[larsdangly]

That would be a great answer if Liches worked that in the ~500 word essay about them provided with the module. The only effect of 'lichification' on your stats is a +4 increase in IQ. There is no suggestion that liches become supernaturally strong. And, even if it were simply a result of massive accumulated XP over centuries (which would also be fine), it still implies that our lich had IQ 14 before transforming. That is the main thing to which I'm responding.

Also, I agree with your general take that the XP costs of advancement of things other than standard humanoids needed to be better laid out. E.g., how is any giant supposed to gain a single stat point when they start adult life with more than 40! It wouldn't take more than a couple hundred words of well thought out rules to clear this all up, but it will take someone on the design team to do it in a way that won't just result in a chaotic mix of divergent house rules. Maybe a hexagram article would be a good place to do this.