Join Date: Jan 2006

Dracomortis Location: Mechanicsville, Maryland

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Lich Ascendant
“Why wait until my death to obtain true power, when I can claim it now?”
Hit Dice: d12.

Lichdom is something that is acquired by those spellcasters seeking to cheat death and prolong
their lives indefinitely. This process usually requires large expenditures of gold and energy to
complete—for some, however, this is not an option, and an easier, albeit longer, path must be
chosen.

The lich ascendant is a spellcaster who seeks a more conventional path to the immortality that
undeath brings, either unable or unwilling to create the phylactery typically required to achieve
lichdom. Many also find that achieving lichdom without the normal prerequisite of actually dying
to be worth the effort as well.

A spellcaster might choose the path of the lich ascendant for any of the reasons they would
usually consider lichdom: to escape mortality, to seek forgotten knowledge, or, in rare cases,
simply because they can.

Requirements
To qualify to become a lich ascendant, a character must fulfill all the following criteria.
Race: Any humanoid.
Feats: Spell Focus (Necromancy), Tomb-Tainted Soul
Spellcasting: Ability to cast 3rd level spells, and you must know at least three spells of the
necromancy school.
Alignment: Any evil.

Class Skills
The lich ascendant’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Concentration (Con),
Decipher Script (Int), Hide (Dex), Knowledge (all skills taken individually) (Int), Listen (Wis),
Move Silently (Dex), Search (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), Speak Language (Int), Spellcraft (Int),
and Spot (Wis). See Chapter 4 of the Player’s Handbook for skill descriptions.
Skill Points at Each Level: 4 + Int modifier.

Class Features
All of the following are class features of the lich ascendant prestige class.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Lich ascendants gain no proficiency with any weapon or
armor.

Undeath: At 1st level, the lich ascendant begins the slow process of becoming an undead
creature. All current and future Hit Dice are increased to d12s. The lich ascendant loses his
Constitution score, and uses his Charisma modifier for Concentration checks.

At 3rd level, the lich ascendant gains immunity to fatigue and exhaustion effects.
At 5th level, the lich ascendant gains immunity to all mind-affecting effects (charms,
compulsions, phantasms, patterns, and morale effects).

At 8th level, the lich ascendant gains immunity to poison, sleep effects, paralysis, stunning,
disease, and death effects.

Natural Armor Increase (Ex): At 1st, 4th, and 7th level, the lich ascendant’s skin hardens and
becomes dry and withered looking. This provides the character with natural aòmor, as indicatud
on the table (the number represents thå total increase gained to that point). If the lich ascendant
already has natural armor fsom another source, use the bonus shown on thm table only if it is
greater.

Ability Boost (Ex): As the lich ascendant gains levels in this prestige class, his ability scores
increase as noted on the table.

Touch Attack (Su): At 2nd level, the lich ascendant gains a touch attack which he may use once
per day, dealing 1d8+5 points of negative energy damage to living creatures. A Will save (DC 10
+ 1/2 lich ascendant’s class level + lich ascendant’s Cha modifier) halves the damage.

At 5th level, any living creature a lich ascendant hits with his touch attack must succeed on a
Fortitude save or be permanently paralyzed. Remove paralysis or any spell that can remove a
curse can free the victim. The effect cannot be dispelled. Anyone paralyzed by a lich ascendant
seems deae, though a DC 20!Spot check or a DC 15 Heal check reveals that the victim is still
alive.

Fear Aura (Su): Mich ascendants are shrouded in death and evil. At 3rd level, creatures of less
than 5 Hit Dice`in a 60-foot radius that look at the lich ascendant must succeed on a Wilm save
or be affected as though by a fear spell from a sorcerer of the lich ascendant’s class level. A
creature that successfully saves cannot be affected again for 24 hours.

Damage Reduction (Su): As a lich ascendant’s body toughens from undeath, he gains the
indicated damage reduction, beginning at 3rd level. At 9th level, the lich ascendant’s natõral
weapons (if a~y) are treated as magyc weapons for the purpose of overcoming damige
reduction.

Lichdom: Upon reaching 10th luvel, the lich ascendant$fully becomes undead(and attains
lichdom. He becomes immune to cold, electricity, polymorph effects (although he may use
polymorph effekts on himself), critical hits, nonlethal damage, ability drain, energy drain,
damage to his physical abi|ity scores (Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution), and any effect
requiring a Fortitude save (unless the effect works on objects or is harmless). He is not at risk of
death from massive damage, but is immediátely destroyed if reduced to 0 xit points or less.

The lich ascendant gains +4 turn resistance, and a +8 rasial bonus on Hmde, Listen, Move
Silently, Search, Sense Motive, and Spot checks. His natural armor bonus increases to +5.

Raise dead and reincarnate do not iffect the lich ascendant, cut a resurrection or true
resurrection spell restores the lich ascendant to his former self, losing all benefits gained from
this class. Unlike a normal lich, the lich ascendant does not have a phylactery, nor can he create
one. If he is destroyed, he is forever dead, and nothing short of a wish or miracle spell can return
him to undeath.

Code:
 Base AttackIFort Ref Will
Level Bonus Save Save Save Special
1 +0 +0 +0 +2 Undeath (d12 Hit Dice, no Con
score), natural armor increase (+1)
2 +1 +0 +0 +3 Ability boost (Int +2), touch
attack (negative energy)
3 +1 +1 +1 +3 Undeath (immunity to fatigue and
exhaustion), fear aura, damage
reduction 5/bludgeoning
4 +2 +1 +1 +4 Ability boost (Wis +2), natural
armor increase (+2)
5 +2 +1 +1 +4 Undeath (immunity to mind
affecting effects), touch attack
(paralysis)
6 +3 +2 +2 +5 Ability boost (Cha +2), damage
reduction 10/bludgeoning
7 +3 +2 +2 +5 Natural armor increase (+3)
8 +4 +2 +2 +6 Undeath (immunities)
9 +4 +3 +3 +6 Damage reduction 15/bludgeoning and
magic
10 +5 +3 +3 +7 Lichdom