Do traces of humanity remain after a spellcaster’s transformation into a lich? The answer is yes. This guide to liches humanizes the evil monster that has traditionally been relegated to the lowest levels of dank, dark dungeons.

Necromancers pursue the path to lichdom for many reasons. Some are truly evil with dark plans that will take centuries to complete. But others are looking for nothing more than immortality. The transformation to lichdom is shrouded in mystery and secrecy, and few who undertake the process fully understand all the implications. Many are completely unaware that the enigmatic rituals that promise immortality may have sinister side effects. Thus it is possible that some liches were once paladins pursuing a centuries-long plan of good, or researchers who only wanted a few more years to complete their studies. Over time, the necromantic energies of the creation rituals corrupted them, and now they are evil liches… but the spark of humanity remains.

The Complete Guide to Liches introduces the concept of the redeemed lich, who has sloughed off his undead life of evil, and the philolich, a mortal lover reanimated by her lich companion to keep him company as he whiles away his centuries. The “typical” lich is examined in detail, along with several new varieties, including the monstrously powerful drowlich and the time-challenged novalich (whose more limited creation rituals give him but one year to complete a specific task).

The Complete Guide to Liches is a stand-alone, world-neutral sourcebook covering everything you ever wanted to know about liches. It is the seventh volume in the Complete Guide series. Each Complete Guide is exactly what it sounds like: a complete guide to playing a given kind of monster. As a GM, you’ll learn how to run that monster, both in combat and role-playing situations. The Complete Guide to Liches can be inserted easily into any fantasy setting.

Preview: We’ve put together a 2-page preview of the philolich section from the Complete Guide to Liches. Click here to view it. (190K PDF)

Writer: Michael Ferguson
Cover Artist: Jim Pavelec
Interior Artist: Brad McDevitt

GMG3003. 48 pages. $13.00.

Preview of Table of Contents and Interior Art

• Introduction
• Chapter 1: Origins and Physiology
• Chapter 2: Social Structure
  • Power-mad Liches
  • Creator Liches
  • Revenge Liches
  • Lich Minions
• Chapter 3: Cultural Habits
  • Lich Lairs
  • Lich Creation
  • Lich Artifacts
  • The Redeemed Lich
• Chapter 4: Combat Strategies
  • Poisons and Toxins
  • Puzzle Traps
  • The Chess Chamber of the Lich Lord Fortinbras
• Chapter 5: Lich Magic
  • New Spells
• Chapter 6: Campaigns
• Appendix 1: New Templates and Monsters
  • Dracolich
  • Drowlich
  • Philolich
  • Semi-lich
  • Warlich
  • Lichling
  • Lichwarg
• Appendix 2: Sample NPCs
• Appendix 3: Lich Template Applications
  • Centaur
  • Elf
  • Gnome
  • Locathah
  • Medusa
  • Ogre Mage
  • Orc
  • Yuan-ti

The feared drowlich, most powerful of all lich types

A philolich: the reanimated remains of a lich’s mortal lover, whose power is linked to that of her lich companion.

A warlich: a warrior granted lichdom by a spellcaster.