Spells Required to Become a Lich

[Shostak]

Having read this post, I've been thinking of lichdom. How would you go about making one? Is it alchemical? I'd think at the very least a wizard would need some kind of Soul Jar spell with which to create the phylactery as a magic item.

[Christopher R. Rice]

Originally Posted by Shostak

Having read this post, I've been thinking of lichdom. How would you go about making one? Is it alchemical? I'd think at the very least a wizard would need some kind of Soul Jar spell with which to create the phylactery as a magic item.

I originally wrote up a spell to do this, but cut it because PCs shouldn't be liches. Might throw it on the blog at some point.

[Skarg]

HCobb came up with a very clever way to do it almost RAW. He posted it on his house rules web page, but since then he's replaced it with some new version that's less RAW.

IIRC, the original version involved casting Aid then Death and then Zombie, or something, with the result of becoming one's own zombie.

GURPS 4e Magic has a Lich spell/process, but it says the GM should determine many of the details of what it means to be a Lich, and the wizard doing it usually needs to research and invent their own formula. That seems to me a wise approach over having one official version, since it gives the GM freedom to have it work how the GM wants and/or have differences in each case, and it discourages munchkinism and adds to the mystery and need to learn about it in-game rather than by players knowing all about it from reading a published real-world book.

[Christopher R. Rice]

My original spell used something like that along with powdering and drinking a powerstone and the heart of a dragon.

[Chris Rice]

Originally Posted by Christopher R. Rice

I originally wrote up a spell to do this, but cut it because PCs shouldn't be liches. Might throw it on the blog at some point.

I see no reason why PCs shouldn't be liches (or anything else they want to be). That's for the GM and Players to decide.

[Christopher R. Rice]

Originally Posted by Chris Rice

I see no reason why PCs shouldn't be liches (or anything else they want to be). That's for the GM and Players to decide.

Maybe. But I didn't feel it belonged in the adventure so I cut it. Like I said, I'll probably throw it up on my blog at some point along with the secondary plot I pulled out of it too.

[Shostak]

Originally Posted by Skarg

GURPS 4e Magic has a Lich spell/process, but it says the GM should determine many of the details of what it means to be a Lich, and the wizard doing it usually needs to research and invent their own formula.

I like the multiple paths approach. I created a thaumo-mechanical lich-like entity for my campaign.