Lich

Liches are powerful undead magic-users that can be very dangerous to an under leveled or unprepared party. 
This article page reflects the creature stats for a "generic" lich used in the Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn and Baldur's Gate II: Throne of Bhaal games, as well as the enhanced edition versions.
This particular cookie cutter game lich will be encountered in several areas, such as the Ruined Temple, and Spellhold Bodhi's Hunt Level 2.
Attention to the fact that the developers made it quite low-level for most liches in the Dungeons and Dragons setting. This won't affect its spell book variety, as it can still cast up to level 9 Wizard spells, but it will make it difficult for it to dispel any magic on the party, and conversely, easier for the party to do so in return - this is most likely done on purpose for novice players. Unfortunately for veteran players looking for the "real thing", the lich is somewhat hamstrung by this caster level reduction.
The InfoBox on this page reflects the creature used in the game for certain area "High level spawn" enemies.
== Abilities ==
Most lich immunities are derived from two undroppable items they have equipped. There is some overlap between the two. The InfoBox breaks these down.
* All liches are immune to non-magical weapons, and spells & effects between levels 1 through 5 (except for Oracle and True Seeing).
* Some liches can see through invisibility by script, but not all.
* Immune to Poison and Poison damage.
* 100% resistant to Cold damage and Electricity damage.
* Unaffected by Disease effects.
* Unaffected by Level drain.
* Unaffected by Hold creature or Paralyze effects.
* Immune to Sleep or Unconscious effects.
* Immune to Stun effects.
* Immune to being Webbed and Entangled.
* Can't be made Confused or Berserk.
* Cannot be Charmed or affected by Domination effects.
* Immune to Panic or Morale break.
* Cannot be Petrified.
* Unaffected by Polymorph Other effects.
* Immune to Disintegrate effect and Slay. 
Being formidable spellcasters, liches have access to level 9 spells and typically open battles with Protection From Magical Weapons, Stoneskin and Spell Trap to make themselves nigh invincible. They can also cast powerful crowd control spells like Time Stop, Symbol, Stun and Symbol, Fear.
As undead, liches are vulnerable to anti-undead weapons such as Mace of Disruption, Azuredge, The Burning Earth or Daystar.
Almost all Liches are equipped with two undroppable items, one in each Ring slot. These items are used by the game engine to provide the lich with various protections and immunities to status effects, spells, specific damage types, weapon enchantment and other factors. The last item is the Lich's touch attack melee weapon. These items are:
* RING95.ITM For general undead protections.
* LICH.ITM For specific lich protections.
* LICH02.ITM is the creatures +2 enchanted touch attack melee weapon which deals piercing damage and may cause a Paralyze effect.
== Lich combat actions ==
These creatures only conduct melee touch attacks as a last resort. They are not a high threat in this style of combat, unless playing a solo character and getting paralyzed. 
Their THAC0 is not good enough to hit most opponents consistently, and they typically only get one attack per round with their touch attack.
It is more likely that a Lich will continue spell casting at point blank range in an unmodded game, rather than engaging in close quarters combat. 
== Locations ==
=== Named liches ===
Several liches in the game have unique names, and differing abilities, stats and sometimes much higher casting levels:
* Nevaziah - this undead, encountered during Edwin's quest, is referred to as a "lich" in dialogue, but is actually quite weak and bears none of the other liches' "trademark abilities". He lurks in the Lower Tombs in the Graveyard District.
* Shangalar, a member of the Twisted Rune, hidden behind a magical doorway in the Bridge District.
* Kangaxx is both a powerful lich, and then later also a demilich - whose body has been broken into pieces and hidden around the city of Athkatla by his enemies.
* Deirex, the resident of Deirex's Tower in Ust Natha.
* Lagole Gon - Deril's aide during the final confrontation in Deril Estate in Athkatla Government. This encounter is part of Cernd's personal quest.
* Odamaron - a lich in Sendai's Enclave, in a room that includes the Eye of Tyr, the Skull of the Lich, and the Heart of the Damned.
* Vongoethe is a lich in Cave of the Dead in Amkethran who has a personal feud with Marlowe.
* Azamantes guarding the Watcher's Keep Final Seal.
* Alchra Diagott is imprisoned in soul entrapment device in Underdark.
* Gurn Coldhearth encountered at the apex of his transformation in the Repository of Undeath.
* Zhadroth, a lich pulled from its imprisonment into the Prime Material Plane in Kanaglym, by spending one of three charges of the Spectacles of Spectacle.
* Korkorran, a lich who is part of Hexxat's ToB questline.
=== Unnamed liches ===
* Two unnamed liches guard the parts of Kangaxx's body for the Restore Kangaxx's body quest:
** One is the Elemental Lich (Bridge District) is found in the basement of the House of the Elemental Lich in the Bridge District.
** The other is the Shade Lich found in the Lair of the Cult Outcasts area in The Old Tunnels of the Temple District Sewers.
* An unnamed lich can be encountered behind a secret door inside a Crypt connected to the Crooked Crane Inn.
* An unnamed pair of liches will spawn from the Globe Machine on the Watcher's Keep Final Seal level the fourth time the purple button is pushed.
* An unnamed demilich is in a crypt connected to the Watcher's Keep Githyanki Encampment.
* While still being Mind Flyers, the three Alhoons in the game are also Liches.
=== High level spawns ===
If Gorion's Ward has an experience of at least 2,000,000 points, liches, each time accompanied by two skeleton warriors and two greater mummies, will spawn at the following locations:SPWNDEAD.bcs
* Ghoul Town – lower tier 
* Temple Ruins – just after entering . Note that with SCS installed there are two Liches and accompanying undead in this ruined temple, depending on the game difficulty selection. One is in the "Undead room" adjacent to the Lava Pool chamber, and another is further in at the Hallway juncture of the "Tile Room".
* Temple Ruins – in the room right after the central lava pit 
* Spellhold Bodhi's Hunt Level 2 – at the southern T-junction . 
== General strategy ==
See this article's "Talk Page" linked here for tips, and combat strategy thoughts that generally are effective against a lich.
==Gallery==
Lich Bg2 SoA.jpg|
== Mod content ==
===Mods===
The Sword Coast Stratagems mod doesn't use this generic 11-th level lich creature and disables it. 
Instead, it will replace the creature with a level 25 lich with a randomly determined specialty mage kit (Conjurer, Enchanter, Invoker or Necromancer.
SCS has nine different random liches to choose from.
The lich creature selected will have unique AI scripts and spell casting abilities will differ depending on the lich's assigned kit.
The SCS mod will improve a Lich's AI noticeably over the basic and unmodded EE versions of the creature. If the SCS "Smarter Mages" component is also installed, a Lich will be even more formidable, in that it will utilize triggers, sequencers and contingency abilities. This component also works with the game difficulty settings, and this could mean that a Lich will also have access, and use, Mage High-level class ability. Most SCS liches can see invisible creatures, and this cannot be blocked or dispelled. The exception is the Lich Nevaziah in the Lower Tombs as part of Find the Nether Scroll for Edwin questline. 
SCS Liches gain a "Fear Aura" ability, an innate power they may use with a fairly large area of effect. A saving throw with penalty negates the Panic effect, but it is unaffected by spell level protections and magic resistance. 
SCS will also increase the accompanying creatures present with a spawned Lich as part of the High-level spawns (as mentioned above in the main article). There will probably be additional Giant Skeleton Warrior archers and a Bone Golem if the PC is at or above 2M XP. At the highest difficulty a lich spawn is accompanied by Greater Mummy , Bone Golem , Skeleton Warrior and Skeleton Warrior Archer .
SCS adds a Fire Lich to Yaga-Shura's Keep. SCS adds an apprentice lich with Odamaron in Sendai's Enclave.
If the SCS More Consistent Breach component is installed, a level 5 Breach Spell can target a Lich, which it cannot in an unmodified game. However, SCS changes Breach to be blocked by all of the Spell Protection options such as Spell Shield, Spell Deflection, Spell Turning and Spell Trap.
Installing Spell Revisions will change the Liches spells to the SR versions. This is compatible with SCS by design. With SR, several of the "standard" favored mage and lich dueling tactics will differ, as there is no Spell Immunity option (it's now replaced by a "Dispelling Screen"). Both the AI and the party will have more options available to conduct a spell "chess match" with this mod installed.
The Improved Asylum mod adds a lich to Spellhold Bodhi's Hunt Level 2. If the protagonist has 2M XP, the High-level spawn lich will also be present, right across the hallway.
The Quest Pack mod adds a lich to the Western Tunnels in the Underdark.
===Gallery===
LichTimeStopeAlacrity.png|High Level Lich spawn group (2M XP) discovered by scouting thief under Mislead. Lich can see through invisibility, blasts out a Horrid Wilting, then a Time Stop with Improved Alacrity and hits thief with triple Larloch's Minor Drain. Abyssal Gate is also opening.
LichGate.png|Spawn group includes Bone Golems, Greater Mummies, & Skeleton Warriors. Lich has gated in two "Death Knights" as well. Lich can see invisible, and so can the Death Knights. Incoming hostile symbol spell on the way. This could be bad. SCS and SR mods shown.
LichSpawn1.png|Party thief smartly flees the area, but with SCS, enemies pursue, even if the character is outside the detection range. Worse yet, the Lich is gating in a Dark or Fallen Planetar.
FallenPlanetarPursuit.png|The gated Dark Planetar appears nearby the fleeing thief (hundreds of feet away from the summoning Lich). The Planetar is pursuing, sees invisible and moves rapidly. SR mod changes creature's sprite and appearance.
FallenPlantarDuel.png|Party Thief can't outrun the Planetar. Opts to boost survival chance and buy time with a Protection From Magical Weapons cast. Planetar enables Blade Barrier.
LichSpawnOverload.png|Pursuing Undead and Demon Knights catch up to the party member. Demon Knight incapacitates the poor bastard with a Power Word, Stun. As soon as the PfMW runs out it will be curtains for sure. Note, due to the Improved Asylum mod, a second Lich (in the library) added another Dark Planetar to this group. That hardly seems fair.
ImprovedAsylumLich1.png|Opening the library door in the Spellhold Bodhi's Hunt Level 2 dungeon will allow the Improved Asylum mod's added lich to complicate the party's exploration. Especially since the regular spawned lich is right across the hall from it. Basically, two hostile liches to battle at once. For hardcore player challenge seekers only.
2LichesSameTime.png|Another view of 2 liches at the same time encounter with the Improved Asylum mod. This will be a challenge for any party.
== References ==
Category:Enemies