Topic: Lich Spell - RMC2 (Necromancer)

[fabio]

I have a Necromancer character and look forward to reach the 20th level to become a Lich.

But there is a problem here. The Lich spell, at 20th level of the Animate Dead spell list says: "This spell takes 20 days to complete and must be casted 20 times each days at equal time intervals".

20 x 20th level = 400 PP per day!
It is a lot! But the problem is even worse. Even if I reach that amount (with some x4 PP multiplier), it will not be enough.
Spell must be casted at equal intervals, meaning once every 72 minutes.
It is impossible to sleep to recover PPs.
400 PP times 20 days = 8,000 PP!!!

If the spell description is correct, I would need to have 8,000 PP and could not sleep for 20 days!

It must be wrong... or am I missing something?

Thanks

[Skaran]

Don't know the official ruling here, but we decided is should have read is cast once per day for 20 days.
We also had a house rule that if you failed one of these rolls you were immediayely promoted to full dead.

[gog]

The description seems right having read it, on solution I could suggest to allow sleep would be the Open Essence Rune Mastery list to level 30 Lord Rune and a stack of 400 sheets of Rune Paper.

Other solutions could be the Magical Ritual skill. Or to allow for sleep the Mediation secondary skill of Sleep developed to a bonus of above 170, which would only then need an hours sleep to get the benefits from 3.

Personally I'd see becoming a Lich as a major story point, so would want the character to have to do more than just cast it for less then a month (even with the needs outlined below).

[OLF, i.e. Olf Le Fol]

   You know... "Cast 20 times each day at equal time intervals" merely means that, each day, the twenty castings are performed at equal time intervals, not that these intervals are across days. In other words, if a character casts, each day, his twenty spells at a one minute interval, it takes him twenty minutes to cast all of them.

   That being said, mayhap it's the trial to become a lich? I mean, anyone who's able to go without sleep for twenty days has already become a lich!

[Peter R]

Throw in a spell adder as well and that can take some of the burden off the caster each day. The character would also be very vulnerable during that 20 days as he/she would be very depleted in PPs and any accumilated enemies could make the trial of becoming a lich even more challenging.

[Cory Magel]

I'm with Skaran.  I'm pretty sure this is bad wording and that you are supposed to cast the spell a total 20 times over a total of 20 days... i.e. once per day and at equal intervals.  So, say, at midnight 20 days in a row.

[yammahoper]

it would seem blood sacrifices would be in order. say 1 pp per 5hits. an overwhelming blood bath would require 10 or more hits per pp.

[Arioch]

Don't forget runes!
He could have some rune papers prepared in advance to help him during the process.

[Warl]

I personally like it being hard, being 20 times a day for 20 days.... Means they would need to be very powerful, have powerful Items, or prepared way ahead of time gather multiple power storage devices to get it done.

[Peter R]

I personally like it being hard, being 20 times a day for 20 days.... Means they would need to be very powerful, have powerful Items, or prepared way ahead of time gather multiple power storage devices to get it done.

And would be very vulnerable.

[Skaran]

I like the idea of this spell requiring additional items, so apart from cast once a day for 20 days you need to add a sentient sacrifice once a day for 20 days as well. Perhaps representing the draining of their life essence into the spell as well. Of course aquiring appropriate sacrifices is likely to draw attention. Then add in it has to be a holy day dedicated to the lord of the dark dead etc.

In my world of Karnorthe this would be a night dedicated to the god Sharkan. In addition Arillan the queen of the dead is not happy with necromancers and undead as it keeps them from her realm. She has a special place put aside for when they eventually are slain and enter her realm.

[Peter R]

I have been thinking about this today and Warl is correct, runes will not work as the spell is 'cast' when the rune is created now when it is released as the rune is read.

The answer to casting 20 20th level spells each day I think is the channeling skill. If the wannabe lich had sufficient minions from which to draw power then he or she could cast any number of spells each day even without resting. The key then is preparation as you would need enough minions with enough power to share and they would all need training in channeling.