The Lich (Origins)

[BOZ]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lich_(Dungeons_&_Dragons)

 

[frankthedm]

The Thing on the Doorstep is the one that features the word "lich." However, it's being used in the standard context (corpse), rather than anything related to undead or spellcasting.

Actually, while HPL still only meant ‘lich’ as ‘corpse’, the "Bullet riddled lich" was still capable of casting spells. That does give it undead spell casting status.

Looking at all the sourses, It seems that lich was still being used as another term for dead body, even in the stories where they were "Uber undead casters". I think the use of the word lich to mean "undead spell caster" was started by gamers themselves as they tried to codify and stat out as many monsters as possible to use with their rulesets.

 

[Set]

Wight is another one that gets used in D&D to reference undead, but just means 'person' or 'man.'

I remember hearing a legend that the Golem story was about some Egyptian sorcerer, who used the word 'Emet,' which meant truth, and when it got out of control, hacked off the 'e,' leaving the word 'Met,' which meant death. Many years later I heard a Hebrew version, with Shamash and Mash as the words. Either way, it's a neat story.

 

[Gez]

I think the use of the word lich to mean "undead spell caster" was started by gamers themselves as they tried to codify and stat out as many monsters as possible to use with their rulesets.

After having seen in a Ravenloft sourcebook that "ghost", "phantom" and "geist" were all different creatures, I can only agree with you.

 

[Deuce Traveler]

Funny you should write this, but I *am* usuing Koschei as a lich in something I am working on.

I used him in a short story.

 

[grodog]

The phylactery isn't mentioned in the part of the story I was quoting from yesterday (the character's first appearance) but I didn't re-read the entire story, and the character reappears in a couple later stories as well, so it might be in there somewhere (I don't recall it specifically, though). However, note that the phylactery also isn't mentioned anywhere in the original OD&D Supplement I monster description (quoted by Geoffrey on p. 1 of this thread) -- it's first mentioned in the AD&D MM1 write-up, by which time Gygax may well have been deliberately trying to incorporate additional elements outside of Fox so as to broaden the monster into a more generic/universal "undead sorcerer" type.

I had originally thought that Lakofka's "Blueprint for a Lich" in TD 26 (June 1979) predated the MM and was the origin of the phylactery, but it doesn't by about 2 years! Sheesh, so much for memory

Aside: while reviewing the lich in the AD&D MM, I read

Similarly, hit dice are 8-sided, and the lich can be affected only by magical attack forms or by monsters with magical properties or 6 or more hit dice.

In AD&D, 6 HD monster attacks are capable of affecting creatures requiring +2 weapons to be hit, but the lich listing only mentions magical weapons to hit; the DMG appendix E also only lists magical weapons to hit, so I'm guessing that 4 HD monsters should be able to attack liches successfully, except that all 5 HD creatures flee in terror from seeing a lich. So, monsters can either hit a lich because they're 6+HD or they're going to run away (5 HD or less); this doesn't leave a lot of leeway, so I may have to give this some more thought.... I'm considering upping the requirement to +2 weapons for my campaigns, but that still doesn't address the fear/ability to hit thresholds....

 

[DM-Rocco]

I *think* (I can't remeber for sure) Lich (Middle English) comes from Lic (Old English) for a dead body or corpse. (95% Likely )

If anyone can find an online Old English or Middle Engish Dictionary you could find out for sure.

My friend actually knew all about the origins of the word Lich and he told me once that it was actually pronounced, "Like." I'll have to skim through this later and see if he replied, otherweise, I'll have him log on later and do a reply.