Lich Template - Wizard Lich

[Sollir Furryfoot]

I'd just like to mention I love your templates, although I haven't read all of them (1, 3, 5, 7) they look really nice. One small nitpick would be to limit Drain Touch so that the lich can only gain up to double the hitpoints he normally has, or have an HD limit on people he can drain souls from so he can't just kill a village of commoners to get a couple thousand hitpoints, otherwise-what would stop even the weakest liches retain a billion hitpoints or so.

 

[Clay_More]

Thanks Sollir, good point. Its always nice to get input from a Munchkin, they normally notice the "Hey, I could abuse that" things
What about making it so that once they have drained a 1 HD creature, they can only gain additional hitpoints by draining a 2 HD creature etc. That way, its possible to gain rather many hitpoints, but the difficulty increases significantly. Unless they go around looking for 20 th. level commoners

 

[Sollir Furryfoot]

*Nods*, sounds good, but how about include a retroactive cap that after a certain point, oh let's say Lich's HD -2, they can absorb all the souls they want of those HD or more. (Aka, a 20 HD lich starts off by draining 1 hitpoint off of level 1, and so forth, til HD 18 creatures, then they can drain all the 18 HD or over creatures they want, at least until they themselves gain another HD) or simply a number, like 15, since those are relatively strong enough souls to be drained.

 

[MarauderX]

um... wow, way powerful. I would take out the HP addition entirely, and perhaps diffuse the other abilities a bit to have a more dilluted power-house caster. I just kept thinking while reading "wow, all this and arcane spells too" - it just seemed a bit like the vengeful wizard that will finally get respect through killing scores of paladins in a slow campaign to dislodge all good gods and usurp a kingdom's throne to rule the land savagely.

Maybe I haven't played enough higher level campaigns to know, but that catagory 7 could probably take out multi-headed terrasque twins and then convert them into undead to take over the world. Of course most lichs I know are self-centered megalomaniacs that only want someone/thing to caress their pride, and don't care too much on seeking out new challenges as they are about learning more about the arcane arts to impress their mentors before growing bored after a few decades and killing them. What's does a cat 7 lich do to pass the centuries?

 

[Clay_More]

Sollir: Might be a good idea, even though it still leaves it kind of "open" for Liches to gain large numbers of HP. Liches, as most spellcasters, are fairly powerful compared to HD. It could even be their HD with no modifier that could be the cap, still would make them able of finding "occasional" targets.
I even considered, taking into consideration the power the Lich already has, that the they should be temporary HP instead that vanish at a rate of 1 pr. day or something. Would make a good adventure opportunity. A Lich that goes around slaying whole populations in small villages, in preparation for a showdown with an ancient enemy of his.

Marauder: Well, It is a undead being, evil and often somewhat insane. If a church should have any one creature they would like to perish, it would most probably be an ancient Lich. Yet, of all undead creatures, the Lich is the one that had the most control over its transition to undeath. Therefore, it would be logical that those that created the ancient ritual of Lichdom made it so that the Lich would have some protection against that which haunts most undeads, this being good clerics & paladins. Especially the Aura of Divine Hatred affects those two.

And yes, a Category 7 Lich would perhaps be able of taking out a Tarrasque, if he wanted to that is. Yet, a Category 7 Lich would have to be an Archmage with at least 5000 years behind him, which should allow him some power, even if he wasn't a Lich. The last couple of categories are intended for Epic play...

 

[Sollir Furryfoot]

If you don't mind me making a suggestion, perhaps just replace the soul drain's final effect...

My suggestion is that if they successful drain the soul they can restore a # of necromantic spells already cast whose combination of levels equal the target's HD.

Just a thought

 

[Clay_More]

Problem is, thats the ability that the Sorcerers gonna use, actually. They are a little more magic inclined.

But I do see your point that the Death's Embrace would need something other than HP to gain. The HP thing is already beginning to sound a bit blurry in my mind... either too powerful or too hard to use...
The Sorcerer's gain their power through a long period of time in which they dedicate themselves to magic, especially Necromancy. Thus, their powers are more magic oriented (for example, using drained life to refill spells. It works better with Sorcerers IMO than wizards).

But, still, the original concept for the ability isn't good either.
Feel free to come up with any, help's always appreciated..

 

[Clay_More]

*Bump*

 

[Sollir Furryfoot]

How about for wizards then they gain 'stored exp' (depending on the level of the victim) which must be used within 1 month in the creation of a magic item or it is lost. That may be more of the flavor you're looking for, perhaps limit it to necromantic items.

 

[Clay_More]

Thats actually a VERY good idea, hadn't thought of that. I actually have a rather large list of Necromantic items, many of which are intended to bolster undead minions (dunno if you seen it, got link in my sig). Not bad at all Sollir. I think it shalst henceforth be their ability...

What would be a good name though.. You think Death's Embrace would still work?