignment immediately changes to evil if it was not already.
A lich cleric becomes an ex-cleric at this time if her deity does not allow evil clerics. However, she can remedy this situation either by offering her allegiance to a god that does accept evil clerics or by devoting herself to an evil cause or a source of evil divine power (selecting new domains if appropriate). A lich cleric who could previously turn undead loses that ability but gains the ability to rebuke undead. Likewise, a lich cleric who could previously spontaneously cast cure spells can now do so with inflict spells.
Upon gaining the undead template, a lich sorcerer or wizard is shunned by her familiar unless it is a bat or rat, but she can acquire a bat or rat familiar to replace her previous one in the usual way.
http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/sp/20031212a This is where I found this template.
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