Fire burn and cauldron bubble.
Fillet of a fenny snake,
In the cauldron boil and bake.
Eye of newt, and toe of frog,
Wool of bat, and tongue of dog,
Adder's fork, and blind-worms sting,
Lizard's leg, and howlet's wing,
For a charm of powerful trouble,
Like a hell-broth boil and bubble.
Drouble, double toil and trouble;
Fire burn and cauldron bubble.
- William Shakespeare
Macbeth
Lich Magic
The lich is an undead thing.
Its body is a twisted
mockery of what it was in
life, and its very spirit is
something that can even
change bodies, having nothing of
worth to call its own except its hard,
heartless receptacle, the phylactery.
The lich's life is an alien form of
existence, one against which every
mortal heart should naturally rebel.
One thing, and one thing alone, drives a mage to accept this state. One thing persuades a living person to consign himself to an eternally torturous existence: magic. Magic lures the lich, and magic is the fruit it eats. Worst of all, the appetite of the lich for magic is insatiable.
"Mages aspire to greatness through their magic. Some seek personal fame and fortune, or perhaps greater understanding of the unseen world around us. Others seek positions with royalty as advisors, enforcers, or even war wizards.
"Then there are others who seek to gain even greater stature. 'Stature'as they would see it, 'inescapable doom' as we would view it. For these mages seek to become the ultimate wielders of magical power - they seek to become liches.
"It means great power, yes, but it also signifies eternal damnation as a walking corpse. The lich is cursed to Hue forever in torment, with brittle skin, rotten flesh, and crumbling bones that serve as a vessel for a spirit bereft of the passions and concerns it had when it was a living thing.
"Nothing can save the lich - there is nothing it can ever do to repent or avoid the consequences of its power-hungry fever All liches are doomed not to die, but to live forever in a hell of their own creation!"
The most common magical discipline for a lich is, unsurprisingly, necromancy -"death magic". Spells that deal with death are as much a part of the lich's existence as water is to a fish.
I am a scholar and a doctor, not a mage. Therefore, I cannot convey the whole picture where necromantic spells are concerned. I fear that all I can provide to you is a mere outsider's sampling of what evil lurks within the school of the necromantic arts. However, I have been able to enlist the assistance of a few mages who are sympathetic to my cause of alerting the unsuspecting to the dangers of lichdom, and who would further educate those who wish to oppose the lich's influences. What follows is a compilation of several discussions held in secret rooms, away from prying ears, and information from texts that more than one person risked his life to provide.
Great evil thrives here, in this land of mine, and it flourishes even as you read this. Take this information and use it to fight the lich at every opportunity!
I turned the comer and came upon a figure leaning over one of our crystal balls. It surprised me, as the library was closed for the night in celebration of a local festival. Even though I approached the figure from behind, it sat up abruptly; I must have made some noise to alert it to my presence. I called to it, as I did not recognize the person as any ofmy students.
What turned in answer nearly frightened me to death. It was wearing a fine cloak, though a bit old, so I was completely unprepared for the dry, tight skin, and the empty black eye sockets which seemed to draw in the darkness around them, except for two crimson points of light that served as eyes. I recognized it immediately as a lich and raised my hands to cast a warding spell. However, it employed some device and faded from view before I could complete my incantation, most likely returning from whence it came.
I inspected the crystal ball upon which the lich had been gazing and noticed that several modifications had been made to it, particularly on the enchanted lattice of the base that supported the ball. I then attempted to use the ball, but was unable to do so. We have since studied the ball and its base thoroughly, but we cannot discern the true extent or purpose of the lich's work.
A lich performs in all respects as a specialist wizard of the school of Necromancy, with the following exceptions: It suffers no penalties when learning spells from other scholls, and it is not prohibited from employing spells of the opposite school (Illusion/Phantasm). On the contrary, a lich is quite adept at casting illusory magic.
As much as the lich might desire it, the undead wizard is unable to learn the secrets of magic by any quick method, except for certain highly dangerous rituals that, even if successfully realized, might not reveal the specific secrets desired. Just as living mages do, the lich must undertake extensive and far-reaching studies into rare, usually unique texts in order to learn more of the mystic arts.
I have postulated that the lich perpetuates its existence solely for the purpose of augmenting its magical prowess. It comes as no surprise, then, that it must continually develop its arcane abilities in order to survive. Hence, research is more than an intellectual pursuit; learning is life itself to the lich. Without study, the lich is unable to survive, let alone reach its potential. There is not a single lich in existence that is not seeking some crucial text with answers for which mortals do not even know the questions.
The previous passage, from the journal of Mirinalithiar, relates one method of acquiring knowledge that liches occasionally use. At times, even the most extensively appointed lich must visit public or semiprivate collections of writings, such as those of a college library or nobleman's book pile. In such cases, the lich will (as surreptitiously as possible) use its magic to enter the place where the articles are kept. This generally means coming during the night or otherwise when the lich is certain to be alone. The lich will very rarely, if ever, damage or remove those articles of research, so the owners are not often aware that there has been any tampering or covert use of their facilities.
On the other hand, a lich that operates in an environment where no opposition exists will not hesitate to take what it desires, additionally destroying as many magical artifacts, tomes, and sources of information as possible to keep others ignorant of the ways of magic.
No doubt the perceptive reader has already discerned the importance of this information. In either case, the lich is compelled for its own sake to visit repositories of arcane knowledge. When seeking to destroy a lich, the hunter is much safer if he never enters the lair of his prey. Better by far is it to lure the quarry into a trap. All one needs is the right bait.
Seek the lich in places of learning, when mortals have gone for the night. Place the rarest of tomes in a defensible position and prepare your deadliest traps. Let fly the rumor of strange and powerful texts, and wait in ambush with all the might you can muster. With a stroke of luck, the prey may come to you!
When considering specific subjects the lich is most likely to study, we must first consider what a particular lich desires most from magic. For example, the lich's proficiency in necromantic magic may be directly attributable to the fact that the lich is (technically) dead. Its unliving existence provides a powerful incentive to master the ways of death and to manipulate all things deadly. Of course, Necromancy is among the most potent schools of magic, and that is quite appealing to the lich as well.
Potency is the key, I think. The mage of doom has embraced an unnatural existence for the sake of power; perhaps it has also accepted living death in order to practice magic so powerful that it would kill any mortal mage. Such was the quality of magic to which Harmon Ruscheider, whom I introduced in Chapter One, was a witness. I cannot say whether he came to the same conclusion as I - that the lich that destroyed itself by accident was practicing a rite that ultimately annihilated it. If such magic is not imperative to the monster's well being, it must at least be irresistible to its psychology.
The account below, dictated to me by Dr. Ruscheider in a lucid moment on that last night of his nightmarish life, illustrates my point.
"I was transported, in my cage, to a point where I might look upon the lich's activities from a great distance, using a magical device it had given me for this express purpose.
"As I viewed the lich through the device, which somehow afforded me the ability to hear what watched as well, it called out unusual words and gesticulated in a most harsh, abrupt manner, working its way from point to point around a circle of bones. This continued for some time-perhaps three or four hours-when suddenly the sky above the lich blazed with light. A large patch of the sky about the same dimension as the lich's circle of bones became agitated and illuminated in its own magical tempest. The chaos mounted with alarming speed while the lich stepped to the center of the circle.
"Just as suddenly, the lich raised its arms toward the sky and was immediately struck by a tremendous bolt of lightning whose accompanying thunder deafened me to my own scream! I had the luck to have blinked just as the flash exploded over the mountain peaks, else I would have been blinded permanently. Even as the light-burst penetrated my eyelids and forced me to drop the spy-piece to clutch at my face, a wave of heat washed over my body and threw me against the back of my cage. Mercifully, I fled consciousness.
"Only the gods know how much head I came to a groggy awareness. It was almost dawn, and a wound on my head was bleeding in a slow trickle, fortunately slowed because of the alpine cold. After a brie f self-search for broken bones and other injuries, I was able to retrieve the seeing device and look for my captor.
"I discovered that the lich had been forced into a shapeless heap upon the ground. The circle of bones was gone, as was a good part of the mountain peak and everything upon it. I was sure the lich had gone too far and obliterated itself, and I rejoiced.
"Then, to my lasting horror, the lich arose! Its back was to me, but I could clearly make out the brilliancy of its eyes, bathing the entire peak in a bloodred wash of light.
"It turned toward me slowly, as if it were not quite sure of its footing after such an explosive experience. Perhaps I was fooling myself, but the monster seemed to be as exhausted as it was invigorated. Had I not felt another wave of power when it looked upon me - a wave as intense as that which had assaulted me previously - I would have been certain that the lich would expire upon the spot.
"I know not how it could see me at that extreme distance, but when its head was toward me it raised its death-cloaked hand in my direction and smiled with a gruesome, vainglorious grin. "
Ruscheider's story suggests that there are occasions when a lich needs to channel a great deal of power through its body, for a significant spell or ritual. To address this issue, I have coined the phrase power ritual. I am given to understand that a living mage's only option for gaining additional power from an outside source is to employ magical devices designed to amplify specific spells or energies. However, a lich apparently is able to draw upon unknown energy sources, perhaps from the Negative Material Plane itself, to amplify its powers.
If the lich's remarks to Ruscheider following that exhibition are to be trusted, the power ritual is one that requires only components that are used in common rituals and alchemical projects. What is important is the time and location of the ritual. The lich must find a place that is high above the ground - the higher, the better, at a location that (ideally) was once used for worship. This place must also have relatively smooth ground covered with vegetation. The best site has been blessed or cursed by a priest at one time in the past. The current use of the land is not important, although I'm sure that a lich would take great delight in destroying a religious structure to clear an area for the ritual.
Once the lich has secured an appropriate area, it rings the ground with bones that serve as some sort of circle of power. This circle must be in place for a fortnight. During this time, the lich casts an assortment of spells each day and night when the moon reaches its apex, as it waxes from new to full phase. This apparently prepares the ritual area for the influx of power and serves to harness the power of the blessing or curse that permeates the site.
If the ritual is performed during a key astronomical event, the resulting power surge is spectacular. Ruscheider's captor referred specifically to an event that I have never witnessed: a point when thr light of the moon is blotted from the sky and the moon itself becomes an eerie, dim, orange ball. The event is called a lunar eclipse, and it produces - or releases - certain mystical energies that apparently generate a particularly powerful surge.
After the ritual is performed, the lich is infused with staggering amounts of power. Fortunately for us mortals, the power begins to deplete instantly - a lich cannot store this power once it accepts it. This power can be used for a variety of tasks, including the casting of spells and rites. Ruscheider's keeper told him that it could immediately cast far-reaching spells to whisk it away to planes, dimensions, and worlds so far away and fantastic that few mortals can even conceive of such bizarre, eldritch places. Several mages I consulted have suggested that such a ritual might also result in temporary physical invulnerability, keenly raised awareness to the point of godlike omniscience, and the ability to carry more spells than a wizard could cast, back to back, in an entire day! Those same mages were quick to point out the dangers of such a ritual. An extended period of unconsciousness was the least of the dire possibilities.
Planar travel, apparently, was the intent of Ruscheider's jailer, but he believed that the attempts were completely unsuccessful. The lich left the doctor in his cell to perform these feats, only to return shortly and, in a tantrum, torment him to the brink of insanity.
One month later, the lich repeated ita power ritual, again allowing Ruscheider to watch, and achieved an even greater reaction from the elements. Prepared for the firestorm this time, Ruscheider lay low until the blast had passed over him. When the smoke cleared from the peak, no trace of the lich remained. Shortly thereafter, the prisoner escaped his cage, which had been damaged by the blast, and made his way to my doorstep.
Did the lich achieve its objective? I think not; at least not in the sense that it expected. I am confident that the monster blew itself to dusty particles. So much the better for us all!
Dungeon Masters are encouraged to create their own power rituals for liches. Here are some guidelines.Optimum results of a power ritual occur at altitudes exceeding 5,000 feet. For every 1,000 feet below 5,000 (beginning at 4,999 feet), the possibility of any effects occurring - positive or negative - is reduced by 25%. (The ritual is ineffective at 1,999 feet or less.)
The Ravenloft environment often twists and negates the power of spells and magical items. Lich magic, no matter how powerful, cannot overcome this.
The circle of bones is vital to the success of the ritual. It defines the area in which the power is encapsulated and concentrated. The circle must be exactly 100 feet in diameter. Every living thing within the boundaries will be absorbed when the ritual is completed (no saving throws allowed). If there is the slightest error in the lich's measurements, the resulting explosion inflicts 20dl0 points of damage upon everything within a 1-mile radius of the circle (save vs. spell for half damage).
Eight spells must be cast in rapid succession each night, one at each of the eight compass points in the circle of bones, beginning when the moon reaches its apex in the sky. (In realms there no moon exists, the ritual must begin at the exact same time each might.) This ritual begins when the moon is new and continues until it reaches full phase, including the first two nights of the full moon, for sixteen ritual castings. Each night the castings begin at the next compass point from whence the ritual began the night before, resulting in two castings of each spell at each point over the sixteen rituals. Failure to strictly where to the ritual results in a 25% chance of a power ritual malfunction and the explosion described above. The spells to be cast are: wind wall, contact other plane, distance distortion, guard and wards, legend lore, wildzone (Tome of Magic), binding, wish, and stabilize (Tome of Magic). On the third night of the full moon, the lich stands at the center of the circle, casts chain contingency and wildfire (both from Tome of Magic), and the power ritual is initiated.
When a lich completes a power ritual, the Dungeon Master should roll the percentile dice. There is a base 75% chance (modified as above) that the ritual has been a complete success, and the lich (the Dungeon Master) chooses one of the enhancements suggested below, or the Dungeon Master is free to create a different one. Bear in mind that the lich is already an extremely powerful creature, and that excessively potent powers may put it beyond the scope of most parties.
Titanic Power Increase: The lich is granted an influx of power that will persist for a period of 1d20 hours. During that time, any spells cast by the lich will have triple the normal effect. This includes range, duration, damage, and area of effect where applicable.
Personal Mystical Shield: The lich acquires a mystical, invisible aura that completely protects it from all physical harm for 1d20 days. The lich cannot be physically touched by any object, magical or nonmagical, while the aura exists. Exceptions are weapons with bonuses vs. undead, weapons with bonuses vs. enchanted creatures, and weapons with a +4 or greater magical bonus.
Accelerated Learning: The lich's capacity to conduct research is greatly multiplied, enabling it to study arcane texts without a break over a period of one month and gain sufficient experience to raise it to the next Hit Die or level. During the month of study, the lich cannot be interrupted for more than one turn, cumulative, or the attempt is wasted.
Spell Knowledge: The lich is permanently able to instantly learn any spell that it finds, then scribe it into its spell book without the need of casting a spell. In effect, the lich develops a photographic magical memory. The new spells are not magically put into the lich's mind; it must first amass the proper information from other texts, then scribe the spells.
If the result of the percentile roll indicates failure for the power ritual, the ritual has broken down. In this case, the Dungeon Master can roll on the table below or make up a different failed ritual effect.
Table 2: Power Ritual Failure Results
1d10 Ritual Effect 1-3 Coma 4-5 Power depletion 6-7 Extended weakness 8-9 Death 10 Complete disintegration Coma: The lich falls into a coma, on the site of the power ritual, that lasts for 1d20 days. Once the coma passes, the lich suffers no ill effects.
Power Depletion: For 1d20 days, all activities the lich undertakes are less effective, determined by rolling percentile dice and assigning the resulting chance to spellcasting and all other actions. Furthermore, all physical and mental abilities (Armor Class, Hit Dice, morale, and the like) temporarily function at the percentage level of the roll. Psionic talents are unusable during this period as well.
Extended Weakness: The lich cannot employ any spell higher than 6th level for 1d20 days. Furthermore, the lich always moves last in combat and can attack only during every other round. Finally, it can regain hit points only through magical means.
Death: The lich dies, and its life essence returns to its phylactery.
Complete Disintegration: The lich is disintegrated and its phylactery shatters. This is a permanent state from which the lich can never recover. The body of the lich is reduced to fine powder that is extremely flammable (functions as smoke powder).
A lich corrupts spells that living mages use for less nefarious purposes. I am told it is possible for a mage to study necromancy or, at the minimum, learn a handful of spells from that school without subscribing to evil temptation, for some of these spells are not in themselves instruments of torment or evil. A lich, however, takes spells that by their nature are fairly benign, then imparts its own tormented psychology upon them, warping the effects to produce black incantations that no one should utter! Through means I thoroughly do not understand, the lich most often expands upon existing frameworks to achieve desired effects, rather than Grafting spells of its own. A majority of its time, then, must be spent in researching preexisting magical lore. This does not deny the lich access to a certain twisted creativity. I personally have disposed of a number of trinkets created by a few liches - items of terrible power and dire consequences, such as rings that steal memories or false body parts that graft themselves to unwary finders, forever altering and disfiguring them. A lich has a private collection of magical items that product as many effects as there are stars. Should any such bauble fall into the hands of the reader, he would be wise to destroy it immediately, regardless of the powers it may offer!
A complete list of lich-enhanced spells and their descriptions is in the Dungeon Master Appendix at the end of this section. Also included are a number of new spells and items created especially for the lich in the Ravenloft campaign. If the Dungeon Master can create specialty items specific to a lich or campaign, so much the better, but heroes should not be allowed to acquire and keep them in general.
