D&D 5E Warlock liches?

[Soul Stigma]

I totally missed the permanent bit. Kind of takes away a lot of the mystery around becoming a lich since someone powerful enough could just use the spell. Even if a lich is too powerful to assume the form of, another powerful undead could be used. I don't think I like this spell.

And without a phylactery the lich can more easily be permanently destroyed. I don't think a would-be lich (given the whole cheating death and megalomaniac schtick) would risk shortcutting the potion/ritual. My opinion, anyway.


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[TheNoremac42]

And without a phylactery the lich can more easily be permanently destroyed. I don't think a would-be lich (given the whole cheating death and megalomaniac schtick) would risk shortcutting the potion/ritual. My opinion, anyway.


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Yes, that would essentially defeat the purpose of lichdom if someone could off you by just dropping a big rock on your fleshless skull.

 

[Mephista]

True Polymorphic I believe can turn you into a Lich (or anyone else powerful enough).

Honestly I'd rather be a Mummy Lord then a Lich, Mummy Lords don't have to worry about feeding on souls or blood like vampires.

Liches need to know the Imprisonment spell, which is also level 9. A warlock cannot know both True Polymorph and Imprisonment without somehow getting another Mystic Arcana. And, no, you really can't polymorph into being a level 18 wizard as well. That's a bit silly.

This route is pretty much a dead end option for those few warlocks who get to this level. You can probably use True Polymorph to turn into a unique Devil or Fey critter, who are also immortal, but I don't think lich would work.

Orcus (fiend patron) could probably approve of a lich warlock follower, likely at the cost of a few extra souls sent his way.

 

[procproc]

As others have already said, for your own story, there's nothing stopping a warlock from becoming a lich.

Personally, I don't like it, for a number of reasons:

1. Classically, in order to become a lich, you had to be a wizard or cleric who undertook very specific rituals to achieve lichdom. Admittedly, there was no warlock class in those days, but IIRC the other high level casters (such as druids and illusionists) couldn't do it either.

2. Flavor-wise, the characters able to become liches were essentially the 'learned' ones, the ones who invested time and study into magic to learn how to command it. That strikes me as being exactly the *opposite* of what the warlock embodies -- warlocks are these Faustian creatures who make a deal with the devil (often literally) for short-term gain at the expense of their long-term welfare.

3. Also flavor-wise, it seems like the patron wouldn't be very happy about the warlock becoming a lich. I'm giving you power in exchange for your soul, and then you change up the deal so I'll never be able to get your soul? It just feels like these powerful beings who are granting these powers would have the metaphysical equivalent of a contractual clause in the pact that stops a loophole like lichdom from taking effect. I mean, unless the warlock is the first mortal to ever try this, it just seems like common sense, and beings powerful enough to be warlock patrons are generally pretty savvy.

4. Related to #1, but a lich is a fairly specific entity. It feels like there are lots of other story mechanisms available to warlocks to become immortal that make a lot more sense -- becoming a fiend/extraplanar being/member of the Fae courts, for example.

So, YMMV, but I personally would be disinclined to let a warlock become a lich.

 

[gyor]

Liches need to know the Imprisonment spell, which is also level 9. A warlock cannot know both True Polymorph and Imprisonment without somehow getting another Mystic Arcana. And, no, you really can't polymorph into being a level 18 wizard as well. That's a bit silly.

This route is pretty much a dead end option for those few warlocks who get to this level. You can probably use True Polymorph to turn into a unique Devil or Fey critter, who are also immortal, but I don't think lich would work.

Orcus (fiend patron) could probably approve of a lich warlock follower, likely at the cost of a few extra souls sent his way.

By, raw it works, but only sort of. You basically take the form, traits, and powers, but you have no phalactory, and if you get your area kicked, you revert to your true form.

Imprisonment is kind of a back door to immortality, just imprison yourself is a paradise like demiplane.

 

[Mephista]

Imprisonment is kind of a back door to immortality, just imprison yourself is a paradise like demiplane.

Umm... no, look up Lich in the MM. You need Imprisonment to capture and eat souls. Without the spell, you cannot sustain lichdom, and you'll degrade into a demi-lich.

 

[MechaTarrasque]

I think it depends on what you mean by a lich. If it is a duplicate of the MM lich, that probably won't work, but if you mean an undead spellcaster that doesn't need to drink blood or worry about sunlight, then I could see a lich-like state being possible, probably with the right patron (Orcus), although it would probably involve some warlock-lich-only invocations that aren't in the PHB (or XGtE). So you might not be able to be a lich, but you could be Skeletor.

 

[Caliban]

Umm... no, look up Lich in the MM. You need Imprisonment to capture and eat souls. Without the spell, you cannot sustain lichdom, and you'll degrade into a demi-lich.

For the MM lich sure.

Nothing says that is the only way of becoming a lich or lich-like creature.

A warlock may do so with the aid of their Patron (as part of an additional bargain or because the patron wants a more powerful minion), or the warlock may use the MM process with the aid of another caster or item that lets them cast the necessary spells. Or they may discover or create a ritual that accomplishes the transformation into Lich without the need for spells the Warlock doesn't have.

All that's really needed is for the DM to say "Yes, this can happen". After that, it's just deciding on the details.

 

[Corwin]

All that's really needed is for the DM to say "Yes, this can happen". After that, it's just deciding on the details.

I wouldn't even have a problem with a DM's initial reaction to be, "I'm not sure. While your warlock is delving into the possibility IC, I will consider it on my end and get back to you."

 

[Al2O3]

Warlock makes pact with a devil. It probably does not cost him the soul, more of a loss leader on the part of the devil to lead to better deals in the future.

Warlock likes the power, but wants immortality. A new deal is made. Maybe the price is a number of souls per year. Maybe it is something else. In any case, the devil comes back with a ritual, portion or similar to provide immortality. The warlock happily does what is needed, just to realise that the "immortality" is lichdom. Also, the phylactery has been brought to one of the hells for safekeeping. Can't have anyone break the devil's part by destroying it. Also: convenient if the lich-lock fails their part and the soul must be collected as forfeiture.

Another version:
Orcus likes undead as mentioned. Liches may create more undead. Making a lich might further the goals of Orcus. That kind of deal might actually be relatively reasonable as far as dealing with demons go.

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