Lich Armor

A development of the spirit armor spell, this spell surrounds the wizard with a portion of his own life essence, which appears as a black shroud of shadow that mystically flows around his body. It guards the caster against both magical and non-magical weapons and attacks, without hindering movement or interfering with spellcasting. The spell protects the caster as well as plate armor (base AC 3), with a +3 bonus to saving throws against magical attacks, and is cumulative with spells and protective devices that add to a base AC.

At the end of the spell, the caster must attempt a saving throw vs. spell or temporarily lose a portion of the life energy used to create the lich armor. Failure inflicts 2d6 points of damage. Hit points lost in this fashion can be restored only through magical healing.

Notes: Uncommon for necromancers and undead spellcasters; otherwise very rare. Originally from the Ravenloft setting.

Stavros of the Skulls' final spell created for the lords of Waterdeep is his most potent creation. By marshaling their own life forces, wizards can surround their bodies and handheld items or weapons with a shining blue radiance known as a life field. Once summoned, the spell remains in effect without concentration, allowing the mage to attack or cast further spells. If the caster attacks undead with a weapon covered in a life field, weapon damage is doubled in addition to the caster's level in points of damage (that is, a 7th-level mage's quarterstaff wrapped in a life field deals 2d6+7 points of damage to undead). Missile weapons act normally since they move beyond the field's range. If undead simply come into contact with a life field (that is, not one used jointly with an attack, or a hand-to-hand attack against someone with an active life field), they must make a saving throw or take damage equal to the caster's level due to living energy counteracting their undead state.

While this spell does not affect living creatures (damage dealt is normal), further research has uncovered the reverse of this spell, death field, which is now in use by a number of evil mages including Stavros. All the effects visited upon undead are now usable on living targets; the death field is a shimmering, dark purple field of energy. The Watch-Wizards of Waterdeep have been instructed to arrest anyone seen using this version of the spell.

Notes: Known to Stavros of the Skulls and the Watch-Wizards and Guild of Waterdeep in the Forgotten Realms setting; uncommon.

Upon completion of this long and highly versatile incantation, the caster permanently transfers a creature's life force (even his or her own) into a specially fabricated item, a magical receptacle, or the body of another individual.

Once the transfer has been completed, the subject's body falls into a cataleptic state, and remains in a death-like trance or coma for 2 to 7 days. Unless the subject's life force is reunited with the body during that time, the body dies, and the life force is permanently trapped within the physical object or new body. While in the physical receptacle, the creature can perform any action permitted by the new form. In an item such as a ring or a sword, the subject can communicate with the user when the receptacle is held or worn properly. The extent of communication depends on the subject's Intelligence (see table).

Int | Communication ------+-------------- 3-11 | None 12-13 | Semi-Empathy 14-16 | Empathy 17+ | Telepathy

Life force transfer is sometimes the final step in the manufacture of a powerful magical item or minor artifact (usually a sword). In this process, a creature's life force is transferred into a magical item (an unwilling subject is allowed a saving throw vs. death magic at -4), which is finally sealed with a permanency spell.

In such an enchantment, the subject's body is frequently destroyed afterward by the caster, forever trapping the life force in the item (unless the permanency is first reversed and a new body prepared using a clone or wish spell, or by similar means). If the item is destroyed while the subject's life force is in it, the creature can regain its body by making a system shock roll if it lies within 1 mile per level of the caster; otherwise, the subject's life force dissipates, and the creature dies.

Sometimes, a wizard may employ this spell as a final measure to protect his or her own life. In this version, the entire incantation and receptacle are prepared and cast beforehand, but only the final syllable of the spell is left unfinished. The wizard can pronounce this short (casting time 1) syllable at any later time, casting his or her life force into the receptacle-providing that it lies within range. Obviously, this strategy only works if the receptacle is kept close to the wizard at all times. Furthermore, the wizard usually must leave behind clues or encrypted instructions so that allies may later reverse the spell and restore the wizard to his or her normal state. While the spell is in its unfinished state, the wizard cannot learn a new 8th-level spell to replace it. Aside from this limitation, however, the caster remains unaffected by the pending spell.

Less scrupulous wizards may use this spell to permanently transfer a creature's life force (often their own) into the body of a younger individual, thereby extending their own existence. The victim is entitled to a saving throw vs. death magic with a -4 penalty to resist the effects. If failed, the victim's life force departs, and the transferred life force takes permanent possession of the victim's body. If the saving throw is successful, the spell fails without any ill effects to either the victim or creature (though it may be recast at a later date). Thus, an ancient necromancer may transfer his or her life force into the body of a vigorous younger person, thereby gaining all of the victim's physical attributes, manual skills, and extended life span. The material component is a massive, blood red garnet (worth 5,000 gp or more). The spell also requires a scroll inscribed with special rare inks and either an expertly-crafted item or a living human, demihuman, or humanoid (preferably young and healthy) to house the subject's life force. The exact nature of any physical receptacle should be decided by the DM, but it must be of quality suitable for enchantment. The garnet is consumed in the casting. This spell cannot be dispelled normally (even in its “pending” state). If the receptacle was not sealed with a permanency, then the subject's life force can be driven out with dispel evil or similar exorcising magic (in the event of a permanent magical receptacle, the item's permanency must be first overcome with dispel magic).

In rare cases, to be adjudicated by the DM, the life force of the victim does not depart from the body, but coexists in his or her body with that of the intruder. Such a life force may be able to take control of the survivor-use the control rules for the magic jar spell to determine this. As before, the intruding life force can be ejected only by casting dispel evil or similar exorcising magics (or a full wish). Otherwise, at the discretion of the DM, the life force of the intruder might merge with that of the victim, diluting the recipient's personality, alignment, and possibly sanity, as well.

The reverse of this spell, revoke life force transfer, requires the original scroll (the one used in the life force transfer spell to be revoked), the construct, and the body of the recipient. Providing that the spell is cast before the body physically dies (within 2–7 days of the original separation), the reversal process requires a system shock roll in order to be successful. If failed (or if the body has already perished), the newly released life force dissipates, and the subject dies.

Notes: Uncommon for necromancers and artificers; otherwise very rare.