... and I am glad to have it largely behind me. I need to address the list of a spells that a lich has, picking out from the spell list the "best" choices, those that are most lich-friendly, but as I haven't properly working out the magic spells themselves above 4th level, I think I'll leave off doing this until another time. I'm not likely to throw a lich in anyone's path soon.
I have no idea if this is anyone else's idea of a lich or not. Surely there must be one such creature written about in some truly awful and popular game module with which I have zero familiarity, which every D&D player in the universe bases their lich upon, being so very very fond of that module. Occasionally, I've tried to dig up such references, to use them, only to find them unspeakably tenth-rate in their quality or attention to detail ... and yet everyone LOVES them to death, because that's the lich they fought in their utterly overpowered game show contestant campaign that they played at the age of 7.
So. This lich isn't like that lich.
I've dispensed with the word "phylactery," which is a Jewish holy article, and which I do not think is the appropriate article to be used in describing perhaps the most evil creature in the D&D lexicon. People who want to carp about the abuse of orcs for their ugliness and drow elves for their blackness ought to add this particular abuse to their social justice cause list. The 5th level spell, magic jar, seems perfectly appropriate.
I play it that the soul never leaves the jar, and that in fact the body doesn't have to be the original lich's body. But it is all explained on the post.
Key to this is that it remains within the realm of a player character choosing to take their sufficiently high level mage and become a lich of their own free will. Essentially, there's nothing to stop the mage ... most definitely not alignment, because I don't use it. If a player character wants to go that route, I have absolutely no problems with it. Of course, they have to get there first. Starting at 1st level, as everyone must in my game, means it will take a little time.
I like it, well defined and maintains the idea of the lich that has been developed by D&D over the years. Though I think you should note that the magic jar need not be an actual jar and the means required to destroy it and permanently kill the lich. I would expect that sort of info in the magic jar spell description, but it bears repeating in the actual write up of the lich simply for completeness.
ReplyDeleteAlso, not sure if you are aware, the lich in Basic/Classic makes no mention of a magic jar or phylactery, so if you kill the lich it dies then and there. I'd be interested to know what you think of that version.
How do you classify the HP/die of Undead such as this? Do we give the Lich hp for it's mass, or do they get a d4 because they're a mage?
ReplyDeleteAre skeletons weaker than their fleshy counterparts?
What about ghosts or shadows?
I have the original Monster Manual, and it makes no such mention either. However, that material doesn't explain how the lich comes into being, either ... and I like the idea that a wizard intentionally makes itself the lich. The mage/cleric rivalry is justified in that the worst mages make themselves a pain in the ass for the most powerful clerics.
ReplyDeletePandred,
ReplyDeleteThe lich's transformation makes the body into a monster, so that it has hit dice, not levels. The lich in the jar has levels, but the body ceases to be subject to the d4 limitation.
Oh, and no, it doesn't have to be a "jar" ... but it certainly doesn't have to be a phylactery either.
I like how this is the first place that explains why the lich doesn't just place their core somewhere impossible to reach.
ReplyDeleteI'm curious what a lich's motivation (and a player's motivation to become so) would be. What does a lich desire? Comfort? Safety?
ReplyDeleteOr is it reduced to the search for a new host? This seems more animalistic than I'd expect of a supra-genius.
That's only because the purpose of the description is to detail the limits and advantages of the lich, not to invest any particular lich with any particular personality. The invested purpose of the lich should differ greatly between individuals. However, the motivation that ultimately results in madness is the thirst to NOT DIE.
ReplyDeletePerhaps you haven't yet encountered your inevitable mortality in a way that causes you to realize that although you've carefully and wisely lived to an old age, no one gets out of this alive. Imagine this thought in the mind of an evil wizard like Jafar, who succeeded in his life in every aspect, overcoming every genie, Aladdin and Jasmine, only to now realize he must succumb to death ...
Does the lich have to spend time in study to regain spells it casts? Or is its spell-casting gestures, etc. just trappings of its mortal life that it refuses to relinquish? I'm a little confused by the phrase "inherent ability"...are you referring to a capability of its former class, or to a special ability of its form?
ReplyDeleteI don't have an objection to the term phylactery which appears (from the wikipedia article) to derive from a Greek word for amulet or safeguard, as opposed to the Hebrew term "tefillin" (then again, I'm not Jewish). Perverting a term for such an item would appear appropriate to such an unholy creature as a lich, however.
The whole development of the phylactery concept can be laid at the feet of 2nd edition; their studious ecology sections on each monster seems to have had them invent a method of actual "lich-creation" including a list of spells needed and material costs. Personally, I like the more ambiguous language of "powerful and arcane magics" coupled with "force of will." Let the damn thing be so ancient that no one knows just HOW it managed to transform itself!
That being said, the idea of corrupting the Magic Jar spell to obtain eternal life as some sort of magical parasite is a good one...I remember seeing a similar concept used by Weiss/Hickman in their Time of the Twins novel (regarding their later-lich character Fistandantilus). The body corruption is also cool, reminding me of the later (comic book/RPG) portrayals of Emperor Palpatine in the Star Wars-verse and his constant need for fresh clone bodies. But what I REALLY like is the possibility of this version providing the potential for "minor liches;" Magic Jar is, after all, only a 5th level spell. I would infer from this entry that ANY 9th level magic-user with access to MJ (and a "no death wish") could prolong her life in this fashion...or, at least, that the possibility exists.
Because the fact is I have NOT used liches in my past games. Not that I remember anyway. Oh, there's a lich in the old TSR module D1 (Descent into the Depths of the Earth), but it's just sleeping in a cave (whiling away the hours...) not doing anything particularly "awesome," and as I've MAYBE run that adventure once, nothing about it stands out for me, besides its exceptionally long spell list and its portable hole filled with treasure. The demilich of Tomb of Horrors certainly fails to qualify as a lich in my mind. So, nope, I really have next to zero game experience running (or encountering) liches; no iconic version stands forth in my mind. They've just been a bit too powerful to make an appearance. Lowering the level of entry to lichdom to something less than 18th could, however, rectify that.
Interesting that the monster's original D&D appearance (in the Greyhawk supplement) put them at a minimum of 12th level experience. Oh, yeah...and no mention of a phylactery either.
Trappings of a mortal life.
ReplyDeleteI've never actually run one either. That's a lot of years for a monster to sit on the shelf.
Indeed.
ReplyDeleteWhat does it mean, in the second to last paragraph, that it is "immune... ...to spells that cause damage"?
ReplyDeleteMagic Missile, Chromatic Orb and Whip are spells that cause damage but are not related to any of the other forms of immunity named; additionally, fireball and wall of fire are spells that cause damage, whereas a burning torch is not a spell and the lich is not immune to normal fire.
ReplyDeleteHm. Is this spell damage immunity typical of undead in your world (“because of the lich’s undead nature...”)?
ReplyDeleteNo. I believe this is the only monster that has this immunity. I just don't want it to be easy for a big party to bring a whack of spells to bear and obliterate the thing in a couple of rounds.
ReplyDeleteI like that the lich wants to make the magic jar very hard to find, but is also encouraged to not make it impossible to find. A lich might be able to enchant a container for the jar to drop it into the marinas trench where it will be perfectly safe. Yet, if their body is destroyed the chances of getting a new one is pretty close to 0%.
ReplyDelete