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Dungeons & Dragonshas many types of enemies, from the chaotic Demons of the Abyss, to the ever-plotting Drow of the Underdark. Yet the most common type of enemy you’ll encounter are the different variants of undead, and among them, the mightiest is the Lich.
These masters of magic might seem like simple villains at first, but dealing with them is never a simple affair. Even if you slay them in combat, it is never as simple as that to kill a Lich, making them the ideal bad guy for mystery and social-centric campaigns.
What Is A Lich?
Strictly speaking, a Lich is any form of powerful caster (usually a Wizard or a Cleric) that, either due to extensive research or a pact with some powerful entity,gained immortality through being undead. A Lich retainsall the knowledge it had from its previous life, as well as its aspirations and free will (although if it made a pact with a deity, it is still bound to that pact).
Not every undead caster is a Lich, since there is more to it than rising from the dead and being able to cast magic. What sets a Lich apart from other undead isits ability to retain its sentience, and how difficult to kill it can bethanks to the Phylactery.
The Phylactery
The Phylactery is a small box, item, or container thatholds part of the Lich’s soul.If a Lich were to die, but its Phylactery is still intact,the soul of the Lich goes back to the Phylacteryand, in around ten days,the Lich is resurrectednext to the Phylactery.
The Phylactery is usually a very expensive item, but depending on the Lich, it could be of sentimental value as well.
This is what makes a Lich nearly impossible to kill, sincebeating it in combat is not enough.Destroying the Phylactery can also be a challenge on its own, but that depends on each individual Lich and the traps and curses placed around the item.
A Lich rarely, if ever, has more than one Phylactery, since each needs a fragment of the creature’s soul, somore than one would make it far too weak.It would also be inconvenient to tell a story about a Lich with many Phylacteries, since it makes the creature annoying rather than menacing.
The Soul
Unlike most undead creatures,a Lich retains the mortal soul it had in life, and keeping that soul tethered to the material plane is how the creature becomes immortal. By keeping its soul, a Lich is able to think and act as it did in life, while alsocapable of exerting its will on lesser undead creatures.
The soul is often all that is left from the original creature the Lich was, since each time its soul returns to the Phylactery, a new body is formed (or the Lich had one prepared already). In some editions, the Lich even had to eat its original living body, leaving no trace of who it once was.
Using A Lich In A Campaign
A Lich can be as simple and as complicated as you want it to be, but it realizes its full potential whenplotting from the shadows.With its Phylactery intact,a Lich can always go all outagainst any party of players, since it will just come back to life if defeated.
You can always turn nearly any creature into a Lich, since most recent editions show tools to do so. With a clever disguise, a creature could hide the fact that it is a Lich, surprising the party a few sessions later when it shows up again unalive and well.
You can also look at the most famous characters known to be a Lich for inspiration:
Lich Variants
There are different individuals that are considered a Lich, and you can even make your own, butthere are certain variants that warrant mention.Most of these creatures work like a Lich, either becausethey also have a Phylactery, or because they havea way to stay alive even after death.
Source
Demilich
If a Lich isn’t careful when maintaining its Phylactery, it could turn into a Demilich, with diminished abilities and only its skull remaining due to lack of energy. A Lich may choose to become a Demilich on purpose (like Acererak), which allows them to retain some aspects of their power and use their soul to travel the multiverse.
Monster Manual
False Lich
A Lich can control many mindless minions, but for the most crucial tasks, no one is better than yourself. For a False Lich to be created, the original Lich needs to give part of its soul to a corpse; said soul can either be extremely loyal or a treacherous creature planning to take the place of the original Lich.
Vecna: Eve Of Ruin
Mind Flayer Lich
Giving the Lich status to any creature makes them fearsome, but a Mind Flayer bears special mention. They can maintain their body structure without much decay, as long as they keep enough power in their Phylactery, allowing them to still use their tentacles.
Volo’s Guide To Monsters
Eldritch Lich
An Eldritch Lich is special because it lacks a Phylactery. Instead, its Lich-like powers are given to it by a greater entity from beyond the Astral Plane, and it is resurrected by the parasite living inside the body, meaning you have to separate them if you want to slay an Eldritch Lich for good.
Monstrous Compendium Vol. 1: Spelljammer Creatures
Lichen Lich
A Druid that undergoes the rituals to become a Lich instead becomes a Lichen Lich, a special form reserved for them and other nature-related individuals. The most notable example is Xanthoria, who made a deal with a Devil and gained a living Phylactery.
Candlekeep Mysteries
Dracolich
The most powerful version of a Lich (not counting demigods), a Dracolich, is exactly what you expect: a Dragon that performs the profane rituals to become a Lich, gaining the strength of the undead creature while keeping its Draconic powers.
Archlich
While not yet present in the 5th edition, the Archlich still deserves to be mentioned. It is a Good aligned Lich who was either forced to perform the profane rituals, or did them for a noble cause.
