The lich is an undead creature found in the Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) fantasy role-playing game. Liches are spellcasters who seek to defy death by magical means.
The term derives from lich, an archaic term for a corpse. Dungeons & Dragons co-creator Gary Gygax stated that he based the description of a lich included in the game on the short story "The Sword of the Sorcerer" (1969) by Gardner Fox.
Publication history The lich was one of the earliest creatures introduced in the Dungeons & Dragons game.
Dungeons & Dragons (1974–1976) For the original D&D rule set, the lich was introduced in its first supplement, Greyhawk (1975).Gygax, Gary and Robert Kuntz. Supplement I: Greyhawk (TSR, 1975) It is described simply as a skeletal monster that was formerly a magic-user or a magic-user/cleric in life and retains those abilities, able to send lower-level characters fleeing in fear.
The lich's interaction with the Psionics rules and the iconic lich Vecna were described in Supplement III: Eldritch Wizardry (1976). Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 1st edition (1977–1988) In AD&D 1st edition, the lich appears in the first edition Monster Manual (1977),Gygax, Gary. Monster Manual (TSR, 1977) where it is given more detailed description; including a brief, cryptic note of having reached "a non-human, non-living existence through force of will. It retains this status by certain conjurations, enchantments, and a phylactery." The nature and function of this phylactery was not explained, though the word exists in the real world, where phylactery has several meanings, including a box of Jewish prayer verses or Christian relics.
Len Lakofka's article "Blueprint for a Lich," in Dragon #26 (1979), describes a formula for transforming a spellcaster into a lich. This introduced the idea that the Lich stored its soul in a "jar", although the word phylactery was not used.Lakofka, Len. "Blueprint for a Lich". Dragon #26 (TSR, 1979).
Another form of lich, the demilich, was introduced in Tomb of Horrors (1978) and later appeared in The Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth (1982)Gygax, Gary. The Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth (TSR, 1982). and then Monster Manual II (1983).Gygax, Gary. Monster Manual II (TSR, 1983).
Endless Quest gamebook Lair of the Lich (1985) combines this phylactery and soul jar concept.
Detailed description of a Potion of Lichdom used to create liches was given in Lords of Darkness (1988). Though similar to the description in "Blueprint For a Lich", this version is described as preparing a "magical phylactery" rather than simply a "jar".Encyclopedia Magica Volume III (TSR 1995).
Dungeons & Dragons (1977–1989) The D&D Basic Set included its own version of the lich, in the D&D Master Rules (1985), in the "Master DM's Book". This version has no mention of a device such as a phylactery, but can be a cleric.Gygax, Gary, Frank Mentzer. Dungeons & Dragons Set 4: Master Rules (TSR, 1985) This entry was duplicated in the D&D Rules Cyclopedia (1991).Allston, Aaron, Steven E. Schend, Jon Pickens, and Dori Watry. Dungeons & Dragons Rules Cyclopedia (TSR, 1991)
Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 2nd edition (1989–1999) In AD&D 2nd edition, the lich and the demilich appear first in the Monstrous Compendium Volume One (1989), and are reprinted in the Monstrous Manual (1993). This version is explicitly described as storing its "life force" in a "phylactery".Cook, David, et al. Monstrous Compendium Volume One (TSR, 1989)Stewart, Doug, ed. Monstrous Manual (TSR, 1993)
The Spelljammer campaign setting accessory Lost Ships (1990) introduced the archlich,Greenwood, Ed. Lost Ships (TSR, 1990) which also later appeared in the Monstrous Manual. The master lich appeared in Legend of Spelljammer (1991). A creature called the firelich is introduced in the 2nd Spelljammer Monstrous Compendium appendix (MC9).
The psionic lich for the Ravenloft campaign setting first appeared in Dragon #174 (October 1991), and then appeared in Van Richten's Guide to the Lich (1993), Ravenloft Monstrous Compendium Appendix III: Creatures of Darkness (1994), Monstrous Compendium Annual One (1994),Wise, David, ed. Monstrous Compendium Annual Volume One (TSR, 1994) and Van Richten's Monster Hunter's Compendium (1999). Several other lich variants were also introduced in the Ravenloft Monstrous Compendium Appendix III, including the defiler lich and demi-defiler lich, the drow lich (and the drow demilich, the drider lich, the drow priestess lich, and the drow wizard lich), and the elemental lich and demi-elemental lich.
The dracolich, a dragon lich, first appeared in the Monstrous Manual (1993).Stewart, Doug, ed. Monstrous Manual (TSR, 1993)
The baelnorn, an elven lich of good alignment, was introduced in The Ruins of Myth Drannor (1993), and then appeared in Monstrous Compendium Annual Volume One (1994), and Cormanthyr: Empire of Elves (1998). The banelich, a version of the lich created by the god Bane in the Forgotten Realms campaign setting, first appear in the Ruins of Zhentil Keep boxed set (in the Monstrous Compendium booklet) in 1995, and then appears in the Monstrous Compendium Annual Volume Three (1996).Pickens, Jon, ed. Monstrous Compendium Annual Volume Three (TSR, 1996)
The Suel lich for the Greyhawk campaign setting was introduced in Polyhedron #101 (November 1994), and then appeared in Monstrous Compendium Annual Volume Two (1995).
A description of Potion of the Dracolich used to create Dracoliches was given in the Forgotten Realms Monstrous Compendium Appendix (1991). It was reprinted alongside the Potion of Lichdom in Encyclopedia Magica Volume III (1995).
The inheritor lich for the Red Steel campaign setting first appeared in Red Steel Savage Baronies (1995), and then in the Savage Coast Monstrous Compendium (1996).
Dungeons & Dragons 3rd edition (2000–2002) In D&D 3rd edition, the lich appears in the Monster Manual as a template. This version describes the lich's phylactery as resembling a Jewish tefillin but notes it can also be a ring, amulet etc.Cook, Monte, Jonathan Tweet, and Skip Williams. Monster Manual (Wizards of the Coast, 2000)
The banelich, as well as the good liches, the archlich and the baelnorn, appeared in Monsters of Faerun (2000).Wyatt, James, and Rob Heinsoo. Monstrous Compendium: Monsters of Faerun (Wizards of the Coast, 2001)
The demilich appeared again in the Epic Level Handbook (2002).
Dungeons & Dragons version 3.5 (2003–2007) In D&D version 3.5, the 3.0 entry for the lich is duplicated in the revised Monster Manual (2003).
The good lich and the lichfiend appeared in Libris Mortis: The Book of Undead (2004).Collins, Andy, and Bruce R. Cordell. Libris Mortis: The Book of Undead (Wizards of the Coast, 2004) The lichfiend also appeared in Dungeon #116 (November 2004), as part of The Shackled City Adventure Path.
The dry lich was introduced in Sandstorm: Mastering the Perils of Fire and Sand (2005).Cordell, Bruce, Jennifer Clarke-Wilkes, and J.D. Wiker. Sandstorm (Wizards of the Coast, 2005)
The Suel lich returned in the "Campaign Classics" feature in Dragon #339 (January 2006).
Dungeons & Dragons 4th edition (2008–2014) In D&D 4th edition, the lich appears in the Monster Manual (2008). This version describes the phylactery in similar terms to the 3e version, but without describing it as being wearable. A ritual is given which allows players to become liches. It also outlines the lich vestige, a weakened, ghostly lich that cannot re-form.Mearls, Mike, Stephen Schubert, and James Wyatt. Monster Manual (Wizards of the Coast, 2008) The lich also appears as a template in the Dungeon Masters Guide (2008).James Wyatt, Dungeon Master's Guide (Wizards of the Coast, 2008)
Rules in 4th edition allow a player to opt to become an arch-lich via an epic destiny found in Arcane Power.
Dungeons & Dragons 5th edition (2014–) In D&D 5th edition, the lich appears in the Monster Manual (2014). This version of the lich is said to store its soul in a phylactery (every one of which is unique) which it feeds captured souls to sustain itself. The demilich and dracolich also appear.Perkins, Christopher, Mike Mearls, and Jeremy Crawford. Monster Manual (Wizards of the Coast, 2014)
Description
A mage becomes a lich by means of necromancy, using a magical receptacle called a phylactery to store the lich's soul. A lich is emaciated in appearance. In some sources the method of becoming a lich is referred to as the Ritual of Becoming or Ceremony of Endless Night. The process is often described as requiring the subject to create and consume a deadly potion, the Elixir of Defilation, which is to be drunk on a full moon; although the exact details of the potion are described differently in various sources, the creation of the potion almost universally entails acts of utter evil, such as using as an ingredient the blood of an infant slain by the potential lich's own hand, or other, similarly vile components. The potion invariably kills the drinker but if the process is successful it rises again some days later as an undead Lich. Occasionally, this metamorphosis occurs by accident as a result of life-prolonging magic.
Unlike most other forms of undead creatures, the Lich retains all of the memories, personality, and abilities that it possessed in life — but it has a virtual eternity to hone its skills and inevitably becomes very powerful. Like other powerful forms of undead (such as a vampire or mummy), a Lich has unnatural powers owing to its state. For example, it can put mortals in a paralyzed state of hibernation with their minds, making them seem dead to others, and can, through its typically powerful magical spells, summon other lesser undead to protect it. A Lich's bones do not decay. The Lich is capable of sustaining tremendous physical damage, and is immune to disease, poison, fatigue and other effects that affect only the living. However, despite all its undead "gifts", a lich's most valuable resources are its vast intellect, its supreme mastery of sorcery and limitless time to research, plot and scheme.
Since a lich's soul is mystically tied to its phylactery, destroying its body will not kill it. Rather, its soul will return to the phylactery, and its body will be recreated by the power keeping it immortal. Thus the only way to permanently destroy a lich is to destroy the phylactery as well. Therefore, the lich will generally be extremely protective of the priceless item. The phylactery, which can be of virtually any form (the default form is a metal box filled with rune-covered papers, but it usually appears as a valuable amulet or gemstone), will often be hidden in a secret place and protected by powerful spells, charms, monsters and/or other servants; the phylactery itself is usually of magical nature, meaning its destruction will generally be no easier than obtaining it.
Alignment Depending on the method of becoming a lich, a lich can be of any alignment, retaining whatever alignment it had in life.
The D&D version 3.5 Monster Manual, a core D&D rule book, emphatically states that liches are always evil, but there are references to good liches in other manuals. Good liches are presented in Monster Compendium: Monsters of Faerûn, a supplementary rule book for the D&D 3rd edition rules. Good liches differ in that they have sought undeath for a noble cause, to protect a place, a loved one, or to pursue an important quest. In a typical D&D campaign, liches are evil, power-hungry spell casters who have cheated death.