Why would anyone become a lich?

[Faraer]

I don't think insane villains, within particular cultures with particular traditions of undeath and immortality, make analytical decisions like metagaming powergamers.

 

[Planesdragon]

Becoming a shade allows you to become immortal with a human body- where does it say they forget their old life?

Ah, sorry.

Do you mean the FRCS shade, or do you have a different reference? (The answer in FR is simple: "you don't want to be cooped up in the shadow world.")

is there any reason a Lich would not take their phylactery, put it in a small steel vault, cast transmute rock to mud on a random patch of floor, and then transmute it back to stone, and then decorate over the spot?

Line-of-effect? Even with not needing a dead body nearby, it's quite reasonable to rule that a phylactery needs to have line-of-effect to whereever the Lich returns.

 

[DMH]

I really don't think they care if they can't taste anything -- and they CAN touch stuff, they're not incorporeal.

The sense of touch (which is why I put it with taste). It is kind of hard to feel anything when your skin and flesh are rotting off. And maybe liches should take a penalty to alchemy check since they can't smell any longer (opposite of the gnome trait).

Which brings me to a tangent- do undead who are taking extended damage (multiround) detect the damage? Example- a wight whose leg is being burned with a powerful acid.

 

[Sunderstone]

Top Five reasons for becoming a Lich

5. Less dentist visits than a Vampire.
4. Over-zealous lackeys as opposed to a charmed work force.
3. Finding and Destroying your phylactery is alot harder than a stake to the chest. Wood is infinitely more accessible.
2. Why limit yourself to the Night Shift without an increase.

and the number one reason is...

1. 9 out of 10 Adventuring parties will take their chances with a Vampire over coming to your Trap-infested, insidious guardian-filled Tomb for a visit

 

[Chimera]

Anorexia.

 

[Klaus]

Liches *can* taste, touch, see, smell and hear just like any other characer (with the addition of improved undead senses, like darkvision). They can be skeletal sometimes, but just as often they can be described as gaunt and emaciated (not unlike the Iron Maiden pet undead, Eddie).

Liches don't have specific vulnerabilities, and can work on increasing their mystical power 24/7. No need to rejuvenate, hunt, drink blood, eat marrow, visit granny, suck brains with a straw or anything of the sort.

And who said liches have to live in a tomb? D&D's most famous lich, Azalin Rex, disguises his undead form with powerful illusions and is regarded by the people of Darkon as their (very) long-lived wizard-king Azalin, who lives in a spacious castle abode and is harsh, but just.

Te process of lichdom is something the character can do on his own, through mystical means. No need for another's bite (vampire), rely on embalmers *after your death* (mummy) or anything of the sort.

 

[Doug McCrae]

Another wild thought - a Lich in Eberron may well pay House Kundarak (the banking house) to protect its phylactery. Now THAT would make a heck of an Eberron adventure - you have to break into a Kundarak Bank undetected, and steal the phylactery of your arch-enemy, before you go after him!

Nice one.

 

[Henry]

I think Klaus has the right idea here. For an independent Wizard, Lichdom is the perfect thing; it's doable alone (no outside or divine help), there are no distractions (no stopping for food, bathroom breaks, or scratching an itchy back), and there are no daylight limitations, along with relative immortality. Also, don't discount the nigh-invulnerability of Demi-lichdom, and the soul-freeing aspect for contemplation that this brings.

 

[Nightchilde-2]

To add to this frame of thought, is there any reason a Lich would not take their phylactery, put it in a small steel vault, cast transmute rock to mud on a random patch of floor, and then transmute it back to stone, and then decorate over the spot? In other words, put it somewhere where not only was it well-guarded, but buried?

The lich in my old FR game had a son that was a vampire. She hid her phylactery (unknown to him) inside of him and banished him to the Plane of Shadow. In his abode, she had placed 40 false phylacteries in a chamber beneath the floor, just to throw off anyone that might come looking.

Another wild thought - a Lich in Eberron may well pay House Kundarak (the banking house) to protect its phylactery. Now THAT would make a heck of an Eberron adventure - you have to break into a Kundarak Bank undetected, and steal the phylactery of your arch-enemy, before you go after him!

....

YOINK!! Stolen!

 

[Patlin]

If you are after nigh-infinite power, lich is the only one of the choices that you gave that is a step towards becoming a Demilich.