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Lich's To Weak for Their CR?
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<blockquote data-quote="pemerton" data-source="post: 6993204" data-attributes="member: 42582"><p>I think Sauron as a lich is an interesting approach, though not personally one I would adopt.</p><p></p><p>But I think you are being a bit literal about the REH magicians. Just as Sauron does not exactly resemble a D&D lich (eg he was never mortal, and his body is not that of a skeleton/corpse), so the fact that they differ somewhat from the D&D lich doesn't (in my view) rule them out as exemplars. Gygax says that a lich "passes from a state of humanity to a non-human, nonliving existence through force of will. It retains this status by certain conjurations, enchantments, and a phylactery." The REH magicians evoke this to me at least.</p><p></p><p>Gygax also says other things about a lich that make me think of it being ready to act forthrightly, rather than working from the shadows:</p><p></p><p style="margin-left: 20px">Through the power which changes this creature from human to lich, the armor class becomes the equivalent of +1 plate armor and + 1 shield (armor class 0). Similarly, hit dice are 8-sided, and the lich can be affected only by magical attack forms . . . The mere sight of a lich will cause any creature below 5th level (or 5 hit dice) to flee in panic from fear.</p><p></p><p>So they have nothing to fear from armies, who will flee before them! Only Conan-esque warriors or rival magicians might defeat them!</p><p></p><p>(That's not to say that everything Gygax did with liches was gold. He also gave us the lich hanging out on a hidden ledge with the troglodytes in D1. One of his odder choices for monster placement.)</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="pemerton, post: 6993204, member: 42582"] I think Sauron as a lich is an interesting approach, though not personally one I would adopt. But I think you are being a bit literal about the REH magicians. Just as Sauron does not exactly resemble a D&D lich (eg he was never mortal, and his body is not that of a skeleton/corpse), so the fact that they differ somewhat from the D&D lich doesn't (in my view) rule them out as exemplars. Gygax says that a lich "passes from a state of humanity to a non-human, nonliving existence through force of will. It retains this status by certain conjurations, enchantments, and a phylactery." The REH magicians evoke this to me at least. Gygax also says other things about a lich that make me think of it being ready to act forthrightly, rather than working from the shadows: [indent]Through the power which changes this creature from human to lich, the armor class becomes the equivalent of +1 plate armor and + 1 shield (armor class 0). Similarly, hit dice are 8-sided, and the lich can be affected only by magical attack forms . . . The mere sight of a lich will cause any creature below 5th level (or 5 hit dice) to flee in panic from fear.[/indent] So they have nothing to fear from armies, who will flee before them! Only Conan-esque warriors or rival magicians might defeat them! (That's not to say that everything Gygax did with liches was gold. He also gave us the lich hanging out on a hidden ledge with the troglodytes in D1. One of his odder choices for monster placement.) [/QUOTE]
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