Good lich

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Infobox D&D creature
name=Good Lich
alignment=Neutral good
type=Undead.
subtype=
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wizards_image_URL=http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/mof_gallery/MonFaePG90.jpg
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In the "Dungeons & Dragons" fantasy role-playing game, a lich is a form of evil undead.

A lich was once a powerful wizard that has prolonged his life, beyond its natural span. He becomes undead by using powerful evil magic, dark rituals or ceremonies. (These spells and rituals are undocumented in the game itself, as they are simply a plot device for explaining the existence of the lich.) The prospective lich creates a special item, called a "phylactery" or "lich's phylactery", that houses the lich's lifeforce. It is usually little more than a hard iron box containing components created during the spell or ritual, but is often other small items such as rings or amulets. The lich, now undead and immortal, will hide, protect and/or trap his phylactery. Unless the phylactery is destroyed the lich lives on forever and, even if temporarily slain, will return to existence after only a few days. (Where the lich goes during this state of non-existence is also undocumented, although it is thought the liches soul is within the phylactery.) Liches are typically evil and go on living, performing evil deeds and gaining in power. Unlike "vampires", liches have no need to feed on the living. Unlike zombies or other forms of undead they retain their extensive intelligence, thus making them formidable game adversaries.

In a typical "D&D" campaign, liches are evil, power-hungry arcane or divine spell casters (of at least 11th level and typically wizards, sorcerers, or clerics) who have, as noted, cheated death by turning themselves into undead. The D&D 3.5 Monster Manual, a core D&D rule book, emphatically states that liches are always evil.

However, good liches are presented in the D&D Monster Compendium: Monsters of Faerûn, a supplementary rule book for the D&D 3.0 rules (an earlier edition of the D&D game). They aren't specific to only the "Forgotten Realms" campaign setting. Good liches differ from evil liches in that they have sought undeath for a noble cause, to protect a place, a loved one, or to pursue an important quest. Becoming a lich is an ardious task and can never be forced upon an individual.

Aside from the alignment (D&D's measuring stick of whether a character or monster is good or bad), there is little difference between good liches and evil liches. They have much the same abilities and characteristics, although a few have additional abilities. Good liches, for example do not exude the aura of fear evil liches do and clerics (i.e. priests) interact with them differently.

Naturally, good liches can not be evil; they must be of a good or neutral (neither good nor bad) alignment.