Lich (Basic Lore)

Lich (Tank; CR 16)
Pure Evil - Medium - Undead
This creature possesses the Tank role, and therefore counts as 2 monsters for purposes of encounter size, XP award, and treasure. This monster frequently has the Tank role, but may be set to different roles if desired. Liches are one of the principle undead corrupters, often placing themselves in positions of political power in the communities of the living. Liches are the ultimate expression of necromantic art, turned towards the purpose of establishing an immortal vessel for the lich to continue its search for MORE. Each lich is a unique individual, retaining the personality, goals, ambitions and flaws of its once-living soul. However, over the centuries of existing in the husk of their physical form, without the pleasures of the flesh or the respite of sleep, most liches become quite insane. These liches remain ambitious, and seek to grow their own power and make themselves even more immune to the erosions of time and emotion, and often become quite twisted indeed. Liches look very similar to skeletons, but often drape themselves in finery and surround themselves in a lavish mockery of luxury. Since they have no need for food, sleep or even air, they will often create palaces which lack bathrooms, kitchens and bedrooms. Instead, these keeps feature prominent throne rooms, magnificent libraries, laboratories filled with bizarre experiments, and torture chambers designed to explore the limits of pain and despair. Liches will often employ living servants or slaves to help them maintain these grandiose furnishings, and as convenient fodder for their random outbursts of sadism. A lich can employ magic to pass for a living humanoid, when it desires to do so, and frequently, liches work within a society as a member of the government or some other position of leadership and power. They are also highly capable at magical manipulation and control, making the jump to positions of secular power fairly easy for them. Once in place, they take pleasure in leading the living into a sense of oppressed fear and abject misery, usually through cruel and incremental indignities, invasive legislation, harsh taxes, and overreaching (and highly corrupt) law enforcement. To someone who knows what to look for, a society being led by a lich is fairly easy to spot. Liches will rarely engage in fights directly, preferring to send trusted lieutenants to handle such distractions. However, this does not mean they are not fearsome combatants if they choose to take a hand in things directly. Liches are uniformly powerful spell casters, and are often gifted melee fighters as well, having spent centuries perfecting their own prowess. Liches will often band together with other liches to achieve greater power and more towering heights of depravity. These circles are shrouded in secrecy and mistrust, but, since all the members are immortal, betrayals are often limited to subtle plays for primacy and social positioning.