Phylactery (Dungeons & Dragons)

Lich
Illustration of a lich by David A. Trampier from the 1st edition Monster Manual
Characteristics
Alignment	Any evil
Type	Undead
Image	Wizards.com image

The lich /ˈlɪtʃ/ is an undead creature found in the Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) fantasy role-playing game. Liches are spellcasters who seek to defy death by magical means.

The lich was one of the earliest creatures introduced in the D&D game.

For the original D&D rule set, the lich was introduced in its first supplement, Greyhawk (1975). It is described as a skeletal monster that was formerly either a magic-user or a cleric in life. The lich was further developed in Supplement III: Eldritch Wizardry (1976).

In AD&D 1st edition, the lich appears in the first edition Monster Manual (1977), where it is described as having been created with the use of powerful and arcane magic, formerly ultra powerful magic-users now non-human and non-living.

Len Lakofka's article "Blueprint For a Lich," in Dragon #26 (1979), describes a formula for transforming a spellcaster into a lich.

Another form of lich, the demilich, was introduced in Tomb of Horrors (1978) and later appeared in The Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth (1982) and then Monster Manual II (1983).