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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Faolyn" data-source="post: 9472697" data-attributes="member: 6915329">And now for the most powerfullest undead of them all: the lich. Historically, there’ve been a lot of different type of liches. Back in 2e and 3e, you had archliches (non-evil liches), bardic liches, defiler liches, elemental liches, both drow and drider liches, illithiliches/alhoons, inheritor liches (that’s a Red Steel thing), psionic liches, Suel liches, master liches (a Spelljammer thing), baneliches, baelnorn (good elven liches), and probably more. Yeah. Some of those are even from 3e, despite the presence of the lich template.Hey, I just realized that Level Up gave them force lightning. Cute.For the sake of future proofing, while I specifically said that you have to have the Spellcasting or Pact Magic trait in order to become a lich, feel free to also allow creatures who are casters but their casting is called something else—like the Wielder’s Magic Wielding trait—to become a lich.I’m including two other related templates (this is gonna be a looong post). The first is the servitor lich. This is an adaptation of Ravenloft’s vassalich. It’s basically a low-level caster turned into a baby lich by a more powerful lich master. The idea is that if you’re so desperate for knowledge and power that you’re willing to work for a lich, you’re probably also very interested in becoming a lich yourself—and you probably are also impatient enough to want to transform into one as fast as you can, rather than waiting until you’re powerful enough to create your own soul vessel. Instead, you can just sign on the dotted line and gain lichdom right away! This is the carrot. The stick is, not only are they under the lich’s control, but in the original template, the vassalich’s level is halved and they could only gain XP if the master lich gave it to them, like they were spending XP on making a magic item. But if they could gain enough XP to reach 11th level, they could make their own soul vessel and become a free lich. Let’s face it, though—how many liches are going to be happy letting their servitor gain that level of power?The other template is what I’m calling the ceremonial lich. This is the term I came up with for powerful creatures who are not casters with class levels, but instead become undead through rituals—like the dragon lich. The template here is slightly different than the dragon lich template, but that’s OK.Hmm. The lich’s rejuvenation trait says its new body forms within 10 feet of the soul vessel. What happens if you bury the jar in 20 feet of concrete?--Lich (Template)Source: Monster Manual I. Designers: Monte Cook, Jonathan Tween, Skip Williams“Lich” is a template that can be added to any aberration, beast, dragon, giant, humanoid, monstrosity, ooze, or plant that has the Spellcasting trait or Pact Magic trait and can cast spells of 6th-level or higher, and whose spellcasting attribute is 18 or higher.Type. The lich is legendary undead.Armor Class. The lich’s natural armor increases by 5.Attributes. The lich’s Constitution increases by 2 and its Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma scores increase by 4 each (maximum of 30). Recalculate its hit points.Resistances. The lich is resistant to cold and lightning damage.Immunities. The lich is immune to necrotic and poison damage and damage from nonmagical weapons, and to the charmed, fatigue, frightened, paralyzed, and poisoned conditions.Senses. The lich gains truesight to 120 feet.Alignment. Many, but not all liches have the Evil alignment and radiate an aura of evil.Action: Arc Lightning. The lich targets up to 3 creatures within 60 feet. Each target makes a Dexterity saving throw (DC = 8 + the lich’s PB + the lich’s spellcasting attribute modifier). On a failure, the target takes 21 (6d6) lightning damage if the lich can cast 6th- or 7th-level spells, or 28 (8d6) lightning damage if the lich can cast 8th- or 9th-level spells.Bonus Action: Eldritch Aura. The lich surrounds itself with a magical, rune-covered, glowing, translucent aura in a 10-foot radius. The aura moves with the lich and casts dim light inside its area. The aura disappears at the beginning of the lich’s next turn.• Death Aura. The aura casts purple light. Each living creature that ends its turn inside the aura takes 17 (5d6) necrotic damage if the lich can cast 6th- or 7th-level spells, or 24 (7d6) necrotic damage if the lich can cast 8th- or 9th-level spells.• Shield Aura. The aura casts orange light. It has 20 hit points if the lich can cast 6th- or 7th-level spells, or 35 hit points if the lich can cast 8th- or 9th-level spells.• Spell Shield Aura. The aura casts blue light. Any spell cast with a 5th-level or lower spell slot from outside the aura can’t affect anything inside the aura. Using a spell to target something inside the aura or include the aura’s space in an area has no effect on anything inside.Legendary Actions. The lich can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options below. Only one legendary action can be used at a time and only at the end of another creature’s turn. It regains spent legendary actions at the start of its turn.• Cast Spell. The lich casts a cantrip or a 1st-level spell. The lich can use 2 legendary actions to cast a 2nd-level spell or 3 legendary actions to cast a 3rd-level spell.• Paralyzing Touch (Costs 2 Actions). The lich uses Paralyzing Touch.• Arc Lightning (Costs 3 Actions). The lich uses Arc Lightning.Legendary Resistance (3/Day). The lich’s body or vestments are warded with three protective runes. When the lich fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead. When this happens, one of the runes disappears.Action: Paralyzing Touch. The lich makes a melee spell attack at a creature within its reach. On a hit, the target takes 7 (2d6) cold damage if the lich can cast 6th- or 7th-level spells, or 14 (4d6) cold damage if the lich can cast 8th- or 9th-level spells, and the target must make a Constitution saving throw (DC = 8 + the lich’s PB + the lich’s spellcasting attribute modifier). On a failure, it is paralyzed until the end of its next turn.Rejuvenation. If it has a soul vessel, a destroyed lich gains a new body in 1d10 days, regaining all of its hit points. The new body forms within 10 feet of the soul vessel.Reaction: Sabotage Spell. When a creature within 60 feet casts a spell that targets the lich, the lich attempts to interrupt it. The lich makes an Intelligence check against a DC of 10 + the spell’s level. On a success, the spell fails, and the caster takes 10 (3d6) necrotic damage.Tongueless Utterance. Unless a spell has only a vocal component, the lich can cast a spell without providing a vocal component.Turn Resistance. The lich has advantage on saving throws against any effect that turns undead.Undead Nature. The lich doesn’t require air, sustenance, or sleep.*Servitor LichSource: Ravenloft Gazetteer vol III. Designers: John W. Mangrum, Ryan Naylor, Chris Nichols, Andrew WyattServitor liches are low-powered casters who are transformed via ritual, by a lich—usually their patron—into a type of undead that is very similar to a normal lich, but far weaker and subservient to its creator. They lack a soul vessel of their own, instead sharing their creator’s jar.Physically, they are indistinguishable from true liches, although they usually wear less ornate clothing and wield fewer magic items—and, of course, their magic is far less powerful.--“Servitor Lich” is a template that can be added to any aberration, beast, dragon, giant, humanoid, monstrosity, ooze, or plant with the Spellcasting or Pact Magic trait, the ability to cast 2nd-level or higher spells, and whose spellcasting attribute is 14 or higher.Type. The servitor lich is undead.Armor Class. The servitor lich’s natural armor increases by 2.Attributes. The servitor lich’s Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma each increase by 2.Resistances. The servitor lich is resistant to cold and lightning damage.Immunities. The servitor lich is immune to necrotic and poison damage and damage from nonmagical weapons, and to the charmed, fatigue, frightened, paralyzed, and poisoned conditions.Senses. The servitor lich gains truesight to 120 feet.Bound. The servitor lich is charmed by its creator; this ignores the servitor lich’s normal immunity to the charmed condition. It remains charmed until it can create its own soul vessel.While charmed, the servitor lich must obey its creator’s commands to the best of its ability. It time it receives an order, it may attempt to ignore or circumvent it by making a Charisma ability check against the creator’s Charisma.Action: Paralyzing Touch. The servitor lich makes a melee spell attack at a creature within its reach. The target takes 2 (1d4) cold damage if the servitor lich can cast 1st- or 2nd-level spells, 3 (1d6) cold damage if it can cast 3rd- or 4th-level spells, or 7 (2d6) cold damage if the lich can cast 5th-level spells, and the target must make a Constitution saving throw (DC = 8 + the lich’s PB + the lich’s spellcasting attribute modifier). On a failure, it is paralyzed until the end of its next turn.Rejuvenation. If it has a soul vessel, a destroyed servitor lich gains a new body in 1d10+10 days, regaining all of its hit points. The new body forms within 10 feet of the soul vessel.Turn Resistance. The servitor lich has advantage on saving throws against any effect that turns undead.Undead Nature. The servitor lich doesn’t require air, sustenance, or sleep.*Ceremonial LichesNormally becoming a lich requires extensive magical knowledge, but some creatures who are powerful but not magically trained, have discovered rituals that allow them to become something very similar to a lich. In some cases, the would-be lich engages in the ritual; in other cases, powerful creatures develop cult-like followings, and these cultists are the one to perform the ritual—often on the recently-died corpse of the object of their worship. The most famous of this type of undead are the dragon liches.--“Ceremonial Lich” is a template that can be placed on any aberration, beast, dragon, fey, giant, monstrosity, ooze, or plant of CR 11 or higher, as Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma scores of 10 and higher, and either has the Innate Spellcasting trait or is a Legendary or Elite monster.Type. The ceremonial lich’s type is undead (original type).Armor Class. The ceremonial lich’s natural armor increases by 2.Attributes. The ceremonial lich’s Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma each increase by 2.Resistances. The lich is resistant to cold and lightning damage and to damage from nonmagical weaponsImmunities. The ceremonial lich is immune to necrotic and poison damage and to the charmed, fatigue, frightened, paralyzed, and poisoned conditions.Altered Attacks. If the ceremonial lich had an attack that dealt acid, cold, fire, lightning, poison, or thunder damage, half of that damage is the original damage type and half is necrotic damage. If the original damage type was radiant, it becomes entirely necrotic.Innate Spellcasting. The ceremonial lich can cast animate dead three times per day, requiring no material components, using Charisma as its spellcasting attribute. If the base creature’s CR was 17 or higher, it can also cast create undead three times per day, requiring no material components.Legendary Resistance (3/Day). When the ceremonial lich fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead. When it does, it loses its Undead Telepathy trait until the end of its next turn. Until the end of its next turn, undead creatures under its control are incapacitated.If the ceremonial lich already has Legendary Resistance, it does not gain additional uses of it, but any negative effects that may occur when its used are changed to the loss of Undead Telepathy as described above.Rejuvenation. If it has a soul vessel, a destroyed ceremonial lich gains a new body in 1d10 days, regaining all its hit points. The new body forms within 10 feet of the soul vessel.Turn Resistance. The ceremonial lich has advantage on saving throws against any effect that turns undead.Undead Nature. A ceremonial lich doesn’t require air, sustenance, or sleep.Undead Telepathy. The ceremonial lich can communicate telepathically with undead creatures within 120 feet.*Variant: Salient PowersLike most of the major baddies in Ravenloft, these guys got some powers (and a bunch more in RealmsHelp.com), which are tied to its Intelligence (or other spellcasting attribute). Thus, these aren’t quite like the salient abilities other undead have, which are tied to their inherent willpower or the circumstances of their death or their bloodlines; instead, these can be considered to be weird tricks they picked up on their quest for undeath (“Clerics hate this one weird trick!”). Take its spellcasting attribute modifier and subtract 3 to find out how many powers the lich should have. I wouldn’t give servitor or ceremonial liches more than one, if that.As always, you can switch out existing powers, like the arc lightning or paralyzing touch, for one of these powers.Legendary Action: Animating Touch (Costs 3 Actions). The lich touches a pile of bones or corpse and animates it as a skeleton or zombie. The lich does not automatically have control over the undead it creates in this manner, but the undead will not attempt to harm the lich unless the lich attacks it.Action: Bone Control. The lich can shape one or more inanimate bones in a 5-foot square that are not part of a living creature, as per the stone shape spell. It can affect undead skeletons with this power.The lich can also cause bone splinters to swirl in the air and form a wall 10 feet high and 5 feet thick and up to 20 feet long. The wall provides three-quarters cover and its area is difficult terrain. When a creature starts its turn within the wall’s area or enters the wall’s area for the first time on a turn, it must make a Dexterity saving throw (DC = 8 + the lich’s PB + the lich’s spellcasting ability modifier) or take 22 (4d10) slashing damage on a failed save or half as much on a successful one.Action: Coldfire. The lich targets up to 2 creatures within 100 feet. Each target makes a Dexterity saving throw (DC = 8 + the lich’s PB + the lich’s spellcasting attribute modifier). On a failure, the target takes 11 (2d10) cold damage if the lich can cast 6th- or 7th-level spells, or 22 (4d10) lightning damage if the lich can cast 8th- or 9th-level spells.At the Narrator’s discretion, using this ability replaces the Arc Lightning Legendary Action.Action: Chilling Wind (Recharge 5-6). The lich exhales freezing air in a 50-foot cone. Each creature in that area must make a Dexterity saving throw (DC = 8 + the lich’s PB + the lich’s spellcasting ability modifier) or take 11 (2d10) cold damage if the lich can cast 6th- or 7th-level spells, or 22 (4d10) cold damage if the lich can cast 8th- or 9th-level spells.Legendary Action: Doom Gaze (Gaze; Costs 3 Actions). One creature within 30 feet must make a Wisdom saving throw (DC = 8 + the lich’s PB + the lich’s spellcasting ability modifier). A creature that is frightened rolls with disadvantage. On a failed saving throw, the creature drops to 0 hit points. On a success, the creature is immune to this lich’s Doom Gaze for 24 hours.A lich with this ability always has the Evil alignment.Action: Dream Haunting (1/Day). The lich can cast dream once each night on an unconscious creature whose exact location is known to it, as long as they are on the same plane. The lich must always choose to create a nightmare when casting dream in this fashion.A lich with this ability always has the Evil alignment.Legendary Action: Grasp of Death (Only When Bloodied; Costs 3 Actions). The lich’s injuries cause the death within to leak out. It makes a melee spell attack against one creature within reach. On a hit, the creature must make a Constitution saving throw (DC = 8 + the lich’s PB + the lich’s spellcasting ability modifier). On a failed saving throw, the creature drops to 0 hit points. On a success, the creature takes 18 (4d8) necrotic damage if the lich can cast 6th- or 7th-level spells, or 27 (6d8) necrotic damage if the lich can cast 8th- or 9th-level spells.A lich with this ability always has the Evil alignment.At the Narrator’s discretion, using this ability replaces the Paralyzing Touch Legendary Action.Action: Grasp of Enfeeblement. The lich touches a creature within its reach and forces it to make a Constitution saving throw (DC = 8 + the servitor lich’s PB + the servitor lich’s spellcasting ability modifier). On a failure, it takes 1 level of fatigue. This level is removed after a short or long rest.At the Narrator’s discretion, using this ability replaces the Paralyzing Touch Legendary Action.Reaction: Magical Mimicry (Recharge 5-6). When the lich sees a spellcaster who has the same class as it cast a spell, and the lich is high enough in level to cast that spell, the lich can use its reaction to make a spellcasting ability check against the spellcaster’s spell save DC. On a success, it is capable of mimicking the spell. It can then use its next action to cast the same spell without expending a spell slot. If it doesn’t cast the spell with its next action, the spell is lost.Painwrack (Gaze). The lich targets a creature within 60 feet and forces it to make a Constitution saving throw (DC = 8 + the lich’s PB + the lich’s spellcasting ability modifier). On a failure, it takes 21 (6d6) force damage if the lich can cast 6th- or 7th-level spells, or 28 (8d6) force damage if the lich can cast 8th- or 9th-level spells.At the Narrator’s discretion, using this ability replaces the Arc Lightning Legendary Action.Poison Aura. The lich is so malevolent that food and drink (and Supply) that is within 5 feet of it becomes poisoned. A creature that consumes this poison must make a Constitution saving throw (DC = 8 + the lich’s PB + the lich’s spellcasting ability modifier) or take 10 (3d6) poison damage if the lich can cast 6th- or 7th-level spells, or 17 (5d6) poison damage if the lich can cast 8th- or 9th-level spells.A lich with this ability always has the Evil alignment.Action: Proxy Travel (3/Day). The lich teleports to the location of undead it controls, regardless of distance, as long as both the lich and the undead are on the same plane. The undead is instantly destroyed.Regeneration. The lich draws upon its soul vessel to bolster its life force. As long as its soul vessel is intact, then the lich regains 10 hit points at the beginning of each of its turns as long as it has at least 1 hit point. If the lich takes radiant damage, this trait doesn’t function on its next turn.Action: Skull Scry (Recharge Short or Long Rest). The lich can cast scrying without expending a spell slot. The spell does not produce an invisible sensor, nor does the target roll a saving throw. Instead, the lich sees and hears through any inanimate, unattached skull that is in the area. The lich is automatically aware of the existence of any such skills in the area that it has previously seen or touched. However, the spell’s range is reduced to a 100-mile radius.Action: Touch of Despair. The lich makes a melee spell attack at a creature within its reach. On a hit, the creature is affected by the <a href="https://www.enworld.org/threads/new-conditions-agonized-forgetful-manic-placid-vexed.704224/" target="_blank">placid</a> condition for one minute. The creature may make a Wisdom saving throw (DC = 8 + the servitor lich’s PB + the servitor lich’s spellcasting ability modifier) at the end of each of its turns and each time it takes damage, ending the effect on itself on a success.At the Narrator’s discretion, using this ability replaces the Paralyzing Touch Legendary Action.Undead Mastery. When the lich casts animate dead or create undead, it animates or creates twice as many dead as normal, and its control over the undead lasts for 1 week instead of 24 hours. Additionally, the lich knows the location of each undead it creates is controlling within 1 mile of it, can issue telepathic commands to the undead (no action required by it), and does not need to be able to see or hear the undead in order to issue the command.Voice of Maleficence. The lich must speak to a creature for 10 full minutes for this ability to work. At the end of the 10 minutes, the target must make a Wisdom saving throw (DC = 8 + the lich’s PB + the servitor lich’s spellcasting ability modifier). On a success, it is immune to this lich’s Voice of Maleficence for 24 hours. On a failure, the creature falls into a hypnotic trance and is incapacitated for 1 hour or until it takes damage, the lich loses concentration (as if concentrating on a spell), the lich stops talking for 1 full minute, or the lich uses an action to end the effect. Each round, the lich may ask the creature one question, and the target must answer the question truthfully.Vortex of Evil (1/day). The lich sends out a call to all creatures with the Evil alignment that are within 10 miles of the lich. The call creates feelings of greed and ambition and urges them to travel to the lich’s location, but does not compel them to travel.At the Narrator’s discretion, creatures who do not have the Evil alignment but are particularly cruel, sadistic, greedy, or otherwise nasty, or who are worshipers or servitors of a god or other entity with the Evil alignment, or who have a Destiny such as Death or Slayer, may also hear the call.A lich with this ability always has the Evil alignment.</blockquote>

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