To the well-versed players of the realm, each creature knows that the Lichdom is one of the strongest forms a mortal can take. It requires taking off the requirements of flesh for near-infinite knowledge. Liches are legendary creatures dreaded throughout the land while entire campaigns are in motion under their watchful gaze. You’ve probably encountered or heard about Liches before, and possibly considered the steps on how to become a lich.
But how can an average Player turn into one of the most legendary monsters in the whole realm? Head down below into our guide and see how the Curse of Strahd, can get you acloser step to learn the process. But before that, we’d like to warn that there will be spoilers ahead so browse at you caution.
Table of Contents
How to Become a Lich 5e
The process to become a Lich is based solely on GM-approval. A GM will decide whether you can become a Lich or not. They also have the option to propose certain ways for you to turn into a Lich that violates the Strahd’s interpretation..
The whole Lichdom is easy to understand, really. The 3 step program to become a lich are as follows:
1. Turn into a humanoid with an evil alignment that can cast 9th level Wizard spells.
This is easy but you just need to be at level 17. To attain this, a certain degree of GM approval is required and already added into it. If you are a Cleric 16/Wizard 1 that can cast 9th level Wizard spells, are you allowed to be one? The answer is that it depends on the GM. The majority of GMs would likely specify that you need to be able to cast the 9th level Wizard spells like Wish and Meteor Swarm.
But before making any moves, always ALWAYS make sure to ask.
2. Create a Phylactery Powerful Enough to Hold the Beneficiary’s Soul
If you are at level 17, then this would be easy for you. All you need is 10 days.
3. Make a Potion of Transformation that turns the Beneficiary into a Lich
Again, this step is not hard. It only takes 3 days, which cannot happen simultaneously with a Phylactery.
After doing all of this, you are now a fully-fledged lich! But, the ony downside is you’re under control of the DM, since you have no other goal in life but to pursue knowledge.
Bummer.
Other Way To Become A Lich
If your character is morally upright from the very start, then this would be a problem for you. Liches deal with arcane knowledge and in themselves are intrinsically evil. Besides that, there’s no really other way to turn into a non-evil Lich, without the permission of a GM permission, since by turning into a monster under the GM guidance, all your memories of your past self will be gone.
In the older editions, Archlich were created and existed. These Archliches were the exact same as Liches, but weren’t of evil origin, and choose to find knowledge of the whole Lichdom through intense research, rather than demonic pacts. If your GM allows you to assume the form of an Archlich, then by old tales and accounts, you have autonomy over your body and are allowedall the time you want to do research.
Conclusion
Liches are amazing and powerful monsters but with every action done in this realm, there is always an equal and opposite reaction. Although liches are powerful, you will be under the guidance of the GM for the rest of your days. In the new editon, your next best option, becoming an Archlich, does not exist. Until then, you’re stuck with the rotten form of the Lich,. But that’s what you get for making a pact with your soul.
Want to learn more secrets of the lich and Lichdom? Check out this helpful thread from Reddit and watch the video below to learn more. Happy playing!
