The Eldritch Lich is a powerful, alien-infused undead spellcaster introduced in Spelljammer: Adventures in Space (2022). Unlike traditional liches that bind their souls to phylacteries, the Eldritch Lich forgoes this path, instead allowing itself to become a living conduit for an Elder Evil from the Far Realm. Twisted by cosmic madness, the Eldritch Lich serves as a terrifying fusion of arcane mastery and aberrant corruption, acting as an avatar of unknowable alien powers seeking to infiltrate and destabilize the Material Plane.
History[]
The process of becoming an Eldritch Lich requires that a mortal spellcaster abandon their humanity, refuse a traditional phylactery, and offer themselves entirely to an Elder Evil—a being from the Far Realm, such as Hadars, Tharizdun’s echoes, or unnamed cosmic forces. The transformation is irreversible, and the lich’s body is reshaped into an extension of alien will.
One notable Eldritch Lich appears in Light of Xaryxis, where it serves as a major antagonist, spreading Far Realm corruption into Wildspace. Though rare, more such creatures may exist in forgotten corners of the multiverse, awaiting their time to bring madness
Appearance[]
The Eldritch Lich appears as a humanoid figure, desiccated and skeletal like a traditional lich, but heavily mutated. Its face is cracked and stretched, and a writhing tentacle bursts from its mouth—a gift from its Far Realm patron. Its eyes glow with alien color, and its body is surrounded by an aura of unsettling silence and psychic pressure.
Personality[]
The Eldritch Lich retains the intellect, arrogance, and arcane obsession of its mortal form, but all moral or rational boundaries have been burned away by Far Realm influence. It is driven by the incomprehensible wills of the Elder Evils, and views mortals as maggots to be repurposed into tools or husks. It is calm, patient, and terrifyingly precise in spreading madness and corruption across the multiverse.
Powers and Abilities[]
The Eldritch Lich is among the most powerful undead creatures in 5e, a CR 21 legendary foe. Its abilities include:
- Tentacle Burst: As a bonus action, a massive tentacle erupts from its mouth and lashes out with psychic force.
- Spellcasting: Can cast powerful arcane spells up to 9th level (commonly finger of death, disintegrate, plane shift, dominate monster).
- Legendary Resistance: Resists magical and psychic attacks.
- Aberrant Resilience: Unlike normal liches, it has no phylactery—its life is sustained through alien willpower.
- Lair Actions and Regional Effects: In its lair, it can manipulate reality, suppress magic, or summon tentacles. The surrounding area warps into an alien landscape.
- Far Realm Mutation: Its physiology is no longer strictly corporeal, often distorting light, time, or gravity around it.
Trivia[]
- The Eldritch Lich has no phylactery, breaking the traditional lich trope.
- Its tentacle-mouth is a key visual marker of its Far Realm infection.
- It can be used as a template to create new villains in any setting where the Far Realm or spelljamming exists.
- Its CR 21 makes it one of the strongest non-divine creatures introduced in Spelljammer: Adventures in Space.
Gallery[]
