Lich senses?

[mikeejimbo]

So, I don't think I've read it anywhere, in the SRD or book - clearly a lich retains its senses because it's a template, and the template only changes what it says it changes, and it doesn't say anything about senses. (That I can recall.) Of course, this may be up to interpretation. Still, it raises a few questions (some of which are raised in Order of the Stick)

- How does a Lich see?

Clearly, the magical points of light suffice as eyes. These must provide magical sight.

- How does a Lich hear?

This is unclear, but most people assume they are able to. Maybe they still have ear holes?

- How does a Lich taste, feel or smell?

Ugh, rotten. if you ask me.

[arguskos]

Sight should probably be darkvision 60 or something. Hearing should be... um.. magical? Why would a lich have a sense of taste? They don't eat. Smell is probably magical in nature. Touch is probably gone too. They are skeletons after all, and since skeletons can't feel much, other than pressure, I doubt a lich could do much better.

-argus

[Collin152]

Why would a lich have a sense of taste? They don't eat.

Making it that much easier to get them to drink the wrong potion.

I don't think so, they retain taste to avoid trickery in their tonics and elixers.

[KillianHawkeye]

It is generally assumed that, unless otherwise noted, all creatures have humanlike senses by default. Because that makes the most sense to use as a baseline. It would be too difficult to figure out how well Gnolls can hear or how sensitive a Treant's nose is. Same goes for Liches.

That being said, pretty much all undead get darkvision.

[Prophaniti]

This actually is an interesting thing to think about with Undead in your setting.

With liches, specifically, I feel that sight and hearing become magical, perhaps distorted or amplified strangley by their state of being. Taste, touch, and I think smell too, are lost entirely. Those senses are part of what was sacrificed for immortality and power.

That's the way I run them.

[Ralfarius]

- How does a Lich taste, feel or smell?

Ugh, rotten. if you ask me.

Ohhh, I get it!

[Deth Muncher]

Our illustrator illustrious Giant actually touched on this point in Start of Darkness with Xykon as he was just becoming a Lich. Now, I'm AFB at the moment, so I can't provide a page number, but I highly suggest you take a look. And buying books makes the site stay open!

[mikeejimbo]

Yeah, I remember that page, but it doesn't make sense to me. If magic can give you sight and hearing, why not taste?

[Cuddly]

Cause immortality tastes of ashes.

[TheCountAlucard]

In my games, many undead can't "feel" in the same sense we do. While they're still aware of touch, they draw no sensation from it. No pleasure, no pain. The retention of taste and smell, however, depend on the undead.

[Lord Lorac Silvanos]

According to Libris Mortis (page 11) undaed retain their senses in some form even if altered slightly compared to the living. The sense of Touch is much cruder for instance and if the organ used for a particular sense is lost, such as the tongue rotting away in case of the Lich and removing the taste sense.

Preservation is important if you like the taste of coffee in the morning.