Creating a Lich

“Lich” is an acquired template that can be added to any giant, humanoid or monstrous
humanoid (referred to hereafter as the aspirant), provided it can perform the incantation, as
described below. Certain other creatures (such as mind flayers) can also become liches.

Aspirants who complete the incantation begin at the first rank. To advance in rank, a lich must
complete a ritual of transformation (described below).

A lich has all the base creature’s statistics and special abilities except as noted here.

Size and Type: The aspirant's type changes to Undead (Augmented [base creature's type]).
Do not recalculate base attack bonus, saves, or skill points. Size is unchanged.

Hit Dice: Increase all current and future Hit Dice to d12s. Lich lords and greater also gain
bonus HP using their Charisma modifier in place of their Constitution modifier.

Armor Class: A lich has a +5 natural armor bonus or the aspirant’s natural armor bonus,
whichever is better. Magisters and greater gain a profane bonus to AC equal to their rank.
Archliches and greater gain a deflection bonus to AC equal to their Charisma modifier.

Attack: A lich has a touch attack that it can use once per round. If the aspirant can use
weapons, the lich retains this ability. An aspirant with natural weapons retains those natural
weapons. A lich fighting without weapons uses either its touch attack or its primary natural
weapon (if it has any). A lich armed with a weapon uses its touch or a weapon, as it desires.

Full Attack: A lich fighting without weapons uses either its touch attack (see above) or its
natural weapons (if it has any). If armed with a weapon, it usually uses the weapon as its
primary attack along with a touch as a natural secondary attack, provided it has a way to
make that attack (either a free hand or a natural weapon that it can use as a secondary
attack).

Damage: A lich without natural weapons has a touch attack that uses negative energy to deal
1d8 points of damage per rank plus its Charisma modifier to living creatures; a Will save (DC
10 + 1/2 lich’s caster level + lich’s spellcasting modifier) halves the damage. A lich with
natural weapons can use its touch attack or its natural weaponry, as it prefers. If it chooses
the latter, it deals 1d8 points of extra damage per rank plus its Charisma modifier on one
natural weapon attack.

Special Attacks: A lich retains all the aspirant’s special attacks. Save DCs are equal to 10 +
1/2 lich’s caster level + lich’s spellcasting modifier unless otherwise noted.

Special Qualities: A lich retains all the base creature’s special qualities and gains those
described below.

Turn Resistance (Ex): A lich has turn resistance equal to its rank plus its Charisma modifier.

Damage Reduction (Su): A lich’s undead body is tough, giving the creature damage reduction
according to the table below. Its natural weapons are treated as magic and evil for the
purpose of overcoming damage reduction. Lich lords and greater treat their natural weapons
as epic for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction

Immunities (Ex): Liches have immunity to cold, electricity, polymorph (though they can use
polymorph effects on themselves), and mind-affecting attacks.

Phylactery (Su): If slain, a lich's soul returns to its phylactery. Once within the phylactery for
three days, the spirit may return to life by possessing any corpse within 100 feet x its
spellcasting modifier. The corpse, once possessed, has the same statistics as the lich did
before its destruction.

Abilities: The Aspirant's ability scores increase according to the table below. Being undead, a
lich has no Constitution score.

Skills: Same as the Aspirant.

Organization: Solitary

Challenge Rating: +1+rank

Treasure: Standard coins; double goods; double items.

Alignment: Any evil.

Advancement: By character class.

Neonate; +4 Int, +2 Wis, +2 Cha. DR 15/bludgeoning. 2 salient abilities.

Alumnus; +6 Int, +2 Wis, +2 Cha. DR 15/magic and bludgeoning. 4 salient abilities.
Magister; +8 Int, +4 Wis, +4 Cha. DR 20/magic and bludgeoning. 6 salient abilities.
Lich Lord; +10 Int, +4 Wis, +4 Cha. DR 20/epic and bludgeoning. 8 salient abilities.
Archlich; +12 Int, +6 Wis, +6 Cha. DR 25/epic and bludgeoning. 10 salient abilities.
Eternal; +14 Int, +6 Wis, +6 Cha. DR 25/epic, bludgeoning and good. 12 salient abilities.

Ritual of Transformation
Necromancy
Effective level: 9th
Skill Check: Craft (alchemy) DC 30, 3 successes, Knowledge (arcana) DC 30, 3 successes,
Knowledge (religion) DC 30, 3 successes
Failure: Death
Components: V, S, M, F, B
Casting Time: One night
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Instantaneous

This incantation kills the caster and sends his or her soul into the prepared phylactery. Three
days later, the caster rises again with the lich template applied. This ritual turns the caster
into a neonate; further rituals are necessary to progress to a higher rank.

Failure: Death to the caster. He or she may not be resurrected save by a greater god with the
Life and Death SDA. (The Gift of Life SDA alone is insufficient).
Material Component: Transformation potion. This must be created by the aspirant himself and
requires the spells finger of death or slay living and create greater undead, the Brew Potion
feat, and the expenditure of 20,000 gp and 800 xp.
Focus: Phylactery. This must be created by the aspirant himself and requires the spells astral
projection and magic jar or soul bind, the Craft Wondrous Items feat and the expenditure of
100,000 gp and 4,000 xp.
Backlash: In addition to the temporary death of the caster, the newly created lich is nauseated
(despite the usual undead immunity) for a week after the transformation.

Ritual of Transcendence
Necromancy
Effective level: 9th
Skill Check: Craft (alchemy) DC (20 + 10*new rank), 3 successes, Knowledge (arcana) DC
(20 + 10*new rank), 3 successes, Knowledge (religion) DC (20 + 10*new rank), 3 successes
Failure: Double backlash damage
Components: V, S, F, B, XP
Casting Time: One night
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Instantaneous

This incantation may only be cast during a rare astronomical event that occurs only once
every 169 years. The caster must cast this spell under an open sky and as high above sea
level as possible. For every 100 feet beneath 5000 feet above sea level, the caster takes a -1
penalty to the skill checks involved in casting the incantation. If the incantation is successful,
the caster rises one rank, from neonate to alumnus or alumnus to magister, for example.

Focus: Phylactery.
Backlash: (10*new rank) d6 damage. This wave of power also destroys all items the lich may
be carrying or wearing, save his phylactery. He does not benefit from such items when making
the skill checks.
XP: 10,000*new rank

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Lich Salient Abilities

Arcane Shield (Su)
The lich has learned to create a field of arcane force that protects it from attacks.
Prerequisites: Archlich or greater.
Benefit: The lich can expend a spell slot to create a barrier that absorbs incoming attacks.
The barrier can absorb up to (spell slot used * rank * charisma modifier) hit points of damage
before it collapses. It is similar to a divine shield; however, it does not stop a divine blast, and
cannot be adjusted to ignore damage that the lich is immune to. It is a move equivalent action
for a lich to spend a spell slot to activate an arcane shield.

Agonizing Gaze (Su)

The lich's mere gaze can harm people.
Prerequisites: Alumnus or greater.
Benefit: The lich may deal damage with gaze attack equal to the damage from its touch
attack.

Bolt of the Damned (Su)

After centuries of research on the negative material plane, the lich has gained mastery over
the very substance of undeath. He can reverse living forces into negative forces.
Prerequisites: Archlich, Spell Focus (Necromancy).
Benefit: 1/day per rank, the lich can suck in positive energy in an area 1 ft. /caster level
around it. Any living creature in the area will suffer 1d8 points of damage per the lich's caster
level, with a Fortitude save for half damage. Undead are not affected. The lich can then
reverse the positive energy to create a bolt of negative energy (100 + 5ft. /caster level feet
long) for damage equal to the amount of damaged inflicted. Any living creature that dies from
the energy drain or the bolt will rise as a zombie the next round.

Coldfire (Su)
The lich controls the dark power of coldfire.
Prerequisites: Alumnus or greater.
Benefit: The lich's touch attack deals 3d6 points of cold damage in addition to its normal
damage. Any fire or cold damage the lich deals to living targets is treated as either fire or
cold, whichever the target is more vulnerable to.

Dark Arcana (Ex)

The lich holds secrets of necromancy beyond the ken of mortals.
Prerequisites: Magister or greater, 20th level wizard specialized in Necromancy, Epic Spell
Focus (Necromancy), Greater Spell Focus (Necromancy), Spell Focus (Necromancy).
Benefit: The lich can “lose” any prepared spell in order to cast any necromancy spell of the
same spell level or lower at will. It gains the ability to use animate dead at will as a spell like
ability.

Deadly Gaze (Su)

The lich's eyes carry death.
Prerequisites: Lich lord or greater, Agonizing Gaze, Deadly Touch, Paralyzing Gaze,
Paralyzing Touch,
Benefit: The lich's gaze attack causes death just like its touch, with the same Fortitude save
to avoid its effects.

Deadly Touch (Su)

The lich's touch is death,
Prerequisites: Magister or greater, Paralyzing Touch,
Benefit: Any living creature a lich hits with its touch attack must succeed on a Fortitude save
or die. This replaces the effects of Paralyzing Touch.

Fast Healing (Su)

The lich heals exceptionally quickly,
Benefit: The lich receives fast healing equal to 5x its rank. This is doubled if the lich is within
100 feet x its rank of its phylactery.

Fear Aura (Su)

The lich is shrouded in a dreadful aura of death and evil.
Benefit: Creatures of less than 5 HD in a 60-foot radius that look at the lich must succeed on
a Will save or be affected as though by a fear spell from a sorcerer of the lich’s level. A
creature that successfully saves cannot be affected again by the same lich’s aura for 24 hours.

Forbidden Lore (Ex)

The lich knows of things long forgotten - even some things perhaps better forgotten.
Benefit: The lich may make a special forbidden lore check with a bonus equal to his caster
level + his Intelligence modifier to see whether he knows some relevant information about
necromancers, undead creatures, legendary items or unholy places. If the lich has 5 or more
ranks in Knowledge (religion), he gains a +2 bonus on this check (increasing to a +4 bonus
with 25 ranks, +6 with 45, and so on).
A successful forbidden lore check will not reveal the powers of a magic item but may give a
hint as to its general function. The lich may not take 10 or take 20 on this check; this sort of
knowledge is essentially random.

DC Type of Knowledge
10 How to distinguish between a zombie and a ghoul.
20 The life and unlife of a powerful or legendary undead creature.
30 The powers of an obscure type of undead, such as a deathbringer or famine spirit.

A lich may also find out the True Name of a particularly noteworthy undead creature; this
require a check against a DC of 10 + twice the being's HD.

Greater Coldfire (Su)

The lich may produce coldfire by converting spells into pure necromantic power.
Prerequisites: Lich lord or greater, Coldfire.
Benefit: The lich gains the ability to change arcane spell energy into coldfire, manifesting it as
a bolt of raw negative energy. The bolt is a ranged touch attack with long range (400 feet +
40 feet/rank) that deals 1d12 points of negative energy damage per rank plus 1d12 points of
cold (or fire) damage per level of the spell used to create the effect.

Improved Command (Ex)

The lich may control more undead than normal.
Prerequisites: Rebuke/Command Undead
Benefit: When determining the type of undead that are controlled rather than rebuked, the
lich counts as if it were 5 levels x its rank higher. It still performs the turning check as normal,
using its actual HD. For instance, a 30th level lich lord without this power would be able to
command 15 HD of undead. With this power, he can command undead up to 25 HD. (1/2 of
30+ (4x5)). He still turns undead as a 30th level cleric.

Improved Fear Aura (Su)

The lich's presence is terrifying.
Prerequisites: Magister or greater, Fear Aura.
Benefit: The lich's fear aura affects all creatures with less HD than the lich's caster level.

Malevolence (Su)
The lich’s true form is an incorporeal spirit of fiery black energy.
Benefit: A malfunction in the transformation ritual has perverted the lich’s undead existence.
His phylactery and body were both destroyed and he exists as an incorporeal being of negative
energy.

The lich must possess a living being to continue to survive. Once per round it can attempt to
possess a living humanoid creature. This ability is similar to a magic jar spell. (caster level of
the lich's hit dice), except that it does not require a receptacle and the creature can inhabit
the host body indefinitely. To use this ability the lich moves into he target's space, which does
not provoke attacks or opportunity. The target can resist with a successful Will save (DC
15+lichs charisma modifier)/ A creature that successfully saves is immune to that same liches
possession for 24 hours. If the save fails, the creature dies, its spirit leaves its body, and the
lich's spirit animates the body as per the magic jar spell. Creatures slain in this manner can
only be brought back with a miracle or wish/

A possessed body ages at three times the normal rate. If the host dies due to age, is reduced
to 0 hit points, or the lich gains a level, the lich is forced out of the host. (which causes the
body to combust) and must possess a new body within 1 hour or be destroyed.

Any other circumstances that force the lich out of its host render the host useless and force
the lich to seek out a new one.

While incorporeal the lich is vulnerable to dispel evil; instead of driving the lich to another
plane it destroys it if it fails its resistance check and saving throw against the caster's touch
attack.

Nether Arcana (Ex)

The lich's mastery of necromancy is the stuff of legends - and nightmares.
Prerequisites: Lich lord or greater, 24th level wizard specialized in Necromancy, Dark
Arcana, Epic Spell Focus (Necromancy), Greater Spell Focus (Necromancy), Spell Focus
(Necromancy).
Benefit: The lich adds its rank to the save DCs of all necromancy spells it casts. This stacks
with the bonus from Epic Spell Focus. It gains the ability to use create undead at will as a
spell-like ability.

Rebuke Undead (Su)

The lich may control undead without needing to use spells.
Benefit: The lich may rebuke or command undead as an evil cleric of a level equal to its
spellcaster level.

Paralyzing Gaze (Su)

The lich's gaze carries the same paralysis as its touch.
Prerequisites: Magister or greater, Agonizing Gaze, Paralyzing Touch.
Benefit: The lich's gaze attack causes paralysis just like its touch, with the same Fortitude
save to avoid its effects.

Paralyzing Touch (Su)

The lich's very touch causes paralysis.
Benefit: Any living creature a lich hits with its touch attack must succeed on a Fortitude save
or be permanently paralyzed. Remove paralysis or any spell that can remove a curse can free
the victim (see the bestow curse spell description).
The effect cannot be dispelled. Anyone paralyzed by a lich seems dead, though a DC 20 Spot
check or a DC 15 Heal check reveals that the victim is still alive.

Spell Resistance (Su)

The lich is supernaturally resistant to spells.
Prerequisites: Magister or greater.
Benefit: The lich gains Spell Resistance equal to 13 + its caster level.

Turn Immunity (Ex)

The lich is immune to the divine control of clerics.
Prerequisites: Magister or greater.
Benefit: The lich can not be rebuked, turned, controlled or destroyed by clerical turning.

Undead Mastery (Ex)

The lich may control an almost legendary number of undead.
Prerequisites: Rebuke/Command Undead, Lich Lord.
Benefit: The number of undead that can be controlled is now equal to 2 x level x rank. This
does not stack with the epic feat of the same name.

Vile Arcana (Ex)

No living or undead creature can match the lich's mastery of necromancy.
Prerequisites: Archlich or greater, 28th level wizard specialized in Necromancy, Dark Arcana,
Nether Arcana, Epic Spell Focus (Necromancy), Greater Spell Focus (Necromancy), Spell Focus
(Necromancy).
Benefit: The lich adds its Charisma modifier to its spellcaster level and spell DCs when casting
Necromancy spells. This stacks with both the Epic Spell Focus feat and with the Nether Arcana
salient ability. It gains the ability to use create greater undead at will as a spell like ability.