Lich

Alert

Resource

Control

Destroy

Type

Power to Possess

Abandons Cache to Possess Aliens

As a leader, after arrival, use this power to “possess” any alien other than the opponent. Scrap your cache and snatch that alien’s strongest attack pod until the end of upkeep. After possessing an alien, manifest random pods until you have two pods in your cache.

Legacy: During arrival, if a leader has more than 2 attack pods in their cache, they must scrap their strongest attack pod.

Unscrupulous beings who have exchanged their immortal souls for immortality and mastery of the dark arts, the ancient Lich race subsist only on the life essence of the living and their unending hunger for more power.

Leader: Arrival

Mandatory

Wild Flare

If not a leader, after arrival, you may discharge this flare to place your cache in stasis until upkeep and snatch the cache of any sponsor or bystander until upkeep.

Not Leader: Arrival

Super Flare

When using your power, you may discharge this flare to snatch the target alien’s entire cache until upkeep instead of their strongest attack pod.

Leader: Arrival

Modifications

Original power is Doppelganger. I changed the theme of the power due to the double meaning of the original. Doppelganger could work just as well as Evil Twin, which has nothing to do with the existing power.
Original is the power to Haunt. Changed to differentiate from Specter.
In FFG Cosmic, aliens are forced to draw a resupply if they have no encounter pods. My version does not, so Lich does not require specification that it doesn’t auto-lose after running out of encounter pods.
Original Doppelganger drafts pods from the forge with its power. I changed Lich to manifest random new ones for the additional flavor, since the aur comes from its own power.
Original Wild Doppelganger can snatch the opponent’s cache but grants them a free resupply. I simplified the idea to just not be able to target leaders.
The original Super Doppelganger can snatch up to 2 support pods from the target that it does not return. I modified the power to give Super Lich the original power of Demon, gaining the whole cache that it returns during upkeep.
Lich’s legacy forces every alien with at least 2 encounter pods to scrap their strongest one after arrival. It essentially removes the 40 pod from play, and no alien can really rely on the strongest encounter pods in the forge to win encounters. However, due to the stipulation, it will never result in an alien being forced to play only one attack pod, avoiding robbing them of all choice. Aliens with combat powers can benefit more from this legacy, since they can perform better less risk of losing to strong attack pods. Resource-gaining aliens may struggle more since getting stronger attack pods is one of their main draws. Original Cosmic has no legacies.

Tips

Due to the nature of Lich’s power, it never requires a single resupply. Since its power is mandatory, it doesn’t gain much from one either. It also makes boons mostly worthless, since it won’t be able to use any encounter pods it receives. The only value would be support pods, which it can use as a sponsor or bystander.
Since Lich’s pod snatching is targeted, it is generally best off targeting the alien(s) with the most pods. Other aliens should prioritize using their strongest pods as soon as possible, since they might otherwise not get the chance.
Due to Lich’s nature, it can be very difficult to make a deal with Lich. It’s generally only possible if Lich manifests one by chance, and it’s unlikely the opponent will believe they did.
Since Lich’s pods return to the owner if not played, it can gain a small amount of information from its opponent

Development Notes

A doppelganger is a term most commonly used to describe an exact duplicate of someone, or someone who looks just like someone else. The original Doppelganger power is based on the monster of the same name, a ghost that looks exactly like a person and haunts them. Doppelgangers commonly seek to overtake the life of the original person, which is reflective of taking their most valuable pod. However, it doesn’t quite explain why Doppelganger is so freely scrapping its own pods, aside from the basic idea that it is a ghost. I also have issues with Doppelganger so freely changing its identity when it’s meant to be an exact clone of one specific person. It’s the same issue I have with Evil Twin, as I find it doesn’t work for someone to freely change who they look exactly like. Doppelganger works better since there’s more of a supernatural implication, but I don’t think it captures the spirit of the idea well enough.
Lich can be perceived as a more balanced Demon, taking only one targeted pod instead of the whole cache. I applied that logic when reworking Super Lich, since an overtuned power can still make for an acceptable super power. Super Lich plays the flare when using its power, and since it never requires a resupply, the only way it can really lose the flare is by zapping it, either with a Pod Zap or Cache Zap.
As with original Demon’s design, not being able to target the opponent directly is incredibly crucial for this power to work. If Lich can simply take its opponent’s strongest attack pod, they will know for certain the opponent doesn’t have anything stronger. Then, they only need more ships in the encounter to win. By forcing them to target another alien, they aren’t limited by the number of participating aliens, and the choice of who they target can play a major role in determining the winner.
With Lich, I wanted to tap into the fantasy of a creature that possesses the bodies of others to further its own life. It’s important to note the particular “flavor” of Lich’s possession, as Lich doesn’t gain access to its target’s powers, ships, or other anything beyond one specific pod in its cache. This is because Lich possesses its target as Lich, transforming into Lich as it possesses them until upkeep. This process destroys its original body, along with its original cache. After its possession ends, it reforms itself with only the pods it manifested with its own power. Snatching the strongest attack pod reflects its carnal drive for power, and the ability to only hold two pods reflects its ephemeral form while possessing someone.
Making the power optional is another point of consideration. I concluded that such a design gives Lich too much freedom. Since its power lets it request resupplies on a whim, it can use its power to mulligan its cache while also benefiting from the opponent’s pods. The idea with the power is that Lich only benefits from its opponent’s pods, as it doesn’t even keep the pods it manifested when it possesses someone else.
My idea for the theme behind the mandatory nature of Lich’s power is that it needs to possess others in order to continue its own existence. It is a creature that feeds on the life force of the living to power its soul gem. The process destroys its physical body but allows it to create a new one after possession ends. It’s a delightfully alien concept that fits for both a supernatural creature and an unusual quirk of alien biology.
One could wonder why the alien doesn’t lose access to their power or support pods while Lich is possessing them, since the possession lasts until upkeep. I perceive it as related to the reason why Lich can only snatch one pod from their cache. The possession overtakes them, but their consciousness can wrestle back control to use their power or discharge support pods but not to stop Lich from achieving their own ends. It ties into the idea that Lich’s possession is absolute but only for a specific purpose. By restricting its command to “snatch strongest attack pod”, it can ensure its control over that aspect isn’t broken. Super Lich obtains a greater mastery of this control, letting it snatch everything.
The minor change to manifesting pods has an impact on powers like Remora that activate when pods are drafted. Lich’s power doesn’t activate Remora’s power, which seems reasonable since both are mandatory and have no conditions.
Thematically, a Lich is similar in concept to a Zombie, an undead creature that has achieved some form of immortality. Neither is truly immortal, but they will both life forever devoid of some outside interference. In Zombie’s case, their physical body has to be rendered inoperable, often being simplified to destroying the brain in fiction. With Lich, its existence is more metaphysical, separate from its physical body. When Lich possesses another alien, it loses its current physical form as it possesses the other.