Lichcraft F.A.Q. (version 6 of "Lycanthropy and Lichcraft")
by thePOSTALdude


Q: What is a lich?
A: A lich is a powerful spellcaster, usually an evil mage, who has prolonged his/her mortal existence beyond natural life by magical means. (i.e. Liches are "undead".) Liches are immune to many human weaknesses such as aging, hunger, diseases or poison as they are not limited by a fully functional human body with certain needs, their true form being either a corpse or a skeleton. They can however be destroyed. The state of being a lich is called Lichdom. The process of becoming a lich is called Lichcraft.

Q: How do I become a lich?
A: First, you will need acquire a necromancer's book called the "Tome of Unlife". In the un-modded Oblivion, you could only find it in the haunted Benirus Manor in Anvil. Well, you can now buy it (or steal it) from Mach-Na's Bookstore in Cheydinhal. Get it and you can begin the Lichcraft quest. Your journal will be updated.

Q: Are there any requirements? The journal entry says I need more knowledge and experience in the magical arts.
A: Yes, and here are the minimum requirements:

* Level 25
* 75 Intelligence
* 75 Willpower
* 75 Mysticism
* 50 Conjuration
* 50 Destruction
* 50 Illusion
* 25 Alchemy
* 25 Alteration
* 25 Restoration

Q: Now what?
A: Now make sure that book is still in your inventory and you should be getting a journal update. You must now choose your path, you can become either a Nether, a Spectral or a Dread lich. You will need to acquire some items first:

For Nether Lich: Mort Flesh, Bonemeal, Skull and Nightshade
For Spectral Lich: Daedra Heart, Spiddal Stick, Harrada and Dragon's Tongue
For Dread Lich: Glow Dust, Vampire Dust, Ectoplasm and a (normal) Silver Claymore
Regardless of lich type you will also need: An (unused) Black Soul Gem, a Flawless Emerald, a (blank) Parchment and an Hourglass.

When you have the items, you will be able to enchant the parchment and obtain a scroll. It will be called Nether Scroll, Spectral Scroll or Dread Scroll, depending on what items were used. The process will consume all the other items, except the hourglass. The game does this automatically, but only if you're not in combat. You can obtain all three scrolls if you want, but you may only use one. After that, the other two will no longer have any effect on you, but you can sell them for extra gold instead.

Q: Can I obtain two or more Nether/Spectral/Dread Scrolls for example?
A: No.

Q: Can I create a scroll after I've already used another?
A: No, if you want to obtain all three scrolls, do it before you use one.

Q: What happens after I use a scroll?
A: First of all, make sure you keep the hourglass in your inventory, otherwise you will die. If you do have the hourglass in your inventory, the process will begin and in about 9 game days your transformation into a lich will be complete. During this time you may experience some creepy dreams. Also never drop, sell or give away the hourglass, it's supposed to temporarily contain your soul. Never try to enchant objects with it either.

Q: Where can I find black soul gems?
A: Valcom, a vampire mage of Clan Raelu has a respawnable supply. The Lich Queen of Anoralata from the Tools of Kagrenac plug-in also has some black soul gems. You can also kill and loot necromancers, some might have these gems. Or, just type "player.additem 00000192 1" in the console. (Press the "`" button.)

Q: I have all the items but I'm still not getting a journal update. What's wrong?
A: You might have acquired unique items like Bloodcrust vampire dust or Falcar's black soul gems, it doesn't work that way. You need regular items.

Q: What special abilities do liches have?
A: Here is a complete list:

1) Common Abilities (for all liches)

* Constant: +30 Intelligence and Willpower
* Constant: +5 Agility, Endurance, Speed and Strength
* Constant: -15 Luck and Personality
* Constant: +25 Alchemy, Alteration, Conjuration, Destruction, Illusion, Mysticism and Restoration
* Constant: +5 Sneak, Hand To Hand, Athletics and Acrobatics
* Constant: +75 Health
* Constant: +150 Fatigue
* Constant: +200 Magicka
* Constant: +5 Shield
* Constant: 100% Resist Disease
* Constant: 100% Resist Poison
* Constant: 10% Resist Magic
* Constant: Water Breathing
* Constant: 5% Spell Absortion
* Constant: 5% Reflect Spell
* Constant: 25% Resist Normal Weapons
* Constant: 125% Weakness to Fire
* Constant: 25% Resist Paralysis
* Constant: 20 Holy Ground Damage (Player will take damage while in any chapel, including the Temple of the One and the Weynon Priory chapel, although excluding the Weynon Priory house. Can be countered with Malefic Aura.)
* Constant: Immunity to Hunger (At least the Modular Oblivion Enhanced hunger...)
* Constant: Immunity to Vampirism (It is possible to contract Porphyric Hemophilia even with the 100% Resist Disease, but it will never develop into vampirism.)
* Constant: Immunity to Lycanthropy
* Power: Spellcraft (Not Free)
* Power: Enchantment (Not Free)
* Power: Conceal True Nature (The exact details vary from one lich type to another, this basically makes the lich appear human for a short time so he can interact with other NPCs normally. The effect will also immediately cease if the lich is slain.)
* Power: Reveal True Nature (Regain Skeletal Form: Has no effect if you're not using "Conceal True Nature"...)
* Power: Death and Decay (Damage Health 50 Points / 20 Seconds / Touch)
* Power: Spiritual Domination (Command Creature or Humanoid / Max. Level 75 / 45 Seconds / Touch)
* Lesser Power / 50 Magicka: Deathraiser (Reanimation / 45 Seconds / Touch)
* Lesser Power / 5 Magicka: Enslave (Soul Trap / 20 Seconds / Target)
* Lesser Power / 10 Magicka: Lesser Spirit (Summon Ghost / 30 Seconds)
* Lesser Power / 5 Magicka: Lesser Guardian (Summon Skeleton / 30 Seconds)
* Lesser Power / 10 Magicka: Lesser Daedra (Summon Scamp / 30 Seconds)
* Lesser Power / 300 Magicka: Malefic Aura (Resist Holy Ground Damage 20 Points / 20 Seconds / Self )
* Physical Apperance: Skeleton

Note: None of the liches have a "philactery", as the Oblivion lore does not require this. If you have played through the Dark Brotherhood questline, you will know what I'm talking about. Also, all lich powers and lesser powers are immune to silence.

2) Nether Lich Abilities

* Constant: +15 Agility
* Constant: +10 Speed and Willpower
* Constant: +20 Acrobatics, Illusion and Sneak
* Constant: +15 Marksman, Mercantile and Speechcraft
* Constant: +5 Conjuration
* Constant: 15 Sun Damage (Can be countered with Cloak of Darkness.)
* Power: Black Doom (Create Black Soul Gem; These gems can be used to trap souls of humanoids.)
* Power: Conceal True Nature (Human Form / 600 Seconds, +25 Personality / 300 Seconds, +5 Speechcraft and Mercantile / 300 Seconds)
* Power: Deathwaker (Reanimation / 450 Seconds / Touch)
* Power: Discord (Frenzy / Max. Level 75 / 45 Seconds / Target)
* Power: Cloak of Darkness (Resist Sun Damage 15 Points / 300 Seconds / Self)
* Power: Insidious Touch (Frost Damage 30 Points / 10 Seconds / Touch)
* Power: Demonic Servant (Summon Zombie / 120 Seconds)
* Power: Headless Servant (Summon Headless Zombie / 120 Seconds)
* Power: Lesser Minion (Summon Skeleton / 120 Seconds)
* Power: Nether Guardian (Summon Skeleton Guardian / 120 Seconds)
* Power: Nether Champion (Summon Skeleton Champion / 120 Seconds)
* Power: The Chosen One (Summon Skeleton Hero / 120 Seconds)
* Item: Nether Black Robe (Unenchanted, unenchantable and unremovable; It won't even appear in your inventory, but it is temporarily removed when you change to human form.)
* Item: Nether Black Hood (Enchanted: +25 Sneak and 100 Feather)
* Item: Nether Amulet (Enchanted: 0.5x Fortify Magicka Multiplier, +25 Frost Shield, 5% Reflect Damage and 25% Resist Paralysis)
* Item: Nether Scythe (One strike does a little more damage than any unenchanted Daedric weapon, it is also harder to break. However, it's also much harder to swing due to its size... Enchanted: Soul Trap / 20 Seconds)

3) Spectral Lich Abilities

* Constant: +15 Intelligence and Willpower
* Constant: +20 Alchemy, Alteration, Conjuration, Destruction, Illusion, Mysticism and Restoration
* Constant: 15 Rain Damage (Will work only if there is at least 50% rain and if you are not in an interior. It cannot be countered by any special lich power. You can however use the Elemental Staff from my plug-in "New Staffs, Blight and Ashstorms" and change the weather.)
* Power: Enslaver's Ritual (Create Grand Soul Gem)
* Power: Conceal True Nature (Human Form / 450 Seconds)
* Power: Spectral Manipulation (Telekinesis / 80 Feet / 15 Seconds)
* Power: Hellfire (Fire Damage 30 Points / 10 Seconds / Target)
* Power: Minion of Oblivion (Summon Clannfear / 120 Seconds)
* Power: Aid of the Daedroth (Summon Daedroth / 120 Seconds)
* Power: Servant of Oblivion (Summon Xivilai / 120 Seconds)
* Power: Black Widow (Summon Spider Daedra / 120 Seconds)
* Power: Deathbringer (Summon Dremora / 120 Seconds)
* Power: Oblivion's Fury (Summon Dremora Lord / 120 Seconds)
* Item: Spectral Robe (Unenchanted, unenchantable and unremovable; It won't even appear in your inventory, but it is temporarily removed when you change to human form.)
* Item: Spectral Crown (Used as armour and is very hard to break. Enchanted: 10% Resist Magic, +5 Frost, Fire and Shock Shield)
* Item: Spectral Amulet (Enchanted: 0.5x Fortify Magicka Multiplier, 10% Relfect Spell, 10% Spell Absortion and 10% Reflect Damage)
* Item: Spectral Sceptre (This is a staff. Enchanted: 75% Weakness to Magic / 30 Seconds, 5 Damage Agility, 5 Damage Endurance and 5 Damage Willpower)

4) Dread Lich Abilities

* Constant: +15 Strength
* Constant: +10 Endurance
* Constant: +5 Agility and Speed
* Constant: +30 Destruction
* Constant: +25 Blade and Blunt
* Constant: +15 Block
* Constant: +10 Alchemy and Heavy Armour
* Constant: 15 Water Damage (Can be countered with Aqua Shield.)
* Power: Soulkeeper (Create Greater Soul Gem)
* Power: Conceal True Nature (Human Form / 450 Seconds)
* Power: Aqua Shield (Resist Water Damage 15 Points / 240 Seconds / Self)
* Power: Burst (Shock Damage 30 Points / 10 Seconds / Target)
* Power: Shatter (Disintegrate Armour 250 Points / Target and Disintegrate Weapon 250 Points / Target)
* Power: Call of the Wild (Summon Bear / 120 Seconds)
* Power: Ancestral Servant (Summon Ghost / 120 Seconds)
* Power: Menace (Summon Faded Wraith / 120 Seconds)
* Power: Nemesis (Summon Gloom Wraith / 120 Seconds)
* Item: Dread Boots and Gauntlets (They look like Ebony armour only they're stronger and very hard to break. Unenchanted, unenchantable and unremovable; They won't even appear in your inventory or encumber you, but they are temporarily removed when you change to human form. They are automatically repaired when you change forms.)
* Item: Dread Crown (Used as armour and is very hard to break. Enchanted: +30 Health, +60 Fatigue and +10 Shield)
* Item: Dread Shield (Ebony in appearance, only much stronger and very hard to break. Enchanted: +5 Heavy Armour, +5 Block, 10% Reflect Damage and +10 Shield)
* Item: Dread Amulet (Enchanted: 0.2x Fortify Magicka Multiplier, 5% Reflect Damage and 25% Resist Normal Weapons)
* Item: Dread Blade (Daedric in appearance, only much stronger and very hard to break. Enchanted: 15 Fire Damage / 5 Seconds and 5 Damage Endurance)

Q: Is Lichdom compatible with Vampirism or Lycanthropy?
A: No, you'll be automatically cured of both when you become a lich. (You'll also be cured of any other diseases that you may have and you health will be restored.) You'll also become immune to both diseases.

Q: I'm a werewolf, my character won't turn into a lich even though I did everything! What's wrong?
A: A lich transformation will never occur while you are in your werewolf form. Just wait until morning. This was done to eliminate potential bugs, especially with bounties getting mixed up.

Q: What about the custom Vampirism or Lycanthropy from other Oblivion mods?
A: I don't recommend this at all. Trying to be both a lich and a custom vampire/werewolf at the same time could really bug your game. Plus, in theory liches are no longer living humans so they should not be able to contract human diseases.

Q: Will I sound like a lich?
A: Yes, but in your human form you will actually sound human.

Q: How will Oblivion characters react to liches?
A: As usual, creatures will try to kill you. As for NPCs, they really hate liches. Civilians will refuse to talk to them and guards will try to kill them on the spot. You can only interact with Dark Brotherhood members, Daedric Lords, ghosts (Forlorn Watchman, Undead Blades etc.), some Mythic Dawn members (Raven Camoran, Ruma Camoran, Mankar Camoran and Harrow), "friendly" Dremora and several other evil characters like the King of Worms or the Lich Queen from "Tools of Kagrenac - The Secret of White Gold Tower" plug-in. You could interact with Clan Raelu too, but liches can never become vampires.

Q: Do liches have a seperate bounty like the Gray Fox has?
A: Yes, there is a bounty for you lich form, a bounty for your werewolf form and a bounty for you human form (the default one). Don't worry too much about bounties getting mixed up though. But I would recommend that you take off the Gray Fox cowl before changing forms. There is a chance of bounties getting mixed up.

Q: What if someone sees me changing forms?
A: Nobody will remember anything due to the magic.

Q: Are liches immune to apple poison too?
A: Not completely, but the effect goes away in a matter of milliseconds. The damage will probably be of 1 health point at best.

Q: The game won't let me change clothes and armour anymore, what's going on?
A: Due to limitations of the Oblivion Construction Set, it was impossible to add a lich model that could wear any type of clothes or armour. I won't bore you with details but you can only wear rings, amulets, hoods, the Gray Fox cowl and helmets that don't cover your entire face, except Bound Armour. In your human form however, you can wear anything you want.

Q: So can I use Bound Armour spells?
A: Yes, but only those that use the original Bethesda Bound Armour script. There are still some issues with it, just nothing too significant. Don't hesitate to use Bound Armour spells if you find them useful.

Q: Why did you merge this with Lycanthropy?
A: Because the script that turns you into a lich needs to contain a cure for it too, in case you might have it. I could not do this without merging them. Don't worry about it, both features can simply be ignored. Besides, merged or not, compatibility level with other mods practically remains the same.

Q: Can you please add a spell that destroys everything within 1000 feet?
A: I dunno, someone might get hurt. But seriously, Modular Oblivion Enhanced isn't a cheat mod.

Q: Is this compatible with O.O.O., U.O.P. and M.M.M.?
A: Yes. "Play the game and ask questions later."

Q: Any known issues, bugs?
A:
1) Possible bug when a script force-equips an object on you (like the Bands of the Chosen in Paradise) in your lich form.
2) As a lich, avoid going to jail in human form if possible. Bounties might get mixed up.
3) Take off the Gray Fox cowl before changing forms. Bounties might get mixed up.
4) Don't try to equip pants or greaves while wearing Bound Cuirass and no Bound Greaves. Also, don't try to equip a shirt or a cuirass while wearing Bound Greaves and no Bound Cuirass.