From: educ@unixg.ubc.ca (Vicki Domansky)
Subject: Re: Question: Liches & Phlacteries
Organization: University of British Columbia, Vancouver, B.C., Canada
Date: Wed, 12 Aug 1992 16:20:46 GMT

In article <Bsv1nJ.2nF@undergrad.math.waterloo.edu>
l2wang@napier.uwaterloo.ca  (Lei Wang) writes:
>In article <1992Aug9.033600.7176@unixg.ubc.ca>, educ@unixg.ubc.ca
(Vicki Domansky) writes:
>> As I understand it, phlacteries are a crystal or some other item that
>> holds the life force of the lich.  How far can the lich's body travel
>> away from that phlactery?  
>  There is no normal limit.  With a Lich's tendency to travel across the
>unknown dimensions in search of knowledge, it would seem illogical.

Hmm.  I thought there was an actual physical limit as to how far the
lich could go.  If the lich is dimension bopping then physical
distance is not really an issue, I guess.  But if a lich has a nice
barrow to "live" in (he he), is there a maximum distance away that the
lich would hide it's phlactery?  If the life force of the lich returns
to the phlactery when its body is destroyed, is physical distance a
factor?

>> If a lich's body is destroyed, the lich's life force returns to the
>> phlactery.  What can the lich do in this state?  Can it cast spells?
>  It should not be able to cast spells.  The lich is in essentially the
>same state as that of a mage perusing Magic Jar as you suggested.  
>  A more improved version, perhaps.  It should be able to sense the
>life forces of those around it easily, and be able to possess the body
>without the soul of the body entering the phylactery in return(logically).
>  As to where the original soul goes...

Hmm.  It seems a little severe to have the character totally snuffed
out when it's body becomes possessed, although from what you mention
below, I guess the body is dead anyhow.  Any ideas on the
possibilities of the characters driving the lich from their
companion's body and raising/ressurecting/restoring/whatever their companion?

>  Some spells might be allowed to be cast out of the phylactery, though
>this is up to the individual DM.  Fireball certainly not, but Chaos
>possibly.

I guess anything that doesn't require material components that the
lich has already studied.

>> How does it "acquire" a new body?  
>  As a mage residing in Magic Jar.  By seeking to possess a live vessel
>within the range of the phylactery.

Ok, that makes sense.  The range part was eluding me somehow :-)

>> Can the body a lich tries to take over still be alive?
>> i.e. can a female lich who
>> wants a new beautiful, young body take the body of a female pc and
>> live again?
>  No, I'd say that the body that the Lich takes over dies at the instant
>of possession.  Reason #1:  Only the Ninemen(?) spell cast on the phylactery
>keeps the body from totally falling apart.  Reason #2:  If a mage could
>live youthfully and forever possessing bodies around it, that mage would
>then really not be a Lich.  That does not fit the image of a Lich as 
>portrayed in the Manuals and Compendiums.  Reason #3:  The Lich wouldn't
>bother to stay living anyways, having left the last vestige of material
>pleasures behind when it choose to become what it did.

Yeah, this is basically what I thought.  My co-GM had an idea for a
a lich who wants to become alive again, so takes over a _living_ body
and begins building power, etc. but we didn't really think this was a
possibility.  What if someone who was very old wanted to find
themselves a new, young, beautiful, etc. body to take over?  Could a
Magic Jar spell be combined with permanency, skipping the lich stage?
Or is there some other method of doing this I am overlooking?

Thanks for the assistance.
-- 
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Vicki Domansky <Morgaine>                               educ@unixg.ubc.ca
Education Computing Services                       v_domansky@mtsg.ubc.ca
U of B.C. Vancouver Canada                        usereduc@ubcmtsg.bitnet