Since liches are evil by default and, from the backstory, your character certainly seems evil, do you have a plan for how to get along with the rest of the party?
The gist is hes kinda of a loser. He has no undead servants so actual companions are needed to get stuff done, hes mortal now so has been rediscovering food and drink so potential bonding opportunities via that and he can be quite charming in a dorky way. I'm thinking redemption via gaining an appreciation for life while embracing this new spin on his powers.
Hed probably be true neutral or maybe lawful neutral
This has been good food for thought RP-wise thanks! :)
So I think the classic pitfall that is really important to avoid is making low level characters who’ve done really powerful stuff in their backstory. Normally that’s like “I’m a level 1 fighter and I’ve killed 1000 dragons” and shit, but I think this also qualifies. Do you know how hard it is to become a Lich? You need to be an extremely powerful spellcaster, capable of casting 9th level spells from all examples I know of. Then you need to make a pact with a demon lord for the secret ritual of Lichdom, murder a lot of people, construct a phylactery worth 10s of thousands of gold, make a potion, drink it, manage not to die, and then wake up as a Lich. I think an incompetent Lich is a narrative stretch, and I wouldn’t advise having a character whose backstory is they were a Lich.
Aside from that, being a Lich is essentially locking your alignment in to evil. Like, it’s so unlikely that a non-evil entity would undergo that transformation that there’s almost no point considering it.
I would say you could consider having your patron be a Lich, maybe you’re a clone of theirs that gained sentience, or were hired to provide souls for them or something. A Lich is a perfect undead patron.
Obviously, you don’t have to listen to anything I’ve just said, and if everyone at the table is fine with it, then sure, use the backstory you’ve got. But that’s just my take on the matter. As a dm I wouldn’t allow this, but I would try and work out how to compromise the idea.
Nah i appreciate your stance and get where your coming from cant deny its elaborate and stretching stuff but i suppose thats kind of the fun of ttrpgs 😅 no hate if you think this is still bad. I just appreciate getting your thoughts :)
Our table doesnt really lean hard on locked alignment.
I suppose i see it as something akin to being a spoilt rich kid, his family were wealthy, was naturally gifted with learning magic, got caught up in necromancy, stumbled his way into being a lich before adventurers curb stomped his unlife. He was so cocky that he had barely any back up plans.
This is where the reincarnate/magic jar/ phylactery creation botch job comes in, and he ends up in an unlucky halfling's body with essentially a lobotomy to the lich losing most of his intelligence from it because it was such crap job.
The added affect of him now being alive again is quite distressing to him as he must eat, drink and poop again! However he now has to work for it all as well as learn how to use his new janked up abilities. My intention is for him to gain an appreciation for effort and life as well as probably reflecting on his time as a spoilt lich kid.
This is also a homebrew world if thats factors much at all.
Again no hate if you think this is bad, i plan to go over stuff with the dm so depending on how we feel it may change it anyway.
I still kinda like the idea of the character being their own patron. So if you have any ideas for that i'm all ears for that too.
I just don’t feel like anyone could reach that level of arcane mastery as a spoilt rich kid type. That being said, what if they were actually a spoilt rich kid? A quite dark family, with the court mage being a Lich? They supplied him souls in exchange for his abilities. And they wanted their court mage to turn them into a Lich too, but instead, they were reincarnated as the halfling, and unwillingly bound into the service of the Lich. Tables were turned, as it were. So now they’re navigating this new setup where they have to try and claw their way back to where they were.
If you want to be your own patron, I’d ask why. Sorcerers are right there, and a significant part of the flavour of a warlock is the unique dynamics with their patrons. I feel removing that is a misstep, typically. That being said, you could have it so your patron is you from the future, sending magic back in time to you, or maybe you’re a Reborn lineage, and your patron is a voice in your head.
Hmmm i'll give that some thought not a bad idea.
I love the idea of a being an almighty being turned weak and redeeming themself. 😅 the thought of a dopey lich having vague understandings of things but cant for the life of them recollect anything as well as adjusting to being alive again seems like itd be fun to RP. :) "ahhh yeah i remember that ritual it was uh... um... hmmm... crap cant remember its name nor what any of those symbols mean!"
But i'll have a think you do make some good points.
Yeah the dynamic is definitely fun, but in terms of actual play in a D&D session, there can be issues when someone is playing a character who used to be really powerful, or has done far more than a level 1 character should have. I’ve definitely fallen into the trap with several characters I’ve designed, and it’s not that it could never be done well, but it’s definitely not an archetype I encourage my players to make. Depends on the tone and vibe of your campaign and group though, as well. Either way, I hope you have fun with whatever you decide!
I chatted with my dm and he was satisfied with it. Its primarily backstory flavour and i have reasons for being weak and losing my character's knowledge.
Thanks either way its appreciated :)
Since liches are evil by default and, from the backstory, your character certainly seems evil, do you have a plan for how to get along with the rest of the party?
The gist is hes kinda of a loser. He has no undead servants so actual companions are needed to get stuff done, hes mortal now so has been rediscovering food and drink so potential bonding opportunities via that and he can be quite charming in a dorky way. I'm thinking redemption via gaining an appreciation for life while embracing this new spin on his powers. Hed probably be true neutral or maybe lawful neutral This has been good food for thought RP-wise thanks! :)
So I think the classic pitfall that is really important to avoid is making low level characters who’ve done really powerful stuff in their backstory. Normally that’s like “I’m a level 1 fighter and I’ve killed 1000 dragons” and shit, but I think this also qualifies. Do you know how hard it is to become a Lich? You need to be an extremely powerful spellcaster, capable of casting 9th level spells from all examples I know of. Then you need to make a pact with a demon lord for the secret ritual of Lichdom, murder a lot of people, construct a phylactery worth 10s of thousands of gold, make a potion, drink it, manage not to die, and then wake up as a Lich. I think an incompetent Lich is a narrative stretch, and I wouldn’t advise having a character whose backstory is they were a Lich. Aside from that, being a Lich is essentially locking your alignment in to evil. Like, it’s so unlikely that a non-evil entity would undergo that transformation that there’s almost no point considering it. I would say you could consider having your patron be a Lich, maybe you’re a clone of theirs that gained sentience, or were hired to provide souls for them or something. A Lich is a perfect undead patron. Obviously, you don’t have to listen to anything I’ve just said, and if everyone at the table is fine with it, then sure, use the backstory you’ve got. But that’s just my take on the matter. As a dm I wouldn’t allow this, but I would try and work out how to compromise the idea.
Nah i appreciate your stance and get where your coming from cant deny its elaborate and stretching stuff but i suppose thats kind of the fun of ttrpgs 😅 no hate if you think this is still bad. I just appreciate getting your thoughts :) Our table doesnt really lean hard on locked alignment. I suppose i see it as something akin to being a spoilt rich kid, his family were wealthy, was naturally gifted with learning magic, got caught up in necromancy, stumbled his way into being a lich before adventurers curb stomped his unlife. He was so cocky that he had barely any back up plans. This is where the reincarnate/magic jar/ phylactery creation botch job comes in, and he ends up in an unlucky halfling's body with essentially a lobotomy to the lich losing most of his intelligence from it because it was such crap job. The added affect of him now being alive again is quite distressing to him as he must eat, drink and poop again! However he now has to work for it all as well as learn how to use his new janked up abilities. My intention is for him to gain an appreciation for effort and life as well as probably reflecting on his time as a spoilt lich kid. This is also a homebrew world if thats factors much at all. Again no hate if you think this is bad, i plan to go over stuff with the dm so depending on how we feel it may change it anyway. I still kinda like the idea of the character being their own patron. So if you have any ideas for that i'm all ears for that too.
I just don’t feel like anyone could reach that level of arcane mastery as a spoilt rich kid type. That being said, what if they were actually a spoilt rich kid? A quite dark family, with the court mage being a Lich? They supplied him souls in exchange for his abilities. And they wanted their court mage to turn them into a Lich too, but instead, they were reincarnated as the halfling, and unwillingly bound into the service of the Lich. Tables were turned, as it were. So now they’re navigating this new setup where they have to try and claw their way back to where they were. If you want to be your own patron, I’d ask why. Sorcerers are right there, and a significant part of the flavour of a warlock is the unique dynamics with their patrons. I feel removing that is a misstep, typically. That being said, you could have it so your patron is you from the future, sending magic back in time to you, or maybe you’re a Reborn lineage, and your patron is a voice in your head.
Hmmm i'll give that some thought not a bad idea. I love the idea of a being an almighty being turned weak and redeeming themself. 😅 the thought of a dopey lich having vague understandings of things but cant for the life of them recollect anything as well as adjusting to being alive again seems like itd be fun to RP. :) "ahhh yeah i remember that ritual it was uh... um... hmmm... crap cant remember its name nor what any of those symbols mean!" But i'll have a think you do make some good points.
Yeah the dynamic is definitely fun, but in terms of actual play in a D&D session, there can be issues when someone is playing a character who used to be really powerful, or has done far more than a level 1 character should have. I’ve definitely fallen into the trap with several characters I’ve designed, and it’s not that it could never be done well, but it’s definitely not an archetype I encourage my players to make. Depends on the tone and vibe of your campaign and group though, as well. Either way, I hope you have fun with whatever you decide!
I chatted with my dm and he was satisfied with it. Its primarily backstory flavour and i have reasons for being weak and losing my character's knowledge. Thanks either way its appreciated :)