Lich

Version 0.28: This article may not be up to date for the latest stable release of Crawl.

lich L
HP	52-107
HD	20
XP	1751
Speed	10
AC	10
EV	10
Will	∞
Attack1	15 (touch: drain experience)
Resistances	rC++ rPois+++ rDrown rMiasma rN+++ rTorm
Vulnerabilities	Holy
Habitat	Land
Intelligence	Human
Uses	Open doors
Holiness	Undead
Size	Medium
Type	lich, lich
Flags	Evil See invisible Speaks Unbreathing

A powerful wizard who has learned to cheat death itself, now existing as a skeletal, desiccated corpse kept intact by a mighty exercise of dark magic.

Useful Info

Liches are extremely powerful casters, and easily one of the nastiest creatures in the game. Their spell set includes extremely lethal Conjurations and a debilitating Slow that make them a concern for all but the mightiest adventurers. If the RNG is on their side, they're capable of one-shotting wounded or recklessly low-level characters.

Liches can be found throughout the Depths, the Vaults, the Abyss, the Crypt, the Tomb, and the Realm of Zot.

Spells

Tile	Name	Damage	Range	Flags
	Bolt of Cold	3d29	5	Wizard flag
	Orb of Destruction	9d18	LOS	Wizard flag
	Haste	—	—	Wizard flag
	Slow	—	LOS	Wizard flag
	Invisibility	—	—	Wizard flag

Tips & Tricks

• Melee fighters should use corners to lure them next to you, or a scroll of blinking to get into range immediately.
• Their HP and defenses are low enough that a strong offense can defeat one in two or three hits. Weapons of Holy wrath and Dispel Undead can speed this up even more, particularly while buffed.
• Silence limits the lich to using its melee attack. While this does have a draining effect, it is still preferable to a lich that can cast spells.
• Throwing nets are very useful against liches. Hitting one at the edge of your line of sight with one guarantees it won't be able to follow you for several turns, allowing a fairly safe escape. Hitting one in melee range will make it vulnerable to stabbing attempts, allowing Short Blades specialists to make very short work of them.

History

• Prior to 0.27, liches could have one of several spell sets:
  • Bolt of Cold (3d29), Force Lance (3d22), Summon Greater Demon, Slow, Invisibility
  • Bolt of Draining (3d27), Poison Arrow (3d27), Haunt, Banishment, Haste
  • Bolt of Fire (3d29), Iron Shot (3d34), Summon Greater Demon, Confuse, Invisibility
  • Corrosive Bolt (3d23), Lehudib's Crystal Spear (3d40), Petrify, Haste
  • Lightning Bolt (3d24), Orb of Destruction (9d17), Paralyze, Haste
• Prior to 0.18, liches had randomized spell sets.
• Prior to 0.16, liches would generate with one of four predetermined spell sets.