I think there a rules for becoming a lich in previous editions?
They're scattered and inconsistent.
In 4e, any arcane spellcaster could become a lich. However, there's precedent for liches to come from the ranks of clerics and druids as well. In 5e, I would ordinarily require that the candidate be able to cast the magic jar, but I think that's too restrictive, as only wizards can learn it.
Regarding Clerics, it’s worth noting that the Mummy Lord is essentially an equivalent to a Lich. Could tweak the appearance based on the story as needed, but it gives a little more authenticity since it uses the Cleric spell list.
Edit: Just reviewed the block, forgot it didn’t go up to 9th level spells. Still, gives a basis to build on if you want to give the idea a little more distinction from a Lich.
Soul Sacrifices. A lich must periodically feed souls to its phylactery to sustain the magic preserving its body and consciousness. It does this using the imprisonment spell. Instead of choosing one of the normal options of the spell, the lich uses the spell to magically trap the target’s body and soul inside its phylactery. The phylactery must be on the same plane as the lich for the spell to work. A lich’s phylactery can hold only one creature at a time, and a dispel magic cast as a 9th-level spell upon the phylactery releases any creature imprisoned within it. A creature imprisoned in the phylactery for 24 hours is consumed and destroyed utterly, whereupon nothing short of divine intervention can restore it to life.
A lich that fails or forgets to maintain its body with sacrificed souls begins to physically fall apart, and might eventually become a demilich.
As long as the lich could find an alternative way to keep feeding would to the phylactery, it should still work. Besides, even if the imprisonment spell isn’t on the Sorcerer spell list, the lich’s description states that they use this spell, and since monsters don’t have to follow the same rules as PCs, it shouldn’t matter who the caster was before it became a lich, it’s a lich now, which means it’s no longer a sorcerer, and no longer need follow the sorcerer rules. After all, lichee don’t have Metamagic or Font of Magic, so not sorcerers.
unless i missed it (or the mummy lord references were from this), i don't believe anyone's linked the Pointy Hat "Making a Sorcerer Lich in D&D" youtube.
Here is the origin ncluding where Gygax took the ideas:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lich
Wisea$$ DM and Player since 1979.
Ask your DM.
[REDACTED]
I was planning to do an NPC, yes.
E
I think there a rules for becoming a lich in previous editions?
They're scattered and inconsistent.
In 4e, any arcane spellcaster could become a lich. However, there's precedent for liches to come from the ranks of clerics and druids as well. In 5e, I would ordinarily require that the candidate be able to cast the magic jar, but I think that's too restrictive, as only wizards can learn it.
Regarding Clerics, it’s worth noting that the Mummy Lord is essentially an equivalent to a Lich. Could tweak the appearance based on the story as needed, but it gives a little more authenticity since it uses the Cleric spell list.
Edit: Just reviewed the block, forgot it didn’t go up to 9th level spells. Still, gives a basis to build on if you want to give the idea a little more distinction from a Lich.
The lich’s description states the following:
As long as the lich could find an alternative way to keep feeding would to the phylactery, it should still work. Besides, even if the imprisonment spell isn’t on the Sorcerer spell list, the lich’s description states that they use this spell, and since monsters don’t have to follow the same rules as PCs, it shouldn’t matter who the caster was before it became a lich, it’s a lich now, which means it’s no longer a sorcerer, and no longer need follow the sorcerer rules. After all, lichee don’t have Metamagic or Font of Magic, so not sorcerers.
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unless i missed it (or the mummy lord references were from this), i don't believe anyone's linked the Pointy Hat "Making a Sorcerer Lich in D&D" youtube.
...and Bard
...and Druid
...and Artificer (i like this one)
...and Barbarian
(and, i can't tell you why, but these videos are so much more fun if you set the play speed at 1.5+ :D)
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