Homebrew Lich (Cleric) v3.0 Species Details

Cleric to Lich Homebrew Conversion

The Lich is a fearsome foe, and to transform oneself into such monstrosity even more so. Such a process requires a dismissal of the value of life and a disregard for morals altogether, something particularly difficult for a cleric, one who has devoted himself to the healing of others, both spiritually and physically. Some do transform in order to more powerfully uphold the will of their master, but it is more often the case that he has strayed from his holy path.

 

Requirements

A lich’s phylactery is essential and must be crafted without substitution. For the cleric, this will be especially unique.

The help of the cleric’s patron deity is absolutely required. This deity must also have no problem with creating such a foul creature and approving of unleashing it unto the world. Thusly, the patron deity must be of evil alignment or chaotic neutral and be heavily persuaded to commit to the task. The type of evil will influence what actions the patron will allow the cleric to commit. A lawful evil deity, for example, may not accept innocents as sacrifices/tools for the transformation, whereas a chaotic evil deity might be displeased if the souls of only evildoers are used to power a phylactery.

Numerous physical components and powerful spells are also required to create the lich, as well as many sacrifices.

 

 Knowledge

The information required to become a lich is scarce and scattered throughout the world. Only another lich or a god of death would know the entire process, and both would surely charge a steep if not impossible price to share the secrets of immortality. Should neither option be available, it would take a great of searching and seeking the libraries and most arcane experts of the land to acquire all of the necessary knowledge, and, again, it is not likely that they would be willing to share such information for free.

 

The Phylactery

Besides his undead demeanor, a phylactery is the most noteworthy aspect of a lich. This is the source of his power, a conduit through which the holy power of the cleric’s patron may be supplied to the undead.

For a cleric lich, his holy symbol shall serve as the phylactery, provided that the symbol can meet the requirements. The holy symbol must be a type of box or container in which some small items must be stored. A locket is too small, but something like a jewelry box or even a skull will suffice. The inside of the box must be engraved with runes of silver dust or molten silver.

Secondly, the phylactery must be thrice enchanted with the following spells:

(5) Commune x3

(7) Resurrection x3

 

Next, a heart with a strong connection to the patron deity must be placed in the phylactery. This could be from an animal symbolic of the patron; because such patrons are often evil, obtaining the heart of a powerful fiend of the deity is not an uncommon form of test; or even the heart of a priest who has fallen out of favor of the god or goddess.

 

Ten human souls or the souls of magically inclined creatures (dragonborn, elves, unicorns, etc.) are necessary to be sacrificed and contained in the phylactery as the final step of its creation. One need only kill the sacrifice in the presence of the phylactery for this process to work.

 

Potion of Death

The next step to lichdom is the manner of death of the cleric. A powerful potion must be brewed and enchanted to kill the cleric and resurrect him as a lich.

 

The potion must include:

Three samples (an entire plant, root to bulb) of at least three toxic plants, or a total of nine toxic plant samples from no fewer than three different plants.

Three samples (six drops each) of venom from at least three different venomous arthropods, or a total of nine venom samples from no fewer than three different creatures.

Three samples of venom from at three different reptilian species, or a total of nine samples from no fewer than three different creatures.

A vial of wyvern venom.*

*This ingredient can be substituted for a potion that is strong enough to kill a creature of the cleric’s health times three. A combination of weaker potions will not suffice.

All of the ingredients must be fresh when added to the potion, though the means of preservation do not matter.

 

The ingredients should be mixed together with whiskey. First, the plants must be crushed and added, followed the by the reptilian and arthropod venoms (mixed before-hand), and lastly the wyvern venom will be added, stirring the entire time. Once the ingredients are added, seal the potion in a closed container to ferment for 48 hours.

Next, the potion must be enchanted (this can be done while it is fermenting or after it has fermented).

The potion must be enchanted with the following spells:

(3) Animate dead

(5) Cone of cold

(5) Feign death

Once the potion is both fermented and enchanted, it must drunk from a vessel of innocence. The heart of a human is the typical choice for this role, particularly that of a child. The host must not bear any ill will toward the cleric in order for the process to work, otherwise the process will not work, and the cleric may very well kill himself without resurrecting. A heart of a small creature will be unable to hold the entire potion, and the heart of a larger creature might prevent the cleric from finishing drinking the potion before dying, which will result in failure. The heart must be fresh from its corpse: it must be used within one hour of the victim’s death, which must be by the lich’s hand, and drunk exactly at midnight. The phylactery must be out and in the presence of the cleric when he consumes the potion.

The cleric dies immediately after consuming the potion. Roll 1d4. The number shown on the die is how many days it will take for the cleric to be resurrected as a lich.

 

Resurrection

The process is complete: the cleric is reborn as a powerful lich, ready to do the bidding of his dark patron.

Despite being resurrected, death takes its toll. The new lich begins its journey at level one.

 

 Age

 Being undead, you are now immune to aging and cannot die of natural causes. You do not need to eat, drink, or sleep, though these traits, coupled with a lack of breathing can be quite suspicious to the more perceptive people you may encounter.

Size

 The lich is roughly the same size as it was in life, though a bit more emaciated. The lich's size is the same as it was in life.

 Stats

The new stats are as follows:

The lich’s background stays as it was when he was a cleric.

The lich’s alignment changes to that of its patron deity if it was not already.

Hit points

Hit Dice: 1d8 per lich level

Hit points at first level: 8 + Constitution modifier

Hit points at level after 1: 1d8 (or 5) + Constitution modifier per Lich level after 1

 

Proficiencies

Armor: Light armor

Weapons: Simple weapons

Tools: None

Saving Throws: Constitution, Intelligence

Skills: Choose any three from Arcana, Deception, Investigation, History, Medicine, Nature, Perception, Persuasion, or Religion

Stats

STR: 10 (+0)

DEX: 12 (+1)

CON: 16 (+3)

INT: 18 (+4)

WIS: 12 (+1)

CHA: 14 (+2)

 

Saving Throws CON +4, INT +4

Skills Arcana +6, History +6, Insight +6, Perception +6

Damage Resistances: Cold, Lightning, Necrotic

Damage Immunities: Poison

Condition Immunities: Charmed, Exhaustion, Frightened, Paralyzed, Poisoned

Senses: Truesight 120 ft., Passive Perception 15

Languages: Common plus up to five other languages

Movement of 30 feet

The lich is vulnerable to radiant damage and enchanted weapons.

The lich can also not be healed by traditional healing spells; only those which heal undead are effective, the lich can only use up to half od its hit dice to heal after a short rest, and a long rest only restores half of the lich’s maximum health.

Healing potions will work but at -4 to the healing effect.

You immediately receive a spellbook from your patron that contains six first level spells from the list below. Each time you level up, you may learn two new spells of your choice as well as two lich spells from the list below. As soon as the lich is resurrected, roll 1d20. On a 1-14, nothing happens; on a 15-17, the lich receives a staff of withering; on an 18-20, the lich instead receives a wand of fear.

 

The Lich spell table is as follows:

				Spell Slots per Spell Level
Level	Prof. Bonus	Features	Cantrips Known	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th	6th	7th	8th	9th
1st	2	Spellcasting, drain touch, racial bonus	3	2	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
2nd	2		3	3	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
3rd	2		3	4	2	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
4th	2	Ability score improvement	4	4	3	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
5th	3		4	4	3	2	-	-	-	-	-	-
6th	3	Ethereal walk	4	4	3	3	-	-	-	-	-	-
7th	3		4	4	3	3	1	-	-	-	-	-
8th	3	Ability score improvement	4	4	3	3	2	-	-	-	-	-
9th	4		4	4	3	3	3	1	-	-	-	-
10th	4	Improved drain	5	4	3	3	3	2	-	-	-	-
11th	4	Necrotic smite	5	4	3	3	3	2	1	-	-	-
12th	4	Ability score improvement	5	4	3	3	3	2	1	-	-	-
13th	5		5	4	3	3	3	2	1	1	-	-
14th	5	Potent evocation	5	4	3	3	3	2	1	1	-	-
15th	5	Paralyzing touch	5	4	3	3	3	2	1	1	1	-
16th	5	Ability score improvement	5	4	3	3	3	2	1	1	1	-
17th	6		5	4	3	3	3	2	1	1	1	1
18th	6	Slaughter	5	4	3	3	3	3	1	1	1	1
19th	6	Ability score improvement	5	4	3	3	3	3	2	1	1	1
20th	6	Death shroud	5	4	3	3	3	3	2	2	1	1

Racial Bonus

Choose one racial bonus.

the lich gains the ability Frightful Presence by default. Note that using this spell reveals yourself as a lich to all present and may have greater consequences.

Drain Touch

At level 1, you also get the ability to siphon health from living creatures. At the cost of one hit dice or one spell slot, you may make a melee spell attack, or drain a willing creature. On a successful hit, you deal 1d8 plus your Constitution modifier Necrotic damage and heal for the same amount of damage dealt. You may increase the cost of this ability by one hit dice or one spell slot (can not use both at the same time) to increase the damage by 1d8, a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus.

Ethereal Walk

Starting at 6th level, you can use your bonus action to hover off the ground as per the levitation spell. If you are attacked while levitating this effect ends until you use it again. You can use a reaction to reduce fall damage by half.

Improved Drain

Starting at 10th level, you may add your Constitution modifier to the damage of Drain Touch for each hit dice used. As a bonus action, you can apply Drain Touch to a weapon of your choice, allowing you to drain the next target you hit.

Necrotic Smite

At level 11, your weapon attacks now deal a bonus 1d6 Necrotic damage. Whenever you strike an enemy, you can expend a spell slot to deal 2d6 Necrotic damage plus a further 1d6 for every level the spell slot was past the 1st. This does not apply to attacks made due to non-Lich class features, or attacks made without adding your proficiency bonus.

Potent Evocation

At level 14, you may spend an action empowering the next spell you cast. If you cast a spell as an action next turn, you may cast it as if it were 1 spell level higher.

Paralyzing Touch

At level 15, whenever you drain touch an enemy, you may expend a spell slot. For a number of rounds equal to the level of the spell slot consumed, the enemy is paralyzed.

Slaughter

Starting at level 18, as an action, you materialize necrotic energy in your weapon, and you can strike all foes within a cone with a single melee attack. The range of the cone is equal to your weapon's reach + 10 ft. If you are wielding a ranged weapon, this attack instead strikes one target within range and all targets within 5 ft of it. You can use this ability a number of times equal to your Constitution modifier, and you regain all uses after a long rest. You may expend one hit die to heal 1d8 for every enemy brought to 0 HP

 Absence of Life

At level 20 hostile creatures within 10 feet of the Lich take 1d6 necrotic damage per round. This damage is increased to 1d6+6 if the creature is below half health and is a living creature.

Spellcasting Ability

Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for your Lich spells. You use your Intelligence whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Intelligence modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a Lich spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.

Spell Save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence Modifier

Spell Attack Modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence Modifier

 The lich still regains spell slots after resting like it did in life.

Lich Spell List

You know all of the spells on the basic Lich spell list.

Cantrips

Prestidigitation, Acid Splash, Chill Touch, Eldritch Blast, Mage Hand, Ray of Frost, True Strike

1st Level

Alarm, Bane, Bodysnatch, Chromatic Orb Detect Evil and Good, Detect Magic, Entangle, Facsimile of Life, Magic Missile, Magechain, Net of Shadows, Protection from Evil and Good, Shield, Sleep, Thunderwave, Venomous Ray

2nd Level

Acid Arrow, Blindness/Deafness, Detect Thoughts, Enhance Ability, Enlarge/Reduce, Enthrall, Fiendish Claws, Flaming Sphere, Invisibility, Mirror Image, Moonbeam, Pulling Shade, Ray of Enfeeblement, Sonic Implosion, Create Gaurdian, Raise Mount

3rd Level

Animate Dead, Bestow Curse, Bonesword, Crushing Despair, Counterspell, Dispel Magic, Fireball, Glacial Pass, Phantom Steed, Protection from Energy, Frostball, Speak with Dead, Vampiric Touch, Conjure Wraith

4th Level

Arcane Eye, Banishment, Black Tentacles, Blight, Blood Rain, Dimension Door, Ice Storm, Private Sanctum, Resilient Sphere, Death Armor

5th Level

Animate Objects, Antilife Shell, Cloudkill, Contagion, Dimension Door, Dispel Evil and Good, Hold Monster, Insect Plague, Iron Flesh, Mislead, Raise Dead, Scrying, Hold Monster Telekinesis, Enlighten Undead

6th Level

Create Undead, Circle of Death, Demonic Visage, Disintegrate, Globe of Invulnerability, Harm, Mass Suggestion, Wind Walk, Zone of Power

7th Level

Etherealness, Facsimile of Undeath, Finger of Death, Plane Shift, Simulacrum, Teleport, Wall of Souls

8th Level

9th Level

The lich is also capable of learning all spells that can be learned by the wizard and the cleric classes

Maintaining and Losing Lichdom

 At the 10 level, the lich’s phylactery must be improved in order to supply power to its stronger form. The moment the lich becomes level 10, it will have 30 days to sacrifice another soul to its phylactery. Every day past the month and without sacrifice will inflict 1d4 damage on the lich that CANNOT be healed. Only after a new sacrifice is made can the lich heal this damage.

The lich must kill a human or magically inclined creature by its own hands and remove its heart. This ritual takes 15 minutes. This will resupply the phylactery with magical energy for another 30 days. The phylactery does not have to be present for the sacrifice; the lich’s patron will transfer the spiritual essence to the phylactery. the lich will again experience 1d4 damage for every day past each subsequent month. The lich does not have to wait until the end of the month in order to sacrifice a new soul; sacrifices can stack up to three times.

There is one possible way to lose lichdom. This requires that the lich die and willingly be resurrected by a resurrection spell or a wish. If this happens, the former lich is resurrected to exactly the same state just prior to its transformation.

There is only one way to kill the lich, and that is to destroy its phylactery. First, the lich must be defeated in combat so that its soul will return to the phylactery. If the phylactery is destroyed while the lich’s soul is not contained within it, the lich will be free to create a new phylactery for itself. Once the lich is defeated and its soul bound to its phylactery, the phylactery must be dispelled by a level & or higher dispel magic spell. While its wards are dispelled, if the phylactery takes 25 points of bludgeoning damage, the lich’s soul will be released and cannot return to the mortal plane under any circumstances.

Killing a cleric lich can be particularly difficult, as the lich’s patron will not willingly allow such a powerful instrument as a lich to die at the hands of mortal men.

Once the lich’s body is destroyed, roll 1d4. The result will equal the number of days required for the lich to reform.

 

 

 

Undead Army

A lich is automatically able to control undead of CR 4 and below. For the lich to have control over these undead they must be within the lich’s radius of influence, which is equal to the lich’s level times 1000 feet.

Undead with a CR of 5 or higher can make a charisma saving throw vs the lich’s spell DC to avoid being controlled. The lich can repeatedly attempt to gain control over an undead until the target fails its saving throw or leaves the radius of influence.

While there is not a limit to the number of undead that can be controlled within the range of influence, only a number of undead equal to the lich’s intelligence rating may be sent outside of the radius at any time. The actions assigned to an undead leaving the area of influence must be simple, involve no more than four steps, and may only include one adjective per step.

Any undead of INT 10+ may make a CHA saving roll upon leaving the area of influence. If they succeed then they are free of the lich’s control. If the undead has an INT of 13 or higher, then they roll with advantage. Undead of INT 13+ who do not break free of the lich’s control may be given any level of complexity in their orders. Undead of lower than 13 INT will act single-mindedly in pursuit of their mission but still avoid people, villages, fire, etc. to stay out of sight in order to complete their mission. If the minion cannot physically complete its task, it returns to the lich. More intelligent undead will act accordingly and may think of strategic solutions to complete their goals. For example, a vampire might pose as a human in order to more easily perform an assassination.

If the lich’s body is destroyed, all undead within or outside of the radius of influence are immediately freed of the lich’s control unless they are of CR 3 or lower. Any undead of CR 3 or lower may make a CHA saving roll. If they succeed, they are free of the lich’s influence. If they fail, they wait idly and will only act to defend themselves until the lich returns to them, should he choose to do so.

Devout Servant

Despite its immense power, the cleric lich is still a devout follower of its patron deity and must follow any order or rule set forth by that deity. To fail to please its master could be disastrous for the lich. It is from the god/goddess’s power that the lich’s is derived, and it is that same power that can remove it.

 

 

Lich (Cleric) v3.0 Traits

The lich's undead form grants it numerous boons as well as some weaknesses.

Embalmed

• You are remarkably well preserved. Other than a pale skin, and sunken eyes, there is little to distinguish you from a living member of your species... though the lack of breath and heartbeat is a dead giveaway. If someone has a reason to suspect you aren't alive, an Investigation check with a DC of 8 + your proficiency + your Charisma modifier is needed to tell you are undead, unless they know to check your pulse.

Corpse Form

• The only preservation you're interested in is self-preservation. Your flesh is falling off but you could not care less. You gain proficiency in Intimidation. However, you are bound to be treated poorly for being a known Lich, and if your Lich status lowers someone's trust, you roll Persuasion checks towards them at a disadvantage.