How does one go about becoming a Good Lich (baelnorn)?

[Altamont Ravenard]

Hello all,

My now 11th level Elven wizard is considering becoming a good lich (baelnorn from FR). I have some questions that I would like to submit to the community, in, alas, no particular order:

1) The baelnorn description says I don't need a phylactery. Do I still have to spend 120,000gp and 4,800XP to accomplish the ritual that turns me into a Lich?

2) What happens if I become a lich, and get destroyed (0 hp). Do I come back 1d10 days later or am I gone for good? The baelnorn mentions the use of the clone spell as somewhat as an alternative maybe?

3) what happens to my effective level? Say after spending the XP, I'm at 11th level with 60,000XP. How many XP do I need to raise to 12th level?

4) Has anyone attempted to become a Lich in 3.X (good or evil)? Why/On what occasion/How/etc?

5) Can a Lich heal itself with its Negative Energy touch attack?

Thanks in advance for your input.

AR

 

[da chicken]

There are no rules for becoming a baelnorn. It is entirely up to the DM.

However, the fact that only elves can do it suggests that it involves Elven High Magic... which according to Races of Faerun (and some implications of Magic of Faerun) means that it requires epic level spellcasting.

 

[da chicken]

Realize I could answer some of these.

3) what happens to my effective level? Say after spending the XP, I'm at 11th level with 60,000XP. How many XP do I need to raise to 12th level?

Baelnorn don't have an ECL, but I can tell you in general what happens when you gain and ECL template.

Say you're 11th level with 60,000XP. Normal lich has an LA of +4. If you aquire the template, you become a ECL 15 character with 60,000XP. You require 120,000XP to reach your next level.

5) Can a Lich heal itself with its Negative Energy touch attack?

Yes.

 

[Falling Icicle]

As far as I know, most Baelnorns were Elven High Mages who were tranformed into liches as a result of the backlash from using Elven High Magic. I'm not aware of anything else that says how you would become one. I would just use the normal rules for becoming a Lich save that you don't have the cost of a phylactery (note this this is BAD for a Lich. If you are destroyed, you won't come back).

 

[DM_Matt]

As far as I know, most Baelnorns were Elven High Mages who were tranformed into liches as a result of the backlash from using Elven High Magic. I'm not aware of anything else that says how you would become one. I would just use the normal rules for becoming a Lich save that you don't have the cost of a phylactery (note this this is BAD for a Lich. If you are destroyed, you won't come back).

Elves of Evermeet IIRC only says that it is possible to become a Baelnorn that way (but that it doesn't always happen), but it also makes it clear that you can become one voluntarily and that most do.

The baelnorn description implies the existance of a special clone-contingency combo spell that builds you a new body that you go into when you die. Epic seeds should be able to do that.

 

[UltimaGabe]

I would just use the normal rules for becoming a Lich save that you don't have the cost of a phylactery (note this this is BAD for a Lich. If you are destroyed, you won't come back).

If that's the case, shouldn't the level adjustment be a lot lower? After all, one of the main advantages of a Lich is that they're essentially impossible to kill. without destroyigng their phylactery. So shouldn't the level adjustment be lower than a +4 if you're missing out on their most powerful ability?

 

[Black Knight Irios]

Yes, youre right maybe the LA should be lowered, but until we know how to achive becoming such a Lich we don't know if other things chage as well, therefore we should wait and watch.
Involving Epic Spellcasting, makes it quite interesting.

OK, first we got that Baelnorns don't have a Phylactery.
2nd we should replace it, Lich without Phylactery, just to make it more lichy
3rd maybe we can use Contigent Clone from Lords of Darkness to accomplish that, but I don't have the book at hand, so don't yell at me if it is not possible.
4th we should think of epic spellcasting no ELH at hand either, can't do it