Archlich

Outwardly an archlich is hard to tell from its evil kin: a skeletal, gaunt figure wrapped in a menacing chill and dressed in decayed finery, 25% of it magical. Glimmering lights burn in its empty sockets, giving it sight in the deepest dark that bright light never troubles. Each was once a human wizard or priest of 18th level or higher, or a bard of 24th or higher, of good alignment, who deliberately undertook the change to protect someone, defend a place or pursue a cause.

Archliches avoid fights when they can. Creatures under 5 Hit Dice or levels flee its aura of power in terror for 4d4 rounds. Its chilling touch deals 1-10 damage, and a victim failing a save is paralyzed for 2-5 turns unless the effect is dispelled.

By touch and will it can repel even the mightiest undead, animate skeletons and zombies, or seize control of existing wights and lesser undead, usually only in battle; it has no interest in building armies or ruling by fear.

No priest can turn or disrupt it, and its iron will makes it immune to all enchantment, charm and illusion, so it can never be magically controlled. Poison, disease, and undead draining of energy or abilities do not touch it, nor do effects of death, insanity, cold, electricity, petrification, paralysis or polymorph. Only +1 or better magic weapons, spells and magic item effects, or monsters that are magical or have at least 6 Hit Dice, can harm it. Raise dead and similar spells deal it 1 hit point per caster level.

It casts and uses items as in life, needing books and components, except for nine spells it chose at its transformation and holds permanently. Each, once cast, returns to mind 144 turns later; common picks are fly, teleport, invisibility, dispel magic and a few attack spells. Bard archliches keep their music, and many roam ruins and moors at night singing mournful old songs.

Archliches mostly work alone and behind the scenes, studying and acting through allies and servants. A few seek only greater mastery of magic, but most serve a royal line, a kingdom, a hero or an order, or chase revenge or an unfinished task. They hide their nature to avoid constant attack and are as patient and dangerous as any lich.

Unlike liches they never forget their names or old friends, which can weigh on them until some grow tired enough to seek an end. They often partner with living rangers, wizards and bards, may tend the injured, teach apprentices or even love, though nothing short of divine power gives them true life again. Speaking an archlich's name grants no power over it, but it hears its name uttered anywhere on its plane and comes to look 6% of the time.

At will it can water walk as the 3rd-level priest spell, and those living near marshes, rivers or islands are seen gliding over the water. It moves soundlessly unless it chooses otherwise. It needs no food, drink or air, though it can indulge, and its body never sweats, blushes, aches or grows hair.

The candidate first makes a magic item to house its essence, traditionally a tiny spellbook holding the nine spells it will keep forever; others may help, but the candidate must take part. A potion is then laced with trap the soul, teleport, pass without trace, contingency, chill touch, wraithform, permanency and animate dead, and drunk while touching the item, which must bear at least a drop of the caster's blood. A secret spell follows, cast by the candidate or a helper, and the subject dies 7% of the time or otherwise falls into a deathlike sleep for 4-16 turns, waking as an archlich. The process always kills an unwilling subject.

If an archlich is destroyed, its remains, along with whatever it wore or held, instantly teleport across any distance or plane to touch its essence item. Its memorized spells are lost. It re-forms at 1 hit point per day, able to speak but immobile until it has a quarter of its hit points, and regains one of its nine permanent spells daily, which it can cast while helpless and away from the item. Draining or dispelling the item does nothing; only physically destroying it ends the archlich forever.