One of the best things that I like about these class / monster mash up is that everyone knows what to expect.

Both the DM and the PC know what they are getting into.

DM’s if you are not comfortable with a player heading towards lich -dom

than tell them, “No, don’t even thing about taking this archetype you will be wasting your time”

That way the PC can go and be a necromancer or something less evil and doesn’t waste their time either.

With all of that being said I really enjoyed the Druidic elven lich of previous editions and I don’t feel that the lich in the Monster Manual for Dungeons and Dragons 5th edition should be the only option. But that will have to wait for a later date.

For now onto that evil creation of forbidden lore, the Lich.

Lich, A Class / Monster Mash up | The Custom Archetype Path for Wizard in Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition

For anyone wondering how I was in my younger years of gaming- every single wizard I created secretly wanted ultimate power and to live forever. You know, be a lich.

Some of them wanted it for selfish reasons, some of them wanted to for altruistic reasons. But they all wanted it because I wanted to have an evil or good lich PC.

Guess how many times a DM let me become one…

Yep the big 0,

nada, zip,

rei.

Now that I have matured quite a bit as a player the maddening shine has worn off of lich -dom for me. Unless I want to make a very specific character with that goal in mind I tend to make them with a greater variety of desires and goals.

Not all of them as lofty as immortality and ultimate power!

For those of you seeking exactly these things for your spell caster my I suggest the School of Forbidden Lore.

Lich, A Class / Monster Mash up | The Custom Archetype Path for Wizard in Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition

The School of Forbidden lore is an umbrella School for all of the nasty transformation, necromantic, and alien magics.

This is the School where rests the knowledge of immortality, dark summonings, twisted creations, and otherworldly insights. It is not for the faint or noble of heart.

In fact it makes the former faint and the latter take up noble paladin like quests to slay those who use these secrets.

But enough of that, let us get down to said forbidden secrets.

This School will have several subjects within it but a player can only gain levels in one of the subjects. For example, Secrets of Lich -dom (for making a lich template). I was playing the name game earlier and decided that Books of the Undying was cool but not as descriptive.

Everything is the same as a wizard except what is mentioned below. Note, unlike some of my other class / monster mash ups I am going for as close to an actual wizard class format as possible.

School of Forbidden Lore

2nd Level: You are adept at collecting rare and interesting spells that further your understanding of magic and your research goals.

Beginning at 2nd level, the gold and time you must spend to copy a named spell(a spell with someone’s name in the title) into your spellbook is halved. Also, any named spells that are not on the wizard list count as being on the wizard list for you. The wizard spell list is on page 210 of the Player’s Handbook for Dungeons and Dragons 5th edition.

Any wizard, who is not of the forbidden lore school, cannot decipher those augmented spells.

2nd Level: Understanding of Magical Energies: You have discovered ways of shaping spell energy to fit your needs. You now can create such spells as; cloud of ice daggers, necrotic bolts (flame bolt), Melf’s electrified arrow.

Whenever you expend a spell slot, cast a cantrip, or produce a spell effect you may choose to change the type of damage that spell deals to one of the following damage types; cold, lightning, or necrotic. Any other effects that would normally trigger when the spell is cast still happen.

Example: A spell that lights things on fire would still do this effect even if the spell now does cold damage.

What? It’s magic! And a real life example would be a comet, ice on fire. Science! Science! … er … Magic!

6th Level: Improved Absorb Elements: You gain absorb elements as a 1st level spell. If you had it, pick another (see elemental evil player’s supplement for absorb elements). There are a few differences.

First. It can be increased to a 2nd level spell slot to be able to absorb any energy type.

Second. Whenever you cast this and are struck with a resistible energy you can make a ranged spell attack during the following round as a bonus action (Range 30ft, 1d6 damage per level of spell resisted, energy type as per the original spell). This action does not count as casting a spell for that round.

10th Level:True insight. In your pursuit of that which is hidden, you have discovered a way to pierce fallacies and uncover the truths of the magic that makes up the world. You can create a single use ointment that lasts until you take a long rest.

Whoever applies the ointment to their eyelids gains true insight as if the spell True Seeing,  from the Dungeons and Dragons 5th edition PHB pg 284, was cast on them. You must expend the spell components required when you create the ointment but you do not expend any spell slots. True Seeing is added to your spell book, if you already have it then select another wizard spell of the appropriate level and add it to your spell book for free.

You may make one of these ointments per long rest.

14th level Life’s Work. You have gained insight into complex and lasting magic. You now know how to transform yourself into a lich, but are not yet strong enough to accomplish the undertaking.

You have created a magical schema for the preparation of a phylactery. The notes reside mostly within your mind with only partial notes placed within your spellbook for safe keeping. With these precautions only you will attain immortal perfection.

You may begin construction of your phylactery at any time. It is a wondrous magic item constructed of rare and exotic items valued at 250,000 gp.

I leave the components and the general theme of it up to the DM and Player. Some suggestions would be an exquisite gem or a mirror of life trapping, shaped like a faceted crystal.

Any magical item required to be created for the phylactery follows the rules for the total cost of the phylactery.

A mirror of life trapping would cost 50,000 gp worth of raw materials to create. Lowering the remaining cost of the phylactery to  200,000 gp worth of items and raw materials.

Extremely rare components have a value higher than standard ones.

I have some bad news, at the end of the creation of the phylactery your character will have to imprison a sentient being as a sacrifice and your character will have to drink some terrible and powerful concoction of death that slays them and allows their soul to forever reside within the phylactery. If you were not down for so heinous an act then you should have read the disclaimer.

Lich, A Class / Monster Mash up | The Custom Archetype Path for Wizard in Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition

Another disclaimer for this class / monster mash up: you don’t get legendary actions, legendary resistance, or your special attacks. You do gain the following lich abilities; Undead Nature, Rejuvenation, Turn Resistance, Damage Resistances, Immunity to poison, Condition Immunities, and any benefits from being linked to a phylactery. You also gain all of the bad stuff associated with being undead. For example, you may now be turned.

Another catch is this, imprisonment is a 9th level spell and you have to cast it. So don’t rush that phylactery too fast or you will be holding onto a very expensive, yet stylish, paperweight for a few levels. You have three levels in between developing the magical schema and the earliest you can hope to complete the ritual.

Plenty of time to go magic component hunting for all of the items and materials you will need for its construction.

Just remember, don’t tell the rest of the party what you are doing, it’s a secret

 Let me know what you think in the comments below

and don’t forget to share this with like-minded individuals

Until next time, Stay Nerdy!