Editing Lich (section)

==Liches in Dungeons and Dragons==
[[File:Osterneth the Bronze Lich.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Osterneth, the Bronze Lich, a rare example of a female lich]]
Liches have always been a staple of Dungeons and Dragons, following through the tabletop system and its settings and editions continuously up to the 5th edition. Historically they were the most difficult to Turn, before the "Specials" (''i.e.'' demons). In the lore they are deities, adversaries, characters in novels, and more with later editions featured as playable options for players seeking means to retire his/her characters ingame- through OD&D-AD&D to 2e, and 3.5, liches have followed a progressive evolution in form, functionality and inclusion, peaking at 3.5 before 4e came in and returned the state of this creature to its older rules and regulations in the first edition, as an evil undead creature that maintains its imperfect immortality through the consumption of souls.

Back in 2e D&D, liches came in multiple types depending on what kind of magic was used to create them. Your common lich was a former wizard, with separate stats in other splats for clerical, bardic and psionic liches (though that last one is derided by Psionics fans, despite the fact it's actually been around a '''long''' time) . There was also the Archlich, which was a lich of any of the previous varieties that wasn't evil, stated to be "as rare as Roc's teeth." The "must periodically sacrifice the souls of mortals to phylactery to stay around" aspect of lichdom was probably tacked on in later editions because the writers realized that there would otherwise be no logical reason ''for'' the Archlich to be so rare. Other splats added their own unique lich variants, mostly those books relating to [[Ravenloft]].

3e simplified things, boiling away most of the race or class-based variants of the lich into a single, readily applied template. This is an idea that both 4th and 5th edition preserved, though each put their own spin on it.

===Basic Lich===
[[File:Lankyface_the_unlivings_2nd_and_only_other_existing_picture_in_3.5.png|right|thumb|250px|3.5's Lich and his Phylactery]]
The common lich all come to know through the Monster Manual. Said to be made by committing an evil act left up to the GM- but later publications throughout each edition always give actual detail that is either overlooked in later publications- or used, causing additional and sometimes conflicting fluff- said fluff evolved through the first edition until 3.5, before 4e & 5e took a step back to 1e. Is only possible for non humanoids to become this lich through patronage to Orcus, Demon Prince/Lord of the Undead- bar certain races who have a variant of their own. There is also a rule in savage species which says this lich can be good, at the expense of no longer having a fear aura, and needing to go through a ritual of alignment to retain it's original alignment or making a will save prior to transformation to avoid moving towards the alignment of the average Lich- though given what happens as a part of the ritual, it's preparation, transformation/gradual transition becoming aligned with evil is almost unavoidable.
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===Archlich===
[[Archmage]] 1st, lich 2nd, introduced in [[Spelljammer]], having lessened spellcasting capacity depending on edition, later becoming a [[Epic Destiny]] in [[4e]], the archlich is the mentor of mages past its twilight years, moving on to higher levels of knowledge, cheating death, and the hungry evils of the lower planes that would seek to claim it's soul. Nothing is stopping the zealous from trying to purge their 'oh so benevolent' not-evil asses, mind you. Well, clerics can't turn them, though it's not like immunity isn't mistaken for resistance- oops. As the answer to the question of "/tg/! /tg/! can there be good liches?" they're pretty rare, often out the way retirees of the intrigues of mortal planes. Despite this, in the face of threat from higher undead controllers, the archlich is kind of a downgrade from a regular evil lich, as they can't obtain the goodies a lich would obtain in [[Van Richten's Guide]] to the Lich, and demilichdom is out of the question too. They still get to cast spells as a generalist & specialist... technically. Another thing that doesn't work in the favor of these would-be good guys is the fact that the term 'Arch-Lich' is often used to describe incredibly powerful normal liches, with [[Vecna]], [[Acererak]] & [[Demios]] all having been referred to as such, and all of them being thoroughly evil. Tough break.

===Arch-Shadow===
A spellcaster who attempted to become a lich and failed, and instead become a ghostly undead connected to a random magic item instead of their intended phylactery.  If they drain enough life energy from people who have touched the item it is bound to, they can regain a solid body, becoming a Demi-Shade.

==='Good' Lich===
Found in the Libris Mortis, this Lich is immune to turning due to it's good nature, and can turn Undead as a cleric of a level equal to it's hit die. Essentially an anti-lich with the same motivations as say, a Baelnorn or Archlich.

===Baelnorn===
A good-aligned [[elf]] lich, created willingly from an elf who wants to be undead only to guard something very important or who wants to stick around beyond death to keep watch over their family, or is made so by their racial deity. Despite being of good alignment, they're just another reason to hate elves, and they often act as Elven Mossad, covering up the usual cosmic elf fuckup that tends to bite everyone else in the ass in whatever setting they're based in. If you're planning a trip to a ruined knife-ear civilization, watch out for these guys, because they might just kill you for trespassing.
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===Banelich===
Introduced in the [[Forgotten Realms]] 2nd edition, Baneliches are [[cleric]]al liches devoted to [[Bane]], who was really big on identity branding in that edition. They're slightly more powerful than the standard clerical lich, and gain access to unique salient powers, including a pain-inflicting gaze-attack, a hypnotic voice that compels truthful answers from enthralled victims, and a 1/day death touch attack.
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===Bardic Lich===
A lich who was originally a [[bard]]. This was originally introduced in [[Ravenloft]] 2nd edition as a single unique monster - a [[half-elf]] named Andres Duvall who was transformed into a lich-like, magic-eating monster in an accident involving [[Darklord|Azalin]], a lightning bolt spell, and a really powerful grimoire full of evil magic.

Due to the simplified means of attaining lichhood in 3e, bardic liches are fully plausible, but never really explored.

[[Kobold Press]] revived the idea as the ''Virtuoso Lich'' for 5e in their Tome of Beasts II [[splatbook]].

===Boneclaw===
Boneclaws first appeared as a fairly generic-fluffed undead mook in the [[Monster Manual]] 3 for 3rd edition, and were refluffed in 4e's MM1 as an [[undead]] [[construct]] created by [[hag]]s, using the assembled carcasses of [[ogre]]s and trapping the spirit of a slain [[oni]] in it for brains/motivation. In 5e, boneclaws are retconned into the result of a failed attempt to become a lich. If the soul fails to go into the phylactery, it instead binds to a random evil humanoid, [[Fail|whom the boneclaw becomes enslaved to]]. The boneclaw is permanently destroyed only when the humanoid it is bonded with dies or stops being evil.
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===Bone Sage===
Originally from [[Pathfinder]], these guys really came into their own in its sister setting, [[Starfinder]]. The Bone Sages are the deceased inhabitants of the blasted worlds of Eox, the last members of a race known as the Elebrians. Through a combination of their mastery of magic and technology, some were able to rebuild themselves as what are essentially cyber-liches after the backlash from a superweapon destroying their planet's atmosphere. Mechanically, they're a dead ringer for more conventional liches, except with an affinity for bionic implants and a phylactery that acts as its own spellbook. 

===[[Death Knight]]===
Essentially the [[gish]] version of a lich, an undead warrior-wizard. Originally just the next step up from the skeleton warrior by gaining some increased HD and spell-like abilities, they got more lich-like in 4th edition, complete with their chosen weapons doubling as their phylacteries. In 5th, a Death Knight is what happens when an evil paladin dies. Every time they die, they come back again until they atone for their sins. Which is completely optional.

===Deathless===
A race of goodly lich-like undead created in 3rd edition for the [[Eberron]] setting. They're fueled by Positive Energy rather than Negative Energy and are basically "reverse liches".

===Defiler Lich===
Exactly what it says; a [[defiler]] who managed to avoid being lynched long enough that they were able to study [[Necromancer|necromancy]] and turn themselves into undead defilers. They're also known as ''Kaisharga'', which is how they were originally introduced in [[Dark Sun]], where they could be found in [[psion]], [[templar]], [[wizard]], [[fighter]], [[ranger]] and [[gladiator]] variants. It was in [[Ravenloft]] where the Wizardly Kaisharga, or Defiler Lich as it was called there, truly was focused on.

Defiler liches essentially combine the standard abilities of a high-level lich with the Defiling Magic trait and a number of [[psionics|wild talents]]. They can also ascend to their own unique form of demilichhood, which has the special ability to utter baleful curses on victims - a side effect of which is that cursed individuals slowly kill all plant life around them, in a manner similar to a defiler using their magic.

===Demilich/Demi-Lich===
A lich who derped around for so long that his body is just a flying bit of skeleton (usually a skull) full of soul gems. It started in [[Tomb of Horrors]] as a [[Gotcha Monster]], that module's final [[trap]]. Despite their small size, they're much nastier than a normal lich; their spellcasting is even stronger, they have oodles of opportunities to cast Soul Trap and bone you, and they like to fly juuuust out of players' easy reach. They are also immune to most spells and magical effects, except for a few holy-powered ones and one derpy second-level spell called ''shatter'' that screws them something fierce by blowing out their soul gems. Their lore's flipflopped between editions, going from the next step in lichly evolution to a weakened form caused when a lich either gets too bored with existence ([[Pathfinder]]), or fails to eat enough souls. Fifth edition goes both ways, stating that most liches eventually become demiliches after failing to devour enough souls for their phylacteries, but that some - like the Tomb's [[Acererak]] - prepare for this by fitting their skulls with gems that devour souls while their spirits cruise through different planes of existence in search of greater knowledge.
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===[[Dracolich]]===
Lichified [[dragon]]s, mostly associated with the crazy [[Cult of the Dragon]] from [[Forgotten Realms]] who want to create dracoliches to rule the world/fulfill their every scaliefag desire/forge the greatest metal album covers in history. They still have phylacteries, but need to possess a dragon's physical remains to come back rather than just rejuvenating in full, this is due to complications due to the fluff surrounding the nature of dragonsouls- but a workaround is just having minions prepare remains to possess- possibly through transmutation. They can also possess a variety of prepared draconic corpses, so if a true dragon won't do- the 100+ 'lesser dragon' variants are also on the menu- even some large lizards may suffice. Most Dracoliches' existence tend to be as a means of extending a dragon's pride/lifespan rather than the actual terrifying prospect of being practiced dedicated spellcasters- which is a blessing in itself, as next to innate sorceries, dragons have access to a small library shelf worth of splat for unique magical spells, and now the addition of the expanse necromancy and undead only spells on offer. That said, there are Dragon DEMILICHES in canon- but as to why such beings have not otherwise been detailed as major players on the grand cosmic scale is anyone's guess. Some mediums use Dracolich as the synonymous word to refer to an 'undead' dragon.

===Drow===
[[Drow]] and [[Drider]]s got their own lichly variants back in [[Advanced Dungeons & Dragons]], due to that ruleset not being able to handle slapping templates on existing creatures. Drow liches were divided into wizardly liches, who were pretty standard, and [[Lolth]]ite priestess liches, who had the unique ability to transform swarms of normal spiders into swarms of ''giant'' spiders.

Drider liches also have both wizard and cleric variants, but they don't have the same abilities as their drow counterparts. Instead, regardless of magical class, drider liches lose their innate ability to control ''humanoid'' undead to instead be able to control ''insectoid undead'' (they can still use spells to create and control humanoid undead). Also, they can communicate with spiders, and hock up a web effect 3/day.

Drow liches, wizardly and priestly, can become demiliches, retaining their unique abilities and adding them to the standard demilich powers. Nobody knows if driders can also become demiliches.

===Dry Lich===
Basically a mummy lich, and the ultimate result of the "walker in the waste" [[Prestige Class]]. Can't be good aligned, but doesn't have to be evil aligned either. They also get some cute Con-draining and desiccating attacks liches don't, and ''five'' phylacteries in the form of canoptic jars containing their organs, all on top of getting the template for free as part of their advancement, in addition to acquiring a planar touchstone that provides them with regenerative capabilities.

===Eldritch Lich===
A [[D&D Beyond]] exclusive creature released for 5th edition [[Spelljammer]].  This lich does not have a phylactery, but instead is bonded with a parasitic creature that immediately retreats into the [[Far Realm]] if the lich's body is destroyed and then regenerates the lich.  If an eldrich lich is killed while inside of a Magic Circle for containing undead, then their regeneration is disrupted and they are turned into an [[Otyugh]], keeping their memories but rendering them powerless.  Their magical abilities are more limited that a standard lich but they gain psychic attacks and tentacle attacks that can turn victims into <s>Chaos sp</s>[[Gibbering Mouther]]s.

===Elemental Lich===
The Elemental Lich is another [[Ravenloft]] unique breed, created from [[elementalist]]s who went nuts and became obsessed with studying the way that [[elemental]]s are mutated and transformed by the fundamental energies of the [[Demiplane of Dread]]. This gives them a number of variant powers, including four different touch attacks based on the dread elementals (each Touch can be used 1/day) that replace the normal at-will paralytic touch ability, an innate ability to summon dread elementals, the instinctive loyalty of dread elementals, and lacking the ability to intuitively control the undead.

The Touch of the Grave is a hyper-deadly attack that forces a save vs. death magic. On a success, the victim "merely" takes 1d10 damage. On a fail, the victim dies one round later as their bones shatter into pieces and tear their way out of their body - unless a Heal spell is cast on them before this happens. Even then, they need to pass a System Shock roll, or die anyway!

The Touch of the Pyre deals a burning hit that causes the victim's clothes or armor to ignite in a supernatural blaze that will continue burning until magically expelled or it completely consumes their clothing.

The Touch of Blood requires the victim to pass a save vs. paralysis or their blood begins oozing from their pores, causing ongoing damage and level drain until magically healed.

The Touch of Mist forces the victim's alignment to change to Chaotic Evil, renders them the elemental lich's charmed slave, and gives the lich a telepathic link to control them through.

Elemental liches who attain demilichhood are especially deadly, because the body of anyone affected by their innate soul-trapping abilities becomes a random dread elemental under the elemental demilich's control!

===Firelich===
They come from the [[Spelljammer]] setting and are what happens when an idiot [[wizard]] undergoing the lich transition ritual casts a fire spell in the Phlogiston... which is, essentially, an entire dimension full of flammable gas. The result is a cursed undead who basically exists as a giant free-floating sapient fireball with a skull in its center. [[Grimdark|Said skull is perpetually screaming in pain, as their existence is one of endless burning torment from the fire engulfing their very soul.]] They have the bad habit of crashing into spelljammers like sapient missiles in a futile attempt to end their tortured unlife.
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===Grey Shiver===
Spiders that take up residence inside the skulls of destroyed liches, and absorb fragments of the lich's soul, turning them into sapient, spell-casting monsters. Whilst still being little spiders hiding inside skulls.

===Illithilich===
Sometimes synonymous with [[Alhoon]]s. These are [[Mind Flayer]] liches, and the inevitable result of any illithid that chooses to abandon the Elder Brain, as they're all ''terrified'' of the idea of ceasing to exist after death.  5e distinguishes them from alhoons, with illithiliches being the much-more-powerful and dangerous version and alhoons being illithids who were not powerful enough to become illithiliches and so took an alternative method of becoming undead to escape death.  A true illithilich is a full CR or two above a normal lich thanks to having an even larger spell selection, and psionic resistances as well.

===Inheritor Lich===
Hailing from the [[Red Steel]] setting, they are what happens when one of the local Inheritors turns into a lich.

===Lichen Lich===
The lich form of a druid corrupted by the influence of [[Zuggtmoy]].  The only Lichen Lich used living creature as their phylactery, specifically a spite.  Becoming a living phylactery made the spite impossible to harm, and the only way to destroy it is to convince them to die.

===Lichfiend===
Also found in the Libris Mortis.  The result of a fiend becoming a lich.  It seems pretty unnecessary because fiends are already immortal and can return from death if killed outside their home plane, so they don't get much benefit from becoming a lich.

===Master Lich===
Another [[Spelljammer]] creation, they were turned into liches by pacts with [[Demon Prince]]s or [[Arch-Devil]]s, but then betrayed their master and fled into Wildspace to avoid paying their debt. The big difference is that they don't have a phylactery, but have a fairly potent regeneration ability.

===Power Lich===
In the world of [[Might and Magic]], they were the long skirted bone dudes, who were the only shooters of the Necropolis town. And they were such badass shooters. They appeared in Might and magic 7 as well.

===Psionic Lich===
Also known as ''Mentalist Liches'' or ''psiliches'', these were introduced in [[Ravenloft]], getting both their own dedicated segment in [[Van Richten's Guide]] to the Lich and a dedicated monster writeup at its end, both of which were repeated in Van Richten's Monster Hunters' Compendium Volume 2, and with the monster writeup being repeated in the 3rd Ravenloft Monstrous Compendium Appendix.

Basically, these are as close to a standard lich as you can get when you're replacing the arcane magic with [[psionics]]. One of the biggest changes is that transforming into a psionic lich leaves the mentalist very vulnerable, as they must steadily "divorce" their psionic abilities from their own body and seal them into the phylactery, rendering them unable to use those powers until and unless they successfully complete the transition into undeath.
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===Priestly Lich===
[[Cleric]]s and [[druid]]s being able to turn into liches goes all the way back to AD&D and the [[Forgotten Realms]], where they could be of any alignment. They got their own section in [[Van Richten's Guide]] to the Lich, which basically iterated that the major differences between the two is the types of magic they use and that priestly liches are more likely to have salient abilities. Oh, and in [[Ravenloft]], such liches are always evil.

===Scroll Mummy (Grisgol)===
A construct created by destroying a lich's body and then trapping its phylactery inside of a construct made out of broken magic items and pieces of magic scrolls.  The lich will reform in a few days if the Scroll Mummy is destroyed.

===[[Shadow Lich]]===
A rare variant lich with little coverage or backstory. There have been four instances of this monster throughout D&D.

===Suel Lich===
Originally from [[Greyhawk]], Suloise liches are a sort of lich-ghost hybrid; they were once wizards who turned their souls into Negative Energy, which isn't really a good idea- because as they say, "Xeg-yi, Xag-Ya." but when facing imminent nuking during the Rain of Colorless Fire, you take what you can get, winding up as ghosts needing to possess living hosts, killing them and making them into their undead bodies. But, hosts decay at a rapid pace because these desperate wizards literally rot them inside-out thanks to turning their life-force into an energy-type that breaks-down all life and destroys it- including their own. Suel Liches are far more desperate and deadly versions of the lich because of this- their survival is tied to possession, and their lich abilities find themselves augmented, with their fear aura becoming an aura of terror that can insta-kill those that fail, and fear those that save, as well as being able to channel their own negative energies as blackfire, dealing necrotic damage and fire damage- something that shares ties with a type of spell used by a demon lord slain in the early eras of the blood war, when the lord of the 10th was still active in the hells- said demon lord becoming a vestige thereafter- vilefire as it was called, the abyss's answer to hellfire. That, or a side-effect of the rain of colorless fire from the era they hail from.
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===Thicket Dryad Lich===
This is what happens when a Dryad becomes undead.  The Dryad's favorite tree becomes their phylactery.

===Vassalich===
A lesser form of lich introduced in the [[Ravenloft]] setting - mages who couldn't get the mojo to transform themselves, so they submit in service to existing liches to become weaker knock-offs by sucking on their bone-daddies liquefied blackened bone marrow. They can turn into real liches by forging their own phylactery in time, but it's not easy as their masters keep a tight grip on the lesser phylactery made linked to their own- capping the servants XP gain and loss, and using it for themselves. They're essentially to liches what vampire spawn are to true vampires.

===Void Lich===
Sometimes the ritual that transforms a person into a lich attracts the attention of an evil spirit from the [[Far Realm]] that hijacks the ritual and steals the would-be lich's body.