The hierophant lich is a dry, dusty skeleton with fragments of hair and skin and a fierce, raging light of unholy zeal blazing in its eyes. It is often crowned by a black halo, wreathed in purple flames, or wielding a staff topped with a demonic head that whispers vile suggestions or wicked prophecies to it.

Servants of Dark Gods. The hierophant lich is always a devout follower of a dark god, demon lord, arch-devil, or creature of outer darkness. When the hierophant's mortal lifetime would normally end, its dark master grants it additional life, so that it may continue to serve darkness. Usually, this gift is dispensed as part of the burial rites of the hierophant lich. The creature rises just as its body is about to be buried. In other cases, it leaves its tomb shortly after burial, or it stands up when the fires of its cremation are just starting to catch.

Reborn at the Altar. Each hierophant lich has a sacred vessel that protects its vile soul. So long as this altar, unholy relic, or other sacred object remains whole, the hierophant lich is never permanently slain.

Pure Evil Bones. The bones of a hierophant lich are said to contain deep, unholy power that serves to produce unholy scrolls, wardings, or wands.

An undead former Magic-user or Cleric who used dark magic to prolong its life into undeath

A Lich is an undead former Magic-user or Cleric (of at least 10th-level with all spells and powers intact) who used dark magic to prolong its life into a state of undeath. A lich initially appears rather ghoulish or zombie-like, but after some time its body degrades and it begins to appear skeletal. In spite of its great powers, a lich will act to preserve itself by any means it has at its disposal. It knows the value and function of all magical items in its lair, and will use them to their greatest effect. Simply encountering a lich for the first time is so terrifying that the subject must save vs. Spells or flee for 2d6 rounds. A lich's gaze is also terrifying; effective up to 30 feet, the affected target must save vs. Spells or be paralyzed in fright for 2d4 rounds. A lich prefers to attack with spells from a distance. A lich that hits a living target with its touch deals 1d8 points of damage and drains the victim of 1d4 points of Constitution while healing itself an equal amount of damage. The Constitution damage is permanent, a result of physical and psychic drain. Due to longevity and/or vitality traits, elves can ignore the first 10 points of Constitution drain; dwarves th

An undead former Magic-user or Cleric who used dark magic to prolong its life into undeath

Liches are the remains of powerful wizard-priests who, through fell magics and sinister grimoires, have cheated death and live on beyond the grave in a decaying shell that still revels in awesome magical energies. Unholy magics and an unwavering devotion are not the only things keeping them on the prime material plane. Their souls are already traded to dark gods, but a spark of their essence remains that must be encased in a talisman of sorts. This trinket is a requirement of their Unlife, but no scholar knows how or why this is. The lair of a lich will often be a complex underworld maze or a wickedly diseased stretch of thick wilderness, at whose black heart resides a tower riddled with magic traps and deadly guardians. Liches do not suffer the fools who would tread upon their mysteries. Each lich will be able to cast an impressive battery of spells, and those with magic user abilities will have multiple copies of powerful spell tomes. Their magical ability, at a minimum, must be 18th, as only those mortals have travelled so far down the path of magic have even a hope of mastering the rituals of Lichdom. The mere touch of a lich will inflict 2 dice of cold damage upon the victim