Personal opinion is I don't see why not, as long as specific gods are involved. Many gods of death treat it as the natural course with undead being blasphemous. If one of those is your patron you would lose all spells if you tried to become a lich since you are going against their purpose. Vecna would be your most likely, and would endeavor to help you reach this final evolution.
Now making it work in-game is another issue that I don't have an answer for aside from making a home brew lich class to add to the character so they don't suddenly become ridiculously overpowered with their new lichdom. With that being said that precludes the use of dndbeyond for making the character. But continuing their cleric spell progression would be a given with other lich powers being gained in lieu of cleric abilities.
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"Where words fail, swords prevail. Where blood is spilled, my cup is filled" -Cartaphilus
"I have found the answer to the meaning of life. You ask me what the answer is? You already know what the answer to life is. You fear it more than the strike of a viper, the ravages of disease, the ire of a lover. The answer is always death. But death is a gentle mistress with a sweet embrace, and you owe her a debt of restitution. Life is not a gift, it is a loan."
Historically, any spellcaster who was a high enough level could become a lich, even one you wouldn't normally associate with undeath, like a druid or bard. I don't see anything indicating that it's different in this edition.
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Find your own truth, choose your enemies carefully, and never deal with a dragon.
"Canon" is what's factual to D&D lore. "Cannon" is what you're going to be shot with if you keep getting the word wrong.
Historically, any spellcaster who was a high enough level could become a lich, even one you wouldn't normally associate with undeath, like a druid or bard. I don't see anything indicating that it's different in this edition.
Well, while not exactly the same, my DM in a campaign created a druid-lich. The Druid was the guardian of area that became polluted by industrial waste but also by sub dark magical substance with ties to an evil God. Because of that he became warped and twisted and became a Lich.
Basically it's just a matter of finding a thematically fitting explanation. Working for/worshipping an evil God seems like a good one. You could also have a zealot whose ideals get twisted by their discovery of the corrupt hierarchy who espouse those views within their order particularly their mentor who encouraged those ideals in them and falls down into darkness, eventually becoming a necro-lich or whatever you think it should be called. Alternatively again, you could have a cleric who dearly loved helping people but could never help enough and so they sought a way to remain a healer forever but by reaching into this forbidden magic they became dark and corrupted, the opposite of their ideal Or their god/goddess rejected them for their betrayal and shocked by their god's/goddess's lack of understanding they become twisted and dark.
The basic thing you need to figure out is what form would a cleric-lich take. Wizards are arcane practitioners and so are lichs. Clerics are healers so perhaps a cleric-lich would be a healer of the undead - uses spells like transference or negative energy flood.
Historically, any spellcaster who was a high enough level could become a lich, even one you wouldn't normally associate with undeath, like a druid or bard. I don't see anything indicating that it's different in this edition.
Totally agree. There was a bardic lich in Ravenloft.
Well, while not exactly the same, my DM in a campaign created a druid-lich. The Druid was the guardian of area that became polluted by industrial waste but also by sub dark magical substance with ties to an evil God. Because of that he became warped and twisted and became a Lich.
Basically it's just a matter of finding a thematically fitting explanation. Working for/worshipping an evil God seems like a good one. You could also have a zealot whose ideals get twisted by their discovery of the corrupt hierarchy who espouse those views within their order particularly their mentor who encouraged those ideals in them and falls down into darkness, eventually becoming a necro-lich or whatever you think it should be called. Alternatively again, you could have a cleric who dearly loved helping people but could never help enough and so they sought a way to remain a healer forever but by reaching into this forbidden magic they became dark and corrupted, the opposite of their ideal Or their god/goddess rejected them for their betrayal and shocked by their god's/goddess's lack of understanding they become twisted and dark.
The basic thing you need to figure out is what form would a cleric-lich take. Wizards are arcane practitioners and so are lichs. Clerics are healers so perhaps a cleric-lich would be a healer of the undead - uses spells like transference or negative energy flood.
Just a "FYI" post on the subject, Lich was not always restricted to evil alignments either, back in 3e (possible others but I havent looked) there was the case of Archliches and Baelnorn which were goodly aligned liches (page 90 of the Monsters of Faerun book if you can find it) so there could be a case for being a goodly cleric and asking for Lichdom from your deity or any other spellcaster seeking out a way to do it.
Historically, any spellcaster who was a high enough level could become a lich, even one you wouldn't normally associate with undeath, like a druid or bard. I don't see anything indicating that it's different in this edition.
Any time an unfathomably powerful entity sweeps in and offers godlike rewards in return for just a few teensy favors, it’s a scam. Unless it’s me. I’d never lie to you, reader dearest.
Mechically i cant see why not,however its always stated that lichs are wizards... and never other spell caster
Which begs the question of all the warlocks,sorcerers,clerics and etc that wish the same
Paladins become deathknights
Warlocks... deathlocks (which sucks for them)
And sorcerers are weird and i dont get them
But clerics that can commune with gods like vecna... what ia stopping them from trying?
Can anyone help me sort this out?
Personal opinion is I don't see why not, as long as specific gods are involved. Many gods of death treat it as the natural course with undead being blasphemous. If one of those is your patron you would lose all spells if you tried to become a lich since you are going against their purpose. Vecna would be your most likely, and would endeavor to help you reach this final evolution.
Now making it work in-game is another issue that I don't have an answer for aside from making a home brew lich class to add to the character so they don't suddenly become ridiculously overpowered with their new lichdom. With that being said that precludes the use of dndbeyond for making the character. But continuing their cleric spell progression would be a given with other lich powers being gained in lieu of cleric abilities.
"Where words fail, swords prevail. Where blood is spilled, my cup is filled" -Cartaphilus
"I have found the answer to the meaning of life. You ask me what the answer is? You already know what the answer to life is. You fear it more than the strike of a viper, the ravages of disease, the ire of a lover. The answer is always death. But death is a gentle mistress with a sweet embrace, and you owe her a debt of restitution. Life is not a gift, it is a loan."
Historically, any spellcaster who was a high enough level could become a lich, even one you wouldn't normally associate with undeath, like a druid or bard. I don't see anything indicating that it's different in this edition.
Find your own truth, choose your enemies carefully, and never deal with a dragon.
"Canon" is what's factual to D&D lore. "Cannon" is what you're going to be shot with if you keep getting the word wrong.
All hail the necrodancer!
Well, while not exactly the same, my DM in a campaign created a druid-lich. The Druid was the guardian of area that became polluted by industrial waste but also by sub dark magical substance with ties to an evil God. Because of that he became warped and twisted and became a Lich.
Basically it's just a matter of finding a thematically fitting explanation. Working for/worshipping an evil God seems like a good one. You could also have a zealot whose ideals get twisted by their discovery of the corrupt hierarchy who espouse those views within their order particularly their mentor who encouraged those ideals in them and falls down into darkness, eventually becoming a necro-lich or whatever you think it should be called. Alternatively again, you could have a cleric who dearly loved helping people but could never help enough and so they sought a way to remain a healer forever but by reaching into this forbidden magic they became dark and corrupted, the opposite of their ideal Or their god/goddess rejected them for their betrayal and shocked by their god's/goddess's lack of understanding they become twisted and dark.
The basic thing you need to figure out is what form would a cleric-lich take. Wizards are arcane practitioners and so are lichs. Clerics are healers so perhaps a cleric-lich would be a healer of the undead - uses spells like transference or negative energy flood.
Totally agree. There was a bardic lich in Ravenloft.
Or a cleric of a god of necromancy
Just a "FYI" post on the subject, Lich was not always restricted to evil alignments either, back in 3e (possible others but I havent looked) there was the case of Archliches and Baelnorn which were goodly aligned liches (page 90 of the Monsters of Faerun book if you can find it) so there could be a case for being a goodly cleric and asking for Lichdom from your deity or any other spellcaster seeking out a way to do it.
Yeah, those both date back to well before 3rd Edition.
Find your own truth, choose your enemies carefully, and never deal with a dragon.
"Canon" is what's factual to D&D lore. "Cannon" is what you're going to be shot with if you keep getting the word wrong.
I so want to make this character now.
Archliches are cool
Were the baelnorn good aligned liches? Idk that.
Yes they were!, they were any non evil alighment
Whats funny is that elves found a way to become baelnorns... which is cool!
And if i read the wiki right, an elven cleric (or any high level spell caster) could bessech the gods for the boon of power.
An elven baelnorn. Awesome 😊.
Baelnorn were created to fulfill a duty to an elven site, protecting places of power, artifacts, elven mausoleums etc. They had no phylacteries.
The Srinshee - elven national hero and probably the strongest spellcaster in Faerun - used to be a baelnorn :)
Yup, baelnorn were good liches, specifically elven. As was said, they are protectors of mausoleums, artifacts, etc. https://forgottenrealms.fandom.com/wiki/Baelnorn_lich
So all baelnorn were elves?
Yes, baelnorn were a specific type of lich that elves could become, which precludes there being non-elf baelorns.
Find your own truth, choose your enemies carefully, and never deal with a dragon.
"Canon" is what's factual to D&D lore. "Cannon" is what you're going to be shot with if you keep getting the word wrong.
Thank you.
Here's a specific example of a group of clerics who became liches:
https://forgottenrealms.fandom.com/wiki/Banelich
Any time an unfathomably powerful entity sweeps in and offers godlike rewards in return for just a few teensy favors, it’s a scam. Unless it’s me. I’d never lie to you, reader dearest.
Tasha
Awesome! I forgot about Bane.