LIVE. LICH. REMAIN. LARLOCH’S LEXICON of LICHDOM Sample file Legendary liches, lich lore and lichy loot for the world’s greatest roleplaying game LARLOCH’S LEXICON of LICHDOM Credits Writing & Layout: J. A. Valeur Editing: S. K. Valeur Interior & Cover Art: Licensed Art from Adobe Stock and Shutterstock, and art provided by the Dungeon Masters Guild and used with permission under the Community Content Agreement for the DMs Guild. Inspiration & Reference This product is inspired by or directly references: AD&D Monster Manual (Gary Gygax, 1977) AD&D 2E Spelljammer 1: Lost Ships (Ed Greenwood, 1990) AD&D 2E Volo’s Guide to Waterdeep (Ed Greenwood, 1992) AD&D 2E Monstrous Manual (Tim Beach et al., 1993) AD&D 2E Cormanthyr: Empire of Elves (Steven E. Schend & Kevin Melka, 1998) D&D 3E Monsters of Faerûn (James Wyatt & Rob Heinsoo, 2001) D&D 5E Dungeon Master’s Guide (WotC RPG Team, 2014) D&D 5E Monster Manual (WotC RPG Team, 2014) Eventyrgames.com – DM’s Guild –Facebook – Twitter D&D 5E Princes of the Apocalypse (WotC RPG Team, 2015) Join the mailing list for updates, early access and D&D 5E Curse of Strahd special offers. (WotC RPG Team, 2016) Disclaimer: The following pages feature dark magic and sinister rituals Slyflourish.com – The Deadly Lich performed either by professionals or under the supervision of professionals. (Mike Shea, 2016) Accordingly, the authors of this book and Larloch the Shadow King must insist D&D 5E Tomb of Annihilation that no one attempts to recreate or re-enact any ritual or activity described (WotC RPG Team, 2017) in this book. The authors and Larloch cannot be held accountable for any D&D 5E Xanathar’s Guide to Everything harm caused to mortal vessels, immortal souls, innocent sacrifices or reckless adventurers as a consequence of information relayed in this book. (WotCSample RPG Team, 2017) file DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, D&D, Wizards of the Coast, Forgotten Realms, Ravenloft, Eberron, the dragon ampersand, Ravnica and all other Wizards of the Coast product names, and their respective logos are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast in the USA and other countries. This work contains material that is copyright Wizards of the Coast and/or other authors. Such material is used with permission under the Community Content Agreement for Dungeon Masters Guild. All other original material in this work is copyright 2020 by Eventyr Games and published under the Community Content Agreement for Dungeon Masters Guild. Introduction Contents here's nothing quite like the lich. Introduction ......................................................................1 Wielding powerful spells, imbued with undead Chapter 1: About the Lich ................................................2 energy, and virtually indestructible – the lich What is a Lich? .......................................................................... 2 does it all. It’s not without reason that the What Can a Lich Do? ............................................................... 3 Tlich has risen to become one of Dungeons How is a Lich Made? ���������������������������������������������������������������� 4 & Dragons players’ most feared adversaries, and a Chapter 2: The Lich Villain .............................................5 favourite among Dungeon Masters across the globe. Psychology of the Lich ������������������������������������������������������������� 5 In this document, we pay homage to the lich as we The Phylactery �������������������������������������������������������������������������� 6 explore its storied past and its ever-evolving traits and Allies &Adversaries ................................................................. 9 characteristics. We will also delve deeper into what it The Lich’s Tactics ...................................................................11 means to be a lich – not just for the villainous lich, but Chapter 3: Lich Characters ...........................................13 also for player characters who seek to attain lichdom. Becoming a Lich .....................................................................13 Every facet of the lich’s undead existence is examined Being a Lich .............................................................................15 and expanded upon, giving both DMs and players Lich Feats .................................................................................18 the tools they need to handle liches in fifth edition Chapter 4: Liches ............................................................19 Dungeons & Dragons. Lich Templates ........................................................................19 In Chapter 1: About the Lich we dust off the old tomes Non-wizard Liches..................................................................24 and delve into the history of Dungeons & Dragons to Legendary Liches �������������������������������������������������������������������30 determine exactly what liches are, what they are capable of, and how they are created. This look at the past lays Appendix: Magic Items ................................................. 35 the groundwork for the expanded rules presented in later chapters. In Chapter 2: The Lich Villain we delve deeper into the statistics and characteristics of the fifth edition lich, as we discuss the lich’s psychology, how it maintains and protects its phylactery, which allies and adversaries it surrounds itself with, and what tactics it employs in combat. In short: all the information the discerning DM When I was approached to co-author this tome, needs to challenge their players with a memorable and my instinct was to refuse – and destroy the fools interesting lich villain. Chapter 3: Lich Characters is for players that want who dare ask such an impetuous question, along their characters to become liches – and for the poor with all the notes on lichdom they had compiled. DMs who have to handle the chaotic power of such an unholy union between a player character and an undead I realized, however, that the proverbial cat had archetype. We present several ideas for how a player already escaped its confines. The legends of undead character can become a lich, advice on how to handle a mages have become much too plentiful for even lich character in the party, and concrete mechanics for the dimmest of wits to fully ignore. Though still lich characters in the form of Lich Feats. So if you ever wanted to be an iconic undead archmage – well, here’s much misunderstood and maligned, lichdom is no your chance. longer the mystical secret it once was. Ridding the Chapter 4: Liches supplies the Dungeon Master with world of a few two-bit writers and a single book a wide array of new and interesting liches to use in isn’t going to change that fact, as much as I wish it their game. There’s lich templates for creating your own liches, statistics for the battle-ready lich that’s ready to would. be dropped straight into your game, less powerful lich Nay. If books must be written about lichdom, variants, several legendary liches from the Forgotten Realms – including the infamous Szass Tam and the better that they be penned by someone who austere Alathene Moonstar – and also non-wizard liches, actually knows what it means to be one. At least such as the lich bard and lich warlock. In total, you get then, I shall not have to suffer another clueless more than a dozen new liches to use in your game, plus mortal vilifying the perfectly natural and logical new templates to quickly create your own liches! Lastly, we end with an appendix of nine new magic choice it is to embrace an eternal existence, items for liches and would-be-lich-killers. Because what regardless of the form it takes or the cost it carries. fun is a lich villain without lichy loot the players for the I will tell you what lichdom is and how you can players to abscond with? Throughout the document, Larloch – Faerûn’s perhaps achieve it, if you believe yourself up to the task. most powerful and knowledgeable lich – offers his Whether you will thank me for it, or damn my insightfulSample commentary. As one of the oldest known liches file name ‘till the day you perish and beyond, well... in all the Forgotten Realms, and master to several lich ‘apprentices’ himself, there is no greater expert in liches We shall find out, shan’t we? and lichdom than the Shadow King. - Larloch the Shadow King INTRODUCTION | 1 Chapter 1: About the Lich he lich has been around since the very What is a Lich? early days of Dungeons & Dragons and has grown to become one of the hobby’s most The broadest and most base definition of a lich can be archetypical villains. Any spellcaster worth their summarized in a single sentence: a powerful spellcaster Tsalt who is truly dedicated to their craft has at who willingly embraces undeath to preserve themselves least entertained the idea of one day becoming a lich. beyond the confines of their mortal vessels. Below we delve into lore about liches in Dungeons & The lich is not a common zombie or skeleton who has Dragons to gain a better understanding of what the lich been raised from the grave by some fell happenstance is, what it does, and how one becomes one. Woefully so it can wander around aimlessly, eating brains or little is written about the lich in fifth edition, which being bashed to bits by brave adventurers. No, the lich’s means we will have to scour the records and travel existence is much more deliberate and sinister than that. decades back to the lich’s inception to get the full picture. In the decades since the lich was given its first What we learn