School of Lichdom

The School of Lichdom is nauseating to all except the most strong-willed and power-hungry wizards. An archmage seeking a higher station, a fledgling wizard turning to darkness as a catalyst for revenge, and other scholars willing to sacrifice their mortality in exchange for power seek out the profane ritual that shunts a soul into an object from one's body and the vile recipe for the potion that preserves the flesh and mind without the need for spirit.

The result of this process is a mockery of nature, considered in most societies to be an affront to humanity—especially if those people are religious. The abhorrent practice of becoming a lich isn't inherently evil, however, and people from many walks of life turn to this path, sometimes even out of desperation...

Step One: Higher Thought

Beginning when you select this school at 2nd level, the gold and time you must spend to copy spells of two schools of your choosing into your spellbook is halved.

At 10th level, the number of schools you can choose increases to three.

Abjuration

When you choose this option at 2nd level, the gold and time you must spend to copy an abjuration spell into your spellbook is halved.

Conjuration

When you choose this option at 2nd level, the gold and time you must spend to copy a conjuration spell into your spellbook is halved.

Divination

When you choose this option at 2nd level, the gold and time you must spend to copy a divination spell into your spellbook is halved.

Enchantment

When you choose this option at 2nd level, the gold and time you must spend to copy an enchantment spell into your spellbook is halved.

Evocation

When you choose this option at 2nd level, the gold and time you must spend to copy an evocation spell into your spellbook is halved.

Illusion

When you choose this option at 2nd level, the gold and time you must spend to copy an illusion spell into your spellbook is halved.

Necromancy

When you choose this option at 2nd level, the gold and time you must spend to copy a necromancy spell into your spellbook is halved.

Transmutation

When you choose this option at 2nd level, the gold and time you must spend to copy a transmutation spell into your spellbook is halved.

Step Two: Open Vessel

At 2nd level, you begin the process of crafting a phylactery, an object designed with the purpose of containing your soul. When you take magical damage, you can use your reaction to reduce the damage by 1d10 + your levels in the wizard class. Once this ability has been used, you can't use it again until you take a short or long rest.

You can use your novice phylactery as a spellcasting focus for your wizard spells.

Step Three: Broken Soul

At 6th level, you begin the process of bleeding your soul into your phylactery. When you fail a saving throw imposed on you by another creature, you can choose to succeed on the saving throw instead. Once this ability has been used, you can't use it again until you take a short or long rest.

After finishing a long rest, make a Constitution saving throw. The DC for this saving throw is equal to your levels in the wizard class. On a failed save, take 1d6 necrotic damage. This damage can't be reduced or prevented in any way.

Step Four: Vile Draught

At 10th level, you begin work on the potion to seal your body into undeath. You have advantage on Intelligence (Arcana) and Intelligence (Investigation) checks and gain proficiency with alchemist's supplies.

You have resistance to necrotic damage, and you can't regain hit points from spells.

Step Five: Into Undeath

By 14th level, the ritual is complete. Upon drinking the potion you've been carefully brewing, you instantly die and your body reforms within 5 feet of the phylactery, becoming a fledgling lich. Two times per long rest, you can cast true seeing on yourself at will, without any material components. 

When you're reduced to 0 hit points, you can choose to instantly die. If you choose to die, or if you die by any other means, your body reforms in 1d10 days, regaining all of your hit points and becoming active again if your phylactery is intact. The new body appears within 5 feet of your phylactery.

Your type becomes undead, and you take on an undead appearance. You determine this appearance, or generate it randomly by rolling on the Lich Form table.

Lich Form