There are few more iconic foes in roleplaying than an undying wizard possessing remarkable cunning, access to a vast library of forbidden lore, and control over a web of allies the likes of which you’ve never seen. Of course, we’re talking about the Lich.

Below is a quick conversion of a lich into Legend in the Mist.

Lich

Aggressor

The lich is a wizard who has traded mortality for the undying pursuit of power and forbidden lore. A lich cares nothing for the lives of mortals and will stop at nothing to achieve its goals. Mortals may struggle to understand what those goals are, however.

The process of becoming a lich involves many dangerous arcane rites, but in the final ritual, the lich transfers their soul into a phylactery. As long as the phylactery remains intact, the lich will form a new body in the vicinity of the phylactery within ten days of dying (receiving wounded–5). Heroes must destroy the lich’s phylactery to prevent it from creating a new body. And should the heroes steal a lich’s phylactery, the lich will bend to their will. Probably. Well, maybe.

Limits

  • Harm–5
  • Phylactery–5
  • Escape–3 (opposed by paralysed)

Tags & Statuses

  • Forbidden magical knowledge
  • Magical shield
  • Fearsome nature
  • Unnatural agility
  • Potent spells
  • Warded against magic–5
  • Magical ability

Threats & Consequences

Scare For a moment, you see through to the true horror of the lich…
The heroes feel the icy hand of death grip their soul (receive fear–4).
A wave of terror grips the heroes and their bones turn to stone (receive paralysed–4 removing up to two levels of escape as appropriate).
Attack Like a fly buzzing around its head, the lich decides you must die…
The lich extends their hand and a rippling wave of force smacks into you (receive wounded–4).
The lich brushes a finger across your skin and you freeze (receive paralysed–3 and wounded–2).
Spell Attack Speaking words of arcane power, the lich makes slow, lazy gestures towards you…
A bloom of fire streaks towards you setting everything it touches ablaze (receive burning–1 and wounded–4).
With a tremendous crack of sound that shatters glass and topples books, a bolt of lighting strikes you (receive electrified–1 and wounded–4).
Quick Ritual Raising their hands in the air, the lich intones words of power…
A cloud of thick black mist rises from the ground to envelop them, moments later they appear in a clap of thunder beside you as you feel your life ebb away (receive fear–2 and wounded–2).
The lich lowers their arms and a black oozing cloud rolls across the ground from their fingers (all within the cloud receive fear–2 and wounded–3).
The lich slaps their hands together and a recently fallen combatant rises to join the fray (New Encounter and receive fear–2).

It’s not a lich’s ability to sling fireballs or lightning bolts around that make it so formidable. Literature, and no doubt liches themselves, would have us believe they appear barely better than walking corpses. But vanity is the core of the lich: they believe they alone deserve to continue studying the ways of the universe regardless of what they must do to pursue their goals. Why would a creature so vane allow themselves to moulder into decrepitude when world-altering power is theirs? No, there’s no reason to believe a lich would look any different than you or me, although perhaps a bit stylistically out of date.

With hundreds of years to accumulate wealth and power, why would one lurk in a decaying castle on a windswept moor when an estate in town with a weatherproof library is available? When you’re not centrally located, diabolical plots are so much more difficult to execute. Recruiting minions is harder, suborning government aides requires so much more travel, and shopping is a real slog.

Oh, did you receive a tip about an undying wizard living in a mouldering castle on a windswept moor? I’m sure it’s not a trap. Have fun!