Liches & Mummies: 1e, 2e, 3.5, 4, 5, and 13th Age

 lich & mummy

I thought I'd gather a few notes on the development of two major undead across the editions, ended up with more than a few. I started with the 1e Monster Manual because I have it, and I don't know offhand where the lich began its textual unlife before that, but there is some ooky undercarriage to paw at, what with the phylactery being so prominent: that's the greek term for a major piece of Jewish ritual gear, the tefillin worn on head and arm in the daily prayers. So uh look forward to that. 

Lich

1e 

'A lich exists because of its own desires and the use of powerful and arcane magic. The lich passes from a state of humanity to a non-human, non-living existence through force of will.' [Nice and generic]

'It retains this status by certain conjurations, enchantments, and a phylactery.'

'most often encountered within its hidden chambers, in vast wilderness or vast underground labyrinth... solidly constructed, stone, very dark.'

'through the power which changes this creature from human to lich, AC becomes equiv of +1 plate, +1 shield (AC 0).' 

Can only be affected by magic, magic monsters, or 6+HD.

Touch: cold damange, save or be paralyzed.

Those less than 5HD/level  flee in fear.

Garments are most often rotting (but most rich).

[Need spell list for lv 18 caster]

[Treasure type A]

2e has the same basics with more verbiage. 

'Have had a great deal of time in which to research and create new spells and magic objects... Be prepared to face magic never before seen'!

'Liches have no interest in good or evil as we understand it, but will do whatever it must to further its own causes, and feels the living are of little importance. Liches of a most unusual nature can be found of any alignment.'

[the Archlich is connected to such, these putative lawful good liches, or  priests-liches: evil mage liches are standard, other moralities require special pleading.]

The Phylactery is explained, where 1e only mentioned it. Refers to Magic Jar spell.

Can animate a force of undead without specifying what kinds; but they are lesser, used as tools.

They give themselves dumb new names like The Forgotten King, disdaining their former life. They don't deadname themselves, liches.

The Demilich evolution travels to strange planes unknown to sages or Manuals; the great work of the lich may be knowledge and experience rather than power.

Lots of work from the DM is needed to give them the unique spells and items promised, and to project lich's magical power beyond what D&D mechanics provide. 

3.5e

Liches need not be highest level any more: the sample in the text is 11th level. It is a template applied to any humanoid, on top of whatever other abilities.

Ditto 4e, lich is a template applied to NPCs. But adds more color than one might expect from the slim, tactical focus of 4th Edition monsters.

'Prolonged existence in this state often drives them mad.'

Phylactery safe? 'This lich doesn't show much concern for its own wellbeing.'

'A LICH VESTIGE IS THE ARCANE REMNANT OF A DESTROYED LICH. Its frail skeletal body trails off into wisps of shadow, and it seems to glide across the ground. Unlike liches, a lich vestige does not have a phylactery. Highly unstable, it crumbles to dust when damaged.' Level 26. Casts Orb of Obliteration, Shadow Ray, Death's Touch when forced into melee.

Lore, DC 20: most liches are wizards or warlocks now, a few multiclassed clerics too.

25: Phylactery is typically a fist-sized metal box with strips of parchment with magical phrases written. Huhhhhh.

30: All liches pay homage to Orcus, even lich-god Vecna.

You call upon Orcus, demon prince of the undead, to transform you and bind your life force. Rather less self-reliant than previous texts, calling on demon-gods? Sucking up? I hate it.

5e back to 18th level wizard. Description recalls 2e, including not deadnaming yourself, o Forgotten King! 

The lich must make bargains with fiends, evil gods, or other foul entities to do this thing: Orcus is popular but not required.

Transformation ritual binds the soul to the mortal world, preventing it from traveling to the Outer Planes after death. D&D materialism is so weird to me.

Phylacteries require periodic soul sacrifices: lich uses Imprisonment spell to trap target inside phylactery, consumed and destroyed utterly in 24 hours. Period not specified, but unmaintained liches fall apart & become demilich.

Haunts the abode it favored in life: lonely tower, haunted ruin, academy of black magic; or construct secret tombs filled with traps and guardians.

Lich's lair entirely reflects its keen mind and wicked cunning. The Self, exteriorized.

1e Mummy

2-8 appear, 

Undead humans with existence on both the normal and the posititve material planes.

[I had to find and consult a Manual of the Planes, which calls the positive material plane the source of life, livid with energy; and that undead usually exist on both prime and negative material planes. So Mummies' connection to positive material plane is markèd!]

Found near their tombs or in like burial places or ruins.

Unholy hatred of life, they have, what with their weird un-life state. 

Scabrous touch inflicts a rotting disease on any hit: -2 CHA/mo, heal at 1/10 normal rate, fatal in d6 months; cured by Cure Disease alone.

Fear and revulsion to all within sight up to 6". Save vs magic or paralyzed with fright for d4 rounds. Fiddly modifiers on fear save.

Harmed by magic weapons at 1/2 damage.

2e

When their tombs are disturbed, the corpses become animated into a weird unlife state. [Otherwise they lay around and vibe] [First mention of the anti-colonial, anti-imperial theme in mummy media].

Most mummies are corpses without magical properties. Perhaps when the individual was greedy in life and refuses to give up treasure, their spirit taps into energy from Positive Material plane to become undead horror.

'Most mummies remain dormant until their treasure is taken' [so some are up and about, in its burial complex or bespoke artisanal underworld, until the British adventuring party show up and commit archaeology heroism]

Mummy, Greater [a Ravenloft thing; there are many more Ravenloft mummies]

Genius (17-18), AC 2, move 9, HD 8+3, THAC0 11, 3d6 damage, Treasure V [table for increases to stats with age]

The Mummy, Greater is a high level cleric, level 16 to 20.

Has telepathic command of normal mummies;

a more complex awful rutting touch;

Consult the Compleat Priest's Handbook for worship of ancestors, darkness, death, disease, guardianship, revenge. In rare cases, the priests served non-evil gods, can you even imagine??

Often dwell in large temple complexes or tombs where they guard the dead from grave robbers. Have been known to leave tombs and go anywhere. This is Universal, Hammer Horror stuff.

3e Mummies—no essential changes, less detail

4e Mummies defend tombs and other sacred places against intrusion, striking down foes with a deadly rot. Not very intelligent, retain no powers or knowledge from life. More powerful mummy lords retain much [therefore, not all] of their power and intelligence. 

Mummy lords wield a mace (scepter?)

Giant Mummy

From 3e onward, D&D monsters get ability scores.

Str 22 Con 24 Dex 14 Int 6 Wis 12 Cha 16 (?!)

It's the mummy of a giant (speaks Giant)

Lore DC 20: Yuan-ti create mummy lords to guard temples. 

5e mummies are created when the priest of a death god, etc., imbues corpse with necromantic magic. Linen wrappings bear inscriptions. It animates in response to conditions specified in ritual. 

[So the mummy has been programmed. That's full of promise.]

Often mummyhood is a punishment inflicted on those who displeased the priest: treason, adultery, heresy. Or slaves put to death to keep serving. [not mentioned: just plain cultists or defenders of their way of life, continuing to guard tomb of the very expensive elect]

'Undead Archives. Though they seldom bother, mummies can speak. Some serve as repositories of lore, consulted by descendants of creators. Some mummies are intentionally sequestered for such chats.' [zomg yes so good]

Mummy lords: not just high priests, but monarchs, emperors, sorcerers are specially mentioned; of interest is reclaiming their thrones, reforging their empires. Very simple villain motives.

The Mummified heart of the mummy lord, safe in its canopic jar, is similar to lich's phylactery, re-forming a destroyed mummy to full strength 24 hours later. 

Various fiddly tomb-based powers (ditto lich in its lair).

13th Age

[This is not a standard D&D game, but it's one I'm fond of; it goes nice and far into worldbuilding implications and story hook stuff on its monsters and powers, and I recommend all OSR types bite their tongues on such things as hit point inflation and combat-as-sport, and just think about doing what this stuff is meant for: taking it out of the deliberately generic D&D 13th Age world and putting it in your own campaign, with further amendments.]

'Since the ascension of the Lich King, the process of lichdom has generated a community... the Undying Peerage. Undeath is long, and a shadow court celebrating its icon's right to rule empowers liches... & gives a focus for their intrigues.'

A new lich is created a baron. These are your typical isolated lich, still in their old castle or tower, pursuing their old goals. Promoted to count by acting in interest of Lich King, be it by accident or deliberate entry into the intrigues of the Peerage. Found in more civilized areas.

Those who deliver their phylactery to their King, or at least disclose its location as a severest pledge of loyalty, rise to princedom. They usually hope to replace the old bonebag, hah!!

Much flexibility on phylacteries: a keepsake important in life, a portrait, an ancestral castle, a runèd tower. Some cultivate a living creature, such as the last of your family after you slew the rest; or inflict the ritual on a bride or groom (repeat every few decades)

Names: mostly retained from life. Titles in the peerage reflect one's conception of lichdom and path of service to their King.

Mummy (from the supplement 13 True Ways). 

Mummyhood 'is a secret to escape the mystery of death and the horror of undeath: a passive false life of the mind, dreaming endlessly in their sarcophagi.' The Lich King is against it, animates mummies, slays em, raises proper undead minions. 

So typical mummies adventurers meet are slaves of the Lich King, not happy dreamers; you can tell because they're moving around, groaning, spreading rot, instead of lying there passively.