Can a Witch Become a Lich?
A question that has intrigued Pathfinder enthusiasts for a long time: can a witch, a powerful practitioner of magical arts, become a lich, an immortal creature with mastery over darkness and death? The answer to this question is shrouded in mystery, requiring a deep dive into the world of Pathfinder mechanics, lore, and rules. Buckle up, adventurers!
Direct Answer
To straighten things out, according to the article from _https://www.vintageisthenewold.com/, a lich is not a specific class in the game, but rather a type of undead resulting from a witch or warlock’s attempt to cheat death with sorcerous means. Therefore, a witch can technically become a lich by trying to cheat death, fulfilling the requirements for the transform.
What Constitutes a Lich?
Before we delve deeper, let’s clarify what is meant by "a type of undead." According to the Pathfinder lore, liches are ancient entities that have achieved longevity through necromancy or other dark magical practices, often at the expense of their humanity. To put it simply, becoming a lich involves making pacts with malevolent powers, sacrificing one’s natural life force, and essentially becoming a reanimated, immortal corpse.
Breaking Down the Requirements
- Sorcerous means: The source indicates that a lich transforms from a witch or warlock who uses dark arts to cheat death.
- Undead creature type: Liches occupy the undead creature type.
- Mechanical advantages: Liches would retain their existing mechanics while gaining new ones. Key benefits include immunity to a range of negative conditions (e.g., curses), increased resistance to fire damage, and a significantly decreased need for food, air, and sleep.
Pathfinder Rules Clarified
To provide some foundation for this hypothetical conversion:
- Warlocks with the Lich trait: Warlocks who meet this trait’s prerequisites may add the Lich feature during character creation, specifically allowing them to begin play as an undead being.
- Racial traits and inheritance rules: Inheriting supernatural traits from ancestors could hypothetically grant the Aberrant Mind trait to a witch or warlock, potentially setting the wheels in motion for an unconventional transformation.
Finessing the Process
Some caveats are crucial: the specific lich transformation process varies per instance, and certain plot details might influence the resulting condition. Additionally, consider discussing the moral implications, in-game consequences, and even the potential backlash from alignment shifts when negotiating a "deal with darkness." You may want to use feats, spells, and external sources to craft this unsettling transformation.
Other Contenders for a "Twitch" into Darkness?
While a direct transmutation into a lich might not be accessible from the witch class per se, other mechanics in-game could facilitate this metamorphosis:
- Wild Empathy: Through manipulation with Wild Empathy and telepathic pacts with malevolent entities, the witch could establish ties and potentially curate life force from their "mentor" to compensate for their own lost life. This could ultimately pave a path toward immortality under the right circumstances.
- Demonic bargains: By gleaning power from the Hierarchy of Hell (Pact of the Xlaw), a witch or other spellcaster might inadvertently accelerate their own downfall. Through this pact, a desperate witch could be co-opted into an even stronger, more powerful iteration that blurs the lines of mortality.
Take-Aways and Final Remarks
In conclusion, with persistence and creative use of Pathfinders mechanics and loopholes, it is indeed possible for a witch (or warlock) to become a lich. However, tread warily, for delving into the depths of despair and darkness carries tremendous peril. Remember, game outcomes are shaped by players and DMs, not mechanical rules alone.
Consider potential consequences, weigh risks with benefits, and make intelligent choices to maintain roleplayer satisfaction. After all, the true strength of Dungeons & Dragons lies not merely in the game, but in the connections you weave between characters, friends, and the game master creating the world together. Good luck, and May Your Dice Roll Fair and Lich-ly!
References:
https://www.vintageisthenewold.com/fa
https://paizo.com/pathfinder