Player wants to be a Lich

[Donp]

I have a player in my Forgotten Realms campaign whose character is a Warlock who worships Bane. His ambition is to be a Lich. He is 14th level. I would like to grant him his wish, but I'm unsure how to do that. The Lich Template in the DMG is obviously only for monsters, yet I feel it would be weird if becoming a Lich gave him no benefits (or weaknesses for that matter). How would you handle the matter?

I would like to do it without his character becoming unbalanced, although it would be fine if he got some mechanical benefits.

 

[AngryMojo]

There's an ED in Arcane Power called Archlich that turns you into a true lich by the time you're done. He should be thinking about an ED to begin with, and it's likely a good fit for him.

 

[Mercurius]

I'd hold him off until 21st level and create an Epic Destiny for him, maybe a hybrid of the Archmage Epic Destiny and the Lich template.

The key, though, is going to be the "fluff." Why does he want to do this? How is he going to accomplish this? If he doesn't know, let him start thinking about it. Maybe he can find some dark grimoire that through reading it he starts the transformation.

 

[Klaus]

There's an ED in Arcane Power called Archlich that turns you into a true lich by the time you're done. He should be thinking about an ED to begin with, and it's likely a good fit for him.

Yeah, Archlich is already available, so no need for further tinkering. Just take that ED at 21st level.

 

[Donp]

Thanks guys, I didn't know about that Epic Destiny.

 

[Cerebral Paladin]

The other thing to bear in mind is that you can reskin things so that they are awesome and lich-y, while keeping the mechanics so you don't have to worry about balance. So if he'd rather use the Demigod ED or whatever, you can just call it a "Lich" ED, change the names of the powers, and you're in business. Likewise, unless he's super-attached to his Paragon Path as well, if you want to get the Lich train rolling early, reskin the late Paragon powers as part of his lich transformation.

 

[NMcCoy]

One of the characters in the campaign I'm playing in involuntarily became a lich at one point. The DM and I worked out stuff for him. As I recall, it was:

* Undead keyword.
* No healing surges.
* Regeneration 10 (suppressed by sunlight and radiant damage).
* Vulnerable 10 radiant.
* Immune to disease and poison.
* Takes damage from divine healing.
* Absorbs necrotic damage as temporary hit points.

 

[Lordhawkins9]

Just let him use the template in the DMG and remind him that he's now "Elite" and takes up the spots of two PC's.

 

[renau1g]

One of the characters in the campaign I'm playing in involuntarily became a lich at one point. The DM and I worked out stuff for him. As I recall, it was:

* Undead keyword.
* No healing surges.
* Regeneration 10 (suppressed by sunlight and radiant damage).
* Vulnerable 10 radiant.
* Immune to disease and poison.
* Takes damage from divine healing.
* Absorbs necrotic damage as temporary hit points.

Yikes! Regen 10? Pretty crazy!

 

[Alaxk Knight of Galt]

Let him
There is a 14th level ritual called Lich Transformation (published in MM1). Fork over the gold and go nuts

Of course, lots of people like to kill undead too