Lich (Dungeons and Dragons)

Publication history

The lich was one of the earliest creatures introduced in the D&D game.

Dungeons & Dragons (1974-1976)

For the original D&D rule set, the lich was introduced in its first supplement, Greyhawk (1975). It is described as a skeletal monster that was formerly either a magic-user or a cleric in life. The lich was further developed in Supplement III: Eldritch Wizardry (1976).

Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 1st edition (1977-1988)

In AD&D 1st edition, the lich appears in the first edition Monster Manual (1977), where it is described as having been created with the use of powerful and arcane magic, formerly ultra powerful magic-users now non-human and non-living.

Len Lakofka's article "Blueprint For a Lich," in Dragon #26 (1979), describes a formula for transforming a spellcaster into a lich.

Another form of lich, the demilich, was introduced in Tomb of Horrors (1978) and later appeared in The Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth (1982) and then Monster Manual II (1983).

Dungeons & Dragons Basic Set and Dungeons & Dragons Rules Cyclopedia (1977-1999)

The D&D Basic Set included its own version of the lich, in the D&D Master Rules (1985), in the "Master DM's Book". It was also later featured in the D&D Rules Cyclopedia (1991).

Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 2nd edition (1989-1999)

In AD&D 2nd edition, the lich and the demilich appear first in the Monstrous Compendium Volume One (1989), and are reprinted in the Monstrous Manual (1993).

The Spelljammer campaign setting accessory Lost Ships (1990) introduced the archlich, which also later appeared in the Monstrous Manual. The master lich appeared in Legend of Spelljammer (1991). A creature called the firelich is introduced in the 2nd Spelljammer Monstrous Compendium appendix (MC9).

The psionic lich for the Ravenloft campaign setting first appeared in Dragon #174 (October 1991), and then appeared in Van Richten's Guide to the Lich (1993), Ravenloft Monstrous Compendium Appendix III: Creatures of Darkness (1994), Monstrous Compendium Annual One (1994), and Van Richten's Monster Hunter's Compendium (1999). Several other lich variants were also introduced in the Ravenloft Monstrous Compendium Appendix III, including the defiler lich and demi-defiler lich, the drow lich (and the drow demilich, the drider lich, the drow priestess lich, and the drow wizard lich), and the elemental lich and demi-elemental lich.

The baelnorn, an elven lich of good alignment, was introduced in The Ruins of Myth Drannor (1993), and then appeared in Monstrous Compendium Annual Volume One (1994), and Cormanthyr: Empire of Elves (1998). The banelich, a version of the lich created by the god Bane in the Forgotten Realms campaign setting, first appear in the Ruins of Zhentil Keep boxed set (in the Monstrous Compendium booklet) in 1995, and then appears in the Monstrous Compendium Annual Volume Three (1996).

The Suel lich for the Greyhawk campaign setting was introduced in Polyhedron #101 (November 1994), and then appeared in Monstrous Compendium Annual Volume Two (1995).

The inheritor lich for the Red Steel campaign setting first appeared in Red Steel Savage Baronies (1995), and then in the Savage Coast Monstrous Compendium (1996).

Dungeons & Dragons 3rd edition (2000-2002)

In D&D 3rd edition, the lich appears in the Monster Manual as a template.

The banelich, as well as the good liches, the archlich and the baelnorn, appeared in Monsters of Faerun (2000).

The demilich appeared again in the Epic Level Handbook (2002).

Dungeons & Dragons version 3.5 (2003-2007)

In D&D version 3.5, the lich appears in the revised Monster Manual (2003).

The good lich and the lichfiend appeared in Libris Mortis: The Book of Undead (2004). The lichfiend also appeared in Dungeon #116 (November 2004), as part of The Shackled City Adventure Path.

The dry lich was introduced in Sandstorm: Mastering the Perils of Fire and Sand (2005).

The Suel lich returned in the "Campaign Classics" feature in Dragon #339 (January 2006).

Dungeons & Dragons 4th edition (2008-2014)

In D&D 4th edition, the lich appears in the Monster Manual (2008). The lich also appears as a template in the Dungeon Masters Guide, which includes a ritual which a character can use to become a lich.

Rules in 4th edition allow a player to opt to become an arch-lich via an epic destiny found in Arcane Power.

Dungeons & Dragons 5th edition (2014-)

In D&D 5th edition, the lich appears in the Monster Manual (2014).

Ecology

A mage becomes a lich by means of necromancy, using a magical receptacle called a Phylactery to store the lich's soul. In some sources the method of becoming a lich is referred to as the Ritual of Becoming or Ceremony of Endless Night. The process is often described as requiring the creation and consumption of a deadly potion, the Elixir of Defilation, 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 sorcerer's own hand, or other, similarly vile components. The potion invariably kills the drinker but if the process is successful it 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 its state. For example, it can put mortals in a paralyzed state of hibernation with their minds, making them seem dead to others, and can, through its typically powerful magical spells, summon other lesser undead to protect it. A Lich's bones do not decay. 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 its undead "gifts", a lich's most valuable resources are its vast intellect, its 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 no easier than obtaining it.

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 to 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.

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 communities 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.

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.

Deities

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

Non-divine liches

Notable liches in other Dungeons & Dragons related media

Demiliches

A demilich is an advanced form of lich that has sought other avenues to attain knowledge, turning away from the physical realm, using astral projection to travel across other planes of existence. Due to traveling across planes of existence, its body gradually deteriorates until only a skull or even a single skeletal hand remain.

Non-human liches

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.

Good liches

The good lich is presented in Monster Compendium: Monsters of Faerûn, a supplementary rule book for the D&D 3rd edition rules. Good liches differ from evil liches in that they have sought undeath for a noble cause, to protect a place, a loved one, or to pursue an important quest. In a typical D&D campaign, liches are evil, power-hungry arcane or divine spell casters (of at least 11th level and typically wizards, sorcerers, or clerics) who have, as noted, cheated death by turning themselves into undead. The D&D version 3.5 Monster Manual, a core D&D rule book, emphatically states that liches are always evil. However, good liches are an anomaly amongst the other liches in D&D, given the fact that they are considered of good alignment.

The AD&D Spelljammer accessory Lost Ships also introduced the good archlich, who are able to memorize spells through intuitive nature and do not need spellbooks. The archlich also does not become a demilich, but remains in its form for eternity.

Aside from the alignment, there is little difference between good liches and evil liches. They have much the same abilities and characteristics, although a few have additional abilities. Good liches, for example do not exude the aura of fear evil liches do and clerics (i.e. priests) interact with them differently.

The fourth edition book Arcane Power included the epic destiny archlich, which is intended for good, lawful good, or unaligned heroes.

Other variant liches

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.

Reception

Rob Bricken from io9 named the lich as the 7th most memorable D&D monster.

Other publishers

The lich is fully detailed in Paizo Publishing's book Undead Revisited (2011), on pages 22–27.

A lich appears in Judges Guild publications The Book of Ruins page 20, The Final Regue of Allmark.

A lich is also the fate of one of the wizards among other forms of undead in Judges Guild module City of Fire