Liches and lichdom in Mystara
by RobinLiches
Magic is required to create a Lich, allowing the Soul of the Lich-to-be to travel to Limbo where it seeks the other components of the spell to bind the
Soul back to its body. Depending on the Time of the Lich’s Soul to meet its Goals, the body may reach an advanced state of decay. There have been cases of Liches that accomplished their Quests quickly enough to prevent major deterioration of their bodies, but as long as a few bones are left, a
Lich may yet succeed in its scheme. If nothing is left of the body, the Lich can’t further its Quest and is trapped in Limbo. The Lich’s Quest often requires the destruction of a powerful denizen of Limbo. Like Wights, Liches dream and thus can travel Limbo in search of their victims to torment and secrets to gain (such as new spells or the location of an Artifact). A Lich can enter Limbo once per new Moon, and it tracks down victims much as a Wight does. The Souls of Liches have the same statistics and abilities as the original monsters, complete with magical weapons and spells (all items are only reflections of the originals). Liches prey on the Souls of Dead Wizards, preferably ancient rivals. Liches, though able to summon and control
Undead creatures, are not necessarily followers of Entropy. For this reason and because they are very powerful entities on Limbo, Liches sometimes
manage to become minions of Chaos when trapped on that Plane. Lichdom often leads to insanity—a symptom of Chaos—Although wanting to become a Lich is a clear sign of a sick, evil mind. Lichdom precludes any hope of Eternal rest. Destroying a Lich in the Prime Plane traps its Soul in Limbo; destroying its Soul in Limbo kills the creature forever.
Although most Necromancers use the same Magical powers as those of the Death Masters, they look down on users of Death Magic who do not follow their craft. Disciples of Necromancy learn to protect themselves from the Undead, as well as to control and to create them. When their experience of the world beyond improves, they gain the ability of recalling spirits to their dead bodies. The most impressive power is that of High Masters who learn the secret of Immortality itself—although a ghastly version of Immortality—by attaining Lichdom. A Necromancer doesn’t need to be in the 5th circle to become a Lich, as there do exist spells and rituals to achieve this Ghastly goal in some other way, the way of the Necromantic circle is only the most sure way
(Source; Gaz3)Fifth Circle; Attain Lichdom
The Necromancer can become a Lich of the appropriate level. The ordeal of becoming a Lich takes a day per level of experience. Once a Lich, the Necromancer remains one forever. He controls Undead as per lieges and pawns. This power replaces the Necromancer’s Control Undead ability. The Lich otherwise retains all other abilities particular to Necromancers. The Prime components of this power are a Nightwing’s sting and the skull from a Red Imp. Common people are frightened by such monsters as a Lich. If the lair of a Lich is publicly known, the population may attack the place and seek to destroy the monster, with the blessing and support of rival Mages. Once a character has become a Lich, he can’t gain any further level advancement. He may still try to attain true Immortality. There are much other Liches on the world, but there can only be a few Necromancer Liches. A 01 on a 1d100 determines the High Master’s Ultimate fate. He immediately becomes a Screaming Demon under the control of a Higher Demon. The creature gates to the Sphere of Entropy after totally wrecking the Necromancer’s tower and ravaging his dominion, if any. This also happens if he did not destroy the former Necromancer High Master and this ritual is still performed. There are several other ways for a Necromancers (or other Spellcaster) to become a Lich, amongst other a specific potion and spell combination.
(Source ; Song of the Dead Spell)The last notification of the spell was from the Compendium Imortale Magica Malifica, a book (9feet by 13 feet) made of human skin stretched across a frame and spine of human bone, with pages of vellum written with human blood. This book also contains recipes for those who want to become a Lich, be it Cleric or Mage.
Other Known Liches;
--King Haptuthep later became a lich in order to continue his struggle against the invaders. and was the inventor of the Thothian enchantment spell(source Voyage Princess Ark)
--3800BC This is not before some of Mogreth's greatest sorcerers use their powers to attain Lichdom, or build great sanctuaries underground.(source Mystara History)name unknown
--308BC:long-lost descendant of King Xenopheus. Named Gaius, he proves to the advisors that he has royal blood, and he is crowned king.274BC: Gaius completes the secret rites required to attain Lichdom.(source Mystara History)
--Hel is undoubtedly the Immortal of Death. Hel controls diseases, plagues and pestilences. Hel's abode is Niflheim where Odin hurled her and gave her power over the nine worlds. To get to her dwelling is a task indeed! 1st one must travel to the crystal and golden gate that is guarded by a 30th level Lich whose name is Modgud. This Lich requires a toll of blood before the adventurer may pass. (Source ; Immortals Northern Reaches)
--Hasaburminal The Nithian Lich. A powerful dissident prince and sorcerer of the ancient Nithian Empir, a long Dead Civilization, one which was destroyed partially by the weatherchange magic that created Alfheim (source Gaz 5 Alfheim93)
--An unnamed lich, the castle’s commander is found in Vengeance of Alphaks location 9 castle
--There are further about 5 known liches in Alphatia(and Alphatian lands, which I could not discover names (Source; Bruceheard's blog on Alphatia, DotE)-
--2 liches are mentioned to exist in Norwold as per Companion adventures. There is also one I believe in the Isle of Dawn region I believe mentioned in Talons of Night,
--unknown lich mentioned in Twilight Calling Carnifex castle
Blowing the horn affects the set-up for the Hall of the Undead later in this section. If the nuckalavee is teleported to the entrance, its place in the hall is vacant, but two other monsters are called up by the lich.
--Each dreadnought of Death holds a lich
(Source; Into the Maestrom )Force: The Dreadnoughts of Death
Battle Rating: 214 Fleet Class: Elite Av. Speed: 180'/rd Troop Class: Elite 120 Ironclads*: 200 HP each, Artillery Ram. Total Hull Points: 24,000
Undead: 12,000 (21,480 HD) Undead per ship: 50 skeletons, 20 zombies, 15 ghouls, 7 wights, 5 wraiths, 3 spectres. BR on land is 156.
Commander: lich, Leadership Factor: 60. If the fleet is divided to match the number of enemy fleets, the extra units are commanded by druj spirits, with a Leadership of 45. The training factor does not change
--A lich appears several times . but the information seems flawed. it could also be two individual liches one wich is defeated by Aurum in the ethereal Plane and one later
The Fact: The Legend of Aurum is surprisingly true to the facts of the situation. His true form was never associated with the fighter’s disappearance because the early Darokins, thankful the creature chose not to attack them, never made the association. The leader of the Malpheggian undead was a lich who possessed what she thought was a staff of wizardry Sensing defeat, she broke the staff. The item was more powerful than the lich imagined, an artifact imbued with Immortal power. The detonation, coupled with a travel spell (a side effect of the artifact), exploded Aurum and the lich into the Ethereal Plane with no way to get back.Aurum made short work of the lich after that, the explosion having done a great deal of damage to her. Severely injured himself, Aurum floated listlessly in the Ether.(source; Wrath of Olympus)
--Lothar Keltharmium. Ruler of the Bondial in the Borean Valley in North Brun (Player creation)(see my NE Brun map). a formidable neutral evil tactician, which even tricks Immortals in doing his will. player with multiple agenda's
(Source; one of the first Dragon Magazines)Lichdom
Necromantic Spell
Range; caster only
Duration ; Permanent
Effect: Special
Saving Throw: None
Casting time: 18 Hours
Component; see recipe
Liches are high level Clerics or Magic Users who have become very special Undead. Before becoming a Lich, the caster must have been at least 20th level in life, although 21st is more common. Once a Lich is created, it might drop in level, but below 10th level one can’t exists ( the Lich to be just dies and the spell is failed). Preparation for Lichdom occurs while the figure is still alive and must be prepared before his first “Death”. If he ides somewhere along the line and is resurrected, then he must start all over again. The Would-be Lich casts this spell, which is actually a combination of Magic Jar, Enchanted item, and a spell like effect called Trap the Soul. He also needs to make a special potion (recipe will follow) and something to jar into.
The Item into the Lich will “jar” is prepared by the first casting of thus spell which takes 3 hours to complete. The Item can’t be of any common variety, but must be of high quality, solid, and at least 2000 gp in value per level of experience. The item must make a saving throw as if it were the person casting the spell. A Cleric would have the spell Magic Jar cast for him, since this part of the spell is impossible to cast for Clerics, and it is the contracted Magic User’s level that would be used for the saving throw). The item can contain prior Magics, but wooden or living items are impossible. Organic items of other origin gain a bonus of +3 on their saving throw. If the item is then soul-receptive, the prepared candidate for the spell will cast the second part(or have cast) Magic Jar on it and enter the item. As soon as he enters the Jar he will lose a level—and corresponding hit points—at once. The hit points and soul are now stored in the jar. He then must return to his own body and must rest for 1d6+1 day. The ordeal is so demanding that his top three levels of spell memorized are erased and will not commune back ( through prayer or reading) until the rest period is completed. During this time the Lich-to-be can’t be analyzed by any Divination spell. The character just seems to be non existent. Fairies and creatures like them don’t even see the character.
The next time the character dies, regardless of circumstances, he will go into the jar, no matter how far away,, and no matter what obstacles ( including, Force fields, Lead boxes, Prismatic Walls etc. ). To get out again, the Magic user/Cleric must have his (or another’s ) recently dead body within 90 feet of the jar. The body can be that of any recently killed creature, from a Mouse to an Ox. The corpse must fail its saving throw vs. magic to be possessed. The saving throw is that of a ½ Hit Dice figure for a normal man, animal, small monster, etc. regardless of alignment, if the figure had three or fewer Hit Dice in life. If it had four or more Hit Dice, it gains one of the following saving throws based on alignment;
Alignment and Tendency Saving Throw
Chaotic and Good Save as normal in life -2
Neutral and Good Save as normal in life -3
Lawful and Evil Save as normal in life -4
Neutral and Evil Save as normal in life -5
Chaotic and Evil Save as normal in life -6
The corpse can be dead no longer than 28 days (a full lunar cycle). If it makes its saving throw, it will never receive the Lich. The Magic user’s/ Cleric ‘s own corpse can be dead any length of time and is at -10 on the saving throw to receive him. He may attempt to enter his own corpse once each week until he succeeds. If the Lich enters another corpse, he will have the limited abilities of the corpse when it comes to physical Strength. Intelligence and Wisdom, and even Charisma will be his own, regardless of what the corpse had. It can have no more than 4 Hit Dice, and will behave as a Wight, but has no energy-raining ability. If the corpse could cast spells in life, then the possessed corpse may also do so—up to, but not beyond, 4th level of spell casting ability. The Wightish body will have telepathic abilities if the body it came from could speak when it was alive. In the Wightish body, the Lich will seek his own body an transport it to the location of the jar.
Destruction of its own body is possible only via the spell Disintegrate, and the body gets the normal Save vs. spell as if alive. Dismemberment or burning the body will not destroy it; the remains of the corpse will radiate an unlimited Locate objects spell (not dispellable) Naturally, it may be difficult for the Lich to obtain all these pieces or ashes, but that is another story. If and when the Whitish body find s the remains of the Lich’s original body, it will eat them and after 1 week metamorphose into a humanoid body similar to its original body.
Once the Lich is back into his own body he will have the same spells he originally had in life and never has to Pray or Read or memorize for them again, except when adding any new spell. How many spells a Lich might have learned or knows he never can cast more than his respective level and class allows. It is important to know that a Lich mostly had a great deal of time to face magic the likes of which they have never seen. As a Lich, he can’t never gain spells, use scrolls, or use magical items that require the touch of a living being. These include the Healing and Harm or spell with a casting distance of touch spells, there is however a possibility that the Lich learned how to use such spells without touching (then the casting time will be doubled).
Each time the Lich returns his life force to the jar, it always costs him a level of power. When he drops below 10th level of power, any subsequent return to the jar will destroy the Lich. The Lich will try to Teleport back to the jar, however, before he is “killed” (that is, before he goes to zero hit points). If he does go to zero hit points, (and is below 10th) he is destroyed forever. If he has a Teleport or similar spell ready, the Lich can transport his body, also, but just his “life force” goes back into the jar. He doesn’t, however, need the Teleport spell to get just his life force back into the jar, although if he loses his body in this manner, he must start the search for it all over again. If his body is disintegrated then the Lich can be only a Wightish body unless he can find someone to cast a Wish for him to get the body back together again.
The jar must be on the Prime Plane or any Positive or Negative Plane, if he has a means of gaining access to the appropriate Plane in the first place. A living person will never radiate anything that he is prepared for Lichdom. No Charm or similar spell will ever make him tell this fact or where the jar is hidden. However a Charm could make him tell what the jar is. In like manner, a Locate object spell will not find a Lich’s jar unless an Immortal rank figure is willing to cast the spell and its range is limited to 100 miles in only one Plane. The Lich must find a means of continual access if he places his jar on another Plane. Hirelings can be charmed, tricked, paid, or even forced to keep a supply of dead (less than 30 days) bodies at his disposal, but that is risky. A jar hidden too well may never offer a corpse for him to enter. A Lich may elect to commit suicide to save him a lot of trouble later on.
Preparing the body of the living figure (and this can be done by any Spellcaster, even a Dragon—though they use this spell rarely, a Dragon Lich is very rare indeed) is done via a special Potion. The potion is difficult to make and very time consuming. The potion can cause several things to occur.
01-10 No effect whatsoever, the potion was somehow spoiled in the process. The drinker loses all body hair, and must start all over.
11-40 The drinker will fall into a coma for 1d6+1 days. The potion works !!!
41-70 The drinker becomes feebleminded until dispelled. But this removal has a 10% chance to kill instead, if it fails. The potion works !!! Although the drinker doesn’t know this.
71-90 The drinker becomes paralyzed for 2d6+2 days. There is a 30 % chance that a permanent loss of 1d6 point of Dexterity will result. The Potion works !!!
91-96 The drinker becomes permanently deaf (01-33%), dumb (34-66%) or blind (67-100%). Only a Wish can regain the use of this sense. The potion works!!!
97-00 The drinker dies. He must start all over if he is ever resurrected.Blueprint for a Lich
Components that have to be acquired to be used in the preparation potion for Lichdom
Two Pinches of Pure Arsenic
One measure of a fresh Planar Spider, be it living or dead, but less them thirty days of age.
One measure of fresh Wyvern venom, be it living or dead, but less them sixty days of age.
The unclod liquid, blood (and not Plasma) of a Humanoid killed by a Planar Spider.
The unclod liquid, blood (and not Plasma) of a Humanoid killed by a by a mixture of Arsenic and Belladonna.
The Beating heart of a Virgin Humanoid killed by a Wyvern venom.
One quart of unclod liquid, blood from a Vampire or a person (not animal) infected with Vampirism (of any kind).
The Ground-up reproductive glands of 7 Giant Moths, dead for no longer than sixty days.
The amounts of Blood must be at least 10 pints each
The “jar”, solid, and of high quality and at least a 2000 pieces of gold in value.
The Recipy
Thou, must stand under ye light of a Full Moon colored red by yonder Ecliptic Shade of Mystara (or any other Planetarian Body, thou ar’t standing on) itself. Yonder Sky must be clear to conceive ye Powers called so forth. Place ye Object to become ye “Jar”, in front of thee on a flat stony Surface. So that ye Lunar Shade falls on thee. Take a Bowel made of steel and heat it on a Fire blazing hot. One Quart of pure untainted Water must be poured in, and before it boils add the Arsenic. Let it heat but not boil. When Vapors come from it add ye Planar Spite, and heat anew. When Vapors come from it add ye Wyvern Venom, and heat anew. Before Vapors will come from it add ye Blood of a Humanoid killed by Spider Spite. Let the Liquid boil for an Hour in the Light of ye Moon. Then add ye Heart. Boil and cut until ye Flesh and ye Blood become a Paste. Add ye Vampiric blood and stir firmly. Heat do not boil. Add ye Glands one by one at the Moment ye Liquid almost boils, and stir firmly. Place ye Lid on ye Bowel and catch all ye Steam in an Tubular Device not cooled. Add more heat until no more Steam appears and the Bowel starts to glow. Ye Steam turns to Liquid. Catch ye Liquid in a Bottle of pure Bloodcrystal and cap with a Dried Human Eye. Let it cool and rest for seven Full Moons, one in Water, one in Sand, one in Ice, one in Mud, one in Air, one in Wind, and ye last in ye Hand. Ye Liquid may not be shaken in ye time passing between, and be kept in Dark all over. Then ye Potion of Lichdom is prepared, and staying potent for a full Lunar Phase. The Residue must be smeared on ye Body of the Lich to be. Conquer Death and be on thy guard, for this Immortality is not an what it seems. Heed these Words of Warning, and grow powerful.
As to Dragon Liches; since the transgression of Mystara to AD&D2 GKoM and KkoA and accompanying accesories. a Dragon Lich is rumored to exist on the Isle of Dawn or somewhere west on Brun (DM surbival cards i believe (delved by memory, not checked)
You forgot to include in your list
308BC:long-lost descendant of King Xenopheus. Named Gaius, he proves to the advisors that he has royal blood, and he is crowned king.274BC: Gaius completes the secret rites required to attain Lichdom.(source Mystara History)
--Hel is undoubtedly the Immortal of Death. Hel controls diseases, plagues and pestilences. Hel's abode is Niflheim where Odin hurled her and gave her power over the nine worlds. To get to her dwelling is a task indeed! 1st one must travel to the crystal and golden gate that is guarded by a 30th level Lich whose name is Modgud. This Lich requires a toll of blood before the adventurer may pass. (Source ; Immortals Northern Reaches)
As to a magic Lich phylactery; this was used in AD&D and later editions to store the souls and life force of liches. A mage had to create such a phylactery in order to become a lich, a highly expensive and taxing effort. Typically, a phylactery was a sealed metal box containing strips of parchment on which arcane phrases were inscribed.(possibly the original Nithian version of the "jar" which evolved over the various forms of Lich thereafter.
That said online illustrations (D&D, MAGIC, WoW) reveal it being more like jewelry or a jar
So The BECMI D&D Magic Jar is reasonably similar to be used as being the Phylactery, and which is mentioned in the creation of the Lich spell above from the Old Dragon Magazine #26 (or expanded in The Best of Dragon Magazine #2 pges 62-63 where Timothy Truman made a wonderful series of illustrations on how to become a Lich pages 57, 59, 61, 63) when most D&D was still BECMI
something to jar into. The Item into the Lich will “jar” is prepared by the first casting of thus spell which takes 3 hours to complete. The Item can’t be of any common variety, but must be of high quality, solid, and at least 2000 gp in value per level of experience. The item must make a saving throw as if it were the person casting the spell.
. So Arcane Liches and clerical liches
A Cleric would have the spell Magic Jar cast for him, since this part of the spell is impossible to cast for Clerics, and it is the contracted Magic User’s level that would be used for the saving throw
would indeed seem to use a Phylactery or Jar.