VelvetViolet
Adventurer
Based on these two lich classes and the good lich from Monsters of Faerun, I've written my own version of the lich as a class that should be sufficient for most spellcasters. Criticism welcome.
LICH
A new substitution class for spellcasters in the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game
Some souls are not content with the time they are allotted in this life and seek immortality by way of the ritual of the lich. They twist the bonds of life in a grotesque fashion to preserve themselves by locking their soul away in a phylactery. There are many disciplines that provide rituals to become a lich, but the result is almost always the same- a lich is a powerful undead spellcaster. Sometimes a lich appears skeletal. Other times his skin is mummified or simply decayed. Whatever the specifics of appearance, they are generally a terrifying creature to behold.
BECOMING A LICH
Hit Dice: A lich uses the HD of his previous classes unless it is lower than a d8. If he has lower than a d8, he instead gains d8 HD. As a result of being undead, a lich uses his Charisma modifier to determine bonus hit points (instead of Constitution).
Requirements
To qualify to become a lich, a character must fulfill all of the following criteria.
Feats: Craft Wondrous Item
Spells: Caster level 6th
Special: The character must perform a ritual to create a lesser phylactery. This ritual takes 24 hours to perform and costs 5,000 gp. The lich must repeat this process for each level of lich he takes, further improving his phylactery as he does so, until the character reaches 10th level in the lich class.
After they complete the first ritual to enter the class, the character dies at the climax. He will return 1d4 weeks later as a lich. At the time of their first resurrection a lich can chose to lose any number of class levels they have (assuming they spent the requisite gold for every class level the character takes); they will gain one level from the lich substitution class for every class level they lost in this fashion.
Class Skills
A lich treats all the skills of his previous class as class skills. Additionally, the lich treats Climb (Str), Disguise (Cha), Fly (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Knowledge (religion) (Int), Perception (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), Spellcraft (Int), and Stealth (Dex) as class skills.
Skill Ranks per Level: As previous class or 2 + Int modifier
[TD="colspan: 7"]
Table: The Lich
[/TD] Class Features
All of the following are class features of the lich.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A lich is proficient with all weapons and armor that it was prior to becoming a lich. In addition a lich is proficient with his natural attacks.
Spells per Day: When a lich gains a new level, he acts as if he had also gained a level in a spellcasting class he belonged to before adding the substitution class for the purposes of determining his spells per day. He does not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained, except for additional spells per day, spells known (if he is a spontaneous spellcaster), and an increased effective level of spellcasting. If a character had more than one spellcasting class before becoming a lich, he must decide to which class he adds the new level for purposes of determining spells per day.
Deathless Cunning (Ex): A lich is a soul doomed to eternal life. A lich receives a +2 racial bonus on Perception, Sense Motive, and Stealth checks. This bonus increases to +4 at 5th and +8 at 10th.
Lesser Rejuvenation (Su): By spending five minutes meditating on his phylactery, the lich can unlock a lesser version of its restorative powers. In order to use this ability, the lich must have five minutes of uninterrupted peace, during which he must be in physical contact with his phylactery. At the end of this time, the lich fully recovers all lost hit points, and is restored to full health. This does not remove any conditions, curses, spell effects, or other harmful effects affecting the lich: it only restores lost hit points.
Undead Body (Ex): Liches are undead creatures, and, as such, all liches gain undead traits. See the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Core Rulebook for more information on undead traits. Good-aligned liches gain the deathless subtype.
Damage Reduction (Ex): At 2nd level, a lich’s body becomes more resistant to most physical attacks, and he gains DR 5/bludgeoning and magic; this damage reduction increases by 5 every four levels thereafter. Its natural weapons are treated as magic weapons for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.
Unholy Toughness (Ex): Beginning at 2nd level, a lich’s skin toughens like leather, granting him a natural armor bonus of +1; this bonus increases by +1 at every other level gained thereafter.
Evil Genius (Ex): At 3rd level, a lich’s propensity for evil and scheming becomes heightened, and he gains a +2 bonus to his Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma scores.
Salient Power: Starting at 3rd level and every other level gained thereafter, a lich gains a new special attack or quality from the list below. If a special attack allows a saving throw, the DC is 10 + 1/2 the lich’s hit dice + the lich’s Charisma modifier.
Animate Dead (Sp): The lich can animate skeletons or zombies to serve them, using this spell-like ability at will as a sorcerer of its character level. In general, good liches have no interest in raising undead armies to serve them, but they use this power in self-defense in the heat of battle.
Charnel Touch (Su): The lich gains a powerful touch attack, allowing him to infuse his foes with negative energy. This takes the form of a melee touch attack that the lich can use once per round as a natural weapon. If the lich is wielding a weapon of some kind, it can use that weapon normally, and then use its charnel touch attack as an additional, secondary natural weapon. [Evil aligned liches only]
On a successful hit, the lich deals 1d8 points of negative energy damage, plus 1 point per 2 hit dice the lich possesses. This attack can be used to heal undead creatures, but has no effect on targets which are neither living nor undead (such as most constructs). The lich cannot target himself with this ability, but may use a full round action to heal as though he had used the ability on himself.
Cold Fire (Su): The lich can produce balls of cold, blue-green fire that deal 3d10 points of negative energy damage. The lich can use a full attack action to throw two balls of coldfire in a round (the second missile’s attack bonus decreases by 5). The range increment for these missiles is 15 feet. [Evil aligned liches only]
Corrupting Gaze (Su): The lich gains a gaze attack with a range of 30 feet that causes 1d6 damage for every 2 levels of lich and 1d4 Charisma damage (Fortitude save negates Charisma damage but not physical damage). A lich of 15th level or higher deals 1d8 Charisma damage. [Evil aligned liches only]
Despair (Su): The touch of certain liches, in addition to dealing damage, has the effect of a crushing despair spell: Victims must make a Will save or suffer a -2 morale penalty on saving throws, attack rolls, skill and ability checks, and weapon damage rolls for the duration of the encounter.
Doom Gaze (Su): Once per hour, the lich can slay with a glance, at a range of 30 feet. Living creatures who meet the lich’s gaze must succeed at a Fortitude save or die.
Dream Haunting (Su): The lich can visit the dreams of any individual whose exact location is known to it. The sleeper experiences tormenting dreams and suffers 1 point of permanent Constitution drain upon awakening (Will save negates). A sleeper reduced to a Constitution score of 0 dies.
Frightening Presence (Su): The lich’s mere presence is enough to frighten the lesser mortals that would dare to face him. Creatures of less than 5 HD in a 60-foot radius that look at the lich must succeed on a Will save or become frightened. Creatures with 5 HD or more must succeed on a Will save (same DC) or be shaken for a number of rounds equal to the lich’s Hit Dice. A creature that successfully saves cannot be affected again by the same lich’s aura for 24 hours. This is a mind-affecting fear attack. The lich can suppress this ability as a standard action, and resume it with another standard action; a good lich may gain the normal lich’s fear aura, though it can drop or raise the aura as a free action.
Frightful Moan (Su): A lich can emit a frightful moan as a standard action. All living creatures within a 30-foot spread must succeed on a Will save or become panicked for 2d4 rounds. This is a sonic mind-affecting fear effect. A creature that successfully saves against the moan cannot be affected by the same Lich’s moan for 24 hours. A lich of 10th level can panic their targets for 3d4 rounds and a lich of 18th level can panic their targets for 4d4 rounds.
Grasp of Death (Su): Once every ten rounds, the lich can surround its hands in a nimbus of black flame that remains until the lich touches someone. A character touched by the lich (with a melee touch attack roll) must make a successful Fortitude save or die instantly. [Evil aligned liches only]
Grasp of Enfeeblement (Su): The lich can weaken a foe by making a special touch attack. The affected opponent must succeed at a Fortitude save or take 2d4 points of temporary Strength damage.
Holy Touch (Su): The good lich gains a powerful touch attack, allowing him to infuse his foes with holy energy. This takes the form of a melee touch attack that the good lich can use once per round as a natural weapon. If the good lich is wielding a weapon of some kind, it can use that weapon normally, and then use its holy touch attack as an additional, secondary natural weapon. [Good aligned liches only]
On a successful hit, the good lich deals 1d8 points of holy energy damage to undead creatures and evil outsiders, plus 1 point per 2 hit dice the good lich possesses. This attack can be used to heal living creatures, but has no effect on targets which are neither living nor undead (such as most constructs). The good lich cannot target himself with this ability, but may use a full round action to heal as though he had used the ability on himself.
Negative Energy Immunity (Su): Good liches with this ability are so infused with positive energy that they have no fear of negative energy, and are in fact immune to negative energy. [Good aligned liches only]
Painwrack Gaze (Su): Any creature that makes eye contact with the lich takes 2d6 points of damage from severe, muscle-wrenching pain. A successful Fortitude save allows a character to avoid the lich’s gaze. This ability is constant, but the lich can suppress or resume it as a free action.
Paralyzing Touch (Su): Any living creature the lich hits with its touch attack must succeed on a Fortitude save or be permanently paralyzed. Remove paralysis or any spell that can remove a curse can free the victim (see the bestow curse spell description, with a DC equal to the lich’s save DC). The effect cannot be dispelled. Anyone paralyzed by a lich seems dead, though a DC 20 Perception check or a DC 15 Heal check reveals the victim is still alive. [Evil aligned liches only]
Positive Energy Master (Su): Good liches with this ability are masters of channeling positive energy. The lich can channel energy as a cleric whose level is equal to his lich class level. If the good lich can already channel energy from another source (such as cleric levels), his lich levels stack with that source for the purposes of determining his effective cleric level when channeling energy. Additionally, the good lich’s channel resistance increases to +8. [Good aligned liches only]
This allows the good lich to qualify for feats that modify channel energy as though it were a cleric; the good lich typically selects Turn Undead and may select Command Undead even if it does not meet the prerequisites.
Projection (Su): For up to 3 nonconsecutive hours per day, the good lich can send a wraithlike likeness of itself up to one mile from the lich’s actual location. The lich can see through this projection and into the Ethereal Plane as well, can hear and speak through it, and even cast spells through it. The link between the lich and the projection transcends physical and all known magical barriers, and can even cross between the Material and the Ethereal planes. [Good aligned liches only]
The projection is AC 20, has a fly speed of 20 feet (perfect maneuverability), and has the hit points of the lich, but it cannot carry solid objects and it has none of the lich’s special attacks or qualities. If the projection takes damage, the lich takes half the damage (round down); the projection vanishes if it loses all its hit points. It cannot be turned or magically dispelled. A projection can push against or move small things, so it may push its finger through sand or ashes to write a message, or turn a page of an open book, but it cannot carry things. The lich can have only one projection in operation at a time.
Spell Resistance (Ex): Certain liches have the exceptional ability of spell resistance equal to 12 + their Hit Dice.
Telekinesis (Su): The lich can use telekinesis as a standard action once every 1d4 rounds (caster level equal to the character level of the lich).
Touch of Geas/Quest (Su): Any living creatures a good lich hits with a touch attack must succeed on a Will save or become affected by a Geas/Quest spell. Any spell that can remove the normal casting of this spell can free the victim. The good lich may choose to not affect someone he touches if he does decides not to. [Good aligned liches only]
Voice of Maleficence (Sp): If the lich speaks to a victim for 10 full minutes, the subject must make a Will save or fall into a sleepy trance. While in this trance state, the character answers truthfully any question the lich asks. The victim may attempt a new saving throw every hour, but for each consecutive hour the lich talks to the victim, the saving throw DC increases by 1.
Water Walk (Su): Some good liches have the ability to water walk, as the spell of the same name, at will. [Good aligned liches only]
Energy Resistances (Ex): At 4th level, a lich becomes immune to cold and electricity damage.
Channel Resistance (Ex): At 6th level, a lich gains some resistance to the channeled energies of clerics and other mortal interlopers. The lich gains channel resistance +4.
Rejuvenation (Su): Beginning at 7th level, when a lich is destroyed, his phylactery (which is generally hidden by the lich in a safe place far from where it chooses to dwell) immediately begins to rebuild the undead spellcaster’s body nearby. This process takes 1d10 days—if the body is destroyed before that time passes, the phylactery merely starts the process anew. After this time passes, the lich wakens fully healed (albeit without any gear it left behind on its old body), usually with a burning need for revenge against those who previously destroyed it. If the phylactery is destroyed (most phylacteries are Tiny, have 40 hit points, hardness 20, a break DC of 40, and a caster level equal to the lich’s caster level), the lich loses access to this class feature until another phylactery can be made (this phylactery costs 5,000 gp per class level and takes 24 hours to create). He may also recreate his phylactery in the same way if he wishes to dispose of his first one.
Advanced Salient Power: Beginning at 9th level, the lich may choose salient abilities from the following list. If a special attack allows a saving throw, the DC is 10 + 1/2 the lich’s hit dice + the lich’s Charisma modifier.
Cunning Concealment (Sp): A lich with this ability is a master of infiltrating mortal society and keeping his undead nature unknown. The lich is constantly affected by the spell disguise self, except that the illusion makes him appear as himself before he became a lich. Further, the lich is constantly affected as though by the spell nondetection, which prevents him from being discovered by spells such as detect undead or detect evil. Finally, the lich is constantly affected as though by the spell glibness.
Deathtouch (Su): A lich with this ability may choose to have his charnel touch ability slay opponents outright, rather than paralyze them. If the touch attack hits, the target must succeed on a Will save or be slain outright, as the lich snuffs out its soul. If the creature is slain in this fashion, the lich heals 1d8 hit points + 1 point per HD of the slain creature, as he consumes its soul. Creatures slain in this way cannot be raised or resurrected until the lich is slain, or a wish or miracle spell is used to restore their soul. [Requires charnel touch salient power]
Evil Mastermind (Ex): A lich with this ability is exceptionally cunning, sagacious, or fearsome. The lich gains a +2 bonus to the mental ability score of his choice.
Lord of the Undead (Su): When calculating the number of hit dice of undead you can control with animate dead and similar abilities, add your class level and Charisma modifier to the amount that you could normally control. Additionally, undead you control in this way gain channel resistance +2.
Necromancy Adept (Ex): Liches with this ability know a wide variety of necromancy spells. The lich gains an additional spell known for each spell level he can cast. The new spells must be of the necromancy school. Whenever the lich gains access to a new level of spells, he immediately gains an additional spell known of that level, which must be a necromancy spell. If the lich has a spellbook or similarly must pay to record spells, he does not need to pay for these spells.
Negative Energy Master (Su): Liches with this ability are masters of channeling negative energy. The lich can channel energy as a cleric whose level is equal to his lich class level. If the lich can already channel energy from another source (such as cleric levels), his lich levels stack with that source for the purposes of determining his effective cleric level when channeling energy. Additionally, the lich’s channel resistance increases to +8. [Evil aligned liches only]
Positive Energy Immunity (Su): Liches with this ability are so infused with negative energy that they have no fear of positive energy, and are in fact immune to positive energy.
Terrifying Presence (Su): The frightening presence ability improves, allowing the lich to frighten more powerful foes. Creatures with less than 5 HD are now panicked, while creatures of 6-10 HD are frightened, and creatures of 11 or more HD are shaken. The saving throw DCs and durations of these effects remain unchanged. [Requires frightening presence salient power]
Greater Rejuvenation (Su): At 10th level, a lich’s rejuvenation ability improves, allowing him to rejuvenate more quickly and while retaining some of his gear. To make the most of this ability, the lich must spend one hour in quiet meditation. He must spend this time uninterrupted, and in physical contact with his phylactery. During this time, the phylactery “remembers” each item that the lich has in his possession, and the next time that the lich rejuvenates, each of these remembered items is immediately destroyed, and reforms alongside the lich, who awakens fully equipped. Items which were destroyed or consumed before the lich was destroyed (such as potions or wands) do not rejuvenate in this way, and items with a number of charges (such as wands or staves) retain the number of charges they had when the lich was destroyed, not when the phylactery “memorized” them.
Whether the lich meditates with the phylactery or not, his rejuvenation time is reduced from 1d10 days to 1d4 days.
NEW FEAT: SPLIT SPIRIT
Prerequisites: Lich
Benefit: A lich with this feat may create a second phylactery. Both phylacteries must be destroyed in order for the lich to truly die. This feat only functions if the lich creates a second phylactery, expending the gold and taking the time to perform the ritual again.
LICH
A new substitution class for spellcasters in the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game
Some souls are not content with the time they are allotted in this life and seek immortality by way of the ritual of the lich. They twist the bonds of life in a grotesque fashion to preserve themselves by locking their soul away in a phylactery. There are many disciplines that provide rituals to become a lich, but the result is almost always the same- a lich is a powerful undead spellcaster. Sometimes a lich appears skeletal. Other times his skin is mummified or simply decayed. Whatever the specifics of appearance, they are generally a terrifying creature to behold.
BECOMING A LICH
Hit Dice: A lich uses the HD of his previous classes unless it is lower than a d8. If he has lower than a d8, he instead gains d8 HD. As a result of being undead, a lich uses his Charisma modifier to determine bonus hit points (instead of Constitution).
Requirements
To qualify to become a lich, a character must fulfill all of the following criteria.
Feats: Craft Wondrous Item
Spells: Caster level 6th
Special: The character must perform a ritual to create a lesser phylactery. This ritual takes 24 hours to perform and costs 5,000 gp. The lich must repeat this process for each level of lich he takes, further improving his phylactery as he does so, until the character reaches 10th level in the lich class.
After they complete the first ritual to enter the class, the character dies at the climax. He will return 1d4 weeks later as a lich. At the time of their first resurrection a lich can chose to lose any number of class levels they have (assuming they spent the requisite gold for every class level the character takes); they will gain one level from the lich substitution class for every class level they lost in this fashion.
Class Skills
A lich treats all the skills of his previous class as class skills. Additionally, the lich treats Climb (Str), Disguise (Cha), Fly (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Knowledge (religion) (Int), Perception (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), Spellcraft (Int), and Stealth (Dex) as class skills.
Skill Ranks per Level: As previous class or 2 + Int modifier
| Level | Base Attack Bonus | Fort Save | Ref Save | Will Save | Special | Spells per Day |
| 1st | +0 | +0 | +0 | +2 | Deathless Cunning +2, Lesser Rejuvenation, Undead Body | +1 level of existing class |
| 2nd | +1 | +0 | +0 | +3 | DR 5/bludgeoning and magic, Unholy Toughness +1 | +1 level of existing class |
| 3rd | +1 | +1 | +1 | +3 | Evil Genius, Salient Power | +1 level of existing class |
| 4th | +2 | +1 | +1 | +4 | Energy Immunities (cold and electricity), Unholy Toughness +2 | +1 level of existing class |
| 5th | +2 | +1 | +1 | +4 | Deathless Cunning +4, Salient Power | +1 level of existing class |
| 6th | +3 | +2 | +2 | +5 | DR 10/bludgeoning and magic, Channel Resistance +4, Unholy Toughness +3 | +1 level of existing class |
| 7th | +3 | +2 | +2 | +5 | Salient Power, Rejuvenation | +1 level of existing class |
| 8th | +4 | +2 | +2 | +6 | Unholy Toughness +4 | +1 level of existing class |
| 9th | +4 | +3 | +3 | +6 | Salient Power | +1 level of existing class |
| 10th | +5 | +3 | +3 | +7 | Deathless Cunning +8, DR 15/bludgeoning and magic, Greater Rejuvenation, Unholy Toughness +5 | +1 level of existing class |
| 11th | +5 | +3 | +3 | +7 | Salient Power | +1 level of existing class |
| 12th | +6/+1 | +4 | +4 | +8 | Unholy Toughness +6 | +1 level of existing class |
| 13th | +6/+1 | +4 | +4 | +8 | Salient Power | +1 level of existing class |
| 14th | +7/+2 | +4 | +4 | +9 | DR 20/bludgeoning and magic, Unholy Toughness +7 | +1 level of existing class |
| 15th | +7/+2 | +5 | +5 | +9 | Salient Power | +1 level of existing class |
| 16th | +8/+3 | +5 | +5 | +10 | Unholy Toughness +8 | +1 level of existing class |
| 17th | +8/+3 | +5 | +5 | +10 | Salient Power | +1 level of existing class |
| 18th | +9/+4 | +6 | +6 | +11 | DR 25/bludgeoning and magic, Unholy Toughness +9 | +1 level of existing class |
| 19th | +9/+4 | +6 | +6 | +11 | Salient Power | +1 level of existing class |
| 20th | +10/+5 | +6 | +6 | +12 | Unholy Toughness +10 | +1 level of existing class |
All of the following are class features of the lich.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A lich is proficient with all weapons and armor that it was prior to becoming a lich. In addition a lich is proficient with his natural attacks.
Spells per Day: When a lich gains a new level, he acts as if he had also gained a level in a spellcasting class he belonged to before adding the substitution class for the purposes of determining his spells per day. He does not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained, except for additional spells per day, spells known (if he is a spontaneous spellcaster), and an increased effective level of spellcasting. If a character had more than one spellcasting class before becoming a lich, he must decide to which class he adds the new level for purposes of determining spells per day.
Deathless Cunning (Ex): A lich is a soul doomed to eternal life. A lich receives a +2 racial bonus on Perception, Sense Motive, and Stealth checks. This bonus increases to +4 at 5th and +8 at 10th.
Lesser Rejuvenation (Su): By spending five minutes meditating on his phylactery, the lich can unlock a lesser version of its restorative powers. In order to use this ability, the lich must have five minutes of uninterrupted peace, during which he must be in physical contact with his phylactery. At the end of this time, the lich fully recovers all lost hit points, and is restored to full health. This does not remove any conditions, curses, spell effects, or other harmful effects affecting the lich: it only restores lost hit points.
Undead Body (Ex): Liches are undead creatures, and, as such, all liches gain undead traits. See the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Core Rulebook for more information on undead traits. Good-aligned liches gain the deathless subtype.
Damage Reduction (Ex): At 2nd level, a lich’s body becomes more resistant to most physical attacks, and he gains DR 5/bludgeoning and magic; this damage reduction increases by 5 every four levels thereafter. Its natural weapons are treated as magic weapons for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.
Unholy Toughness (Ex): Beginning at 2nd level, a lich’s skin toughens like leather, granting him a natural armor bonus of +1; this bonus increases by +1 at every other level gained thereafter.
Evil Genius (Ex): At 3rd level, a lich’s propensity for evil and scheming becomes heightened, and he gains a +2 bonus to his Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma scores.
Salient Power: Starting at 3rd level and every other level gained thereafter, a lich gains a new special attack or quality from the list below. If a special attack allows a saving throw, the DC is 10 + 1/2 the lich’s hit dice + the lich’s Charisma modifier.
Animate Dead (Sp): The lich can animate skeletons or zombies to serve them, using this spell-like ability at will as a sorcerer of its character level. In general, good liches have no interest in raising undead armies to serve them, but they use this power in self-defense in the heat of battle.
Charnel Touch (Su): The lich gains a powerful touch attack, allowing him to infuse his foes with negative energy. This takes the form of a melee touch attack that the lich can use once per round as a natural weapon. If the lich is wielding a weapon of some kind, it can use that weapon normally, and then use its charnel touch attack as an additional, secondary natural weapon. [Evil aligned liches only]
On a successful hit, the lich deals 1d8 points of negative energy damage, plus 1 point per 2 hit dice the lich possesses. This attack can be used to heal undead creatures, but has no effect on targets which are neither living nor undead (such as most constructs). The lich cannot target himself with this ability, but may use a full round action to heal as though he had used the ability on himself.
Cold Fire (Su): The lich can produce balls of cold, blue-green fire that deal 3d10 points of negative energy damage. The lich can use a full attack action to throw two balls of coldfire in a round (the second missile’s attack bonus decreases by 5). The range increment for these missiles is 15 feet. [Evil aligned liches only]
Corrupting Gaze (Su): The lich gains a gaze attack with a range of 30 feet that causes 1d6 damage for every 2 levels of lich and 1d4 Charisma damage (Fortitude save negates Charisma damage but not physical damage). A lich of 15th level or higher deals 1d8 Charisma damage. [Evil aligned liches only]
Despair (Su): The touch of certain liches, in addition to dealing damage, has the effect of a crushing despair spell: Victims must make a Will save or suffer a -2 morale penalty on saving throws, attack rolls, skill and ability checks, and weapon damage rolls for the duration of the encounter.
Doom Gaze (Su): Once per hour, the lich can slay with a glance, at a range of 30 feet. Living creatures who meet the lich’s gaze must succeed at a Fortitude save or die.
Dream Haunting (Su): The lich can visit the dreams of any individual whose exact location is known to it. The sleeper experiences tormenting dreams and suffers 1 point of permanent Constitution drain upon awakening (Will save negates). A sleeper reduced to a Constitution score of 0 dies.
Frightening Presence (Su): The lich’s mere presence is enough to frighten the lesser mortals that would dare to face him. Creatures of less than 5 HD in a 60-foot radius that look at the lich must succeed on a Will save or become frightened. Creatures with 5 HD or more must succeed on a Will save (same DC) or be shaken for a number of rounds equal to the lich’s Hit Dice. A creature that successfully saves cannot be affected again by the same lich’s aura for 24 hours. This is a mind-affecting fear attack. The lich can suppress this ability as a standard action, and resume it with another standard action; a good lich may gain the normal lich’s fear aura, though it can drop or raise the aura as a free action.
Frightful Moan (Su): A lich can emit a frightful moan as a standard action. All living creatures within a 30-foot spread must succeed on a Will save or become panicked for 2d4 rounds. This is a sonic mind-affecting fear effect. A creature that successfully saves against the moan cannot be affected by the same Lich’s moan for 24 hours. A lich of 10th level can panic their targets for 3d4 rounds and a lich of 18th level can panic their targets for 4d4 rounds.
Grasp of Death (Su): Once every ten rounds, the lich can surround its hands in a nimbus of black flame that remains until the lich touches someone. A character touched by the lich (with a melee touch attack roll) must make a successful Fortitude save or die instantly. [Evil aligned liches only]
Grasp of Enfeeblement (Su): The lich can weaken a foe by making a special touch attack. The affected opponent must succeed at a Fortitude save or take 2d4 points of temporary Strength damage.
Holy Touch (Su): The good lich gains a powerful touch attack, allowing him to infuse his foes with holy energy. This takes the form of a melee touch attack that the good lich can use once per round as a natural weapon. If the good lich is wielding a weapon of some kind, it can use that weapon normally, and then use its holy touch attack as an additional, secondary natural weapon. [Good aligned liches only]
On a successful hit, the good lich deals 1d8 points of holy energy damage to undead creatures and evil outsiders, plus 1 point per 2 hit dice the good lich possesses. This attack can be used to heal living creatures, but has no effect on targets which are neither living nor undead (such as most constructs). The good lich cannot target himself with this ability, but may use a full round action to heal as though he had used the ability on himself.
Negative Energy Immunity (Su): Good liches with this ability are so infused with positive energy that they have no fear of negative energy, and are in fact immune to negative energy. [Good aligned liches only]
Painwrack Gaze (Su): Any creature that makes eye contact with the lich takes 2d6 points of damage from severe, muscle-wrenching pain. A successful Fortitude save allows a character to avoid the lich’s gaze. This ability is constant, but the lich can suppress or resume it as a free action.
Paralyzing Touch (Su): Any living creature the lich hits with its touch attack must succeed on a Fortitude save or be permanently paralyzed. Remove paralysis or any spell that can remove a curse can free the victim (see the bestow curse spell description, with a DC equal to the lich’s save DC). The effect cannot be dispelled. Anyone paralyzed by a lich seems dead, though a DC 20 Perception check or a DC 15 Heal check reveals the victim is still alive. [Evil aligned liches only]
Positive Energy Master (Su): Good liches with this ability are masters of channeling positive energy. The lich can channel energy as a cleric whose level is equal to his lich class level. If the good lich can already channel energy from another source (such as cleric levels), his lich levels stack with that source for the purposes of determining his effective cleric level when channeling energy. Additionally, the good lich’s channel resistance increases to +8. [Good aligned liches only]
This allows the good lich to qualify for feats that modify channel energy as though it were a cleric; the good lich typically selects Turn Undead and may select Command Undead even if it does not meet the prerequisites.
Projection (Su): For up to 3 nonconsecutive hours per day, the good lich can send a wraithlike likeness of itself up to one mile from the lich’s actual location. The lich can see through this projection and into the Ethereal Plane as well, can hear and speak through it, and even cast spells through it. The link between the lich and the projection transcends physical and all known magical barriers, and can even cross between the Material and the Ethereal planes. [Good aligned liches only]
The projection is AC 20, has a fly speed of 20 feet (perfect maneuverability), and has the hit points of the lich, but it cannot carry solid objects and it has none of the lich’s special attacks or qualities. If the projection takes damage, the lich takes half the damage (round down); the projection vanishes if it loses all its hit points. It cannot be turned or magically dispelled. A projection can push against or move small things, so it may push its finger through sand or ashes to write a message, or turn a page of an open book, but it cannot carry things. The lich can have only one projection in operation at a time.
Spell Resistance (Ex): Certain liches have the exceptional ability of spell resistance equal to 12 + their Hit Dice.
Telekinesis (Su): The lich can use telekinesis as a standard action once every 1d4 rounds (caster level equal to the character level of the lich).
Touch of Geas/Quest (Su): Any living creatures a good lich hits with a touch attack must succeed on a Will save or become affected by a Geas/Quest spell. Any spell that can remove the normal casting of this spell can free the victim. The good lich may choose to not affect someone he touches if he does decides not to. [Good aligned liches only]
Voice of Maleficence (Sp): If the lich speaks to a victim for 10 full minutes, the subject must make a Will save or fall into a sleepy trance. While in this trance state, the character answers truthfully any question the lich asks. The victim may attempt a new saving throw every hour, but for each consecutive hour the lich talks to the victim, the saving throw DC increases by 1.
Water Walk (Su): Some good liches have the ability to water walk, as the spell of the same name, at will. [Good aligned liches only]
Energy Resistances (Ex): At 4th level, a lich becomes immune to cold and electricity damage.
Channel Resistance (Ex): At 6th level, a lich gains some resistance to the channeled energies of clerics and other mortal interlopers. The lich gains channel resistance +4.
Rejuvenation (Su): Beginning at 7th level, when a lich is destroyed, his phylactery (which is generally hidden by the lich in a safe place far from where it chooses to dwell) immediately begins to rebuild the undead spellcaster’s body nearby. This process takes 1d10 days—if the body is destroyed before that time passes, the phylactery merely starts the process anew. After this time passes, the lich wakens fully healed (albeit without any gear it left behind on its old body), usually with a burning need for revenge against those who previously destroyed it. If the phylactery is destroyed (most phylacteries are Tiny, have 40 hit points, hardness 20, a break DC of 40, and a caster level equal to the lich’s caster level), the lich loses access to this class feature until another phylactery can be made (this phylactery costs 5,000 gp per class level and takes 24 hours to create). He may also recreate his phylactery in the same way if he wishes to dispose of his first one.
Advanced Salient Power: Beginning at 9th level, the lich may choose salient abilities from the following list. If a special attack allows a saving throw, the DC is 10 + 1/2 the lich’s hit dice + the lich’s Charisma modifier.
Cunning Concealment (Sp): A lich with this ability is a master of infiltrating mortal society and keeping his undead nature unknown. The lich is constantly affected by the spell disguise self, except that the illusion makes him appear as himself before he became a lich. Further, the lich is constantly affected as though by the spell nondetection, which prevents him from being discovered by spells such as detect undead or detect evil. Finally, the lich is constantly affected as though by the spell glibness.
Deathtouch (Su): A lich with this ability may choose to have his charnel touch ability slay opponents outright, rather than paralyze them. If the touch attack hits, the target must succeed on a Will save or be slain outright, as the lich snuffs out its soul. If the creature is slain in this fashion, the lich heals 1d8 hit points + 1 point per HD of the slain creature, as he consumes its soul. Creatures slain in this way cannot be raised or resurrected until the lich is slain, or a wish or miracle spell is used to restore their soul. [Requires charnel touch salient power]
Evil Mastermind (Ex): A lich with this ability is exceptionally cunning, sagacious, or fearsome. The lich gains a +2 bonus to the mental ability score of his choice.
Lord of the Undead (Su): When calculating the number of hit dice of undead you can control with animate dead and similar abilities, add your class level and Charisma modifier to the amount that you could normally control. Additionally, undead you control in this way gain channel resistance +2.
Necromancy Adept (Ex): Liches with this ability know a wide variety of necromancy spells. The lich gains an additional spell known for each spell level he can cast. The new spells must be of the necromancy school. Whenever the lich gains access to a new level of spells, he immediately gains an additional spell known of that level, which must be a necromancy spell. If the lich has a spellbook or similarly must pay to record spells, he does not need to pay for these spells.
Negative Energy Master (Su): Liches with this ability are masters of channeling negative energy. The lich can channel energy as a cleric whose level is equal to his lich class level. If the lich can already channel energy from another source (such as cleric levels), his lich levels stack with that source for the purposes of determining his effective cleric level when channeling energy. Additionally, the lich’s channel resistance increases to +8. [Evil aligned liches only]
Positive Energy Immunity (Su): Liches with this ability are so infused with negative energy that they have no fear of positive energy, and are in fact immune to positive energy.
Terrifying Presence (Su): The frightening presence ability improves, allowing the lich to frighten more powerful foes. Creatures with less than 5 HD are now panicked, while creatures of 6-10 HD are frightened, and creatures of 11 or more HD are shaken. The saving throw DCs and durations of these effects remain unchanged. [Requires frightening presence salient power]
Greater Rejuvenation (Su): At 10th level, a lich’s rejuvenation ability improves, allowing him to rejuvenate more quickly and while retaining some of his gear. To make the most of this ability, the lich must spend one hour in quiet meditation. He must spend this time uninterrupted, and in physical contact with his phylactery. During this time, the phylactery “remembers” each item that the lich has in his possession, and the next time that the lich rejuvenates, each of these remembered items is immediately destroyed, and reforms alongside the lich, who awakens fully equipped. Items which were destroyed or consumed before the lich was destroyed (such as potions or wands) do not rejuvenate in this way, and items with a number of charges (such as wands or staves) retain the number of charges they had when the lich was destroyed, not when the phylactery “memorized” them.
Whether the lich meditates with the phylactery or not, his rejuvenation time is reduced from 1d10 days to 1d4 days.
NEW FEAT: SPLIT SPIRIT
Prerequisites: Lich
Benefit: A lich with this feat may create a second phylactery. Both phylacteries must be destroyed in order for the lich to truly die. This feat only functions if the lich creates a second phylactery, expending the gold and taking the time to perform the ritual again.
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