How to become a lich?

[Lord Pendragon]

If he succeeds, he becomes a lichnee - mostly dead, but slightly alive.

"He's only mostly dead. With all-dead, there's only one thing you can do."

"What's that?"

"Check his pockets for loose change."

 

[F5]

They can't publish the written-out process for becoming a lich because, as it says in the SRD, the process is "unspeakable". Merely recording the process on paper will cause the volume it's written in to smoulder and burst into black, unholy flame. Several warehouses in Lake Geneva were lost to this effect, which is why it's so hard to find an original edition Vault of the Drow module today. True story.

And my new word of the day is "lichification".



Seriously, the process is intentionally vague, so you can flavor it with whatever is appropriate for your campaign. Forcing the PCs to be unwitting participants in the final stage of the process is a great idea. Maybe even make that a part of the ritual; the final stage can only be performed by the pure of heart, or something. Go crazy!

 

[Jack Simth]

As far as I can recall the "original" process, it involved at least one step of deliberate self-poisoning, fairly far along the lich-track.

Basically, the caster would create one of the most vile magical poisons ever concocted, specifically tuned to his own body and spiritual essence and then, during a particular ceremony, he'd drink it straight off.

He then gets a saving throw vs. the poison. If he fails, he dies (and it might also be a death effect; I can't recall specifically). If he succeeds, he becomes a lichnee - mostly dead, but slightly alive. He basically stops aging at this point except mentally (similar to the druid or monk ability, actually).

Probably want to cast Moment of Precience, maybe Limited Wish for that saving throw....