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. Liches 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: Liches have a +8 racial bonus on Hide, Listen, Move Silently, Search, Sense Motive, and Spot checks.
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 saliant abilities.
Alumnus; +6 Int, +2 Wis, +2 Cha. DR 15/magic and bludgeoning. 4 saliant abilities.
Magister; +8 Int, +4 Wis, +4 Cha. DR 20/magic and bludgeoning. 6 saliant abilities.
Lich Lord; +10 Int, +4 Wis, +4 Cha. DR 20/epic and bludgeoning. 8 saliant abilities.
Archlich; +12 Int, +6 Wis, +6 Cha. DR 25/epic and bludgeoning. 10 saliant abilities.
Eternal; +14 Int, +6 Wis, +6 Cha. DR 25/epic, bludgeoning and good. 12 saliant abilities.
Ritual of Transformation
Necromancy
Effective level: 9th
Skill Check: Craft (alchemy) DC 30, 3 successes, Knowledge (arcana) DC 30, 3 successes, Knowledge (religon) 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 Item 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 Transcendance
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